Why wasn't I in control of my dream?

**Wde** · 01-19-2012 01:14 AM

First of all I would just like to say I am a long time reader, first time poster... and am a bit of a noob to all of this.....
But please bear with me

Ok, So lately as a part of being able to attain lucidity easier I have been performing 8-12 reality checks daily. I do things like reading the time, closing my eyes and reading it again (Checking if i can both read, and if the numbers stay the same. I also do this with text.) and another reality check that I am able to perform both easily and discretely is will to push my hand through objects. ( Commonly I attempt to push the two forefingers of my right hand through the palm of my left, or a fist through a desk).

Last night, rather tired I went to bed. My first dream was weird, but I did not realise it at the time. What appeared to be my second dream ( I have no idea if I was awake between them) I performed a reality check (Pushing my forefingers through the palm of my hand), This yielded the same result as It would in waking hours...
Not long after that I remember thinking and realising that I was dreaming, that the past events would never happen in reality and therefore I must have been in a dream. It was a golden moment and I was sure I was lucid. At my excitement I told a DC (my father) that he too was dreaming and that the world we were in wasn't real. I attempted to shoot lighting into a cup (LOL, but anyways...) It was just as if I imagined doing it in waking hours. I imagined the lightning going into the cup, the sound it would make. After nothing happened, I decided to head outside and go for a fly (I have done this once before while lucid and it was GREAT). So anyway, I went outside, knowing I wanted to fly, ran (still wanting to fly), Jumped (believing I would fly), I was about a metre and a half off the ground... but then I tumbled back to earth.

So I guess what I'm trying to ask is why? Why didn't I have control over my dreams?
Why did my reality check prove false? Why couldn't I fly or shoot lightning?

If you guys have any tips, your favourite reality checks, support, help or opinions you would like to offer, they are all welcome

Thank you all so much in advance

-Wde

**Brock** · 01-19-2012 01:28 AM

first off RC's aren't as important as most think. most of the time you realise you're dreaming then do a RC just to confirm. and second, lucid dreaming is something you have to train like everything else. The more you do it , the easier it gets.

**Puffin** · 01-19-2012 01:44 AM

Congrats on the lucid!

RCs can vary in effectiveness. In my various RCing endeavors, I've noted that pushing my finger through my palm can often fail, as will counting my fingers: I'll often have five on one hand, like normal. My finger-through-palm checks can work though, but usually I have to force my finger through, like I'm pushing through hardening play-dough. I find that the nose-plug RC is the most successful, because it's difficult for your subconscious to emulate the feeling of not being able to breathe, when, you're actually breathing just fine in real life... Whereas with the tactile (touch) or sight-based RCs, you're so used to expecting a certain outcome that you automatically experience it. I always go for the nose-plug, then the finger-count, then try my luck out with the finger-through-palm RC. But more often than not, I'm already very sure that I'm dreaming so I don't bother doing any more checks.

As for your dream control, it's good to imagine things happening - the visual, kinetic and auditory aspects of them... Flying is a bit different because while summoning lightning bolts is more of a sight/feeling-based activity, actually getting off the ground can present a bit of a "block" because you're very much used to gravity in real life. Instead of just trying to "fly", push off and imagine a wave of energy surging right into the ground as you do, pushing you into the air (kind of like how Neo takes off in The Matrix trilogy). Use a jetpack, or imagine yourself already wearing Iron Man armor - just get into flight position and imagine the propulsion from your hands and feet to achieve liftoff. Once you're flying, continue paying a bit of attention to the propulsion, as that's probably what's keeping you off the ground. Imagine acceleration - this is a bit easier to do if you've been on a roller coaster in real life; recall that feeling.

Be creative, there are no wrong ways to fly in a dream! c:

**Wde** · 01-19-2012 02:08 AM

Thanks guys (:
Puffin: I found your reply very helpful and am thankful for your detailed response. The nose plug RC seems like a winner, and I will definitely have to be more persistent in my next lucid I think. I am also going to try to stick to my new years resolution of writing down ALL my dreams in my dream journal to improve dream recall ( Heck, I might have had the sickest most best lucid ever last night and just aren't remembering it.... Although I highly doubt that hahah).
Thanks again, and I will definitely keep at it

-Wde

**Liquidaque** · 01-20-2012 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by Brock

first off RC's aren't as important as most think. most of the time you realise you're dreaming then do a RC just to confirm. and second, lucid dreaming is something you have to train like everything else. The more you do it , the easier it gets.

It's not necessarily the RC that makes you lucid, as like you said, usually you're lucid before you do the RC (though I have had a couple LD's where I do a RC, and then realize I'm dreaming). The real point of RC's is to make you more aware of the idea that, maybe, just maybe, you're dreaming. This of course, passes on to the dream world, and makes you more likely to ask the big question; "Am I dreaming?"

**Brock** · 01-21-2012 10:47 PM

yeah, im not saying RC's arent important. i just think it's more 90% awareness and 10% RC's. idk tho thats just for me.

**faceonmars** · 01-21-2012 11:08 PM

Hmmmm ... I'l take a stab and suggest you were dreaming about having a lucid dream (but I could just as easily be wrong)

**hermine_hesse** · 01-26-2012 04:00 AM

RC's definitely work for me. If I have a DILD, it's usually b/c I notice sometime weird happens and then ask myself how something so strange could happen. I guess it really depends on your dreams. Mine almost always have weird things happening and tend to be unstable - things are constantly changing and fluctuating.
Wde,
Control doesn't necessarily come w/ lucidity - it's a skill you develop, but can progress very strangely. I would focus on one skill at a time. Flying would be a great place to start b/c it is really fun and can allow you to explore a dreamscape much quicker than walking around it. Before you take off flying, you could try just levitating which might be easier. I find it easy to levitate by sitting cross-legged, meditating and then concentrating my energy on lifting off the ground. Try not to over think it and just have fun!