When trying hard doesn't work

This is for those of you who've only had less than a handful of LDs (or none at all) despite trying diligently.

So, nothing's working for you, huh? You're not the only one. I've already given up hope and I'm here to tell you what's been going through my mind for the past couple of days.

Do you really think you're not in control of your subconscious? Do you truly believe that there's anything stopping you from having a lucid tonight? Well, looks like there is.

I think you're trying too hard.

I bet those that have hundreds of lucids every year have it come to them so naturally that they don't even worry about it anymore. Their mind is used to giving them multiple lucids a night while your's won't even give you one. What do they have that you don't?

It seems like they're not trying at all. Coincidence?

Count the amount of times you've had a lucid? Under 10? Under 5? When you had these lucids, did you try during the night before or did you simply have them without effort?

I'm going to ask you one last question, and I want you to think carefully before answering it. You know the answer better than anyone else.

Will you have a lucid tonight?

Yes, though probably not till in the morning. Nice post.

Yes, but.... I've tried so hard I've had only 2 lucid for the past 10 months. If my subconscious was a real life person he probably couldve been killed by me now. I am doing my best but it's like theres something wrong..but now right at this moment I may just have realized what it is. ZOMG.

I think that's what my problem is now, trying too hard and trying to force myself to have one. I'm afraid that if I don't try hard though, I won't have lucid dreams or I won't remember my dreams at all.

Trying too hard makes you fail, that's true for sure. However, you can't have LD's without working at all either. I guess the trick is to find a balance between the two.

I'm a natural, but I was losing my ability and it wasn't before I started practicing that I regained it, and improved it so much more. It is kind of like you say, that I am confident that I will get lucid at certain times. I have so much faith in my ability to lucid on friday/saturday night, that I don't have to give much thought to do it.

Trying hard works for some, but if it doesn't, then relax for a while. It wasn't until after a two month break that I started having them more frequently, but most important of all is to give it TIME. Now when I try hard, I get them. Not sure if it's the MILD techinque that is finally paying off, or confidence. Which will ofcourse come with experience, which you will get in time!

Good luck you guys who are struggling, and know that it will pick up eventually.

I've been Lucid dreaming for almost two years now. I have gotten better at it, but I still have trouble. The past week hasn't been very good, especially compared to the week before. I think I'll take a break for a day or two.

The worst that can happen with not trying is not getting what you want, which is also the worst case scenerio in trying.

At least this way you're not putting in much effort, which doesn't make much of a difference anyway for most people.

I can apply this logic to anything in life that requires a sort of nature that one has to be given at birth to succeed in. Can working ridiculously hard at trying to Lucid Dream allow you to lucid dream? That most likely changes from person to person. I've failed when I've tried. Succeeded when I didn't. That's the path I'm taking.

Just try to be aware and conscious generally, lucid dreaming is just being conscious in the dream

I periodically get really OCD about it, like if I have a dry spell I'll start writing down all my dreams and thinking about dreaming throughout the day to break it. But I've been having them consistently lately without really trying, just WBTB and a little bit of MILDing, mantras and stuff. But I don't worry about it or really force myself to do it, I just do it when it occurs to me to do it.

I have tried lucid dreaming, off and on, for many years. I've had a few, but they're usually short lived. I've had a few awesome ones though, powerful enough to keep me interested. My biggest issue is that I focus so intently - that I often lay awake in bed all night and can never go to sleep. I would say that's trying too hard! Other times I become lucid and feel totally in control, then it just slips away without warning, just another short-lived lucid dream. I know, it can be very frustrating. I've always had extremely vivid dreams and have always been able to recall the vivid ones. I've always loved to sleep, loved to dream, you'd think I'd be a natural. But I'm not. And I think I know why:

I am a very pig-headed, egotistical, self-righteous, know-it-all. Grin. I mean, I'm a nice guy and people really like me, but man I can be difficult. I've had this affliction my entire life. I always feel like I'm right, that I'm the only one in the crowd that has it figured out. Obviously I've learned that this is utter nonsense, that I'm simply pig-headed, but it's an ingrained part of my psyche. I'm simply a dominate sort of intellect. I've become convinced that this the lone setback in my attempts at lucid dreaming. My conscious mind will simply not let it happen. It wants to grab the reigns and take over, bully that I am. This wakes me up immediately, and I get my just deserts: a very short lived lucid dream.

Y'all, don't think I'm serious about being a bully. I really am good-hearted. But I know this is what my difficulty is. How to turn back a lifetime of seeking to be in control? You see how ridiculous this is? By being a control freak - I cannot control my dreams! My ego just won't let it happen. The moment my consciousness discovers what is going on, it fires up and takes over - thus disrupting the dream and I wake up. So I've come up with a plan. As you can tell, I write a lot. I have journaled my dreams. I'm recommitting to doing that, but I'm also looking for a good forum to relate my experiences. Perhaps by getting humble and talking about my difficulty... well... maybe I can be a little more light-handed in the dream state. Maybe others fit this category?

Whenever I think I'm trying to hard, I always take a break.

The most times I get my lucids are when I'm not doing so much stuff to get lucid. I just keep a dream journal, RC, maybe do the occasion WBTB/MILD a few times a week... Then I start to get regular LD's, and then I start going to bed thinking "Yeah! Lucid dreams for me tonight!"

And when the cycle ends (minor dry spell) I take a break because I feel kinda lucidly exhausted. Then when I'm nice and relaxed, I start focusing on it again :D

Its like what he said . what clairvoyance just said.. it made me think..

when we try hard , or put alot of effort into lucid dreaming, being conscious in our dreams,... we fail... because we are conscious every day at awakening until night... as if we shouldnt be putting any effort into being conscious at all? because we already know?

and when we barely try, we just go to bed with normal intention, we become lucid, because we are conscious that time as we went to bed, .. and the effortless ammount your subconscious thinks you will lucid, then you will...

a bit like saying.. .

"YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS IS A SECURITY CAMERA, IT WATCHES YOUR MOVEMENTS, THEN STRIKES ITS ATTACK!" ?! lol

And i'v just thought... I have had almost all 9 of my lucid dreams... by... not even putting induction techniques into what i wanted to happen.. just... thought... alone helped. ♥?

I WILL!!!! :panic:

I am going to lucid dream tonight. Who else is with me?

Yeah, duh.

I have been this way for the past week but the last 2 days I've had lucids.

I think if you really want one wake up in the middle of the night and get your recall really good. Turn on the lights and really wake up, if your dead serious stay up for almost an hour. Then try to go to sleep as fast as you can, don't roll over too much just lay there (try to think of random thoughts until you can't seem to control your thoughts anymore). You really should have a lucid from this after awhile.

I've been looking into LDing for a while now but I've still yet to have one. Thanks for the post, LucidDreamGod, I'll try that tonight. Here's hoping it works. :)

Yeah it is basically a perfected WBTB.

I myself usually only stay up for 10 minutes with the light on. The reason I think most people fail at wbtb is they just lay or sit there in the dark and that doesn't help you wake up very well. You need to trick your brain into thinking that this is morning, and you will feel agitated falling back asleep again.

I suggest it because it is always what gets me out of a dry spell.

So you're basically suggesting to fully wake yourself up before going back to bed, right? :P

Well try to find an equilibrium between how much you are waking yourself up and being able to make yourself go to sleep. I used to call this idea of mine mind melting because it made me feel disoriented. Where I'd just think of the most random thing, the first thing to come to mind and then the next thing that came to my mind. after awhile the thoughts would just come on their own and I would watch them as they made me go to sleep. Don't mistake it for a WILD but it is possible you will be so aware that you will feel yourself go through sp. Actually I think it is the essence of what a good WILD should include. You doing something to make yourself fall asleep fast and not focusing on staying conscious, yet your so aware that you won't lose all conscious anyway. Do not mistake consciousness with falling asleep. To fall asleep means your physical brain and body begin the REM cycle or any other sleep cycle.

This morning I remember waking up after wbtb and every time I'd lay still for awhile I'd feel sp start to come over me.

So...try to find the point where you're as awake as you can be without going past the point of not being tired enough to sleep? And at this point, try to sleep again?

I'm kinda tired at the moment so sorry if I'm a little slow. Need to stay up for the next five hours too.

Yeah, good luck, I can be confusing sometimes sorry :P.

I have had multiple lucid dreams every normal week (boot camp didn't count) for fifteen years. When I attempt to have them I have a 80-90% success rate. I have had lucid dreams that lasted for 6-9 hours. I developed the ability naturally, with no advice. I didn't know anyone else had the ability.
Why am I bragging?
For credibility. I cannot stress the following advice enough:

I developed the ability to lucid dream through exploring those states in between wake and sleep. I would devote an afternoon or a morning and hang in between those states and study them. I think one of the most solid ways you can develop these skills, even if it may not be the fastest way, is to become comfortable with those states when you are barely asleep or barely awake. Bend the envelope. Stretch the boundaries. Play with your mind.

Don't worry about having lucid dreams. Just explore. Study. Play with those hypnogogic images. Become comfortable with those states of consciousness, because lucid dreaming will happen a lot easier when you have started to open your mind to those states, and become accustomed to them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LucidDreamGod

Yeah, good luck, I can be confusing sometimes sorry :P.

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Thank you very much. WILDing should be that much easier now that I know how long to stay up for. I've been experimenting with the time and I've stayed up for like, half a minute and dropped off straight away (non lucid) and stayed up for so long that I couldn't get back to sleep. One step closer to LDing now. Thanks again. :D