The enemy: Swallowing.

**Potross** · 02-23-2014 09:27 PM

Hey guys, i've been trying to get lucid for the past 3 years. i tried last night again after a long break. I didnt get lucid because of one simple annoyance... SWALLOWING!

(i had an awesome dream though.. it involved me buying a bunch of stuff in a pen shop that was like an old auction house, playing liers dice with the owner, and presenting to humanity that me and two others were to pilot evangelions to save humanity. oh and i drove a tank and a jet)

When ever i get close to lucidity (e.g seeing objects in my eye lids in ultra detail, paralysys ect) i always get an urge to swallow my own saliva, i try not to but i do it inately and i cant prevent it!

What should i do??

**Sibyline** · 02-23-2014 10:09 PM

Just swallow and continue. That's what I do. Trying not to swallow will drive you crazy, but swallowing takes one second, and then you're good to go again.

**Coheed** · 02-23-2014 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by Sibyline

Just swallow and continue. That's what I do. Trying not to swallow will drive you crazy, but swallowing takes one second, and then you're good to go again.

Yes, exactly this.
Swallowing and keep going is way easier and unproblematic than trying to ignore it.

**Laurelindo** · 02-23-2014 11:21 PM

You're over-complicating things.
Becoming lucid only means that you try to bring your critical awareness with you into the dreamstate, and WILD (which you seem to practice) is one way to do that.
It doesn't mean that you must lie absolutely still and play dead until you fall asleep, it only means that you should relax and allow yourself to fall asleep while still maintaining your awareness.
Trying to avoid swallowing is much more distracting than just swallowing and get it over with, and swallowing shouldn't ruin your attempts as long as you don't focus so much on it.
In fact, if you allow yourself to swallow in the beginning then you will eventually start doing it automatically after a few minutes, kind of like how you breathe automatically.

**Potross** · 02-24-2014 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by Laurelindo

You're over-complicating things.
Becoming lucid only means that you try to bring your critical awareness with you into the dreamstate, and WILD (which you seem to practice) is one way to do that.
It doesn't mean that you must lie absolutely still and play dead until you fall asleep, it only means that you should relax and allow yourself to fall asleep while still maintaining your awareness.
Trying to avoid swallowing is much more distracting than just swallowing and get it over with, and swallowing shouldn't ruin your attempts as long as you don't focus so much on it.
In fact, if you allow yourself to swallow in the beginning then you will eventually start doing it automatically after a few minutes, kind of like how you breathe automatically.

Right them, tonight i'll try that then. i guess i've just been worrying too much.