So you need some motivation, huh?

Greetings to all of you,

I'm gonna tell you about the stuff I found out lately.
During my last 2 month dryspell period I started to analyze everything I ever did to achieve lucid dreams and noticed some really interesting things. You know, I had the usual periods of trying out new techniques with success but almost all techniques stopped working after about 1-2 weeks of trying them. So I started to wonder why this happens. Even the techniques I invented on my own stopped working at some point.
After many nights of analyzing the stuff I tried, some behaviour patterns showed up. Every time I tried a new technique I was psyched and motivated like hell. But after 1-2 weeks I got lazy and didn't use my full effort anymore.

There's another thing that bugged me.
Lately there's much stuff floating around DV telling that intent is the key to have frequent Dilds. While I agree that intent is necessary, I noticed for myself that this also brings up lots of doubts. If you are a person like me with no self-confidence at all, saying to yourself "I will have a lucid dream" with intent is almost impossible.
Even in the very first five seconds of saying this the first doubt will pop up.
"What if I don't get lucid?"
Well, with this thought in mind the chance to get lucid is pretty low. So last night I thought about this a little and noticed something really interesting:
Back then when I started with LD I also had no intent. Yet, I had many Dilds. Why?
I had the will to give it all I got until I have a lucid dream.
And this thought feels much more comfortable for a person with no self-confidence.
Just think like this: "I'm going to give my full effort and keep trying until I get lucid"
Maybe you start to think like "And what if I don't get lucid?". Well, who cares?
With this mindset, you're not going to give up until you have one.
And even if there's only a 1% chance of getting lucid, isn't it worth trying anyway?
If you still need to be convinced that Lucid Dreams are worth the effort, you're doing something wrong.

When I realized this last night, I went to bed with this mindset. Guess what? I broke my 2 month dryspell! And I had no 'intent' because after such a long dryspell it's almost impossible to believe that you can have LD's at will. I also didn't do RC's for a very long time. Still, I got lucid.
Even though I don't have that much confidence there's one thing that everyone should have when trying to have lucid dreams: Burning ambition

So what if you failed many weeks in a row? So what if you never had a LD before?
So what if you don't get much sleep or if you are sick?

All these things are just excuses you give yourself so you don't have to accept the truth that you lack the motivation to give it all it takes just to reach your goal.
Don't think that you can get lucid dreams for free. It's just like learning to play the guitar: It takes effort!

Right now, if you feel scared of the thought that it takes effort to have awesome lucid dreams, there's only one thing I can say: Quit being a wussy

Thank you for your attention.
Katsuno

I loved this. Thanks. :o
I always try using Intent and just believing it. It doesn't usually work. But I can use this now too. I've been failing so much lately. a dry spell for about a week or two now. I must use this. thanks. xoxo. :D

:bravo:

I guess I've been 'brainwashing' myself that intent is the only thing you need for LDing. Intent might be needed... But first you have to have confidence and forget that hard work is required! This also applies to real life...
I had instant first wild after I read a wild tutorial - took two days - and since then I've had many wilds. But then when I encountered dry spell and was convinced by those 'ld is hard' disease around the forum, things went wrong. We shouldn't convince ourselves that 'this is the only thing you need' 'you have to do this for LDing' - cut the bullcrap, just let it go and use your power of emotion to fulfill your goal!!
Thanks again my friend, this will make us LD often and break dry spells whenever it comes :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Windhover@

I guess I've been 'brainwashing' myself that intent is the only thing you need for LDing. Intent might be needed... But first you have to have confidence and forget that hard work is required! This also applies to real life...
I had instant first wild after I read a wild tutorial - took two days - and since then I've had many wilds. But then when I encountered dry spell and was convinced by those 'ld is hard' disease around the forum, things went wrong. We shouldn't convince ourselves that 'this is the only thing you need' 'you have to do this for LDing' - cut the bullcrap, just let it go and use your power of emotion to fulfill your goal!!
Thanks again my friend, this will make us LD often and break dry spells whenever it comes :)

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Yeah you're right, everywhere we hear "Lding is hard". But instead of ignoring this I'd say the opposite: So what it is hard? Then we should try even harder!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Katsuno

Yeah you're right, everywhere we hear "Lding is hard". But instead of ignoring this I'd say the opposite: So what it is hard? Then we should try even harder!

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Yeah the thing that stops Lding is ourselves. I was always overwhelmed by failures... Now I know I should manage failure and try harder! :D

I told myself last night, I probably wont lucid dream before I went to bed and I did end up having a lucid dream

Good that you pointed this mindset out. I have a different approach but it's kind of similar. Lucid dreaming is only hard when you think it is and by thinking it's hard it becomes a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. So instead of thinking that every night is the most important night ever I just see the lucid dreaming as a fun habit that I do every night, And instead of aiming for the lucid dream itself I am aim for higher awareness in my dreams. That way my normal dream but more vivid dreams can be just as rewarding as a lucid dream at time.
But if I don't get lucid that night, there is always another night.

That works much better than craving to succeed each night and getting frustrated by non-successful attempts. Which I was doing before and that led to loooong dry-spells and even me quitting from some time. Ironically enough it was when I quit and just fell asleep normally I started to have lucid dreams again, which led me to this conclusion.

Read my signature ;)

Awesome Iapetos. You bypassed the most common problem people can make (not only with LD but in general life as well). People are always focusing on the result which is in our case a lucid dream. But instead of focusing on the lucid dream itself, people should actually enjoy the progress. If you focus on a goal, you'll be disappointed by not reaching it. But if you enjoy the struggle to reach your goal, you win in either case :)

ya know thats true. And it made me think of something..

Saying: I will have a lucid dream..in a way is the same as saying: I will not have a lucid dream...And I have the same eternal doubting voice. So when I say to myself, I will not have a lucid dream, it produces a weird affect. If you say both, they can both be true, but they cant both be true. However, that is a future thinking mindset, and saying both kind of neutralizes it a bit even if it is counter intuitive.
Point being, you end up at that same spot saying, well whatever, who cares...Im gonna try no matter what happens in the future. Very cool. :)

So true.
My dryspells are always from a lack of motivation. If my desire and intent is up, so is my LD count. You get back what you put in.

Hehe Katsuno ;) Your signature is very educating in this matter as well :)

Haha the night after reading this thread, I set up my new dream goal... And guess what, I had an epic LD this morning :D:D
EPIC Deadman Wonderland LD part 1 - Dream Journals - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views

Achieved my dream goal in a day. Motivation really helps. Thanks again Katsuno!

Awesome! One night before bootcamp I told myself "I have got to have a lucid dream before I get up early for bootcamp, so I can have a good morning. Even if it's a small one."
It caused me to become lucid, and even since starting my lucid training, so to speak, I've been much more aware in my dreams. It's all becoming clearer to me.

Great advice

This is great! And I can totally relate. :P

LD is not hard, but it requires effort and a constant burning will to spend a lot of time and energy on it. I think you nailed it :)

Good advice and motivation :)