Thread: 6 Years In The Making...

For an introduction, just know that I'd been attempting lucidity in my dreams for six years now. I hadn't been actively pursuing it consistantly, but I would do RCs daily, and just about half the times I went to sleep I would utilize some technique or other I'd read/heard about. I've achieved some incredible dream recognition abilities over the years(I almost never forget anything from a dream that I've woken from without any writing at all), even to the point of remembering large details from several dreams without waking after each one. Whether it was a result of the LD attempts or not, I had some pretty heinous Insomnia for about 2 years to the point of mild waking hallucinations. I would sleep for an hour at a time, maybe three times in a row, but I managed to get that back into check after college. However, up until last night, it was all for nothing. I'd had recognition once when I was 21, but I woke instantly.

I've been reading this page and forums for about a month now, and started really getting into it. However, last night's LD was what seems to be a completely accidental WILD. I fell asleep watching Coccoon and drinking a glass of whiskey (as I'm sometime known to do). So, I began dreaming about Coccoon. Details nonwithstanding, I was on a boat getting ready to fly into a spaceship and I remember thinking "This is f#$ing rediculous. Who would actually believe this?" and that was followed immediately by an RC on a digital watch (which I don't have, mind you) and a "Holy crap, I'm dreaming!" I suppose I got too excited because I instantly awoke. Now, I didn't open my eyes, get up, or do anything. I just lay there mentally kicking myself, and fell back asleep in a matter of a minute. However, this time as I was falling into sleep, I was hearing some loud ghost sounds (which happens to me every time I sleep), I forced myself to admit what was happening and forced myself to maintain consciousness. Thus began the LD. I did some minor tasks I could think of, making people and things appear. I couldn't quite fly, but I just told myself to take it one step at a time. Now, my questions relate to things I haven't read about on this forum.

1 I was pretty much constantly fighting waking the entire time. I must have tried spinning 30 times throughout the experience, but it never worked. I only managed to stay in the dream by shaking my head a lot. I was wondering if that had happened to anyone else?

2 Dreams are personal, so I realize that's not as curious as the fact that I seemed to be in between waking and a dream. I sleep on the couch because my bed is incredibly uncomfortable, and just about half the dream I could distinctly feel the fabric of the couch and my body's position on it.

3 Finally, I didn't wake up after the LD. The onle reason I remember having it is because I woke after my next dream and I was telling someone about the LD in that dream. So, I dug into my little mental dream log (can anyone else remember dreams in this way? Without waking after them?) and found the previous dream. Aren't you supposed to wake after an LD?

Of course, I couldn't get back to sleep for an hour, my 6 years has finally come to fruition! Any comments or answers would be appreciated, I've got to do this again. Also, anyone got any opinions on whether my attmepted lucid dreaming caused that Insomnia in college?