LD addiction?

[Nickybear]

Was wondering if anyone ever had this problem. I have LD and usually full control in them pretty much every night. So consequently I sleep about 12-14 hours at a time. I find the dream quality better the less tired I am so I typically go back to sleep after waking up normally. It's to the point that my dreaming life far exceeds the quality, or level of fun, of my real life so I just sleep all the time. I can choose what I do and where I am, who I am with, pretty much everything about the dream so it's basically like being on vacation in wonderland as long as I'm asleep. Being awake involves working, cleaning, basically everything that's not wonderful and care free, so basically being awake sucks. I didn't learn to do this by any techniques or devices although I have read about them because I was curious. I've just always been able to LD and got better at it the older I've got. My Dr. Suggested that I sleep so much because I'm depressed but it's hard to explain to someone what total freedom and control as opposed to real life is like unless they experience it. Has anyone had an issue like this. And is there anyway to stop LDing. Perhaps a supplement of some type to alter my sleep states. I know obviously I could just choose to get up but, it's just so much fun that I don't want to...... Kinda like drug or alcohol addiction, ya can't just have a little it's either all or nothing.

[littlezoe]

Well, consider yourself lucky. Not everyone is able to do it often without any practice I don't see why would you want to stop having them though... Why not just enjoy it while you can? I know the feeling you describe, that real life seems boring compared to them, but it's all about intention. If you can set yourself to accept that you have to do things in real, then i don't see the two interfere with eachother. I would be happy to have LDs this easily

[TheForgotten]

That's a nice problem to have. Speaking from personal experience, addictions (of the LD variety) can go one of two ways. 1. Your waking life crumbles and you wake up one day realizing how disconnected you are from everyone and everything. or 2. You decide to apply things you've learned or experienced in dreams, to waking life. OH!!! One more. 3. You go insane. Although this could tie into number 1. You could do things to alter your sleep patterns... but then that doesn't get at the root of the issue does it? It's just a pacifier. What you should do, if you don't wish to spend the rest of your life asleep, is to figure out what's keeping you anchored in the dream state and address it in waking life. Now you have choices. You can choose your method to satisfy your end goal. Good luck with that.

[DreiHundert]

Real Life is good. Dreams are good too. Though there are things that you can do in dreams that you can't do in real life... There are things you can do in real life that you can't do in dreams... Like get REAL outside input on your opinions, and the thrill of doing something that's actually dangerous. If you honestly think you're developing a problem, you should talk to a psychiatrist and seek guidance. You say you're a natural at lucid dreaming - Usually I would suggest that if you stop trying to lucid dream, you'll slowly stop having them so much.. But since you're a natural at it, then you may have to seek further help. First you should evaluate whether or not it's a problem though... Are you not enjoying your waking life? Perhaps it's not best to try to stop lucid dreaming. What if you stop having fun in your dreams and life doesn't get more fun for you. Then you aren't having any fun at all, and that doesn't help depression. Sometimes when we're depressed we tend to try to hide away from the real world, by going online or into our dreams... Staying alone in our rooms. This is a natural response - and it's really up to you to decide if that's harming you in any way. If it is, seek help. If you believe you'll be alright, you can just live your life as you've been living it.

[TheForgotten]

But if you don't need to try to dream... Then you should seek help. Wait, what? Why would unintentional dreaming be an issue?

[DreiHundert]

Wait, what? Why would unintentional dreaming be an issue? I would suggest to someone that is addicted to Lucid Dreaming to stop their efforts at Lucid Dreaming, and they will stop Lucid Dreaming as much. Someone who has Lucid Dreams naturally will not be able to take that course of action. So I suggest to them to seek further assistance and tips for their problem. (AKA, Keep reading for more people's opinions and tips, because I cannot think of any other good suggestions) You were in the unfortunate predicament of reading my post while it's still in the process of being revised... Before I've revised a post a few times, it tends to give people these misguided impressions of what I was trying to say.

[TheForgotten]

I would suggest to someone that is addicted to Lucid Dreaming to stop their efforts at Lucid Dreaming, and they will stop Lucid Dreaming as much. Someone who has Lucid Dreams naturally will not be able to take that course of action. So I suggest to them to seek further assistance and tips for their problem. (AKA, Keep reading for more people's opinions and tips, because I cannot think of any other good suggestions) You were in the unfortunate predicament of reading my post while it's still in the process of being revised... Before I've revised a post a few times, it tends to give people these misguided impressions of what I was trying to say. Ah gotcha, the revised version makes things much clearer. Now I'm wondering though, do you think it would help to limit lucid dreaming alone? I mean, when people are treated for eating disorders, when you tell them to eat more or less, that treats the symptom but not the cause. In Nickybear's situation, it appears that lucid dreaming offers a distraction from other things. So to simply stop one action, will likely lead to having it replaced with something equally addictive. Thoughts?

[DreiHundert]

I mean... We have to do something for recreation - and sometimes we do the same thing many times over and over again, so it seems like addiction. The addiction isn't a problem until it gets in the way of every day life. Eliminating our means to feed our addictions (Eg... Deleting a drug dealer's phone number) can HELP, but if the root of the problem is an addictive personality, then it all comes down to willpower - The only person who can fix the problem of addiction is the person with the addiction. Each of us are responsible for making the right decisions in what we do, and we're responsible for weighing the consequences and accepting them when they come.

[Carrot]

So to simply stop one action, will likely lead to having it replaced with something equally addictive. Thoughts? True indeed. Having something new wouldn't start off as an addiction, it will start off as something small and slowly manifest into an addiction. But at any point of time in our lives, I think we need something to fill in that thing we are lacking. Either you see past all that and attempt to achieve eternal peace, otherwise you will feel you're living a pretty mundane life without anything to be addicted to because there's nothing in your focus. I've read from somewhere that addiction in any form is bad. No matter the thing we're addicted to is good or bad. Although lucid dreaming is good, I prefer humans to DCs. Sounds like you have been coping yourself at home, perhaps it's time to socialise?

[hollywood]

I'm think I am pretty similar to you. I never "learnt" to lucid dream, its just something that I have been doing for as long as I can remember. I also didnt know there was a name for it or techniques or even that some people find it hard to do until a few months ago. I suppose I'm just lucky. I go through stages where it does start to control my life though. It's not all the time, but more like once or twice a year where I will just get stuck in my room. It's easy for me to spend an entire weekend in bed only waking for brief periods of time before rolling over and going back to what seems like a lot more fun. I've built an entire city out of my favourite parts of places I have been to around the world. That's how I know I am lucid, when I realise I am in my self-made city. Luckily, I also think my awake life is alot of fun and really interesting too and that to get new things into my dreams I have to be awake to find them, then take it back to my dream. Like someone said above, an option is to also take what you learn in your dream and use it when you are awake. Try to start doing what you do in your dreams in real life. I spend a lot of time in my dreams just hanging out with my friends, drinking coffee, talking, driving etc. I find this helps me articulate the converstations I have in real life, solve problems at work and so on. I hope that isn't just a mess of information and it can be of some help.

[Chimpertainment]

use the same effort for waking life that you do for your dream life. It will balance out, just remember the illusory nature of any experience...

[Nickybear]

It really requires no effort at all....

[Aizel]

Yea buddy im pretty sure a lot of people want to be in ur shoes there's nothing wrong with sleeping 12 hours a day just go t bed earlier if u have to be up early lucid dreaming is natural it's not like weed or another drugs even tho weed is barely bad for you it still can be a depressent where as lucid dreaming is ur body's 150% natural high that's ten times better than another drug although I don't really like drugs or alchol only weed before bed or with friends

[MtSaEt]

You dream because you live, think about it..

[Nickybear]

Well all interesting thoughts. But as for the last one, I don't think you can compare the solution to deleting your drug dealers number cause I'm required to sleep. I dunno I guess it's kinda like kids who sit and play online video games for days at a time, it's an alternative to reality. Only with this it essentially is reality until I wake up. Occasionally things get too real or goes wrong and I can wake myself up but otherwise, the good ones are pretty much reality as all of my senses are at work and all systems go. Of course they aren't all great and some way more vivid than others and it doesn't always steer exactly where I wanted, but more often than not. I have learned quite a bit, come up with cool ideas and solutions to problems I've been having while dreaming. Like if I'm working on a project and am stuck at a certain point I've many times awakened with the answer or a new thing to try. So that's positive I suppose. And maybe this is indicative that my life sucks! Lol :-) But I see no way to compare anyones real life to dream life where I can fly around doing anything intent with anyone I want, hop in the sack with any girl I want ( although sometimes choosing specific people is difficult and someone else shows up). The part that makes it worst is as I said in the original post is, the best ones I have and I'm most able to control them and choose circumstances after I've slept all night, been awake a short time and then go back to sleep. I sort of find myself in about a 50-50 asleep awake state where I can focus on what I want to be doing and as I slowly fall asleep it starts to manifest itself as I wanted it to. I can lay there for hours doing this, but of course the dream portions can seem much longer than they really are. Sex dreams are great but quite frustrating cause, not sure how to word this, it's never completed? If ya know what I mean, that always wakes me up. And to make matters worse, I'm self employed and work from home so I won't get fired for showing up late lol. I've been doing this so much the past few months I'm starting to get into financial trouble. Have missed out or been extremely late completing jobs. Which is where the problem comes in, otherwise everything would be great. I dunno, guess the answer is to force myself to get up but it sure does suck! Anyway was just wondering if anyone had ever had this issue before :-/

[Nickybear]

use the same effort for waking life that you do for your dream life. It will balance out, just remember the illusory nature of any experience... It really requires no effort at all....

[Chimpertainment]

It really requires no effort at all.... perhaps effort was the wrong word...perhaps focus or attention would be a better way to put it...Waking life has more variables and less control. That requires focus, attention, and letting go of the need for control. I know how you feel, and waking life has plenty to offer, you just need to wake up and pay attention.

[sci4me]

Dude, I WISH that I had this issue. If I could have this.. I would "enjoy" ... my nights a LOT more.

[Nickybear]

Sorry for the duplicate posts, still figuring out this message board, it's kinda a weird way that it works :-/

[madvorak]

Hey! I envy you so much!!! How much time do you spend in LDs per day on average? Why do you think you should stop? Do you think you miss something important in your waking life? Something worth sacrificing your great LDs??? I wish I was so good in LDing as you are. I wouldn't mind missing anything in my waking life for it!