My personal method of becoming lucid. If anyone is interested.

Hello! I have been lucid dreaming for about 8 years now and over this time I have come up with my own way of attaining lucidity. I shared it on Reddit and it's helped a few people already, so I thought I might as well tell you guys too.

I am just going to copy and paste it from the Reddit thread so I apologise about any formatting errors.

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I tried all the conventional methods (DILD, WILD, MILD, ect . .) Some worked and others didn't.
After years of practicing I have come up with my own personal way of inducing a lucid dream and I have been using it ever since. This method could be described as a type of Wake Initiated Lucid Dream. I know you all like to tag names onto these techniques, so maybe we could call this a Rhythm Induced Lucid Dream? I don’t know. I’ll let you guys tell me what you think.

This might be easier if you have had a few Wake Initiated Lucid Dreams before, but it’s not necessary.

Here goes!

Right now as you are reading this, clap your hands together rhythmically. Like you are tapping to a beat. Try to remember this feeling of your hands clashing together and the feeling of your arms moving in this particular motion. It’s important that you are able to remember these sensations as vividly as possible later down the line.

Now stop clapping.

Here is what you need to do.

• Wake up a few hours before you are suppose to but do not get out of bed.
• Turn over and allow yourself to fall back to sleep
• Wait for the moment when you can feel yourself dropping to sleep.
• Now imagine your hands clapping just like before. Imagine this as vividly and strongly as possible. Repeat this motion in your mind over and over as rhythmically as you can.
• Try and do this in the back of your mind while allowing yourself to fall back asleep. Think of this like counting sheep. Let your mind wander as much as you want but keep this clapping motion running in the background.

If you have done this correctly one of two things might happen.

• While still laying in bed your arms will physically move and clap. In this case you are dreaming and you should get out of bed and start your lucid dream. Do not let yourself confuse your dream body with your real one. If you feel yourself physically clap it’s because your dream body is doing it and not your waking body. (If by any chance it is your waking body, then you are not tired enough to do this!)
• You find yourself in the middle of a dream clapping. In this case you just stop clapping and get on with your lucid dream.

I guess the purpose of this is to allow yourself to fall asleep while the rhythmic motion keeps you conscious and fuels the birth of a dream.
As you get better at this you can substitute clapping for other actions. For example, after a while I started imagining myself running instead.

Here are some other variants that I have tried successfully over the years.

• I am very familiar with the sensation of a female riding me in the cowgirl position. I would imagine her thighs pushed against my sides and the weight of her body bouncing rhythmically on top of me. Eventually I'll find myself in a dream with a DC riding me. All I need to do is push her off and continue with my lucid adventure. I often hear her talk to me and it would cause me to open my eyes. I’ll see a woman there and I know I am dreaming.
• Turning a pedal on a bike is also a good rhythmical action to imagine. Particularly if you are interested in starting the dream on a bike, which is always fun.
• Riding a horse/dragon/unicorn/bull/moose which is pretty much self-explanatory.
• Swimming. I use this perpetual motion to start my dream in a body of water.
• Once I imagined myself swinging a machete from left to right, so I would start my dream in a jungle and I was cutting through foliage.

I am pretty sure that you could come up with a huge variety ways of doing this, these are just the ones that I have been using. Have fun with it and find something that suits you.

I apologise if this is already an established method. I just hope this helps

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So basically imagining a well known motion or other sensation in a very vivid way when falling asleep? It does seem like a form of WILD, though the motion approach is new for me. Like the idea, I'll try it out.
"I am very familiar with the sensation of a female riding me in the cowgirl position" Lol, lucky you!

This I will have to try. Do you have to wake up and go back to sleep for it to work? What if you are awake for like 24 hours before doing it?

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Originally Posted by faxonboy

This I will have to try. Do you have to wake up and go back to sleep for it to work? What if you are awake for like 24 hours before doing it?

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It's doesn't really matter when you do it as long as you are in REM. Try whatever feels comfortable

Seems like a clever variation on the basic WILD technique to me.

Continuously visualizing the clapping action serves as the "anchor" for maintaining awareness as you transition into the dream state.

Have you ever experienced any hi or sp along the way?

Thanks for sharing, mate!

Niall

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Originally Posted by Nailler

Seems like a clever variation on the basic WILD technique to me.

Continuously visualizing the clapping action serves as the "anchor" for maintaining awareness as you transition into the dream state.

Have you ever experienced any hi or sp along the way?

Thanks for sharing, mate!

Niall

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Yes sometimes. Although I do believe that SP is always a good sign. It tells you that you are half way there!

I tried this last night, but instead of clapping, I did walking. It worked! Thanks!

Seems clever but tbh I hate methods that Make me wake up during the night, most of time i cba to do the method at like 4am, still a good method!

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Originally Posted by FreddyKrueger

I tried this last night, but instead of clapping, I did walking. It worked! Thanks!

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Great! I'm glad this has worked for you.

This brings up a good point too. The beauty of this is that you can substitute clapping for anything you want. It makes this technique extremely versatile and accessible.

Sounds great! Going to try it out tomorrow morning.

Edit: Oh, can I do this in a normal WBTB instead of straight away after waking up?

Can you do this right before you sleep? Not a few hours before you wake up?

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Originally Posted by DreamWarrior

Can you do this right before you sleep? Not a few hours before you wake up?

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Unfortunately, at night it is EXTREMELY uncommon to hit REM before you sleep for at least a couple hours or more. Being that REM is where most of our dreams occur, no WILD methods work efficiently before bed for most people. Unless its a nap in the morning or afternoon.

Well, since I figured out my last REM cycle yesterday (I wake up at 7:00 for school, and the last cycle is at 6:00. CONVIENCE! :D) I will try this. This sounds very interesting, and would love to call it RILD (Rhythm Induced Lucid Dreaming)

I will post my findings tommorow morning, :D

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Originally Posted by FuzzyPotatoes

Seems clever but tbh I hate methods that Make me wake up during the night, most of time i cba to do the method at like 4am, still a good method!

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If only REM started at the beginning of our sleep at night. Unfortunately the REM cycles hit best in the early morning so I guess to have those lucids you gotta work for 'em.

Or... you could try this at midday/in the afternoon where you can get straight into REM. it seems like the best option for you if you hate waking in the middle of the night.

I just wanted to stop by and say this technique works, as I have done this in the past without knowing it was a technique. I imagine I was driving a race car that required me to zig and zag at the wheel at a rhythmic tempo (ala rhythmic clapping) and I then next thing I know I was in a dream (completely lucid) driving up very curvy road up some mountain. I didn't think it was my imagination of the driving that did it for me at the time, but after reading this I know to try it again!

Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Machine1k

I just wanted to stop by and say this technique works, as I have done this in the past without knowing it was a technique. I imagine I was driving a race car that required me to zig and zag at the wheel at a rhythmic tempo (ala rhythmic clapping) and I then next thing I know I was in a dream (completely lucid) driving up very curvy road up some mountain. I didn't think it was my imagination of the driving that did it for me at the time, but after reading this I know to try it again!

Thanks!

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Excellent! I knew that I probably wasn't the only one who did this.

No, did not work because I did not try! :O

Will try tonight, :)

Because this idea sounds so fucking awesome, I'll give it a try tonight! Gonna do the clapping one and if it works then I'll try my own variations.

I'll try it tonight too. I really hope it will work :)

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Originally Posted by lucid555

I'll try it tonight too. I really hope it will work :)

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Don't hope it'll work; believe it will work. <:

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Originally Posted by lucid555

I'll try it tonight too. I really hope it will work :)

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Great! I look forward to hearing your results. Remember that you don't necessarily have to do clapping. It's just the action that I choose to begin with.

I had a lucid dream this morning using this method. I usually tend to slip straight into the lucid dream but this morning I felt restless and needed something to help me get lucid. The motion that I imagined this time was the sensation of jumping onto my bed and bouncing out of my window. Bounce Bounce. Bounce Bounce. Bounce Bounce.

The first time was a false awakening, for some reason I had convinced myself that I was really jumping out of my window and I could seriously hurt myself. I confused my dream body with my waking one, which I believe is a common mistake with this technique. The second time round it worked perfectly and I started my lucid dream.

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Originally Posted by Harionago

Great! I look forward to hearing your results. Remember that you don't necessarily have to do clapping. It's just the action that I choose to begin with.

I had a lucid dream this morning using this method. I usually tend to slip straight into the lucid dream but this morning I felt restless and needed something to help me get lucid. The motion that I imagined this time was the sensation of jumping onto my bed and bouncing out of my window. Bounce Bounce. Bounce Bounce. Bounce Bounce.

The first time was a false awakening, for some reason I had convinced myself that I was really jumping out of my window and I could seriously hurt myself. I confused my dream body with my waking one, which I believe is a common mistake with this technique. The second time round it worked perfectly and I started my lucid dream.

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Can you help me with something? everytime i try to do a technique i feel like i'm not putting enough effort into it, and so i have never done a technique other than DILD. I don't know why this happens even though i really want to do it.

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Originally Posted by TheAssassin56

Can you help me with something? everytime i try to do a technique i feel like i'm not putting enough effort into it, and so i have never done a technique other than DILD. I don't know why this happens even though i really want to do it.

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Can you explain what you mean by not putting enough effort in? Are you struggling with imagining yourself clapping?

Maybe running might be better for you? You could imagine you are running barefoot and the feeling of grass/mud/sand/snow at the sole of your feet. I use sand a lot because it's a very unique feeling and it conjures up a beach scene beautifully.

Had a bad case of insomnia last night. Ugh. So obviously I wasn't able to try this out.

This sounds like a much easier method to get into, and what's great is it leaves room for personal modifications. I'll try it and share my results the first chance I get. This should get me my first real lucid dream. Thank you.

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Originally Posted by Screen

This sounds like a much easier method to get into, and what's great is it leaves room for personal modifications. I'll try it and share my results the first chance I get. This should get me my first real lucid dream. Thank you.

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That's one of the main reasons why I do it this way. I hate the techniques that are thrown around that are overly complicated with too many instructions. I knew I could get lucid doing something as simple as this and it's been working for me for years. I am just glad that I finally get to share it with everyone!

Well, I was very tired and sleepy last night, that's possibly why it didn't work. It almost worked though, I remember that dream began, but then I must have lost consciousness. Anyway, it's great method, I will definitely try tonight. I believe it'll work now :)

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Originally Posted by FreddyKrueger

I tried this last night, but instead of clapping, I did walking. It worked! Thanks!

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I used this technique while walking, also, and it worked. I haven't had a solid LD in quite some-time, either.

I woke up, after about six hours of sleep, got up for a few minutes, and went back to bed. I imagined myself walking up a hill, and next thing I knew I was in space. I flew stars and nebulae for a while, then wound up having a bit of a strange LD in a room with no doors or windows I could leave from. I tried diving through the floor, but lost lucidity.

I woke up several more times and tried this technique again, but those times I didn't get out of bed and just wound up falling back asleep.

First substantial lucid in quite a while. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Nightmare

I used this technique while walking, also, and it worked. I haven't had a solid LD in quite some-time, either.

I woke up, after about six hours of sleep, got up for a few minutes, and went back to bed. I imagined myself walking up a hill, and next thing I knew I was in space. I flew stars and nebulae for a while, then wound up having a bit of a strange LD in a room with no doors or windows I could leave from. I tried diving through the floor, but lost lucidity.

I woke up several more times and tried this technique again, but those times I didn't get out of bed and just wound up falling back asleep.

First substantial lucid in quite a while. Thanks!

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Great work! Keep at it :D

I am beginning to think that I should of used walking as my example. It's important that everyone knows that you can substitute the action for literally anything you like.

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Originally Posted by Harionago

Can you explain what you mean by not putting enough effort in? Are you struggling with imagining yourself clapping?

Maybe running might be better for you? You could imagine you are running barefoot and the feeling of grass/mud/sand/snow at the sole of your feet. I use sand a lot because it's a very unique feeling and it conjures up a beach scene beautifully.

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Wait for the moment when you can feel yourself dropping to sleep.
My problem is at this part, i don't know how.

very similar to sageous's method
WILD

I'm going to try this soon. It sounds like a simple enough method. I'll post how well it works out. Thanks for the info!

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Originally Posted by TheAssassin56

Wait for the moment when you can feel yourself dropping to sleep.
My problem is at this part, i don't know how.

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I'm willing to bet that you're not tired enough. We've all experienced times where we could barely keep our eyes open and just wanted to relax and drift off to sleep. I had this same problem with other methods and they didn't work because I wasn't sleepy enough. I see that you're familiar with FILD, and that method won't work if you're not tired enough to fall back asleep within a minute or two.

Trust me, you'll know when you feel yourself "dropping to sleep." The solution is simple: wait until you're very tired and know you're ready to pass out, then try it. You may find yourself staying up for an hour or two later than you'd like, but it's a small price to pay to have a lucid dream. Hope that helped you.

i meant to try this the night before but i wasn't able to sleep properly for the past two nights. i intend to try it as soon as i'm able to rest as usual, it sounds very promising!! thanks for sharing. :)

This is similar to what I do, which works occasionally. While going back to sleep, I imagine moving my arms, as if reaching out and grabbing something, or like climbing a ladder or rope. When it works, it begins to feel more real and a dream scene forms around me.
The problem I have a lot of the time, though, is simply falling asleep without having focused on the imagined sensation enough.

I'm going to try this tomorrow with galantamine and choline for better transition :)

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Originally Posted by Screen

I'm willing to bet that you're not tired enough. We've all experienced times where we could barely keep our eyes open and just wanted to relax and drift off to sleep. I had this same problem with other methods and they didn't work because I wasn't sleepy enough. I see that you're familiar with FILD, and that method won't work if you're not tired enough to fall back asleep within a minute or two.

Trust me, you'll know when you feel yourself "dropping to sleep." The solution is simple: wait until you're very tired and know you're ready to pass out, then try it. You may find yourself staying up for an hour or two later than you'd like, but it's a small price to pay to have a lucid dream. Hope that helped you.

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Gonna try it again, my problem is the sleep time, going to try 4 hours.

Finally. I have a chance to post something here. yes it works! It helped me have two lucid dreams yesterday! And first lucid dream was longer than the rest of the others. thanks for this awesome technique :)

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Originally Posted by lucid555

Finally. I have a chance to post something here. yes it works! It helped me have two lucid dreams yesterday! And first lucid dream was longer than the rest of the others. thanks for this awesome technique :)

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Congratulations! May I ask what motion you decided to imagine?

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Originally Posted by Harionago

Congratulations! May I ask what motion you decided to imagine?

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Thanks! And yeah, of course, I just imagined clapping my hands. :)
And just as you said, first thing happened. Soon it began incredibly real. And then I got up from bed and did a reality check which confirmed I was in dream. :)

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Originally Posted by lucid555

Thanks! And yeah, of course, I just imagined clapping my hands. :)
And just as you said, first thing happened. Soon it began incredibly real. And then I got up from bed and did a reality check which confirmed I was in dream. :)

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It's a good job you had the gumption to use a reality check. There has been no end of times where I convince myself that I am not dreaming and just fall asleep.

I tried this again by waking up after about 5 hrs of sleep, going back to bed, and imagining rubbing my hands together. I found myself in a dream rubbing my hands together, knowing that I was trying to have a lucid dream, but forgot to do a reality check and just had a regular dream.

I think rubbing hands is another effective way to do this because it engages two senses: I could hear the rubbing sound before I could feel the rubbing sensation.

Awesome technique. So simple.

If you wanted to add more senses, you could imagine you were eating something like a piece of candy, or chewing gum. I haven't tried that, it's just an idea I'm offering.

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Originally Posted by Screen

If you wanted to add more senses, you could imagine you were eating something like a piece of candy, or chewing gum. I haven't tried that, it's just an idea I'm offering.

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Sounds interesting! I might give that one a go. My only reservation is that it might make me feel hungry and keep me from sleeping :D

I almost did it last night! :D
I was imagining clapping when suddenly I could feel my hands clapping. It felt intensely real. Was afraid to ruin it if I opened my eyes, though, so eventually the sensation disappeared.
Will try again :) I have faith in this thing. Thanks for sharing !

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Originally Posted by Spun

I almost did it last night! :D
I was imagining clapping when suddenly I could feel my hands clapping. It felt intensely real. Was afraid to ruin it if I opened my eyes, though, so eventually the sensation disappeared.
Will try again :) I have faith in this thing. Thanks for sharing !

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Yep! That would be you clapping in your dream. It can be so confusing at times because the sensation feels real and for a moment you think that it was your waking hands that clapped.

If you are worried about opening your eyes then I suggest that once the clapping becomes intense like before, you start imagining an environment. Hopefully the environment you imagine will appear without you having to open your eyes.

Hiya - I tried this method about 3 nights ago and had some success - I imagined, as you suggested, clapping my hands, and after a few minutes I emerged into a dream scene of being in a car with a female DC (unfortunately not a cow girl :cheeky:) still clapping my hands ! The female DC turned to me and looked at me oddly saying 'why are you clapping' and stupidly (being only semilucid now and feeling kind of awkward explaining lucidity and feeling stupid clapping in the car) I made up 'because my hands are cold!' :cheeky: stupid eh! I could feel my brain making up the excuse, amazing how our brains try and explain every oddity in our dreams to try and make sense of it.anyways as I re-asserted my lucidity I lost the dream into the void (and blew the task of the month - yelling out 'whats your middle name' but she'd gone).

anyway your technique worked! so thank you :lol:

Will try this tonight. How long do you stay up before going back to bed?

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Originally Posted by Tlaloc

Hiya - I tried this method about 3 nights ago and had some success - I imagined, as you suggested, clapping my hands, and after a few minutes I emerged into a dream scene of being in a car with a female DC (unfortunately not a cow girl :cheeky:) still clapping my hands ! The female DC turned to me and looked at me oddly saying 'why are you clapping' and stupidly (being only semilucid now and feeling kind of awkward explaining lucidity and feeling stupid clapping in the car) I made up 'because my hands are cold!' :cheeky: stupid eh! I could feel my brain making up the excuse, amazing how our brains try and explain every oddity in our dreams to try and make sense of it.anyways as I re-asserted my lucidity I lost the dream into the void (and blew the task of the month - yelling out 'whats your middle name' but she'd gone).

anyway your technique worked! so thank you :lol:

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Awesome! Great story. I'm glad that you are finding some success using my technique.

Let us know if you get any further. You was practically there!

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Originally Posted by Lucidordie

Will try this tonight. How long do you stay up before going back to bed?

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I check the time and turn over. A mere 30 seconds if that.

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Originally Posted by Harionago

I check the time and turn over. A mere 30 seconds if that.

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Good. I tried the one where you have to stay up 30-60 minutes. Are you kidding me? That messes you up for the whole day.

Here to report results.

I think trying to imagine myself clapping made me "unsleepy." For shits and giggles tried clapping in the shower and then imagining myself doing it in my head. I couldn't do it. Almost as if my brain was trying to resist me. I guess I have bad imagination :(. Guess how long it took me to come up with my username.

Details in my journal.

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Originally Posted by Lucidordie

Here to report results.

I think trying to imagine myself clapping made me "unsleepy." For shits and giggles tried clapping in the shower and then imagining myself doing it in my head. I couldn't do it. Almost as if my brain was trying to resist me. I guess I have bad imagination :(. Guess how long it took me to come up with my username.

Details in my journal.

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I suggest you try something you feel more comfortable imagining. Perhaps running instead?

First i have to practice some version of SSILD or WILD to raise my vigilance and not fall asleep so easily.

Then i hope for hypnagogia sensations and when those come i imagine getting out of bed and suddenly i feel a lighter dream body - so i know it´s not my real body.

I know some people can do it at bedtime, but i never did.

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Originally Posted by VagalTone

First i have to practice some version of SSILD or WILD to raise my vigilance and not fall asleep so easily.

Then i hope for hypnagogia sensations and when those come i imagine getting out of bed and suddenly i feel a lighter dream body - so i know it´s not my real body.

I know some people can do it at bedtime, but i never did.

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I would say falling asleep easily is a good thing. It means you don't have to imagine your action for too long.

I mentioned before that I have been using a new action where I bounce on my bed and out the window. It seems like I will be using that for the foreseeable future. It's works every time for me :)

My daughter told me last week that she was imagining walking on her stilts as she was going to sleep. Suddenly it felt real, and then one stilt twisted around and she woke up. It must have been similar to this technique.

I'm gonna try this method out tomorrow and report my results. I feel confident this one will work.

Harionago: you mentioned earlier about adding more senses. I'm going to try the clapping, and if that doesn't work, I'll try my previously mentioned idea of imagining chewing gum: touch, taste, smell. But I have a question: have you ever tried something like imagining the weather? What if you imagined it was raining? If you started hearing thunder and felt water dropping on you, I'd bet anyone would feel fairly confident they were dreaming.

Will try this soon, thanks!

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Originally Posted by Sibyline

My daughter told me last week that she was imagining walking on her stilts as she was going to sleep. Suddenly it felt real, and then one stilt twisted around and she woke up. It must have been similar to this technique.

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Sounds like it!

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Originally Posted by Screen

I'm gonna try this method out tomorrow and report my results. I feel confident this one will work.

Harionago: you mentioned earlier about adding more senses. I'm going to try the clapping, and if that doesn't work, I'll try my previously mentioned idea of imagining chewing gum: touch, taste, smell. But I have a question: have you ever tried something like imagining the weather? What if you imagined it was raining? If you started hearing thunder and felt water dropping on you, I'd bet anyone would feel fairly confident they were dreaming.

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Sounds interesting. I have never tried weather specifically but I don't see why it shouldn't work.

I have however imagined myself walking on wet ground and snow before. Adding that extra sensation always helps.

How about imagining that your eyelids are opening? Would that work.

Or, imagining that your eyelids are very light, like they are filled with helium or something?

When your eyes open properly you know you are dreaming.

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Originally Posted by Bobblehat

How about imagining that your eyelids are opening? Would that work.

Or, imagining that your eyelids are very light, like they are filled with helium or something?

When your eyes open properly you know you are dreaming.

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You can imagine whatever you want as long as you do it rhythmically then it's fine. I only suggest things like clapping and walking because these are actions that we do all the time in our waking life, they are a lot easier to imagine.

Hi,

Thanks for this. I will try it tonight. I'll also try to remember what someone said on this thread: "Don't hope for it to work, believe it will work".

I just started CAT method a couple days ago (still on the introduction) but I'll give this a try. Who knows, maybe it's even a good mix in the case both work for me.

As a side note, I find funny that one of the things I "dream" of doing when achieving an stable, durable LD, is having a girl ride me whenever I want, but when you enter the dream doing just that, you say that "I just push the girl away and go doing some stuff" //facepalm
:mrgreen:

Sounds very promising!
Thanks for sharing!
Attachment 6856

OK, I tried this tonight but I don't exactly know what happened. Maybe I was too tired, but I just woke up at around 2.30am, drank some water (bottle next to my bed), and still really sleepy I turned on my side and started imagining myself walking. I was thinking "ok, I feel tired, but maybe not so much to sleep right now, but anyway I'm going to stick feeling as walking", and next thing I know is I wake up at 4.30am... :movingmrgreen:

Who knows maybe it even worked, but as I don't recall a single dream from this night, I can't know.... will try again tonight!

I'm gonna try to clap in the tune of 'We will rock you'

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Originally Posted by SonGoku

I'm gonna try to clap in the tune of 'We will rock you'

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That's neat. That could be belts and braces.

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Originally Posted by SonGoku

I'm gonna try to clap in the tune of 'We will rock you'

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I did the exact same thing when I first started.

i can't wait to try this technique tonight. it's simple enough, i'm angry at myself for not committing when i'm not distracted. so do i just imagine my hands clapping along with the sensation, with like a black or white background or does it not matter? clapping to a tune does sound helpful.

This seems cool, I'll have to try it tonight. :D Seems really simple also, soo :)

Once again I tried this and failed to stay awake... today I don't remember waking up at 2am as usual, but suddenly at 4.00am. Drank some water, turned around while starting to focus on feeling my hands touching, and next thing I know is alarm waking me up...
:angry:

Well, I guess I will have to keep trying...

so to get this straight when do i have to do the motion? for example runnning. do i run right now and then run before going to sleep, time my alarm and imagine the running from before? or do i dont even have to run in the first place just imagine it withotu any real life examples?

I used to do something similar although I wasn't able to figure out a system to understand what I was doing. Your thread gives me what I was desperately lacking: Order! Thanks a lot for sharing!!

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Originally Posted by sickofthisplace

so to get this straight when do i have to do the motion? for example runnning. do i run right now and then run before going to sleep, time my alarm and imagine the running from before? or do i dont even have to run in the first place just imagine it withotu any real life examples?

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The thing is to pick something you KNOW how it feels, very good. I mean, not that feels very good, but that you know very good how it feels :bigteeth: (could be both, anyway).

For instance, if you're a cook and cut lots of garlic, onion, etc... just try to get that feeling in your hand, arm... Imagina yourself holding the piece of food with one hand and cutting with the other, non stop.... if you swim a lot, just try to feel as if you were swiming.

It's not that you have to do a motion and go to sleep, just pick something that fits with you. Of course if you can't think on anything (which I doubt), you will have to do a rithmic movement for some time, focusing on how it feels, and then reproduce it mentally on bed. Anyway I guess that almost anything works... for example, if you drive 1 hour per day, you probably know how the throttle feels on your feet.

For example, the movement I chose for a couple of days is repeatedly touching my 5 fingertips against the other hand's fingertips. Why? Because at the office we have a joke that involves doing this gesture, and we do it a lot during the day. Also is a movement very sensitive as you use your fingertips, so I try to focus on feeling them hitting one against each other (anyway I always fall asleep...).

Good luck.

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Originally Posted by Irreo

The thing is to pick something you KNOW how it feels, very good. I mean, not that feels very good, but that you know very good how it feels :bigteeth: (could be both, anyway).

For instance, if you're a cook and cut lots of garlic, onion, etc... just try to get that feeling in your hand, arm... Imagina yourself holding the piece of food with one hand and cutting with the other, non stop.... if you swim a lot, just try to feel as if you were swiming.

It's not that you have to do a motion and go to sleep, just pick something that fits with you. Of course if you can't think on anything (which I doubt), you will have to do a rithmic movement for some time, focusing on how it feels, and then reproduce it mentally on bed. Anyway I guess that almost anything works... for example, if you drive 1 hour per day, you probably know how the throttle feels on your feet.

For example, the movement I chose for a couple of days is repeatedly touching my 5 fingertips against the other hand's fingertips. Why? Because at the office we have a joke that involves doing this gesture, and we do it a lot during the day. Also is a movement very sensitive as you use your fingertips, so I try to focus on feeling them hitting one against each other (anyway I always fall asleep...).

Good luck.

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Exactly this.

You just need to pick an action that you are very familiar with and can easily imagine while falling asleep. You don't have to physically do the action before you go to sleep or anything like that, just visualize it as your drop off. The more vivid you imagine it the more likely you are going to succeeded.

Yay! Finally worked!, after 3 days trying...

I decided to try swimming, as I've been doing that for several years. I just focused on my arms crawling. Suddenly I found myself in darkness with the arms moving in front of me. I continued doing it and an image started to form. I could feel my arms, but my legs were still in my bed, with some "electric" feelings, similar to when you try WILD and get very relaxed.

Anyway, I managed to get into the dream, more or less, because even if I stabilized it, I'm not sure I had my full dream body in. There was a huge beach, with waves around 5 stories tall. There was this natural wall on my left, formed of rocks and sand. I walked near it and decided to train/experiment a bit, as this has been what I consider my second "stabilized" dream.

I decided I wanted to summon a water elemental (from a game), and I just did it. He became hostile to me inmediately, but as I'm the master of the realm, and know it, I though "lets see how hard this thing hits... will I feel a wave of water?". He tried to hit me but did nothing. I then decided trying to summon a fire elemental behind him and see what happens. As I did it, the water elemental went straight for it.

Now I'm not quite sure what happened, maybe I removed them, or they just went far, but next thing I do is "try walking over a solid object", as I read here yesterday when talking about dream control. I decided to walk with my head as hitting the rocks on the wall. First two rocks I hit them and I could feel the pain. Next one I though "this one I can go through", and I did. Next one I chose not to, and I hit it again...

Then I tried teleport, but no success here. I looked at a spot some meters away and though on being there, but nothing... I woke up.

Anyway, I'm happy with the results. I hope to be able to do this method in a relaxed state where I can just stay in the dream long enough...


EDIT: Forgot to mention that it somehow worked twice... Later I tried it again, and on a moment I found myself swimming on my bed. I could feel the matress rubing my arms, and I was on my bed, all sleepy. I though "you're supposed to think about it, not actually do it!" and I stoped my arms.

Now thinking about this, I think I was already dreaming... No way I could be moving my arms like that in bed, I guess.

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Originally Posted by SonGoku

I'm gonna try to clap in the tune of 'We will rock you'

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The music that comes to mind here for me is Kool & the Gang's "Celebration!" Will definitely try this as the "I'm dreaming" mantra is not working for my WILDs, and visualizing scenes inevitably keeps me awake.

p.s. interesting that a good friend of mine has reported over a hundred of WILDs using the "swing" technique: imagine swinging on a park swing, eventually he'd appear in the park and then go off and do LD stuff. I tried that but I find imagining swinging makes me move my physical eyes keeping me awake. I've also been swimming all my life so I'll try the swimming motions. I've been wanting to LD at a water park (heh heh!) so this could be a great way to get there!

Threads like this get me really excited.

Tried it a few times more, but conditions are not right probably, not tired enough (tried it late in the morning). I did just begin to feel some WILD sensations but I was already too awake I think and the room too light. Will keep at this!

I was once really tired and I couldn't keep my eyes open. Should've done this instead of trying to SSILD haha. Maybe I should write a note down by my door.

This is a very good technique. It look like "the phase technique".
The important thing is to imagine repeated MOTION (something that is natural and easy to imagine).
It simulates the dream body and shift your focus from the physical body to the dream body. (for me lucid dreams or astral projections are not made by the brain, that's why I use words "dream body")
When your physical body is almost asleep and when you are very zen, you may feel the effects quickly.
Sometimes when I wake up, I don't move or open my eyes and I start imagining my self writing lol... And I enter the lucid dream.

Woah, I can totally see this working, since sometimes when I'm thinking about a certain song, I'll fall asleep and I'll dream about something related to the song. Very creative, I think I'll try this sometime. :)

Hmm this has piqued my interest. I'll give it a go tonight then.

Cool technique! Approaches like this can be very effective. Xanous and I happened on a similar tech last year that we called "The Gladius Trick". We stumbled upon this by accident thanks to the "Colosseum" portion of the 2013 Task of the Year.

I found that if I woke up from a dream, I could DEILD by imagining myself swinging a sword back and forth. Any other repetitive motion seemed to work, too. Speaking of which:

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Turning a pedal on a bike is also a good rhythmical action to imagine. Particularly if you are interested in starting the dream on a bike, which is always fun.

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Yep, in fact Xanous would usually ride a bike or run when he did this. This approach turned out to be very effective for DEILD as well as classic WILD.

Good write-up, thanks for sharing! I need to try this again for WILD. It's been a while since I used it for anything but DEILD.

Trying this tonight!

Nice, straight-forward WILD technique(or DILD or DEILD)! :) I have tried some repetitive motions after reading ideas from Sivason (I think) but I have had the most success when I am already at the door of the dream or possibly already dreaming and definitely when in the void. I imagine that chances go up with better self-awareness, but chances should also go up with something as simple as practicing by visualizing the technique during the day. Perhaps visualize the clapping (or chosen rhythmic action) while visualizing it feeling real and visualize "realizing" it is a dream and practice what you will do next (allowing yourself to get a little excited, but not too excited, at all you can do in your next lucid) so that you don't miss it when the real thing comes...so that you don't continue into a non-lucid dream. What do you think Harionago?

Hi there,

So, I would appreciate some suggestions or recommendations here.

As I posted on this thread some weeks ago, I managed to achieve this on the 3rd try. I imagined I was swimming and I suddenly saw my arms moving in front of me, and then relaxed and focused on entering the dream, which I succeded.

The thing is that I've been trying this almost nightly, with no results.

Basically, I wake up naturally 4-6 hours after sleeping, and when I'm thinking about the rythmic movement, next think I know is I'm waking up in the morning. Sometimes I notice my mind wandering in some other stuff, and feel that I almost fell asleep, then I just get back to the thinking, but again, I wake up in the morning...

So, my problem is that I either don't know how to concentrate on the movement, or I'm doing something wrong.

Any hints?

Thanks!

Try adding a mental anchor, the motion may not hold enough of your awareness to carry over into the dream. (That's WILD, in a nutshell: fall asleep with a mental anchor, like a mantra, counting, anything to maintain a pearl of awareness along with you into the dream).

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Originally Posted by FryingMan

Try adding a mental anchor, the motion may not hold enough of your awareness to carry over into the dream. (That's WILD, in a nutshell: fall asleep with a mental anchor, like a mantra, counting, anything to maintain a pearl of awareness along with you into the dream).

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Hi FryingMan, thanks for the reply. I will try to focus into something with more dedication... the truth is that I tried imagining the movement with songs a couple times, as I read on this thread, but also I suddenly realize that I stopped both singing and imagining movement and I'm already onto something else...

Counting sounds good I guess...

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Originally Posted by Irreo

Hi FryingMan, thanks for the reply. I will try to focus into something with more dedication... the truth is that I tried imagining the movement with songs a couple times, as I read on this thread, but also I suddenly realize that I stopped both singing and imagining movement and I'm already onto something else...

Counting sounds good I guess...

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It's important to realize that just thinking about the motion isn't enough. You really need to visualise and feel the action as vividly as possible. Whenever I am imagining myself running, I just don't think about the action, I try to imagine how it feels. How the grass beneath my feet feels as I take each step, the wind in my hair, the occasional plant hitting against my leg. It needs to feel as realistic as possible.

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Originally Posted by fogelbise

Nice, straight-forward WILD technique(or DILD or DEILD)! :) I have tried some repetitive motions after reading ideas from Sivason (I think) but I have had the most success when I am already at the door of the dream or possibly already dreaming and definitely when in the void. I imagine that chances go up with better self-awareness, but chances should also go up with something as simple as practicing by visualizing the technique during the day. Perhaps visualize the clapping (or chosen rhythmic action) while visualizing it feeling real and visualize "realizing" it is a dream and practice what you will do next (allowing yourself to get a little excited, but not too excited, at all you can do in your next lucid) so that you don't miss it when the real thing comes...so that you don't continue into a non-lucid dream. What do you think Harionago?

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I think anything like this would help. In a way you are sort of using it as a RC too, which is always a good thing.

Thanks Harionago. In the last two days I tried first what FryingMan said about counting, and next day (today) after reading your suggestion I tried to focus more on sensations, not just movement. Well, sadly with no results... First, I don't know how many times I counted from 1 to 50 while clapping my hands... There was a moment where I almost forgot where I was (start over) or when I would count slowly, as if numbers were heavy... "fouurr... ty... fffff our..."... and again, waking up from a dream.

With the sensations, I tried to feel I was doing the underwater dolphin swimming, a movement I love specially using fins, trying to imagine the cold water, bubble sounds... and wake up.

Well, I guess I will have to keep trying. Next time I will count while I swim :D

Worked for me tonight on the first try. Great idea...thanks!

I've been playing piano for years. A sensation that is probably very implicit by now. Gonna try it with that.

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Originally Posted by LDQ

Worked for me tonight on the first try. Great idea...thanks!

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That's great news! I'm glad it's worked for you. Out of interest, what motion/action did you imagine?

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Originally Posted by Harionago

That's great news! I'm glad it's worked for you. Out of interest, what motion/action did you imagine?

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Clapping my hands together. I went to bed around 10pm and woke up around 4am. Did the clapping thing and in a few moments wound up lying in my bed lucid.

I did it again tonight and an interesting thing happened. Just after I started imagining clapping my hands, I started hearing the sound of my hands clapping together and I found it curious. It lasted for a while and then stopped. Later I realized that I was in the beginning stages of an LD and all I had to do was visualize myself in the dream but it was too late. I did have 2 other LDs later in the night though so I'm a happy camper.

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Originally Posted by LDQ

I did it again tonight and an interesting thing happened. Just after I started imagining clapping my hands, I started hearing the sound of my hands clapping together and I found it curious. It lasted for a while and then stopped. Later I realized that I was in the beginning stages of an LD and all I had to do was visualize myself in the dream but it was too late. I did have 2 other LDs later in the night though so I'm a happy camper.

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Yeah, it can be a little confusing at times. Sometimes I am fully convinced that I am clapping in real life and not in my dream.

Thats a FILD variation. A very solid technique.

Yes, exactly. That's what I was thinking when I heard the clapping but I didn't realize that I wasn't doing it for real. Duhhh...

I do not have any prior experience in lucid dreaming but this will be the very first technique I try.

I almost had success with this technique. I imagined myself running while trying to sleep. I later found myself lying and doing the running action on my bed. I got up and plugged my nose as a reality check, but I couldn't breathe. I thought to myself "this can't be a dream" so I went back to sleep. Unfortunately that made me wake up for real.

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Originally Posted by Freak12

I almost had success with this technique. I imagined myself running while trying to sleep. I later found myself lying and doing the running action on my bed. I got up and plugged my nose as a reality check, but I couldn't breathe. I thought to myself "this can't be a dream" so I went back to sleep. Unfortunately that made me wake up for real.

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You're almost there! Like I said before, I feel the hardest part of this technique is believing you are actually dreaming and it's not your waking body that's moving. Your dream body started doing the action while you was laying in bed, which makes me think that you are very susceptible to this method, I suggest you keep at it!

I haven't had luck with this yet, maybe I haven't been close enough to sleep. I will imagine myself walking for a long way but I end up staying awake/alert.

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Originally Posted by FryingMan

I haven't had luck with this yet, maybe I haven't been close enough to sleep. I will imagine myself walking for a long way but I end up staying awake/alert.

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You're probably right. I always do this when I am on the brink of sleeping.

Tried this for the first time last night. Got into sp in 3 seconds and started getting HI. Will try more tonight! :)

I unknowingly tried this the other day. I was lying in bed during the day, but was getting too relaxed so I started drifting in and out of consciousness a little. Eventually, as I started falling asleep, I was thinking about having to use the bathroom. Sure enough, that's what I began to dream about. Although, I didn't "feel" anything, just saw it. Shortly after, I woke up because part of me knew I needed to stay awake.

I'm going to try it properly tomorrow and promise to share my results. But there is definitely some truth to Harionago's concept of what you think about right before falling asleep strongly influences what you'll actually dream about. And my brief experience is reinforcing my belief in it. So to those who've tried unsuccessfully, don't abandon hope just yet. It is possible and I see this as one of the easiest methods because it doesn't ask a lot of time or energy.

And I think (I don't know for sure) the reason you have to wake up then go back to sleep, is so you can jump into the dream faster. In my case, I wasn't sleeping properly, and if you're sleep deprived, your mind tries to initiate dreaming sooner than it normally does. So when I dozed off, I started dreaming almost immediately. Which helps explains how my thoughts ended becoming my dreams so quickly, because I wasn't even asleep for ten minutes.

So, from my inadvertent experience, the details in your imagination don't have to be vividly perfect. But it should be something that's second-nature to you like clapping as far as how it feels to where you hardly have to think about it. I think the trick is exhaustion. Make sure you're the "I'm so bored I could fall asleep" tired, to where you just doze off.

WARNING: don't try too hard to fall asleep. This is the reason why I could never do the Wake Back to Bed method. Let yourself doze off naturally. Trying too hard to fall back to sleep is like trying too hard to blink. Just stay relaxed and your body will handle the rest.

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Originally Posted by Screen

WARNING: don't try too hard to fall asleep. This is the reason why I could never do the Wake Back to Bed method. Let yourself doze off naturally. Trying too hard to fall back to sleep is like trying too hard to blink. Just stay relaxed and your body will handle the rest.

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Yes, this. It is key. The instant you stop trying to sleep is the moment you can fall asleep. Learn to trust your body, it knows how to fall asleep, just don't fight it by keeping your mind active trying to force it or will it to happen.

Messed up this time. Have to try again tomorrow to get it right. Will report back then.

Thanks so much. I have been trying to lucid dream forever and this just might be perfect....
I will try it tomight and tell you the results. Wishme luck!

Ok tried three nights. Got into sp/HI point where I screwed up. For some reason I always tend to force my eyes open. They are SO heavy but yet still I try. I dont know why I keep do that. I dont know when the transition is done :/

lol tried this method this morning and woke myself up by clapping or snapping my fingers loud and close to my face with my dream body. I was so startled by the sensation that it woke me up twice. But I can tell now that this will work for me...
I am a bass player and have later imagined myself playing steady notes with my bass guitar, i guess that would work, too. But by that time I was already too awake.

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Originally Posted by Djaxup

lol tried this method this morning and woke myself up by clapping or snapping my fingers loud and close to my face with my dream body. I was so startled by the sensation that it woke me up twice. But I can tell now that this will work for me...
I am a bass player and have later imagined myself playing steady notes with my bass guitar, i guess that would work, too. But by that time I was already too awake.

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Fantastic! You are more or less there.

I will try it again tonight. I was really tired.

Does sleepiness have anything to do withthe chance of lucid dreaming?

With this method, yes. You have to ensure you're tired enough to fall asleep within around five minutes. Then when you reawaken, you have to be tired enough to fall back to sleep within a minute as Harionago said. If you're not, you'll find yourself trying this technique for longer than needed and still be wide awake.

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Originally Posted by shire0511

I will try it again tonight. I was really tired.

Does sleepiness have anything to do withthe chance of lucid dreaming?

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Like Screen said above you need to be as sleepy as possible. I always do it when I'm on the verge of dropping back to sleep.

But doesnt sleepiness make it harder? I tried but before I could do it I was asleep again.
Thanks.

If you're not tired enough, you won't be able to fall asleep properly and have a lucid dream.

The idea is once you go to bed, you wake back up for a moment. Perform the method for around one minute, and you'll consciously jump back into the dream. If at this stage you're not tired enough, then you'll be too alert while doing the method and it won't work. Maybe you'll fall back to sleep in the hour, but then you've got a WBTB method there which is different from this method. The goal is to fall back to sleep within the first minute of waking up, using this method to keep you conscious while entering the dream again.

That's pretty much it. Again, if you're too awake, you can't fall back to sleep properly within the first minute.

Well, I still try this almost everynight, and this one I almost had success. The problem was some bird outside, and random cars passing by on the road next to me (it was around 6.30am while trying this).

I imagined myself claping my hands, and suddenly I could feel my hands touching each other. It was all dark, and I could still hear the bird, and one car that passed by, but I was there rubbing my hands. Tried to look at them but I could only see some white-ish shadow, just as if they were somehow outlined in the dark. I tried to open my eyes using them, but nothing. I relaxed while still claping, but I guess outside noises were too much ...

Gotta try this again on the weekend with my ear plugs...

Sounds like you were really close Irreo, keep at it :)

Thanks.

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Originally Posted by Irreo

Well, I still try this almost everynight, and this one I almost had success. The problem was some bird outside, and random cars passing by on the road next to me (it was around 6.30am while trying this).

I imagined myself claping my hands, and suddenly I could feel my hands touching each other. It was all dark, and I could still hear the bird, and one car that passed by, but I was there rubbing my hands. Tried to look at them but I could only see some white-ish shadow, just as if they were somehow outlined in the dark. I tried to open my eyes using them, but nothing. I relaxed while still claping, but I guess outside noises were too much ...

Gotta try this again on the weekend with my ear plugs...

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This is sounding very promising, you are so close. I usually have to do it with ear plugs too because outside noises can become a distraction. I urge you to keep trying! Once you have successfully done it once or twice it will be so easy to do it again.

Let us all know how you get on = ]

I wonder if you could do plugging your nose and trying to exhale air out your nose in a synchronized pattern before you fall asleep haha
anyways it's 4'am and I just saw this method so I'll be trying it right now brb!

Sounds very interesting, It matches with the technique that I want to use: Visualization WILD. I only had succes once, and I imagined I was walking through my house, visiting all the rooms, but I dont know if it was very rhitmic. I will try with a wbtb tonight

Seems like this method would work well for me. I'll give it a try tonight and post my findings tomorrow. Cheers.

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Originally Posted by Nova5002

Seems like this method would work well for me. I'll give it a try tonight and post my findings tomorrow. Cheers.

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Unfortunately I think I woke myself up too early. I will continue this technique over the weekend and post an update on Monday or Tuesday.

I had a semi LD. I made the method while I was very sleepy. I appeared in some kind of comercial building. I analyzed it, and thought: I have to prepare it for the Lucid Dream. After that it was a normal dream (very vivid and long).So, I don't remember if I was aware of the dream at the biggining. I think I was semi lucid.

It's not the first time that I think or speak about lucid dreams in my dreams but I dont realize I am in a LD.

I will continue trying this. It is very promising.

Thank you!!!

Today I had another interesting dream. I was taking a walk in a park and I was thinking wich rythmic action could I make for this method. And I was thinking about LD but I was not lucid. Later I thought that this walk was a very long wbtb.

Again, very long dream and very vivid.

I tried this last night, was doing the clapping motion with my hands. When I started dreaming I was in my bed doing it with my feet instead (wierd) , it felt so real it woke me up :( . Not bad for a first attempt I guess.

when you make this method, do you imagine a context too? or only the rhytimic action?

I have been trying it for a few a day with no lucid dreams yet, but I think I will get it. I think that when I wake up for the wbtb I must stay a litle bit awake because I go almast inmediatelly to sleep and I fall asleep too quiqkly.

Even though I didnt have lucid dreams I've been having interesting, vivid dreams.

I've been trying to get a lucid dream for almost a year now. I still haven't had one. I've never heard of this before but I know when I dream the most and it is whenever I wake up early and decide to go back to bed. Maybe I'll wake up at 5 am? Then I'll try this method it sounds really cool. Do you think imagining dancing would be good??

At the moment my main problem is the transition into the dream... so I'm definitely going to give this a try, thanks a lot for sharing.

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Originally Posted by wannabelucidity

I've been trying to get a lucid dream for almost a year now. I still haven't had one. I've never heard of this before but I know when I dream the most and it is whenever I wake up early and decide to go back to bed. Maybe I'll wake up at 5 am? Then I'll try this method it sounds really cool. Do you think imagining dancing would be good??

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I think so. Like they've said some pages before, the important part is that it's an action that you're very familiar with and that you can visualize it quite vividly. But paying too much attention to the visualization part might keep you from falling asleep...
Anyway, good luck with this.