Why is it so hard to realize

that it is a dream?

I've successfully been able to teach myself to wake up after the first dream of the night.

It's not so much that I wake up afterwards. But then I just fall back into a dream without becoming lucid. When I am lucid and in the dream, why is it so freaking hard to come into control with the dream? Like I've realized that my dream signs are usually huge animals or insects, but I still don't even realize it's a dream. I've tried telling myself that I'm going to bed and it's just a dream but that still doesn't seam to help.

I believe that you dream mind accepts things to be real a lot easier than you non dream mind.

It's like people that go on acid trips and see things normally they'd believe that the things they see couldn't possible be real but they readily accept them to be real during the trip.

So when I start to hallucinate vivid colors or lights, and I start to feel enlightened, is that SP?

Because when I am in that state of mind, it feels as if I am easily able to move and I am wide awake again. Is that a FA, or do I need to wait longer? Because usually if I let it go on any longer, that's the last thing I remember until I wake up, usually awakening remembering a dream I fell into. Is that the stage that I should attempt a technique?

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Originally Posted by Tweek

So when I start to hallucinate vivid colors or lights, and I start to feel enlightened, is that SP?

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If all depend on the person but from what i know yes, it's either SP or your really close.

Because the logic section fo our brain is off, and so everything that happens isn't processed as abnormal. IF you can manage to wake up, try going to MILDs.

Hey tweek, the lights and colors you see could be hypnagogic imagery and that is one of the signs that you are close to the opportunity to WILD.

SP doesn't really have anything to do with that imagery, save the fact that you should be in SP before you start seeing that imagery. A few of the signs that you're experiencing SP are vibrations of your entire body, or like you're rocking back and forth really, really fast. Also it might feel like you're sinking into you're bed, or that parts of your body are getting pushed in. Everyone is different, however, so you may or may not experience all or any of those. Although usually it's not very easy to move once you're in that state.

You're probably not experiencing a False Awakening at that point, but it never hurts to check. I would definitely do a RC if you ended up falling asleep and then wake up later.

How long are you laying in bed before you give up and move? Usually when I attempt this, it feels like I've been laying there counting my breathe for 30 minutes or more before anything happens. Maybe you should just keep it up and see what happens next.

You should definitely read some of the WILD tutorials that are available here. There is a lot of info and different takes on the best way to do this and I'm sure you can easily find one that works for you.

I hope I helped :)

Yeah it did!

I read on wikkipedia about hypnagogic hallucinations and they said that euphoria is a symptom. So I'm going to give my self some suggestions once I feel it coming on.

Well yeah it definitely felt like it was at least 20 minutes last night. Last night I entered REM within 2 hours of falling asleep though. I'm pretty good at waking after my first dream of the night. I set my alarm anyways.

Yeah I also read floating can be a symptom too, which I know that I have had that once in my life before. It really felt like my whole body was floating 2 feet above my bed. I'm on Ritilan everyday for ADHD, so this isn't the easiest task for me to do. It's not sevier by any means, but usually I'm asleep before I know it. I've never been able to recall any stages after that last euphoria and vivid colors/shapes. I'm going to see how tonight goes, and I'll give myself some suggestions to fall into a dream once I reach that state.

Last night I did feel like I had two different levels of HI though. I felt it coming on, then it got strong and it looked like some one was shining a bright light behind a fence I was looking at. So I'll report back tomorrow.

Thanks every one!

Because of my success with being able to wake up after my dreams, I think I might be able to have good luck with a DEILD. I'm just going to have to experiement.

It seams as if all my good LD's have been on the week end though. Usually in the mornings... I don't know if it's just from the partying and then the REM stage is delayed or what.

My first try 2 or 3 nights ago when I woke up from my first dream, I woke up and I was instantly awake. I knew I shouldn't have moved cause I remember I should just go over my dream before I move. I kept my eyes closed, and it felt like the last image I saw in my dream scene was still burnt into the back of my eye lids. So I have a really good feeling about DEILD's now that I think about it. If only I had known about DEILD's 3 nights ago, I'm confident that would have worked perfectly in that exact situation.

I had a dream earlier today that I was dreaming that I was dreaming a LD dream.

Pretty funny actually and when i woke up I couldn't believe I didnt get what was going on.

How vivid and bright is hypnogogic imagery for everyone else? For me its just colors swirling around in the dark.

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Originally Posted by Alski

How vivid and bright is hypnogogic imagery for everyone else? For me its just colors swirling around in the dark.

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It depends whether you just woke up or you're going to sleep for the first time.

Mine starts out black, and you think about a certain color, say blue. Then things start showing up blue. Then after that I start seeing blue checkerboard patterns that glide across my eyes.

After a while, especially after waking up it can get to the point of fast swirls that look like a kaleidoscope of colors.

Does that start becoming realistic looking to you? All I have are some weird swirls that are dim, over the top of complete darkness.

This is the best post I've seen that helped me sooo much.

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The MILD technique employs prospective memory, remembering to do something (notice you're dreaming) in the future. Dr. LaBerge developed this technique for his doctoral dissertation and used it to achieve lucid dreaming at will. The proper time to practice MILD is after awakening from a dream, before returning to sleep. (Modified from EWLD, p. 78)

1.

Setup dream recall.
Set your mind to awaken from dreams and recall them. When you awaken from a dream, recall it as completely as you can.
2.

Focus your intent.
While returning to sleep, concentrate single-mindedly on your intention to remember to recognize that you're dreaming. Tell yourself: "Next time I'm dreaming, I will remember I'm dreaming," repeatedly, like a mantra. Put real meaning into the words and focus on this idea alone. If you find yourself thinking about anything else, let it go and bring your mind back to your intention.
3.

See yourself becoming lucid.
As you continue to focus on your intention to remember when you're dreaming, imagine that you are back in the dream from which you just awakened (or another one you have had recently if you didn't remember a dream on awakening). Imagine that this time you recognize that you are dreaming. Look for a dreamsign--something in the dream that demonstrates plainly that it is a dream. When you see it say to yourself: "I'm dreaming!" and continue your fantasy. Imagine yourself carrying out your plans for your next lucid dream. For example, if you want to fly in your lucid dream, imagine yourself flying after you come to the point in your fantasy when you become lucid.
4.

Repeat until your intention is set.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until either you fall asleep or are sure that your intention is set. If, while falling asleep, you find yourself thinking of anything else, repeat the procedure so that the last thing in your mind before falling asleep is your intention to remember to recognize the next time you are dreaming.

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Yeah my most vivid HI looked like some one was shining a bright light through the back of a fence that I was looking at. Then I "woke up." :(

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Originally Posted by Alski

Does that start becoming realistic looking to you? All I have are some weird swirls that are dim, over the top of complete darkness.

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Not so much real but sometimes i feel myself moving with the colors, like if im seeing swirls I feel myself moving around and sinking even though im not actually moving, and once I start getting that, SP is really close, for me anyway.

So once you start feeling that, how long does that feeling last and what do you do to continue that feeling?

Usually when I think about it too hard the feeling goes away and I have to re-fall asleep. lol

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Originally Posted by Tweek

So once you start feeling that, how long does that feeling last and what do you do to continue that feeling?

Usually when I think about it too hard the feeling goes away and I have to re-fall asleep. lol

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I visualize something I know really well, like walking out my front door, or getting out of bed.
Something you can visualize without straining too much about it.

If all goes well, you do a RC and see you are dreaming.

Here's how your brain works in a dream. I can't remember the parts of the brain involved, so I'll just call them "stations."

Brain station #1: Hmm, I see a connection between purple and cat.
Station 2: Initiating purple cat!
Station 3: Hey, woah woah woah! Is that even possible? Station 4?
Station 4: Zzz.....
Station 3: ._.
Station 1: Hmm, I see a connection between purple and cat. It must be true! :D

rofl

for me...

Brain station #1: Hmm, I see a connection between purple and cat.
Station 2: Initiating purple cat!
Station 3: Hey, woah woah woah! Is that even possible? Station 4?
Station 4: Zzz.....
Station 3: Giant Goose.
Station 1: Blue cat... zomgwtfbbq?1?!

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Originally Posted by Alski

How vivid and bright is hypnogogic imagery for everyone else? For me its just colors swirling around in the dark.

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It's usually like a curtain of light for me. I'll be staring at darkness, then all of the sudden there will be a bright greenish - bluish light.. It will usually come and go as it pleases..

Ok, so you actually have to be in SP to experience HI's?

Yes? No?

HI's are usually the last thing I remember before falling asleep no matter how hard to "step" into a dream. I mean I have a few random/scatered thoughts right before I slip into a dream I have no control over. I've even told myself my dreamsigns before I go to bed, and still when I see a dream sign, I don't even do an RC or think that it's a dream. My only 3 lucids, have just been kinda random where I wasn't even trying to LD, and I just instantly knew it was a dream for what ever reason.