Using lucid dreams as a way to engage the subconcious?

(Hope this is in the right forum, it is a very gray topic to me.)

I am currently reading the book Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self by Robert Waggoner. In it he talks about developing dream recall and using lucid dreams to go beyond the pleasure principle in order to use them to learn about the nature of our own subconscious. For example, the author mentions becoming consciously aware at a random point during a dream. At the moment of lucidity, he immediately turns around to engage a "shadow projection", dream figures who stand beside or behind you during the dream. He questions the projections. He asks them who they are. Often, they tell him that they are manifested forms of his own rejected ideas, goals and beliefs. He suggests consciously questioning these manifestations as a way to resolve deep-seeded fears and confront rejected ideas in the subconscious.

It's an interesting idea to me, and I wondered if anyone had any experience with this?

Also if anyone has any tips on lucid dreaming in general, I'm all ears.

How does he engage shadow people in his dream? Forgive me if i am wrong, but it sounds that way. When one becomes Lucid, they are aware of the fact inside their dreams and are able to come of the rails so to speak. Does this mean he turned around in his dream to find these Shadow People?

Can you imagine having an encounter with the manifestation of one's Id That would make for an...interesting experience.

It is an interesting topic though.

Originally posted by daaskapital
When one becomes Lucid, they are aware of the fact inside their dreams and are able to come of the rails so to speak. Does this mean he turned around in his dream to find these Shadow People?

Essentially, yes. The id is subconsciously at play even in lucid dream state under the pleasure principle. Depending on the focus of the dreamer, pain and fears could also be intensified. People tend to want to fly and do magic in lucid dreams. This author suggests going beyond that to actively question manifested fears and rejections of the id.

Nothing more than hallucinations what ever you believe what ever you can create, if you believe this yes its true shadows do follow you but if your me there wont be any shadows. Develop a metal condition and your set just beware your dreams can get so intense that your would think your awake and do normal things getting confused eventually asking people if you where just awake? The easiest way to start lucid dreaming for me is getting sleep paralysis first and realizing that what ever sounds, visions and sensations is not real your hallucinating. You be amazed when the matrix open and endless possibilities. I hate tense dreams if going to get shot its going to feel your shot. People who do have these stuff want it people like me hate it and see it as curse the ones I cant control

reply to post by paranoidfreak


I'm still finding my balance in controlling the dream personally. I have a had a few, less than 10, but I have noticed they are have become more common in the past month or so. Whenever I hit the point of lucidity I either get overexcited and wake up or try to calm myself and actually lose lucidity within the dream! So I have quickly discovered that every emotion and sensation is intensified. I have heard that it's easier to focus on a couple things at a time, switching between your conscious awareness and the strangeness of the dream frequently. If I could get that part down, I presume I could question the dream projections myself.

Have you tried this?

reply to post by DarkKnight21


I've questioned my dream characters before, and they always seem to have interesting things to say, but they don't really ever say who they are. They generally act like the ones do in inception. As soon as I become lucid they "notice" and all gang up and chase me..

When I have been able to stay lucid I ask them..

"who are YOU?"

They always say back to me..

"You know who I am."

Lucid dreaming is amazing in so many ways. I used it to challenge my dream fears, and now I don't have any bad dreams really. I also gained the natural ability to fly by lucid dreaming and deciding to fly to get away from some cops.

After I had flown in a bunch of lucid dreams, I gained the ability to fly in any dream. I just always KNOW I can fly now, even if I don't quite understand I am dreaming.


It's very hard to maintain lucidity for any great length of time. The key is to keep it in your head that you are dreaming.. If you get too excited you will wake up, but if you just sort of walk around you will forget you are dreaming. You have to strike the balance between getting lost inside the "bigger" subconscious, and offending the subconscious so that it throws you out, like you are an intruder.. It's a certain sweet spot of wakefullness.

reply to post by DarkKnight21


Its your dream you control it, I know its load of poop finally and one big hallucination after years and years "paranormal" paranoid stuff. If you believe in dream projections then it exist all depends how you see things but I wouldnt take "digging into my sub conscious mind" serious through lucid dreaming. You know the dream world has NO limits. OBE, sleep paralysis, shadow entities, lucid dreams, hectic tense dreams, youll notice that most people getting these stuff have some anxiety disorders. I have one time dreamed that I wake up then I was actually still dreaming then finally wake up for real.

Try making yourself tired then go to bed while trying to sleep keep your thoughts going none stop your body should switch of and mind keep going like those with anxiety disorders do, youll get sleep paralysis exactly what sleep paralysis is a working mind with zero moving ability. Its going to feel weird just relax, relaxing is important DO NOT think bad stuff youll create what ever you think, just stay relax and slip of into a REAL lucid dream easy

I would like to share my experience with lucid dreaming. All my dreams are lucid, but more life like. For example, as soon as I engage in a dream, I automatically know I'm dreaming. It doesn't take me anymore than a second to know that I'm dreaming. Like most lucid dreams, you can talk to the people around you. Only difference is with mine, I talk to people and they talk back to me just as regular people would. I've had full on conversations with the people in my dreams where I tell them that I am having a dream and everything they are doing is a product of what I think. They simply reply back to me with a chuckle and say "Ohhhh, How cool. So what's it like in the real world".

When I come to think of it, it's almost scary how a person in my dream believes that they are as real as I am.

I'll save more for my next post.

reply to post by DarkKnight21


Didn't have time to read all responses to your thread, but I recently stumbled upon a free online book on Out of Body Experiences. I haven't had one myself, but I've always had 'lucid' or conscious dreams And this book was made in light of a research study. What they were able to do is create VERY easy step by step instructions to help virtually ANYONE do this! It's very exciting for me because I beleive if anyone hasn't previously been able to have these dreams, or whatever they are, theyre seriously missing out! (for many generations people of different religions and cultures have strived to achieve this phenomenon!)
Anyway, I found the book by searching for out of body research study on google. I think the site is "obe4u.com" for the book. I have a toddler on an erratic sleeping schedule so I Dont sleep well and haven't been able to sleep deeply enough to dream well lately, but if anyone can try those steps from the book, my theory is perhaps this is our way to communicate with people who have passed on, possible alien species who have telepathy, etc. it would be very interesting if many people could try this to see what information could come of it!!
The way I learned to enter dreams consciously is try to SEE the light spots on your eye lids when your relaxed (bedtime I mean) watch the lights until you see colors, concentrate on them and they would soon develope into images as bright and vivid as you would see during the day. As you begin to drift off (you'll see images, hear loud sounds, vibrations, voices,etc) concentrate on what or who you want to 'dream' of, soon you will be with them, and you will be ALERT enough to ask questions! Sounds insane, but if you can keep trying, it WILL happen!! I hope this helps! Sweet dreams all!