Is it possible to know when you are dreaming?

[F A B]

Is it possible to be aware inside a dream?

Is it possible to realise that you are dreaming when you are actually dreaming?

[Dodo]

10 minutes ago, F A B said:

Is it possible to be aware inside a dream?

Is it possible to realise that you are dreaming when you are actually dreaming?

Possible. Start a dream journal - important if you want to lucid dream!! It might seem like some gimmick, but there is something magic about putting words on a sheet of paper. Whenever you remember your dreams, write down, this will help you become more and more aware of your dreams and one day you will be in one of them and go AHA! 

Other than dream diary/journal, it is important to know how to check you are in a dream world. One of the best and simplest ways I've found is to just look at your hand, from both sides. If it looks like a real hand, you are in the real life dream (also nice to be aware in the real life dream tho). If it looks strange, you're in a dream - the AHA moment. As an example of how weird it can look, one time I looked at my hand and it had fins between the fingers.

The reason this happens, they say, is because in dreams the logical part of the mind is sleeping, and the mind cannot render the hand correctly - it's too hard of a problem!! So it gives you some impression of a hand, not a real hand.  Reality is weird. Dream reality is weirder. 

 

Heads up!! When you are in the dream world, all you see is your subconscious. Don't cause mayhem... Don't be foolish... You are in the presence of God. If you are foolish, you might get kicked out of lucidity!!

Edited November 16, 2018 by Dodo

[Forestluv]

45 minutes ago, F A B said:

Is it possible to be aware inside a dream?

Is it possible to realise that you are dreaming when you are actually dreaming?

Yep. Lucid dreaming.

[Rilles]

Yeah, it has happened to me spontaneously a few times, its a really cool experience... you can pretty much do anything you want... within the limits of the mind of course

[Dodo]

Just now, Rilles said:

Yeah, it has happened to me spontaneously a few times, its a really cool experience... you can pretty much do anything you want... within the limits of the mind of course

May I take a guess - the first thing you do is fly?? Would be cool if you did that. That was the first thing I always try to do when I become lucid. Feels very liberating. 

[Rilles]

9 minutes ago, Dodo said:

May I take a guess - the first thing you do is fly?? Would be cool if you did that. That was the first thing I always try to do when I become lucid. Feels very liberating. 

Actually the first time I lucid dreamed I turned a fat horse into a skinny horse with my mind then I woke up haha, I know its weird... the second time I punched someone because why not?  I usually fly when I dream regularly... its the most amazing feeling, to rise 1000 feet above your own mystical city... dreams are amazing 

Havent lucid dreamed in many years... if I did now I would try to meditate in the dream... 

[Nahm]

Start now.  This is it. 

[Dodo]

13 minutes ago, Rilles said:

Actually the first time I lucid dreamed I turned a fat horse into a skinny horse with my mind then I woke up haha, I know its weird... the second time I punched someone because why not?  I usually fly when I dream regularly... its the most amazing feeling, to rise 1000 feet above your own mystical city... dreams are amazing 

Havent lucid dreamed in many years... if I did now I would try to meditate in the dream... 

I still remember vividly one dream in which I was chased by a monster... I was so scared, I climbed on a tree - the only option I had to escape, but I knew its not going to be enough and I was ready to give up and die. I closed my eyes and meditated on the branch. The nightmare ended :))))) Epic

[Rilles]

4 minutes ago, Dodo said:

I still remember vividly one dream in which I was chased by a monster... I was so scared, I climbed on a tree - the only option I had to escape, but I knew its not going to be enough and I was ready to give up and die. I closed my eyes and meditated on the branch. The nightmare ended :))))) Epic

Wow! Meditation is even helpful in the other dreamstate too, who knew haha! Ive never been chased in a dream, mine are usually pleasant, but I dream alot about ghosts though... like poltergeists in my home... very eerie...  and snakes... god those snake dreams never end 

[Forestluv]

10 minutes ago, Dodo said:

I still remember vividly one dream in which I was chased by a monster... I was so scared, I climbed on a tree - the only option I had to escape, but I knew its not going to be enough and I was ready to give up and die. I closed my eyes and meditated on the branch. The nightmare ended :))))) Epic

That sounds like a bad trip! ?

[Shin]

The only lucid dreams I have are about finding a toilet because I want to pee in "real life".

[Rilles]

1 minute ago, Shin said:

The only lucid dreams I have are about finding a toilet because I want to pee in "real life".

Hahaha this happens to me too

[Forestluv]

Has anyone here used “reality checks” as training for lucid dreaming? I had mixed success with it.

[Dodo]

9 minutes ago, Rilles said:

Wow! Meditation is even helpful in the other dreamstate too, who knew haha! Ive never been chased in a dream, mine are usually pleasant, but I dream alot about ghosts though... like poltergeists in my home... very eerie...  and snakes... god those snake dreams never end 

Hahaha! I've had my share of snakes... One dream with my old colleagues (programmers), we were just walking around some swamp... At one point we were separated and I saw a huge snake, it went for them... I wanted to scream, but was too scared the snake would come for me, so I just didnt do anything.. It ate one of them I started hiding... Went in some hole... Then I realised its probably where the snake lives  

[Shin]

There may be better video explaining how to do it, I post this one because his video on astral projection worked for me:

 

 

[Dodo]

A really good book which ties spirituality - Tibetan Buddhism, meditation etc, with lucid dreaming is Charlie Morley's book - Dreams of Awakening. It was the first ever spiritual book I ever read, back when I didn't even know what buddhism/spirituality is. I was more interested in the lucid dream bits, but now I realise how much better that book is from what I took from it at first!! 

[Robert]

@F A B Of course. That's called lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming is a skill that can be developed through practice.

Here's a popular book on lucid dreaming: https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-World-Dreaming-Stephen-LaBerge/dp/034537410X

IIRC the person who wrote that book is one of the leading researchers on lucid dreaming.

[Cocolove]

I lucid dreamed a few times a year and since I started meditating and journaling my dreams I have them about once a week. I try to do self inquiry but that never seems to lead to anything. 

[EvilAngel]

I met angels in my lucid dream last night

@Nahm then is there such a thing as 'real life' ????

[seeking_brilliance]

@Serotoninluv I have. I don't stick with it though, and you're supposed to do it religiously. I learned a really good one though. Which is every time you see the sky, you do a RC,which for me is to count my fingers. That way every time you see a sky in a dream, you are likely to do a reality check and realize you are dreaming.  Well this worked the first or second night, but I didn't become lucid. There was a dream character who asked to be called lord skye, and he even spelled out the name for me, but I never put two and two together. As soon as I awoke and reviewed the dream did I laugh and slap myself for not getting it. 

They say Mild is the best method and works often for me. You say a mantra that the next thing you see will be a dream, or something similar to that phrase. Works good with wearing an eye mask so that truly the next thing you see will be a dream. 

Other times I just spontaneously realize and I'm sure it's a combination of the practices and just really strong desire. 

Edited November 17, 2018 by seeking_brilliance