Thread: Hello

Hey everyone,

First post! My brother-in-law was visiting last week and we talked quite a bit about lucid dreaming - I'd heard of it before, but never taken the time to try it. He's been working for a year, and has been Lucid 3 times, but only for a couple of seconds. His surprise at being lucid has woken him up every time, but he's getting close. I know it is something I would enjoy, so starting listening to Opheliablue's 2013 podcast which is how I found the site.

Anyway - my history with Lucid dreaming. I'm reasonably sure that I've been Lucid and in control once in my life (at least that I can recall), but it certainly wasn't at the level of clarity that many on here describe... Anyway, I was probably 11 or 12, and I remember standing on a huge tower with my grandma... we jumped off of the tower and started falling to the ground. The momentum didn't slow as we approached the ground and I think as I was falling I started to become lucid because I remember thinking, "wait, they say if you fall in a dream and hit the ground, you die in real life" (the stupid things kids say)... well, grandma and I hit the ground and both looked at each other and laughed. I'm certain I became lucid at that time because I completely recognized that I must be in a dream or else I would be resembling a pancake with strawberry syrup right about then. Anyway, the dream must have lasted another 15 minutes or so because Grandma and I started climbing and jumping, climbing and jumping. I could feel the wind as I fell, and I swear the butterflies in the stomach... Anyway, I woke up so excited and realized I had the best dream ever....

No lucidity since then that was as dramatic, but several times that I've been aware i was dreaming and kept on going... I just didn't recognize it for what it was and never sought to impose my conscious will. I've willed myself back into dreams from an awake state, but no lucidity once in. Well anyway, after my brother-in-law and I talked for a couple of days, I had a pretty close experience that convinced me that I might not have too far to go to achieve lucidity. I went to sleep and tried a bit of what I now understand is WILD (although I'm sure I didn't do it quite right)... I just tried to relax my body and calm my mind... I opened my eyes and saw a huge nasty spider descending right towards my face (it was about 3 feet away)... I immediately awoke, jumped out of bed, shouted and flicked on the light. My wife screamed "what's wrong?". I immediately recognized that I had dreamed it (and was now awake) but the detail of the spider and realism was burned in my brain and I instantly recognized that it was more than a normal dream.

Anyway, I'll check out the academy and let you guys know how it goes!