I’ve read multiple times that if you are confident in yourself, and you believe that you’ll have a lucid dream, then you will. This is consistent with what I’ve read and learned about the power of belief; because you believe something, it makes it true…like the placebo effect applied to life, applied to our minds, which affects our bodies.
I have also learned that some people are more susceptible, or gullible, to belief. This can be seen in hypnotism: only some people can be hypnotized, and that’s because they believe in it. Another example of this is my dad, he is a christian, and he thinks he can speak in tongues. I think this is because he’s gullible…believing in the supernatural can put you in a trance and allow you to temporarily lose control. This idea is elaborately explained in Aldous Huxley’s island, if you’re interested in learning more.
So I’ve seen this powerful example of what belief can do for someone, but regrettably, I am a natural skeptic. I would like to believe in something, most importantly myself, but I question things and i can’t help it.
When I’m lying in my bed, I start out telling myself confidently that I will have a lucid dream, but then I have this complex battle of ideas…and then i realize that this battle is a manifestation of doubts, and then I try not to think about it.
What also gives me doubts is that I read its better to not want to lucid dream too much, then i question whether I really believe I’ll have a LD, or whether I just want to.
Very interesting. Yes, it’s important to not clog your mind with “I want a lucid dream so bad!” and the like, but it’s also important to believe that it will happen. Since you have so much knowledge about belief and how it can assist someone with achieving goals, just go to bed thinking “if I truly believe that I will lucid dream, then I will.”
Also, imagine the things that you would do while lucid from a first-person view. Good luck and make sure to post results back !
This is very wrong, I must say. People ho know they are going to get hypnotized and believe it get hypnotized. Those who resist and don’t want it, can’t get hypnotized. Just a note
You have doubts, because you know that if you say that you’re going to have a lucid dream and you don’t, you will lose belief and hope.
This is a natural thing, happens to many people.
When you doubt something, you give your brain the information that you probably can’t do it, that you’re just saying something because you’d like it to work.
Instead of making yourself the object of doubt, own that you’re the doubter. Doubt is actually the essential ingredient to become lucid, because the first step is doubting that what you’re experiencing is real and questioning if you’re awake.
When it’s turned inwards, though, pondering the nature of confidence, desire, and belief… well, watch it. I mean, notice that you’re pondering these things, just… notice it. If something happens similar to: you notice these things and immediately question, “Why am I even thinking these things?” or “This is WILD-ing and I believe I can do it! Can I really? Am I really even believing?” then your doubt has turned inwards again. Try to detach and notice that you’re wondering and trying to be confident but questioning back.
Eventually, if you’re diligent, the rest of your mind will fall asleep and you’ll just be pure ‘noticing.’ You may notice the scene in your mind becoming more stable, richer, and not have thoughts like, “Is this the HI they keep talking about? Nah, can’t be…” popping up and breaking the brainwave pattern, making a self-fulfilling prophecy. You may notice that you can’t feel your waking-life body as vividly as usual, anymore. You may notice that you’re in a dream.
Or you could just do irregular RC’s during the day.
I mut say, belief is truly a very important part in LD’ing - if you want to LD you must know that you can. But belief in yourself isn’t the whole thing. Eighter you use belief or you use “yourself” if you allready have belief. Once you do believe that you can, try to think of something while laying down in bed. Daydream of something related to LD. If you it right you will enter the dream conciously - that requires belief in yourself.
To belive that you can do it is the hardes part in the quest to LD for most of the people !
Hey don’t beat yourself up for being a skeptic! The world needs more of us, I was beginning to think I was the only skeptic on the forum
I don’t think being a skeptic will stop you from having LDs. There is enough evidence that people can train themselves to have LDs, trust me I wouldn’t be here if there wasn’t. Before researching the subject I just assumed some people have LDs now and then and some don’t. I had loads as a child and still have one now and then and I’m sure if I keep trying I will be able to LD at will so stick with it.
I guess the important thing to remember is that real skeptics don’t make assertions. The constant questioning wouldn’t be a problem unless the questions were rhetorical rather than Socratic. The question, “Will I really have a lucid dream?” is fine as long as it doesn’t mean somewhere deep underneath the tone: “You’re not really going to have a lucid dream.” – that latter is already an assertion, which kind of defeats the whole philosophy behind skepticism.
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