Why can't I become lucid...

I know you'll think this is just another noob rant but it isn't really.

I dream a lot, every single night. Long, coherent, albeit bizzarre (but in an awsome way) dreams. I also dream increadibly vividly. My dreams are probably as realistic as real life in every way. It seems I'm quite unusual in that respect. But... I just don't become lucid. Only very rarely (in my opinion, though it's probably quite a bit more often than other people) will I become lucid and it's never because of reality checks (and I do them constantly during the day), it just happens randomly. I can also hardly ever maintain the lucid state for more than a few seconds without waking up.

Apparently the medication I'm on (Seroquel) is partly responsible for a lot of this, but could it also be preventing me from becoming lucid? Is it possible that people with any level of psychotic condition would find it harder to become lucid? After all, if you can't always tell reality from delusion in real life, you'd probably be even less likely to in a dream.

Just a theory.

First, I like your avi. :) That's from Amadeus right?

I'm on Seroquel (haw haw) and I don't find it hinders my ability to have lucid dreams. If anything it makes them more vivid..

Like you, most of my LD's happen spontaneously, although I'm able to stay in them. :shrugs:

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After all, if you can't always tell reality from delusion in real life, you'd probably be even less likely to in a dream.

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This can play to your advantage, if you question what is real and what isn't, then is more likely to carry over to the dreams. If you are in real life and believe it's real, then you are more likely to believe the dream is not a dream but real life.

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Apparently the medication I'm on (Seroquel) is partly responsible for a lot of this, but could it also be preventing me from becoming lucid?

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Sorry, don't know :/

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I can also hardly ever maintain the lucid state for more than a few seconds without waking up.

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This comes naturally with practice, like any accomplishment. The first few times is going to be really exciting and therefore wake you up, but then stabilizing becomes systematic and easier, so don't worry about it, just try to remain calm and focus on the dream world.

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I also dream increadibly vividly.

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So do I, which made it hard to realise I'm dreaming, but persisting with All Day Awareness, SAT, and questioning reality made it much easier for me, so I don't normally have to do reality checks.

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I know you'll think this is just another noob rant but it isn't really.

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I don't think it is, and ask anything else if you need it.
BTW, sorry for going backwards!

(If this was a rant, it would be welcomed anyway, everyone feels frustated once in a while in their path for regular lds :))

I can't really comment on seroquel because I've never used it, but I can tell you that maybe it's yourself who is preventing you from lucid dreaming. If you believe you can't have lds with the medicine, then your brain will actually block a huge percentage of possibilities.
Instead, try to think:

- Am I using the right approach?
- Am I using the best technique for me? How long have I been practicing it? How do I perform it? What results did it gave me so far?
- Do I have regular sleep? Do I end up going to bed anxious about my next lucid dream?
- Am I able to notice my dream signs? Am I focusing on the most common ones to and make sure I will know I'm dreaming when I perceive them?

Sometimes, one of these questions might be the answer on why you aren't having lucids. Remember, you can always do more: work more on your dreamsigns, more in your dream journal (reading it before bed/during WBTBs), trying SAT, resume my reality checks only when I see odd things/certain dream signs.

I don't believe that what you are taking can prevent you from lucid dream, at least a few per week, especially after what the person above said. I know everyone acts differently, but in my point of view you just need to convince yourself that you are the one in charge: you and yourself are the ultimate responsible for your success. I'm sure if you believe you will start having more lucid dreams. Good luck! :)

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Originally Posted by Seroquel

First, I like your avi. :) That's from Amadeus right?

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Yeah it is :)

Thanks for the great input everyone. The other thing about the Seroquel is that it's a really strong tranquilizer so it makes it difficult to get up during the night for WBTB etc. I have to put the alarm on the other side of the room so it forces me to get up so I don't just slam it off next to me and go back to sleep :D

When I do get up for that I'm usually quite good at being able to close my eyes and picture the dream where it cut off and re-enter it, but even then I usually loose lucidity even if it's a smooth transition.

I'll keep at it.

I've gotta say the biggest problem is stated directly in your thread title. "Can't" can be your biggest cause of failure, you can Lucid Dream--anyone can; you just need to put the effort and determination into it. Instead of jumping right into Lucid Dreaming, first try and put your mind in the proper state. Get pumped for it, think of everything you can do, watch movies like Inception, listen to music that inspires you. You'll find that once you're in a more positive state you'll be more likely to succeed.

So... last night I'm in the middle of a dream when I begin to suspect that something isn't normal, so I decide to perform some reality checks. They all failed.

I couldn't breathe with my nose closed, I couldn't fly, my hands looked fine and I could read perfectly too. The other thing; asking yourself 'how did I get here' also failed. I stood there for ages trying to think what I'd done that morning or the day before, but I couldn't remember. This didn't make me lucid at all, it just made me confused as to why my memory was so bad. Figuring I wasn't actually dreaming after all, I went on with the plot of the dream none the wiser.

I guess sometimes dreams being so realistic is a problem for becoming lucid :?

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Originally Posted by Kaiserman

So... last night I'm in the middle of a dream when I begin to suspect that something isn't normal, so I decide to perform some reality checks. They all failed.

I couldn't breathe with my nose closed, I couldn't fly, my hands looked fine and I could read perfectly too. The other thing; asking yourself 'how did I get here' also failed. I stood there for ages trying to think what I'd done that morning or the day before, but I couldn't remember. This didn't make me lucid at all, it just made me confused as to why my memory was so bad. Figuring I wasn't actually dreaming after all, I went on with the plot of the dream none the wiser.

I guess sometimes dreams being so realistic is a problem for becoming lucid :?

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It seems like you didn't really trust in your RCs. Performing them is only half the effort, the other being that you truly must believe that the effects will happen. In many cases what you know as the laws of physics and reality carries into your dreams because it's everything that makes sense to you. This is where you have to really break free of what you know and expect in the world. Think of it this way, when you are in a dream it's as detailed as you sitting here reading this now; it's when you wake up that a lot of the details fade and the dream seems very unreal. This is hardly the case though, and that's why sometimes RCs fail; keep testing them and the environment, with the right attitude you might break into lucidity. Also be sure to ask yourself if you're dreaming, and if you conclude that your memories are very fuzzy which is unusual then assume it's a dream.

Good points, thanks.

Unrelated, but last night I had an awsome, but scary dream about being caught in an avalanche. Later on in the dream I was swimming in a wide river when I realised I was coming up to a waterfall. I tried as hard as I could but was too sore and exhausted to keep swimming against the current and got thrown over. I guess if I'd been lucid I'd suddenly have limitless energy and strength. A cool example of how what our brain tells us can literally effect our actual physical ability.

That's a very good point that shows how much our expectations of the real world carry on into our dreams. If we were from another planet where grass is pink then in our dreams the grass would be pink. (most likely) But in one dream the grass may be green and you might spot this as dream logic and perform a reality check.

It takes a while. It took me 2-3 months to get my first lucid. You have a huge advantage over people who don't dream vividly because it's easier to see what's going on.