Beginner help please

[Smudgefish]

I'm new to this and looking for a bit of advice. Been reading the forum like mad, doing RCs regularly (at least hourly, if I see anything unusual, and trying to make them quality RCs) for 4 days now and keeping a dream diary. Waking myself at night with a phone app and woken up numerous times whilst dreaming. For the last 2 nights attempting DEILD if I can, tried some WILD techniques, and tried SSILD several times. I seem to be able to bring on HI very quickly most of the time and can fall asleep easily, always before the imagery gets real enough to feel like I can step into it; I think that's the way I'm most likely to get WILD to work for me once I can control it well enough. I meditate daily for at least 40 minutes. So far no LDs or FAs. Looking at my dream diary I would say that all my dreams have been quite bland - just driving around, going shopping, watching children playing, quite boring really. Nothing there that would really make me question reality yet so maybe not surprising I haven't been triggered to RC in a dream yet. The closest I have come so far to anything 'special' was a just after SSILD the night before last when I felt myself lose sensation of my body, reality slipping away, and it was like looking at a rush matting pattern in front of my eyes. I panicked and woke myself up - wish I hadn't now! The main problem I seem to be having is that after falling asleep in the early hours I always wake up within minutes (it feels like that anyway), without dreaming, with my heart pounding in a state of nervous excitement. I think I am falling asleep and my body is saying "Wow! this is almost it, it's so exciting" and I wake up before anything has a chance to develop. I always do an RC, try to move my dream body, but I'm definitely awake. I go through this at least 5 times every morning. My questions are: 1) Is this waking up with nervous excitement something that will settle? 2) Am I expecting an LD too soon? 3) Am I trying too many techniques at once? 4) Any other advice based on the above? Thanks.

[MasterMind]

My advice based on what you wrote above would be to lower your expectations. View the practise of lucid dreaming like it was golf. Let's say that getting the ball in the hole is equivalent to lucid dream. If you re a beginner and set your goal or critera of success to get a hole in one, you are having way too high expectations and will most likely quit. But if you are a beginner and just enjoy learning the process and the sport in itself then you will probably continue to practise, get some birdies and eventually a hole in one. So what I mean with this is that you should stop worrying and just continue the practise and enjoy the learning and practising in itself, drop the expectations of getting a lucid dream, all that will come with time. To sum it up I guess I would suggest that you: Find a technique that you can practise, motivate yourself and get interested in the subject of Dreams by watching documentaries and movies etc, and then just trust the process. Have fun!

[Smudgefish]

Thanks MasterMind, good advice. Too many posts on here from people getting almost immediate results. I can wait.

[Paradox7]

1) The excitement that you are experiencing will fade with time. I was the same way when I first started to practice, which was annoying because it can impede on attempts and progress. Just give it time and you'll be more calm 2) Like MasterMind said, don't "expect" to have a lucid dream. Just practice, set your goals one step at a time, and it will come. 3) I always got the best results when practicing one technique at a time because I would solely devote my time and efforts to that one style. So if you have a favorite, or more preferred technique that you think suits you better, give that one a try for a while before jumping to another one. 4) MasterMind pretty much covered all the advice I would have given though, I will add that you should always ENJOY it. Some people make trying to have an LD into a job, and as a result, wear themselves out and diminish their chances! If you feel like it's becoming a chore, don't be afraid to take a break and let your mind recuperate and digest all of the new information.

[Smudgefish]

Thanks Paradox7 as well. It's great to have some advice from the 'experts'. I'm going to stick with WILD and DILD. I like WILD, it's a bit like the meditation method I use except for the falling asleep bit. Being off work right now I have the luxury of being able to have afternoon sleeps. Did some WILD today with good visualisations and the 'excitement' on snapping back to conciousness each time when I didn't catch the point of falling asleep was lessening, although of course I eventually fell asleep without any LD. I feel that I will eventually get results using it, and playing around with the point of falling asleep is fascinating. Thanks again.