Lucidity, awake in sleep Dream Meanings

Lucidity, Awake In Sleep Dream Meaning: From 1 Different Sources


Lucidity, awake in sleep

Sometimes in the practice of deep relaxation, meditation or sensory deprivation, our being enters into a state akin to sleep, yet we maintain a personal waking awareness. This is like a journey into a deep interior world of mind and body where our senses no longer function in their waking manner, where the brain works in a different way, and where awareness is introverted in a degree we do not usually experience. It can be a frightening world, simply because we are not accustomed to it. In a similar way a measure of waking awareness can arise while dreaming. This is called lucid dreaming. During it we can change or wilfully direct what is happening in the dream in a way not usual to the dream state.

Example: 4I had backed my car into a big yard, a commer­cial area. My wife, two of my sons and I got out of the car. As we stood in the yard talking I realised there was a motorbike where my car should be. I said to everyone, “There was a car here a moment ago, now it’s a motorbike. Do you know what that means? It means we are dreaming.” Mark my son was now with us, and my ex-wife. I asked them if they realised they were dreaming. They got very vague and didn’t reply. I asked them again and felt very clearly awake’ (William V). William’s is a fairly typical lucid dream, but there are features which it does not illustrate. During the days or weeks prior to a lucid dream, many people experience an increase in flying dreams.

The next example shows another common feature.

Example: In many of my dreams I become aware that I am dreaming. Also, if anything unpleasant threatens me in the dream I get away from it by waking myself (Alan). Lucidity often has this feature of enabling the dreamer to avoid un­pleasant elements of the dream.

The decision to avoid any unpleasant internal emotions is a common feature of a per­son’s conscious life, so this aspect of lucidity is simply a way of taking such a decision into the dream. Some writers even suggest it as a way of dealing with frightening dreams. Avoid­ance does not solve the problem, it simply pushes the emo­tion deeper into the unconscious where it can do damage more surreptitiously. Recent findings regarding suppressed gnef and stress, which connects them with a higher incidence of cancer, suggests that suppression is not a healthy way of dealing with feelings.

Another approach to lucidity is that it can be a son of playground where one can walk through walls, jump from high buildings and fly, change the sofa into an attractive lover, and so on. True, the realisation that our dream life is a differ­ent world and that it does have completely different principles at work than our waking world is imponant. Often people introven into their dream life the morals and fears which are only relevant to being awake in physical life.

To avoid a charging bull is cenainly imponant in waking life. In our dream life, though, to meet its charge is to integrate the enor­mous energy which the bull represents, an energy which is our own but which we may have been avoiding or running away’ from previously. Realising such simple differences revolutionises the way we relate to our own internal events and possibilities.

To treat lucid dreams as if they offered no other attainable expenence than to manipulate the dream en­vironment, or avoid an encounter, is to miss an amazing fea­ture of human potential.

Example: ‘In my dream I was watching a fern grow. It was small but opened out very rapidly. As I watched I became aware that the fern was simply an image representing a pro­cess occurring within myself which I grew increasingly aware of as I watched. Then I was fully awake in my dream and realised that my dream, perhaps any dream, was an expres­sion of actual and real events occurring in my body and mind. I felt enormous excitement, as if I were witnessing something of great importance’ (Francis P).

It is now acceptable, through the work of Freud, Jung and many others, to consider that within images of the dream lie valuable information about what is occurring within the dreamer, perhaps unconsciously. Strangely, though, it is almost never considered that one can have direct perception into this level of internal ‘events’ with­out the dream. What Francis describes is an experience of being on the cusp of symbols and direct perception. Consider­ing the enormous advantage of such direct information gath­ering, it is surprising it is seldom mentioned except in the writings of Corriere and Han, The Dream Makers.

Example: After defining why I had not woken in sleep recently, i.e. loss of belief, I had the following experience. I awoke in my sleep and began to see, without any symbols, that my attitudes and sleep movements expressed a feeling of restrained antagonism or irritation to my wife. I could also observe the feelings were arising from my discipline of sexual­ity. Realising I did not want those feelings I altered them and woke enough to turn towards her’ (Francis P). After the first of his direct perception dreams, Francis attempted to use this function again, resulting in the above, and other, such dreams. Just as classic dream interpretation says that the dream symbols represent psychobiological logical processes which might be uncovered by dream processing, what we see in Francis’ lucidity is a direct route to self insight, and through it a rapid personal growth to improved life experience. Such dreams provide not only psychological insight, but very fre­quently a direct perception of processes occurring in the body, as the following example illustrates.

Example: ‘Although deeply asleep I was wide awake with­out any shape or form. I had direct experience, without any pictures, of the action of the energies in my body. I had no awareness of body shape, only of the flow of activities in the organs. I checked over what I could observe, and noticed a tension in my neck was interfering with the flow and ex­change of energies between the head and trunk. It was also obvious from what I could see that the tension was due to an attitude I had to authority, and if the tension remained it could lead to physical ill health’ (Tony C).

An effective way to develop lucidity is frequently to con­sider the events of waking life as if they were a dream. Try to see events as one might see dream symbols. What do they mean in terms of one’s motivations, fears, personal growth? What do they suggest about oneself? For instance a person who works in a photographic darkroom developing films and prints might see they were trying to bnng to consciousness the latent—unconscious—side of themselves.

A banker might feel they were working at how best to deal with their sexual and personal resources. In this way one might actually apply what is said in this dream dictionary to one’s outer circumstances.

The second instruction is, on waking, at a convenient mo­ment, imagine oneself standing within one’s recent dream. As you get a sense of this dream environment, realise that you are taking waking awareness into the dream. From the standpoint of being fully aware of the dream action and events, what will you now do in and with the dream? Re-dream it with con­sciousness.

For example the things you run from in your nor­mal dreaming you could now face.

See dream processing for fun her suggestions.

Dream Source: A Guide to Dreams and Sleep Experiences
Author:

To dream of sleeping on clean, fresh beds, denotes peace and favor from those whom you love.To sleep in unnatural resting places, foretells sickness and broken engagements.To sleep...

Dream Source: Ten Thousand Dream Interpretation

1. Peace of mind.2. Not fully aware of something.3. The awareness of trying to find the answer to something by dreaming. ...

Dream Source: New American Dream Dictionary

To dream that you are awake, denotes that you will experience strange happenings which will throw you into gloom.To pass through green, growing fields, and look upon landscape, in ...

Dream Source: Ten Thousand Dream Interpretation

1. One is protected.2. The desire to go back to the womb. ...

Dream Source: New American Dream Dictionary

The story of Aurora, the princess who was put under the spell or curse of a long sleep, may appear to present a lesson to a woman who is cursed by evil jealousy and kept from recog...

Dream Source: Ariadne's Book of Dream

(See Sleep; Turning in one’s sleep)...

Dream Source: Islamic Dream Interpretation

(See Mattress)...

Dream Source: Islamic Dream Interpretation

(See Sexual intercourse)...

Dream Source: Islamic Dream Interpretation

(Insomnia) In a dream, sleeplessness means loss of a beloved, the death of a child, separation between lovers, or leaving one’s family and travelling to a foreign country....

Dream Source: Islamic Dream Interpretation

If one sees himself turning in his sleep and putting his face down, or resting on his stomach in a dream, it means that he will turn away from his faith and lose both his earnings ...

Dream Source: Islamic Dream Interpretation

During experiments to monitor the brain activ­ity of animals and humans while asleep, it was noted that the brain seemed to move through a series of levels of activity. In deep sl...

Dream Source: A Guide to Dreams and Sleep Experiences

Oswald (as related in his book Sleep) observed active rocking in some children and adults during sleep. These rocking movements were very powerful, occur­ring at a rate of one per...

Dream Source: A Guide to Dreams and Sleep Experiences

Most people who have kept a dog have witnessed it bark while it is obviously dreaming. Calling out during a disturbing or active dream is common to humans also. Some people sleep t...

Dream Source: A Guide to Dreams and Sleep Experiences

Vision: Dreaming about being wide awake: your unconscious is reminding you of a problem that you need to recognize before you miss the chance to solve it. Seeing a watchman: hurdl...

Dream Source: Dreamers Dictionary

Vision: Looking at people sleeping means great happiness ahead. Looking at one person sleeping: your love relationship will deepen. Sleeping outdoors: a trip in the near future is...

Dream Source: Dreamers Dictionary

In 1937 through the use of the electroencephalograph (EEG) measuring tiny electrical brain impulses, Loomis and his associates discovered that the form of brainwaves changes with t...

Dream Source: A Guide to Dreams and Sleep Experiences

Very common with some people, especially during adolescence or times of stress. Sometimes accompa­nied by hallucinations. Sleep walking is normal as an occa­sional event in child...

Dream Source: A Guide to Dreams and Sleep Experiences

To dream of a sleeping pill demonstrates a wish to escape reality. It may indicate problems in your waking life that require therapy or counseling....

Dream Source: My Dream Interpretation

To dream that you are at a sleepover party, suggests that you need to socialize more and create deeper friendships with people.If the sleepover party was fun, social plans that you...

Dream Source: My Dream Interpretation

To dream that you are sleepwalking , signifies discontent and your ongoing struggle for contentment. This dream may also indicate that you are just “going through the motions” ...

Dream Source: My Dream Interpretation

Adrian Morrison at the University of Pennsylvania, investigating narcolepsy, a condition producing sleep in the middle of activity, found that a small area of the brain, the pons, ...

Dream Source: A Guide to Dreams and Sleep Experiences

Buried memories....

Dream Source: Expansions Dream Dictionary

Talking whilst asleep is a relatively common sleep disorder. The subject matter being talked about tends to be harmless. It may also make no sense at all. At other times, the conte...

Dream Source: The Element Encyclopedia

What is sleep exactly? Although we know that all creatures that live sleep, and although science has diligently studied sleep in many sleep laboratories around the world, sleep its...

Dream Source: Dream Encyclopedia

Alcohol can have a significant impact on sleep and sleeping patterns. Under the influence of alcohol, the quantity of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep decreases and Stage 4 sleep inc...

Dream Source: Dream Encyclopedia

Dreams Beyond Dreams: Mystical Experiences Recalled as Dreams Not all dreams are merely dreams. According to author Stase Michaels, a dream serves as a bridge between our nightly ...

Dream Source: A Little Bit Of Dreams

There may be a physical cause for dreams in which you find yourself unable to move or sense anything; it is called sleep paralysis. During REM sleep when dreams are most frequent, ...

Dream Source: The Element Encyclopedia

A New Frontier in Sleep Science: Unveiling the Brain's Nocturnal Symphony Introduction Recent strides in the realm of sleep science have unveiled a captivating discovery that shed...

Dream Source: Dream Encyclopedia

The Balm for Weary Minds "Sleep is the balm for hurt minds, nature’s great second course." - William Shakespeare Sleep is an absolute necessity for our physi...

Dream Source: Dream Encyclopedia

"Yet it is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth sometimes comes to the top." - Virginia Woolf Perhaps the most profound way to comprehend ...

Dream Source: Dream Encyclopedia

REM sleep is recognized by tiny twitches of facial muscles and slight movements of the hands. Blood pressure rises, breathing and heartbeat become faster, eyes dart rapidly around ...

Dream Source: Dream Encyclopedia

Sleepwalking or moving is an attempt to put a dream into action. Most likely you have grown out of the habit, if you ever had it, but if an occasion arises which is very stressful,...

Dream Source: Dream Encyclopedia

The observation of animal sleep patterns has long been of interest, dating as far back as 44 B.C.E., when the Roman natural philosopher Lucretius described “the twitching movemen...

Dream Source: Dream Encyclopedia

Dream interpretation icon Dream Interpretation

Dream encyclopedia icon Dream Encyclopedia

Dream interpretation icon Blog

dream favicon What is the dream?

Common dream icon Common Dreams

Top searches icon Top Searches

Recent Questions icon Recent Questions

A to Z Dream Interpretation