LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-05 19:37:16 (Updated 2014-06-05 19:46:32)

That is actually pretty interesting o.O
Your dreams often give you answers for your questions. Interpreting them is a whole other thing though :)

If you ever have a nightmare, but realize you are dreaming, try asking your nightmare, into thin air, or the horror's objectification, what it represents ;)

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-05 20:13:06

You seem to have most interesting dreams indeed. A lot of things that can be difficult to comprehend can be processed and understood in dreams.

Mirrors are special objects in dreams for most people. You don't necessarily see "the truth", but you don't always see your normal reflection either. If one is not careful, mirrors can trigger nightmares in some people. Usually, you can also use mirrors as doors, and simply walk through them (in your dreams, of course).

I occasionally have dreams about fighting too, but they are often pretty violent. May I ask, what where the two items? Are their yours in real life too, or did you just know them to be yours in the dream?
I seldom see myself as another person, whenever I dream. At the moment, I currently see to the most part from a first person perspective. When I was younger, a third person perspective used to be pretty common too :/

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-06 11:04:13

Hey, thanks for checking my blog out :D
I haven't actually even begun working with Construct 2 yet; I'm a last minute kind of guy ;)
I have it downloaded though, so I'll look at the tutorials tomorrow, and start making my game shortly thereafter.

I'll make sure to send you a message about my experiences with both software, comparing the two, once I'm finished XD

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-06 12:39:12

Hehhe, Tom is a really cool guy! He's commenting on several people's news posts, I've noticed :3
Thanks for the congratulations! I actually have tons of stuff planned out with my friends before I get drafted. Next week, we're going to the movies, to an amusement park, and intend on spending time at my summer cabin. After that, there's badminton, and probably much more. I'm even going to Sweden after two and a half weeks, and will visit another amusement park there too XD
Good luck with your logo :D
My icon just looks like a poorly drawn G-clef, but it actually forms two letters with a meaning too ;)

Only 2 more weeks ey? Sounds great :)

I'll make sure to reply to your message very soon. My inbox has been quite full lately, believe it or not o.O

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-06 14:22:58 (Updated 2014-06-06 14:24:49)

Hahha, well, good job with even seeing the letters; some people can't figure them out at all ;)
And even better, you figured out what they stand for :'D

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-06 15:07:14

Hahha, yes I am indeed aware of what effects mirrors can have in dreams. I'm personally blessed with almost never having nightmares though, which I am very happy for. The only bad experiences I've had with mirrors in dreams, are the classic "tooth/teeth" dreams :p
Occasionally they fall or break in the dream realm, sometimes in front of a mirror. I don't really count these as nightmares though, as I am seldom frightened in my dreams no matter what happens. Most likely, teeth falling from my mouth makes me realize that I'm dreaming, which is a great opportunity to get lucid ;)

Nigh terrors are no joke. Luckily, I've never experienced the phenomenon, but I know it to be horrible. No wonder your mental stability was cracking. I'm guessing you had insomnia at the same time :/

I know a fair deal about dreams indeed. I often have very vivid dreams too, especially when I'm active with my dream journal.

"Why have we not been friends before already?"

=> Good question *sends friend request*

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-06 15:11:46

Now that you say it, you're totally right! I hadn't even noticed before o.O
Thanks to you, now I can see a lot of numbers in the picture XD
I find clocks to be very symbolic.

It's interesting how the human mind tries to see meaning everywhere, even where it doesn't exists, and thus creates meaning in the process. Like the way we can see faces anywhere we want :3

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-06 18:34:13

I might have heard of it, although I can't recall it at the moment :/
Why don't you send me pm explaining what it's about :p
I'd sure be interested ;)

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-06 19:44:42

I actually do think I've heard people talk about it. I have heard a multitude of different stories concerning dreams. I've come to the conclusion that different people experience slightly or broadly different phenomena in the dream realm, while much is still the same. There's the thing with the dream turning into nothing but silent and empty blackness too, which is perceived a bit differently by different people...

Say, do you have a dream guide?

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-06 23:49:34

Thanks dude! ;D
Lol, don't ask me how the good scores result in scholarships. There are mostly a lot of different funds I guess, and most students that have done well in one or several subjects can get some scholarship from them :/
I got my scholarship from the "Systarna Gros Fond" I think, (The Gros Sisters' Fund), and they started a bookstore long ago, I think o.O
I really have no idea how things work :/

Indeed, I'm happy to be blessed with this many fans already. Now.... FOR A HUNDRED :'D!

Hehhe, my logo is sneaky ;) I should make it prettier some day though, while keeping the design XD

I think the interview went really well! I guess I'll know after a month or so...

Thanks for all the congratz :')

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-07 14:59:09 (Updated 2014-06-07 15:59:02)

You have a very poetic writing style, did you know that?

The mind can tell us various things through our dreams. I think that most people are better of trusting their own interpretations than depending on what a dream dictionary says though. Afterall, they are the ones that subconsciously came up with the dream, and everyone's different :)

That's an interesting speculation you have. Your inner self is pretty much what makes "you". Surely, your body is part of your being, but it's not necessarily much, compared to the mind.
That said, I'd hate a life without my senses.

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-07 17:53:48

Very poetic indeed XD
When I write, I don't always know where the words come from, they just do. When I play the piano freely, I don't always know where the music comes from; it just does.
This is the way it has always been. I feel as though my subconscious is a different entity, a part of me that is way smarter than the rest.

The most beautiful sights I've ever seen, I've seen in my dreams. The most majestic creatures I've even vitnessed, have showed themselves in my dreams. Even some of the best music I've ever heard, I've heard in my dreams (I wish I could remember the songs more often though). If dreams can't be art, nothing can.

"The more you question yourself, the less answers you'll have. Why is this so?"

=> Because there's always more to find when you dig deeper.

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-07 20:38:24

Yes.

Do you keep a dream journal? I haven't now for almost half a year or so, but I'm thinking about getting it back into my habits. It really helps with the dream recollection, as well as causes me to have more lucid dreams :)

I guess people have always wondered about what the "you" is. I even wrote a blog post about it once, called "Who are you"
The subconscious is part of you, so exploring it grants you access to more of yourself :D
It's like digging a hole that can never get too deep, as it is never ending. The good thing is, you find a lot of dimonds on the way down.

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-09 13:29:19

You know, I just had one of my longest and most vivid lucid dreams tonight, and I'm positive it was triggered by this discussion. Yeah, I remember a lot of dreams without writing them down. But my way is the lazy one, and it's easy to write some keywords to boost your memory :)

Well, I guess that depends on how we define "you"
We people tend to look at definitions differently. I'd agree that the subconscious is far greater than the conscious part though. I just love what you get when you combine them :D

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-09 18:14:04

The dream was actually pretty long. I won't explain it in it's entirety here, although I'll probably blog about it later. I'll tell you about the very beginning.

It started off by me realizing that the fact that I had magical powers must mean that I am dreaming. I thus also realized that the people around me weren't necessarily "real", in the sense that we would normally use the term.
I actually dragged one of my friends aside, and asked him how it felt to not be a "real person". I'm not entirely sure about what the reply was, but I remember the gist of it. It was not really positive, nor negative. It just was. More on the negative side, if I remember correctly :/
I don't think that my friend really appreciated me asking that question. Some times one's subconscious can be on the defensive.
I went on to ask whether my friend could actually think for himself, a.k.a. if he was a somewhat separate entity from me. That seemed to be a very tough question to answer, as it took some time. Again, I for some reason can't fully remember the reply, but it was more in the "I don't really know" field, which was interesting. I argued a bit further though, but that's really where the discussion ended. I guess it was a dificult question to answer, as the aswer would've depended on what I really meant by the question o.O

It's never bad to wan't to know more about yourself. You will never be able to understand things fully, but that is no reason not to learn more :)

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-10 17:32:48

Don't worry, I'm not that inexperienced :)
The same way we all have different personalities, so does our subconscious have one. I understand that it's not always a good idea to play with fire, but I am not. I know my subconscious well enough to know when I'm going too far. I find mine to mostly be accepting. How you perceive yourself will aslo alter your dreams for sure.
I noticed that my subconscious wasn't all too pleased with the way my questions were going, so I stopped. I know it wasn't an issue, as there were no further signs of it. I let my subconscious take back it's control over the dream for quite a while after this, all while I remained lucid. I was rewarded with a long and pleasant dream, full of interesting things.
At some point, I confronted my subconcious (in the form of a girl) again, and asked whether I would remeber this dream or not. I got a serious, yet not cold reply: "yes".
And I did.

When I felt that the dream was about to end (you know that sightly jittery feel, when you're beginning to feel your body and its paralysis?), I decided to open a door behind me, leading away. Alas, inside was a fully grey area. I never walked in, but decided to wake myself up. It seems I shouldn't have woken myself up yet, as my dream gave me a false awakening at first. I would never had realized, but it seemed my subconscious decided to let me wake up, because the fasle awakening faded away after about 10 seconds.

Next time, I will walk into that grey room, as it seems I was supposed to. It's interesting how it wasn't black, but grey. Do you happen to have any interpretations on this?

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-10 18:05:16 (Updated 2014-06-10 18:55:16)

I agree that the grey color is indeed like the mix between black and white. I actually took one step into the room before waking myself up, but I didn't get the time to experience anything. I will step in next time, as I said. I will not look for the room. It will be there when I'm meant to enter it.

No one said it must be "easy". To not be "easy" can mean several things. I have no need to seek the complex and twisted. The room was a very light tone of greay too, there was certainly no lack of illumination either :)
My door was very neutral. White and pretty much clinically clean, in the middle of the street. It was easy to open, and I had nothing to fear from what was inside. I'm sure I would avoid a door which looked like you described, to begin with, at least. Obviously, such a door would contain your inner fears and insecurities. Some harm can come from confronting your fears if you are not ready. But it's important to remember that some day, you might be. And if that time comes, don't hesitate to open the door. Never look for it when you are not prepared, or only bad will come.
Those locks are but locks you put there yourself, to keep what you fear inside. It is also in your power to remove them, which I don't advise...

Know this. When you do turn around to face your nightmares, if you are successful, they will seldom return. Have you ever tried asking your nightmares what they represent? If not, give it a try when you feel more confident. You might be surprised, as many have earlier been.

If you don't have a dream guide, you might benefit from calling for one, or creating one if you have the strenght. My dream guide doesn't generally show itself in a specific form, but is all around me. A dream guide is really a materialisation of your subconscious. The girl I asked whether I was going to remember the dream or not was my dream guide in that dream, and she/he/it was certainly right. Just don't anger one; after all, it is part of your subconscious.

I'll end it with a final note. I know that in the subconscious lies one's potential repressed emotions. But not all people have as much of them. If you are open and honest with yourself, and don't give in to fear, you will be able to overcome your inner darkness. For some it's easier than for others. For me, it has been very easy so far, but there might come a point in my life where it gets more difficult.
The subconscious can be poewrful, but it is not all knowing. If one treats it with respect, it just might show some back.
When I need to face my inner darkness, I will be ready.

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-10 19:02:41

I don't think I simply can agree with this, based on what I've found. I'm sure that what you're experiencing is also true for many others. But there's many an experienced dreamer out there that have different confrontations with themselves, and different solutions.

I don't think there has to be such a door. A "you" is like a paradox, which cannot fully be understood. The human mind is far too limited to grasp concepts that are too big. I'm sure the door is real, but what is behind it may vary.

I might be able to find such a place you're talking about if I wanted to, but as I stated, I don't really feel the need. Exploring oneself can be done on several different levels. As you will never understand yourself fully, it's pointless to start with doors that hold nothing positive in them. Facing your innermost fears should not be done unless you have to, or feel confident you can take it. Even if you want to, it is not an easy task.

I'm sorry for the confusion. I never meant to compare pavor nocturnus to normal nightmares. I just remembered you saying you had them 4 years ago, but I figured you can still have normal nightmares as well, as they are completely different phenomena. A night terror is deeply psychological, and very rare among adults. I don't know your age, but if you had a month of them 4 months ago, I'd say you probably wouldn't be far above the age of 20 based on statistics, and might well be younger.

I know other people that have suffered from night terrors as well, and I understand them on a logical level, even if I wouldn't know what it feels like.

I'm sure you know what your dreams represent. But if you're aware of that you're dreaming, asking your subconscious itself is a completely different action. The point is not understanding it, but learning to get past it.

You're very certain about the fact that everyone has "it" inside of them, but I am not yet convinced. The years will tell me, as I don't plan to stop dreaming. In that case, I might as well stop being awake :)

Oh, and there is an important thing I want to mention. No matter how separate the dreams can seem from "real life", there's an awful lot of connections between them. Your dreams always reflect your waking life on some level. If you are very stressed, your dreams will be darker. If everything is well, chances are your dreams will be more pleasant. The dreams are the reflection, a way for your brain to interpret life, not the other way around. The reason that dreams can feel so real, is because they are made the same way. Everything you see around you in real life is simply your brain's interpreation of it. The brain projects an image of reality, an illusion, which allows you to interact with the world.
In the same way, an image is created while you sleep. It's a projection by your brain. If your brain was to get damaged while you were asleep, so would your dream be. It is in real life that truth lies, not in the dreams.

My point is. You seem to believe there is some greater "truth" in the darkness of our innermost subconscious caves. But the "truth" is not specified to one location, it is all we see around us. It's always there, for us to interpret. Many people don't remember their dreams, but they still live and die like the rest of us, and can accomplish many things both physically and mentally, nonetheless.
If you find light and happiness outside of your dreams, your dreams will be filled with it too.

Which brings me to a question you've made me very curious about.
How often do you have "good" or pleasant dreams, with lots of wonders and awe to witness?
There is something special in that too, not only in the darkest depths. If you fly and reach the sky and find a door of light, why is the dark one that is far below any truer?

Thanks for this discussion, btw. It is very interesting. I seldom get the chance to talk to another experienced dreamer.

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-10 19:56:23

I enjoy discussions too :)

The strongest point I have to disagree with, is that dreams are a product of the universe, if I understand it the way I think you mean it. I believe in nothing supernatural, nor am I a science freak. I do have education in the field of psychology though, so I know more about the mentality of humans than most. I am certain that dreams are a projection of the mind. They may well be inspired by the universe, and indirectly made by it through your brain, but they are still disconnected. I am 99,9% certain that 2 people cannot have the very same dream and meet in it too, which you'd think would be possible if the dreams are connected by the universe. And even if it were possible, it would be yet another astonishing part of human psychology that is worth looking into. Still, you'd be surprised by how much your brain can trick you when you are awake as well. The reason Oujia boards work, for instance, is because of no ghosts but the ones we make up.

I am not sure we think of the universe as the same thing. To me, it's everything around us, but it's still not alive. It just is, and has no more power over itself than we do. Maybe even less, as it cannot think itself, as far as we're concerned. To you, I get the feel that you're viewing it as a separate entity :)

You know, sometimes you feel to certain. I'll give you an interesting tip, based on how humans work. Even if you would know everything about a subject, try asking some questions. The avarage human sees it not as a sign of weakness, but as a sign of honesty :)
What I'm tryin to say is, while discussing this particular subject, I feel a bit like talking to a stone wall. Not one that doesn't answer, but one that refuses to lower itself to the same level. I don't know; I was never good with metaphors :p

I was never sayin I was perfect, if that was what you though I was implying :)
I'd be the first to admit I am not. And that's just it. If you know yourself way enough to accept your imperfections, you'll generally get by easier. Even if there is an "it", which I believe might very well be, I aslo see no reason to believe it is final, nor insurmountable.

I know that there is nothing like the feeling of dreams. But If I had to choose to live the rest of my life inside a dream, or in the real world, I'd pick reality every time. Even if the dream world would be longer, and I could do most anything, it's not worth living if nothing is really real. Granted, it would be real to you, but something would still be missing. Namely, real human interaction.

You may get your answers, but what you do with them is up to you. The answers are always up for interpretation. And in my belief, they are made up from what your subconscious has observed, and not by any form of ultimate knowledge. The answers can be wrong or twisted, is what I'm trying to say. Believing in the ultimate truth of dreams is no different than believing in an ultimate truth in God, to me. The difference is of course, that dreams actually exist and give you something back. You din't tell me how often you have positive dreams, but I'm sure there was a good reason (like the fact that I tend to write a wall of text which is not easy to respond to...), so I won't press on any more about that.

Even if dreams are not about you, you are part of them, or they would not exist. Sometimes though, I feel it is good to wake up :'D

LucidShadowDreamer 2014-06-10 20:30:08

I think you severely misunderstood my point. I never said we were not part of the universe in the sense that we would be above it or separate from it. What I was implying, was that we are not connected in the sense you're trying to tell me.

I am very well avare about nature's design, and it is even more noticable in leaves and snowflakes, like fractals. There are simply some formulas that work, and they are automatically observable everywhere. But the reason is not that the universe is intelligent, the reason is that everything that doesn't work is destroyed. We are left with what works, which explains all the similarities. That is also how evolution works.

I would have to say that it's a bit narcissistic of humans to claim they are the entire universe. I say we're part of it, as there is so much more around us. The trees, the rocks, the clouds, the animals; everything.
Other animals can dream too, but they are not likely to argue the ultimate truth that their dreams tell them.

The thing that separates humans from the rest of the animals is the intelligence. The fact that we have it though, doesn't mean we know everything. Sometimes it makes me feel we know less.