Lucid Dreaming Help?

[Miketb101]

Hey everyone, My problem isn't Lucid Dreaming, it's holding it for a while and manipulating things in it. I am aware I'm dreaming about 5 to 6 times a month, but I can't hold the Lucid Dream for a long time. I also cannot manipulate anything in the dream. One way to try manipulation is to change my surroundings or summon things like people or items, but I can't. The most I'll hold the Lucid Dream is about 5 or less minutes. Any help or advice to control and hold my Lucid Dreams?

[LighrkVader]

Probably not the simple recipe you were hoping for, but I subscribe to the idea that frustration and problems in lucid dreams often stem from the way you view the nature of dreaming and your relationship to the dream. Your relationship to and understanding of the dream realm and the subconscious are (and will always be) faulty...this creates challenges. This is true for everyone, but you can develop a perspective that has a desirable effect on the way you dream... If you simply can't control anything despite being lucid this is where I would start... have you read any LD books? Thats a nice way to get some new ideas and perspecives. There are also some nice resources on this page on increasing dream control and stability

[Miketb101]

My Lucid Dreams always trigger when something isn't right in my dream, like a nightmare or seeing something out of the ordinary. It also triggers when I get sleep paralysis, which happens often (about 4 to 5 times a month). Are these triggers the challenges that prevent me from maintaining and manipulating my Lucid Dreams? Edit: Funny thing, last night I had a Lucid Dream. It occurred when I was looking out my window and heard an explosion. I saw a giant mushroom cloud. Someone was next to me, staring at me, and I got that feeling of a nightmare. It started to get dimmer and the atmosphere felt heavy and menacing. I instantly knew I was dreaming and said it out loud, "I'm Dreaming." I walked away and he started to follow me. I tried to summon something, manipulate the surroundings and even fire a Final Kamehameha (I remember this vividly.) Nothing happened. It was as if I was in the regular world. I turned around asked him how do I make things appear, what do I have to do, and why can't I do it. All he did was look at me with malice and annoyance, rolling his eyes and turning around as if he was walking away from me, and ignored me. I kept asking him these questions until my dream started to fade, which wasn't a long time, and I woke up. Does this help explain anything?