Possibly the key to lucid dreaming?

**hallongodis** · 05-06-2011 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by Ctharlhie

I've been doing this the last few nights, last night was my birthday, and of course lucidity was only a secondary concern. So I didn't try, I just did, by not becoming focused on the why's and how's (I had no mantras, I wasn't visualising, I didn't WBTB, etc.). What I did have was a quiet but sure confidence that that night would be my night, and it was. Once you let go of the shackles of Lucid dreaming as being something only a handful of people can achieve, that it is hard work etc. You just do it, and don't worry about it.

Natural Lucid Dreamers never get hung up about techniques, they might not be aware of them, they just lucid dream, it's what they do. You do, too.

This is exactly how it works for me! I think many people using this technique are "trying" a bit too much. But what is the difference between trying and knowing? For me trying is when you continue to tell yourself that you are going to have a lucid dream that night in bed. But if you knew that you would have a lucid dream that night, why would you continue to repeat that in your head?

I didn't get this simple fact before I started to look into my own dreams a bit more. First I started to look at what I did differently when I had my lucid dreams, of course I looked in all the wrong places. Was it the food I ate? The things I did? The time I went to sleep?

Well, I tried to completely replicate all of those little things and guess what I got? Absolutely nothing. I was left dumbstruck, if I did everything in the exact same way as I did when I had my lucid dream, why wouldn't I get one then?

Then it struck me, no small thing would make me lucid, because the only thing holding me back was myself. What held me back was my own state of mind. Every single lucid I've had throughout the years have been successful due to my state of mind.

So what was my state of mind like when I had my lucid dreams? Perhaps I thought much about lucid dreaming before bed? Maybe I played some game to make me more alert? Nope, the only thing I did was being careless about lucid dreaming, I didn't focus my strength at becoming lucid. I focused my strength at falling asleep.

So, what did I do when I failed my lucid dreams then? I pressured myself. I continued to think about lucid dreaming at night, trying to induce it by thinking hard about dreaming and by doing that i increased the already high pressure even more. It didn't matter if I fully believed that I was going to lucid dream, by pressuring myself at night I managed to destroy my chances of having lucid dreams.

I wish I would've seen my facial expression when I came to that conclusion. I think it was something in between of looking extremely happy but at the same time extremely dumb. This simple thing had flown past me millions of times and I didn't give it a thought at all. For years I sat and repeated my mantras, tried to fall asleep while aware and thought about lucid dreaming. But the only thing I needed to do was to look into myself and figure lucid dreaming out for myself.

The "method" i use in a nutshell:
1 (optional). I meditate about an hour before bed to make my thoughts more manageable. This makes it easier for me to induce the dreamscapes I want to visit (horray for cool dreamscapes!)
2. I go to bed and sleep. (If you have a hard time feeling careless about lucid dreaming try to think of it as something less important. You could pretend that you have a big test at school tomorrow and you really need to be 100% awake in the morning, so you don't have time to think about lucid dreaming.)
3. I lucid dream

If you choose to meditate you could use that to reinforce the fact that you're going to have lucid dreams tonight (or every night

).

So if anyone feels like they're trying a bit too hard, stop trying. Watch some movies, play some games, read some books or simply chill out. You are going to get your lucid dreams anyway!

(TLDR; I agree with Ctharlhie, don't focus so much on lucid dreaming at night, confidence is key, over-thinking is not.)

**Ctharlhie** · 05-06-2011 06:03 PM

I should point out that my lucids were technically DILDs, I had a sense of something being not quite right and RC'd.

Would I have done so had I not convinced myself I was a natural lucid dreamer through positive reinforcement is the question.

**SilverBullet** · 05-06-2011 06:48 PM

I did a WILD using this just about an hour ago. I just felt like "I'm gonna WILD" and I went to sleep slowly drifting off THEN out of nowhere my awareness spiked up and I caught myself having a thought that made no sense. I stayed still and I WILDed.

. When I was in the dream I had some trouble. I got up but I couldn't see anything. It was like I was blind. I felt my way around to the front door of my house and thought "I CONTROL MY DREAMS, THE ONLY REASON WHY I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING IS BECAUSE I'M HOLDING MYSELF BACK" Then everything slowly brightened up and clarity increased. I did this WILD very easily. So yes, I believe that the only thing holding back people from lucid dreaming is themselves.

**hallongodis** · 05-06-2011 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by Ctharlhie

I should point out that my lucids were technically DILDs, I had a sense of something being not quite right and RC'd.

Would I have done so had I not convinced myself I was a natural lucid dreamer through positive reinforcement is the question.

That sure is the question... Well not that it really matters in the long run though. As long as you get lucid dreams it should be alright

. Something I would advise you to do is to learn more about how you get lucid dreams from the nights you have lucids on. I don't think that any technique is created for every person in mind, they are more like stepping stones to find your own method. Some of those stepping stones does wonders for some and nothing at all for others. I think you've found a stepping stone that might work for you, and from now on it's up to you to see if it's the perfect base for you to have lucid dreams with.

I hope that, in time, you'll be able to answer your own question. Until then I'll be more than happy to look at your progress

**Windhover@** · 05-06-2011 10:27 PM

thank you, Silverbullet, after reading this, I LITERALLY had a DILD today.

I let all the negative feelings, stresses about failing LDs everyday, I just let it all go, I tried to calm myself thinking "lucid dream? pfff. I do that everyday. I dont need to think hard about it" and then I went to sleep, then boom!! DILD worked.

thank you so much, this really is a valuable lesson for me. now I can practice dream controlling!!

**SilverBullet** · 05-06-2011 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by Windhover@

thank you, Silverbullet, after reading this, I LITERALLY had a DILD today.

I let all the negative feelings, stresses about failing LDs everyday, I just let it all go, I tried to calm myself thinking "lucid dream? pfff. I do that everyday. I dont need to think hard about it" and then I went to sleep, then boom!! DILD worked.

thank you so much, this really is a valuable lesson for me. now I can practice dream controlling!!

I'm glad it worked for you! You're a perfect example of using this technique.

**Raspberry** · 05-06-2011 11:32 PM

So last night, I created a quite confidence, but thought nothing more on it before going to bed. To be honest it was more of a fleeting atmosphere while I was falling asleep. I didn't have a lucid dream, but I don't count this as a fail at all, because I believe in practice.

Also, usually when I don't WBTB I only recall on dream per night. Today I recalled two lengthy dreams which were very vivid. In these dreams I had a feeling that something was off. I think that in the back of my mind I knew I was dreaming. Also, during the dream I recall myself thinking "I lucid dream every night, it's so easy."

Semi-success!

I still have that kind of confident, "knowing" atmosphere with me so I'll just sleep tonight and lucid dream.

**SilverBullet** · 05-07-2011 03:10 AM

Here is a nice quote, I can't remember where I heard it from or who said it but it goes along the lines of something like this:

"Some people think it's holding on that makes one strong, sometimes it's letting go."

**Flying Spaghetti Monster** · 05-07-2011 06:19 AM

glad to hear this has been working for people
we underestimate the importance of mindset in being successful with lucid dreaming

**Marsupilama** · 05-07-2011 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by Flying Spaghetti Monster

we underestimate the importance of mindset in being successful

fixed

**Mirror** · 05-07-2011 01:25 PM

Tonight I went to bed knowing I would have had a lucid and that I would have been conscious of being awake after each rem cycle. I succeeded in recalling 5 endless dreams, got up after each rem cycle and used one of those awakenings inducing a massive WILD. I felt like I was multiple people because in each dream I was someone else but ultimately none of them, just me.... awesome!

**Raspberry** · 05-07-2011 08:03 PM

That sounds awesome Mirror!

No lucid last night, but once again I remember two vivid dreams where I felt something was up. It's just a matter of time I think!

**Mirror** · 05-07-2011 09:45 PM

It surely is Raspberry

Just a suggestion, don't think about time. The moment you give yourself more time you create an inconscious gap between you and your goal projecting it into an indefinite future. Simply know you can now, you don't need anything else, and if you don't succeed don't even think about it, it doesn't really matter after all, because in the end you'll get what you want and when it will be it's going to be...... guess what? The Now

**telentis** · 05-08-2011 09:09 AM

Whoa, this actually works! I haven't yet had a lucid with this, but in the first night I rmember hearing "This is a dream!!!" as I woke up. In the last (2nd). I got the feeling that something was off.

**Raspberry** · 05-08-2011 12:26 PM

Remembered three dreams last night (though I forgot to write them down so they're kinda fragmented, I remembered them fully at the time though) and in one of them I thought "I lucid dream everday, I get shit loads of lucid dreams." But I didn't recognize I was actually dreaming! But of course, I always recognize when I'm dreaming

**McDreamy** · 05-08-2011 08:43 PM

I haven't been thinking about lucid dreaming since about February because of school but a few nights ago I read through this thread. I went to bed thinking "I lucid dream. Its just natural to me. I'm doing it now." That night I had my first in a long time. The next night it didnt work tho, but I was having some doubts.

**SilverBullet** · 05-08-2011 09:56 PM

2 lucids last night, 10 more till I hit 200 lucid dreams.

**Dragonworkz** · 05-08-2011 10:07 PM

So I tried this last night. I told myself, "I lucid dream. Lucid dreaming is easy. EVERYONE can do it. You're holding yourself back by your doubts and false beliefs. Let them go. I lucid dream."
Sadly, I didn't get a lucid. But I know that it will happen. Cool part was though, I haven't remembered any of my dreams in literally months, because of school and all that. But the first night I try this technique? I remembered my dream in the morning. I can already tell it's progressing me along. (: I'll lucid dream tonight.
It really is a belief/subconscious thing. Our standard conscious belief is that lucid dreaming is difficult, and that it takes a lot of practice if you're not a natural. But in reality, everyone can do it. And by truly believing you can do it, and like Silverbullet said earlier 'Not just believing. It's fucking KNOWING.' <that right there says it all. KNOW that you'll lucid dream. And it'll happen. Sure, it may not work the very first night you try it, but it progresses you towards your goal (lucid dreaming) and ends up giving you the desired result. (:

**Ctharlhie** · 05-08-2011 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by SilverBullet

2 lucids last night, 10 more till I hit 200 lucid dreams.

A well deserved 200 lucids, I have to say this thread has changed my experience of dreaming. Through the day if I'm not doing anything in particular I'll think to myself 'I'm a natural lucid dreamer' and smile, because I know if I say it, it's true.

**SilverBullet** · 05-08-2011 10:33 PM

Let me say something. This technique works if you use it one of the 2 ways. I already told you one. And that is not trying at all. The other one is trying REALLY HARD. And for beginners if not trying at all doesn't work for you, then try really hard. Like when I first started this, I was horrible at dreaming, I could only remember 1 or 2 IMAGES from my dreams. My attitude then was frustration and determination. I was like "I WANT TO HAVE A FUCKIN LUCID DREAM!". Maybe that's what started it, but I know that after I started having them I kinda stopped trying so hard and they started just happening.

**kookyinc** · 05-08-2011 10:57 PM

I will certainly give this a shot.

If it works, though, I might have to smash my head into a wall because it will mean that I've wasted months trying to LD to no avail. :-D

**NrElAx** · 05-08-2011 11:09 PM

This is kind of like when I was a kid and had nightmares all the time, and before I went to bed one night, I just told myself I won't have nightmares anymore. Guess what happened, I didn't have nightmares anymore. Its that subconscious hahah, its a very powerful thing. I'll give this a shot with lucid dreaming now.

**Velarious** · 05-09-2011 12:07 AM

I managed to have 4 lucid dreams using this technique without keeping a dj, kinda lazy to keep track of my dreams atm. I'll probably keep a dream journal after i stop using mj.

**Reclypso** · 05-09-2011 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by MBA42

It is, I've been doing it for a few days.

You may be able to be confident in what you do but believe me there's a lot more possible with this than you can see. Problems WAY beyond lucid dreaming can be solved with this, what life altering problems have you solved?

**Explode** · 05-09-2011 10:41 AM

Wow, *believing* that you can getting a parking space and getting one? Winning bets because you *believe* you will win? Sorry, that is complete bunk. When it comes to goal setting, sure! But I draw the line at supernatural powers.
I don't like the vocabulary he uses at all. I understand the idea though, and it does make sense....

"Trying" is simply "doing" with the intention of failing.
- Every self help book ever written
Instead of TRYING to win the lottery, DO it instead and your collective superconscious or whatever will make those balls fall out of the machine.
- Guy in vid