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Thread: designing a session to improve dream recall

  1. Default designing a session to improve dream recall

    Hello,

    I wish to design a session for the Proteus that will improve my ability to recall my dreams. I am actively involved in Lucid Dreamwork at the moment. However, I have realized that the single most important aspect to improve, when doing any kind of dreamwork, is dream recall.
    The problem is that even when I try to recall my dreams immediately after waking up, it seems to me that my brain "erases" the dream details "too efficiently" (or the dream details are stored in my brain, it's just next to impossible to recall them). I was wondering what particular brainwave frequencies, or combinations of frequencies would be good to put in a program for improving such memory.
    Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: designing a session to improve dream recall

    Hi!

    I've unexpectedly found myself plunged into lucid dreaming over the last few days. I haven't yet developed anything for my Procyon (and I don't have a Proteus) but the following excerpt from my much longer ramblings on the Transparent Corp forums might be of some interest...

    "Yesterday I decided I would head for bed with a plan. I took a Vitamin B group supplement, as this was said to be helpful. I wrote a 90 minute lightly modulated noise-only (brown) NP2 session that corresponded to the 'typical' sleep cycle, with 60 minutes of delta (3-1Hz), followed by 15 minutes of Theta (3-5Hz), followed by a further 15 minutes of delta (1-3Hz). At the beginning I had a fast ramp 3 minutes) from low alpha (8Hz) down to the delta, and the reverse ramp at the end, so that when looped it became a brief spike. I also inserted a 6 second alpha spike 5 minutes into the theta segment.

    I headed to bed early to relax and watch some TV, running 2 hours of SMR (NP2 Insomnia Help) in the background. Laid down to sleep at 10.30pm with the 'dream' session running. My speakers have this ridiculously bright blue LED which I must do something about, so I wore a blackout mask. Fell asleep quite quickly. Awoke at 2.00am due to neck and hip pain, in exactly the position I last remember being in. No recollection of dreaming. Got up, had a drink, etc. Once I'd shaken the aches out I felt as though I could easily have got on with the day, bright and refreshed. Went back to bed doubting that I'd be able to sleep again. After 1/2 hour with the dream session still running, I found myself intensely irritated by it (I had intended to loop it all night) and turned it off.

    Next thing that happened in real life was my alarm going off at 6.30am. In the meantime I would not have been able to tell you whether I was awake or asleep except for the fact that what I was doing in the dream is not a possibility in any other state. I thought my dream of the other night was exceptional, but this time left it in the dust. I won't bore you with details (unless you ask - I could recount the event with the same detail as I could if I was telling you about a trip into town), but the quality of participation was like that of conscious fantasy, except that the scenario and actions of other participants were not under my control or direction - only my thoughts and actions were. The plot was credible, give or take a few supernatural/metaphysical powers here and there (flight and healing featured heavily), and sufficiently detailed and coherent to be way beyond my best day-time powers of fiction writing. The relevance of the events and my responses to them to my real-life issues was so clear as to make interpretaion of symbolism totally redundant. I learned so much!!!"


    Anyway, while some things would have to be done differently, there should be no trouble putting together a similar session with the Proteus or Procyon, something I'm planning to do over the weekend.

    I repeated the exercise last night and the results were't quite as dramatic, but the quality and recall of the dreams I did have was far better than I usually expect, so it seems I might be doing something right.

    This is a really exciting subject, one I had been somewhat sceptical of until it became so very real for me.

    Cheers,
    Craig

  3. #3

    Default Re: designing a session to improve dream recall

    Hello there,

    I'm also interrested in the topic and wanted to try something new, but somehow I'm confused about the exercise. Are the three paragraphs in your quote parts of one exercise? You also stating you "repeated the exercise last night". What exactly did you do? Sorry for maybe silly questions, but I'm a novice and maybe also my english is not that good :-).

    Thanx a lot

  4. #4

    Default Re: designing a session to improve dream recall

    Hello CraigT
    Your posting is interesting and I would very much like to try your program myself and would therefore appretiate it if I could download it to try.
    Regards agodney

  5. #5
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    Default Re: designing a session to improve dream recall

    Taiko, Agodney, thanks for your interest.

    I've been busy with other projects and have not got around to porting the session from NP2.

    It seems that stress or vitamin B have been the more significant contributors anyway - I only take B supplements during times of particular stress and, since I've been using BWE regularly, lucid and/or excellent recall dreams are not unusual at those times irrespective of what particular sessions I may have listened to. My impression is that my brain has become much more lively and flexible overall.

    Most theta/delta sessions, if I am able to really let myself go in that direction, will bring me to the twilight, hypnogogic state that often leads to wild dreaming.

    The single most important thing I'm aware of in 'getting lucid' is to completely eliminate alcohol. Alcohol and proper sleep cannot exist in the same body.

    Cheers,
    Craig

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    Default Re: designing a session to improve dream recall

    Hi Craig,

    Quote Originally Posted by CraigT View Post
    Hi!

    I've unexpectedly found myself plunged into lucid dreaming over the last few days. I haven't yet developed anything for my Procyon (and I don't have a Proteus) but the following excerpt from my much longer ramblings on the Transparent Corp forums might be of some interest...

    "Yesterday I decided I would head for bed with a plan. I took a Vitamin B group supplement, as this was said to be helpful. I wrote a 90 minute lightly modulated noise-only (brown) NP2 session that corresponded to the 'typical' sleep cycle, with 60 minutes of delta (3-1Hz), followed by 15 minutes of Theta (3-5Hz), followed by a further 15 minutes of delta (1-3Hz). At the beginning I had a fast ramp 3 minutes) from low alpha (8Hz) down to the delta, and the reverse ramp at the end, so that when looped it became a brief spike. I also inserted a 6 second alpha spike 5 minutes into the theta segment.

    I think what may be helpful to induce lucid dreaming would be to add some low-Beta/Alpha into your program because when we are dreaming, we are in the lightest stages of sleep and our brain is actually quite awake (12 - 14 hz) even though we are not.

    So in your 90 minute program after your delta, put in 5 to 15 minutes of 12-14hz. It is at the last part that you will enter into dreaming and you will be in a light enough sleep to hopefully be able to use lucid dreaming techniques.

    M.

    M.

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    Default Re: designing a session to improve dream recall

    Quote Originally Posted by Marisa View Post
    M.

    M.
    mmm?

    -Andy.

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    Default Re: designing a session to improve dream recall

    Quote Originally Posted by Marisa View Post
    Hi Craig,




    I think what may be helpful to induce lucid dreaming would be to add some low-Beta/Alpha into your program because when we are dreaming, we are in the lightest stages of sleep and our brain is actually quite awake (12 - 14 hz) even though we are not.

    So in your 90 minute program after your delta, put in 5 to 15 minutes of 12-14hz. It is at the last part that you will enter into dreaming and you will be in a light enough sleep to hopefully be able to use lucid dreaming techniques.

    M.

    M.
    Marisa,

    Thanks for the tip! So many things to try, so few nights to do it in!

    Cheers,
    Craig

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    Default Re: designing a session to improve dream recall

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy View Post
    mmm?

    -Andy.
    Me, myself and my evil twin.

    MMM

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    Default Re: designing a session to improve dream recall

    Quote Originally Posted by CraigT View Post
    Marisa,

    Thanks for the tip! So many things to try, so few nights to do it in!

    Cheers,
    Craig
    I hear you! Perhaps we could work on a "stop time" program.

    M.

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