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I've been looking for some studies myself and it looks like lucid dreaming is possible, but I've not yet come across a definition that comprised the part of "being able to control the dreams".
Like I've written above - I've read and heard that you can be aware of the fact that you're dreaming, which seems to be called "lucid dreaming" in the few studies I've looked across just today, but not that you can control what you dream.
Maybe I'm mixing sth up or base my knowledge on flawed studies, but I was pretty certain that I've read in a psychological study that you can't control what you dream.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not the type of person that just says sth. and believes in it even if conclusive evidence shows different, so I'd very much appreciate if someone could point out some studies that show that "lucid dreaming" isn't just being aware of the fact that you dream but also allows you to control what you dream.
Thanks in advance.
*Edit:
here are the definitions of Lucid Dreaming I've come across in the studies I've read today: (pardon me for not citing in the proper scientific way, but I dno't think anyone will mind me not meeting the APA-standards...)
"Lucid dreaming, the experience of dreaming and simultaneously being aware that one is dreaming is an easily learned technique that may provide effective and dramatic relief"
[THE NIGHTMARE OF RETURNING HOME - A CASE OF ACUTE ONSET NIGHTMARE DISORDER TREATED BY LUCID DREAMING, Source: ISRAEL JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY AND RELATED SCIENCES Volume: 32 Issue: 2 Pages: 140-145 Published: 1995 ]
Lucid dreaming: Another dissociation along the “A” axis of
the AIM cube may arise during lucid dreaming. Under normal
circumstances, dreamers believe themselves to be awake
– but occasionally individuals become aware that they are
dreaming. In this state of “lucid dreaming” (Laberge 1990;
1992) waking insight combines with dream hallucinosis in
an intriguing and informative dissociation.
[Dreaming and the brain: Toward a cognitive neuroscience of conscious states, BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN SCIENCES (2000) 23:6]
Lucid dreaming occurs when a sleeping subject becomes aware of being in a dream, and, without waking up, maintains this awareness.
[INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES IN LOCUS OF CONTROL AND THE REPORTING OF LUCID DREAMING, Source: PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES Volume: 16 Issue: 6 Pages: 981-984 Published: JUN 1994 ]
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Kickinhead, look up Jayne Gackenbach`s work. she`s an experimental psycologist who has worked on altered state of consciousness in many years. You can indeed control your dreams,i ve done it plenty of times. I find myself knowing im dreaming, knowing the situation im in and consciously manipulating things around me. This psycologist has written many books and recently focuses on the internet and dreams. I personally was very interested in her work when I found out I was able to manipulate my sleeps so consciously.
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On July 26 2010 16:39 kickinhead wrote:
I've been looking for some studies myself and it looks like lucid dreaming is possible, but I've not yet come across a definition that comprised the part of "being able to control the dreams".
Like I've written above - I've read and heard that you can be aware of the fact that you're dreaming, which seems to be called "lucid dreaming" in the few studies I've looked across just today, but not that you can control what you dream.
Maybe I'm mixing sth up or base my knowledge on flawed studies, but I was pretty certain that I've read in a psychological study that you can't control what you dream.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not the type of person that just says sth. and believes in it even if conclusive evidence shows different, so I'd very much appreciate if someone could point out some studies that show that "lucid dreaming" isn't just being aware of the fact that you dream but also allows you to control what you dream.
Thanks in advance.
Why dont you just learn how to do it and prove it to yourself. Anyone can..
It would be more conclusive than any study you can find.
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It's very easy for me to lucid dream with my lifestyle. I sleep around 12 hours because I stay awake for so long and unnatural hours. After about 9 hours I should be getting up and I know this but for the next few hours in a semi awake state I pretty much dream and imagine what I want. It normally does happen when you body is most exhausted.
Also if i'm thinking about something when i'm trying to sleep then that's normally what I do dream about.
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On July 26 2010 16:48 Coagulation wrote:Show nested quote +On July 26 2010 16:39 kickinhead wrote:
I've been looking for some studies myself and it looks like lucid dreaming is possible, but I've not yet come across a definition that comprised the part of "being able to control the dreams".
Like I've written above - I've read and heard that you can be aware of the fact that you're dreaming, which seems to be called "lucid dreaming" in the few studies I've looked across just today, but not that you can control what you dream.
Maybe I'm mixing sth up or base my knowledge on flawed studies, but I was pretty certain that I've read in a psychological study that you can't control what you dream.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not the type of person that just says sth. and believes in it even if conclusive evidence shows different, so I'd very much appreciate if someone could point out some studies that show that "lucid dreaming" isn't just being aware of the fact that you dream but also allows you to control what you dream.
Thanks in advance. Why dont you just learn how to do it and prove it to yourself. Anyone can.. It would be more conclusive than any study you can find.
Well, If I try to learn stuff like that, I can also go on the internetz and read some pseudoscientific article on how I can learn to fly or control the weather or sth.
I'm just sayin' that theres lot's of weird stuff on the internet, so I'd rather read it from a source I trust in, which is, in my case, a scientific one. ^^'
But I'll look into the articles by the person suggested above, but as written in my last post, the definitions I've read didn't contain anything about controlling your dreams, so I'm not yet satisfied, but I'll keep on looking into it for sure.
@Phayze: I've tried finding recent articles by J. Gackenbach and realized that her most recent studies about Lucid Dreaming where from the late 80's or early 90's, have not been cited ONCE and she didn't even use the term "Lucid Dreaming" until it was primed by Stephen Laberge in the 90's. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a hold of the articles myself, but seeing that they are pretty outdated, I won't try to change that TBH.
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I've definitely been able to control dreams. I still distinctly remember one dream from when I was a kid. I was pushed out of an airplane and was about to land in a volcano. I remember being scared shitless I was going to die, until I landed inside the volcano and it was really cold. I thought "this is weird, why is this cold?" Then I looked around me, and the lava was actually Jello. Everyone in my school was in the volcano with me, swimming around, throwing in essence a "Jello Party." At that moment I realized I was dreaming, figured I could do anything I want, jumped out of the volcano (because now I could fly) and swam deep into the ocean, because I knew I could now breathe underwater. I was in 6th grade, and as puberty was kicking in, I decided to turn it into a sex dream where I was having sex with some really hot woman. Every single lucid dream I've had since then I've turned into a sex dream... haha. I guess that's the best I can think of when I think of "anything I want."
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As a kid I had this recurring dream of wanting to fly but only managing to slowly hover over the ground. I dreamt this maybe 10 times and I was allways aware that I was dreaming. One day I actually pushed myself into full flight and that was the greatest feeling. I could create any environment I wanted and fly through it. It was awesome.
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On July 26 2010 17:09 StarBrift wrote:
As a kid I had this recurring dream of wanting to fly but only managing to slowly hover over the ground. I dreamt this maybe 10 times and I was allways aware that I was dreaming. One day I actually pushed myself into full flight and that was the greatest feeling. I could create any environment I wanted and fly through it. It was awesome.
lol exactly the same! sometimes I could float a little higher above the ground, but then I would come back down again. it basically was like jumping around on the moon. I would also fall down the stairs or something but super slowly like I was hanging on to a balloon or something.
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Im having troubles with Sleep paralysis. You tend to hallucinate sometimes with your eyes open, its a little like lucid dreaming but way more cool! fo realz.
Na, its actually a very uncomfortable situation to be in..
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On July 26 2010 19:27 ICanFlyLow wrote:
Im having troubles with Sleep paralysis. You tend to hallucinate sometimes with your eyes open, its a little like lucid dreaming but way more cool! fo realz.
Na, its actually a very uncomfortable situation to be in ._.
I recommend closing your eyes.
Hallucination is much more pleasant when you're not seeing weird shit in the shadows above your head.
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When I have Lucid Dreams, only a few things I always do
1) Try to fly.
2) Look for Gun Fights
3) Have sex with some random chick
4) dream of playing SC 2 
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I had those earlier, but it seems as I got older it's harder for me to realize I'm dreaming.
I usually wake up with no dreams remembered each day. Sometimes when I'm at the verge of waking though, I can dream and know it's a dream. But then it's more a "light dream" so it's not as great as this really solid dreaming you have when you're really in deep sleep
@kickinhead:
I'm pretty sure I did control some of my dreams already, so it's not a study but empirical evidence you got here 
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Lucid dreaming only happened to me a few time. But even if I know that i am dreaming, I only make minor changes to the dream. I actually remember a dream where i said to myself "This girl would be better looking if blonde" and changed her hair color :p.
Also, one night where i had to wake up early, I went like " Oh Crap, I have a plane to take, time to stop dreaming" in the middle of my dream and woke up like 1 min before my alarm clock began to ring :D. I found this pretty handy :p
Speaking of dreams, I noticed that i almost always wake up before dreaming. For example i wake up at 6am, then fall asleep again , dream, then wake up at 7.I hope knowing this can make it easier to have lucid dream :p
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On July 26 2010 20:12 Tyrran wrote:
Lucid dreaming only happened to me a few time. But even if I know that i am dreaming, I only make minor changes to the dream. I actually remember a dream where i said to myself "This girl would be better looking if blonde" and changed her hair color :p.
Also, one night where i had to wake up early, I went like " Oh Crap, I have a plane to take, time to stop dreaming" in the middle of my dream and woke up like 1 min before my alarm clock began to ring :D. I found this pretty handy :p
Speaking of dreams, I noticed that i almost always wake up before dreaming. For example i wake up at 6am, then fall asleep again , dream, then wake up at 7.I hope knowing this can make it easier to have lucid dream :p
I seem to have a knack as well for waking up within ~2 minutes of my alarm going off when it's set to go off really early, like 5 AM and before. Gives you that "whoa!" feeling when you wake up.
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I've experienced lucid dreaming quite alot in the past, although sadly not recently.
Usually it will happen that I become aware during a dream that I am in fact dreaming, and then I would always try to manipulate it. For some reason I typically ended up trying to fly or perform super human fears and waking up from the experience was amazing. I somewhat wish I would have ignored flight and instead just enacted decadent sexual fantasies on a slew of famous//beautiful girls but I never had that level of clear thought or control 
Also have woken myself up from scary dreams before by attempting to "open my eyes" even though in the dream they are open, think has happened 3 times and it's always worked.
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2 weeks ago I had my first amazing lucid dream. I had never believed it to be possible seeing how my dreams were always very anti-climactic and even then I was mostly aware and somewhat bored of the fact that I was dreaming. However, recently I was prescribed a medicine notorious for incredibly vivid dreams..
In my dream everything was amazingly clear. I could see detail. It was as if my eyes were open. I focused on everything I could. I was able to fly like most people who try to control their dreams lol. I went to Disneyland in Florida, and I saw this hot girl with the biggest of breastessess haha. I had actually flew to her and grabbed one. It felt like I could actually feel it to which I was disgusted because the only breasts I knew in my immediate vicinity (back IRL) were that of my sisters or mother. I immediately woke up and realized it was just my imagination - the feeling - but I was too concerned / disgusted by the possibility. I still feel kinda like a perv that i did that in my dream lol.. later on I flew up to space somehow managed to get into a spaceship where the latch broke off and I woke up incredibly startled gasping for air. more stuff happened but those were some of the stuff i remember off the top of my head (i wrote it down somewhere around here)
It was incredible. The next day I looked up lucid dreams all day, and explained to everyone the details. Unfortunately I haven't had once since, but I still remember to this day that life-changing experience. Kind of makes me want to see Inception even more. Seems like it deals with lucid dreaming alot.
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Me and my friend that i know from BW we talk about this and i decide get a try.
So in past week i already 3 lucid dreams and i have to say is great.
One of the 3 lucid dreams i dream with day[9] and some girl was kinda funny :D
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kickinhead: It's rather difficult to find scientific articles on the internet. The same problem you mention arises, you may get 'scientific' articles from sources that are not very reputable, and mostly, you just find summaries. Then again, as far as I can work out, none of the studies you name seem to mention anything about lucid dreaming being uncontrollable. And forgive me for being a bit blunt, but "I was sure I read it in a study somewhere" doesn't really hold up to the scientific standard either.
While studies on this particular subject are lacking, there's several well-established things that indicate people have at least, control over their dream bodies. Eye-signals were used to determine whether people were having a lucid dream, and also studies using breathing have been conducted. These would have been impossible if the dreamers would not have been able to influence anything. Also, lucid dreaming is used as a treatment for nightmares, but it would be a rather poor treatment if it would only make people aware of the nightmare but didn't allow them to change anything.
The only study dealing explicitly with control that I could find quickly is here. It's far from perfect. While LaBerge's name is associated with the study, and he at least has a PhD in a related field from Stanford, 'The Lucidity Institute' doesn't make for a reputable source. But it might make for an interesting read if you want to learn more.
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Iv had lucid dreams before when your alarm shrills you awake, but you want to continue sleeping so you turn off the alarm and plop back to sleep, but you aren't completely asleep and just lie there mostly dead.
I never wanted to fly though or do some crazy superhuman stuff. I always dream myself of being with the person I care about the most, beeecause....why not =P Haha
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EPT
