I need more confidence in my lucid dreaming abilities... <_<

[Laurelindo]

Hi guys, I have a rather annoying problem that makes it hard for me to optimally practice lucid dreaming - I am always afraid that all the lucid dreams that I have might be my last one. Basically, whenever I have a lucid dream I will feel great at first, but then a while later I get these destructive thoughts like "...what if it is the last one I will ever have...?". I don't even know why I worry so much about this, because I actually seem to be quite successful when I put some effort into it - when I get back into it I will usually have got about 4-5 lucid dreams after the first month, which is actually quite decent, but I still have this frustrating feeling that it might be "only temporary" and that I will suddenly lose my lucid dreaming abilities some day. I usually like to tell myself that mastering lucid dreaming is kind of like mastering an extremely challenging video game - that is, you can never be sure that you beat that one particular super-hard stage on the first try no matter how good you are, but you know that you will beat it after a couple attempts. Maybe you could you think of lucid dreaming like this? Anyway, do you recognize these concerns?

[dolphin]

Eliminate your negative thoughts or replace them with positive ones. It's the only way to get rid of this pessimism you're experiencing. For example, rather than thinking a lucid dream is going to be the last one you'll have for the rest of life, think that it's the first one you'll have for the rest of your life. You're getting better! You'll have more and more! If you're going through a dry spell, rather than thinking it's never going to end, think that it will end because you'll figure it out as you've done in the past. And it will be easier to figure out this time because you have more experience.

[Sensei]

Also, keep your focus on this LD, not about LDing a million times or tomorrow, but LD tonight. When in an LD, you have succeeded. Enjoy the moment.

[EnergyWorker]

Hi Laurelindo, That's an uncomfortable and upsetting fear. Dolphin and Sensei gave some good advice in regards to managing your concern that I agree with. It would be helpful to follow it. To that I would add that the cause is simply due to the fact that you value LDing quite a bit. It's not surprising that you would fear losing something you value so much. Can you think of any specific cause for feeling this way? If not, then you shouldn't have too much difficulty dissolving the fear. You might find that the fear is nothing more than a concocted, exaggerated concern rather than a substantial threat. I don't see any reason why you would lose your ability to LD. Best of luck ~EnergyWorker~

[Laurelindo]

Thanks for your answers. I would say that one reason why I value lucid dreaming so much is because I see it as a very great way for me to develop as an individual. For some reason I have developed a very unsociable personality the last 7-8 years, and become somewhat of a loner, to the point that I pretty much never speak to any of my classmates at my engineering program unless they approach me first (which they did a lot during the first 5-6 months or so, and then gradually started to look very insecure around me since they probably think that my reserved and taciturn behaviour is a sign that I don't like them), and this has become somewhat of a mental blockade to me. I have a strong feeling that I intimidate people by being this way, and I was a heck of a lot more outgoing during my teens, and I think lucid dreams could help me connect with my past self. Of course, I would still need to work on this in waking life, but lucid dreams could make it so much easier, especially in the beginning. I do sometimes practice these things in waking life on days when I feel particularly good about myself, and it usually gives pretty good results. However, I still feel way too awkward about it in order to really be able to cherish those successes, so it would be cool if I could ask for advice from a dream character or something; you know, those things that you couldn't do in waking life. It's not really that I am "shy" in front of people - I actually enjoy speaking in front of audiences, and I take a lot of initiatives when I work with other people with no problems at all - it's just that "approach" thing that I feel I could practice a lot in lucid dreams.

[OneUp]

Like all great skills, if you don't use it, you lose it. So if you're practicing and making progress there's no need to worry about any LD being your last one. Another thing: The only limits that exist are the ones you create yourself.