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I devoted a chapter to this in Quantum Physics, Near Death Experiences, Eternal Consciousness, Religion, and the Human Soul.

In meso-American Shamanism the idea, which has been taken far out of context by modern western civilization to mean a playground and brothel, of lucid dreaming was not to continually take control of one's dreams, doing so would lead to exhaustion and madness. the idea was to remain constantly aware of the fact that one is dreaming, so that upon awakening, we would realize that we are merely in another level of dream - that is the meso-American Shamanistic approach to 'lucid dreaming.'

Many authors have made great book sales by the inability to deliver a playground and brothel that the mind has safeguards against; which explains people's failures to achieve this on anything more than a brief, fleeting moment. One simple, quick change is permissible. if the change occurs, then that is validation of the fact that you are dreaming.

if you perform the experiment of banging your fist on a table in a dream, you will find that both your fist and table are 'solid,' i've repeated this countless times over the years with the same result.

things change rapidly in dreams, more slowly in the 'real' world.'

according to the latest and greatest in true neuroscience (I am in the deepest edge of being a theoretical physicist in neuroscience research) you are not dreaming any more than anyone else - you are remembering that you are doing so.

doxylamine (an antihistamine) or clonazepam (a benzodiazapine) will limit this greatly if it is having a negative affect on your productivity and ability to function. diphenhydramine, although an antihistamine, doesn't negate remembering one's dreamscape nearly as much as doxylamine, which goes under the trade name 'unisom,' a safe, over the counter sleep aid that will wipe the memmory of your dreams to some degree of normalcy.

hope that helps.

i too have vivid dreams daily and i wish to sleep atleat a night without seeing any dreams... never do i get a peaceful sleep and feel like never do i sleep.

Sounds as if something is messing with your sleep cycle. Some medications can cause this, so if you're on any regular medication, you might mention it to your doctor. You might also avoid stimulants like caffeine after noon. If it's possible to lower the temperature of your bedroom, I'd give that a try. There's an OTC supplement called Melatonin that can help sleep issues, but the timing is important -- it should be taken an hour before bedtime. It's used to help jet lag, and can help recalibrate the sleep cycle.However -- I have no idea what your state of health is or what medications you may be taking, so if you want to try it, you should check with your doctor first to make sure there's no reason not to take it.

For a period of several years, during the late 1990's, because of a particularly personal and devastating personal event in my life...one that I had been informing myself about in my dreams for almost a year before hand, increasingly trying to deny what I knew was coming...since most always my repetitive dreams were precognitive and came to pass with a consistency that had not bothered me until it became PERSONAL - I just, one day, decided to 'quit dreaming." Which, of course, really means no longer participating in, or recalling/remembering what happened in my dreaming world.

And the decision brought an immediate result...and I did not remember hardly anything but 'counting sheep' until one day almost 10 years later, for other reasons altogether different, I decided 'to start dreaming again.'

And that same week, 2 or 3 days after THAT decision, I began to be a willing member of my dreaming life and existence!

And it was a far more intense experience but yet not as grueling or confusing or any of that. Things were much improved. I find that I remember my dreams when I need to or want to...and if not, I don't. I gained control over that part of myself which I think is the key issue for anyone when it comes to this particular part of our daily (nightly) life.

You could try the same thing to try to help your physical body detach from the effects your active dreaming self is having upon your sleeping body. But most importantly, your brain would be able to truly rest.
When you're rested and ready to resume, you can just resume.

It is all about your INTENTION and WILL...think your intention with clear, non-analyzed and/or justified will...and then, think no more of that thought, at all.

If you can make a wholehearted thought fully in one moment and then forget it in the next, you will be able to do anything you intend. Even putting your brain to sleep for a while so you can rest.

Whatever you decide to do, I look for your success and so should you!
There is nothing you cannot overcome, once you overcome yourself, so to speak!

<3
ani

hi, im new to this site. i have visited before though latley somthing has been compelling me to sign up.

anyway, back to your post.
i have very vivid dreams, every night and have done since i was a kid. i am now 26. somtimes they are meaningless, run of the mill, things i've seen and talked about during the day. other dreams though have a different feel to them. which i think may have messages in them,though i have trouble decifering them. my dreams are so vivid that i have had to stop telling my friends about them as they think i make it up! how i could make some of the stuff up though i don't know.

anyway, just to let you know i am in the same boat as you, and as of yet have not found a way to control it, i certainly wouldnt want to stop it.
i have read and tried a bit of astral travel a few years back, with no real success, but getting into a meditive state before sleep does give me a fantastic sleep, and thinking aboutit now, maybe a dreamless sleep?

hope that helps

lee