Help with keeping eyes closed

Hey, I’m not really new to the notion of lucid dreaming, as I’ve experimented around with it a few times (used sounds and guidance to help me as well as tried it on my own). The main problem I have is my inability to keep my eyes closed. I can make my body completely relaxed to the point where I truly believe I can’t move, but for some reason no matter what I do, my eyes slowly creep open and next thing I know I’m staring at the ceiling instead of the back of my eyelids. I can almost approach the point of visualization, then I realize my eyes aren’t closed anymore. I’ve tried everything- using a blanket, a blindfold, squinting my eyes (I know), but it doesn’t seem to help.

Another problem I have had is that I’ve listened to a track where I’m told to visualize the slicing of a lemon, and I can do that no problem. When I’m told to visualize whatever I want, however, the only thing I can see is sort of a gyrating, spinning circle of teeth, sort of arranged like the sarlacc from Star Wars, or like a really intense leech that sort of envelopes me. This has happened multiple times, and I can’t seem to get much farther before my eyes open again. I don’t know if maybe this is like an “opening image” for me or what, but it is really weird.

I know exactly what you mean when you say your eyes open ‘automatically’. I assume you’re trying WILD?
When you relax your body, don’t forget to relax your face aswell. Move up to your neck, ears, cheeks… relax your entire face.
For me it helps to move my ‘feeling’ to some other part of my body. When you want to go to sleep you’re still looking at the back of your eyelids, and after shutting down your body, it’s the only part you haven’t really let go yet. Try focussing on breathing, and ignore your eyes. Even if they open a bit, it doesn’t matter… just make sure it’s dark enough around you to not really notice it, people can sleep with their eyes open, and they’ll close eventually.

As for the spinning circle of teeth, your mind doesn’t know how -not- to think of something. If you don’t want to think of something you automatically think of it. This is what i find hard when clearing my mind, or visualizing something i want to visualize. The only way to do this for me, is just let the images come… even if you see a ‘sarlacc’ from star wars, or whatever, just look at it, and let it drift off… don’t try to push it away, just observe it and let it float away to make room for other thoughts, untill your mind is empty. Make sure you don’t wander off in thoughts and fall asleep though :wink:

This is how i solve these problems, maybe it works for you, maybe it doesn’t.

Good luck :smile:

Thanks for your advice. I’ll try it out.