Thread: Tips for a beginner?

Hello, my name is Clippy, I'm very new to this website and to lucid dreaming and I would like some tips on how to get lucid. Anything that has helped you get better at lucid dreaming would be good. Some things I would like to know from someone who has had frequent lucid dreams are:

• Do you have any tips for lucid dreaming? (Preferably DILD)
• How long did it take you before your first lucid dream?
• How long did it take you before you were having frequent lucid dreams?
• Is there anything beginners do when trying to learn to lucid dream that should be avoided?
• What did you do to get good at lucid dreaming?

Thank you in advance for any replies!

(I know my LD count is 6, but 4 of them were a while ago, so yes I am new)

It took me 2 weeks to achieve my first LD, it's different for others. I would suggest having a good sleep schedule, keeping a Dream Journal (to help recall) and doing Reality checks and awareness, once you get good at those you might notice some changes in your dreams, now I don't have frequent LDs but I do RC's in many of them, with the lack of awareness, so that's very needed. Also after every RC, think about it, if it works, you are dreaming and aware. I've done this do get good, I'm not good yet, but I will get there and you will too Also, you might want to set an alarm to about 4AM and repeat mantras until you fall asleep like "next time I'm dreaming, I'll become lucid" Or make up your own one, Good luck!

Welcome to the forums! First, your name is Clippy, so I feel like I'm obligated to say, "It looks like you're trying to lucid dream. Would you like some help with that?"

I'll admit that I'm not the most frequent lucid dreamer, but I can give you a few tips.

• Definitely first thing you wanna do is increase you dream recall. Best way to do that is to start a dream journal. Put a pen and notebook by your bed, and when you wake up, write down as much as you can remember about your dream (even if you remember nothing, write down something, even if it's just "Nothing"). After a few weeks, you'll notice that you will recall more and more of your dreams. Your goal is to remember at least one or two almost complete dreams each night. Second, you want to get doing reality checks whenever you can. The more you do them, the more likely for you to have a DILD. Don't just ask if you're dreaming, actually stop and think about it. Something I like to do is ask what around me would be a dream sign or would be different if I was dreaming. Those are two must-haves for successful DILDs.
• It took me 6 months from when I started learning about lucid dreaming to having my first lucid. Granted, it took me a while to get my dream recall good enough, and my sleep schedule was so whack that it took longer than it should have...
• From my first lucid, it took about 2 or 3 months to have lucids on a bi-weekly to weekly basis. The first one is always the hardest. Once you know what lucidity feels like, you begin to learn what works, what doesn't, and how to be better prepared for the next lucid.
• 1) Pick one method and stick with it. Read up on your methods, and pick one that you think works well with your lifestyle. No method is instantaneous, they can take a few weeks before being fully effective, so don't just give up if it doesn't work at first. 2) Don't give up (at least not permanently). Again, methods take a while to work. If it doesn't work at first, keep trying. Everyone gets dry spells as well, so don't sweat it if you don't have a lucid for a few weeks. 3) Don't overthink it. One of the biggest problems that I had starting out is focusing too much on doing everything required like it was a checklist, so I drove myself crazy to the point that I lost sleep over it. If you start to lose sleep after focusing on methods too much, take a break. The great thing about DILDs is that they can happen naturally. I've had almost as many lucids during breaks as I have when actually trying.
• I first increased my dream recall with a Vitamin B6 supplement. If you're comfortable with taking supplements, 100-200mg of B6 helps you have more vivid dreams, increasing your dream recall and hopefully giving you more lucid dreams. Also, I personally had quite a bit of success with the Senses Initiated Lucid Dream (SSILD) method. I can't seem to find the post on DV, but a quick Google search should help you find it elsewhere.

Kind of a wordy post, but I hope it helps.

Thanks sparkley and spellbee2!

(I laughed at the Clippy joke)

Originally Posted by Clippy

• How long did it take you before your first lucid dream?

Less than 12 hours. No joke. I learned that I could WILD, so I did it.

Do you have any tips for lucid dreaming? (Preferably DILD)
Keep a dream journal or at absolute minimum give some thought to your dreams when you wake up. A dream journal will help you improve your dream recall and you can go back to older dreams too . Do WBTB, Wake Back to Beds. Here's a tutorial, if you don't already know: WBTB Tutorial - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views.


How long did it take you before your first lucid dream?
I think it took about a month, at least a few weeks. Everyone is different though. Someone might have a lucid dream before they even know what it is, the first night they learn about it, or months after. Everyone is different so don't get discouraged if it takes longer to have a lucid dream that other people.

How long did it take you before you were having frequent lucid dreams?
I learned about lucid dreaming about 2 and a half(ish) years ago and I don't really have too frequent lucid dreams. Like I said above, everyone is different and it takes different amounts of effort from different people. I have periods where I put effort in and periods where I don't. I find that when I put effort in, I have about one lucid dream a week. Right now I haven't been doing much but I am going to start again :3.

Is there anything beginners do when trying to learn to lucid dream that should be avoided?
Never tell yourself you can't do it. A huge part of lucid dreaming is your mentality. Tell yourself every day, when you wake up, when you RC, and when you go to sleep that you can do it, because you can. Don't stress because you've been on a dry spell from lucid dreams. If you find yourself stressed, take a little break. Generally, stress is bad for lucid dreaming. Don't skip around to trying out different things. Start with one, I recommend DILD to start with, and stick with it for a month. The best thing about DILD is that you can keep working on it and work on other things, such as WILDing along with it. If after a month, you don't have much success with a method, don't get mad, take a break and try a different one. Basically, don't get too mad at yourself if something at first. For some people, lucid dreaming is natural, but for a lot of other people, it's not, and that's ok. There will be things that work and things that don't. If everything about lucid dreaming worked on your first try, you probably wouldn't need to ask for beginner tips

Just keep with it, stay positive, and take breaks if you need to!

Well before diving into the whole RCing stuff and awareness I suggest you keep a DJ and aim for 3-4 dream per night. The research every possible technique on the net, try them all out and think about which technique works best.

You will probably need several weeks to get used with all the techniques but I think it's ver important you know what your doing, why you're doing it and how it all works.

You're going to need the fundamentals presented by Sageous which are: Self Awareness and Good Memory. Start out making these two better and itll make your path to Lucid Dreaming ALOT easier. Another thing, always stay determined and always believe in yourself, each can do more than you think. Since you like DILD you have no choice but to stay persistent in doing RC's and that good stuff, but persistence is an amazing attribute to have with Lucid Dreaming, so keep it. It took me about 2 weeks to get my first LD and that was with DILD which is slow when it starts but consistent when you stay with it. I now do the Wake Back to Bed method which requires little practice and no experience really. Stay positive and also, have an intent to Lucid Dream every night before you go to sleep- it highly increases your chances of having an LD. As for Dream Journals, keep one, but dont over do it cause it'll drive you crazy. For each Dream you record I would make it no longer than a paragraph. After a little while your recall will still be enhanced greatly.