World of Lucid Dreaming Forum

Hey there.

My name's Cass, feel free to call me that or Classy; I don't mind either. I was browsing Reddit and noticed the DreamLabs AMA, which then piqued my curiosity on a variety of dream-related queries I've always kept in the back of my mind.

As far as my experience in lucid dreaming goes, I admit I have very little. The last time I truly remember lucid dreaming I was no older than seven, I had been having nightmares for quite a few months (primarily focusing on Pennywise from Stephen King's IT, as played by Tim Curry) and would often wake up pretty terrified. One night I was having one of the most ridiculous nightmares concerning this clown - something involving him mind controlling my grandmother and her hair was all shaved weird. That was a major tip off, but when I saw Pennywise I realized I was in a dream. The clarity was incredible, and with my new-found power I willed myself to wake up from the nightmare. (Yeah, not very entertaining.)
From then on if I ever dreamt of that stupid clown I would realize I was dreaming and it varies if I would alter the dream or wake myself. (These later dreams all seem rather inconsequential now, as they don't have the refined clarity the initial one had.)

I honestly adore sleeping and dreaming; most nights my dreams are in INCREDIBLE detail and I only wish I could draw architecture to accurately portray what I see. I don't keep a dream journal, though I do remember my dreams typically with the emotion that gets tied in with them. If I were to go on about how or what I dream I could end up typing forever, and I certainly don't want to bore anyone with my intro post more than I already have, haha.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, I look forward to perusing the site and seeking answers to some long-standing questions I've had towards dreaming, as well as making some new friends.

I don't know what's scarier:
Pennywise or Tim Curry!

Jokes aside, I hear a lot (2 words as your avatar-picture-messages have informed me) about people using nightmares to become lucid and realize they are dreaming. But they usually use that power to wake up instead of control the dream.

Whether lucid or not, the places we go, and the architecture we see is like another world at times and we see places we can only dream of. (Pun intended).

And you have a very interesting avatar 'picture' of messages too.

Nice to meet you!

Haha, thank you, it's been so long since I've been on a forum - I wasn't quite sure WHAT avatar to use. xD Nice to meet you, too!

The part that always amazed me as I grew up about that movie was that it wasn't even particularly gory or anything, it just REALLY plays with your head. (Which in the end, is your own worst enemy. Your imagination fills in the details, especially in dreams.)

I will admit it is kind of fun to dream of a place I've never been, then one day later on look around in reality and go "... This is so weird, I've seen this place before, in a dream.". (Has happened a handful of times, but always worth it.)
How greatly do pre-sleep methods like listening to music as I fall asleep, or creating stories before bed affect it? Every night since I can remember I've had music playing as I drift off, and I use that music to make various stories as I'm falling asleep.

I watched "IT" as well when I was younger and it spooked me. It was particularly scary because IT comes out even during the day when you least expect it. Unlike other movies that have a monster that only comes out at night in spooky places. IT comes out in broad day light.