In My Case, Lucid Dreams Aren’t All What They’re Cracked up to Be

View of episode 53 vent active on south flank of Pu`u `O`o, Kilauea, Hawaii. Photograph by C. Heliker on February 21, 1993. Courtesy of USGS

I’ve long had an interest in dreaming, and in particular, lucid dreams. For those of you who might not be familiar with the concept of lucid dreaming, I offer the following definition from the Lucid Dreaming / How to Lucid Dream website:

Lucid dreaming is the ability to become aware that you are awake whilst you are still within your dream.

Basically, what this means is: Say you’re in the midst of walking down the street in the midst of a typical dream., if there is such a thing. All of a sudden you realize that you’re actually dreaming. This may be due to something seeming out of place, such as a bear walking down the middle of the street on its hind legs. Or, as in my case, you just have the inspired thought out of the blue, “Hey, I’m dreaming.”

Lucid dreams are very special because it puts you in control of your dreams. You’re the boss. You tell the dream where you want to go or what you want to do. You can also ask questions of the dream. For instance, you can ask the bear, “Who are you and what are you doing in my dream?”

As dream characters most often represent aspects of our subconscious minds, according to the latest critical thinking, we are in effect conversing with our own subconscious minds. This can be very enlightening. Dream characters can also represent other people or even events.

One of the most popular themes in lucid dreaming, at least as far as I have been able to determine, is flying. It is reported as being exhilarating, liberating and just plain fun.

I have flown only once in my dreams, no twice, although the second time was during a hypnogogic state of mind. For those unfamiliar with this terminology, it relates to the state just before one is fully asleep—basically halfway between being awake and asleep. I remember them both. In neither was I in control.

In my flying dream, many, many years ago, I was flying over a forested, mountainous land. However, I hadn’t gone very far before I woke up. I don’t recall feeling anything in particular, but I rarely do in my dreams.

The hypnogogic “dream” was much more interesting. At the time I lived in a large valley between two mountain ranges running north and south. I lived much closer to the western range.

I was drifting off toward sleep when I suddenly found myself flying—more like being ushered through the air by some unknown force—toward the western range. When I found myself above the westerns range, looking down I noticed small eruptions of fire out of the ground, not unlike the photo above, but on a much smaller scale.

I don’t know the history of these mountains, except that they were and are rich in minerals such as gold, silver and copper. Nowhere has there been any signs of eruptions, even slight ones.

I don’t know what the purpose of the first flying dream was, but I’ve since wondered if the hypnogogic “dream” represented the aftermath of some earth-changing event of the future.

However, regarding lucid dreams, I have had three of them throughout my many years. I remember them all.

Lucid dream #1 and #2 were identical in theme and length. I don’t think I was anywhere in particular in the dream, but as soon as I realized I was dreaming, two men immediately jumped on my back and bore me to the ground, whereupon I immediately woke up.

You can be sure these dreams got me thinking. They weren’t at all what they were cracked up to be. I was not only disappointed, but I was left to wonder their significance.

In lucid dream #3 I was walking down a street than ended in a ‘T’. In the yard of the property on the southeast corner of the ‘T’ intersection was a man shouting at me all sorts of nasty things. It appeared he was unable to move from the property. Directly across the street from him was another man, also shouting nasty things at me. It appeared he was also unable to move from the property.

I continued walking toward the ‘T’ intersection, ignoring the two violent, angry men, and turned left at the ‘T’. After walking not very far, I decided I would like to fly. I had no doubt I would be able to fly since I knew this was a dream.

However, fate overruled my knowing, for as soon as I leaped into the air, I immediately came right back down onto the pavement. My second try ended with the same result. On my third attempt to fly, and in the middle of my leap, I woke up.

Thus ended my last experience with lucid dreams.

To say I was disappointed was putting it mildly. The fact that I was unable to control my lucid dream after reading of many others’ experiences in lucid dreaming, left me with a bitter taste in my mouth, so to speak.

I’ve thought much about the appearance of these two angry and violent men who appeared in all three of my lucid dreams and wondered about their significance.

Has anyone else had this kind of experience with lucid dreaming? I’d love to hear from you, if you have. In fact, I’d love to hear from you if you have had any sort of lucid dream and wouldn’t mind sharing it in the comment section of this post.