practice for LDs

[kermitthefrog]

A technique I like to use when I've not been doing any lucid dreaming for a while is something I call lucid dreaming during the day. Basically, after I've done a reality check and found that I'm not actually in a dream, I will PRETEND that I am in one. I will act as if the reality check failed and I realized I was dreaming. Of course, I don't fly out windows or do anything that might have dire social consequences. I just say to myself, "okay, this is a dream, try to focus on the details of it so you will remember when you wake up what you saw and heard,etc." I try to drag it out for several minutes continuously. I try to pay particular attention to sensory details all the while telling myself that all of this is being "created" by my imagination. That includes sights, sounds, tactile impressions (like what does it feel like if I touch something cold, for example). I will perform some experiments like I'm a researcher studying the dream world (even though I am awake and in the real world). I find I usually start having lucid dreams again within a couple of days of doing that. What it does for me, I think, is get me into the mindset of just being aware. For me, lucidity is just awareness. I can use this technique while driving, watching a movie, talking to someone, whatever. It's just practicing awareness and pretending you are aware that you're dreaming. That mindset of awareness -- if I practice during the day -- will carry over into my dreams and I am more likely to notice truly "dreamlike" things that happen. Most of my lucid dreams do not come from noticing my specific dreamsigns, but from becoming aware almost naturally that I could be dreaming and then realizing that I am.

[Pelirrojo]

That sounds like a good idea, but just make sure you actually are being aware and not just pretending! It would suck if you were in a dream pretending you were dreaming instead of becoming lucid,, haha.

[PhilipJFry]

So when you do this... how often do you do it during the day? I mean, you can't be in your own fake dreamworld all the time, can you? Is like 5-10 times good enough? If one time lasts... say... 3min? I'm just curious because it sounds like a practice I'd wanna do... If it really works, sounds like it should anyhow

[mongreloctopus]

This is a good post--I agree completely that the best way to induce lucid dreams is to strive to be constantly aware throughout the daytime. I often find myself thinking about being as aware as possible when I am walking through the city or sitting on the bus...but when I'm involved in some activity that requires all of my attention, I get completely lost in that task, and I think that is the major problem with finding lucidity in dreams--I am usually involved in some sort of all-encompassing activity and don't have time to think about what I'm experiencing because I am too busy figuring out what I should do next, how to react, etc. I think this (http://www.dreamviews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26868) is pretty similar to (if not exactly the same as) what you're describing.

[Dust Mote]

Welcome kermitthefrog I couldn’t have said it better myself (though I have tried). I am conducting an experiment around this very idea. My thanks mongreloctopus for the link; it is also in my sig. I do the same practicing to get back into Lucid Dreaming, and most of my LDs are spontaneous also. The others occur thru Dream Signs. Whether anyone participates in the experiment or not, I can’t find anything wrong with the logic of practicing LDs (or as I call it: Lucid Living). It makes so much sense to me I can’t understand why everyone isn’t doing it. Hey, I just realized I’m a Lucid Living Fundamentalist. (must look for soapbox) :yumdumdoodledum:

[Courtney Mae]

That sounds like a good idea, but I'm a little confused. Do you actually walk around and pretend your in a LD? Or do you just sit down, and imagine (kinda like daydream) your own LD?

[mongreloctopus]

Originally posted by Courtney That sounds like a good idea, but I'm a little confused. Do you actually walk around and pretend your in a LD? Or do you just sit down, and imagine (kinda like daydream) your own LD? In order to determine that you are dreaming when you are dreaming, you have to be very aware of yourself and everything around you, and all of your interactions. This is something that can be practiced while you're awake. Consider and scrutinize everything around you at all times, and never just do things--think about the purpose behind every action.

[DuB]

Heh, this is great, I use this exact same technique myself. I've just been smoking so much grass lately that I never really remember my dreams anymore... but I'm sure it'll work well for me some day

[kermitthefrog]

Pelirrojo wrote: just make sure you actually are being aware and not just pretending! It would suck if you were in a dream pretending you were dreaming instead of becoming lucid, haha[/b] Well, that has actually happened to me a number of times. And yes, it does totally suck. But something I do that seems to help is I'll "look around" for a tiger or something. I've noticed that when I try to find something terrifying in dreams, I usually find it. If a tiger or alien comes wandering around the corner, I do a quick reality check. Otherwise, I just keep on as before. PhilipJFry wrote: So when you do this... how often do you do it during the day?....Is like 5-10 times good enough? If one time lasts... say... 3min? [/b] That's about what I end up doing, but I think more would be better. I mean, you can't be in your own fake dreamworld all the time, can you?[/b] No, you can't but I think you don't really have to. You basically just do what you would have done anyway, and live your life in the real world like normal. But the difference is, you add in a game. Because it really is just like that. You're just pretending you are in a dream for the sake of making yourself pay attention to details. And to what's going on generally. Rather than losing yourself in a fake world, you are actually training yourself to pay more attention to the world you are in. One interesting thing that happens to me when I do this regularly is that I start to find a lot of "dreamlike" things in the real world that I would not have noticed otherwise. Usually, when I discover one, it startles me and until I do a reality check, I think I really could be in a dream. For example, the other day my mother told me that my uncle had shaved his head bald. For a few moments, I was 80% convinced I was dreaming. I told myself to remember this conversation and tell my mother about it when I woke up. But, I did a reality check and low and behold, it was not a dream. mongreloctupus wrote: but when I'm involved in some activity that requires all of my attention, I get completely lost in that task, and I think that is the major problem with finding lucidity in dreams--[/b] That's definitely my major problem. I've been thinking lately, though, that the brain can learn that skill. That is sort of what I am trying to get at with doing this. Teaching my brain to multitask. Thanks for the link to Dust Mote's project. I signed myself up for it. To Dust Mote: I enjoyed reading your description of lucid living on the project post. What you said about practicing the piano is mainly what got me to thinking about this method. I realized that the only times I was practicing LD was those moments (extremely rare at the time) when I would actually HAVE an LD. I got to thinking, hey, I'm awake for 16 hours everyday and only dream for 3 or 4. Why not try and tap into that huge amount of waking time to re-train the mind? Courtney wrote: Do you actually walk around and pretend your in a LD? Or do you just sit down, and imagine (kinda like daydream) your own LD? [/b] I've done both, but what works the best for me is the first one. I walk around and pretend I'm dreaming all of this. Like right now, I'm saying to myself, you're not really typing this message, you're dreaming this and when you wake up, you'll remember it. I mean, you can't take it too seriously -- deep down inside, I know this is not a dream. I'm just pretending that it is. It's like when you were a kid, and you had to clean the bathroom or mow the lawn and you invented a game to make it more interesting. You knew the game was not real and you could do whatever chore you were doing just fine without getting confused about basic reality. But you could play the game at the same time. I think for me it's like that.

[PhilipJFry]

It's a little creepy when you can't tell a dream from reality but I guess that's what lucid dreaming as a hobby causes I'm currently training myself to reality check my fingers and breathe holding my nose everytime I remember to... maybe I could incorporate your technique in that.

[Dust Mote]

This is something I try to practice continually throughout the day. It usually ends up being about 10 minutes total because there are so many mental distractions to deal with. But it is not something I sit down and intentionally do for 10 minutes and then go about my day. I’m always trying to remember to do Lucid Living. As mongreloctopus said, there will be times when you get absorbed in what you are doing and loose lucidity. But you would be amazed at the amount of time during the day when it is possible practice. There are so many mundane things we do every day; brush you teeth lucidly. Whether you pretend you are in a Lucid Dream or actually believe that reality is also a dream, is optional. I think the real benefit of this technique is getting in the habit of constantly putting yourself in a lucid frame of mind. In some ways this practice is like doing Reality Checks. But instead of questioning reality you are jumping into a lucid state of mind no matter where you are, awake or dreaming. If you do this enough in waking life, it will eventually show up in the dream world. Since you are trying to re-create a very specific state of mind I have found it helpful to really analyze what that state of mind is. I started this topic http://www.dreamviews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26878. Maybe some of you would like to read it and/or make contributions.

[cool_D_23]

this is a good Idea, I am going to start trying this technique, and see if it brings me any good results