From: cole@gaff.physci.psu.edu (Robert Cole)
Subject: chatting with lucid dream characters
Organization: Penn State University, Physical Sciences
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 12:43:21 GMT

	I had a rather enjoyable lucid dream this morning and made a few
interesting observations.  The first deals with getting lucid.  Usually,
I become lucid by noting inconsistencies of the dreamscape with RL and
go from there.  This time, there was nothing obvious which tipped me off,
rather I got a "hunch."  I had, as I went to sleep and repeatedly through
the night as I awoke periodically, given myself the suggestion that I 
would lucid dream.  Apparently it worked.
	When I got the hunch, I tested my hypothesis that I was dreaming
by jumping into the air and wasn't surprised to find myself floating there.
The last lucid dream I had (a few days ago) was precipitated by my noticing
that some writing had changed, but immediately upon becoming lucid, the
dreamscape became all black and I gave up and opened my eyes.  This time
too, everything went black but rather than throwing in the towel, I used
the opportunity to take a "personal inventory."  This involves recalling
as many details of my waking life as possible in an attempt to convince
myself that I really am lucid.  The reason for this is that I have noticed
some odd behavior or inattentiveness on my part during lucid dreams and
I just want to make sure my dreaming self is close to my waking self.	
	Well, I did the personal inventory while everything was black and
was able to recall everything I would expect.  By the time the inventory
was finished, I was pleasantly surprised to find the darkness replaced by
a dreamscape, in this case, the hallway of some building.  This hall had
a window at the end and being one who gets his kicks from flying, I bolted
down the hall and lunged through the window.
	Passing through the window, I found myself flying above a courtyard
outside the building.  There were some round tables and it gave me the 
impression of a lunching area for people who worked in the building.  I
noticed a man in a suit walking below me and I yelled down to him that we
were dreaming but he didn't seem interested and walked on.  I then flew
over to a table where a few men and a woman were sitting.  I circled over
them trying to convince them that we were all dreaming and they basically
ignored me, but eventually the woman did look at me and said "prove it!"
At this point, I was on the ground and said to her, "okay, do people fly
where you come from?" and with that took off into the air.  She looked at
me with a thoughtfull expression and said "well, no..."  I landed and
walked over to her chair and told her that I wanted to know about her world,
specifically I asked if it was called "earth."  She told me that it wasn't
called earth and was about to explain further when I felt the familiar
sensation which indicates my hold on the dream is failing and within seconds
I had lost it.
	Sometimes my lucid dreams "decay" into ordinary ones and I go on
sleeping.  Very often, however, at some point I will just lose control
and return to waking consciousness under protest.  Much has been said about
inducing lucid dreams but how do they typically end?  Do many of you go
on until you get bored and open you eyes or do you also suffer from this
loss of control?  Are there ways to maintain control and extend the experience?



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