Lucid dreaming

[Zeke365]

I know there another thread about this but what are your thoughts on Lucid dreaming? For me gives me a creepy feeling and does not seem of God but you think it does let me know, it seems the more I research on the idea the more and more seems a little demonic. Though I could be wrong and probably answered my own question but I still want to hear your thoughts, this has been bothering me for months of what it is and should Christian get involved with it?

[EventualDay]

I haven't done hardly any research on it, so this is mostly personal opinion; but I have had lucid dreams before just by chance. But usually if I recognize that I'm dreaming, my consciousness tries to wake up.

I don't know that it's something to consider demonic because, at least to me, it seems mostly to happen naturally, infrequently, and non-harmfully. It's never affected anyone else and it hardly even affects me.

At the same time though, I don't see what good would come out of actively seeking lucid dreaming. Some people think that this type of dreaming is a kind of half-wakefulness. Rather than having a spiritual reason, I think you're just not going to get good rest if you're trying to keep your consciousness that active while asleep. Rest is really important for the body, so even though lucid dreaming might give you a 'cool experience,' you wouldn't want to sabotage something designed to be good for you.

Like I said, personal opinion, and I'm not exactly well-versed on this subject. Is there something you read in particular that bothers you?

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Oh goodness. It's not demonic at all.

What it basically is, it's your body recognizing your consciousness before you're actually fully awake. So you're brain is still in "sleep mode" but realizing you're in "sleep mode". So you can interact in your dreams.

[Exlon]

Ohey, yeah, I started that other thread. XD Nah, it's not demonic, it's just weird. I wouldn't study and practice to force myself to lucid dream, but it's an interesting experience all the same. I never tey to lucid dream, it just happens sometimes, although not very often and most people wake up once they realize they're dreaming. I've just been able to hold on more recently. One thing I like about being lucid in a dream is I'm not really scared what happens, because I know it's not real and I have more control over my own actions. I have more suspicion regarding sleep paralysis nightmares (they're almost always demonic in theme for me), but even then it's hard to truly say how that works.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

No. Sleep paralysis is NOT demonic, people.

When your brain goes into REM dream sleep, your cerebellum paralyzes your body so that you're not acting out your dreams. There's actually a disorder where some people's bodies do not paralyze while dreaming, called rapid eye movement behavior disorder. That can be dangerous do people around you, especially if you're sharing a bed with a spouse or something. So when you're waking up out of dream/REM sleep, sometimes your cerebellum can lag a little bit behind and doesn't un-paralyze your body right when you wake up from REM sleep. So you're awake, but your body is still paralyzed. THAT is sleep paralysis.

The reason why people start thinking and seeing really weird things during stages of sleep is because your brain can start to exhibit what is called hypnagogic (falling into sleep) or hypnopompic (waking up) hallucinations. Your brain is doing a lot of things and processing a lot of information while you're asleep, so a lot of subconscious thoughts and ideas begin to show. I suspect your sleep paralysis nightmares are demonic for you because you live in an environment which has fostered that sort of idea, and culturally it's been reinforced to you, so your brain is thinking about it a lot.

[Exlon]

Well, I don't legit believe they have demonic causes, I'm just saying most of the time when I've had them, they were nightmares with demons and they felt ery different than your average bad or scary dream. But sleep paralysis (like that) for me as always been right before waking up--I'm not seeing things while already awake. And like, I might be able to move in the dream, but what usually happens is I'll feel the presence of the demon appear and suddenly my throat closes up and I'm struggling against its hold. But the second I open my eyes full mobility is restored. No one ever talked to me about these kinds of nightmares before, so I wasn't sure what to think of it the first time I had one when I was 14. It's only been in the last year though that when they've occurred I was no longer afraid. Like my heart rate still goes up and my throat closes and I have trouble moving in the dream, but I close my eyes (in the dream) and slowly...slip out of it somehow. It's like after six years my body find those nightmares familiar and responds like "I've done this before."

Maybe my idea of sleep paralysis is different from what it's meant to be, but I guess for me the presence I feel when that occurs is very distinct. Especially after an incident one night where I was wide awake (I had the light on, I was on my computer) and I was about to go back to sleep and I felt the exact same feeling of a presence appearing as I did in those dreams, except that maybe it didn't feel as overwhelmingly menacing. But I felt my hate rate explode before I even quite realized what happened and my muscles tightened and I knew I wasn't alone in the room. You know that feeling you get when someone else is in the room even though you didn't hear them walk in? It's like that, only 10x stronger. I didn't see anything though, it just felt like it was watching to see what I would do.

LONG STORY SHORT, I don't know what everyone else's sleep paralysis nightmares are like, but mine are usually like what I said.

Also, still say lucid dreams are fine. Maybe you're thinking of when people try to do astral projection?

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Again, it's hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations. Look them up online. Your experience isn't anything new, and I sincerely doubt it's demonic. You're fine. You're not being demonically oppressed or anything.

[Exlon]

Again, it's hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations. Look them up online. Your experience isn't anything new, and I sincerely doubt it's demonic. You're fine. You're not being demonically oppressed or anything.

Oh well I didn't think that I was for most of those nightmares. Besides, I heard you're less likely to have those kinds of nightmares if you avoid sleeping on your back. So I try falling asleep on my side now. xD I know the one when I was awake was legit though.