So what have you all been doing?

[Xanth]

Hi everyone!

I thought I'd take the opportunity to start us off semi-fresh here!

We've been down for a short while... does anyone have any stories or experiences they wish to share of their AP practices?

Personally, as usual, I have very little time to practice, but I do meditate at lunchtime now at work. 
I practice floating on the boundary between sleep and awake. 

So anyone else?

[blis]

Sweet, the forums are back up!

Had my first Wake Induced Lucid Dream last wednesday. It was awesome!

Maybe it's just because I'm short sighted irl but it actually looked more real than reality.

The funny thing was I wasnt even trying to have one. I'd been struggling to get to sleep that week and was really tired so I was determined to get to sleep quickly that night. I just made sure not to move and to keep my mind quiet. It wasnt too long before I suddenly faded in to the most lucid dream I've ever had.

It cheered me right up. I'd been getting a bit down about the fact I havent been able to project for two months. I never knew dreams could be so awesome!

[Stookie]

It was a nice break - I enjoyed my time away from the pulse. It's pretty much the only place I talk about these topics with anyone, so I was able to sink into myself and my meditation without any external influences. I needed that. But I've been diving in much more seriously lately anyways.

Good to see we're back. It's a shame we lost all the newer posts though.

[AstralBeginnings]

Stookie I seen you mention in the chat IRC that that you had employed some new methods in your meditation.  Just wondering if you would share?

[Greytraveller]

Greetings all
It's good to see Astral Pulse back up and running again!
I have not had an OBE in quite awhile. My dry streak has reached nearly 5 months. 
I Did have a very cool dream about a dragon lately. There was probably no internal, hidden meaning to it yet it was enjoyable nonetheless.

Regards 
Grey

[Xanth]

Hey Grey,

I'm kinda in the same predicament.
But I haven't had a Lucid Dream to convert in about 6 weeks now.

I'm not sure why I'm worrying about it too much though... since I really shouldn't give it a second thought.
But I've been redoubling my affirmations during these dry times. 

[personalreality]

I have decided to get back to basics and spend some time trying to increase dream recall and hopefully my LDs.  I have never had a fully conscious, fully controlled LD.  I have had some where I am vaguely aware that I'm dreaming but couldn't do much about it.  So I've been trying to keep a dream journal, do reality checks regularly, and blah blah, you all know.

On a side note, I am trying to talk to a friend of mine who programs apps for iPhones to switch over to Droid apps and make me a Reality Check Reminder app that will vibrate or give a notification that it's time to do a reality check.  There are some notepad apps and whatnot but it's hard to find one that you can set for random reminder times or even a consistent repeating reminder in short intervals (like every hour).  I"m going to so the design myself and just have my friend program it.  So give me suggestions of things you think should be included in the app itself.  If and when I get this to happen I'll let you all know what it's called so that anybody with an Android OS phone can get it.

[WASD]

I recently set my alarm clock to wake me up after 4 hours and then fell back to sleep to try to AP but it resulted in an "unconscious WILD". I had a LD that night but I'm not sure if the first dream after the "WILD" was the LD or if i had it later during the night.

What i mean by "unconscious WILD" is something like this: During the WILD process i wasn't conscious, but when i woke up i had a memory of me doing WILD. There are so many interesting sleep-related experiences.

[Xanth]

I recently set my alarm clock to wake me up after 4 hours and then fell back to sleep to try to AP but it resulted in an "unconscious WILD". I had a LD that night but I'm not sure if the first dream after the "WILD" was the LD or if i had it later during the night.

What i mean by "unconscious WILD" is something like this: During the WILD process i wasn't conscious, but when i woke up i had a memory of me doing WILD. There are so many interesting sleep-related experiences.

My definitions are a bit more precise.

I'd call what you experienced a "dream".  I classify a dream as a "lucid dream" only if you were aware that you are dreaming DURING the dream.
It all revolves around your consciousness DURING the experience.

What was the Dream about, might I inquire? 

[justin35ll]

I had a dream I returned to this beautiful place I've been to a few times before. Some big grassy field with blue sky and warm sun with a nice big white house at the end of the field.
Don't know why, but I just have a strong attraction to this place.

[WASD]

My definitions are a bit more precise.

I'd call what you experienced a "dream".  I classify a dream as a "lucid dream" only if you were aware that you are dreaming DURING the dream.
It all revolves around your consciousness DURING the experience.

What was the Dream about, might I inquire? 

I don't remember right now what the dream was about, I don't keep a dream journal. As i said i had a lucid dream during the night, but i don't remember at which time during the night i had the dream. So the dream that i "unconsciously WILD'ed" into may not have been a lucid dream.


I usually don't remember the "falling asleep-moment", however i did remember it that night, but i wasn't conscious during it. Hence the term "unconscious WILD". Since WILD involves being conscious while falling asleep.

Normal: Not remembering falling asleep.
"Unconscious WILD": Remembering falling asleep.
WILD: Being conscious while falling asleep (and remembering it).

I hope you understand. I'm not very good at describing things.

[Greytraveller]

Xanth

Affirmations Do offer real possibilities for inducing both OBEs and LDs. I too have been using them on a regular basis. 3 or 4 or 5 times a day I say, "I will induce an OBE tonight" and "I will experience a lucid dream tonight" and "I will remember one or more dreams tonight".
So far this has worked well with remembering dreams (almost always at least one a night) and somewhat well with LDs (have had 2 or 3 in the last couple of weeks). Hopefully affirmations will eventually lead to 1 or more OBEs.

Regards 
Grey

[Xanth]

Xanth

Affirmations Do offer real possibilities for inducing both OBEs and LDs. I too have been using them on a regular basis. 3 or 4 or 5 times a day I say, "I will induce an OBE tonight" and "I will experience a lucid dream tonight" and "I will remember one or more dreams tonight".
So far this has worked well with remembering dreams (almost always at least one a night) and somewhat well with LDs (have had 2 or 3 in the last couple of weeks). Hopefully affirmations will eventually lead to 1 or more OBEs.

Regards 
Grey

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Grey. 
I'm sure if I keep up my affirmation regime that I'll find myself back in a LD some night.  hehe

[skiax]

I was on vacation and leaving in the morning. I was at a cabin in Kentucky and didn't have an alarm clock. I lost my phone . I told myself to wake up for six a.m. Some time in the night I awoke with a gut full of adrenaline. My thoughts were swirling, mostly about driving on the interstates on my bike. Not my idea of a good nine hour plus time. I focused on my gut and let the adrenaline dissipate while while keeping internal dialogue in check. I had to do this three times during the night, but the last time I lost all sense of body and had hypnogogic imagery swirling purple smoke around a center vortex. The funny part for me was hearing me think, "I don't have time for this. I have to get some sleep."
This episode is the furthest I've gone in consciously recalling any of my night adventures. I'm somewhat puzzled by the role of those anxiety attacks in my recall. Oh well...
                                                                                                                                         -Jim-