Thread: Having trouble realizing I'm dreaming\

For how long have you been trying? How "set" is your mind on getting Lucid? You need a goal to strive towards. Visualize achieving the goal and get excited over it. It's hard to keep motivation in the beginning but trust me, after your first Lucid you'll have an easier time getting Lucid and it WILL come soon. Aslong as you believe in yourself.

Tried WILD'ing btw?

What technique are you using, MILD? Don't expect to get it right away, it'll take some practice. Try reading through some tutorials on here and learning about the different "tools" you can use. There are much more in depth ways of achieving lucidity than merely thinking about it before going to sleep. That way's pretty much a gamble. You can increase your odds by thinking about it throughout the day as well, not just before bed.

Also, welcome to DV

One other thing: there are many different methods and techniques to use and try. Don't just go for the one that one guy says is best for beginners because he got lucid with it, and try nothing else.

Investigate and look into each method. The more common ones, DILD and WILD, etc, are the most widely practiced and therefore successful. However, people are different. I tried these for a week, did not get anywhere. Other methods I tried made me go backwards. I eventually found a technique that looks promising and I'm sticking to it.

Basically, don't waste time with reckless method choices. Pick the one that sounds and feels right for you, and try it at your very best. If nothing works, change. Don't stick it out with just one method, but don't spread yourself too thin or give up too fast.

Also, belief is key.

I'll add the other point of view.
Stuff all of that suggestion nonsense and belief stuff, because it doesn't work. Maybe it works for some people but I can tell you, unless your one of those people, it's like beating your head against a brick wall. You can think about lucid dreams all day and believe your a master lucid dreamer until the cows come home but it doesn't work. I certainly cannot placebo myself and I don't believe anyone else can either, because somewhere in your mind you know your not a master lucid dreamer.
My advice is give up on all the belief and awareness stuff and do something constructive and involved like FILD or WILD. (DEILD maybe?)

Originally Posted by Duo

I'll add the other point of view.
Stuff all of that suggestion nonsense and belief stuff, because it doesn't work. Maybe it works for some people but I can tell you, unless your one of those people, it's like beating your head against a brick wall. You can think about lucid dreams all day and believe your a master lucid dreamer until the cows come home but it doesn't work. I certainly cannot placebo myself and I don't believe anyone else can either, because somewhere in your mind you know your not a master lucid dreamer.
My advice is give up on all the belief and awareness stuff and do something constructive and involved like FILD or WILD. (DEILD maybe?)

You base all this "advice" on your personal experience? What about the countless reports that says that belief, positivitism and auto-suggestions actually work?

There's different kinds of methods and they work differently for every person. Just try them all out and see which one suits you, but you shouldn't stick with one forever and give the rest the finger. I decided not to get involved into WILD'ing since I had a hard time relaxing, but I'm starting to look into it more now that I've been able to up my Lucidity count by about 10 per month since starting using only DILD and MILD.

Try most of them out, see which one fits you at the moment and practice it. Intend to get Lucid, and believe that you can.

Originally Posted by Duo

I'll add the other point of view.
Stuff all of that suggestion nonsense and belief stuff, because it doesn't work. Maybe it works for some people but I can tell you, unless your one of those people, it's like beating your head against a brick wall. You can think about lucid dreams all day and believe your a master lucid dreamer until the cows come home but it doesn't work. I certainly cannot placebo myself and I don't believe anyone else can either, because somewhere in your mind you know your not a master lucid dreamer.
My advice is give up on all the belief and awareness stuff and do something constructive and involved like FILD or WILD. (DEILD maybe?)

I respect that this is your point of view, but don't just waive mine like its unimportant because it didn't work for you.
What I, and the other posters in this thread suggested, does work. Not for you, and you are entitled to say that. But you can't just say that none of it works because it didn't work for you.
I know you are not an asshole, coming on here just to be an asshole. But don't say other people's advice doesn't work.

Originally Posted by Origami

I respect that this is your point of view, but don't just waive mine like its unimportant because it didn't work for you.
What I, and the other posters in this thread suggested, does work. Not for you, and you are entitled to say that. But you can't just say that none of it works because it didn't work for you.
I know you are not an asshole, coming on here just to be an asshole. But don't say other people's advice doesn't work.

Just to make it clear, I was in an incredibly bad mood when I posted that, so you have my apologies. (I should also point out that WILD and FILD don't work for me either, nothing does).

I'm not saying you are a jerk for posting that, merely bringing how it could be perceived to your attention. Theres no bad blood, no need to apologize. Each person has their own method that works best above others, even if some methods don't work at all for some.
I'm sure the OP knows this now. I'm just glad we could come to an acceptable agreement to this "argument". Even though it was hardly one in the first place!

Originally Posted by Origami

I'm not saying you are a jerk for posting that, merely bringing how it could be perceived to your attention. Theres no bad blood, no need to apologize. Each person has their own method that works best above others, even if some methods don't work at all for some.
I'm sure the OP knows this now. I'm just glad we could come to an acceptable agreement to this "argument". Even though it was hardly one in the first place!

I'd say I partly said sorry because I don't even know if that is my own opinion, it depends on where I'm in an open mood or not, I am beginning to think that Lucid Dreaming was not built with me in mind, what with it requiring you to invest time and belief in something in which you cannot see any progress that is quantifiable enough for me. (I dislike anything that I cannot measure my progress through very accurately, because it feels like I am not doing anything).

Ha ha, I bet that if you find and read some of my earlier posts, you would see that I sounded a lot like you. However, I have learned that if you have enough belief, not in blind faith, but quantifiable facts, you can achieve lucidity, or even anything. Before I knew which method was best for me, I groped around, trying each method for at most 4 days. If I didn't get a positive result, I moved on. I then learned about ADA, (All Day Awareness) and met someone who knew a lot about the subject.

Upon investigating the technique, I saw that it had fast and effective results for a lot of people. It bests reality checks, as it relies on you actually dreaming, not just remembering to reality check, hopefully in a dream.
I use this method, and have been for a week now. It is showing positive results so far, and THAT is what I believe in. I don't believe it will work, and thus it will work, I believe that it can work, and now I know it will. The two are different.

Originally Posted by Origami

Ha ha, I bet that if you find and read some of my earlier posts, you would see that I sounded a lot like you. However, I have learned that if you have enough belief, not in blind faith, but quantifiable facts, you can achieve lucidity, or even anything. Before I knew which method was best for me, I groped around, trying each method for at most 4 days. If I didn't get a positive result, I moved on. I then learned about ADA, (All Day Awareness) and met someone who knew a lot about the subject.

Upon investigating the technique, I saw that it had fast and effective results for a lot of people. It bests reality checks, as it relies on you actually dreaming, not just remembering to reality check, hopefully in a dream.
I use this method, and have been for a week now. It is showing positive results so far, and THAT is what I believe in. I don't believe it will work, and thus it will work, I believe that it can work, and now I know it will. The two are different.

Have you got any advice for preventing Lucid Dreaming from annoying the living daylights out of me?

Well, you can ask yourself, why is it annoying? Because it is difficult? Why is it difficult? Maybe you have already asked yourself that question, over and over, until it made no sense or did not matter anymore.
Well the answer is as simple as it is cheesey: You made it difficult. Lucid dreaming is all in your head. You could be a total cripple with no muscles and no way of moving, yet with a normal brain you could master lucid dreaming. Inside your head is where all the dreams happen. If that same place knows that lucid dreaming is as hard as YOU know, then how do you expect to make it easy?

Lucid dreaming is alot like training, and then nothing like it at all. You can't train your mind endlessly to achieve a goal eventually. You can't just work mindlessly and basically not try, hoping to eventually stumble across your destination. However, you do need practice. You need to work at it, to try your hardest with it. You can't half-arse it all the way, you need focus, diligence, and patience.

Of course, some people have an easier time of it than others, much like how people are better at chess or running or writing books than others. However, since dreaming in universal, lucid dreaming is not a talent gifted to some, and unattainable to others.

Everyone can dream, everyone can lucid dream. What separates those you can, and those who do, is the belief that this knowledge brings. Everyone can, just not everyone knows it.

Silly speech over.

Lucid dreaming does come easier to some. Lucid dream induction methods can be effective or ineffective based on your personality and bio-mechanics. It is, in a word, subjective. Discover what works for you and follow that path. For me it is simple visualizations and self-hypnosis. For someone else it might be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or binaural beats.

I agree. For me it seems is my awareness of myself. Something works best for everyone. I suppose where you tripped up was thinking there is a perfect method for everyone, not just a best suited one.
Lucid dreaming isn't like breathing or blinking- it's not supposed to actually happen. We just discovered it, and worked out how to use it. Like planes- big hunks of metal aren't supposed to fly, but we got them to.

Originally Posted by Origami

Well, you can ask yourself, why is it annoying? Because it is difficult? Why is it difficult? Maybe you have already asked yourself that question, over and over, until it made no sense or did not matter anymore.
Well the answer is as simple as it is cheesey: You made it difficult. Lucid dreaming is all in your head. You could be a total cripple with no muscles and no way of moving, yet with a normal brain you could master lucid dreaming. Inside your head is where all the dreams happen. If that same place knows that lucid dreaming is as hard as YOU know, then how do you expect to make it easy?

Lucid dreaming is alot like training, and then nothing like it at all. You can't train your mind endlessly to achieve a goal eventually. You can't just work mindlessly and basically not try, hoping to eventually stumble across your destination. However, you do need practice. You need to work at it, to try your hardest with it. You can't half-arse it all the way, you need focus, diligence, and patience.

Of course, some people have an easier time of it than others, much like how people are better at chess or running or writing books than others. However, since dreaming in universal, lucid dreaming is not a talent gifted to some, and unattainable to others.

Everyone can dream, everyone can lucid dream. What separates those you can, and those who do, is the belief that this knowledge brings. Everyone can, just not everyone knows it.

Silly speech over.

Why is it annoying?
It is annoying because one's progress does not have a real feel to it. I can sit here and work for hours on a project then sit back and see that it is closer to being finished than when I started, with Lucid Dreaming I cannot.
It is annoying because it is so internal that nobody can help you with it.
It is annoying because you have so little control while you are dreaming, you lose all logic and that is infuriating beyond belief.
It is annoying because it is elusive, it has no clear obstacle, no clear thing to be annoyed with when you inevitably fail for the millionth time.
It is annoying because one cannot just sink more time or more resources into it.
And of course, it is annoying because it's so damn difficult for no good reason! There is no reason why on earth it aught to be difficult (this links into the it being elusive point) there is no solid blockade that prevents one from doing it, it is just something that doesn't happen. It's like why doesn't time go backwards? There is no reason why, it simply doesn't. Likewise there is no reason why I can't lucid dream, I just can't.

You are over complicating this, and also mis-interpreting it. You have noted yourself, you have already have 3 lucid dreams. Be they little more then 5 second fragments, you have proven to yourself, and accepted that lucid dreaming, for you, is possible.
There is no clear obstacle, because there is no obstacle. The only barrier to lucid dreaming, is it's effects. You think, therefore, there is. In your dreams, anything is possible, if you think of it, it is there. If you are convinced of monsters in the closet, there are monsters in there. If you think there is a barrier, there is.

What I practice is called ADA. It is basically a master reality check. I believe this is the right method for you. It works in the same way reality checks do, however it surpasses the obstacle where R.Cs fall- not realizing you are dreaming. That was one problem you stated above, was it not?

If you are aware of yourself, you notice more. In dreams, you are merely there for the ride- to watch and listen, not to experience or meddle, just to observe. In reality, if you do something, it has an effect- always. If you could transfer this control into dreaming, then all is possible. The only problem, so that the part of your brain that would normally operate this action, goes offline, asleep. Thankfully, you have a second half.

The logic side is useless as of now. You were depending on it's working, yet it never could. Now you have to learn to use the other side. Well, not really the creative side, that already functions at creating the dream. If you are aware during the day, you prove to yourself that you are in control, and all is real. Doing this, like R.C.s, will prove to yourself that you are in real life, or if dreaming, that you are dreaming. The idea is that a habit will form, uncontrolled by the brain, and that you will notice constantly throughout the day and night, all that is around and about you. That is "awareness". This carries over to dreams, and the logic center is given a helping hand, and woken up. Goal acquired.

Hey guys thanks for the input.

I've been using a dream journal (i need to start bringing to my bedroom downstairs) and I'm using DILD. thats the one where you go to sleep and make yourself aware that you're lucid right? I've done it a few times but it never lasts really long. I had one dream where I was in the CU engineering campus with a friend of mine and i became aware that i was lucid, about 15 seconds later i got the drifting feeling, then tried the spinning thing and it didn't work. I should try WILD, but I don't really understand it.

that argument was funny

^^^^ Wow your lucky man! Thats some pretty quick success you've had there with your LDing.
I had about 2 in my first two weeks of starting on DV, but now, I havent had one for about a month...

Make sure your dream journal is within reach of your bed. Also, spinning is a method mostly used to change the scenery, not really to keep the lucidity. I think you will find much more success with rubbing your hands together or rubbing your hands over yourself. Basically, anything that stimulates your sense of touch, as you can do that yourself. Really, any sense that is stimulated would work, but you cant really stimulate you sense of sight say in a failing lucid dream.

DILD is a good method to start with. It relies on practice, and with more practice, the more results. Other methods require hard effort, but you may not get results straight away, which can be disheartening. Keep up the DILD, and remember, even if you don't lucid for like a month, it does not mean you won't ever again.

Don't worry... you're not alone.

Originally Posted by Duo

Why is it annoying?
It is annoying because one's progress does not have a real feel to it. I can sit here and work for hours on a project then sit back and see that it is closer to being finished than when I started, with Lucid Dreaming I cannot.
It is annoying because it is so internal that nobody can help you with it.
It is annoying because you have so little control while you are dreaming, you lose all logic and that is infuriating beyond belief.
It is annoying because it is elusive, it has no clear obstacle, no clear thing to be annoyed with when you inevitably fail for the millionth time.
It is annoying because one cannot just sink more time or more resources into it.
And of course, it is annoying because it's so damn difficult for no good reason! There is no reason why on earth it aught to be difficult (this links into the it being elusive point) there is no solid blockade that prevents one from doing it, it is just something that doesn't happen. It's like why doesn't time go backwards? There is no reason why, it simply doesn't. Likewise there is no reason why I can't lucid dream, I just can't.

Why do you want to lucid dream in the first place? Do you really need to have the control of a lucid dream to achieve ur goals?
Personally, i found out about lucid dreaming last year and even tho i have only had 1 dream that i would clasify as lucid i remember more interesting dreams and am quite happy about that. There's definetly been a sense of progress there, for me. And even tho my rational side doesn't come up in dreams my non-aware dream self is learning dream control on its own, like i've flown 3 times in non-lucids now. I'm very optimistic that this will only improve and lucidity will improve along with it.
What seemed to be a turning point for me was setting up new dream goals and realizing that i didn't need to be dreaming at all to do my old goals.

And from what i understand you barely have to practice lucid dreaming, you just have to try be more consious while going about ur non dream related business and lucidity in dreams follows. Ofcourse WBTB a few times a week and practicing other techniques but these are done mostly while u are in ur bed anyway, no time lost.