Any advice?

[Greencloud]

I had been writing a dream diary for some time (115 entries), though it has been long since I added anything. I have been doing reality checks for couple months and I still am. Yet somehow lucid dreams still evade me. Could anyone advise me some more straightforward method? I have read something about lying on back without moving and slowly counting (along lines of "1 I know I'm dreaming, 2 Iknow I'm dreaming, etc.") and basically waiting for sleep paralysis to come. Does it work? Any other advices? Sorry if I am being messy, I am quite tired. Thank you for help.

[Tygar]

I had been writing a dream diary for some time (115 entries), though it has been long since I added anything. I have been doing reality checks for couple months and I still am. Yet somehow lucid dreams still evade me. Could anyone advise me some more straightforward method? Reality checks seem to work better with mantras and visualization. Mantra: A phrase you can repeat to yourself at night before you sleep. Example: "Tonight while I am dreaming I will recognize I am dreaming and do a reality check." Visualization: Before you fall asleep, remember a dream from the previous night. Picture yourself recognizing you are dreaming. Picture yourself then doing a reality check, becoming lucid, and then imagine what you would do if you were lucid in your dream. I have read something about lying on back without moving and slowly counting (along lines of "1 I know I'm dreaming, 2 Iknow I'm dreaming, etc.") and basically waiting for sleep paralysis to come. Look up WILD on this site and you will find a lot of information. I beleive that is what you are describing.

[Screen]

Every method will have varying success. I wish I could say if you did one method, it would work, but people are still learning about the nature of lucid dreaming. I've heard about that counting technique, and while I've yet to try it, I can say that it won't work unless you're very tired. To the point where you can barely keep your eyes open. If you're not, then you'll find yourself still wide awake after counting for some time. You're one of the unfortunate cases who try for months and come up short. It's not your fault, no one really knows why some still don't attain lucidity even if they follow methods correctly. There's two things I'd recommend you try to gain a lucid dream. The first is use a hypnosis video online before sleep or during. Loop it if you want. I know personally that external stimuli directly affect dreams. Hopefully, your mind will respond to the phrases it hears and help you become lucid. But that's just an aid. As far as methods are concerned, there are two drastic ones that actually work, but you have to endure a little pain. Urinate/Toilet induced lucid dreams, and Thirst induced lucid dreams. The former is you perform reality checks every time you visit the bathroom. Then drink plenty of water before bed. Wake up, use the bathroom, drink more water, and hopefully you'll dream of actually using the bathroom and become lucid. The same principle applies to the latter method, only instead of drinking water, you go hours without it. Then before going to bed, place a cup of water by your bed and hopefully, you'll dream of drinking it. Hopefully this will help you get your first lucid dream and make the others easier to obtain.

[Sageous]

Welcome to DV, Greencloud! There is definitely more to successful LD'ing than just keeping a journal and RC'ing (though both are important). As Tygar already mentioned, you might browse the instructional threads in the Attaining Lucidity and DV Academy forums; I think you'll find them most helpful.

[Voldmer]

One cause of lacking lucid dreams is inadequate sleeping time. If a person gets too little sleep, it will not be the dream-less sleep that suffers - because this is required to "mend the body" after a full days activities. But the dream sleep, REM sleep, is not considered quite so important, so that is sacrificed instead. And with that, the chances of lucidity are lessened. Rule number 1: get enough sleep! In DreamViews there is much, highly qualified, talk about ways to attain lucidity. But it starts with sleep, and if there is too little of it, or if the sleep is of too low quality, then dreaming will suffer.

[Tygar]

One cause of lacking lucid dreams is inadequate sleeping time. Rule number 1: get enough sleep!

[Greencloud]

Thank you for your advice so far. I sleep 8 hours every day, so that's not issue. Few months ago when I used to update the diary regularly I did get some hints of lucidity, but they were short, irregular and completely random, so hopefully I am not a lost case. Off to browse the forums, then

[Tygar]

so hopefully I am not a lost case. No one is a lost case. Just stay diligent and stay positive and the LDs will come.