Two Questions: Lack of reality checks/waking hypnagogia?

Quest for Lucidity
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Wow, trying to sum up this post in the subject line is a bit difficult.

I have two very different questions but I figure no point in making a thread for each of them so… here goes:

First off: most of the time when I become lucid in a dream, nothing noticeable triggers it. I guess I just feel it somehow, or suddenly become aware that I am dreaming. Only very rarely is it that I see something odd and question if I’m dreaming, and I don’t think I’ve ever become lucid due to a reality check (though since I have learned of them, I usually use them after becoming lucid just as a safety precaution before jumping off a roof or something). I was just wondering if this was common, and if there were any specific induction methods one might recommend to someone who seems to become lucid randomly.

Second, I had my first lucid dream the other night since I started actively trying to LD again, and while it was short-lived, it was quite enjoyable (I finally got to ride a dragon!). But when I woke up, I didn’t do so immediately. I was trying quite hard to hang onto the dream, and perhaps that is what caused this, but I saw all these colors and patterns as though I was watching them on the inside of my eyelids. I could hear myself breathing very loudly and was becoming extremely aware of every part of my body. I might have been under sleep paralysis but I didn’t try to move anything so I really don’t know. Finally it all faded and I opened my eyes.

I have only ever read about the hypnagogic state and never really experienced it (despite trying WILD on multiple occasions)-- I thought it was only something that happened when one was falling asleep, but this seems very similar, only I experienced it while waking up. Is that possible? Or was I just having some sort of after-dream thing?

This all has me quite curious, so any input is appreciated :smile:

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Most of my LD’s were random DILD’s, too, and WBTB worked wonders for a while. Now I don’t believe it was necessarily “something strange” that triggered my LD’s, because there were so many “somethings much, much stranger” that continued being ND’s-- maybe just a heightened dormant lucidity with the dream as a trigger.

Waking hypnogogia is called hypnopompia, I believe, but I experienced what you described quite a few times when doing WBTB. I could move, often did move, but half my mind or more was still following the thread of dreaming-- hard to describe, since it wasn’t necessarily imagery, but the dreamy state of mind made it easier to return to the dream even if I was technically already awake.

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I would say a spontaneous LD is rather common, and most of my LDs are as such. The RC stuff are only when I’m not sure, and also as a habit hopefully to trigger lucid dreams.

You asked if there were specific induction techniques for people who spontaneously LD. I believe the best technique would be MILD. It aims to just make your mind focus on getting an LD, not necessary specifically recognising a DS, and so should be rather appropriate. So far the technique I use most is MILD (cause it’s easy), and it has resulted in many spontaneous LDs, so I should think it’ll work for you too.