I’m not sure if I read it on here, or somewhere else in the internet, but I read/heard something about learning to lucid dream that stopped be in my tracks.
The gist of it was,
“Do not place your confidence in techniques. You should be confident in your own ability to lucid dream, and the techniques are secondary.”
It’s so simple but I think very easily overlooked. To expand on it, I think especially for myself I think of WILD or MILD or whatever to be the end-all for lucid dreaming, and if something doesn’t work it’s not the tech it’s me. I think the problem is the technique. They’re not perfect, and they’re not molds that everyone has to fit into. Retool the tech to suit your needs. They’re methods to awake certain instincts or abilities that you already possess. It’s like using flash cards to learn vocabulary, or going further back the ABCs. Do you use flash cards every time you say certain words or write? Of course not! They are aids to trigger or enhance the capacity for memorization that you already have. Same way with techniques. I’m no expert and not yet at the point of being a proficient lucid dreamer, but from my limited experience I’m quite positive that everyone has the capacity in them to lucid dream, and techniques are there to show you that, and again like the flash cards aid something that’s already inside of you.
No ramble at all, my friend. It’s like you said, the techs are only there to help expand upon (or discover) your own natural ability. Thanks for posting, always nice to get a reminder like this. After all, how many times have we seen a new LD’er fretting over whether or not they’re doing a tech “right” or not?
i’m in the same rut! just recently i was doing three different techs a night and it’s just so frustrating, because i was putting so much trust in the techniques i was doing. but it’s like, there’s no magic tech that’s going to make you lucid dream. doing three at a time won’t help. i mean, confidence in oneself is really the only thing you need. everything else is there to build upon a foundation that should already be there. i think that’s why so many people get spun out and give up on LDing. if the foundation is shaky, the whole thing is going to collapse. it’s best to take a deep breath and focus on being confident for a little while. and i’m saying this as much to me as anyone else!
Exactly! I think it’s BenDrummin who wrote the MILD mantra I love the most: “I am a lucid dream, and tonight I will have a lucid dream.” Nothing to do with RC’s or anything like that. It’s all about you.
it’s funny you bring him up, because i’m a huge supporter of his way of thinking. i think he is dead on with his approaches. in his programs you don’t even begin to learn a LD tech until, maybe, the 4th or 5th day i think. all the days before are about building confidence and being in the right mindset.
and Adventures of Baron Munchausen for the win. i just saw the movie last week and full on recognized the quote you have in your sig.
I heard that in one of the Lucidipedia videos, that might be where you heard it too. And I couldn’t agree more! I’ve noticed many times when I have dryspells it’s exactly because I forget this advice and focus too much on the technique. Then I end up frustrated because the technique isn’t working. It’s like looking back at the little training wheels on your bike and wondering why you’re not moving, without realizing you’ve forgotten to pedal!
I’ve also heard this in the Lucidipedia videos, Tim the webmaster and presenter compared it to driving a car - if you’re confident in that then you should try using that feeling of confidence when you practice lucid dreaming, in other words believe in yourself.
That’s a great metaphor! I was trying to think of one myself, but you hit the nail on the head. And kind of like lucid dreaming, once you get the hang of it you get rid of the training wheels eventually. I know plenty of people who get to the point that they have lucid dreams without doing techniques.
