Help out a fellow dreamer.

Hi there guys and gals!

I would like to borrow some of your wisdom to aid me in my quest to become a frequent lucid dreamer. :D

Approximately a month ago i experienced my first lucid and since then i have only been lucid once during a false awakening that ended just as quick as it began.

So any tips and tricks, related to the questions or not, are welcome!

My questions are:

- Should i stick with using a single induction technique for a prolonged period of time or switch between techs?

- Which techniques gave you best results?

- When you started lucid dreaming, how long did it take for you to have lucids frequently? (Let's just say, once a month)

- What did/would you do in my position? (As a beginner)

While i have read almost anything i can find on this subject, i seem to get blinded by all the information thus finding myself questioning everything i do and i know that just by doing that i might be limiting myself with doubt.

That's why i would like to know how you did it. ;)

Hi Buhl. Congrats on your first lucid! :)

As for your questions:

- I think you should experiment with different techniques so you can figure out what works best for you. However, I would probably give it a few weeks before moving on to the next one. Sometimes, it takes a while for a particular technique to "kick in". Remember that when you practice a technique, you are adjusting your lifestyle, so it might not happen right away. Also, work on your memory. Keep telling yourself what you intend to do and want to do, and build up your memory so your mind will find it easier to remember and allow you to do it.

- MILD always gives me the best results. Additionally, when I pair MILD with WBTB and do it properly, it works everytime. I also practice All Day Awareness as much as I can, and that really boosts my chances. I'm fortunate to have found a technique that really suits me. :)

- I started practicing induction techniques on March of this year. I can't quite remember when I started to have them consistently. At first, I would have them every two weeks or so, until I kept having a few more every month — of course with due practice and dedication ;)

- If I were in your position, I would practice All Day Awareness, which is basically paying attention to all the details as much as possible. Hopefully, that behavior carries over in the dream world and you are more aware of your environment, enabling you to identify it as a dream or not. Oh and another thing: don't hesitate to change up a technique according to your needs. What I mean to say is, if a certain guide or tutorial doesn't exactly work well for you, change it up a little. The idea is to develop your own technique which suits YOU. The guides are there to help you out and not dictate what you should do.

Hmmpf sorry for the length lol. I got carried away again x)

Good luck! If you need anything, don't hesitate to post or PM :)

I am very thankful that you took the time to answer my questions in such depth! :D

Regarding ADA. I tried doing it for some days, but i found it hard to do, simply because i can't seem to grasp the concept.
Could you explain what you "do" when training ADA? What are you noticing? What details do you focus on? As much as possible?
I have read the entire thing a couple of times, but it feels like i am doing something wrong (I know this can be a b**** to answer).

I will definitely use your advise to stick with a technique for a couple of weeks at a time!

Again, thank you so much for helping me out and i apologize for asking more of you.

As mentioned above, i began to lose my overview of all the information i have been collecting in the past 5 weeks, so this is very helpful. :)

You're very much welcome. And don't worry about asking, that's what we're all here for :)

This is basically how I practice ADA:

I wake up. I do a reality check. As I get up from my bed, I think about the texture of the blankets and how I feel at the moment. I don't really think too much about it, I just..well I don't know how else to call it.. I just try to acknowledge that it's there. I get up and take into account everything I see. Normally, people would get up and walk out the door. But when I do ADA, whatever I'm doing at the moment, like when I twist the doorknob, I think to myself "I'm opening the door" while noticing how cool the metal is. I basically go through the day mentally narrating whatever I'm doing, and acknowledging everything I sense (see, smell, feel, hear, etc.)

It's pretty complicated to explain. It's very hard and mentally exhausting at first. What I did was do awareness practice a few times a day. I would spend about 5 minutes every few hours just trying to notice as much as possible. I gradually increased the amount of time I do it, until I did it all day. Now it's like second nature. It helps me so much in waking life too. I'd notice the most subtle differences, and the things I sense seem a lot more vivid when I try to recall them in my memory.

I hope this clears it up a bit :)

Again, thank you very much and i knew it would be complicated to explain but you did a good job doing it!

That's pretty much what i did, i just felt like it was too mentally straining. But i am glad it's supposed to be like that, because that means i did it right!

(Un)fortunately i am a smoker, so this gives me approximately 5 mins every hour to focus extensively on ADA.

Ahaha (un)fortunately ;)

That could work too. You might even get mesmerized by the puffs of smoke floating in front of you :3

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Buhl

My questions are:

- Should i stick with using a single induction technique for a prolonged period of time or switch between techs?

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Choose a technique you like the most DILD or WILD, then begin right now by STOP putting all your belief in the method. Trust your self!
Lucidity comes naturally you don't have to force it, in fact if you do you will more likely prevent it than welcome it.
I am going to describe to you how you go from a step follower to a natural.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Buhl

- Which techniques gave you best results?

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I use both WILD and DILD each night. WILD: As I go to sleep, if I wake up during the night I use the DEILD method which is a WILD technique. DILD: I set my intention each day by just visiting this forum so in that way I use the MILD method by setting the intention in my MIND. by WILDing at my bedtime I get more vivid dreams and end up more aware which helps me induce DILDs. (I know that sounds crazy but that's just what I discovered after some attempts. :) But what gave me best result was not the actual induction methods I used, but actually my mindset and my analyzation of my attempts that helped me learn. Just think about how you learning or mastering anything else, like playing soccer you don't read about how to kick the ball, you read the rules (techniques), perhaps watch some guides (methods) but then you go out and play and learn by doing!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Buhl

- When you started lucid dreaming, how long did it take for you to have lucids frequently? (Let's just say, once a month)

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Once a month is a very easy goal, what about once a week? It is all based on how much thought you want to give to your attempts, I started early by analyzing my attempts (One positive side of overthinknig stuff :content:) Then I got 3 lucid dreams 3 nights in a row after just a few weeks of practising, my misstake was though that I gave all my sucess and credit to the method so I missed out on things I had done on my own. So the days I just blindly followed the method and didn't gave thought to what I had one before, well the method of course didn't worked so I told myself that it wasn't a frequent luciidity induction and not effective so I moved on to the next method... typical beginner misstake. Now I analyze my attempt every day and I want to find a way to have lucid dreams at any time no matter what bedtime, how stressed I am or things like that, so that's a little tougher goal but I still get atleast one lucid and vivid dream each week.
Right now I am very focused on OBEs though so that kind of affect my lucidity rate, but hey I don't mind I still get lucid dreams every now and then and normal dreams is really enjoyable as well. Although it actaully took me about 2 years to realize that I was doing the same thing over again expecting a different result, which is the definition of madnesss... So yeah about two years ago I started to put trust in myself and not the methods, that is the path to frequent lucid dreams.

I should have listened to this guy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zahod...feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6trvBrDhaFk
The embarrassing thing is that I think I even watched this video AS I did these misstakes OVER and OVER. -.-
In fact I just rewatched it and noticed that there are still things I forget in my practise that he warned me about 2008! Well atleast now you know right? :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Buhl

- What did/would you do in my position? (As a beginner)

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Tried to find the best method by reading not by doing. Switched method as often as I switched socks. Even though I trusted the method when I succeeded I blamed myself when it failed.
This leads to dryspells... In my book dryspells doesn't even exists if I don't get lucid I just ask myself "What did I do differently these nights?" then I identify the problem and learn from it instead.
For example instead of saying "Ahhh this method doesn't work" or "I can't perform this method correctly I can never reach step 5! :(" Say maybe it didn't worked because my bedtime was too late, then change and try again" Success now? Yes - Great you have learned something No - Great you have still learned something, that going to sleep earlier wasn't the problem and perhaps you just needed to practise something else. Continue to analyze until you learn and discover something new.

Analyzation is what made me come up with this method: http://www.dreamviews.com/f15/if-you...ams-try-93005/

The great thing with a forum is that you can share your attempt and let others help you analyze! ;) Ask me anytime!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Buhl

While i have read almost anything i can find on this subject, i seem to get blinded by all the information thus finding myself questioning everything i do and i know that just by doing that i might be limiting myself with doubt.

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Doubt is good, and remember to only see guides as what it really is guides! It's not fact! Your own experiences is what you should relay on and learn from.
Guides tell me to not WILD at bedtime! My experience tells me to WILD at bedtime because I get more vivid dreams and higher chance of lucidity based on my attempts.
So don't be afraid to try the impossible because who knows you might discover new possibilities! :meditate:

I hope this helps you see that lucid dreaming is just as easy as learning to play soccer or learning to play a guitar, you just put the lucid dreaming on a pedestal and I understand you, because I used to do the same... :)

Thanks for replying Mastermind! First of all i gotta say... I LOOOOOOOOOVE your long, detailed and deep posts, they are really inspiring. :D

I must admit, i have placed lucid dreaming on a pedestal.
I will begin from scratch mentally, decide on a technique that fits me, analyse it, and tailor it to work for me! Not the other way around.

I'm glad i now have some reference if i ever forget!

ALSO:
Thanks for the links. I have watched some of his vids (I think he made one where he illustrates the sensations of a DEILD graphically) and they secured me my first LD which was a DEILD!

I am glad that you liked it, I actually learned and realized something myself as I was writing it, strange as that sounds.

I noticed that I have put my meditation practise on a pedestal and I can correct that misstake now, I might have wandered around for much longer if you never had asked. :panic:

So well thanks for asking! :D And sweet dreams!

If you find ADA too complicated, check out self-awareness in this post.

it's good to give one method chance to start working. After you practiced it for a while, you can add another one and after a while, another one. All main induction techniques are for inducing LDs at different times, under different circumstances.

DILD - you just realize during normal dream
WILD - when you wake up at night for a WBTB, or at nap time
DEILD - when you wake up from a dream

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gab

If you find ADA too complicated, check out self-awareness in this post.

it's good to give one method chance to start working. After you practiced it for a while, you can add another one and after a while, another one. All main induction techniques are for inducing LDs at different times, under different circumstances.

DILD - you just realize during normal dream
WILD - when you wake up at night for a WBTB, or at nap time
DEILD - when you wake up from a dream

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Thanks for taking the time to answer to this thread!

Thanks for the advise, i will check out the link. :D

Regarding the techniques, i think i will start out focusing on DEILD. Getting used to waking up in the night might also make me a lighter sleeper. :)