Thread: I am really doing something wrong, but what?

My recommendation is forget everything you "know" about lucid dreaming since it's obviously not working for you. (Re)Read LaBerge Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming (do not skip anything thinking that you know it already, you've obviously missed something along the way). Follow precisely his "A Course In Lucid Dreaming", including the willpower exercises. Do his prospective memory exercises, work up to 10 or more PM targets throughout the day. Perform at least 6 LaBerge reflection/intention moments a day, give each one several minutes. Drop ADA, do NOT focus on the minute details around you. Instead cultivate mindfulness of YOU, yourself, where you are, what you're doing, how you're reacting: very high level awareness. Do not stress about maintaining mindfulness, but rather every time that you realize you've "zoned out", gently bring your awareness back, and try to keep it for a while. After a while you'll find this happens more and more, and you're mindful for longer and longer periods without being tired.

After 4 years, at the very least, your nights should be full of dreams. You say you recall 1 or 2 a night -- unless these 1 or 2 are very long, vivid, and continuous with multiple scene transitions, I would say your problem is that you've never cultivated sufficient dream awareness (meaning, basically, dream recall). Start there, focus on recall at night, while continuing to do the LaBerge daytime work.

Set intention at bedtime to 1) remember your dreams, 2) notice each waking, remain still, and recall your dreams. Spend a few minutes quietly recalling dreams, reaching farther and farther back into the dream to the beginning. Record (preferably with a voice recorder) your dreams, at least highlights. Do night-time MILD, then back to bed.

You must spend effort doing the recall. The recall must be very important for you: create an intense desire to remember ALL of your dreams all throughout the night. You must spend time every single time you find yourself awake reaching for dream recall.

Cultivate a positive, happy, joyful, thankful attitude for your recalled dreams. Thank your SC for your dreaming experiences, and ask for more.

And above all, do it consistently. On-again, off-again, half-hearted practice won't yield much in the way of results. Never take a vacation from recall, it's a "muscle" that quickly atrophies, try always to build it up more and more.

Also, at bedtime, mentally revisit the memories of your day. This "day recall" helps to build the recall "muscle."

Dedicate yourself to doing this LaBerge-focused practice seriously and consistently for at least 6 months.

After that, try (re)reading other LD books.

You can also try WILD during this time, but in the beginning (this "new" beginning) I recommend focusing on DILDs via MILD.