Thursday, April 14, 2016

L is for Lucid Dreams (False Awakenings)

Lucid Dreaming dreaming while knowing that you are dreaming. The term was coined by Frederik van Eeden who used the word "lucid" in the sense of mental clarity. Lucidity usually begins in the midst of a dream when the dreamer realizes that the experience is not occurring in physical reality, but is a dream. 

Often this realization is triggered by the dreamer noticing some impossible or unlikely occurrence in the dream, such as flying or meeting the deceased. 

When lucidity is at a high level, you are aware that everything experienced in the dream is occurring in your mind, that there is no real danger, and that you are asleep in bed and will awaken shortly. 

With low-level lucidity you may be aware to a certain extent that you are dreaming, perhaps enough to fly or alter what you are doing, but not enough to realize that the people are dream representations, or that you can suffer no physical damage, or that you are actually in bed. Reference 


I have had lucid dreams where I could actually make free will decisions. They are crazy weird. One such dream I was in mortal combat with someone I knew and I really had to focus and fight for my life while making conscious decisions such as how to defend and attack. I’ll never forget that dream.

Honorable Mention Language, Landscape and Love

Tomorrow M is for Movies (best of dreams in film)

Question Have you had a lucid dream? I'd really like to hear about it. 

41 comments:

  1. Yes, I've had lucid dreams before. I vaguely remember giving myself a superpower of some sort when that has happened.

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    1. Sounds like an Sid Krofft Saturday morning show. Oh wait, that might be a nightmare. See tomorrow's post.

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  2. I'm thinking I have dreamt lucid dreams.. Some where towards the climax of the dream, I just want to wake up and get out of it. And there are some that I suddenly wake up heart racing from one and am super happy that it was just a dream.. What category does that fall into?

    Cheers,
    Seena

    #AtoZChallenge -L is for Labour

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    1. Seena, I'm not an expert but have a basic working knowledge of an array of dreams interpretations and meanings. But sounds like these dreams are multiple dreams running into each other which is quite common. Could very well be you're at a point where you are taking control over what was once unctnorllable from people and circumstances and are ready to break free.

      Check back for O is for Orange!!!

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  3. This happens to me a lot. I can actually talk myself out of a nightmare, for instance. :)

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    1. Elizabeth, now that's truly incredible. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Ahh, now I know my kinda dream - Lucid dreams! Such a spoilsport kind I think they are. If I am having a dream and know I am having one...where's the fun :(
    @KalaRavi16 from
    Relax-N-Rave

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  5. I've had low level lucid dreams, but nothing really like yours. Usually I'm just along for the ride :)
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

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  6. I have had a few; I remember having one of my mom being still alive, we were doing something together, but then I remember in my dream thinking "but she's dead." So would that count as a lucid dream?

    betty

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    1. Could be. Not sure. But I'm a big fan of Hebrews 12:1 and the Great Cloud of Witness. This can happen during waking hours or sleeping hours.

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  7. I had a lucid sleep paralysis this past weekend. That wasn't fun.

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    1. Deborah, you and me both. Stop by for S is for Sleep Paralysis.

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    2. Ahh. I still can't believe it happened!

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  8. I am not sure I'm ever lucid....very interesting post

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  9. I've had lucid dreams. They were always powerful and the memory of them has remained.

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    1. Bish, you really should post about them on your blog!

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  10. I think my flying dreams may be borderline lucid. It's hard to say. Is that even a thing? LOL I wonder because I knew what I wanted to do and had some control, but kept failing. I've never tried to induce a lucid dream though. That idea kind of scares me.

    ~Ninja Minion Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
    Story Dam
    Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

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    1. Patricia, generally speaking lucid dreams are dreams you are actively making conscious decisions in. The outcome may be positive or not. But the key is you are making conscious decisions just as if you are awake but you are dreaming. Weird, I know.

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  11. I've never had a lucid dream, but I've always wanted to. It would be really cool to be aware and be able to make decisions while dreaming.

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  12. I have dreams where there is a huge mess to clean up but I realize hey I'm only dreaming- no clean up required

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  13. I have dreams where there is a huge mess to clean up but I realize hey I'm only dreaming- no clean up required

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    1. Lynn, it must be a huge mess because of the triple post!!! Ha, just kidding. I know multiple posts happen.

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  14. I wish I knew why these kinds of dreams happen for a while, and then vanish. If I knew what caused them, maybe I could make sure they came more often.

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    1. Cheryl, how cool would that be! Having control of our dreams that benedft us.

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  15. I've had dreams of dreams inside of dreams. Weird, very, very weird!

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    1. Yolanda, now that is really cool. Or very scary. Not sure which one.

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  16. I've had dreams which were no kidding dreams intermixed with real life events. Now I know what they're called.

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  17. I've had dreams which were no kidding dreams intermixed with real life events. Now I know what they're called.

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    1. Al, know you know. I've had them too and most were of me having to defend myself and overcome obstacles from friendly forces that wanted to take me down. And they always turned out to be right. How crazy is that!

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  18. I've been aware that I was dreaming and even able to do something in them, but it's happened only a couple of times in my life. For some reason, no matter how weird my dreams get, I never realize that they're dreams.

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  19. I don't think I've ever genuinely had a lucid dream. It would be fascinating to experience.

    Susan A Eames from
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

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  20. Someone who lucid dreams regularly tried to teach me how. As i started trying to learn, i began having the most horrific nightmares, so we stopped and i've tried very hard to never remember my dreams since.

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  21. I have had lucid dreams but I also have dreams which are great adventures and I am disappointed when I do awaken

    JO ON FOOD, LIFE AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

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    1. Jo, I could only wish my lucid dreams were such. They have all been on the defensive.

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  22. My favorite lucid dreams are those in which I can fly or breath underwater.

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  23. My favorite lucid dreams are those in which I can fly or breath underwater.

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  24. I did have some strange lucid dreams. One of them took place when I was sick with a fever, I just did not know if I was awake or not.

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  25. I don't know whether it was a lucid dream or an out of body experience but it was way weird!

    Michele at Angels Bark

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  26. Oh yes I have had lucid dreams where I have changed my dream so it works better for me. I have fallen and realized I was dreaming and didn't want to smack the ground so I got a rope and continued to swing to the other side. I often have dreams where I am jumping really high and far. I am scared at first since I am phobic of heights but then I realize I am dreaming and it can't hurt me so I keep jumping and enjoying the way I can jump so high and so far.

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  27. My father and my sister often tell me this happen to them. It has never happened to me. I usually live the dream and never consider whether it's a dream or reality.
    My father sometimes tells me that he gets so annoyed with the dream he just decides to wake up :-)

    @JazzFeathers
    The Old Shelter - Jazz Age Jazz

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