Looking for help! Desperate to achieve lucidity! D:

**nettlebeast** · 10-15-2011 08:14 PM

I'm 20 years old now, but when I was younger (from when I was about 10 or 11 to about 13) I used to be an avid LDer!
I remember picking up a book about lucid dreams at a bookstore, and being a child, and thus open to everything, I decide to try getting a lucid dream.
It's hard to remember that far back, but I do remember just going to sleep with the aim of having a lucid dream, and I just /did/! It came naturally!

Then, for whatever reason(s) I stopped engaging in LD's, perhaps because my life became so much busier as I grew older and I just forgot about it.

Recently, I've been wanting very much to get back into lucid dreaming! Unfortunately, I can't seem to do it the way I did when I was a child! It doesn't just happen anymore; maybe I'm overthinking it. I've read many beginner's tutorials in an effort to train myself, and I've tried many techniques (I now carry a marble with me everywhere I go for RC, I use mantras throughout the day and before I sleep, and I go to sleep with the resolve of attaining lucidity) and I just CAN'T do it!

I end up just falling asleep and dreaming normally. I then wake up in the morning, look at the sun coming through the window, and I'm just like "OH COME ON. Not again! Another night of no success at all and I don't even remember falling asleep." D:

I even tried the WBTS method a few times (on nights when I didn't have college, that is!) and I went back to sleep determined to have an LD, and ended up just slipping off to sleep without remembering it, same as any other time.

What am I doing wrong? Why can't I seem to lucid dream no matter what I try or how resolved I am to LD?

I'm so glad I have all you guys on here to talk to, because I certainly can't ask my friends for advice on this particular topic, they'd think I was a little crazy, aside from not even knowing what I was talking about!

EDIT: I also keep a dream journal.

**Moondreamer** · 10-15-2011 08:18 PM

Hmmm. Do you have a dream journal started? They help with your memory of the dreams you have, and you might have had one and just don't remember it.

**nettlebeast** · 10-15-2011 08:25 PM

Oh I should have mentioned that too!
I do have a dream journal, and I try and write something in it every morning, sometimes I even come back and write more in it after a full day, because I'll remember random bits of dream that I want to add.

Thanks for that suggestion though, it is a good idea!

**Moondreamer** · 10-15-2011 08:32 PM

oh ok

ok, one more: how long have you been trying to get back into LDing?
I feel like a trivia toy

**nettlebeast** · 10-15-2011 08:40 PM

Haha, that's ok! XD

I've been trying to for over a month now, I think!

**Arch** · 10-15-2011 09:20 PM

Hello nettlebeast,

I even tried the WBTS method a few times (on nights when I didn't have college, that is!) and I went back to sleep determined to have an LD, and ended up just slipping off to sleep without remembering it, same as any other time.

If you are falling asleep too easy, then stay up longer, the amount of time depends on you, but it's usually between 10-30mins.

What am I doing wrong? Why can't I seem to lucid dream no matter what I try or how resolved I am to LD?

Things are often easier as a kid don't worry, lucid dreaming can be tough, I'm glad to see that you are keeping a dream journal. This will increase your recall, because it appears that you aren't remembering many dreams.
What techniques have you tried, because all day awareness increases the chance of considering it is a dream. Reality Checks in the day when something strange happens can also help clarify it is a dream.

I'm so glad I have all you guys on here to talk to, because I certainly can't ask my friends for advice on this particular topic, they'd think I was a little crazy, aside from not even knowing what I was talking about!

Don't worry about it, it's their problem if they aren't open minded enough to accept the chance of awesomeness.

If you have any other questions just ask.

**Bossalinni** · 10-16-2011 08:53 PM

Your doing all the right things, its only been a month so dont think its not going to happen, just know you can and that it will happen, or trust me IT WILL HAPPEN.

How long do you spend time focusing on LDing before you goto bed?

Some post here say take about 30 min, but I found alot of success if i focus on LDing for about an hour and a half before i goto bed, include some reality checks(i also use a hour and a half for my WBTB)

Different things work for different people, just keep doing whatever you can and find what works best for you. Im looking forward to hearing your future LD stories!

**nettlebeast** · 10-17-2011 12:20 AM

Alright, that gives me some hope! :'D
I will just keep trying! I think what I'm missing is that I tend to lose focus and start falling asleep, and I miss that moment between sleep ad wake when I should train my consciousness toward lucidity. Maybe if I stay focused until I actually fall asleep, I will be successful.

I will definitely post some success stories when they happen!

**ShadowOfSelf** · 10-17-2011 10:52 AM

Good luck nettlebeast you can do it!
I will try focusing more on lucidity for half hour to an hour before sleep too, this seems like a great way to progress as i recently listened to a guided meditation on lucidty before sleep the other night, it was only 20 minutes long yet i had quite a powerfull dream where i landed on the moon! and slept in a bed i made there all night! was cool. but that was only from 20 minutes (10 mins visualization)
I'll try with you and focus for up to an hour before sleep about lucidity, adding in reality checks, visualization, a dream plan, and reading over my dream journal for dream signs!
Will post back here tomorow. Sweet dreams