First LD for ages - using autosuggestion
It was only very brief but seriously lucid. I was just in a bathroom - thought I heard the bath running and then saw a cardboard box in the bath, so went to turn off the tap. The box had disappeared when I got there. The weird thing was the air was full of what looked like patches of static steam, and separate to the steam there were patches of static specks of dust (large and small) suspended in mid-air, and my body was so heavy I had to will myself towards the tap with my feet just trailing on the ground. The lucidity got stronger and stronger and then when I got excited about it I woke up quicker than I can ever remember :(
Maybe the dream was about my struggle to get lucid (although I haven't put much effort in lately due to other commitments).
Thought I would share the autosuggestions in case anyone wants to try it. I used to practise hypnotherapy. There are always 3 basic areas of suggestion in hypnosis - belief, desire and expectation. I worked on them in that order before sleep - belief is about the mind of course and I used suggestions about why I believe in hypnosis anad the value of LDs, how suggestions reach the subconscious when I'm relaxed (but not too sleepy), and I tell myself that anyone can LD so I can do it too etc etc. Anything that reinforces belief. Then desire - eg I want to LD, it's fun, I can picture my last LD - which was awesome (I should have thought of where I really wanted to be in my LD instead of ending up in a bathroom) - it's always easy to reinforce desire, but everyone has different desires. Then expectation/intention/giving yourself permission - eg I'm going to let this happen tonight, I allow myself to enjoy this tonight, I intend to LD tonight, I have every faith in enjoying an LD tonight. Suggestions should be worked on because it's best to phrase everything in the present tense, even though it sounds a bit clumsy. And then use pictures that evoke good feelings - eg picture yourself in the last enjoyable LD you had, picture yourself looking happy after waking as you recall the LD (don't make my mistake and picture yourself in the morning - because you might wake in the middle of the night). Every detail of every suggestion matters - so never use any negative suggestions like "I won't fail tonight" - the subconscious message that gets through is "fail tonight". Above all use as many upbeat mind pictures as you can - build the pictures up in detail of doing what you want to do, either in reality or the dreamworld. Imaginative pictures are more powerful than words in hypnosis, but every detail of the picture and your thoughts and feelings about it are just as important as getting the words right. It's worth doing the homework before bed-time - I didn't, but I wish I had.
I haven't found much on the net about using autosuggestion to induce LDs, so thought I'd share what worked for me. I was inspired to give it a try last night after responding to SKA's thread on hypnosis in Lucid Aids. Thank you SKA!
