Scientists induce lucid dreams

a reply to: JiggyPotamus

Sometimes out of body experiences and lucid dreaming sort of get intertwined. It can be difficult to distinguish between the two, and from a scientific perspective, the OBE's that occur during sleep are nothing but vivid dreams. I have had an experience where I left my body while I was sleeping and could see it down below on the bed. When I eventually returned to it, I bolted upright completely awake as I hit my body. To me the experience seemed like a very real OBE. But to the skeptic, I can understand how a dream is the most obvious explanation.

As far as occult circles are concerned, it's possible to travel astrally in ones dreams, so the two experiences (lucid dreaming and out of body experiences) are closely linked in esoteric philosophies.

I think being able to induce them at will is certainly an interesting development for those who may have had trouble achieving the experience. I don't think it will do anything ground breaking for humanity as a whole but I could see it being useful as a form of therapy.

Very interesting.

I have always been interested in lucid dreaming as a means of making myself more efficient. To be able to use my sleeping hours in a conscious state would give me an ability to do work related stuff that would make me seem superhuman to my peers.

Vitamin K2 will help induce dreams, since it directs where calcium goes in your body, clearing up your pineal gland and strengthening your teeth and bones in the process.

My favorite thing to do in my dreams, is jumping really high, and slowing coming back down to the ground. Its amazing. Dreams have let me experience such crazy situations, like about 2 months ago, I had a dream where I was parachuting above a city, and I have never done that before. I'm actually terrified of heights, but ever since that night, I haven't experienced vertigo nearly as bad. Sometimes my dreams are too real, and I have to deal with everyday people/problems, and I don't know if they actually happen or not.

I would be a much more depressed person if I could not remember my dreams.

Dream On! PS: Personal studies have shown small amounts of alcohol before sleep can make dreams more intense.

Was going to post about this very discovery and though I would search it out first lol.

So here is what I have experienced with people when I tell them about lucid dreaming.

People who have experienced it are like "Oh snap you too?" the others are more like "oooh, yes right, controlling your dreams......yeah sure......I believe you" sometimes dripping with sarcasm other times with a twinge of pity that I think I can have a dream in which I know I'm dreaming. As if the concept were so alien to be ridiculous.

Regardless the people I pity are the ones who dont remember their dreams or have never experienced a lucid dream. Imagine being blind for 5 hours of the day thats what it must feel like for people who dont remember their dreams or control them.

Anyway enough about the sour grapes doubters.

How cool is it that we now can actively turn lucid dreaming on at a whim without any sleep altering techniques like the WILD method. I mean its great to use analog but I love me some digital. Consistent is key and with these results they are putting out that is what we can expect. I know the report claims there will be no commercial model for people to jack in so to speak. But i'm sure just like backyard geneticists and gene hackers are playing with genomes someone or maybe a group will have this device replicated and either for sale or have the schematics available online.

There will never be a gaming machine virtual reality or not that can engage the 5 senses like dreaming can. For me the level of detail and resolution is indistinguishable from the waking world. Running my hand on the footpath and concrete of my lucid world I have picked out the most minute of details down to the very grains of sand infused into the footpath. The smells and the feeling of warm summer air none of this can be replicated unless directly stimulated in the brain. And thats a whole other kettle of fish.

All in all I think its great and as always with breakout technologies, let the cards fall where they may.