Lucid dreaming

[Kurt.Is.God]

Lucid dreams and type

I started wondering if some types are more likely to lucid dream than others.

Last night I had a dream in which I noticed my mental state felt weird. I tried meditating and i found I could enter the trance state really quickly. I started hearing the rushing noises that I get right before an OBE. I thought this was really weird, and I tried to figure out why. I remembered this happening a few other times, when I had too much pot. I didn't FEEL stoned, but I also couldn't remember to save my life, so I figured it must have been the pot. The rest of the dream was me trying to remember what happened earlier in the night/dream, until some sound woke me up. This is one of the few times my dreams weren't lucid, because I managed to come up with a different explanation for why I felt how I did than "I must be dreaming".

I think my tendency to obsess over the "mood" of the place and what factors are contributing to it might make it easier for me to lucid dream. I'd imagine NFs, and maybe NTs, would be better at lucid dreaming. I also think taking hallucinogens and experiencing drastically altered states of consciousness makes you more aware of various elements of your consciousness that you didn't previously know could be turned up or down a notch.

What are your thoughts?

 

[INTP]

Dunno if amount of lucid dreams is about type, but from what things you realize that you are dreaming and thus enter lucid dream might be type related.

What triggers lucid dreams for me is some logical incosistency in the dream combined with something being different from normal. Also when this starts, i pretty much always get suspicious about whether this is reality or a dream and usually test it in some way to support the hypothesis that im in a dream. At times this isnt necessary tho, for example if i see the "background people" being nothing more than empty shells.

Also one aspect of my lucid dreams is that i easily forget that im in an dream and then the lucid aspect disappears suddenly. And when i am in the lucid state, i know this and constantly fear that the lucid dream will end and that i might wake up easily. For example if im in some house when i figure out that im in a dream, if i exit the house, the lucid aspect of the dream will most likely disappear, so i stay inside the house. I also get these very brief moment of clarity in the dream where i realize that im dreaming, but forget it and the licidity will only last for a second or less, i might explain something to someone by telling that this is a dream, realize it myself then too, but the lucid aspect then fades away when there is something new happening.

 

[Kurt.Is.God]

The problem of staying in the dream. I've read somewhere that what you believe will happen in a dream WILL happen. I'm able to stay dreaming even if I open my eyes during a lucid dream (hypnagogia). It's mostly by squeezing my eyes shut, feeling something overly intense (usually falling or getting hurt), or breathing too deeply and interrupting the "sleep breathing rate" that I'm able to wake myself up. It's like since I believe only these factors will wake me up, I can keep dreaming through anything else.

For me, the problem of control in my dreams comes from the dream's desire to fight whatever attempts I make to control it. If I do something normally illegal in the dream, for example, cops will show up, and if I make them blind, they'll start stumbling toward me anyway. I wonder if this has to do with some fear of loss of control. I have panic attacks which come from this fear. I wonder if this loss of control in lucid dreams would be more pronounced in, say, ExTJs.

 

[011235813]

The most lucid dream I've ever had was very, very sensual and didn't have much of a plot, which is usually characteristic of my dreams. I wasn't on anything, I didn't feel weird during the dream, and I woke up feeling just fine after putting an end to the dream.

 

[Mia.]

I've played quite a bit with lucid dreaming, and am currently focusing/working on my ability to continue dreaming upon achieving lucidity, which I've been able to do a good number of times. I have yet to be able to consciously influence/direct the dreams, but am working on it. The only other person I know who has played with lucid dreaming with the same or better success is an INTP. He has been able to affect change in his dreams on a number of occasions, but not to the level where he would say he's in control of the dream. I think it would be fascinating to hear the perspective of someone with dom or aux Ni.

 

[Hazashin]

I'm an INFP, and I can't lucid dream for shit.

Dunno if amount of lucid dreams is about type, but from what things you realize that you are dreaming and thus enter lucid dream might be type related.What triggers lucid dreams for me is some logical incosistency in the dream combined with something being different from normal. Also when this starts, i pretty much always get suspicious about whether this is reality or a dream and usually test it in some way to support the hypothesis that im in a dream. At times this isnt necessary tho, for example if i see the "background people" being nothing more than empty shells.

Now see, whenever I realize I'm in a dream (and almost always, it's a REALLY good dream, which I guess is because it's SO good that it must not be real), I almost immediately wake up. It's like my instinct to do that.

 

[Nijntje]

I can really only lucid dream in my zombie apocalypse dreams, but i think that's because i've been having the same recurring dream for nearly 20 years.

About halfway through my zombie dream i realise im dreaming, most of the time it doesnt actually help with my dream, as i can't control things much, and generally i will try and wake myself up, sometime it works, sadly it doesnt always happen and then i get this fun thought that the dream is real.

meaning the zombies are real.

meaning i could get eaten alive at any minute.

Fuck zombie dreams and stupid non helping lucid dreaming where i can't wake myself up or control the dream.

Oh, and in case you can't tell by that ramble, im an INFP.

 

[Snow Turtle]

I wouldn't think lucid dream is related to MBTI at all.

It's all about noticing the details and oddities within the dream, and usually that's pretty damn hard for most people. I think there's also a matter of wanting to lucid dream as well that will influence people's abilities. It's weird, even though I've always wanted to do it, part of me is a little resistant about the idea of controlling my dreams. I really love my dreams even though they can be a little mundane or basic at times, and controlling my own dream would take away the 'messages' I believe I actually feel within.

I still remember several dreams that contained emotional messages.
One of them was so simple in explanation, it just reflected my desire for acceptance. I was there with the girl I liked, and there was a person that I always felt was much more cooler than I was. He was talking to her and all that, and I just felt like I couldn't compete, that was until she took my hand and we moved away. It was such an emotional moment for me, a feeling of deep acceptance. Lucid dreaming would prevent me from experiencing those kind of emotional stories, thus I usually just lay back and watch it all play out in front of me.

I had this theory that people with nightmares as children were more likely to have the ability to lucid dream as a defence mechanism (developed to control the dream or wake up). I tried to do a small quantitative/qualitative study with it for my second year project, needless to say, it was a complete fail as a project that ended up fetching me 0% because I couldn't follow through with the analysis (We had to use ANOVA). Unfortunately, there's not much research literature on dreams in the psychology community, at least when it comes to methodology in examining lucid dreaming and all that. (Biggest reason I failed, a lack of reliable and valid tests).

 

[Riva]

I am quite fond of Lucid dreaming and has managed to purposely do it quite often. The issue in lucid dreaming is once you achieve lucidity one is conscious again. And has to mentally create the scenarios one wishes.

THIS IS ACTUALLY QUITE TIRING.

Because one goes to sleep to not only physically rest but to also MENTALLY rest. Therefore often times when I achieve lucidity, I feel tired and goes back to dreaming. But it is still a hobby of mine .

The trick I use is counting fingers of people I come across as a habit. (Look up how to lucid dream).

 

[Snow Turtle]

I am quite fond of Lucid dreaming and has managed to purposely do it quite often. The issue in lucid dreaming is once you achieve lucidity one is conscious again. And has to mentally create the scenarios one wishes.

THIS IS ACTUALLY QUITE TIRING.

Because one goes to sleep to not only physically rest but to also MENTALLY rest. Therefore often times when I achieve lucidity, I feel tired and goes back to dreaming. But it is still a hobby of mine .

The trick I use is counting fingers of people I come across as a habit. (Look up how to lucid dream).

I had always wondered whether Lucid Dreaming makes you more tired than not.
The most scary story was someone losing their ability to lucid dream and recall their dreams completely. Have you ever used lucid dreaming to experience 'scenarios' as a safety mechanism sort of thing? It sounds like it'd be useful for getting rid of social anxiety for example if we can will the others to behave how we'd like them to respond.

 

[Riva]

I had always wondered whether Lucid Dreaming makes you more tired than not.
The most scary story was someone losing their ability to lucid dream and recall their dreams completely. Have you ever used lucid dreaming to experience 'scenarios' as a safety mechanism sort of thing? It sounds like it'd be useful for getting rid of social anxiety for example if we can will the others to behave how we'd like them to respond.

Oh yes it could get tiring. Like I said before, often times when I gain lucidity I feel tired and go back to induced dreaming. At this point I wake up and wanders around and and and .............. realize I am dreaming again .

The tiring part would be creating the imagery. Creating imagery (scenario) is no hard task while awake. But when one is tired and asleep the last thing one would want to do it start thinking again.

 

[INTP]

Oh yes it could get tiring. Like I said before, often times when I gain lucidity I feel tired and go back to induced dreaming. At this point I wake up and wanders around and and and .............. realize I am dreaming again .

The tiring part would be creating the imagery. Creating imagery (scenario) is no hard task while awake. But when one is tired and asleep the last thing one would want to do it start thinking again.

I never have to create scenarios when i go into lucid dreaming, the scenario continues being the same than what it was before the dream turned into lucid. Also i never feel more tired after lucid dreams, but it might be because they usually doesent last for long or maybe its because i dont have to create stuff.

However my INTJ friend told me that this is the case in his lucid dreams. First time he experienced lucid dream, it started from totally dark place(no floor or anything, just floating), nothing there but him, naturally he freaked out totally, but was able to start creating stuff.

[MENTION=306]Kai[/MENTION] about that defence thing, it doesent happen to me. However, the firsr lucid dreams that i remember was with these continuous bad dreams(me and my cousins had to fight/win by outsmarting these three witches) when i was something between 5 and 10. Or actually they werent bad dreams, but the dreams started out scary, but once i realized it was a dream, i was able to beat them, as i knew it was just a dream and it was fun and exciting

 

[KDude]

I don't remember many of my dreams, but this happens when a nightmare is extreme. I'm somehow aware of it, as if it's real danger, and then the dream takes a comical turn. Like a monstrous hulk gets reduced to a midget sidekick and then he gets involved in a new adventure with me. Or I rip things apart, and limbs are hanging from the trees. Something final like that.

 

[cascadeco]

I dunno, based on many of the comments, I think I must lucid dream fairly often - if it means being aware you're dreaming and kind of enjoying the ride. I often have dreams where I feel like I am consciously making decisions.. like, where I'm navigating to, being highly aware of what's going on, not wanting to wake up, every now and then I have one of my 'flying dreams' where I decide I need to fly and I do so, seeing the landscape below (my dreams can be very fantastical/color-visually oriented), things like that. Occasionally with more sensory-type dreams (...lol), moving my body in the dream to initiate sensations that I actually feel.

 

[INTP]

I dunno, based on many of the comments, I think I must lucid dream fairly often - if it means being aware you're dreaming and kind of enjoying the ride. I often have dreams where I feel like I am consciously making decisions.. like, where I'm navigating to, being highly aware of what's going on, every now and then I have one of my 'flying dreams' where I decide I need to fly and I do so, things like that. Occasionally with more sensory-type dreams (...lol), moving my body in the dream to initiate sensations that I actually feel.

Its not about feeling like you are making conscious decisions, its about being aware that you are dreaming

 

[cascadeco]

Its not about feeling like you are making conscious decisions, its about being aware that you are dreaming

Right.. and I said that I'm aware I'm dreaming in my first sentence. Just added other things along with it.

 

[Ginkgo]

Right.. and I said that I'm aware I'm dreaming in my first sentence. Just added other things along with it.

I really appreciated the ".. " after "Right".

 

[King sns]

I dream a LOT, it feels like it goes on all night. Sometimes life melds into dreams or visa versa and I forget which is what, though in the dream I can often tell I'm dreaming.. Sometimes I have random conversations in my dream in my head about dreaming. Like "OH YEAH, I already had this dream it's a continuation of that old dream! Or wait... Was that real? I think I'm not sure about that when I'm awake either. I can probably figure it out easier when I'm awake. Oh well!" (Jumps and goes flying). I love lucid dream flying and lucid dream deep sea diving.. Or my favorite, lucid dream deep space exploration. Sometimes if I'm stuck in someplace boring I just act destructive or ask the characters if there is an underlying meaning to the dream or things that they could tell me in general. Or sometimes I think I'm just "thinking" or having an intense daydream but am often cognizant when it's not real. I have so many dreams that I tend to be one of those, "I had a dream once that blah blah blah blah" kind of people. In which case people always respond, "how do you remember your dreams so much??" or some other form of "shortie you are weird" kind of comment.

Edit: I've attributed a lot of my personality to using the right side of my brain heavily more than MBTI.

 

[Hazashin]

Edit: I've attributed a lot of my personality to using the right side of my brain heavily more than MBTI.

...which correlates to MBTI. J = left brain; P = right brain

 

[Kurt.Is.God]

I don't remember many of my dreams, but this happens when a nightmare is extreme. I'm somehow aware of it, as if it's real danger, and then the dream takes a comical turn. Like a monstrous hulk gets reduced to a midget sidekick and then he gets involved in a new adventure with me. Or I rip things apart, and limbs are hanging from the trees. Something final like that.

I find myself doing this, too. I'll wake up during the night because of a disturbing dream. It's like I always know in the back of my mind that I'm lucid dreaming, and I'll be prepared to do things like wake myself up or fly if something scary happens. I wonder why it works like this.