Dreaming about Lucid dreaming?

brendonnelly · March 23, 2012, 1:38am

I had a dream last night, and I am still unsure as to whether it was trully a lucid dream. Here’s my journal entry:

Dream Name: Dreaming About Dreaming? Dream Time: Night, then Day, then Night

This happened after waking for the first time in the night, and repeating to myself that I would remember the dream and become Lucid.

I am laying in Bed in a sort of Victorian bedroom (I say this based on the size of the bed, and a really dark timber door and wall directions). My friend comes in and says something to me.

I then dream that I am in a dungeon (in Skyrim again, haha), one of the nordic tombs, for those who have played it. Anyway, I need to find something to weigh down two buttons. So I look in this giant set of shelves that go to the top of the ceiling for a bottle. The bottle feels really, really real, I note to myself how good and real it feels even in the dream. I put the first bottle on the switch, and then look for another. I see another bottle, but it is like the size of an office water jug (it is green glass, and inside of a wooden frame). I go to pull it out, but suddenly something feels off, and I realise that I am dreaming, suddenly I feel a rushing feeling, like being in a tornado, and my inner ear was going crazy, like I had been spinning for hours. My ears were filled with the noise of something I can’t describe, but I thought it was the sound of all the detail coming in, but all I am unable to open my eyes, and the noise keeps building up until I awaken in the same Victorian bed.

I feel as though this was my subconscious dreaming that I had a Lucid dream as I imagine them, and me not knowing what they are, could only react in a weird way. I simply am not sure if my conscious mind ever truly knew that it was a dream or not.

I then dreamt me and the same girl that spoke to me in the Victorian bedroom were at the beach. We were walking down the steps at the beach local to me, and she ran ahead into the water. I run after her and dive in. I lie at the bottom of the water and let the sand pass between my fingers (when I woke, I could vividly remember the sensation), but I have my eyes closed. I feel the tide pull me out, and I suddenly feel as though I was dreaming again. Again, I feel the rush, loud noises and I creep my eye open a tiny bit and see the ceiling of the victorian room (or maybe my own, but because I was so deep in sleep, I doubt it). I slam my eyes shut, not wanting to lose the sensation. I say “clarity now”, and rub my hands together (the feeling is odd, the sand is still there, but it feels like with enough pressure, my hands would go through one another) but wake up. I now think that had I opened my eyes I probably would have progressed to Lucidity in the victorian bedroom, after realising it was not my own bedroom. If anyone is confused about my description of the swirling feeling, think Alice in Wonderland, the disney film version, when she falls down the rabbit hole, and all the colours are swirling around her, except the tornado is getting smaller and smaller, and you feel when it reaches you, all the detail of the world will envelope you.

Again, I am disappointed I did not progress to full lucidity (and question what it was that I experienced), but this seems like a massive step on the way. Hopefully my first true lucid dream is not far away.

Was this truly a lucid dream, or a quirk of my subconscious? Has anybody experienced something similar to this in the past? Am I on track for a good lucid dream, in which I can open my eyes and see the world in detail? Does anyone else experience this “wooshing” phenomena when they have a lucid dream?

mattias · March 23, 2012, 10:19pm

If you knew and understood that “holy crap! this is a dream!” then it was a lucid dream. Was this rushing feeling (at least partially) euphoria? Many times when you get lucid, specially the first times, it’s common to feel euphoric…

If you just acted like you knew it was a dream, but without knowing and understanding it was one, then it was a FLD. Sometimes it can be tricky to distinguish between FLD’s and real LD’s. Plus, some LD’s can have a low level of lucidity where you know it’s a dream but don’t really understand all the implications… I’ve had FLD’s where I literally say things like “I can do X since this is a dream”, but there’s a different gut feeling of knowing that it’s a dream…

brendonnelly · March 23, 2012, 10:35pm

See, I am not sure, especially since a couple of days have elapsed since then, whether it was me. Maybe I am reluctant to call it Lucid because I didn’t experience any of the benefits. I honestly can’t remember whether I felt euphoric or not with the rushing experience. I think, regardless of whether I was at a low level or whatever, it must be a good sign that I am on my way.

TobyT · March 24, 2012, 5:11am

If you’re doubting it now then it may well have been a FLD. Either that or you were only slightly lucid for just a short time. Either way it sounds good, if you keep at it you’re sure to have a great LD.

The first dream I remember after reading about LD’s was just like this. Although a lot shorter. I did several RC’s and yelled for clarity but I didn’t feel any different from my other dreams. I woke up shortly afterwards.
Just don’t get discouraged.