2 year dry spell!!!

[quiktaco]

So it's been nearly 2 years since I've had a LD. Yeah, I know, it's been horrible. I didn't have too many back then, but I had enough that I understood it, and could control a decent amount when in one. It seems that my problem is attaining Lucidity...(isn't that everyone's?). I currently don't keep a dream journal, but did for about 6 months to a year. I don't anymore because I can usually remember about 3-4 dreams a night in pretty good detail, so I don't find it too necessary anymore (might be part of my problem). I have a list of dream signs a couple pages long. I know that's weird, but they are things that occur in at least 25% of my dreams. Some are in about 75%. Is this normal? Should I narrow the list down to the most occurring? My problem with these, is that during a dream, I NEVER realize that it's a dream sign. It will just happen, and I pass it by, and don't pay any attention. I have particular situations that occur, that I should easily be able to see as a dream sign, but I just follow along, and don't realize it, then I kick myself once I wake up. Another thing that happens, is while I'm in a normal dream, I'll realize I'm dreaming, but not to the point I would consider it a lucid dream. It's not like the sudden realization..."I'm dreaming!" And I can start to take control of things. It's just like, "yeah, I'm dreaming, so I can change this thing that's annoying", then I just fall back into the normal dream, with or without changing that annoying thing (if that was the situation, as it was last night). So far, I only know that I've had DILD's, I've never had any WILD's. I've tried WILD's, but never with success. Usually, my realizations into LD will be completely random, and I don't even reality check, because it's obvious that I'm LDing. I don't think I've had a Dream Sign send me into a LD even once. I need help! What can I do to get back into it? I've been reading through posts all day today, just trying to get inspiration, and get it into my subconscious. Anyone with any advise? Thanks so much.

[quiktaco]

Someone's got to know something I can do to end this dry spell. I have a list somewhere, but I'm going to try to remember the most common dream signs that I have and list them. I've done weeks where I would try to do a RC whenever I saw a dream sign, and that never yeilded any results. Stairs - biggest one...most all dreams. Odd staircases, moving, Stairwells, large, almost any scenario with stairs. Most of the time, when moving in a building in dreams, I will be using stairs. I guess elevators would take me to a new world...kind of like going through a mirror, or changing the channel. Stairs are usually incorporated in the crazy architecture (3rd on this list). Elevators, are a DS too, but usually because they shrink, the doors shrink, or close on me, or the door is small to begin with...stuff like that. (I'm kind of afraid of elevator doors closing on me in real life, because of this.) Bathrooms - 2nd biggest. A lot of dreams, but not all...but should be easily recognized as a dream sign. These bathrooms are very odd. Large, usually Co-ed, sometimes locker room type with showers, or sometimes just an excess of stalls/urinals...like a row of 50+ urinals lining a wall. Usually no, or little privacy in stalls. There's a bunch else, but I'll go into more detail if someone asks. Architecture - Usually in every dream to different degrees, but I don't know if it would be recognized easily. Very impressive buildings (if I were an architect, I'd be making big bucks with my crazy/progressive ideas)...I got a CAD program, so that I can create them in the computer so that I can show my wife...haven't done one yet, still learning the program. The buildings are usually some place that I'm seeing for the first time (not like my home or something that is normally familiar...more like I'm looking for a new house or something), that's why I don't think I recognize these, because they ARE new to me. I have about 20+ more dream signs. Some are big, and others are smaller ones. Can't recall much of them right now, but these three that I explained are my biggest ones, and I don't know why I can't recognize them when dreaming...I feel like they should be easy with how crazy and not 'real' they are.

[weeedoodle]

the thing that helps me get lucid is to think about it alot. I usually take some time before bed to just think about what i'm going to do, or read through my dream journal, or read some posts here. Then my thoughts carry over to the dream world, making me do a reality check. This may not help, as everyone is different. But it works for me most the time. Ive started having lucids about 3 times a week, ranging from awesome quality to breif lucidity. and of course doing reality checks, keeping a dream journal, etc.

[Robot_Butler]

Welcome to DV, Quiktaco Don't worry about the length of your dry spell. I took a few years off lucid dreaming, also, and got back into it quick. It will all come back fast once you start focusing on it again. Have you checked out the tutorials section? http://www.dreamviews.com/community/...splay.php?f=25 It may have some information that will jog your memory and get you back in the swing. My advice would be to keep your dream recall up, do frequent Reality Checks during the day, and try a Wake Back To Bed whenever you can fit it in. Just keep excited about being lucid again, and it will happen

[quiktaco]

Thanks guys, I think just thinking about it again on more of a daily basis would bring it back. Since the last one I had, my wife got pregnant, and now my baby girl is 7 months old, so I've been pretty busy, and not really able to focus on LD much. Can't really try any WILD's, cause I'm always watching my daughter when I'm home. I'm pretty much stuck to DILD's, and WBTB's. Luckily my wife is pretty good about taking care of my daughter during the night, so I'm not disturbed too much. Is there any tips or tricks to getting your dream signs to actually mean something when you're asleep? That seems to be my biggest problem. Like I said, I remember 3-4 dreams per night, sometimes more, with pretty good detail, so it's not the recall part of it that's a problem.

[The Cusp]

The good news is you probably had some lucids and just didn't remember them. I often wake myself up from a lucid to take down notes when I know it's gone on too long and I won't remember it. I say screw all those ILD methods, just try to boost your awareness during the day. Try not to slip into your routine, and try to constantly determine if you are dreaming, not just for RCs. You might also want to try "supercharging" your dream signs. Whenever you encounter one in RL, spend some time there and try to get yourself emotionally worked up while thinking about lucidity. Strong emotions strengthen memory, it doesn't matter what kind of emotion. If you can tie those emotions to those places while contemplating lucidity, it's bound to improve your chances of success.

[quiktaco]

Thanks Cusp, that's some good advise. Yeah, I'm sure there's been some LD that I haven't remembered. I know I've been in a routine for a while, so maybe that will break this cycle. About supercharging my Dream Signs, what do you suggest since my main ones are so common. I mean, I walk by stair cases many times during the day, and obviously, I visit the restroom a number of times a day. Should I try to do this emotional workup every time I encounter one? Should I pay attention to it in more detail, to see if it's real or not? It just seems that the opportunity to do a reality check in sleep has never arisen, because I don't SEE my dream signs as dream signs. They are just there, and get passed by.

[Rodiath]

I think that if you assign more importance to stairs and such in the waking life that the same will happen when you dream. Try thinking "Am I dreaming now?" and do reality checks whenever you walk up stairs and such, maybe it'd work.

[quiktaco]

That's a good idea. When I would do this in the past, I would just do a reality check, when I saw them/used them, but I don't think I ever prescribed more of an importance to them. I guess this would be invoking an emotional response to them. I guess I'd have to really feel like it could be a dream sign, then that way, I could feel the same way in the dreams, and then maybe I'll take a second look at the world around me. I kind of feel like I'm going to have one tonight, just because of all the talk about it today. I feel like I'm getting back into it. I can't wait until I can. It will be nice to escape from my busy life every night.

[Tweek]

YEAH! I haven't had a lucid dream since August 2007. I mean, not that I know of... I'm getting REALLY excited to get back into it. I mean.... aesthetic. lol

[quiktaco]

Well, last night sucked. I was all pumped to at least have some vivid dreams, because of all the talk of LDing, so I had some applejuice at bed, and at 4am. Tried a WBTB at 4. Nothing. I almost feel like I didn't even dream. I have about 4 snap shots of a couple dreams, but no memory of them at all. This is the worst dream recall that I've had in a really long time. I always remember my dreams pretty well. I must have tried to hard, that my brain almost just shut down. It couldn't have had anything to do with the apple juice could it? I never had tried that before. It's not 100% juice, only had concentrate in the house. One of my snapshots that I do remember, was in a bathroom. I know I didn't go lucid and just forget, though. This really sucks. This is about how my dream recall was before I had started the dream journal.

[Robot_Butler]

Maybe it was just an off night, don't worry too much about it. People claim so many different foods help them become lucid. I always just assume that eating anything during a WBTB will help you dream. Maybe its the ritual, or maybe its your body digesting. When you look at the amounts of vitamins people take as dream supplements compared to the amounts of vitamins in foods, it starts to get a little suspicious. Blood sugar probably does it more than anything else. Like Cusp said, awareness is the ultimate goal with dream signs. I think they are more valuable as a daily reminder to keep your awarneness up. Just a little ritual to help you become more aware. The more you encounter it in your daily life, the better. Turn your whole day into one long RC or awareness excercise.

[quiktaco]

I guess that's a good idea turning the day into a RC. If it's always on your mind in waking life, then, you'll probably be thinking about it during a dream, and will probably be able to catch things that would otherwise pass by.

[Tweek]

Yeah last night wasn't so good for me either. I woke up almost 2-3 times and tried it both times. The problem was, I fell back asleep before I could even come up with any real vivid images. I'm usually really good at mental imaging, but last night was just a disgrace.

[quiktaco]

Had a lot of dreams last night, but no LD. It was better than the night before recalling them, but it was still a lot harder than normal. Usually I'll remember my dreams almost like they actually happened. Last night I was stretching to remember details....that's funny...another dream just popped into my head while I was typing. I think I remember about 5 or 6 dreams last night. No dream signs in any of them though. The last few nights have been really bleak on dream signs...almost like my subconscious is staying away from them on purpose. My biggest three DS, Stairs, bathrooms, and architecture, all have to do with buildings, and last nights dreams were mostly in the middle of open fields. It's like my subconscious is fighting with me. ARGGG!

[Rodiath]

Show your subconscious who's the boss

[quiktaco]

Lol, if only it were that easy...got any suggestions?

[Rodiath]

Nah, I'm sorry. I'm a complete noob at all this stuff.

[quiktaco]

Well, my 2 year dry spell is over. About 1 week ago, I had 3 LD's in one night. Don't remember 1, but I know I had it, and I only remember the other two mildly, but did have some control. And last night, I had 2 more. The first one I went lucid, cause I recognized a dream sign. That's never happened before. Like I said before, I never recognize them. They could be the subject matter of the dream, but I wouldn't realize it. Anyways, I've been trying to get more of an emotional response when seeing them in waking life, and I guess it worked. The second LD last night was after a false awakening. Not really waking up, but it was right after the first one...I felt like I was going to loose the dream, so I guess my mind 'did' make me loose the dream. So I was suddenly in a different dream, but not lucid, then after about 10-15 seconds in the dream, I realized that it was kindof a false awakening/false exit. Then I became lucid in that one. That one was really vivid, but only lasted about 30 seconds to a minute before I woke up. I had so much control in that one. I completely knew I was lucid, and telling myself in the dream that I was dreaming so that I wouldn't just forget about it. Wasn't able to do anything worth while, but it was nice to be back in the game. Thanks for all the help guys, I think some of the things I've done really attributed to the 3 last week and the 2 last night.

[gthom]

Awesome and congrats! Hope the next dry spell isn't as long... Having that many in such a short period is great...I'm lucky to get one a month and I'm usually more of one every 2 months.

[quiktaco]

That's how it used to be for me also. The 5 total I had before was over the period of 6 months or so. Then I had 3 in one night. I entered completely randomly though. No recognition of any kind. Just realized I was dreaming. Very low level though. Last night I had two more, that were the first ones I've ever had that weren't random. Hopefully that means that I'm getting more aware in my dreams. I have so many dream signs that it should be easy to recognize if I had a little more awareness.

[gthom]

Most of mine have been random, although a couple were from recognizing dream signs. Reading your early post I saw that one of your dreamsigns is bathrooms. I have almost the exact same one - large public/locker room type places with tons of stalls. They're usually dirty or the stalls are broken. There's almost always something that prevents me from going - which may be my mind keeping me going in my sleep. I've never recognized it in a dream, even though it always seems so obvious upon waking. Anyway, congrats again...it's weird how when you get one or two, your confidence in getting more skyrockets.

[quiktaco]

I wonder if that's a common one... The oddities in mine, are very little privacy if I were to go. Looking back, I don't think I ever try to. They're large, lots of stalls, little privacy, co-ed, showers in a bunch, urinal-like things but not really, large open spaces. The dream sign that I actually recognized to go lucid last night was my grandparents bathroom. I went in to go, cause I was visiting at their house, and I opened the door, and the tub was in the right place, but the sink was moved. Didn't think much of this cause they were recently remodeling that bathroom. The thing that got me to start being aware was the toilet seat was very small, only about 6 inches in diameter. Didn't go lucid from that though. I looked back over at the shower/tub area, and it was gone, but in it's place was a large opening to a lower floor. From what I could tell, it was a water overflow catch, but it was the size of a room. I started to explore that open area, and saw that it was actually a lower kitchen area that I was looking down on. 3"x3" white tiles everywhere in it. That's about when I went lucid. Now that I look back at this, it combined a bunch of my dream signs. • bathrooms • architecture • hidden rooms Maybe that's why I went lucid, cause my subconscious was slapping me across the face with dream signs. Either way

[gthom]

The only dreamsign that's ever caused me to go lucid is more of a general feeling of frustration -- being late somewhere (usually airports) or being back in school and forgetting a paper/final. Whatever the specific scenario, there's a general feeling of frustration about not being able to accomplish something. Sometimes my mind will say "damn, this is just like one of your dreams" and it'll hit me to do a RC. My other lucids have been spontaneous, like you say where it just hits you. The ability for self-reflection is dreams is so stunted or non-existant that even the most obvious dream signs don't trigger things unless your mind has achieved a close association to those situations and dreaming.

[quiktaco]

I think I'm going to have to add that to my list. I have the feeling of frustration all the time in dreams, but never thought to combine all these occurrences into one feeling that I can associate. Back in school, can't find locker, can't find class, have to get somewhere quickly, usually on bike or walking, but not with car. Can't remember locker combo, tons of other things like that. I know exactly what you mean by that feeling of frustration. I'll start associating that to dreaming now. I did notice the other day, when I was getting into my shed, I tried to unlock the combo, and I guess I messed up on it and it wouldn't open. The first thing I thought was, am I dreaming? I usually don't do that, but it was so quick and immediate, that I guess that's been ingrained into my thinking. Haven't thought that in dreams yet though.