Lots of great activity here.
Great idea! I've had about a dozen spontaneous LDs. I've never managed to have one on demand, so I might not be able to participate, but I'd love to read about others' adventures.
I've got the very interesting Robert Waggoner book Lucid Dreaming (I think he was a podcast guest). I believe it has a how-to section towards the end, but I haven't yet made it that far.
Pat
I've never read Waggoner's book, but sometimes simply reading about lucidity will increase the potential of having a lucid dream. Again I would recommend LaBerge's "Exploring the World Of Lucid Dreaming".
Bishop I wish I could help, I've paid close attention to my dreams for several years, read most of the literature on LD but have had only a few brief episodes of lucidity in my dreams.
Hopefully one day my luck will change!
Do you remember your dreams often? If you can remember your dreams and you have an interest in them than you can definitely have lucid dreams. I can't stress this enough; lucid dreaming is not a skill reserved for the lucky or special. Anyone can learn it. Start with LaBerge.
Bishop , I've only had a few of these kind of 'dreams' . I always wake up right after one though.
As I am waking there is a bright light above my head, as if there was headboard light on in the bedroom (my eyes still closed). It takes a full minute or so to disperse.
needless to say there is no actual headboard light , or table-lamp. just a main light on roof.
Waking up prematurely from a lucid dream is absolutely typical. There are methods and techniques you can hone to elongate your lucid experience, and once you do that every moment of consciousness within the dream becomes more intriguing. If you are interested enough in your initial "accidental" conscious awareness within the dream to pursue it then you should.
On the light source, I have two initial gut reactions.
1) The light is a false awakening and you are still in the dream. This is common, and it tricks people all the time. I'm a fairly talented lucid dreamer and false awakenings always get me.
2) You are actually waking, but your dream visuals are residual. Do you experience this when waking from all dreams or just lucid ones?
I'd be interested in participating. I've tried to fall asleep to some youtube videos that suggest they lead to lucid dreaming but other than some weird and vivid dreams I haven't had an actual lucid dream.
Those videos don't really work IMHO, but anything that can give a boost to your intention is key. Intention is a main factor in becoming lucid, though I haven't yet figured out why that is. Maybe that can be part of this thread.
There are a lot of factors; disposition, desire, and personal interest are a few. But most of all you must educate yourself in the basics of the practice if you expect results. Most of those youtube videos are basically "Relax your body, imagine your destination, let your astral body go". While they can be effective in giving you a good night's rest, they often suffer from lack of common definition. I'd say start with the crash course (like LaBerge!!!) and go from there. I know, I sound like a broken record hawking his book. But in all of my experience his is the most pragmatic approach to learning lucid dreaming.