Thread: BE a Lucid Dreamer

I'm a really strong believer in this, EamonWill, you are not the first to propose this idea- it has been getting scrutinized for a while now, but I believe that it makes perfect sense. Its the same principle in life that if you want to be a positive person, you become positive-just like that, but only if you really believe you are capable of it.
If we can (and I know we can) get past those mental blocks and negative schemas, and really develop our expectations to fit what we want, we can change everything. I know that this simple method of induction is going to take off once we really get to understand how it works.

Originally Posted by mimihigurashi

Wow, I accidentally meditated longer than usual and it still felt like a relatively short time, lol. Using those mantras also helped a lot to keep my mind from wandering, too early to say anything about lucidity but it can certainly help with improving focus, which has its own numerous benefits, including increasing WILD success.

That's awesome! I'm so glad it helped you meditate! I think most people have issues with a wandering mind during meditation. I know I do and mantras really help me! They also force me to concentrate on exactly what I'm thinking and bending my thoughts towards the positive. Keep it up and let me know if anything happens!

Originally Posted by cooleymd

So you might try meditating on things like "I will dream of (insert dead person/pet you know here)" then when you see them you might become lucid.

Once I even saw the dead relative and knew they were dead then I thought no they were just visiting their mother
in fact they were going to drive my car to see her (only problem is my car is as dead as their mother) meanwhile
they were playing with a dead cat. I woke up and Quadruple smacked myself
(so this might not work, even if you see the dead / or do the impossible)

You had me rolling with laughter through this whole post, as macabre as that may be!!! But, as you pointed out, knowing your dream signs does not always produce lucidity. They are important, but you are often so wrapped in the dream state that you fail to stop and think and realize what's happening. Also, I have little faith in my ability at dream incubation. I'm sure I could practice it and become better, but it's low on my list of priorities.

Originally Posted by Yuusha

The biggest roadblock for me when it comes to "knowing that you can lucid dream" etc is that I am afraid that I might end up telling myself this for a long time, until it feels like I am lying to myself.
I would feel like a failure if I "assumed" that I would become lucid the next night or the night after that or whatever, and nothing ever happened.

I completely understand and sympathize with this! In fact, I'm dealing with this now because I so desperately want results. But I am constantly reminding myself that this is NOT a quick fix. As I said in my last reply, "It can and will be just another technique if you use it that way. But I see techniques as more of a "Do this and get this NOW" kind of thing. Whereas, what I'm suggesting is that you have to give it time and put in effort to create a change in your mind that will be so overwhelming that you won't need anything else."
This is a long term goal for me and I have to remember that and not allow myself to be discouraged. I see this as something that I will work on for years to come. And that does not bother me because the personal growth and the LDs themselves are completely worth it for me!

Originally Posted by OneUp

If we can (and I know we can) get past those mental blocks and negative schemas, and really develop our expectations to fit what we want, we can change everything. I know that this simple method of induction is going to take off once we really get to understand how it works.

Thank you! It's so good to hear that! I knew I couldn't be the only one with this idea!

Latest update:
Still no LD. It's a little embarrassing. Sometimes I worry that I am pushing myself too hard and yet losing focus because I want to report having many LD here. I think it may also have to do with a few other factors though.

1.) My co-workers have put so much bs on me lately that I literally had TMJ and migraines for two days! I HATE drama and refuse to be a part of it, but they are constantly bringing their drama to me and complaining and then causing my job to be stressful and more difficult than it should be. I have only just "recovered" after having a very good night's sleep last night.

2.) Right before starting this practice I tried SSILD. I only tried it 1 or 2 nights but it wrecked my sleep. I would be drifting, then have sudden awareness, and I would jolt awake with my heart racing! I was basically having mini-panic attacks! What's worse is that once I started the practice it became almost impossible for me to stop being aware of my senses and body for several nights so I kept doing this. I was honestly worried about what effects this stress would have on my heart, immune system, and body in general. And since I wake up several times over the course of one night (sometimes 4-5 times) this resulted in insomnia for a while. I think I could get good at this if I practiced it, but I can't get over these spells of panic. This is why I stopped WILD too. But, SSILD did have some success in that I have caught myself in SP (but without hypnogogic or hypnopompic stimuli...?) twice and have been aware of waking up once. (Funny thing is, I failed to realize that I was already dreaming and thought that I was watching myself enter a dream, hahaha. So... lucid or no? IDK... )

3.) I've also been kinda sick lately.

Anyway, I feel like I am on a better sleep schedule now so I will get back to being positive and try again... no... succeed tonight!

Originally Posted by EamonWill

Latest update:
Still no LD. It's a little embarrassing. Sometimes I worry that I am pushing myself too hard and yet losing focus because I want to report having many LD here. I think it may also have to do with a few other factors though.

You should chill out. Because the more desperate you are about it the less likely it is to happen. "Trying too hard" syndrome. I was in that situation many times, I would want a LD so badly and be frustrated that it's not happening, chill out about it and let it be, and then that night I would have a LD.
Also like you said, this is a long-term 'technique', you can't expect results so quickly. I'm no expert but it should take a while for those messages to sink into the subconscious, give it at least a week of daily 30-minute meditation. Don't force it though, if you feel like the meditation is not a pleasant relaxing experience anymore and you must make a conscious effort to keep it going, you need to stop the session, forced meditation is not productive.