Oh my. Well, my notifications have been less than useful ^^;
Mattias: As a note, your hypnagogic info was so cool, I did some research and used hypnagogic hallucinations as a topic in as english assignment 
Rhewin: Hey buddy C: You’ve been active here! It’s interesting to see that you fell asleep after conversation with The Doctor, has it happened since then? Also, thank you for helping the other forum members in my absence, I really appreciate that you didn’t leave them hanging C:. As for dealing with distracting thoughts while interacting with the character, I would suggest a few things:
1. Clearing your mind
We do this by visualizing a ‘clearing’ scene, for some people it is imaging a clouded sky, and with each breath, the clouds leave and your thoughts are left clear. For me, it’s this open-sky place I imagine, and I empty this glass, wood framed cube of ball bearings. That works well for me, because it appeals to my ideal shapes and how I visualize my thoughts (they are the ball bearings 
). I also do this selectively, so I can fully focus on one thing when I am overwhelmed with projects.
I think that clearing your thoughts works best with a personalized visualization, so think of what your thoughts would look like, and clear them from existence, except for thoughts of your character.
After which, character interaction may be easier.
2. Counter distracting thoughts with thoughts involving your character.
If you keep getting off-track thoughts/ visualizations, why not involve your character when countering them?
For example, Teraflare8866 says she imagines things stuff fall towards her out of the blue, so she could get her character involved in catching it, and continuing on. C:
I completely sympathize with this, because when I try to visualize something, for example, rolling, it sometimes seems to transform into something else, or move in a way I didn’t intend. Something always seems to make things come out not quite how we want them to in visualizing.
There are a few more, but we should leave it here for now, since the other suggestions may not be as practical for before-bed character interaction. C:
Teraflare8866: Hey! Sorry to hear that you haven’t gotten LDs because of this. I’m sincerely sorry for not showing up earlier ><. My reply to Rhewin above is written for both you and him. If you do not find either suggestion helpful, please let me know and I will find some other ways to combat your problem if it hasn’t been resolved yet! Wishing you best of luck C:
Luke Strife: Hey! Of course I didn’t forget you. Good to see you C: Ah… Reconnecting with characters. It can be hard to do that. However, we can try a few things to get back to where you were. C:
First, take a moment to just sort of… feel for their essence. Ah, that seems obscure ^^;.
Do you know that feeling you get, when you’re in a particular person’s presence? For example, the presence of your mother will be different from that of your friend? Those feelings are the different imprints they have made on you from your experiences and relationship together.
You should try to look for the presence of your character; you may be familiar with this when trying to initiate a conversation, as if you are summoning them to the forefront of your mind. If this doesn’t work, then you’re essentially starting from the beginning again.
Next, you could try and initiate a pen-and-paper (or on a word program) conversation with them. The key is to go with the moment, and never stop to think the replies or go back and edit. This sometimes helps people to connect with a character, and also to get unexpected replies.
If all else fails, you can start with new characters, and sometimes the old ones will show up… sort of randomly. It has happened before, and I don’t doubt that it’s sort of common with characters that just kind of fade.
Hopefully that helps!
sentis:
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How can you tell you’re not making the responses?
The sense that you can predict your character’s every word and that you are ‘thinking’ a response into them is no longer there. When your character is more or less independent, they can react quickly to a situation without you giving much thought to it (e.x. a friend asks a ‘what-if’ situation about the character, and you get an almost automatic reply). However, this can also just be a result of being intimately familiar with the character concept and what they are likely to do in situations, especially if one is accustomed to roleplaying. Mostly though, it’s just knowing yourself, and whether or not it feels right.
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How many characters can you have?
You can have as many as you like! I have friends who have dozens upon dozens of characters, how many you can develop is up to you. Personally, I only have 9 characters I am familiar with and have developed to an ok extent, and two that I have developed thoroughly.
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How long does it take until your character becomes independent?
Again, the character independence depends on the person creating the character, and the character themselves.
Some people here create characters that are independent from the start. I have a character, Ghost, who hasn’t changed in sentience since creation, and is fairly aware.
For some characters, independence takes years. Another example of mine is Naknus, who took several years developing a separate thought pattern and habits from my own. It just depends on who is involved.
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If you can’t think of a name can your SC make up one?
Of course :P. Names can and do change however, so I don’t think that what you refer to the character as is too important as long as there’s something to address them by. C:
Thanks for those questions!
LucidDreamer1996: Hey, how has progress gone for you lately? C:
FawnBrown: Ah ^^; Thank you? Having your Spirit Guide help you sounds cool C: I do believe some people have their spirit guide assist them here instead of a character C: How do you interact with yours?
Ch3rry: It’s great to hear your progress C: I have to agree that the first time is terribly exciting, congrats! I hope you two have had many invigorating conversations since then C:
Colors: I see. It’s cool though, you know what’s right for you, and you know how to pursue what you want. Great rewards come from effort. For me? My characters have never been dream characters, so I have always consciously summoned them to me ^^; But… In pursuing dream characters within dreams, it has sometimes been difficult and often in vain. This is why I chose to summon characters, but the next time I encounter a DC I must re-meet, I will be sure to update you on the situation using different ways of getting to the character. C:
Again, I’m sorry to everyone for not being around ^^;
I’m hoping everyone has or has had happy lucids.
Do a reality check!
~Happy lucids,
Tal
so I don’t really know how to induce it. I just sort of “wake up” and am hearing music! I think I’ve had it in SP once too. The coolest part of it is that I create the music, by just imagining it. I was able to create two separate voices once, at the same time, which is kinda hard to imagine while awake. Actually I co-create it, my SC helps too. So I’ll be doing the song and suddenly a beautiful violin will start playing, fitting in perfectly with the song! I’ll see if next time I can start talking to some random character…
just never music! Now, hypnagogic smell is totally new to me! I bet it’s pretty cool 
. Nothing beats the first time they talk back.