Thread: Self-Control Issues

Hi, everyone! This is literally my first time posting on any forum ever, so if I do wrong, cut me some slack! So, to the point. I've been lurking on DV for around a month now, and I have studied all I could about LDing, and have trained to a point to where I DILD in almost every dream! The thing is, is that it's hard to control myself. It feels like I give my brain a set of objectives before bed, and when I LD, a mindlessly carry them out. It's really hard to explain. Like, I don't take opportunities into account. Last night, I wanted to LD about having wings, and flying around, so before bed, I did my mantra and all, and I did get into a lucid, literally all I did is wish up some wings. I tried to fly around for a bit, but I didn't have any thoughts, like "How could I fly better?" But it's almost like a normal dream, in the fact that it feels nothing like reality, everything is fuzzy, but I don't acknowledge it to be so. The landscape is blurry, and I feel like a mindless zombie, carrying out the tasks that I had set for myself before sleeping, despite me doing ALL the things I have trained about doing (Reality Check, Hand friction stabilization, staying calm) Again, I use DILD. So in good judgement, could someone experienced PLEASE help me?! Thank you! -Ian

TL;DR
I feel like a mindless zombie carrying out the tasks I set for myself before bed, being absent of thought.

Hhhmm interesting post. I have had similar experiences, and I have some theories why. Though I think someone way more experienced can probably give a way better answer, so I will hide in the shadows and see what others have to say.

And Welcome to the Forums!

It sounds like you have low awareness. Other than RCs, do you do any other awareness exercises? If you are walking around like a zombie during waking (real) life, chances are that you'll do the same thing in a dream. Have a read of this: http://www.dreamviews.com/wild/13181...prep-part.html

I know you're not doing WILD, but it's a little guide on self awareness, which is crucial for lucid dreaming. Mindful meditation is another thing you can look into as well. Oh, and welcome to Dream Views.

Originally Posted by AstralMango

It sounds like you have low awareness. Other than RCs, do you do any other awareness exercises? If you are walking around like a zombie during waking (real) life, chances are that you'll do the same thing in a dream. Have a read of this: http://www.dreamviews.com/wild/13181...prep-part.html

I know you're not doing WILD, but it's a little guide on self awareness, which is crucial for lucid dreaming. Mindful meditation is another thing you can look into as well. Oh, and welcome to Dream Views.

Yes! Actually, I do ADA all the time! I think that's why I get so many DILDS, but all I really do in-dream is the nose plug, and then I *think* I do the hand rubbing. Let me ask you this: when you are lucid dreaming, how hard is it to think? Or, rather, how different is thinking in-dream, with thinking in reality? I know you guys are super tired of hearing this on the forums, but I think I may be dreaming that I am lucid dreaming. I'm not sure, but like I said, I just feel 'disconnected' I guess I'd say. I guess the main question to you guys would be, is thinking in a dream harder, or different than in reality?

Thanks so much!
-Ian

If anyone else has any advice, it'd be nice hearing it!

I know exactly what you mean when you say you feel as though you're dreaming of having a lucid dream. I've experienced this quite a lot and too me it seems like it occurs when I have
a lack of motivation to record my dreams, resulting in poor dream recall. My dreams tend to be less vivid and my lucid dreams are the same. I've noticed that when I'm keeping a dream journal my chances of having a vivid and highly aware lucid dream increases massively. I think there are just levels of lucidity and what you're experiencing is the lower if not lowest level. Maybe try a WBTB and WILD that way you're entering the dream straight from waking consciousness instead of like DILD where you have already fallen unconscious and then
Become aware. This might help to keep your level of awareness up if you get me.

Originally Posted by Sasuke

I know exactly what you mean when you say you feel as though you're dreaming of having a lucid dream. I've experienced this quite a lot and too me it seems like it occurs when I have
a lack of motivation to record my dreams, resulting in poor dream recall. My dreams tend to be less vivid and my lucid dreams are the same. I've noticed that when I'm keeping a dream journal my chances of having a vivid and highly aware lucid dream increases massively. I think there are just levels of lucidity and what you're experiencing is the lower if not lowest level. Maybe try a WBTB and WILD that way you're entering the dream straight from waking consciousness instead of like DILD where you have already fallen unconscious and then
Become aware. This might help to keep your level of awareness up if you get me.

Yep, I've done some more research, and it seems like it's my crap recall, really not sure though. I've been keeping a journal, though, but what what are you supposed to do with it? I just have everything written down, are you supposed to read over it before bed or something? It just seems like I'm at a super low level of lucidity. What could I do to actively increase my awareness in-dream? You know, to get me up a few levels of lucidity? Any ideas? Also, I'll do WBTB tonight.

Originally Posted by Ian2441

Yep, I've done some more research, and it seems like it's my crap recall, really not sure though. I've been keeping a journal, though, but what what are you supposed to do with it? I just have everything written down, are you supposed to read over it before bed or something? It just seems like I'm at a super low level of lucidity. What could I do to actively increase my awareness in-dream? You know, to get me up a few levels of lucidity? Any ideas? Also, I'll do WBTB tonight.

As annoying and tedious as keeping a dream journal can be, unfortunately I think it plays a huge part in the vividness of your dreams; and for me awareness is usually determined by how vivid the dream is. Though I could also say that iv'e had a lucid dream where iv'e been extremely aware but my surroundings were dull and blurry. I was able to change that by remembering to say something like "increase clarity", it worked instantly and dramatically increased the vividness of everything. It was like I was becoming even more lucid and aware of everything because it was so much clearer. Just keep doing what your doing and reading over your journal entries, practice around with some WILD's or similar techniques and when you find yourself in a low level lucid dream, hopefully you'll remember this discussion and you should be good to go. Good luck

You say you've become good at creating a plan before the dream and then executing the plan in the lucid dream. You can use this to your advantage. You just need to have a more open-ended plan, with some room for exploration and improvisation.

If your dreams feel too scripted, try something that requires you to react to an external event. The best example would be to engage a DC in conversation. In particular, if you ask them a question or they ask you a question, you're likely to spark a novel experience. Try asking the first DC you meet something like: "Who are you? How did you get here?" Or to get them to ask you a question, try "This is my dream. You can ask me anything." Do not plan what the answers might be. Instead, in your planning, emphasize to yourself that whatever happens, you will be honest.

As for feeling hazy and being unable to "think" in dreams, this is to be expected but you can improve it. Try doing something that engages your logic or memory. Something easy enough to plan and remember, but challenging enough that you have to use your brain. Try reciting the ABCs backwards or doing a math problem. Reality checks and ADA are useful tools that are focused on sensory faculties. If you want to wake up other parts of your brain, you need to target them with different practices.