Tips on recognising dreams

Apologies if this has been asked countless times but I wasn't sure quite where to look.

In many ways I am fortunate to experience very vivid dreams nearly every night, the most being four in one night. I have been keeping a dream journal too which has not only been interesting in so much as various common points have been easier to spot once I have read back through them, but also it is helping with recall.

But my problem is, how can I tell myself when I am asleep that I am dreaming and change it from a passive dream into a Lucid one? I have been making an effort to keep doing reality checks during the day, but at night, even when the weirdest things happen and simply cannot take place in waking life and the clues simply scream to me [afterwards] that it is a dream, I never seem to be able to cotton on and do a reality check :( Even when I have had a couple of less pleasant ones, it suddenly occurs to me that it is a dream and wake up to get out of it. Why can't I think, hey this is an unpleasant dream I'm going to make it a nice one. In fact, the less pleasant ones have sprung to mind more readliy that it is only a dream more than the more exciting/weird/pleasant ones.

They're all so obvious they're dreams when I've woken for just the total nonsense which usually creeps in, yet they all seem so normal at the time......

There must be a way :)

Again, apologies if this is going over ground already covered. A pointer to the right thread would be appreciated. :)

Im not sure if anyones PM'd you a reply so ill say anyway.

You just have to push yourself into thinking of what isnt possible and what is.
e.g If in reality your hand exploded, even though its so stupid u could punch yourself for not realising it, would you accept that it would be a dream, i doubt you would. You would think of a rational reason(either that or run around crazy calling for help in which case you wouldnt think of anything). This is because in reality you think/know there MUST be some kind of rational explanation, science has taught us this.

Now, in a dream its the same thing. Because you think that its reality in your dream you create false rational reasoning.

You just have to really start changing how you think, and really THINK whether or not its a dream when you do a reality check. Dont just do a "am i dreaming" and automatically respond with "no", or do something physical and automatically assume your not dreaming because nothing crazy happened. You could just be thinking the same thing in a dream and miss your chance of lucidity.

PUSH YOURSELF DAMNIT!!!!!!!!

Hi all, it could be that U did too many reality checks during the day. I don't do much reality checks during the day, the last time was 3 weeks ago and I've had 2 low level lucids using the reality check technique ( looking at hands). Maybe U should take a break from reality checks and just relax your mind from LDing for a while until when U go to bed at night and think lucid.

IMJ

Quote:

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Originally posted by sh2dak
PUSH YOURSELF DAMNIT!!!!!!!!

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I am trying - really I am :cry: ;) :lol:

Thanks for your answers :) I know what you're saying - it's just so difficult to do!

Hehe, push yourself within reason. Don't stress too much, just keep trying :)
Stress will further complicate things for you

Thanks Placebo :)

I know I have been trying but I have had som many opportunities just recently and some fantastic ordinary dreams but the content was so bizarre it was almost willing me to do a reality check and yet I didn't realise till I woke up. Just so annoying when the dreams were pleading with me to do it and yet all the bizarre seemed so ordinary - even when in one I even remember thinking to myself that the wash basin next to the bath had changed into a toilet and I thought it was funny as it wasn't like that the last time I came in here - then the bathroom was in the middle of open moorland. I mean, how unreal can you get and yet it seemed so normal :( But in my defence I have been quite tired lately and I do find that when tired, my mind is quite happy to sit back and watch and let it wander where it wants to without any controllable influence from me :lol:

Not going to do any experiments this week as I need to catch up a bit. I just wish I could remember to do a reality check.

Thanks for your words of support though :) It's nice to talk about these things :)

No problem.
It does sound like you need to concentrate on some dreamsigns though :)
Relying on something seeming strange is very dodgy at best. I've had crazy dreams, and still been sure that I'm awake ;)

try linking reality checks to something that almost always has to happen in a dream. like right now im doing reality checks everytime i pass through ANY door to make it a habit. since you almost always pass through doors in a dream, it should work.