Character Assisted Lucid Dreaming...CALD part VIII

Quest for Lucidity
121

Hey there Jeanx. I actually used CALD quite a bit when I first started out. Instead of creating my own character, I chose the Second Doctor (the non-evil version of my avatar :tongue:). I basically would daydream about having conversations with him as I was falling asleep. Over time, his responses seemed to get more and more independent, as in I wasn’t having to make up what he was saying and some answers took me by surprise.

The next step to CALD would actually be having this DC (or MC as CALDers seem to prefer saying for Mind Character) come to you in a dream and then making you lucid. I never got to that point, but I have met and still meet The Doctor frequently in my LD’s. I kind of let CALD go, but the character development that he got has made him very interesting in dreams.

If you want to try, the best thing to do is to make or pick an MC and to try having those conversations. If at first it’s difficult, writing out a script instead can help, as well as participating in the Character Chats in the playground.

For more explanation and personal experience, check back on the CALD topic. It’s a lot of reading, but a lot of good info.

122

I was trying to reply, but the topic got moved and when I went to preview the post, I had to start all over. Waah. (Still, apparently Rhawin can type a lot faster than I can if you moved the post AND typed all that) :wink:

Sorry about that :shy: :tardis:

Ahem

Anyways, I can’t say I’ve actually had a CALD yet, but the the whole character thing is so great, I really feel like I accoplished something anyway. I’d really suggest you give it a try if it sounds fun to you!

For me, I can’t really focus well on a single thought for very long, so progress was (and sort of is) sort of slow, like maybe a few weeks, but I’m pretty happy with my 2 characters, even if I don’t consider them absolutely 100% done.

See, at first, just talking to Chilam (my first character, since I assume no-one could figure that out :tongue: ) felt sort of cool, because it was something new, yet fun. during one of my first nights talking to her (night’s when I focus better. Less excitement, I guess), I even sort of sang her name in my head over and over again, just so I didn’t distract myself. We’ve come a long way since, but it was fun.

Chilam and Scout actually came from and under-developed book I was considering writing when I was a little younger (it would’ve probably been terible, now that I think about it), and they were under-developed characters in it. I sort of liked them, so I brought them back up, and added to them, and here’s what I have now:

. . . Uh, actually, it might be best to see them in action at the Character Chats thread, but yes, I think they’re good characters! You like to write, right? Maybe you have a few characters of your own that you like? If you do (or even if you don’t and have to make one up), use him/her/it! For me, it felt like I basicaly may as well have been talking to my hand and puppeting answers at first, it really does come together! One thing that makes CALD so great is that it’s even fun in the daytime! It has even more uses than just LDing! Order yours today! Only 9.95 plus shipping and handaling

123

CALD is what almost every dream i have is based upon, if you read my signature it says “our DJ and Our Dream-scape” This is because of me and my CALD character hanging out in almost every dream i have. As for him actually helping me achieve lucidness? well ive never really tried. But it may work, if not you will have a awesome person to hang out with in your dreams.

Best of luck to you in CALD and LD’ing

124

:notify:

The Gecko has an idea: now that this thread is on the first page, he will post some of his own problems. Then, he will lure the other CALD users into their computer rooms with wheels of cheese, and glue the doors shut, thus forcing them to reply to his questions. Of course that’s assuming they don’t call for help or just do something else on the computer

What’s a helpful BlueGecko post without a dumb question post (also by BlueGecko) below it? :tongue:

Okay, so let’s see here. . . . Now that I’ve made myself look like a knowledgable CALD user, I need to figure a question to ask to break the illusion. . . .

:wizard: I need a little help not immeatedartryvbreilphooey instantly getting distracted when trying to speak with (and thus further develop) my characters. That’s why, after so long, I still don’t consider either of them 100% developed (and also the reason why there would be a bit more of a gap between this pargraph and the last if this post were read in real time). I just can’t focus on them.

In the day, when I’m not doing anything, I’m usually on my couch, using my laptop. There, there seems to be to many distractions, what with my brother talking on Skype with our friends and all.

If I went into another room, though, there almost seems to be to little distractions. Like I’m waiting for something to happen or whyever it is I can’t concentrate. If they were a bit more capable of think freely, I recon they might better be able to help me with not getting distracted (often by nothing but a random thought), but for now, when I try to focus on them, my mind just wanders around in circles awhile, then if it doesn’t figure out what it’s supposed to be doing, starts going on about random stuff. Any advice?

Hopefully you guys know what I mean and, you know, actually read this whole thing. I’d understand if you didn’t. Now since I can’t think of any spectacular way to end this post, I shall place a smiley of a guy flying with palm tree leaves

:fly:

125

Hmmm… I usually focused on my character as I was going to sleep when I would daydream normally. My mind was usually a bit clearer then, and I actually used him to quiet my mind from time to time. If I couldn’t focus, he’d say things like “excuse me, I’m still talking” and whatnot to get to focus back on him. It actually worked pretty well, and still does when I’m having a hard time going to sleep.

Now, where is my wheel of cheese?

126

I know exactly what your problem is! :cry:

Yeah, but for me it’s more a problem of being easily distracted in general. So I think it’s something which takes some practice and time, but I convinced myself that it has already become better in my case. :happy: Gan: Don’t listen to her, it definitely isn’t. Oh, and maybe meditation could help? Though I haven’t tried it myself.

My MC’s say similar things to Rhawin’s, they even shout at me or are saying something sarcastic to draw my attention back to them again. Works great most of the time.

127

Thanks, guys! Okay, so either I don’t have a serious medical condition keeping me from speaking easily to my characters, or I’m not the only one here who has it. :tongue:

Okay, now to get my characters to prod me when I get distracted- Ooh! The couch! I haven’t sat on that one all day! In fact Other nonsense

Chilam (MC): Um… yoohoo? Gecko?

Me: Oh - uh . . .right . . . YES! It worked! I’m a genious! My brain is bigger than most people’s houses!

Okay, so yeah. Guess I’ll keep working on that, then. Thanks for the help!

Oh, and, about the cheese: I’m out of it. I do have some stale snacks, though. I’ll have to give you those instead.

128

Er… so it would appear that that works for you… just keep it up and it will really help your MC develop :razz:

129

Yep. ahem I got a little lost on my way here. : ]
So, would I be able to have my daemon(like in the Golden Compass but a DC/MC/conscience)guide me to lucidity?
He’d like a chance to whack me over the head. Renny: You bet I would!

130

Yes, I think so. Actually this is what CALD is about, right? :tongue: It is a lot easier if you dream a lot of your MC, even if only because the chance that he makes you lucid is bigger. Renny, just join Jeanx in her dreams and say something like: “Hey mate, you’re dreaming!” or remind her to do a RC. :wink:

131

I guess it is… ^^
Is there much of a difference between talking to them to distract the mind while the body falls asleep and having them tell you while your dreaming(the RC way)?

132

Hm, no, I don’t think so (but I haven’t had a CALD yet, so…). The only real difference I can think of is that the character might behave a bit different from how he would act while you’re awake since in the dream he is a lot more influenced by your SC than by your conscious mind.

133

I’ve been interested in CALD for awhile, but my main obstacle is figuring out what type of character to use. The people I frequently dream of are friends IRL, and I don’t want to use them. Should I use a pre-existing character? Or create a new entity? I realize that there is no definate answer, but suggestions would be nice :tongue:

134

Oh, so it wasn’t just a coincidence when you jumped in the Character Chat some time ago? :content: Well, if you don’t want to use a DC, you can use a character who already exists or create a new one from scratch.

You’re a writer, right? Then it’s quite simple, pick one of the characters of your stories, it would be best to use the one who feels the closest to you and already has a quite settled personality. Especially if it’s your first character, I think picking a developed one is easier, it would let him/her becoming independent faster because you already have an idea of what the character might say and how he will react.

If you want to create a completely new character, maybe Talon Arana’s tutorial can help you: here, it’s the longest post

135

Thanks, Leijona! I just wasn’t sure HOW developed the character should be, because I thought a good deal of it was getting to know the character. And thanks for the link! :happy:

136

Even if you pick a character who already has a background story and all, you will probably be surprised how things can turn out! Your character might evolve on his own, resulting in a person with some completely different traits. He might ask you/want you to change his background or, if he doesn’t have one yet, tell you a story of which you haven’t thought at all. The possibilities are literally endless. :content: Hope to see you and your character at the Character Chat soon!

137

Warning: This is a Question Post. If you do not wish to help, then press the back button as quickly as you can. :help:

Anyone else have a strange paranoia [spelling?] about talking with your characters around other people? As if everyone else can read your mind? Cough Then buy my product now! cough

Ahem Even when I do try to talk to my characters around other folks, they’re sort of automaticaly silenced, even if I’m not really doing anything, and I’d actually like to talk.

. . . Guess that’s about it. O Great Grand CALD Thread, do you have any advice? :help: Might post again later

138

Hmm… I can’t say I’ve had issues with worrying about what other people think, but I really do tend to get distracted with others around. It’s hard to pay attention with so many other things going on around at the same time.

139

Additionally to what Rhewin said, even if I do want to talk to my MC’s when I’m around other people, it doesn’t work so well. Guess that’s because I can’t really concentrate. Sometimes I also hear them talking, but I can’t see/visualize them. Most of the time though I don’t want to talk to them when other people are around, because I’m afraid that they will see these zoned-out look I always get when I’m daydreaming. XD

140

Ah, I suppose it’s more some sort of instinct than fear. Like some sort of law they passed a long time ago (for some reason or other), that’s basically obsolete, but you still get in trouble for breaking it.

Like if I went down an old trail in the middle of nowhere on my bike, that hasn’t been used in 9001 years. And they had a law where youd can’t ride your (then Flintstone-esqu) bike down it. But I rode down there and then a police man jumped out from behind a tree and said “Dude, you can’t ride your bike down here.” And I said “But no-one’s been here in 9001 years!” And then . . . crud, I’m starting to rant randomly like Tobuscus. :shy:

Anywho, I suppose the situation I’m thinking of is more kind of stuck with other people and not really talking to eachother, rather than, say, speaking to your friends at your favorite hang-out. I have a lot more time in the former situation than the latter. :sad: Eh, I suppose that’s the reason I’m asking.

End of post goes here