Thread: 2 year dry spell!!!

So it's been nearly 2 years since I've had a LD. Yeah, I know, it's been horrible. I didn't have too many back then, but I had enough that I understood it, and could control a decent amount when in one.

It seems that my problem is attaining Lucidity...(isn't that everyone's?). I currently don't keep a dream journal, but did for about 6 months to a year. I don't anymore because I can usually remember about 3-4 dreams a night in pretty good detail, so I don't find it too necessary anymore (might be part of my problem).

I have a list of dream signs a couple pages long. I know that's weird, but they are things that occur in at least 25% of my dreams. Some are in about 75%. Is this normal? Should I narrow the list down to the most occurring? My problem with these, is that during a dream, I NEVER realize that it's a dream sign. It will just happen, and I pass it by, and don't pay any attention. I have particular situations that occur, that I should easily be able to see as a dream sign, but I just follow along, and don't realize it, then I kick myself once I wake up.

Another thing that happens, is while I'm in a normal dream, I'll realize I'm dreaming, but not to the point I would consider it a lucid dream. It's not like the sudden realization..."I'm dreaming!" And I can start to take control of things. It's just like, "yeah, I'm dreaming, so I can change this thing that's annoying", then I just fall back into the normal dream, with or without changing that annoying thing (if that was the situation, as it was last night).

So far, I only know that I've had DILD's, I've never had any WILD's. I've tried WILD's, but never with success. Usually, my realizations into LD will be completely random, and I don't even reality check, because it's obvious that I'm LDing.

I don't think I've had a Dream Sign send me into a LD even once.

I need help! What can I do to get back into it? I've been reading through posts all day today, just trying to get inspiration, and get it into my subconscious. Anyone with any advise? Thanks so much.

Someone's got to know something I can do to end this dry spell. I have a list somewhere, but I'm going to try to remember the most common dream signs that I have and list them. I've done weeks where I would try to do a RC whenever I saw a dream sign, and that never yeilded any results.

Stairs - biggest one...most all dreams. Odd staircases, moving, Stairwells, large, almost any scenario with stairs. Most of the time, when moving in a building in dreams, I will be using stairs. I guess elevators would take me to a new world...kind of like going through a mirror, or changing the channel. Stairs are usually incorporated in the crazy architecture (3rd on this list). Elevators, are a DS too, but usually because they shrink, the doors shrink, or close on me, or the door is small to begin with...stuff like that. (I'm kind of afraid of elevator doors closing on me in real life, because of this.)

Bathrooms - 2nd biggest. A lot of dreams, but not all...but should be easily recognized as a dream sign. These bathrooms are very odd. Large, usually Co-ed, sometimes locker room type with showers, or sometimes just an excess of stalls/urinals...like a row of 50+ urinals lining a wall. Usually no, or little privacy in stalls. There's a bunch else, but I'll go into more detail if someone asks.

Architecture - Usually in every dream to different degrees, but I don't know if it would be recognized easily. Very impressive buildings (if I were an architect, I'd be making big bucks with my crazy/progressive ideas)...I got a CAD program, so that I can create them in the computer so that I can show my wife...haven't done one yet, still learning the program. The buildings are usually some place that I'm seeing for the first time (not like my home or something that is normally familiar...more like I'm looking for a new house or something), that's why I don't think I recognize these, because they ARE new to me.

I have about 20+ more dream signs. Some are big, and others are smaller ones. Can't recall much of them right now, but these three that I explained are my biggest ones, and I don't know why I can't recognize them when dreaming...I feel like they should be easy with how crazy and not 'real' they are.

the thing that helps me get lucid is to think about it alot. I usually take some time before bed to just think about what i'm going to do, or read through my dream journal, or read some posts here. Then my thoughts carry over to the dream world, making me do a reality check.

This may not help, as everyone is different. But it works for me most the time. Ive started having lucids about 3 times a week, ranging from awesome quality to breif lucidity.

and of course doing reality checks, keeping a dream journal, etc.

Welcome to DV, Quiktaco

Don't worry about the length of your dry spell. I took a few years off lucid dreaming, also, and got back into it quick. It will all come back fast once you start focusing on it again.

Have you checked out the tutorials section?
http://www.dreamviews.com/community/...splay.php?f=25
It may have some information that will jog your memory and get you back in the swing.

My advice would be to keep your dream recall up, do frequent Reality Checks during the day, and try a Wake Back To Bed whenever you can fit it in. Just keep excited about being lucid again, and it will happen

Thanks guys, I think just thinking about it again on more of a daily basis would bring it back.

Since the last one I had, my wife got pregnant, and now my baby girl is 7 months old, so I've been pretty busy, and not really able to focus on LD much. Can't really try any WILD's, cause I'm always watching my daughter when I'm home. I'm pretty much stuck to DILD's, and WBTB's. Luckily my wife is pretty good about taking care of my daughter during the night, so I'm not disturbed too much.

Is there any tips or tricks to getting your dream signs to actually mean something when you're asleep? That seems to be my biggest problem. Like I said, I remember 3-4 dreams per night, sometimes more, with pretty good detail, so it's not the recall part of it that's a problem.

The good news is you probably had some lucids and just didn't remember them. I often wake myself up from a lucid to take down notes when I know it's gone on too long and I won't remember it.

I say screw all those ILD methods, just try to boost your awareness during the day. Try not to slip into your routine, and try to constantly determine if you are dreaming, not just for RCs.

You might also want to try "supercharging" your dream signs. Whenever you encounter one in RL, spend some time there and try to get yourself emotionally worked up while thinking about lucidity. Strong emotions strengthen memory, it doesn't matter what kind of emotion. If you can tie those emotions to those places while contemplating lucidity, it's bound to improve your chances of success.

YEAH! I haven't had a lucid dream since August 2007.

I mean, not that I know of...

I'm getting REALLY excited to get back into it.

I mean.... aesthetic.

lol

Well, last night sucked. I was all pumped to at least have some vivid dreams, because of all the talk of LDing, so I had some applejuice at bed, and at 4am. Tried a WBTB at 4. Nothing.

I almost feel like I didn't even dream. I have about 4 snap shots of a couple dreams, but no memory of them at all. This is the worst dream recall that I've had in a really long time. I always remember my dreams pretty well. I must have tried to hard, that my brain almost just shut down.

It couldn't have had anything to do with the apple juice could it? I never had tried that before. It's not 100% juice, only had concentrate in the house.

One of my snapshots that I do remember, was in a bathroom. I know I didn't go lucid and just forget, though. This really sucks. This is about how my dream recall was before I had started the dream journal.

Maybe it was just an off night, don't worry too much about it. People claim so many different foods help them become lucid. I always just assume that eating anything during a WBTB will help you dream. Maybe its the ritual, or maybe its your body digesting. When you look at the amounts of vitamins people take as dream supplements compared to the amounts of vitamins in foods, it starts to get a little suspicious. Blood sugar probably does it more than anything else.

Like Cusp said, awareness is the ultimate goal with dream signs. I think they are more valuable as a daily reminder to keep your awarneness up. Just a little ritual to help you become more aware. The more you encounter it in your daily life, the better. Turn your whole day into one long RC or awareness excercise.

I guess that's a good idea turning the day into a RC. If it's always on your mind in waking life, then, you'll probably be thinking about it during a dream, and will probably be able to catch things that would otherwise pass by.

Yeah last night wasn't so good for me either.

I woke up almost 2-3 times and tried it both times.

The problem was, I fell back asleep before I could even come up with any real vivid images. I'm usually really good at mental imaging, but last night was just a disgrace.