Don’t Overdose on Lucid Dreams

Lucid dreams are great but they should never be used as a substitute for real life.   

Some of the worst times of my life produced some of my best lucid dreams with Dream Peter.  These dreams were so sweet that I’d burst into tears as soon I woke up.  Couple those dreams with my major depression and all I wanted to do is dream.  My idea of heaven is being in a dream with Peter and I never wake up.

But sleeping all of the time isn’t an effective answer for anyone’s problems.  Since I have major depression, I also have major problems. (“Gee, no kidding, Rena.”) These problems have to be solved in the waking world.  It sucks, but there’s just no getting around that fact. 

My Story or Don’t Do What I Did

Years ago, before I received proper treatment for my mental illness, I suffered from terrible insomnia.  I had two college degrees and the best job I could find was the graveyard shift at Kmart.  Considering my crappy life, I couldn’t wait to fall asleep.  In order to fall asleep, I began taking over the counter sleeping pills.  By 2000, I was taking 20 or more pills at a time in order to get drowsy enough to fall asleep.

During the times I did dream of Peter, the dreams were exceptionally sweet.  Looking back, I think the reason for having such overwhelmingly positive dreams was a vain attempt by my subconscious (and maybe by Dream Peter) that there was a better way for me to live.  But at the time I thought that better way to live was by dreaming.  It actually was to get medical help for my depression. 

Had I received help back in 2000, I could have avoided a lot of misery.  But when you have depression, you are convinced that you are incurable.  So I kept retreating to sleep in order to cope.  When I couldn’t dream, I felt like a total failure instead of mostly a failure.  But waking from a blissful dream to my not-so-blissful reality felt even worse.  When I was suicidal, I couldn’t dream at all. (Well, technically, I dreamt, but I couldn’t remember any of it.)

In Conclusion

What goes on in your waking world affects the frequency and content of your lucid dreams.  Lucid dreams are great but they should never be used as a substitute for real life.    As you work on your problems in the waking world, your dreams will improve.  You will be healthy and relaxed enough in order to remember your dreams and enjoy them.