Sounds like you’re off to a good start. Having a strong visual of your character is incredibly important, without it you’d never recognize her in a dream.
I hope you’re going well communicating with her. Hopefully it hasn’t been too awkward or forced, but in the beginning that’s perfectly fine.
If you do finish the pic it’d be cool if you could upload it.
A few of us have been discussing the CALD technique outside of this thread so I thought I’d bring some of it back here to share with anyone who might be even slightly interested.
There is a technique known as “Tulpa” that has attracted some attention due to it’s similarities with CALD. A Tulpa is a character you create in your mind and work on building until it is able to talk back to you. The goal of the Tulpa technique is to experience this character as sentient so you can go on to do more interesting things with it.
CALD is similar except here we’ve focused less on making the character “sentient” and more on making the character appearing in dreams and thus more useful for lucidity.
The two techniques in their similarity have the potential to work well together to produce better results but of course that will take time (and will probably mean writing up a new guide.)
If you want to read more about Tulpa then several guides can be found at the site Fennecgirl linked us to.
tulpa.info/index.html
and for a good starting place
tulpa.info/guides/what-is-a-tulpa.html
I brought the topic to this thread to ask about two techniques used in Tulpa that I’ve never really seen covered in CALD. “Wonderland” and “Tulpaforcing”. Personally I’ve never used two of the techniques to any measurable extent but I’ve read about the success some people are achieving by using them.
A wonderland is another term for a “mindspace” or “dreamworld” that you go to/focus on to improve your concentration among other things. Does anyone have anything to share about the idea? Another article
Tulpaforcing is more specific. You sit down and have a session of focus where all you do is work on building your character. I personally haven’t sat down and had an extended session with my character but instead work with him while I am doing other things. Does anyone work on their character like this? Does it work better for you?
I have a mindscape but it’s pretty basic and static, it’s just a forest glade. Since it is constructed after the idea of a place in my characters’ story, I know though what else is there, like that there’s a lake with a waterfall nearby. Most of the time the mindscape simply serves as a place to picture my MCs in without making it too boring or too complicated. I’ve never used it for anything else in particular and never actually “needed” it, back when I created Neila there was even just a white void, and that worked well too. The only times where the mindscape is of actual use is when I meditate (which I unfortunately do very rarely) and try my best to imagine myself next to my MCs in first person perspective, as an actual environment makes it easier to “connect” to it than it would be with a white void. Another interesting thing I’ve read is the use of metaphoric buildings like a library to make memory access easier (or possible in the first place) for your tulpa.
Regarding tulpaforcing, I never actually did that (and I don’t like the word itself, but anyway). If I remember correctly, I mostly build up Neila through narration and carefully paying attention to any possible response. Gan, Iron and Kubiku have never actually required any kind of tulpaforcing and Sheela was built up by a few intentionally chosen mostly external features and with help and suggestions from my other MCs.
Leaving aside the fact that everyone but Sheela had a pretty much predefined personality, I haven’t put any effort into my MCs that would count as tulpaforcing, there was simply no need. They developed through interaction with me, each other and of course with the people of the Chat. I personally think that character creation or development through interaction is more effective than tulpaforcing, simply because you already treat your character as a “person” or as being sentient.
Hey everyone, In regards to the tulpa talk going around, I made it an experiment in the Lucid Lab. Here is the link to it: [community.ld4all.com/t/tulpa-and-tulpaforcing-experiment/38195/1)
Hope a few of you join:)
Sheela and I had a little dispute, followed by a finer grasp of mostly Sheela’s personality and needs. But let me start with explaining the background of what happened…So, a week ago, I made the “Surprise me” test (tulpa.info) with my MCs. All of them but Sheela managed to come up with something original which actually surprised me. I concluded from that that Sheela is not as sentient/autonomous/independent as the others and decided to work on that. My procedure was to give her the task of being responsible for the permanent presence of all my MCs; taking into account that she was, alongside Kubiku, the one often missing, that seemed like a wise decision à la killing two birds with one stone: Making her more autonomous and having all MCs in the mindscape. Yeah right. Seemed.
During the first few days, she did in excellent job (like I wrote in my post in the tulpa experiment thread), but then she started to have seemingly random crying fits. Call me cold-hearted, but I dismissed that as a result of the hard work and of her not being used to stuff like that. I was absolutely confident that my idea would result soon in a more mature and independent version of Sheela. Since I felt responsible for her emotional breakdowns, I told the others to support her both emotionally and with her responsibility regarding the mindscape (yes I know how stupid that sounds to coax my MCs into helping her when I felt responsible). Even though that actually worked (especially Gan and Iron tried their best), something happened that I picked up as a “last warning”: Before I went to sleep, I talked a bit with my MCs, visiting the mindscape. When I was only a few minutes into the talking, an extremely hostile, distorted and demonic-looking version of Sheela appeared and hovered around in the mindscape. Gan, who was more annoyed than anything else, shoved that thing away, but since it came back in a matter of seconds, Neila created a barrier of sorts which kept it outside, and shortly after, it disappeared as quickly as it showed up. Instead of it, a completely exhausted Sheela appeared out of nowhere and immediately fell asleep next to Kubiku.
I concluded that something was not quite right here (oh really?!) and decided to have a written conversation with only Sheela. At first, that conversation was not actually intended for providing a solution, but to see what will happen now if I try to talk to Sheela alone, as it seemed contradictory to me that she could talk just fine when the others were around but was not able to come up with something when they weren’t. In the beginning, Sheela was very renunciatory and fending, even a bit hostile. In the course of the conversation we sorted things out, the main point is that Sheela, the only one without a pre-designed personality, had/has to do all the stuff herself that I have done unconsciously for the others over the course of whole years. Some translated tidbits of the conversation for anyone who’s interested:
[spoiler]Sheela: You’re just getting on my nerves with how you don’t treat me like the others. You don’t even treat Kubiku that way, and he certainly does even less than I do!
Me: But he was able to surprise me, you weren’t…
Sheela: screams loudly There, is that enough surprising?! Isn’t it enough for you that I am completely different from the Sheela that you know?!
Me: First, I preferred the other Sheela, and second, you don’t have to change yourself! At least not in order to prove something to me.
Sheela: becomes desperate Yeah, but that’s how you say it! Always should I do something, effect something! First surprising, then keeping the guys in the mindscape, then explaining myself for something which you actually brought up yourself!
Sheela: But don’t you understand? All the rest of them have a background story, a pre-existing personality and even a form! And I, I have built all that up by myself! This was and still is totally exhausting, and after all, you’re not done with that at some point, you always have to rediscover yourself again! And then you are appearing, going all like “ohh, Sheela isn’t quite as autonomous as the others, let’s give her one more task to complete and let’s see how well she manages that”, oh WOW, what a surprise, that the one, who gets the least amount of attention of all and nonetheless has to work the most on herself, is not yet as developed as the others! What a MIRACLE! If you’re not doing well in school, it also doesn’t really help you if you’re getting triple the amount of homework on top of everything else! So why would these new tasks like that one with the mindscape help me?! Now got it? exhausted
Me: So, you don’t want to get any more tasks, don’t want to be treated like a special case, but want to get more positive attention than before, right?
Sheela: breath out Yes exactly.
Me: Alright, then I call this finished! Do you want to somehow surprise me?
Sheela: Do I have to somehow surprise you?
Me: No you don’t have to, that’s why I’m asking. (I wouldn’t have said that, but at this point I could somehow feel that we were both confident about ourselves)
Sheela: suddenly transforms into a dark Alien thing with many tentacles, the longish head with the sharp teeth jumps with opened mouth and forehead pointing into my direction right towards me and makes a hissing-snarling noise
Me: (hands over the keyboard were actually trembling for a moment) Okay, convinced.[/spoiler]
I have a question in terms of talking to you characters via text. This can be done through any method; whether with pencil and paper or a computer? If so, on the subject of computers, should I do my conversation in a writing program or browser like Google Docs? I would like to hear what others have done when talking to their characters through text or words.
I personally don’t type to my character with text but I know that some people find it really helpful. Just find somewhere you feel comfortable typing. Be that notepad or google docs. So long as you’re focusing on your character more than you are on the the program you’ll do fine.
Good luck, hope you have some success.
Thank you.
I just tried typing via an app on my Ipad and it was quite successful. I also talked to my character in my thoughts at a point when I wasn’t typing (don’t feel like putting too much detail at the moment). Our conversation felt really natural and lively; as in it didn’t really felt “forced”, I guess I should say.
I plan on reintroducing another character to my conversations since last time, it was fun seeing the two personalities interact.
Also, I apologize if I’m not being too descriptive with my characters. I’d be glad to tell a little bit about them if anyone is interested.
Sure, you can tell us anything you like. Along with a description I’d like to know long you’ve had your character because it sounds like you already quite a ways along.
If you haven’t already said anything you should let your character(s) know that you want help with lucid dreaming. How you decide to have your character(s) help is up to you but have a look over the thread and see if any particular method stands out. If you forget to do anything like this then you might end up doing the C part of CALD really well but completely ignoring the ALD part.
Keep up with it and I think you be successful.
My character’s name is Avalonia (Avy for short). She is a black fennec fox who is around 3 feet or so. She’s in a semi-chibi style (aka her head is quite big, although her huge ears make it seem smaller) and wears a blue sci-fi suit. She has blue hair with big bangs that curl up. Her weapons are random but she enjoys carrying a Seburo-esque pistol. There also another aspect about her but I’m a bit embarrassed to say.
In terms of her personality, she tries to be positive and cheerful. Although it isn’t in a way that makes anyone, especially me, feel uncomfortable. She also is a fan of 80s sci-fi anime and manga (as well as the music from that time).
It’s nice having her since she’s able to piggyback on me in certain scenarios.
Also, I’ve had this character since around 2010 or so but only recently have I actually talked to her.
Just tried CALD last night for the first time and it seems promising, although I never had a LD.
After the full night of nothing and waking in the morning before my alarm, I just checked with my character, fell asleep, dream, alarm went off, talked with my character, hit snooze and fell asleep for 10 more min, alarm, talk to character, snooze, sleep. After a few rounds of this I got my character in a false awakening helping me choose my clothes! If they weren’t a lazy butt and reminded me to do a RC I would have been rocking it!
Worth working on this one, I got really quick results and having a dream buddy will really be a big help in becoming more active.
I guess this is a bump…
Reading another topic about the realism of DC’s I remembered this topic. And now I’m wondering if any of you are still using this technique.
I’ve been skimming through serveral topics and Im wondering if this technique is something for me. Some of you experience things that I’be heared before, but from writers working on a novel. It’s like the characters come alive when typing or writing.
I’m wondering how many of you actually made the connection with these characters in a dream?
I do still use the technique to an extent. The Second Doctor, who I chose as my character, now acts in the place of a DG. I have had multiple dreams with him, and once or twice he has helped me become lucid.
Yup the CALD topics have been very inactive, some of us are mostly on the tulpa forum that’s linked a page ago. I for one am currently trying to get back into LDing, but first things first, so I’m still working on DR at the moment. My mind characters/tulpas/whatever are still all there and I’m not planning on neglecting them any time soon. I’ve never had any actual success with CALD itself, but the characters can be of a big help when it comes to improving your awareness or giving you suggestions à la MILD.
Concerning the writer thing: Yes, I’ve also come to the conclusion that a good bunch of writers/artists could definitely have a MC/tulpa without realizing it. Sometimes you stumble upon an interview with a writer who talks about how his characters are basically the ones telling him the story, or you might come across a comic where the artist’s character interacts with the artist just like any other real person would do. It’s difficult to differentiate though between such characters and the CALD characters, and one would have to ask the artist to be sure about it. I can only say so much, there seem to be a lot more people with talking, self-aware characters in their head than you’d think.
Occasionally I do have (very awesome) dreams with my characters in them, and one of my main goals in each LD is to meet them. After all, meeting your character in a (lucid) dream is as difficult or as easy as summoning any other person.
Wow this sounds really cool! I’ve always loved making up characters and stories and having imaginary friends as a kid so the fact that I can have a mind character to help me with lucid dreams is exciting! I’m having a little trouble visualizing her though. I think I got the hair, eyes and skin color down but I can’t think of her clothes and everything else. I’m kind of making her someone you would see out of a TV show/cartoon/video game, so I don’t think looking at pictures of other people would help. Do you have any tips for me?
Using reference images can be of a great help when it comes to visualisation. If you and your character have anything particular in mind, even if it’s just something like “I want (her) to wear a tshirt rather than a jacket” then that’s a good starting point already. Maybe you’ve seen some clothes you liked, and maybe your character would like them too? You say she’s like someone from media; how about looking for some reference images of cartoon/TV/game characters then?
However, don’t get all worked up about visualisation. Your skills in that area will get better as you keep working on them. Your character’s appearance isn’t anything permanent, you or she can always change things (or even the entire appearance) later on. So, if you can’t decide on her clothes, then maybe just go for something simple, like a pair of jeans and a top or something. 
I created a character named Ocean, but I call her Penny 
She’s the girl that tried to help me fly in my first LD. She has blue and purple hair but sometimes blonde depending if it’s night or day time in the dream. Her personality is kinda weird. Although she’s very wise and helpful, she tend to be quite naive and even disrespectful at times.
I usually talk with her before I sleep and we often discuss dreams and her existence in my mind.
@Spyink That’s awesome 
Next time you talk to Ocean as you fall asleep, why don’t you ask her if she could help you become lucid in your next dream. I bet she’d be happy to help if she’s already been with you in LD’s before.
Hey, I’m not sure if we’re not supposed to post here anymore, as it’s been inactive since 2014, but I’m interested in trying this. My question is whether I can do this with characters that already exist. I don’t feel that making up my own character will be very effective compared to using a character I already know and love, such as characters from a show or game. Alternatively, is there a thread for flushing out your characters with other people? I’m sorry if there are and I did not find them. I searched CALD in the google search as well as the forum search, but mainly I found the closed discussions that existed before this thread.
Hey Ryuka, hope you’ll still see my late response. 
Yep, using existing characters is very much possible. IMO even somewhat easier, since you save yourself the effort to come up with or wait for the character’s personality to develop on its own.
If you do have the time, reading through some of the old threads, posts and tutorials/guides about CALD is worth it. 
There is the Character Chat in the Playground, though you’ll find it abandoned, sadly. If you’re looking for some more user activity, going to the tulpa community (see last page) would probably be your safest bet. It’s not the same as CALD, but it might serve as a way to get faster and vaster feedback from other people.