5+ years and no luck??

I apologize if this is in the wrong place.

I was introduced to Lucid Dreaming in late 2008 and from that moment, I knew it was something I was going to learn to do no matter what it took. I bought books, searched the internet, talk with people and did everything I could. I bought a dream journal and recorded all the parts of my dreams I remembered in the morning. (Thankfully, I have way better dream recall than I ever did. I can remember like four or more of my dreams a night.) I do multiple reality checks during the day, repeat mantras, write on my hands, and pretty much use every technique in the book. I’ve tried WILD, WBTB, MILD, FILD, ETC.

Dream signs aren’t helping like they should. It’s like I’m not noticing them in my dreams, even though I see them in my dream journal a thousand times. If I do notice them in my dreams, my brain just kinda blows it off.

I’ve tried aids like meditation music, binaural beats, isochronic tones, eating and not eating certain foods, vitamins, alarms and anything else I could find on this site that was legal and not drug like. (I haven’t tried those sleeping lucid dreaming masks, due to the fact that I’ve seen nothing but bad reviews.)

As for my sleep when I’m not trying to do a certain technique, I fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day. My room's completely dark and I use earplugs. I’ve tried changing it up and sleeping in light with no earplugs, which was a mess. I’ve even tried changing my sleep schedule. Don’t even get me started on afternoon naps…urgh.

I do remember a few months ago, I recognized I was dreaming because my hands looked different, but I woke myself up. I realize that was a control issues and I got too excited, but look at it from my point of view and how many years I waited for it. I haven’t had one since. (I know how to control my dreams, I just wasn't able to use it at that point.)

I'm not ready to give up, but I'm starting to feel hopeless and I know that's terrible and doesn't help. Maybe I’m trying to hard now? Could it possibly have something to do with the fact that I’m a very stressed out person with anxiety? (I’m not taking any medication for either of them so that wouldn’t be a cause for the lack of Lucid.)

There has to be a reason I’m having trouble, I just can’t find it. Any ideas? :D Thanks!

You need to understand how the techniques work, what makes them work, why to be able to focus your efforts well. Do you train your self-awareness? I would recommend you do, and do MILD with several WBTBs each night, and buy the Dreaming mask(Novadreamer or REM Dreamer. Don't get the REMEE!).
Self-awareness is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING! If you are doing ADA, I would recommend you stop it and do self-awareness instead(they tend to hinder each other, so don't do the together). Se the first lesson of the WILD course in DVA( self-awareness is there, and it works for DILD too, not just WILD)
Good Luck!:)
P.S: self-awareness takes time, ok?

Try not to be stressed out as much. Ive only started to try LDing for like a week now but before that I've been doing lots of RCs and practicing ADA but thats for DILD, I'm not sure which technique you use.

Maybe try, try not too hard. Just do whatever you're doing. And trying to hard could lead to stress. Try relax alot and do use MILD by telling yourself that you will LD and try be positive while thinking it.

Me.. I just started doing RCs for about 2 weeks now and had one in my dream about 2 days ago. Try be patient and just relax and just be positive.

Hope this helps you.. :)

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Originally Posted by LouaiB

Self-awareness is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING! If you are doing ADA, I would recommend you stop it and do self-awareness instead(they tend to hinder each other, so don't do the together). Se the first lesson of the WILD course in DVA( self-awareness is there, and it works for DILD too, not just WILD)
Good Luck!:)
P.S: self-awareness takes time, ok?

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You certainly are dedicated in spreading the news about self-awareness.
I do have to agree though, it is one of the most important things. I have improved more in the twelve days since reading that lesson and practicing self-awareness than the whole 3 months prior.

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Originally Posted by Timbertrick

I'm not ready to give up, but I'm starting to feel hopeless and I know that's terrible and doesn't help. Maybe I’m trying to hard now? Could it possibly have something to do with the fact that I’m a very stressed out person with anxiety? (I’m not taking any medication for either of them so that wouldn’t be a cause for the lack of Lucid.)

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If your constantly thinking about problems and getting stressed out as you fall asleep than it probably is an issue. I find the last half-hour or so before sleeping the most important time of day for setting myself up for a lucid dream.

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Originally Posted by Intrepidity

You certainly are dedicated in spreading the news about self-awareness.
I do have to agree though, it is one of the most important things. I have improved more in the twelve days since reading that lesson and practicing self-awareness than the whole 3 months prior.

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Very good!:goodjob2:
what's perfect about the fundamentals is that they are all connected, so they are a very powerful unit, and they are the essence of all techs. And, without all the other non-sense techs that aim at short range success ONLY can't even make a difference to the full impact you are doing.
Basically, fundamentals with MILD and WILD/DEILD and WBTB. only. Simple, easy, VERY direct and focused, and cover everything from recall to dream control!!
What a shame how the current "faster=better" flow is! A smart LDer will be patient and will look at the long-run!

Edit: I reread the post and think that it doesn't even come close to expressing the effectiveness of them! I can't trust a tech unless I know how it works, how it actually works in the brain, at least as much as there is available info.

What is the secret to lucid dreaming?
The answer is quite simple - it is to decide for yourself that you are going to recognize your dreams as dreams while you have them.
This answer then brings up the inevitable question - how do you do it?
There are several ways to do it, but the most common ways are usually to write down your dreams so you become familiar with them - since this will make it easier for you to recognize them in the future - and to frequently and honestly ask yourself during the days how you can be sure that you are awake.
Remember that dreams are treated as waking life while you are having them, so one important step towards lucidity is to realize that you could actually be dreaming even during times when you "know" that you are awake.
Try this right now - how do you know for sure that you are awake right now?
Try testing your surroundings for a while until you are sure that it is not a dream.
It might feel reduntant late in the evening when you have felt awake for so long, but you should definitely ask these questions whenever you wake up in the mornings or after a nap, or whenever you feel absent-minded.
If you do this, say, 10 times every day then you will develop a questioning attitude, and eventually you will start asking the same things during your dreams as well.

You should also have clear goals, so you have something to look forward to and feel excited about.
The more excited you feel about experiencing something in a future lucid dream, the better.
In fact, you should never feel frustrated, if you feel that way then you are doing something wrong.
The quest for lucidity is supposed to be really exciting and motivating, so try to feel that way.
And remember - your next chance to have a lucid dream is never further than a night away.
You could become lucid tonight, or the night after that.
Who knows?
Your next opportunity to have a lucid dream will always be the next time you go to sleep.

The first time I had a lucid dream was during an experiment where I tried to be present and aware all day long with the view that waking life was also like a dream (albeit a shared one). I did this for 30 days. It was incredibly illuminating and lead me to having several lucid dreams because the line between waking and dreaming wasn't as strong. I was getting used to being very present and aware 24/7.

Also, I find, sometimes you need a bigger motive than just "wanting to have a lucid dream". Your subconscious may need a bigger reason. For me, lucid dreaming is a gateway to discovering a lot about the nature of mind and consciousness as a whole, which is a bigger goal than just becoming lucid and flying or whatever. It's a topic I study a lot and stay abreast of the science and philosophy of it all the time. So when nighttime comes, I'm deeply invested in a bigger cause that lucid dreaming naturally fits into. Maybe you need the same?

Wow you sound a lot like my mentor! Took him damn near 8yrs before he could induce his first lucid >_< If meditating is yielding good results in general then I suggest to keep that as a daily practice. Like people have stated above, you can try all the techniques you but if you don't understand how it works then it's going to be tough. Stick with a single technique for at least 1 month to see if it works properly. I can't tell you what technique to try but word of advice don't try to WILD as a beginner. You will be very disappointed if you do. It takes proper discipline and training to be able to induce a LD from the awake state. But by all means, if you're desperate then go for it.

It's weird though because just by dream journaling you pop out a few LDs, well at least I have anyway. ADA may have a high success rate but it does no good if you don't make the experiences intimate. Any technique for that matter, if you just do a RC just to do it then you're going to make it counter-productive. Honestly though, it all comes down to learning what's best for you.

What animal is that you're feeding milk to in the picture? It's so cute! Is that a kitten???

Keep at it. Try to reduce stress - meditation or relaxation exercises. Be positive and believe, really believe that you will have a lucid dream the next time you are dreaming. Using mantras is good too - as you are falling asleep tell yourself that the next time you're dreaming you will realize that you're dreaming. But don't overdo it and don't let the mantra keep you awake.

I've noticed since I started working at my current job I'm more likely to lucid dream. I believe this is due to the fact that my job is in a lab setting in a service industry. The client wants good quality data, and the only way to obtain that is through perfection in what you do.

I perform complex chemical extractions with multiple steps, so each step must be correct. I am constantly checking and rechecking the volume dial on the pipette all day (RC is part of my job!). When I am walking around the lab or to my desk I like to concentrate on each step I take....how my foot feels when the heel touches the ground and it rolls to push off on the toes....awareness rocks! A lot of my co-workers complain about how monotonous the work is, and it really is since they're starting to bring robots in to do the bulk work, but I look at it as a day long paid meditation exercise.

The only thing holding me back are my vices...if you smoke weed I noticed that is the #1 culprit to not having any dreams whatsoever. I quit 2 months ago and it took about a month for enough THC to leave my system to start dreaming again. Alcohol is also a hindrance for me...I may dream but never attain lucidity if I drank before going to sleep. I don't know how it is for others, but sober is the way to go. It may take some of the fun out of waking life, but if lucid dreaming is your goal does it matter?

You try too hard. It looks like you're non stop thinking about lucid dreaming, dont over do it. Try to let it come more natural and you WILL see changes!

The best way to approach lucid dreaming is probably to just try to be as present in your dreams as possible.
Don't feel that you must become lucid every time you go to sleep, try instead to just set your intention to be more "aware" of the dream when it occurs.
I think this is probably the most practical way to pursue lucid dreaming.
It's just like learning to play the guitar - it's unrealistic to try to become great at fast solos and get perfect finger placements on barre chords from day one, you need to start with actually becoming familiar with basic chords and practice shifting between different chords in the beginning, then slowly work your way up.
Lucid dreaming should be approached the same way - start with simply trying to remember your dreams better and better, then as you become more and more curious about them you will naturally start to become more "awake" in them as well, since you are so eager to experience them.
Combine this with setting the intention to realize you are dreaming and you will start to have very good chances to become lucid.

And most important of all - don't feel frustrated, feel excited!
Frustration is in my mind a sign of a "burnout" and a sign that you are trying too hard and demand too much of yourself, whereas excitement is a sign that you have the right attitude to lucid dreaming and feel good practicing it.

It might be worth asking yourself how 'failing' to achieve lucidity is serving you in a positive way.

For example do you, on some level, believe lucid dreaming is dangerous, or conflicting with some personal/moral/spiritual value? If so you might be blocking yourself subconsciously.

Jogo

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Originally Posted by Timbertrick

There has to be a reason I’m having trouble, I just can’t find it. Any ideas? :D Thanks!

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I do feel your frustration!

Although I've been lucky enough to have some LDs, they have all been very short - less than about 10 seconds for the longest!
I have realised that my lucids only seem to come at the end of a dream as I wake up. I have had the same problem as you with trying to DILD in the middle of a dream, although maybe I haven't been quite so dedicated as you in terms of length of time.
With me it feels like I have a hard switch between dreaming and waking, and I can't seem to pause for longer in that twilight state and LD. Maybe it's similar for you (and I suspect many others!)?

It could be you have a similar issue that your conscious brain just doesn't allow a connection while dreaming. How about trying the simple alarm clock approach. I have an Android phone and "Timers4Me" which allows custom alarms that don't need to be switched off, it just stops. If you set a very quiet, simple alarm sound to go off for just a couple of seconds, and try and get it to coincide with one of your dreams, maybe you can get your conscious brain to just wake up enough to either stay in the dream (DILD), or immediately try a DEILD by staying absolutely still and re-enter. If it doesn't work, you can make it louder or longer next time.
Since you remember several dreams a night, maybe you also wake after each one? If you can make a note of the times you wake so you can time the alarm to go off near the start of a REM period.

That's just a different approach that you hadn't said you had tried, so it might work for you?