I'm going to start working on this again, because it's a really good way to learn things about oneself and play out certain future scenarios so you can know what to do in advance. There are a multitude of other benefits, if you do it right. Some people even use it to play out sexual fantasies. Whatever you wanna do, I guess.
For the unfamiliar, lucid dreaming is nothing but dreaming while knowing you are dreaming, hence the "lucid". Thus, if it happens a lot, you can learn to control your dream completely and play out any scenario you want to. Most people I've talked to have experienced this at some point in their lives, but with practice it can be done with frequency and greater control.
I tried doing this a few years ago, but then got distracted by other things. I've wanted to work on it ever since, but never really got around to it. I just found the same exact FAQ/"guide" to lucid dreaming that I was using years ago, and it seems like a really good one. If you're interested, go take a look.
If I reach any success, I'll post. I have a few odd dreamachine experiences I haven't put up yet...
Oh, and over at Erowid there's a good section on dreaming in general (and a mini-section on lucid dreaming). I haven't filtered through it yet, but for the interested: click
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I have done this once or twice. There is a paperback book I got on the subject but I forget the title. It has all kinds of methods to make it open.
When I had realized I was dreaming I was able to walk through walls and fly at will. After a while I forgot I was dreaming and went to go through a wall and bumped into it.
The first time I realized I was dreaming I couldn't seem to control it. My dream turned into a swirl of colors or something like that. Then I woke up.
Some of the techniques involve getting in the habit of checking you are dreaming while you are awake, so that when you are dreaming you start doing the same habits. Ways to do that include looking at signs or books and then at the palm of your hand and back to see if the words have changed.
Another technique was to start a dream journal. After you wake up, but before you even get out of bed and start moving you write down anything you can remember. They say that if you start moving around you will more likely forget your dream.
yeah, i hear it takes some practice to be able to control things. my first lucid dream wasn't that exciting either. it involved my sister and i running around her apartment looking for things, and i couldn't help what we were doing.
in that guide i posted it mentions that swirling colors (and other nonrepresentational forms) are part of the introduction to REM sleep, but not in dreaming sleep itself...maybe that's what it was?
yeah, the checking thing is called "reality testing". i've been trying to remember to do that. i usually check the time when i do.
as far as i know, dream journals help with dream recall and helping you think about your dreams in general. i plan on starting one too.
that link has all kinds of techniques, with nice little acronyms: MILD, WILD, DILD...
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