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LUCID DREAMS
Personally I think the term lucid is much overemphasized. The whole idea is simple - a dream is lucid if you become aware in the dream that you are dreaming. Some people also associate lucid dreams with a control of what happens over the dream. You can perform magical tricks during the dream, you can fly - that kind of thing. Personally I would define a lucid dream as a dream where you are aware you are dreaming and also that the dream is extremely vivid.

Much of the obsession with lucid dreams revolves around the invention of dream machines. These are masks which fit over the face during sleep. They recognize when you are dreaming because the eyes move in REM. Once this dreaming starts the dream machines set off lights within the mask and also sounds which are aimed at drawing attention to the fact that you are dreaming. And with training you can develop the ability to wake up during the dream and even control it.

There are some practical applications of this. For instance people can practice certain tasks in life with this...such as driving, speaking or even conducting an orchestra. It is argued that the neuronal patterns during REM are the same as during the actual activity. You can actually practice a task.

Secondly lucid dreamers also claim to solve nightmares with this technique. They can be chased by a pack of dogs, and because they are dreaming lucidly they simply realize that the dogs are symbols of their imagination and let themselves be devoured.

Personally I think both are fairly dubious. Firstly people were inspired in dreams long before the super nova dream machines were invented. Just concentrating on wanting a solution to a problem will set the mind to a particular intellectual task during sleep. Secondly if a person is enlightened enough to use a dream machine to induce lucid dreaming then its unlikely they would allow themselves to be so scared by nightmares.

If you do not use a dream machine then lucid dreams are most common when you wake up early - then stay awake for a short while - then fall back to sleep. Interrupted sleep is often followed by lucid dreams. Lucid dreams can also happen immediately after you wake up. You wake up then lapse back into sleep immediately..which is often quite lucid.

Lucid dreaming then is best described as dreams which are experienced during disruption of sleep. Some believe that lucid dreams are a special and much more important dream than normal dreams. I am personally not convinced. To me I am quite happy for dreams to come along when they feel like it. And lucid dreams involve interrupting your sleep which is not very appealing to me.

OTHER PAGES ON LUCID DREAMS
LUCID DREAMS:Articles and links on Bella Online

SLEEP PHENONOMA
HYPNOPOMPIC AND HYPNOGOGIC IMAGERY :Hallucinations and dreams
HYPNOGOGIC IMAGERY :Example dreams
SLEEPWALKING :Dreams and sleepwalking
SLEEP DEPRIVATION :The TV reality show "shattered"
CIRCADIAN RYTHMS :Dreams and melatonin
LUCID DREAMS

NIGHTMARES
DISTURBING DREAMS : Nightmares.
NIGHTMARES : Childrens Nightmares.
WORLD WAR ONE NIGHTMARES : Dreaming of the front line.
NIGHTMARES : A practical study of nightmares showing what individual nightmares meant
CONFRONTING FEAR IN NIGHTMARES : By Dorian Paul

DREAM SYMBOLISM
DREAM SYMBOLISM :Neural patterns and their relevance to dream interpretation
ANIMALS IN DREAMS :By Dorian Paul
ANIMALS IN DREAMS : Animals in dreams
COLOURS IN DREAMS : By Urban
COLOURS IN DREAMS : By Kafka
Archetypes and myths : Jungs archetypes by Dorian Paul
INDIVIDUATION : understanding the Jungian approach
ARCHETYPES : Jungian archetypes
EVIL ARCHETYPES : By Dorian Paul
Heros and archetypes : by Dorian Paul
DREAMS AND MUSIC : by Dorian Paul
CRUSH DREAMS : The archetype
DREAM DICTIONARY? : Are we influenced by the dream dictionary we use by "Comrade Bart"

PREMONITIONS AND TELEPATHY
PREMONITION STUDY - A personal study showing how dreams can link to the future
HEART TRANSPLANTS - Does the heart have a memory
DAVID MANDELL :Psychic paintings?
OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCES :OBE's and psychic phenonoma
Premonitions :places deep into the future?
SCIENCE :Towards an understanding of premonitions
EXPERIMENTS :Premonition studies and false premonitions

DREAMS AND THE MIND
THETAWAVES :Hallucinations and dreams
NEURAL IMAGING:Attempts to prove or disprove the existence of ESP
ROBERT STICKGOLD:Robert Stickgolds studies of dreams and the game Tetris
DREAM DIARIES :What to look out for
THE FUNCTION OF DREAMS Why do we dream
COMMUNICATION SKILLS : Dorian Paul on left and right brain issues?
MEDITATION :Using meditation to expand your mind

OTHER ARTICLES

BIG BROTHER : A study of the Big Brother reality show
THE SPIRITUAL AAPROACH : By Always Dreaming
INSPIRATION : By Dorian Paul
FAITH AND DREAMS : By Weiss
MONTAGUE ULLMAN : Swedish researcher
DREAM FORUMS : Helpful advice
ETHICAL GUIDELINES : By Dorian Paul
FACTS ABOUT DREAMS : Some thoughts

OTHER DREAM INTERPRETORS

Aisling Ireland : Posts at www.bellaonline.com