Hello, I am new to lucid dream forums. I’ve been able to lucid dream for over 15 years but I have never talked with anyone else that can do it. I have never wrote in a dream journal and never really tried to induce lucid dreams, I would just let it happen when it happens. I have always been able to remember my dreams and for the most part I understand why I have such weird dreams. The past few years and mostly this last year I’ve been progressing in my dreams and different levels of lucidity. I know I can do whatever I want in my dreams and I won’t feel pain and I know there are no consequences for my actions in my dreams. Now the reason I want to talk about automatic lucidity is that my brother died 5 years ago and I still have dreams with him just about every single night. I have became lucid in a few dreams because I have dreams with him. I’d like to make it clear that most dreams are not about him, he is just in most of my dreams. We were not as close as you would think for me to always have him in my dreams. How do I make it that every time he shows up in my dreams that it can automatically make me lucid?
Hello and welcome. Your brother’s appearance is what we would call a dream sign; a DS is something that tells you without fail that you’re dreaming. Since his appearances sound somewhat frequent, it makes sense to use that as a sign.
The trouble is in dreams, you’re rarely thinking clearly. It does sound like you’re generally more aware/with it than most in your dreams, and that’s likely why you’re lucid naturally and often. What I would do in this case is remind yourself that any time you think of or see your brother, you will realize you are dreaming. Make it a real intention, just as if you were reminding yourself you need to leave 15 minutes early in the morning, or that you had to stop at the store on the way home. Others have found it useful to repeat to themselves as they fall asleep. “The next time I see my brother, I will know that I am dreaming” over and over.
You can also try using the dream character of your brother. The next time you’re lucid and see him, ask him to remind you next time. I’ve had a decent amount of luck working with dream characters like this.