Lucid or not?

[sanatthh]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. Just discovered this excellent website about a couple weeks ago. The concepts which Erin talks about are simply amazing - things I've always wanted to talk about but didn't know where to look!

Anyway, I started keeping a dream journal 3 days ago. Here's what happened today:

I had a total of 3 dreams. But after dreams 1 and 2 were over, I went over them in my head while still aleep and could recall everything. I even gave dream 1 a title! Then I drifted off to sleep again and the 3rd dream happened. I woke up (still sleeping physicall). Went over the sequence. Couldn't remember much for the 1st and 2nd dreams but the 3rd one I could. Then I started making an effort so that I don't forget the 3rd dream. Eventually I recalled the name I gave to the first dream. Then I woke up.

So my question is, considering that I was trying to recall my dreams while asleep, did I go lucid or not? I'm not even sure if it makes sense. I'm confused. Because before going to bed, I make a mental note - "I will remember my dreams when I wake up." and this is what happened.

Thanks

[Erin Pavlina]

Let me make sure I understand. Did you have a dream in which you remembered your previous dream? And went over it in your head while in that dream state? That's a lucid dream and a good way to recall dreams.

[sanatthh]

Let me make sure I understand. Did you have a dream in which you remembered your previous dream? And went over it in your head while in that dream state? That's a lucid dream and a good way to recall dreams.

Wow, I think that's probably it. But during that dream, I was concerned a lot about remembering the previous dreams. The thought of writing the key points down on a pad crossed my "mind" but I was too incapable to do anything. I knew I was sleeping!

So what should the next step be? Keep practicing this until I can control what's going on?

[Marc Greve]

I've had a similar experience lately.

I'm currently traveling in New Zealand and have found my need to sleep dramatically increased. I go through more REM cycles than I ever have before and as a result I have the same dreams over and over in ONE sleep session.

But in the first rerun of a dream I KNOW what's going to happen (I'm not lucid as I'm not aware that I'm dreaming) so I can freak everyone in my dream out with my uncanny knowledge of what is to come.
It's usually great fun, but it can sometimes be challenging.

Hehe, I had a dream where I was sparring with katanas with the Matrix cast and we were really having a blast but Tom Cruise would ALWAYS come in and break everything up by jumping on our swords (Oprah-couch-style) and thus breaking them. We ended up beating the crap out of him when he was hiding in a bush, but I digress.


I think this might be a useful way of training for lucidity - if you can identify your dream signs it should be MUCH easier to look for them in constant reruns of your dream.
This is all theoretical and needs testing. Anyone up for it? I'll report what I can find in my own oneironautical ventures.

[Erin Pavlina]

sanatthh, yes that is the beginning, and a good start. You're staying conscious in your dream enough to know you are dreaming and want to remember a previous dream.

Keep practicing and eventually you'll learn to control it. Next time you find yourself in a dream, jump off a high building. Nothing gets the heart pumping like free fall. Then flight.