Thread: Difficult to keep up mantra

Originally Posted by InnerVision

Hello,

I have started to learn lucid dreaming following LaBerge's 'Exploring the world of Lucid Dreaming' and have been trying to improve my recall along with some daytime awareness techniques (mostly SAT and RC'ing), light meditation (Dream Yoga) and WBTB combined with SSILD and MILD.

So far everything is going quite well. My recall is improving (although it is fluctuation quite a lot, I definitely see improvement), meditative skills are improving and the SSILD cycles are no problem if I do them while sitting.

The one thing that I cannot seem to do succesfully is the MILD; especially using a mantra proves to be very difficult. I start repeating the mantra in my head (I use 'I will recall my dreams' or 'I will be lucid') but after 10-20 repetitions at most I lose focus. Sometimes, I remember having to do the mantra on time and I start over, but mostly I fall asleep quite quickly.

How do you guys keep awareness while repeating your mantra? I cannot fall asleep while repeating it, my thoughts always drift off before.

InnerVision

MILD (Mnemonic Induced Lucid Dream) uses affirmations, not mantras, which are different. An affirmation is a strong resolve to do something, and you should have little trouble resolving twenty one times (or whatever you want) to recognize the dream state.

A mantra, rather (like Om Mani Peme Hum), is a phrase repeated until it merges with your background thoughts (and not really the same as an affirmation).

If you are doing MILD, I would stick with the affirmations, and once you feel that your intention is firm, repeat your mantra for a bit and then go to sleep. I usually think of it as "letting out the line" (as fishing metaphor). It's tough for many of us to WILD, so eventually you'll need to let go and trust your affirmations and day work. Let me know if you have questions.

EDIT: meditating before you repeat a mantra can be helpful. Also, having a strong resolve (or strong focus) will also help you be mindful of your mantra.

I think I understand what you mean, thanks for the advice! The only thing I am not sure about is the form of these affirmations. Should I be writing them down like 50 times before going to bed? Or should I keep repeating it during the day?

The affirmations are done right before falling back to sleep after a WBTB.

I use my mantra as a mantra: "I'm Dreaming"

a mantra is a:
a statement or slogan repeated frequently
slogan, motto, maxim, catchphrase, catchword, watchword, byword, buzzword

It is kind of something running into your unconscious. I recommend trying to working on your focus. I have ADD and I was able to say my mantra aloud for an hour one time trying to cement it in. Try it throughout the day while meditating and choose your mantra very carefully.

Thanks! I actually did write down 'I will be lucid and remember my dreams' 30 times before going to bed, then I did SSILD while repeating that line in my head, then I went to sleep while repeating it in my head. I woke up remembering nothing at 2 am (went to bed at 10:30 pm) for my first WBTB. I did SSILD again while repeating the same phrase and had quite a vivid dream (not very long but I was in a supermarket and I can clearly remember the writing on products and retrace my every move). Then I woke up again, this time at 4:30 am and did the same thing, resulting in another very lifelike dream, I was driving and can actually remember the feeling of a smooth gear shift within the dream.

Seems like it worked a little at least! I'll keep this up and implement a mantra into my meditation.

Ah, lucky you for being able so sleep fast. My problem is the complete opposite. It takes me too long to sleep. But I did read in ETWOLD that your mantra should at least be the last thing you think of before sleeping.
@ThreeCat, What type of meditation do you usually use before sleeping? Is it after WBTB or anytime before sleeping? Thanks!

It does indeed sound like I am an easy sleeper from my last post, but that is not quite true. Normally, I have some difficulty falling asleep, especially when I'm very conscious about wanting to fall asleep. Doing SSILD cycles right before attempting to fall asleep has helped me enormously for the past 8 days or so and I would recommend it to anyone!

Hey, DreamBeard: I practice mindfulness of breathing--just paying attention to the inward and outward flow of breath through the nostrils without paying attention to thoughts that arise.