I think I remember a topic about this in the past, but I can’t find it and it didn’t really get anywhere…
Anyway, it seems a great majority of the times I get a decent level of lucidity I really REALLY have to make a lot of effort to maintain it. It’s so hard to focus that much and it really seems like I’m pushing my mind to the limits Sometimes it’s just hard, but last night I was able to hold onto my lucidity a bit longer and it almost felt like I was … hurting myself? I almost got a headache
When I’m with low lucidity this doesn’t happen as I just go around doing stuff It’s only a problem when I want to focus and stay with this good level of lucidity so I can really experience the dream and decide what to do.
Anyone else have this? any way to get rid of it? Is it maybe just like a mental muscle and only requires some practice? It’s annoying to have to strain my mind that much to stay focused, but when it borders pain it starts to become more of a problem
maybe it’s just me putting in too much effort? maybe I’m afraid at some level that if I try to focus in a more relaxed way I’ll wake up (which is my main problem…)
Not sure what to think of it, so any comments are welcome!
EDIT: oh, and by the way, this is besides doing hand rubbing and other things. I’m talking about a more mental thing here, keeping mental clarity, not only avoiding waking up.
Oh, so you mean not just keeping the dream going, but keeping lucidity up? Hmmm… I’m trying to remember back to a couple of my long LD’s.
I guess I don’t have much of that issue. The longest LD I had seemed to phase between medium and high lucid. Maybe I didn’t have the strain because I wasn’t keeping it high.
I do have mental strain when I have an unstable dream. It seems to take a lot of effort to keep the thing from falling apart. Maybe we’re experiencing the same thing butbased on our different weaknesses. I knwo I have issues with unstable dreams pretty often. Do you have issues with having higher lucidity in general?
I’ve had a few LDs where I felt like I was falling-down drunk. But as far as “more lucid” is concerned – if I were lucid enough to be worried about the level of my lucidity, then I’d be plenty lucid. If my lucidity level is low, then I’m not lucid enough to be concerned about it. Unless I’m feeling drunk, which rarely happens.
I can’t recall what you’re talking about. But if you’re activating your brain too much when it’s supposed to sleep then I’m sure you can get a “mental strain”.
@Rhewin: Yeah, I have issues most of my LD’s are low lucids and they tend to be unstable. Usually they are ok and suddenly fade away, I don’t have much time to react.
It’s a bit hard to explain since I barely know what it is myself But it’s probably that I get lucid enough to realize that if I don’t do something I’ll wake up or get lost in stupid random activities (which usually comes with lower lucidity), since that’s what happens every time. So in these moments I wish I was able to just stay there, doing nothing (or rubbing hands, using my senses, for example). So I rub hands and try to focus on my environment and that’s when it usually happens. (Hm, it just came to me know, perhaps I’m trying to focus as a flute player would blow hard, wasting his breath and not making any better music Maybe I’m just not sure how to focus ) At the moment, I’m not having LD’s every night, but I’m ok with my inducing skills enough to start working harder on my LD’s length. After 3 years of LD’ing and over 500 LD’s, I still have very short and unstable ones. It’s getting old. So one task I’d like to do is to get lucid and stay put, rubbing my hands and saying “I’m dreaming” (or whatever) for as long as possible. Just to see how long I can go
@arne: Oh, I’ve had the drunk feeling too! It kinda sucks. And my lucidity works the same…
@WASD: I hope that’s not the problem It doesn’t really feel like that though, since all I’m trying to do is focus
Got a bit off track there, but thanks for the comments!
Sometimes it’s just hard, but last night I was able to hold onto my lucidity a bit longer and it almost felt like I was … hurting myself? I almost got a headache 
It’s only a problem when I want to focus and stay with this good level of lucidity so I can really experience the dream and decide what to do.
I’m trying to remember back to a couple of my long LD’s.
) At the moment, I’m not having LD’s every night, but I’m ok with my inducing skills enough to start working harder on my LD’s length. After 3 years of LD’ing and over 500 LD’s, I still have very short and unstable ones. It’s getting old. 