Wow. LD4all, you didn’t tell me that people were talking here. >[
@ Ninja: That’s some task. I only got to three or four. They are very insightful, though. Maybe my next project can be doing a summary of the CALD threads. Welcome to the thread. If you have any questions, we’ll be happy to answer them.
@Blush: This is one question that I can definitely answer, if I’m understanding it right. A quick note, whenever I would have a bad dream when I was young, I got rid of it in a rather simple way. One of my first sets of characters were two wolves who hung in a tapestry on my wall. I unconsciously turned them into characters and then dubbed them my dream guardians. Whenever I had a bad dream, I would ask them to get rid of it before it could come to haunt me anymore, and I would never have that dream again. They proved to be quite effective, and they even helped me later on when I was having a dispute with one of my characters.
As for meeting [well, any DC really] in a dream, I have much experience with this. I tried unsuccessfully for over three years to meet Crystal in a dream. I tried all manner of advice, none of which worked, until something that she said got me thinking. Next time I had a lucid, instead of just trying to summon her again, I focused my efforts on breaking the dream reality’s hold on me. I figured that on some level my mind was still holding to the laws of reality, so I did something to break that. In this case, I jumped out of a car flying down the interstate and landed unharmed on the ground. Then when I tried summoning her she appeared like it was nothing. Of course, the dream immediately faded, but my initial goal had been completed. I tried it next with another character, and while I didn’t wake up, I lost focus and became un-lucid. The best way to avoid waking up as soon as you complete your goal is to stay calm and avoid being excited.
Now, if you have troubles getting lucid like I do, Phi’s advice is pretty solid. Crystal and I have problems with it working, but we’ll sort it out soon, just like we sorted out the last issue with me summoning her once lucid.
As for talking to them while awake, it is all a matter of concentration. Most of the time I just go by emotions like you, or I’ll hear a reply in my own thoughts, even though I’m only half here, if you know what I mean. I don’t see them unless I’m specifically trying to.
Best Regards and Good luck to you all,
Wolvendeer