02-02-2009, 10:33 PM
I've had one lucid dream in my life, and got so overwhelmed by the fact that I just jumped off a cliff that I immediately woke up. But the fact that it felt "real" at the time of it happening, as well as the fact that it is still a memory I vividly recall 20 years later is quite amazing. I have gone on to read many books on lucid dreaming, and read "Dreams in Consciousness" by Seth, which goes into some great analysis of the dreamworld. MisterRabbit, have you read Seth's stuff at all? (Authored by Jane Roberts, who channeled Seth, for those who are unfamiliar)
I've tried reminders, writing in my journal the next morning, waking myself up 5 times a night (which is torture! lol), and using affirmations. I've also tried taking a nap during the day, or sleeping next to a radio or television to hear the background noise and possibly slip into recreating what I hear, realizing I am doing it consciously. None of it worked for me!
It got to the point that I was writing tons of dreams in my notebook, but I couldn't figure out what any of them meant. I couldn't find any suitable answers to the "symbols" that came during dreams, and they hardly ever seemed to apply to any emotional or physical state I was in. So over time it felt like I was just writing for the sake of writing, and reading about these dreams were nothing more than a cheap past-time.
It would be great to be able to get more out of my dreams, but everyone has so many opinions about what they mean, that Ayadew's comment is perfect--there's no real common ground, and everyone's symbol interpretations can be completely different from one another because of the subjective nature of dreaming.
I'd also be interested in hearing what people get out of their dreams. I would love to make better use of them!
Steve
I've tried reminders, writing in my journal the next morning, waking myself up 5 times a night (which is torture! lol), and using affirmations. I've also tried taking a nap during the day, or sleeping next to a radio or television to hear the background noise and possibly slip into recreating what I hear, realizing I am doing it consciously. None of it worked for me!
It got to the point that I was writing tons of dreams in my notebook, but I couldn't figure out what any of them meant. I couldn't find any suitable answers to the "symbols" that came during dreams, and they hardly ever seemed to apply to any emotional or physical state I was in. So over time it felt like I was just writing for the sake of writing, and reading about these dreams were nothing more than a cheap past-time.
It would be great to be able to get more out of my dreams, but everyone has so many opinions about what they mean, that Ayadew's comment is perfect--there's no real common ground, and everyone's symbol interpretations can be completely different from one another because of the subjective nature of dreaming.
I'd also be interested in hearing what people get out of their dreams. I would love to make better use of them!
Steve