Having a hard time with recall... again.

[littledreamer]

While I was trying lucid dreaming out a year or so ago, I went into a recall dry-spell where I wasn't able to remember any dreams for about 3 days. However, my first lucid dream broke that particular dry spell. I started trying to lucid dream about 3 weeks ago, and everything started well recall-wise. I remembered 1-2 dreams every night for 8 days since starting a dream journal again, then started having some unfortunate nights with no recall here and there. Unfortunately, the past week or so I have been having terrible recall. Every other night i'll remember a sliver of a very foggy dream. The other nights are recall-negative. I try to keep dreaming and lucid dreaming on my mind throughout the day. I keep a dream journal. How can I improve this? I feel like I have slacked, and I must admit it is discouraging. I would try to stay still when I wake up, but 99% of the time I don't remember exactly when I wake up. I usually just find myself with my eyes open already stretched out in bed. Hope someone has some advice. Maybe just admitting this to myself with this thread can help me in some fashion. LD

[Solarflare]

Try MILDing with your mantra being 'i remember my dreams tonight' [never use the word 'will']. Reread you DJ entries and try to find Dream Signs. Also try ADA. that increases recall.

[FireDevil]

I was just wondering what is wrong with saying will when saying a mantra?

[Solarflare]

it implies future and you want lucids TONIGHT not 10 years from now

[FireDevil]

Oh ok, so, just to clear things up. Its bad to say will even if you couple it with tonight. Like " I will lucid dream tonight. And for you little, just try reading previous dreams and even when you dont remember anything just write down " Cant remember any dreams" Itll tell your brain you want to remember your dreams.

[littledreamer]

Thanks for the advice. I've heard many people use "will" if they imply a limit to the future tense, as brought up by FireDevil. ("The next time I am dreaming I will realize that I am dreaming," for instance.) In fact, Naiya's MILD guide has autosuggestion examples that include "will:" Naiya's MILD Technique Using Autosuggestion Using autosuggestion or mantras, either alone or with the visualization, will help you MILD. Remember that the mind ignores negation when you are coming up with mantras to use. For example, if you use this mantra: "I will not fail to lucid dream tonight" Your mind will perceive it as: "I will fail to lucid dream tonight." One of my mantras used to be "I will have a lucid dream tonight." I was confused when I starting having only one lucid per night, when I normally have a few. Then I changed it to "I will have many lucid dreams tonight," and I began having more lucid per night again. Some of my favorite mantras: "I'm dreaming" --> the best for coupling with visualization, really drives it home. "This is a dream" "I will wake up in a dream" --> to promote FA's. Remember to couple with RCs every time you wake! "I'll be dreaming soon." "I will have lucid dreams tonight." I'll keep with Naiya's technique for a couple of months, along with some ADA. I'm also about to purchase a copy of Dr. LaBerge's Exploring The World of Lucid Dreaming. All of this should carry the ideas over into my dreams. Should.