So why isn't lucid dreaming super popular yet?

[Deleted]

Lucid dreaming or "training" to get there can lead easily to sleep paralysis and i want none of that.

[Kathandira]

Very few people can do it, or want to do it.
Several of my friends claim not to dream at all while they sleep.

This is the majority of my evenings. I very rarely remember that I dreamed at all.

[Deleted]

Such a hipster thing

[Kathandira]

Lucid dream isn't really that exciting and you will have less energy when you get up

This has always been my concern. If your mind isn't full at rest (auto pilot) then aren't you technically not getting the full extent of your rest cycle?

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1. Most people probably find the idea of it ridiculous - from my experience its usually stoners getting into this sort of thing

i'm the stoner who thinks it's silly. lol

[Krekal]

1. It also decreases your sleep quality, so there's that.
2. ye, pretty cool
3. ye
4. Meditating is also free of cost, loads of things are free of cost.
5. ye

As many have pointed out already, it takes effort. People are lazy and want things handed to them, they don't want to attempt something, fail, and try again, because they think it won't work.
I for one have only had 3 of these that I can remember and they didn't come through practise. Why don't I practise it? I like sleep.

[Themerlin]

1. It's been scientifically proven and extensively documented so in no way in hell does it belong in the same group as astral projections and other new age woo. It's a real thing.

2. It's basically natural VR. As long as your brain can simulate it, you can do it.

3. There's an abundance of guides and forums online providing pages upon pages of different methods for inducing a lucid dream.

4. It's completely free entertainment. And not just in the traditional sense of the word "free", there are no opportunity costs either - you do it during the time you are normally asleep. You are literally not even wasting your time.

5. It's extremely easy to learn - most people pick it up within a week or less of attempts.

People go to way greater lengths to get the entertainment that your brain can provide for free every night. So what's going on here? Why does it have so little exposure even though the vast majority of people have experienced it at least once?

I would bet most people that can dream lucidly are located outside of major cities and first world countries.

For example the US is the most heavily drugged and medicated population on earth. Many of these medication have side effects that either exacerbate or completely dull dreams where they are barely remembered. Even disturbing dreams are labeled as a hindrance to sleep ad rest.

People don't dream anymore. Why dream when computers can simulate anything your ego wants, and medication can silence the manic dreammaster in your head.

[Allatar]

It is very real and it can be a very useful tool in some cases.

Personally, I had to have a lucid dream state induced by hypnosis using props to break a cycle of recurring dreams that were seriously messing me up. By props, I mean I was given an eye mask that responded to REM by blinking lights and my hypnosis sessions had me recognise that blinking lights meant I was dreaming: my brain could 'see' the blinking lights through my eyelids.

It took several weeks before I was actually able to properly lucidly dream and eventually I was able to change the outcome of the recurring dream and they stopped happening. Did my health wonders as I was finally able to properly spend a full night asleep. The long term upshot of this is that I very rarely just seem to go into a lucid dreaming state of my own free will: I don't try and make it happen but boy I sure as hell make sure I enjoy it when I recognise it's happening.

[Deleted]

when i fuck i lose focus and the girls disappear so there is no point most of the time i codn t be sure i was awake or not so i codn t just start to fuk people

[unbound]

1. It's been scientifically proven and extensively documented so in no way in hell does it belong in the same group as astral projections and other new age woo. It's a real thing.

2. It's basically natural VR. As long as your brain can simulate it, you can do it.

3. There's an abundance of guides and forums online providing pages upon pages of different methods for inducing a lucid dream.

4. It's completely free entertainment. And not just in the traditional sense of the word "free", there are no opportunity costs either - you do it during the time you are normally asleep. You are literally not even wasting your time.

5. It's extremely easy to learn - most people pick it up within a week or less of attempts.

People go to way greater lengths to get the entertainment that your brain can provide for free every night. So what's going on here? Why does it have so little exposure even though the vast majority of people have experienced it at least once?

To be the devil's advocate here, what's wrong with just enjoying the ride of what your brain produces for you? Why the need to direct it?

I understand the desire to control things, but there is also enormous value in letting a story be directed by someone else (your subconscious in this case) as it provides the opportunity to witness and consider things that you wouldn't normally think about.

I already control a great number of aspect of my life. Enjoying a good dream or a good book without directing them is just as important of an aspect of my life journey.

[tikcol]

1. It's been scientifically proven and extensively documented so in no way in hell does it belong in the same group as astral projections and other new age woo. It's a real thing.

2. It's basically natural VR. As long as your brain can simulate it, you can do it.

3. There's an abundance of guides and forums online providing pages upon pages of different methods for inducing a lucid dream.

4. It's completely free entertainment. And not just in the traditional sense of the word "free", there are no opportunity costs either - you do it during the time you are normally asleep. You are literally not even wasting your time.

5. It's extremely easy to learn - most people pick it up within a week or less of attempts.

People go to way greater lengths to get the entertainment that your brain can provide for free every night. So what's going on here? Why does it have so little exposure even though the vast majority of people have experienced it at least once?

Because it isn't real.

[wowaccounttom]

this is exactly how they killed Freddy in a Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors

and this is how i managed to get freddy out of my dreams.... watched the series as a kid -- scarred for life

that focking dude was all over my dreams :*(

[-aiko-]

When I was on my depression meds years back I had lucid dreams all the time, courtesy of Mirtazapine.

I'm experiencing the same thing with my thyroid medication, levothyroxine. The shit also makes me fatigued all the time so I sleep a lot. It's...been an interesting experience, as someone who in the past didn't generally remember their dreams.

[Usagi Senshi]

I randomly have the damn things and its not all the time I can take over and continue exploring whatever environment I'm currently in.

Lots of times I know that I'm dreaming but can only watch on as my dream self carries on with whatever task is at hand. I've barely controlled them and don't even try to have the damn things to begin with.

The last few (over the past few months) were continuous and took place in an alternate yet familiar hospital/school and I was able to freely explore these bits as I walked down the seemingly endless corridors in search of something that faintly guided me. The last one from last month had me finally find a room in the basement of the facility that was lavishly furnished and featured a fuck ton of screens on one wall.

"Ah, its about time you finally showed up, I've been trying to contact you for weeks!" said the figure in the reclining chair that faced the wall of monitors. "There is something i want you to see, come here and see this!"

The dream ended as I walked to him and beside his chair.

[Deleted]

1. It's been scientifically proven and extensively documented so in no way in hell does it belong in the same group as astral projections and other new age woo. It's a real thing.

Infact, astral projections and NDEs are the same as dreams. If you prepare to dream, you will literally see what you want to dream. Dreams display what you believe, wrapped into metaphors. Thats the reason that people who believe in ghosts see ghosts in dreams. People who believe in animal companions see animal companions in dreams.

2. It's basically natural VR. As long as your brain can simulate it, you can do it.

The thing is most people are just not able to turn it as easily on as a VR helmet.

3. There's an abundance of guides and forums online providing pages upon pages of different methods for inducing a lucid dream.

Which only work for a few.

4. It's completely free entertainment. And not just in the traditional sense of the word "free", there are no opportunity costs either - you do it during the time you are normally asleep. You are literally not even wasting your time.

It's not entertainment. It's a deep dive into your unconscious.

5. It's extremely easy to learn - most people pick it up within a week or less of attempts.

No, it isnt. Because most people never dream lucid, no matter how much they try.

People go to way greater lengths to get the entertainment that your brain can provide for free every night. So what's going on here? Why does it have so little exposure even though the vast majority of people have experienced it at least once?

"Why isnt everyone rich if money is that easy to get?"

[Dug]

I'd rather just fall asleep

[derpkitteh]

because i am scared to do it. worried it might hasten my mental degradation.

[Rotted]

1. It's been scientifically proven and extensively documented so in no way in hell does it belong in the same group as astral projections and other new age woo. It's a real thing.

2. It's basically natural VR. As long as your brain can simulate it, you can do it.

3. There's an abundance of guides and forums online providing pages upon pages of different methods for inducing a lucid dream.

4. It's completely free entertainment. And not just in the traditional sense of the word "free", there are no opportunity costs either - you do it during the time you are normally asleep. You are literally not even wasting your time.

5. It's extremely easy to learn - most people pick it up within a week or less of attempts.

People go to way greater lengths to get the entertainment that your brain can provide for free every night. So what's going on here? Why does it have so little exposure even though the vast majority of people have experienced it at least once?

Because most people won't or can't put in the effort,

It takes years of practice to do it right, regardless of what an online guide says,

Lastly, I know two 'avid' Lucid dreamers, one of which dropped out of university because of it and the other is a bum, they both invested countless hours of practice, I say practice, a simplified version is, they spent their days napping trying to realize they were asleep to begun the process.

Oh real lastly, obviously when you do it, it can turn into a a addiction really quickly, really easily

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I randomly have the damn things and its not all the time I can take over and continue exploring whatever environment I'm currently in.

Lots of times I know that I'm dreaming but can only watch on as my dream self carries on with whatever task is at hand. I've barely controlled them and don't even try to have the damn things to begin with.

The last few (over the past few months) were continuous and took place in an alternate yet familiar hospital/school and I was able to freely explore these bits as I walked down the seemingly endless corridors in search of something that faintly guided me. The last one from last month had me finally find a room in the basement of the facility that was lavishly furnished and featured a fuck ton of screens on one wall.

"Ah, its about time you finally showed up, I've been trying to contact you for weeks!" said the figure in the reclining chair that faced the wall of monitors. "There is something i want you to see, come here and see this!"

The dream ended as I walked to him and beside his chair.

That's very, very basic lucid dreaming. You have some degree of control like free movement of going left or right. True lucid dreaming you'd of been able to do anything, thinking anything into existence and you'd wouldn't wake up from a random event in the dream unless something outside of it disturbed you, like noise.

[Themius]

I lucid dream far too often for my liking.

[Revik]

The problem with Lucid Dreaming is that your dreams are limited to what is in your conscious self while letting your dreams run wild and rampant encompasses both your conscious and your subconscious.

For me I'd rather let my dreams run wild and then deal with whatever is thrown at me. Having full control of your dreams is nice for a short while but gets boring very fast. It is sort of like watching a movie knowing exactly whats going to happen before it happens. There is no suspense, no thrill, no excitement. Like watching a boring documentary. This is why lucid dreaming is overrated.

Eventually anyone truly interested in lucid dreaming will want to go back to the unknown.

[Hotmail]

The last time I had a lucid dream, I turned around in my bed only to see a freakin' zombie lying there and moaning at me. Never again!