More Fine Tuning:

To correct the brightness problem, I removed the color filter and silk sheet I was using and replaced it with 5 sheets of red colored, Hallmark tissue paper ($2 at Long's drug store, in the gift wrapping supplies section). It softened the brightness considerably and actually produces a much nicer red glow than the color filter that comes with the strobe.

This morning, once again, I went lucid in my dream from the strobe, but once again I was pulled into waking consciousness within 3 seconds of the flashing because it was too bright. Hopefully, all I have to do is cut more sheets of tissue paper and keep layering till I find the right level of brightness.

But the repeated experience of being triggered into lucidity, and then immediately pulled kicking and screaming out of my dream has lead me to realize a possible problem with this set up:

As far as I know, commercial outlet timers can be set for a minimum of 1 minute on/off cycles, and no less (if anyone knows of a timer than can be set for less than one 1 minute, please tell me).

So far, every time I've been awakened in a dream by the strobe, I've thought to myself that even though it was too bright, if it would only flash for a couple seconds and then stop, I could stay lucid and continue dreaming.

The problem isn't so much the fact that it's so bright, it's that the light keeps flashing for a full minute and I can't maintain my dreamscape more than a couple seconds with such a bright flash wiping out my field of vision.

So now I'm wondering how dim does the light have to be for me to go lucid, but still remain asleep and dreaming? To maintain my dreamscape for a full minute while I wait for the flashing to stop, I think it will have to be pretty soft light. But if it's too soft, it may not catch my attention at all while I'm dreaming.



Oh well, I guess I'll just keep layering on the tissue paper until the strobe doesn't wake me up and go from there...