Frustrating LD's

Quest for Lucidity
1

Not sure anyone can help with this, so maybe it is just venting or one of those “does this happen to anyone else” posts.

Anyway, I’ve posted on here before that most times when I become lucid in a dream the dream fades rather quickly and I FA in my bed. This is ok, because I RC with my clock and if I’m dreaming I just get up and go do what I want (although sometimes it’s hard to get where I want starting in my room). Lately my FA’s have become more and more frustrating. For example, last night I realized I was dreaming and had an LD that lasted a minute until I “woke up” with “sleep paralysis.” I could just barely move my head over to see my clock, but my clock wasn’t there. I waited for the paralysis to end and then I got up to try to find my clock. The room was pitch black, but the radio was going so I went by sound until I could feel it. I found it and couldn’t make out the digits because they were too dim. I realized though that I am still dreaming since I can’t even read the clock. I demanded light and better lucidity, but to no avail, then I “woke up” again and the process started over except this time I didn’t have SP and my dream wife was slapping me around trying to wake me up, which she did, so I had another FA, but this time could see and went outside and flew around. So, I finally got there, but this is becoming frustrating. It has not only happened last night, but this is the worst - I mean three FA’s including one with false sleep paralysis and not being able to find my clock to do an RC, c’mon.

I guess I need a way to stay in that first LD longer (btw, I do hand rubbing or spinning and they work to keep my lucid, but end in the FA’s). Any comments/ suggestions?

2

Instead of demanding light, etc. I’ve found it’s better to try and change the scenery completely. I do this by walking through a wall, walking through the darkness and using self-hypnosis to describe to myself the details of a different scene, one that inherently has light in it.

For example, your own bedroom is a place where it is often dark when you’re in it–every time you sleep. But if you describe a place that is always well-lit when you’re there (a swimming pool, a shopping mall), you will have more light. Light is very important to a vivid lucid dream. It’s easier to visually focus on things, and it provides more “fake stimuli” that is being made up by your brain. The more fake stimuli you get, the easier it is to stay in the dream. We are visual creatures, so light is the most important fake stimulus.

When I have a lucid dream where I’m in my room and it’s dark (this happens often), the first thing I usually do is leave by walking through the nearest wall to reset the dream’s setting. At first I see nothing, but I describe details of the new setting (“I’m at a swimming pool. I can feel the water around me. I can hear the sound of people splashing. I can hear the diving board and the lifeguard’s whistle, I can feel the sun beating down on me…”) and a dream gradually materializes itself around me.

3

Hm. You dont seem to be stabilizing your dream first. You should rub your hands together while keeping calm when you get the chance… also I have found I can “float” out of SP in dreams, because the SP is not real. I imagine myself floating upward without any physical movement, and I do. Then I can extend my arm slowly…