"Living in the Moment" - State of Mind Prep

Ok so I have been really working on lucid dreaming for the last month or so now. So far I have had two. The first one I became lucid by just noticing something odd during a false awakening. The second one I am still not sure how it happened but I just 'became lucid' out of no where.

So anyways, now I am working on inducing false awakenings with this alarm thing and using that as a cue to do an RC. This is going fairly well in that it has been giving me false awakenings. I am just now waiting to see the cue and do the RC.

Anyways... last night I was reading some tutorials on becoming lucid from within the dream. It mentioned something about a state of mind where you "Live in the Moment", constantly observing what the world is like around you and how you are relating to everything, so then you do this naturally in a dream and notice the peculiar stuff and become lucid. When I first got up this morning I didn't really think anything about it. Then I went outside to mow the lawn. Suddenly it seemed to click. I was just out there and totally forgot about what I was even planning on doing today. I was just looking around, watching the birds fly, the clouds floating past the horizon, listening to the hum of the mower and pondering how I related to all this.

So I am wondering, will this help me be more aware in my dreams and actually take note of what the environment around me is doing so then when I spot something odd I will think "Hmm, that is wierd. Maybe I am dreaming. Better do an RC". I mean, I have pretty good dream recall and vivid dreams, it just always seems like watching a movie and I am never really aware enough to even notice anything wierd going on, except for false awakenings of course. So ya, if this is a state of mind that would be helpful, any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!:)

It's a very good start but ideally we should aim to remember to do reality checks at times pretty much, not just when something odd happens. A nice memory exercise helps to develop this (this is called progressive memory training and can be found in a plethora of lucid dreaming articles and tutorials; I'll just copy and paste it for convenience.)

Spoiler for Daily Targets:

SUNDAY:
The next time I see a pet or animal
The next time I look at my face in a mirror
The next time I turn on a light
The next time I see a flower

MONDAY:
The next time I write anything down
The next time I feel pain
The next time I hear someone say my name
The next time I drink something

TUESDAY:
The next time I see a traffic light
The next time I hear music
The next time I throw something in the garbage
The next time I hear laughter

WEDNESDAY:
The next time I turn on a television or radio
The next time I see a vegetable
The next time I see a red car
The next time I handle money

THURSDAY:
The next time I read something other than this list
The next time I check the time
The next time I notice myself daydreaming
The next time I hear the telephone ringing

FRIDAY:
The next time I open a door
The next time I see a bird
The next time I use the toilet after noon
The next time I see the stars

SATURDAY:
The next time I put a key in a lock
The next time I see an advertisement
The next time I eat anything after breakfast
The next time I see a bicycle

Now just follow these steps:

>At the start of the day, memorize the four targets.
>Try to notice each occurrence. When you do, perform a reality check.
Simples!

After a while of doing this exercise, you should be able to remember to do reality checks in your dreams more often, and that's where the fun begins. :)

Haha I have actually done that EXACT exercise. I read about it in "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming" by Stephen LaBerge. I have to say that it went pretty successfully. I guess what I am asking is more about just how you focus more on 'being in the moment' you might say, rather than focusing on what you are going to do this weekend or daydreaming, etc... I have been trying throughout the last couple of days to just really be observant of the world around me in hopes that I can spot dream signs easier.

So basically I guess this is what I am asking...
1. Tips on 'being in the moment' throughout the day
2. Your reality check routine during the day. Certain time of day, whenever you go outside? Etc...

Thanks. :)

P.S.

Quote:

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that's where the fun begins.

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Believe me man, you don't know how excited I am. :shadewink: