Thread: Did mantras ever work for you?

Originally Posted by acidbolt

For me they have never worked with anything, as far as I can tell. I started LD practice over a year ago and been trying lots of techniques, you know.
Anyone feel the same with mantras? Maybe its time to shift focus on other things..

Mantras do work for many people for all kinds of purposes, when done correctly. Maybe you can revisit the way you are using them? But if they don't work for you, you can use different methods to get lucid.

You could look into Creative Visualization.
Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life (Gawain, Shakti): Shakti Gawain: 9781577312291: Amazon.com: Books

Affirmation/Mantra mediation.

I have tried it on and off. It works pretty well, it helps doing it everyday while meditating .

using mantras for lucid dreaming can result in a positive feeling that you will have a lucid dream. Being confident is a big part of the process. I prefer to visualize a scene as I fall asleep. Try visualizing a placard that reads " You are dreaming" ... a visual mantra, if you will.

I do understand what positive effects mantras can have, just for me they do not. Was just wondering if anybody shared my feeling.. I already planned to switch over to visualizing, so thanks you guys!

Realize that your subconscious can't really tell the difference if you're lying to it or not, so you basically just have to fake it to yourself and really "believe" that you will have a lucid dream or whatever you're doing. This is even used on children! Did your parents ever tell you to just repeat to yourself that you can do it when you were learning to ride a bike or something? Simply put, it is supposed to give you confidence, which actually helps a lot when it comes to things like lucid dreaming.

'Mantra' is one of the most powerful LD tools I have ever found. I do not use long positive mantras, to convince myself off anything. I use simple ones to induce a trance like state, and also to cause a thought, like "I am dreaming" to be burned into the retina of my mind, if you can see what I mean by that. Like staring at a light, and then an image remains, a mantra can 'burn' a thought into your mind.

As Gab said above, Acidbolt, mantras are not a requirement for LD'ing.

They work well with WILD, but are unnessary if you choose to induce LD's with DILD. Maybe you should just try another technique?

You all gave interesting ideas.. I thought doing a mantra 'correctly' also means convincing yourself, and if you had doubts it wouldn't work..

I have not found the power of mantras yet but I will certainly come back and try again at some point, maybe with a different mindset.

How u meant they are unneccessary if u trying to dream induce lucids?I though it is the only way when u need to do dild.
I tried tons of tech, but when i 'rejoined' to ld's i almost have ld in the first couple tries simply couze the mantra.I become suspicious the reality,and told myself in the dream 'i need to do rcs, coz it is maybe a dream.It felt wierd was not anything strange in the enviroment, but i think i remembered the mantras when i was tried to think into my mind b4/while falling asleep.
Dont give up the mantras mate, it is simple and effective.
I like it ,coz i feel something like pressures off, if it doesnt work i will have a great non lucid,and maybe next try..
I know ppl said it is not good to telling this mantras like "in the future", but i did that way and looked ok.But i stopped doing those, coz the lot of tech i tried.But maybe i will going back to simple mantras ,u give my mood back for this
i've used this magic
"Anything will happen next time it only can be a dream"-coz im lying in my bed -Of course in my languidge
Telling this for ur mind while falling asleep.it can work when u go to bed first time, becouse u have good chance in ur first rem(it comes relatively soon)For example i went into rem sleep right after i fall asleep without wbtb,but of course that is more effective.

I think that a mantra will only work if you believe in it! (anime style!)

Mantras have been my biggest ally.

Yes! And I used them right before going to sleep or when I woke up for brief moments in my sleep.

Mantras can be used to enforce a belief. That is the creative affrimation version of it. They can also be used to prime your brain for realizing you are dreaming. Then a third use is to induce a trance. In the last case you do not even need words you understand, just a rythimic thing to replace normal thoughts.

From my experience, *it sounds to me that you guys are confusing a mantra with a post hypnotic suggestion?
It looks like *you're trying to use a mantra as an induction to a state of*hypnotic suggestibility.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're trying to use the wrong tool for the job.*
I think if you used a self hypnotic induction you'd be much more successful.
It's very true that a mantra can put one*in the state of hypnotic suggestibility.
Especially if they're alpha drivers.
The real purpose of the mantras is vibrational.
Their purpose are to induced vibrational patterns that affect brainwave*patterns and thereby*change consciousness.
On the*other hand a hypnotic induction is specifically designed put you in a state of suggestibility.
I.e. in this case*implant the posthypnotic suggestion "I will become aware of my dream."

Originally Posted by Coyote1313

From my experience, *it sounds to me that you guys are confusing a mantra with a post hypnotic suggestion?
It looks like *you're trying to use a mantra as an induction to a state of*hypnotic suggestibility.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're trying to use the wrong tool for the job.*
I think if you used a self hypnotic induction you'd be much more successful.
It's very true that a mantra can put one*in the state of hypnotic suggestibility.
Especially if they're alpha drivers.
The real purpose of the mantras is vibrational.
Their purpose are to induced vibrational patterns that affect brainwave*patterns and thereby*change consciousness.
On the*other hand a hypnotic induction is specifically designed put you in a state of suggestibility.
I.e. in this case*implant the posthypnotic suggestion "I will become aware of my dream."

You use stars a lot.

SO: if I repeat to myself "I am aware in all my dreams." Before and as I go to bed, then that is a post hypnotic suggestion?

Originally Posted by BrandonBoss

You use stars a lot.

SO: if I repeat to myself "I am aware in all my dreams." Before and as I go to bed, then that is a post hypnotic suggestion?

The short answer would be no.
If you find it necessary to repeat the command, that would indicate you're not in a highly suggestible state (hypnagogic state)
Theoretically speaking you are bypassing the conscious and dealing directly with the unconscious.
It's not necessary to repeat the command.
I guess you could use repetition of the command as a crude method of hypnotic induction?
However the most successful inductions are tailored to your own personal psychological profile.
It will either be physical, emotional, or intellectual.
Next you need to test your hypnotic*induction as to its efficacy.
You can referred to another post I did on how to construct a test.
Titled, "Lucid dreaming, astral projection and self hypnosis method."
The point I was really trying to make in my previous post.
Was what a mantra*is and what they're used for.
For example you can't say "a cow jumped over the moon" and call that a mantra.
The word *OM is a *mantra, because if you do it correctly it will set up a vibration (in your brain )*that alters your consciousness.

I am using it as a way to convince myself I am going to LD don't use that one actually, but it is close. Are you saying that it is not helpful? I am not trying to sound rude, I am on a constant search for perfecting my LDs. If I am doing something useless, then I would love to know.

Hello BrandoBoss,
If this approach is working for you by all means use it.
I am by no means the final *arbiter on the subject.
I only was saying that you*may be*using a blunt instrument.
When it comes to inducing suggestibility.
I was referencing the Stanford hypnotic scale and the work of John G Kappas.
Here is a link to a basic article on the theory.
Hypnosis Gets Results When the Suggestibility Type of the Client is Known and Used

Thank you. I will read this soon.

Originally Posted by Coyote1313

From my experience, *it sounds to me that you guys are confusing a mantra with a post hypnotic suggestion?
It looks like *you're trying to use a mantra as an induction to a state of*hypnotic suggestibility.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're trying to use the wrong tool for the job.*
I think if you used a self hypnotic induction you'd be much more successful.
It's very true that a mantra can put one*in the state of hypnotic suggestibility.
Especially if they're alpha drivers.
The real purpose of the mantras is vibrational.
Their purpose are to induced vibrational patterns that affect brainwave*patterns and thereby*change consciousness.
On the*other hand a hypnotic induction is specifically designed put you in a state of suggestibility.
I.e. in this case*implant the posthypnotic suggestion "I will become aware of my dream."

Here is a basic definition:

man·tra/ˈmantrə/Noun: 1.(originally in Hinduism and Buddhism) A word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation.
2.A statement that is frequently repeated; a characteristic formula or refrain

Mantra, as I state above has at least 3 different forms and uses. The third example I give of inducing a trance is the same as when you say 'OM' can alter conciousness. The other uses of the term are valid, but different. In the LD hobby, most use the term mantra in the place of 'positive affrimation' but it still meets the dictionary's second example. Mantras can be repeated internally and still serve all the same functions, even trance induction.

Edit:Note on vibrational resonance: After one has learned and is comfortable with the feeling and effect of the vibrations in sounds like 'OM' they find that the vibration exists even when there is no sound. They can then tune into that vibration silently, with no need to use the sound out loud. Pretty advanced, but completely true.