So I gave this Lucid Dream thing a shot a few months ago. I kept a diligent dream journal, tried all sorts of ways to induce lucid dreaming, kept up with my daily reality checks, tried to keep my brain in focus as I went to sleep. I kept it up for a good three or four months. Eventually I found a good WILD method and stuck to it, about every night (or every other, so I didn’t lose too much sleep).
But nothing happened. I almost never had an LD and if I did it lasted for about three seconds–I became Lucid and woke up instantly. This didn’t happen often, and didn’t start happening more often. Frustrated, I gave up and decided I’d try again later.
So here I am–trying again! But I’m looking for advice. Here are some of my situations:
Often, when I am dreaming, I will randomly do a reality check and (for example) see that my hands are all gooey and messed up. I look at it for a second, think “Am I dreaming?” and then proceed to say “Ah, no, my hands just look weird for no reason.” Seriously. It is one of the most annoying things ever.
Once or twice, in an WILD, I came very close to sleeping. A large painting appears before me, usually of a landscape scene. I very slowly and carefully inch my foot forward and take a step into the painting. As soon as I am in, I look around and realize I am in a dream. Then I instantly wake up! This happens a lot and in many different situations (the instantly waking up).
Once, in a dream, I realized I was dreaming–or at least I think so. I said to my self “This is awesome! I can finally be lucid!” but as soon as I tried to do something, nothing happened. I tried to fly, or move and object, or something simpler and I couldn’t do it. Is this some sort of false lucidity?
After awhile, I simply started to lose motivation because I wasn’t seeing any progress and I wasn’t getting any lucid dreams other than the sorta-ones I have mentioned above.
I know that this is pretty long and complicated, but any advice at all would help! Thank you so much for your input!
I’m not sure what you’re doing wrong, but from what I’m understanding you could be trying too hard. Of course when you’ve tried a lot for a long time and you finally achieve lucidity, you’ll be surprised/very happy or something similar to that; it could wake you up right away. I’m not saying this is how it is, just what I thought it could be. Maybe you should try less, keep on writing your dreams and try to be relaxed?
It’s harder to do it when you’re trying really hard, from what I’ve read and experienced. Don’t give up!
This is normal. I have faced this problem my self but thankfully there are ways to get what you want; demanding or the “magic pill” (no im not talking about viagra LOL). Demand what you want, yell it out and the dream will do it for you.
If for some reason that doesn’t work, try reaching into your pocket and grabbing a pill. It can be any color you like ,taste like whatever you want, but most importantly you will be able to do or acquire anything you like. This technique will work only if you believe in it to work and truely and strongly feel that it will work.
I see that you have a habit to perform a RC. But maybe you don’t do it right, maybe you are too quick in judging whether is something reality or not. You have to dedicated some time to a RC, you have to stop and see for real where are you, ask yourself how you came to that place and where are you going and when doing RC repeat it a 2 or 3 times…
I always say that this is good. Actually falling asleep consciously. At that point where you feel like you’re almost asleep but still conscious and if you feel vibrations then just let yourself asleep… Transition from WL into dream world lasts only a sec and you will be in a dream lucid…
I think that your mistake was in rushing things. Once you realized that you’re dreaming I think that you where very excited?! Right?! And then you start to do things but I would bet that you had so many things on your mind like: should I fly, I have to try this and this and that… I know and then you didn’t succeeded and that caused losing lucidity. What you were supposed to do was stop and try to get more calm, observe where are you and do more RC just to confirm yourself that you are in a dream, that would bring you stability and vividness in a dream and maybe you wouldn’t lose lucidity so quickly…
It’s normal to feel less motivated after not having much success, I had that too but I don’t worry about it. Every now and then is good to take a pause and free your mind from lucid dreaming… Now when you’re back try to put some effort in that, not too much… Many things you know by now and it’s going to be easier.
Also I would recommend easier technique then WILD… But experiment with WILD parallel with other technique.
I hope this helps… Good luck!
EDIT:
Oh I forgot, also if you have some goal it will keep your motivation and you feel more dedicated toward lucid dreaming.
Congrats on trying again! I’m sure it’ll be rewarding.
I don’t really have answers to 1 and 2 that would be satisfactory, but I can try to answer the others.
Try relaxing a bit more, and imagine what you are about to do. Sometimes I have this problem, and it’s good to just think through what you are about to do.
DON’T GIVE UP! That’s what will destroy lucid dreaming. Try LL, and you will definately have DILD’s. And try a different reality check than the hand, if it doesn’t always work for you.
This happens a lot and in many different situations (the instantly waking up).
I know and then you didn’t succeeded and that caused losing lucidity. What you were supposed to do was stop and try to get more calm, observe where are you and do more RC just to confirm yourself that you are in a dream, that would bring you stability and vividness in a dream and maybe you wouldn’t lose lucidity so quickly…