When I was a child, I had full lucidity. I could do whatever I want. I could even feel, smell, and taste everything. When I wanted to know what a certain food tasted like, I’d just try it in my dreams, though I’m pretty sure it was just what I thought things would taste like. This wasn’t always a good thing though, as I could also feel pain. Once I got shot in the stomache and all I could do was sit there for 30 minutes in extreme pain, barely able to breath. I couldn’t force myself to wake up then either. I also remembered my whole dreams, instead of just the very end. Everything was also perfectly clear.
The only thing I really had trouble with was flying. Instead of floating around like most people, it was like I had giant invisible wings on my arms, and I couldn’t fly all the time. I never flew for long distances either, it was more of a glide. Also, I could never do it while I was trying to show people that I could fly.
But then I hit puberty, and it all went down the drain. For a long time I couldn’t even remember my dreams, until recently. I can only remember the end, maybe the last 30 minutes or an hour before I wake up. My dreams are always out of focus, because it’s almost impossible for me to imagine things now.
When I do have lucidity, it’s only for a flash. The last time I realised I was dreaming, I looked at my hands(because I’ve never seen them in a dream before) and they were all weird looking. I definately didn’t have the right number of fingers, and they were all big and lumpy. The more I tried to focus on them, the more they just shifted around, and I lost control. This happens every time I realise that I’m dreaming and try to focus on something.
well, first off congrats on the first post and welcome to the forums Mad Fish!
Also, it doesnt seem to surprising that puberty upset your dreams, hormones,ya know… hmm, all I can really suggest right now is start keeping a dream journal. I have found keeping a dream journal has helped me start remembering my dreams more fully after a period of not being able to remember them.
The having a hard time imagining things and having blury dreams might be able to be fixed if you try some mediation or simple visualizations a little bit every day; I would say before bed.
The having blurry hands could also be a good dream sign. Try looking at your hands a lot while you are awake and ask yourself if you are awake or dreaming
I actually came up with the dream journal before I did some research and found out how popular lucid dreaming was. I always get ebarassed about it and end up abandoning the notebook in fear of it being discovered. The last thing I need is somebody finding it and reading all about my dreams, heh.
And I do look at my hands alot during the day. I look at every single detail and always manage to find more things about them.
I do however stay in bed for about an hour thinking about my dream and trying to remember as much as possible about it before I get up.
well, if you are afraid of someone getting your dream journal, then thinking about your dream for a while after you wake up is probably good enough to increase your dream length/vividness.
But Id would suggest still keeping a dream journal, just dont actually write down the dream. Instead write down some things that stand out ,or were weird in the dream. This way you can catalogue some dream signs…working on that myself
Its also great that you do look at your hands during the day, maybe you could combine that with a few other reality checks to increase the chances of getting lucid.
say out loud to yourself 10-20 times “I will remeber my dreams” and then say it to yourself 10-20 but really think aobut what you are saying dont just say it without thinking about what you are saying. I used to never and I mean never rmeber my dreams and the first night I tried that I remembered one, and have been remebering atleast one a night eversince.
And your problem when you couldnt gain clarity, try rubbing your hands toegether and spinning around that I’ve been told works
wow, I can’t believe I forgot to mention that one. I deffinitly agree with wadadli that repeating your intention out loud or to yourself can help a ton. you can also write it down a couple of time.
Also, Wadadli, I noticed your ld count is 0, since saying your intention in this way has helped you remember your dreams, perhaps you should also do this for lucid dreams, like “I will realize I am in a dream tonight”
Not to sound negative or anything, but now that I think about it, when I was younger (probably younger teen years) I couldn’t remember dreams for about a year. And other than that year, I’ve always been fine at remembering them.
That’s not to say I don’t think you will have the same problem, especially because belief goes a long way. If you really want to remember your dreams, then you will.
Another theory is that since you are a little ashamed of your dreams possibly be being read, that your subconcious is making you not remember them, as if they were a bad thing.
That is odd. I hit puberty a few months ago, yet just the night before last night I had an LD. A short one. And I also noticed that in puberty, lucid dreams tend to be more about sex.
I’m getting better at it slowly. I’ve made it a habbit that as soon as I realise I’m dreaming, I say out loud as much information about myself as I can. My full name, address, zip code, anything that makes me think.
I’m not really sure if it’s really working though. In my dream last night, I was in a school bathroom. Me not being in school anymore, I was able to figure it out and started the routine. When I felt I couldn’t be any more aware, I looked at my hands. This time I could actually see them, they were normal. I could also clearly see myself in a mirror. Then I looked over at a trashcan. I figured if people could transform entire worlds in their dreams, then I should at least be able to conquer a simple trashcan. I attempted to change one of it’s wheel’s color to green. I failed of course. I couldn’t change anything, or do anything out of the normal in the dream. That’s about all I could remember when I woke up.
The problem is, I’m not sure if I’m actually realising that I’m dreaming and becoming lucid, or if it is all part of the dream and I’m just acting like it, because thats what I’ve been thinking about during the day.
I am pleased however with acurately seeing my hands in the dream. My next goal is to see my feet.
