Setting goals and taking no crap!!!

[Darkmatters]

After a long hiatus, I'm once again battering my head against the walls of lucidity and I've just reached the point I was at before where my subconscious likes to play practical jokes and make clever little puns in my dreams. Before I took it as an encouraging sign, that I must be getting close (and I did break through a few times) - but this time I finally see it for what it really is - a distract and conquer technique. And where I used to just wake up chuckling at the cleverness of it all, I won't be put off so easily now - it's time to let my sub-c know in no uncertain terms that I want the lucidity I've been working hard to achieve and it has no right to deny it any longer. These are like the tricks a clever child learns, or a smart dog, or a con man - to make you laugh and use charisma and charm to make you forget your goal so you just laugh it off and say "oh, you clever little so-and-so! I can't stay mad at YOU!!! Lately my DCs are actually literally winking at me at times when the dream signs are thick as Arkansas mud in the air - I've been winked at recently by the shriveled corpse of my deceased mother (twice), a ceramic head sitting on my desk (which winked first with one eye then the other, and then grew a third one and winked with that!) and I've woken laughing at the jokes and puns littering the dreamscape that kept me distracted when I should have been getting lucid. But NO MORE!!! I'm putting my foot down. I noticed in Ophelia's DJ today that she was having similar problems and she defeated them first by saying "focus focus focus focus" (while she was even still awake!) and then, once in the dream which started throwing distractions at her, by reminding herself of a goal (TOTM). Goal setting is the most effective way of getting things done in waking life - so I'm going to bring it through into dream life. By writing my goals in my DJ each night before bed (same goal each time until I achieve it or decide to switch to another) and by repeating a mantra that includes it, I will drum it into my head so deep that slippery little bitch (my sub-c) can't escape! Those children, dogs and con men know when the game is up, and when they know you've seen through their tricks and won't be dissuaded by them anymore they just quit screwing around and give in to the inevitable. Just thought I'd share and maybe this approach can help some other struggling Onieronoobs like myself. Plus not only does writing my intentions in my DJ set them firmly in my mind, but writing them here on the board does so to a much stronger degree. Ophelia, if you happen to see this, thanks for the inspiration and great example.

[Crow360]

Well I hope you have the best of luck with Lucid dreaming and by the way, Arkansas mud isn't that thick Haha anyways like I said good luck

[Darkmatters]

Hahaha ok, well in my dreams Arkansas mud is super-thick!! Thicker than like - a... a Filipino Flapjack!! (Oops - remembered we're not supposed to make threads with someone's name in the title - I edited it out but it still shows on the main page & at the top. Can a mod erase that?)

[OpheliaBlue]

You're welcome for the inspiration! I preach to our DVA students to focus on goals to help with issues ranging all the way from initially stabilizing a lucid dream, to sustaining an LD long enough to complete TOTMs. This type of focusing and goal orientation helps me to this day in my lucid endeavors, which you already discovered I hope you see some improvement soon, and I would love to know either way! And don't take no crap from that slippery little bitch.

[TwoCrystalCups]

You just need to stay one step ahead of your subconscious, and know how it works in your dreams, THEN you can have great lucid dreams when ever you want. Your subconsciousness is like knowing a friend, it takes years to get to know them and their dark/good sides. They will do many tricks and lies up their sleeve in many ways possible.

[Zoth]

Good luck on your new journey once again I have a small article I'd like to share with you: basically, it shows how people with goal-oriented habits have better prospective memory. And if you recall, prospective memory is crucial to the majority of lucid dreaming techniques! So keep going

[Taffy]

Can I like this post twice?