Control or going with the flow?

Something I was wondering about ~ if you’re a regular LDer, do you always decide to control your dreams or can you sometimes choose to just go with the flow, and see what happens? Can this actually be more interesting?

How important actually is being able to control your dreams, once you become lucid? Does exercising control help to maintain lucidity in some way, or can you just let go without losing this?

Thanks for any replies… (sorry if this question has been asked before) :cool:

You’re able to do both. I myself generally go with the flow, so I lose lucidity really quick… I sometimes even plot to make a new setting and then willingly give my lucidity up, to see what will the outcome be! :smile: It’s easier to go with the flow, but controling it is cooler sometimes.

I have gone with the flow quite a few times as it helps build your awareness. Once you decide to go with the flow of the dream and continue on the same path you were before you became lucid, it becomes very difficult to stay lucid… theres always that chance you may slip back into the normal dream state. If you go with the flow whilst lucid just keep reminding yourself its not real every single second. It’s always fun to go with the flow for a little while see where you end up and then suddenly intervene and do something cool. But in my opinion it is always much more fun to take control because you can do things like change scenary, fly around, have sex, eat & drink anything you want without paying for it, etc, etc.

So to answer your questions:
Yes, you can go with the flow and see what happens.
Yes, it can be more interesting - but not always.
Controlling dreams is only as important as you want it to be. For some, just the realisation of dreaming is satisfaction enough.
It’s hard to let go without losing control, if you practise control you can increase your abilities. I also find that if you go with the flow and manage to stay lucid the whole time that is very good for increasing your self-awareness. High self-awareness is the key to lucidity.

I usually just wander around the dreamscape while trying to maintain a little control. The only time I just went along with the dream I ended up on a bus with my cousin, going to watch the Wizard of Oz. I lost it after that. Personally, I like the control aspect of LDing because IRL I’m the type who just goes along with whatever everyone else decides. It’s nice to be able to make any decision you want once in a while. :content:

With me I usually go with the flow, when I first started lucid dreaming I liked to change things, transform people etc. Lately I have just been going with the flow yeah it is really hard to maintain lucidity. but if you can constantly do a lucidity enhancer (like rubbing your hands together) it seems that you are able to stay lucid longer in these “go with the flow” LD’s.

Its real interesting to be able to take part in the normal path of a dream being lucid. You get to make concsious decisions instead of the ND way of doing things heh. Like I remember in one ND I had my friend said “Wanna go jump off a cliff?” and I just shruged and said “yeah sure”. If I were lucid and going with the flow I would say “no”

lol

I’ve read some dream journals on here where the the lucid dreamer completely ditches the storyline and goes off somewhere else entirely. :tongue: “Screw this, I’m going flying” type thing.

For the most part I take what I’m given and kind of work with it. I like to ask DCs questions and I very casually manipulate the dreamscape just for the sake of it :cool:

Whenever I become lucid, I leave wherever I am that very moment and go do something exciting. Like something I could never do in real life. Or wouldn’t have the guts to do in real life.

I generally go with the flow now that I’ve become pretty talented at controlling LDs. Most of the time I will just interact with some DC’s, but when things don’t go the way I want or I get a good idea, then I change things. Actually in my last LD I was talking to a girl and some dude kept interupting me so I just made him evaporate and continued my conversation (haha that felt good). :truit:

To be honest, I would never go with the flow in a lucid dream. Having a lucid dream to me is a rare opportunity, so I like to take complete control immediately.

Sometimes I go with the flow but if something doesn’t turn out in my favor… I cheat. It’s like a videogame (although I never use cheats) you can’t figure out what to do so you find a cheat to go pass the part.

It depends, when I go with the flow I tend to stay lucid longer, but I like to control the dream and sometimes this makes me lose lucidity faster. Going with the flow can be very interesting, but its nice to make a few changes to make stuff more cool.

Controlling the dream makes you lose lucidity? Well in that case I might just go with the flow sometime.

That’s just me…I think.

I have no clue why but when I try to excert a lot of control at once my LDs drop, but when I go with the flow I have more chances to do stuff I want over a longer period of time without “interupting” the dream very much.

Hmm. It probably is different for everyone. I remember in my first (and only) lucid dream, I was flying everywhere and even stopped myself before touching the ground without losing lucidity.

I would, and never want to, surrender my lucidity and go with the flow. Believe it or not, I’m not letting my subconsciousness drive my dreams. It is me, who shall control the dreams, not the sub-c.