Drugs and lucid dreaming

I want to start a discussion on what possible effects that drugs may have on lucid dreaming.

Not too long ago, I had dental surgery done to get my wisdom teeth removed. During my recovery, my dental surgeon prescribed percocets for me to kill the pain.

The first night of my recovery, I took the normal dosage of the painkiller to take the edge off of the pain I was feeling. A few hours later, I went to sleep, and had one of the most remarkable lucid dreaming experiences of my life.

I remember, during the first part of the dream, that I was standing in a field, but it was surrounded by walls, though there was no ceiling. For some reason, I immediately realized that I was dreaming (something that rarely happens under normal circumstances.)

It was at this point that I began to have a bit of fun. I remember walking over to a metal barrel in the field, and standing a few feet from it. By lifting my hand, I was able to "will" the barrel to move wherever I wanted it to (sort of like The Force in the Star Wars films.)

Just as I was starting to have a lot of fun, I woke up. Or so I thought. I was in my bedroom, but it was different. (Note: I was sleeping in a recliner at the time, as my dentist had recommended that I keep my head elevated.) I remember hearing a deep breathing coming from my right, and when I glanced at the television, there was a news program on, but it had a little news ticker on the bottom that was in a language that I couldn't even begin to comprehend. I could not move my head, but out of the corner of my eye, I could just barely make out the image of my best friend sitting in the chair next to me. (Note: I was completely alone when I had fallen asleep, so I was now quite sure this was part of my dream.) She just seemed to be sitting there, staring at me and the television at the same time.

The thought of trying to speak to her crossed my mind, but I couldn't move much, let alone my mouth. It was at this point where I slipped from what I will now refer to as the "transition" dream into another full-on lucid dream. This time, I couldn't quite understand where I was, but I was still in control. I was able to manifest a woman in front of me, who I began to kiss. I can still remember the touch of her lips as though it had really happened. (This was a very powerful dream, it seems.)

My fun was yet again interrupted, however, as I (quite strangely) slipped back into the transition dream again. I glanced at the TV, and sure enough, the strange news program was still on. And, my friend was still sitting in the chair next to me. I could also hear the breathing again, and I recognized that it was actually my own.

I wasn't in the transition dream long before I went into another lucid experience. This time, I was inside of some sort of purple vortex. I remember making myself float around, but not much else.

From this point on, everything else is a blur. I remember waking up, and being amazed at the strong lucid dreaming experience I had just gone through.

Now that my story is finished, I would like to ask the members of this board some questions:

1. Is it normal for drugs to have such a profound effect on dreaming?

and

2. Have any of you ever had a similar experience when it comes to drugs having an effect on your dreams?

Interesting topic. Even though drug use is generaly frowned upon here at ats(for good reason), I'll give my input on the matter. Certain chemicals are know to have affects on dreams, depressants such as alcohol and marijauna(with regular use) will supress dreams. This has to do with the depressing effects on the central nervous system(booze especialy). I've recently read an article about different types of cheeses possibly having different effects on dreams, I'll have to dig up the article.

From personal experiance, I've noticed many effects from various substances. A while back I was prescribed to codiene, I too had some very weird dreams. Allthough I cannot recal details, I can say that the dreams were very lucid. There are also substances which will induce dreams and dream states. Klonopin, being one of them. Now I hope that people will have enough sense, and not experiment with substances like these(percocet or klonopin) they can be very dangerous and even addictive.

I took one Klonopin for severe stress and to help me sleep. I turned off the lights to lay down and fifteen minutes later I find myself staring at my finger, watching it turn into a glow worm(glowing and all). I thought this is weird, and woke up. I have also experianced other chemical induced dream states(curse the teenage mindframe lol) in which the experiance was like a waking dream. I will not say what caused this state, it is far too accesable and common, someone reading this would for sure hurt themselves.

There are many chemicals that will have effects on dreams, some are (non)prescription medications, some are herbs, and others are illicit substances. All in all, it's not worth altering you dreams. The dream state is allready the perfect escape for the human mind. There is no need to alter it, or induce it, for we experiance it every night in a different way.

PS. i suspect this will get moved over to bts, dreams & personal predictiions

Ah, thank you for the input. I should say that I am not in ANY way encouraging people to use any sort of substance to alter their mind. I am merely relating what happened to me, and seeing if other people have had similar experiences.

And thanks for the heads up about this possibly being moved. To any mods or admins, I'm sorry if I posted this in the wrong section, as I'm not quite used to anything outside of the Aliens & UFO's section, which is my most browsed section.

Mod Edit: Quoting Etiquette – Please Review This Link.



[edit on 21-2-2006 by DontTreadOnMe]

Please be careful here. As you know, discussing illegal drug usage is prohibitied on ATS. I would think that goes the same with abuse of prescription drugs.

Just a friendly reminder from one of the mods here.

[edit on 21-2-2006 by DontTreadOnMe]

Instead of talking about chemicals and illegal stuff, i'd like to talk about a herb i've heard... i didn't receive many infos about it (not even the name, in fact the person who spoke me about, asked if i knew anything about it), anyways, according to what i've heard, it should help people to have lucid dreams, and it shouldn't be illegal.

I've made a brief research on the web, found several herbs, but all of them made me frown, either for their dubious legality, or for side effects.

So i was wondering if someone knew anything about natural, legal substances that could help people in lucid dreaming

I don't recommend any drugs but I remember my dreams a lot more if I get plenty of sleep. Actually I seem to sleep a bit lighter I believe when my body isn't really that tired anymore and a train or a siren over a mile away can temporarily disturb my sleep enough if it doesn't wake me up completely and only makes me remember the dream I was having. I heard you remember your dream a bit if it gets interrupted by outside noises. If you try to make yourself remember that if something happens in your dream that you are dreaming, that might help acheive some lucidity. I don't know if I have been lucid dreaming or not lately because the dreams I remember I keep getting woke up out of. I do remember a weird one where a tornado circled all the way around me and started to close in on my location. The dream was going to have to go either lucid or terminate which maybe it did because I woke up when the tornado got close.

I am not sure of the science behind it, but melatonin acts on the pineal gland, which somehow can cause incredible and lucid dreams...I speak from experience.

Myself and a couple other "health nut" friends all agree that the herb cat's claw has a similar effect, however my research has found no reason why that should be.

A second note on the pineal gland, I recall reading that magnetic/electromagnetic manipulation of it can cause some odd mental effects, don't want to sound like a nut here but I recall a story of someone experiencing a time travel OBE while deliberately sleeping with a magnet over his pineal gland.

I've read something about the pineal gland... as far as it seems, it takes great part in the process of OOBEs, Lucid Dreams and other psichical activities...

It would be nice to find some methods to stimulate it, of course without risking unwanted side effects or damages...

I have developed an interesting way to stimulate the brain and most of its areas through circulation cut off and pain.When cutting off the air supply to the head.the brain almost immediatly goes into pain mode .Where as many say the brain has no external nerves for damage such as cutting it during surgery.It is easy to stimulate the nerves by stopping the flow of oxygen and blood to all the ares of the brain.Now I do not suggest this to anyone for it can severly damage a person. As soon as the pain starts at the back of the neck let go and let the blood course through the arteries again.the pain will flow through the back to the front(for me anyway).THen it is only a matter of focusing on the area of pain.

This is part of a larger case study but all for now.

Scarecrow.

Well most drugs, prescription or illicit, that have a effect like lucid dreaming are called psychoactive drugs i believe. you can find an archive of these drugs at this website

I recently underwent shoulder surgery and i had numerous "trippy" expierences. I was given Oxy Codone, Vicidin, and a sleep medicine called Ambien. the oxy codone and vicidin had effects on my mind during sleep and during consciousness. so i dont really remember those dreams. but 2 weeks after i had surgery, my doctor prescribed the ambien stuff, and i took 2 one night and it felt like i woke up in the middle of the dream and my bed was in the middle of a highway, and the lights were zooming by me and i was afraid to get out of bed. In the dream i called my Worst Enemy and i was talking to him, and i swear to god i thought i saw garden gnomes walking across my bed out of my wall.it was one of the weirdest expierences i ever had.

oh and the next day my worst enemy came up to me and asked my why i called him and told him about sheeps and ducks. I swear to god.
WEIRDEST THING EVER

Mod Edit: Discussion of illegal activities such as drug use is forbidden: Removed link to drug usage site.

[edit on 22-2-2006 by DontTreadOnMe]

Hi
This question once again is for Toraylin, sorry to keep bothering you with all my questions latley, hope you don't mind!
This one has been bothering me a real lot, I keep waking up about every 2 hours, but then about 5 minutes fall right back to sleep, but I don't like the iterruptions! It's been ongoing for over a year!
I've started to add this to my meditations prior to sleep, that I will not wake up, but sleep through the night! I watch what I eat etc, so its not that, is their anything more I can do to stop this from happening!
Thanks Angel

Have you looked into more how can i say,spiritual means. In many cases some say that it is possible that energy fields effect us in many ways.It could be that you are effected by spirits or connections between yourself and the state of conciousness you are in.

There are many different levels of sleep.aswell as awareness of ones self while sleeping.In many cases a person during an oobe is loosened from the body in a subconcious/concious collaboration where as one is able to travel through the physcical world of this reality.versus the planeswalking experiences i told you of before,where we are loosened from the body and travel through some means to another realm.

This brings one to wonder about what differs in the information of this world and that of others.Now remember angel this information is just information and that I dont neccessarily believe or disbelieve in any of it.

Now if a said person is quite kinetic,there could be many factors as to why a person is bothered in their sleep.Even down to recieving signals within this realm from an unknown source perhaps.The mention of medication into the body has an effect on the body and can make the body react strangely.

When we sleep our brain still monitors our bodies and the surrounding area.Many are awakened by the littlest sounds or movement within the area.Perhaps you are even having low level obes where you do not recollect them.Therefore having heard a noise or haning become aware of yourself within the state of trans dimensional travel,and wake up frequently. It is hard to say anything to anyone and I try to not talk to people personally.

But you are interested in my point of view so I am giving as much of it as I can sipher out of myself at the time.

Anyway hope thats good for a response angel,I am trying to help

Scarecrow.

Thank You Very Much
Yes that was helpful! Very Appreciated, in fact to the point I think I have it pinpointed, why didn't I think of it, lol I was taking sleep 2's only 2 a night, because I had become so extra sensitive to being awakened, I became well you could say desperate, and started about a year ago with the sleep 2's over the counter its like benadryl the pharmicist said, but last night, I decided to hold back, and made up my mind so to speak, and said to myself I will sleep peacefully & throughout the night with no disturbance!
Which I did, & Dreamed so vividly, and woke more refreshed than I ever did in a long time! I thank you Toraylin and Everyone here for the information, I knew I was doing something wrong! And also someone said to me recently also that I was probably having many oobe experiences during sleep therefore jarring me awake! Well last night during my dreams I had control on all the ones that I can recall, and it was awesome, to have the ease to do what I wanted too, I changed many numerous circumstances that if left unable to do, would have been most unpleasant! Thank You Again for all your insights into this ever so perplexed situation that I was facing!
I feel free again! Thanks Angel