Success! Last night I had the first lucid dream that I was able to hold on to. I had made (another) unsuccessful attempt at a WILD earlier that night. Although the attempt at WILD took me through a whirlwind of HI and sensation, no dream started. Now, I've noticed a trend that for about 90% of my WILD attempts, I will have a lucid dream sometime after (usually an hour after) the attempt. I often will have non-lucid dreams in between the attempt and the lucid.

Well anyway, the method by which I became lucid was different from all of my other lucids. I was lying in a bed (not my own), and felt that my eyes were closed. However, I could still see. I concluded I must be dreaming. The dream then blinked over to an entirely different dreamscape (outside in my yard). I proceeded to explain to my family members present that I was in fact dreaming even though they could see me. At the time I was under the (obviously incorrect) assumption that my real body was following the same footsteps as my dream body, except my real body's eyes were closed, but I could see through them via dream. I held that assumption the entire dream, but I was regardless quite lucid and in control of my dream. I walked around a bit, felt the sun on my face, felt the coolness of the soil. After observing and talking for a bit, I decided to try breaking the rules and make an attempt at flying. I reared up to jump, lept into the air, and froze about two feet off the ground. The dream abruptly ended.

Now the interesting thing that differed about this lucid dream from all my short-lived others is that I never once thought the words "I am lucid." I was aware of it, but never once declared it. I have the feeling this was why my other lucid's faded so quickly. Declaring "I am lucid" seems to trigger an immediate end to my dream.