...another. Lucid dreaming is a term created by Frederik van Eeden that is used to describe a dream in which one is aware that he/she is dreaming. This type of dreaming is considered by many as a higher level of consciousness. Most people do not know what lucid dreaming is and those who do rarely are aware of how to realize that they are dreaming, let alone actually manipulate their dreams. Lucid dreaming can have many benefits in one’s life, whether it’s relieving stress, learning or studying, having fun, etc. Also, there is little risk in dreaming lucidly, since dreams do not take place in the physical world. Anything that can benefit many people with little risk should be readily available and encouraged. Dreaming lucidly fits this description yet is not studied often, and on top of that, is not taken very seriously within the scientific community. Lucid dreaming should be a topic that is taught and discussed more often than is currently in everyday life. To understand lucid dreaming, one must understand the two different types of “life”. One of which is waking life, which you probably can guess, refers to one’s life while they are awake. The other of which, is dreaming life, which refers to one’s life while asleep. The special thing about lucid dreaming is that it encompasses both of these ideas into one. That is to say, that you are dreaming and consciously aware of that fact simultaneously. This all sounds simple enough, but it can be very hard to trigger lucid dreaming...
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...blocks, and release chronic pain or stress while you were sleeping? With lucid dreaming, it's a possibility. Charlie Morley, teacher of the Tibetan Buddhist practice of dream yoga, has experienced the power of the dream state in healing. He teaches lucid dreaming to numerous people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder—including ex-soldiers, victims of terrorist attacks, and those who experienced abuse during childhood—as a means to not only cure nightmares, but he says "to open people up to view their nightmares as a call for help rather than an attack from the unconscious." A lot of our fears, traumas, and the shadow aspects of psyche that we have unconsciously rejected...
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...During REM sleep dreams can be characterized as being nonsensical, bizarre, and the individual is left unaware that they are dreaming. Certain neural patterns describe this state, such as, the deactivation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Contrastly, lucid dreaming describes a state of sleep where the individual is aware that they are dreaming. Lucid dreaming can also be characterized by increase of 40-Hz wave activity and coherence in the frontal region of the brain. It is interesting to note that lucid dreamers are able to communicate their state by eye movements that can be tracked by an electrooculogram. Apart from the awesome idea of being aware that one is dream, lucid dreaming also have some benefits, such as, treating nightmares. In order to understand the neural changes in lucid dreaming and examine its neural correlates EEG and fMRI techniques were used in this study to compare lucid vs non-lucid REM sleep....
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... Lucid Dreaming Holzinger (2009), suggests that dreams have been a major importance to cultures throughout the ages. Native Americans viewed dreams as portals to the spirit world, paths to prophecy and quests. A common phenomenon states, there is an experience in which one is aware that one is dreaming and is able to control what happens in the dream. This experience is known as lucid dreaming. Aristotle may have been the first to write about lucid dreaming, although he did not have a term for it (Holzinger B. , 2009). And some Tibetan Buddhists have been practicing something like lucid dreaming for a long time. In Tibetan Buddhism, it was practiced as a form of yoga, called dream yoga, from the eighth century. The goal of dream yoga is to examine your consciousness and bring you to a constant state of awareness. A big part of the belief system of Buddhism is recognizing the world for what it is, free from deception. A lucid dreamer recognizes the dream world for what it is, a dream (Holzinger B. , 2009). A Dutch psychiatrist named Frederik van Eeden came up with the term for lucid dreams in 1913. He claimed that there are nine well-defined types of dreams in all, including ordinary, symbolic and vivid dreams. He recorded several of his own lucid dreams, and his thoughts during them and upon awakening. He remarked that they often involved flying (Holzinger B. , 2009). Lucid dreaming is normally a rare experience. Though most people report having had a lucid dream at...
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...With lucid dreaming becoming more popular, experienced lucid dreamers are getting out from the underground and speak to there non-practicing mates about abilities to control the dream. Often, to their surprise, my dreaming mates realise, that their friends, who never thought about lucid dreaming, lucid dream all the time. Or, at least they say so. I personally met quite a few people who claim to always know they're dreaming. For many, it seems to be the natural ability - they've known they dream since they were kids, and there's nothing magical or surprising to them. Nothing special, at all. So, what is lucidity all about? Speaking to these "natural lucid dreamers", i've asked them, what they normally do when they realise they're in a dream. I've heard two answers most often: "I wake up" (or sometimes, "I get so excited that i wake up"); "I find a hot lady/guy and ..." Is this lucid? I don't really think so. It has some degree of lucidity, although it's really far from what i'm looking for. In these dreams, people don't have much of control to their dreams - they are like occasional sparks of consciousness - and then they either wake up, or follow the first natural instinct "I'm dreaming and i can do whatever i like". For me, when i become lucid, the first thing i do is reality check (step 1). The checks i use most often follow: Look at my hands and try to compare them with the image of my "real" hands; Jump in attempt to fly; Look at the watch or switch...
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...concept of lucid dreaming. Lucidity means becoming conscious and self-aware in your dreams, turning the dreamscape into a vivid virtual reality where everything you see, hear, feel, taste and even smell will be just as authentic real life. Tibetan monks have used dream control for more than a thousand years in a philosophy called Dream Yoga. However the modern term ‘lucid dreaming’ was not coined until the 20th century by the Dutch psychiatrist Frederik Van Eeden, meaning ‘mental clarity in dreams’ . The concept of lucid dreams were popularized by Celia Green in the 1960 s. She was the first to point out the link that false awakenings make way to lucid dreams. False awakenings are essentially ultra vivid dreams in which you are convinced you have woken up in physical reality. Yet many such awakenings go unrecognized assumed to be waking reality as they involve things one does everyday on autopilot such as getting up, having breakfast, getting dressed and heading out for work. It thus reveals the remarkable capacity of the human brain to emulate reality. But in normal dreams our self-awareness is shut down. That’s why we often feel fuzzy and distant. Lucidity occurs during altered states of consciousness when you realize you are dreaming and your brain switches into waking mode inside the dream. This is a safe and natural state. It is not a literal out of body experience because you are always asleep in bed the whole time. And if you want you can wake yourself up. When lucid, our...
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...control everything around you is only possible by lucid dreaming which is an unusual experience in Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep where you are conscious that you are dreaming. In this way, people can control their dreams so to make them by preference. For the sleeper these dreams look real, however the dreamer knows that this is not a reality which makes this a skill that provides hours of enjoyable experience (Susan Blackmore, Lucid Dreaming: Awake in Your Sleep?) There are four sleep stages: Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stage one, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stage two, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stage three and four, which are grouped together due to the many similarities, and lastly, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. In the first stage we begin to lose self-awareness and muscle tone. In stage two our body is completely relaxed so as not to react to the upcoming dreams. Stages three and four are marked by the loss of senses and reaction to the environment. Finally...
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...One of the stupidest things I ever heard was that lucid dreaming is a sin. No wonder people will go on to say or do anything to resist anything new but it really disappoints me when they use fear of god to impose their thoughts on others. I know many people have used their religion to oppose lucid dreaming and I really don’t have any intention to argue with people who are strongly religious. What I am going to discuss here are few simple and straight points that will tell you why thinking of conscious dreaming a sin is totally irrelevant. Some have also argued fulfilment of desires that are sinful according to some religious teachings like having a lucid dreaming sex is sinful but, that too is an unwarranted notion and these reasons will tell...
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...mysterious, but understanding the meaning of our dreams can be downright baffling. The content of our dreams can shift suddenly, feature bizarre elements or frighten us with terrifying imagery. The fact that dreams can be so rich and compelling is what causes many to believe that there must be some meaning to our dreams. Why do we dream? Some researchers suggest that dreams serve no real purpose, while others believe that dreaming is essential to mental, emotional and physical well-being. Although there is not much agreement on why we dream there are some interesting theories around. One possibility is that our minds are running us through the worst-case scenario during sleep. Disaster preparation you could say. For example if a new mother was to dream of losing her baby she is rehearsing what it would feel like for that to actually happen. So our dreams are just fire drills? Another possibility is that dreaming is actually aiding learning. Some researchers have found that performance on physical tasks is actually enhanced by dreaming about it. Whatever the reason for why we dream it has been proven through therapy that dreams can reveal certain aspects of ourselves that we were not aware were there. Dreams are also thought to help people find solutions to problems. Despite this, dream interpretation has becoming increasingly popular. While research has not demonstrated a purpose for dreams, many experts believe that dreams do have meaning....
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...Title: Sweet Dreams Topic: Dreams General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: By the end of my speech, my audience will have a greater understanding of dreams. Introduction I. Attention-getting device: Did you know that we spend an average of six years of our lives dreaming? (Dream Moods, Inc., 2010) II. Relevance to the audience: Even though some of us may not remember our dreams, everyone dreams! III. Ethos: I personally am one of those people who rarely remember their dreams, but the study of dreams is something that has always intrigued me. IV. Central idea: Dreams are an important topic because everyone dreams. V. Preview of main points: Today I would like to share some information with you about the history, types, and interpretations of dreams. Transition: First of all I am going to briefly define dreams and tell you a bit about their history. Body I. A dream can be defined many different ways, but according to Webster’s dictionary a dream is a series of thoughts, images or emotions occurring during sleep. (Merriam-Webster, 2011) a. The first recorded dream dates back to seventh century BC and was also the first recorded story: The Chronicle of Gilgamesh. A story about “the hero’s journey,” which was recorded on clay tablets in Assyria. b. In the era of the Old Testament God spoke to humans by way of dreams. For example, Daniel ‘s dream interpretation saved him for death in the lion’s den. c. In ancient Greece the study of dreams becomes more complex and...
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...few seconds, or approximately 20–30 minutes.[3] People are more likely to remember the dream if they are awakened during the REM phase. The average person has three to five dreams per night, but some may have up to seven dreams in one night.[4] The dreams tend to last longer as the night progresses. During a full eight-hour night sleep, most dreams occur in the typical two hours of REM.[5] In modern times, dreams have been seen as a connection to the unconscious mind. They range from normal and ordinary to overly surreal and bizarre. Dreams can have varying natures, such as frightening, exciting, magical, melancholic, adventurous, or sexual. The events in dreams are generally outside the control of the dreamer, with the exception of lucid dreaming, where the dreamer is self-aware. Dreams can at times make a creative thought occur to the person or give a sense of inspiration.[6] Opinions about the meaning of dreams have varied and shifted through time and culture. The earliest recorded dreams were acquired from materials dating back approximately 5000 years, in Mesopotamia, where they were...
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...Specific purpose: To inform my audience about the 3 types of dreams they might have. Thesis Statement: Introduction I. I was alone in a dark alley, running for my life, panting and sweating, my heart pounding. A. Was I writing an essay? No. B. It was what I had dreamt of when I as asleep one night. II. I have always been curious about the dreams I had a night, why I would wake up crying at times, or maybe even screaming. III. Throughout the period of research, I have found out that the dreams you have can actually relate to the events you participated in during the day. IV. Therefore, I would like to share 3 types of dreams you are most likely to have during the course of your sleep. Body I. The first type of dream and most common type of dream you might have is a falling dream. A. A falling dream is where one has the feeling of falling thru the air feeling frightened. 1. A theory by Professor O’Conner from the University of Glasgow suggests that a falling dream may occur when one has lost control over something. 2. These situations could be linked to work, school home or even in a relationship. 3. As falling dreams are usually vivid, you can recall the contents of the dreams quite easily. 4. The more you can remember, the better it is to figure out what the dream means, and try to correct the problem you may be facing. B. So when and how does a falling dream occur? 1. It typically occurs during the first stage of...
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...the case. Undeveloped recall is to blame. Put a pad of paper next to your bed and record your dream immediately upon waking. Immediately means immediately. If you get dressed first, or even stare at the ceiling for a minute, dream recollection will be nil. Expect that you might not get more than a few lines for the first week or so, but also expect to get to multi-page recall ability within 2-3 weeks. This alone will make you look forward to going to bed. Step 2) Identify dream cues and/or do reality checks - Some people, like Mark, can use their dream log to identify common dream elements that recur from night to night. Water seems to be particularly common. These elements are then used for “reality checks”: asking yourself if you’re dreaming when you see these cues during waking hours, and then testing. Testing entails doing something like trying to fly (not recommended) or looking at your environment for clear indications of dream state. The latter is my preference, and I typically skip the dream log and default to a few simple tests at set action (every time I check the time or walk through a door, for example). Since working memory can only hold around 7 +/- 2 bits of information, and you are constantly creating your dreamscape in real-time, there are a few things that change if you look away and then look back at them: a. Text (e.g., written signs) b. Digital clocks/watches. Fascinatingly, analog clocks appear to keep accurate dream time, which, in my case, also corresponds...
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...Thomas M. Woods Theories of Counseling 11/24/14 Personal Experience Paper #3 When writing down my dreams I found this to be quite interesting. As a child I use to attend counseling to help me stop dreaming because of the nightmares I use to have. Anyhow after my counseling I never seemed to dream anymore and when I did I could never seem to remember them. Unlike my dreams before my counseling as a child (which I can remember quit vividly and still remember them to this day) dreams now seem to become mixed with memories of real life events—now I just assume any memory that I can’t mentally verify as a past dream and that I must be experiencing déjà vu. Never the less, I wrote down two dreams. The first one was a lucid dream—I know this because I had the dream after I laid back down from waking up to use the bathroom. I did try to interact with the dream but normally once I become fully aware that I’m dreaming I wake up shortly after. Another issue I had was that when I go back and read what my dream was about it is very scattered; and I have a problem understanding my writing as well as remembering the dream at after re-reading days later what I had wrote. When I try to interpret my first dream all I get from it is that about 50% of it deals with what I do on a day to day bases. I work in a call center and most of my dream dealt with me in work talking on the phone to customers. The other 50% of that dream dealt with my family. I’m not really close to my relatives and I...
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...How Dreams Connect to Wish Fulfillment Dreams are a very diverse subject in cinema because of the various ways they are portrayed and played out in a film. They are open to have anything happen in them, and the advancement in cinematography and postproduction makes it possible to take many different artistic directions when filming dream sequences in a film. It is also possible for a dream to have meanings and purposes, such as playing a role in fulfilling a wish that someone cannot normally achieve in reality on their own. This idea is represented well by the protagonist in Sherlock Jr., a projectionist who yearns to become a detective. Since Sherlock Jr. is a silent film, the protagonist’s feelings and emotions, as well as the emotions of all of the other characters, are heavily portrayed through their actions and facial expressions, as well as dialogue and backstory that are shown on the title cards. One of the projectionist’s desires is explained at the very start of the film, first written on the second title card and then in the first and second opening shot where he is seen reading a book titled “How To Be A Detective.” In the first shot where he is seen sitting by himself and the big empty theater can be perceived as representing how enthralled he is in his own world of wanting to be a detective. While reading the book, the protagonist shows more of his desire by taking out a magnifying glass and inspecting his own fingerprint, and by wearing a fake moustache to...
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