I practiced lucid dreaming intensely when I was 18 for over a year and it has been automatic since (it is over 25 years later); I would not miss it for the world. It's like a strong hallucinogenic drug but without the side effects (aka recovery is instant when I wake up). I like doing the things you would think that are great; flying around, getting shot without being hurt (I did it 1000s of times and still find it interesting when the bullet goes in but it doesn't hurt; very strange feelings as my brain signals imminent and possibly lethal damage), fighting with robots, having sex and so on. And everything (well, for as far as I know that is; many things I dream I have never experienced, but it my brain at least thinks they would feel like that) feels like the real thing. Also in real life I have fear of heights; in my dreams I like to fly as high as I can and then swoop down over the lands (which are often rain forests with maya temples for some reason).
I do solve programming problems in those dreams, at least I think so; I wake up with a clear path to attacking those problems I went to sleep with and I do have lucid dreams where I am discussing those issues with someone. Always someone who I 'feel' I know, but who looks very different than they do in real life. I definitely would find going to sleep a lot more boring without these dreams. Advantage I find as well (I am not sure if everyone has this, but the book I learned lucid dreaming from says it's one of the side effects) is that I remember all my dreams.
I have long been curious about the following; since I have been wearing wristbands like the Fitto, which measures sleep, I notice something which could be related (or Fitto etc sleep measurement is just bullshit; I had it with multiple brands though); compared to everyone I know, I spend far more time in REM and deep sleep; far more than my comparable age group. I spend, comparatively, very little time in light or awake state every night. Wonder how this is for other lucid dreamers.
I do solve programming problems in those dreams, at least I think so; I wake up with a clear path to attacking those problems I went to sleep with and I do have lucid dreams where I am discussing those issues with someone. Always someone who I 'feel' I know, but who looks very different than they do in real life. I definitely would find going to sleep a lot more boring without these dreams. Advantage I find as well (I am not sure if everyone has this, but the book I learned lucid dreaming from says it's one of the side effects) is that I remember all my dreams.
I have long been curious about the following; since I have been wearing wristbands like the Fitto, which measures sleep, I notice something which could be related (or Fitto etc sleep measurement is just bullshit; I had it with multiple brands though); compared to everyone I know, I spend far more time in REM and deep sleep; far more than my comparable age group. I spend, comparatively, very little time in light or awake state every night. Wonder how this is for other lucid dreamers.