Crossdressing and Lucid Dreaming

[Confucius]

I believe that crossdressers have a higher developed sense of self-reflection and cognition. We examine ourselves and ask, "why?"

The area of the brain controlling conscious cognitive processes is the anterior prefrontal cortex, and this is larger in people with a higher developed sense of self-reflection (metacognition). This same area of the brain is also associated with people who are capable of lucid dreaming.

So my question is, do you have lucid dreams??? Do you have some dreams where you aware you are in a dream? Are you able to control parts of the dream? Regarding myself, Yes, I have some dreams where I am aware I am dreaming and I am able to fly and control parts of the dream. I wonder if this is a common in the crossdressing community.

[ReluctantDebutant]

Yes I have been able to realize I am dreaming and take control of the dream many times. I also have found I am able to recollect dreams in more detail than other who I have discussed dreams with.

[Kate Simmons]

Since we are basically in a programmed reality anyway, we can pretty much do what we want once we are aware of it.Kind of like Neo in "The Matrix".:battingeyelashes::)

[Barbara Black]

I used to lucid dream a lot when I was a small boy. I was always trying to escape (in this case, the house), but I never knew why. Now I would attribute it to my unknown unhappiness due to my unresolved battle with what gender I was, which led to my crossdressing as a way to determine my sex one way or another (I guess). I just didn't know what it was I was seeking since boys weren't supposed to be feminine and shy.

[LilSissyStevie]

I've had lucid dreams all my life. One recurring nightmare is where I'm being chased or attacked and I realize it's just a dream but I'm trapped in that state where I'm fully conscious but can't wake up and I can't return to unconsciousness.

[Sarah-RT]

I dont have memorable dreams that often and most of them im unaware im dreaming but Ive had a handful of lucid dreams, and I can remember that 2 or 3 of them I was either crossdressed and caught but it amounted to a big happy resolution or I was crossdressed and it wasnt unusual to anyone else in the dream as if gender was fluid. I wasnt able to do things like fly around or anything but I can remember I was trying to steer the dream instead of it being like a linear path, always woke up though soon after Id begin steering it though. I must say they were some of the happiest dreams to wake up from, wish I had them more regularly.

I think everyone talks in there sleep from time to time and Ive been told by others that ive done it and I always have the fear that my sleeping self will out me lol

[Katey888]

Crikey! :eek: Yes - I have lucid dreams... more often in the past than presently but historically they have been very lucid - like watching a small-budget Hollywood B-movie sometimes...

I often know when I am in a dream; when I realise this I can steer events to some degree, including flying (if the scenario is right) - and I can always terminate a dream if it heads in a direction I don't want it to go.. this latter is a bit variable, like there are only certain points when I can effect an exit, but the mechanism is consistent.

As a side-note (of uncertain relevance, but wth.. :)) I rarely dream of CDing - and when I do, it tends to put me in an embarrassing scenario... repressed guilt, right..? Oh well...

Katey x

[Laura28]

I have to say I seldom dream. Well at least aware that I dream. The few I recall over the years were just crazy things. I have never been aware I am dreaming while dreaming.

[Nikkilovesdresses]

I have some dreams where I am aware I am dreaming and I am able to fly and control parts of the dream.

Me too, had one a few weeks ago- it's amazing fun. Used to have them much more when I was younger. I only wish I had sexy dreams- I cannot understand why not! Perhaps if I did I'd just sleep all the time.

Or maybe I am asleep?

Uh-oh.

[Brooke Smith]

Not only are many of my dreams lucid, they are also recurring. For years I have had several unrelated scenarios that turn up where I'm often struggling to find or do something,or trying to correct a situation I find myself in. I can't say I can control what happens but if it gets too frustrating I can wake myself up. Some of the dreams are quite pleasant though,and when I recognize them, I can subconsciously direct the flow and enjoy the ride.

As Katey said very few dreams are cding or gender related but when they are ,they are usually embarrassing moments such as exposing female breasts at inappropriate times.

Several years ago while trying to quit smoking ( I have subsequently quit by other means ),I used the prescription drug Chantx .They weren't kidding when they warned about "unusual dreams"

[Jane G]

Yes, I have always had lucid dreams and have always been able to control them to some extent. I think it's more a case of creating an imaginary world in my head and then moving through it. Like a computer game. I can also look at pretty complex objects, whist awake, then fill in the blanks and spin them around in my head, with relative, ease. May be that's how I came to design databases for a living LoL

I think it's a male type brain thing, to be honest. But if it means I don't need a sat Nav, (Hate those things) I'm a happy girl.:heehee:

[Teresa]

Confucius,
I've always had lucid and recurring dreams, when my CDing started at about 8-9 years they were very close to the reality of how it started sexually for me ! I was never in control of their outcome, the female influence always won !
Now when my sleep pattern is OK I still have very lucid dreams !

[Carmen]

I have been a lucid dreamer (LD) for most of my life. As a youngster I would find myself in my dream world standing there waiting for something to happen. Eventually I realized that I was able to make things happen and away I went!
My dream control was so advanced that during my high school years and beyond, I was having difficulty separating my waking world from the dream world. This resulted in very intense bouts of deja vu.
I began studying this phenom and over the years I learned what was going on and gained better control of my LD ability.

Prior to the birth of the internet, I had corresponded in a LD study. My experiences and LD skills were quoted in a published book.
Years later and upon the arrival of the internet, I joined a forum of lucid dreamers and shared my experiences. Many of the members were already familiar with my story since they had read that book.
I was nominated as an official LD coach and I helped many people develop their LD skills.
I have written many of my experiences in a diary. Perhaps I will share those in our forum.

My dream control is exceptional. My dream world consists of a familiar city or neighborhood. Everything is white...buildings, streets, houses and cars. There are no people.
The weather is always sunny and warm. I am usually dressed in a white toga. Essentially this is my dream pallet and I can proceed from that point.
Imagine an amusement park and you are the only person there. I have the option of creating my dream scenario simply by walking into any building that I choose to.
Dream people will appear, the scene becomes colored and everything is nearly identical to waking life.

I have spent many LD 'hours' exploring my female identity. I will walk into a department store and find myself in the ladies clothing area and spend my dream time trying on lingerie, clothing and shoes.
I have sat in front of a mirror and done my makeup. My hair is always long. My face and body is essentially a female version of myself.
I'll admit that my favorite LD's are when I'm female. I'm allowed a short glimpse of Carmen as she might have been.

I don't fly much in my dreams, I ride a horse. He is deep brown with a black mane and tail. He will always appear when I want him there. I ride bareback. He takes me to whatever destination I wish. We have even flown together!
I have also driven race cars, flown an airliner, gone back in time, and visited with celebrities both alive and deceased.

Thank you for starting this thread Confucious.

[Valerie Sparks]

Yes, this is a very interesting thread.

I started having lucid dreams about 15-20 years ago and they've increased in frequency since then. But I've also been expressing my femme side more in that same period. I never put the two together, but perhaps there is a relationship.

When I have them, I usually end up flying as if I'm lying in bed--on my back and head first. But they feel so great! And I always feel so well rested afterwards. Sometimes I can control the "roll" and flip over and that gives me an inner-ear sensation like being on a roller-coaster when I was younger. I love it.

I only have them about once every two to four months or so, but I had one last night. My dream was a bit spooky in a way--just before the flying part my dad appeared for just a bit (as in a cameo role). He passed on in 14 years ago, but today is my 60th birthday and it was like he was wishing me happy birthday.

I'm not usually dressed in the dreams but I have had a few where the feeling was a bit orgasmic even though no sex (or dressing) was involved.

I'll have to see if I can apply any of the tricks mentioned here. Maybe I can increase the frequency of such dreams.

[Carmen]

Since we are basically in a programmed reality anyway, we can pretty much do what we want once we are aware of it.Kind of like Neo in "The Matrix".:battingeyelashes::)

Well said Kate, the Matrix is based on people living in a dream world but only for the benefit of the machine world.

There is a simple method that we can do which serves to reinforce your dream experiences, we refer to this as dream awakening.
Firstly, you must train yourself to realize that you are dreaming. If you are successful and recognize that you are in bed asleep and now dreaming, simply remain calm.
Secondly, reinforce your lucid dream (LD), by raising your arms and examine your hands. Some people spread their arms and spin.
You can also slowly crouch down and feel to texture of the 'ground' that you are standing on, which is my method.

If you are successful, you will wake up in your dream and you will find yourself in a place that for all intensive purposes is 100% real.
Proceed slowly and avoid attempting too many tasks, focus on one task until you become good at it. I like to walk and acclimate myself with my LD surroundings.
If you feel yourself waking up, then do one of the above reinforcements and you might get lucky and continue with your LD.
One fun task is to find a book and attempt to read the pages. The letters will continually change on the page.
I have also written messages on the walls in the LD world for my LD friends to find. So far no success and no arrests for graffiti.

I have figured out many problems while dreaming. The most recent was a problem with my German built car and an electrical part that I was having a problem extracting.
I dreamt about this problem and was successful using an untried tool. And it worked when I tried the tool in the real world.

I have read that Henry Ford, Nicola Tesla and numerous other creative thinkers solved many problems during their regular 2 hour afternoon siestas.

[melaknee]

i have dreams some recurring, also i've noticed that when watching movies, i always cry, the tears just pour out, is that nomal or crossdresser? love this post, melaknee

[Sharon B.]

The dreams that I have had have been associated with crossdressing, the one I remember the most was a woman was in it and she like the fact that I enjoyed dressing as a woman and that I behave like a woman in the bed. She would suck on my nipples and played with my breast. She only wanted to see me dressed as a woman.
Haven't had one for a while and haven't found a woman who enjoys me dressing as a woman.

[LilSissyStevie]

When I was in college I would sometimes have lucid dreams where I would work out multivariate calculus problems. When I had the solution I would wake myself up and write it down. Sometimes it was just gibberish. I was hallucinating a solution. But sometimes I really did work it out in a dream. It made me wonder why I couldn't always tap into that brain power in the waking state.

[MeredithG]

I dream a lot - usually pretty active or involved dreams. One of my favorite ones that I can recall is where friends of mine from different parts of my life are all in the same building at a function, and somehow they all know each other! I have also dreamed at times about being dressed and that friends or family know about it and some even encourage it. The mind is a funny thing with all the items we store in our subconscious ...

[docrobbysherry]

No, not that I can recall. Nor can I control my dreams. Which r so random and obscure I rarely can recall them but a few minutes after I wake up. If they're too scary, I wake up. Not on purpose. But, I HAVE noticed interesting things about my dreams.

First, let me explain that I'm 70 and only began dressing 17 years ago. Up until 2 years ago, I've read jealously of others dreaming they were dressed or females!:straightface: Since then I HAVE had CD dreams. Here r some notable qualities of those dreams.

1. I dream of being dressed but never being female.
2. I'm never embarrassed being dressed in my dreams.
3. The dream is usually well under way before I notice I''m dressed.
4. No one ever seems to notice I'm dressed. They never treat me differently!

[Barbara Jo]

Are you really aware of a dream or are you just dreaming that you are aware of it it .
In other words is there really any such thing as a lucid dream?

[Karolyn]

I got my first lucid dreaming last Friday, and it was a nightmare that I extended on purpose. That was weird.

I am in the early process of transitioning, and I came out to 21 friends and 2 family members. I got only positive reactions, nobody rejected me in any way. It is great, but I know during transition I will encounter difficult moments with some people, and as part of "planning" for the future, I am trying to experiment with every side of my new self, my true self. That includes rejection by people. So, instead of happening in real life, it happened in a lucid dream (since I realized it was one).

I was imagining I was in a tourist bus, during a vacation. And at one moment I get outed. Suddenly everyone starts to hate me in the bus. When we get out of it at a stop for a visit, people continued to insult me, and tried to leave with the bus and without me, abandoning me alone. That is when I realized it was a dream. At that moment, I decided to purposely extend the nightmare, I really wanted to feel that rejection, and I did. I was controlling the dream for a while, trying to catch up with the bus, and trying to explain to people why their hate was not justified. I remember everything clearly, how I controlled the dream, and how bad I felt inside. Once I felt I had enough, I ended the dream on purpose and woke up. For a first lucid dream, that was a weird one, but it gave me even more confidence in real life for some reason.

[Sarah-RT]

There was a documentary on two nights ago about dreaming, they suggested lucid dreaming was really rare and nearly impossible

One of the people explaining about dreams suggested that if you say to yourself while falling asleep what you want to dream about such as "I want to dream about crossdressing" it should work. I'm 2/2 for that the last two nights, real short and vague dreams but it was definitely about crossdressing.

The thing with dreams is that they are most memorable if woken during REM sleep

[donnalee]

What lucid dreams I remember having were very frustrating as it seemed as if I was always waking up a bit too soon, just as I was going to turn the tables on a dangerous situation. I had already figured out a way to do it, but awoke before I could. I don't remember my dreams anymore or just don't have any; I wonder if there's any connection?

[Carmen]

Are you really aware of a dream or are you just dreaming that you are aware of it it .
In other words is there really any such thing as a lucid dream?

Yes Barbara when you become aware that you are dreaming, the realization can be an amazing discovery.
Your dream world can be as real as the waking world, only now you can direct your dream activities.
It takes practice to learn to remind yourself that you are in fact dreaming.

As I previously wrote, you must first learn to remind yourself of certain simple tasks to practice while in your LD. Just try walking and taking in your LD environment.
Touch objects, pick them up and feel the texture.
Another task is flying, which for some people does take a lot of practice.
I enjoy swimming while breathing like a fish, with no need for air. I will inhale and exhale the water like a mermaid.

Karolyn used her LD control to direct her dream. A good example of working through a situation.

Another exercise is when you go to bed, tell yourself this, 'when I begin dreaming, I will know that I am dreaming and take control'.
Give it a try and hopefully you will have a real LD.

[Alice Torn]

No dreams lately, but most of my dreams were high adventure, scary, and i was under attack, in danger, escaping. I think my terrible family, and picked on at schools, and some jobs, caused the fear dreams, and nightmares. i always felt trapped, still do, and if i had the money, i would move far away from my evil family of origin, who think i am under their rule yet. Too utterly broke, though! My toxic, cruel older twin brothers still ridicule and constantly criticize me, and my older sister is mean, too. No one in my family has a SO or mate. Too screwed up in the minds! My dad is 94 next week, may die soon, senile, but still resents having sons. I wish i had died a stillborn, or i wish one uncle who was offered me, had taken me out of this hellish family, but he would not adapt. I wish i had been a still born, dead, before i had to suffer a lifetime of family toxin.

[pamela7]

Yes, I had no idea my dreams were different to anyone else until i heard of "lucid dreaming", and wondered why other people could not direct their dreams/change them and so forth. So I've always been lucid.

I'm awed, cos i've not many any others who lucid dream naturally, without effort and practice, perhaps this is an even more special group of people than I had realised.

I'm going to have to ask a few more questions of you all once this has sunk in.

e.g. do you have a "mind" or do you live in "no mind" - like I do.
e.g. can you feel precisely where different emotions in your body? can you feel who they're coming from?

:-)) nice one Confucius.

[Carmen]

Alice my heart goes out to you. Although this thread was posted by Confucius about lucid dreams, I will respond to your words.

I was born into a dysfunctional family, my childhood, adolescence and young adult years were no picnic either.
My alcoholic parents divorced after 20 years and 7 children...oh well!
My mom disowned some of us and changed her name, and when she needed $ help she blamed me for disowning her. Oh well!
My brothers and sisters have all been married and divorced...oh well!
My mom, brothers and sisters have all made parasitic attempts at using my steady income to support their homeless, alcoholic and dysfunctional lifestyles...oh well!
I have a good relationship with my dad.

At a young age I vowed to end this chain of dysfunction. I fought back. I took on interesting hobbies. Boy Scouts, music, schooling, the military, cars, sports, the outdoors, astronomy, writing, photography, dating and crossdressing.
My 4 adult children are doing reasonably well. My marriage is not always a bowl of cherries but we are still married.
I am 55 years old and enjoying a 6-figure retirement. Now I'm building a successful media business.

You ask how...because I shed those scabs of years of my dysfunctional family members one by one and rose above it all. They all know not to bother me because they can't get to me.
I'm too busy for their life sinking brand of drama.
I knew that I would sink with them on their drug and alcohol laden dysfunctional cruise ship so I disembarked at a young age.
I guess that's where lucid dreaming came in handy...I could escape almost every night.

Perhaps now I'm living the dream.
Raise yourself above it Alice!

[Maria Blackwood]

Just a handful of scattered random instances over my lifetime. I usually just wake up when it happens.

I've started meditating recently as part of attempting to lucid dream and have out of body experiences. I've had some recent small success with the OBEs but no lucid dreams so far.

[SometimesJen]

I have lucid dreams several times a week, where I know that I am dreaming. I have some degree of control, mostly of my own actions, but when I start controlling too many things I start thinking "what if...", then I over analyze things and wake up before I get to play with them.

My favorite dream is where I start out walking among a crowd and then slowly start floating a few inches, then a foot or two above the ground. As I keep walking I start floating higher and higher until I am flying.

I've only had a couple dreams where I'm cross dressed. I'm always nervous in them but no one has ever reacted negatively. I think I'll have to see if I can go there more often. :-)

[Erika Lyne]

I have 3 types of dream sequences. The first is close to my day to day reality. Work, home, peraonal achievements are all common to my awake state male presentation reality. *In theses dreams I am always male, never many emotions.* There's nothing special here. This dream sequence is most likely accompanied with leg and arm movement. I walk down a sidewalk and my legs actually move, I put together a project and my hands move. I have little to no control over anything. Touch, sight, and sound are always very acute. Smell and taste are rare occurances.

The second type is most lucid. I can steer conversations, activities and the subject locations but I cannot control them. It is like a conversation where there is a defined subject and a moderator. The moderator cannot control what people say but can steer the conversation, keep it on track. I am most frequently presented as male with an occational CD dream sequence. While CDing in these dreams, I tend to slip in and out of first and third person viewing. Like watching a movie, some POVs are from a character, others are from within the viewing area. While male presentation is always first person. Smell is the give away. If I cannot smell something then I know it is a dream sequence, the earlier I realize this the more I can steer the dream. These dreams always just fade, never seem to have an ending nor a cliff hanger.*

The third is where my favorites lie. In this dream state, I alway present as female in three different sub catagories. Sometimes as a CDer in full dress 24/7. Other times as a transitioning or transitioned TS. Lastly, my fav, as a GG. The best part of the third type of dream sequence is that they are not controlled. I am always in a comfortable monogomous relationship. The mate is always different,* sometimes my actual wife, other times a butch lesbian, other times a pretty woman and lastly a well off, handsome man. The male is almost always in the GG sub set. In these dreams I go about daily life, food shopping, cooking dinner, being a soccer mom, just living a life. The location is always varied from: in a beautiful highrise apartment, a small cottage in the woods, a house similar to my own, a store or mall, on a beach, at a bar, walking through a city park or dark alley, riding in a car. The scenario is always different, I may be comfortable and with family/kids,* poor but in love, rich and philanthropic or being followed/stalked while alone but on a cell phone with the one I'm involved with. I always dream in the first person and can steer or control the dream no more that we can control our own lives. Emotions flush over me, the location is set in the beginning, weather is always consistent, the other players may be friendly or may not, I may be happy with being myself- I may be uncomfortable. The story is frequently a surprise, *often routine and sometimes very real life scary. The last commonality to this dream sequence is when I realize it is a dream. *This is when things change rapidly, I am always shifted from the first person viewing and sucked backwards, up and to the right, *into a third person view point, fade to black. Then I wake. The end is too fast to stop it.

[Carmen]

e.g. do you have a "mind" or do you live in "no mind" - like I do.
e.g. can you feel precisely where different emotions in your body? can you feel who they're coming from?


Pamela I'm not sure what 'mind' and 'no mind' means in relation to dreaming.
Also 'different emotions in your body'.
I would like to reply but I do not understand your questions.
Thank you

[JocelynJames]

I usually realize I'm dreaming at which point I decide to become an active participant or exit the dream. Usually when I realize I'm dressed in a dream I panic as I am afraid of being outed and want to exit. Last night for the first time I remained calm. I was in a ladies clothing store fully dressed waiting at the service desk for what I don't k ow. I had many women both customers and SA alike comment on my outfit , hair, or overall appearance. I felt so great. I was beaming. Then the damn alarm clock went off! Oh well, try it again.

[Robynts]

I lucid dream on occasion and it is really fun. Typically my lucid dreams are like a Clive Cussler novel, however, ever since I was a little kid, I can fly in my lucid dreams. I just hold a kiddie swimming lesson kickboard out in front of me and run a few steps and I am off and flying.

As for those who question the reality of lucid dreams, there was a show on PBS years ago about lucid dreaming. Researchers can tell when a person is lucid dreaming by brain wave patterns. Before the subject went to sleep the researchers had them count from 1-10 and 10-1 and monitored their brain waves. When the subject later started to lucid dream they were given a very minor electric stimulation (shock) this stimulation was used by the researchers to tell the subject they were lucid dreaming. The subjects were instructed to count from 1-10 and 10-1 in their dream. It was amazing to watch the subject's brain waves as they counted up and down in their lucid dream.

[Carmen]

Double Whammy!

This always happens...whenever I engage and discuss lucid dreaming it generates more dreams. 2 LD's in 2 nights.

I realized that I was dreaming, but instead of practicing my dream tasks, I just stood there in my LD world thinking about the discussion from this thread!
I thought about those of us that can LD as easy as this and Confucius' explanation of cognitive processes.
I was reflecting on the reply's in my dream...just sitting on a low wall deep into my thoughts about this topic. Eventually I began to stroll along the empty white street looking at the white buildings of my dream world downtown section. The air was warm and the sun was shining.
I considered flying but that is easy. No gender change, no horse companion, just thinking to myself.

LD #2 finds me in the same place. A downtown setting. People everywhere, and I'm aware that I'm dreaming.
I'm dressed casual...jeans, tee-shirt, sandals, handbag, and I'm female. I can feel my long hair in the warm breeze as I negotiate along the busy sidewalk and enter a department store.
Again I think about this topic and what I will write today.
My dream fades as I awaken.

Another LD inducing tip...
Wake up halfway through the night, read or watch TV, then go back to bed.

[pamela7]

Hi Carmen,
There's an association of living daily life without "mental chatter/noise" and lucid dreaming, in human development circles. So my question is whether you live with a silent inner experience or one with a full-on commentary/chatter/thoughts.

regarding emotions, they are mostly located within the body, and you can feel where, go inside, notice who/where they come from, its a form of emotional/situational awareness/intelligence.

thanks Pamela

[Carmen]

Pamela, the experience is one with a full-on commentary thinking thoughts engaged in pointed conversations with anyone or anything that I choose.
I'm not a spectator I'm a player.

It is by no means a passive experience.