the one time i TRY, i'm unable to do it

Okay this sucks. I usually remember dreams and LD naturally... but the one time I try with a specific technique I'm unable to do it! I tried the HILD (not the hypnosis one... the other one about the finger tapping and what not). I know that I had really vivid dreams as usual, but for some reason I can't remember them. Perhaps it had something to do with me going to bed at 4:30 in the morning... but I've done that ever so many times, and never did I have something like this. Gah, i feel empty!! It's weird.

Anyway, more specifically about how the HILD didn't work for me, is that I didn't try it after I just woke up, I tried it when I went to bed (I thought the fact that I was so tired would just be good enough). But my brain was all stimulated and every time I noticed myself slipping into dreams I'd get excited, and then would become very aware of everything, including my breathing (which would sometimes speed up a bit) and an itch or something. It completely ruined the concentration and I would wake up every time. I'll try this another time though, after waking up in middle of my sleep, like the tutorial actually says :-P.

Well the main thing though... forgetting my dreams! I always remember, no matter what. This is so odd, and I did what I read somewhere on this site (forget where) and it said to repeat to myself that "I will remember my dreams when I wake up" or something like that. I said it a couple times (beleiving it).... I'm not sure why I decided to do this, because I always remember them anyway... I just thought perhaps I might remember more. My friend had recently tried it and told me that it worked, so I guess I just wanted to see what would happen if I did it..... and we can see i'll never be doing That again :P.

Well ok, I'll admit, there is the possibility that this was caused for some other reason... as this is the only time I tried and that it happened. I will have to try it a few more times and see what happens. Perhaps this was just a one time occurance.

Regardless, I'm starting to feel slightly weird about toying with my dreams now... I do want to harness the abilities, but is there a chance that this can take away from my natural abilities? If so, I totally don't want to do it. I'm afraid that by messing with my dreams, my mind will reject what I'm trying to get it to do and make me stop dreaming lucidly entirely. :|

Cheers,
Dylan

If you can lucid dream naturally, why use techniques? :)

I highly dought trying to use techniques would mess up your ability to remember your dreams

Well, I wanted to be able to improve my lucid dreaming and my ability to take better control. I don't dream lucidly every night... I dream extremely vividly, but I'm not always aware that I'm dreaming (therefor, not lucid if I'm correct?). I guess using a technique would allow me to cause myself to have a lucid dream whenever I wanted instead of waiting a night or two until it happens eventually on its own. You know.

I hope you're right though, about it not messing up my abilities.

Cheers,
Dylan

Dylan, just remember that each of these techniques takes time to master. I've also found that sometimes when I am just "trying too hard" that's when I go through a dry spell. Just allow things to occur naturally, and don't get frustrated if a WILD or HILD doesn't work the first time (or the first several times) you try it. Just remeber that there are people on this board who have been trying to lucid dream for months, even years and have never been able to do it....everything takes time. Just be content in the fact that you have great dream recall and have had lucid dreams...and with practice you WILL be able to control your LDs. But don't expect it to happen overnight. :wink:

Words of wisdom. :thumbup:

Ah well. I hope you're right! I'm going to try again tonight. This time I will set my alarm for like... an hour or so after I've gone to bed so that I'm following the tutorial instructions more closely. *cross fingers* (there should really be a 'crossing fingers' emoticon!)

Anyway, I'll tell you guys how it works in the morning.

Sweet dreams me!
Dylan

Quote:

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Originally posted by Dylan
Ah well. I hope you're right! I'm going to try again tonight. This time I will set my alarm for like... an hour or so after I've gone to bed so that I'm following the tutorial instructions more closely. *cross fingers* (there should really be a 'crossing fingers' emoticon!)

Anyway, I'll tell you guys how it works in the morning.

Sweet dreams me!
Dylan

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Err.. wait a sec. Why one hour? Or did I miss that part somewhere...
The bulk of REM begins around 5 to 6 hours after going to sleep at night

Oops, that's a mistake on my part. I thought the idea was just to be tired... I figured one hour would be enough. Haha, I set my alarm but I didn't even wake up! It woke my dad up in another part of the house and he came and turned it off (he wasn't so pleased). Anyway, I think that explains it though. Tonight I barely even got 5 hours of sleep. The night before, barely 4... I think that could be the reason I'm not remembering my dreams much (I do know I dreamt last night though a bit). I'm getting so little sleep. I think I told you guys that I've often had lucid dreams in the past after going to bed so late (which is why I was confused last night and the night before).. but I just realized that those were days I probably slept in really late as well.

I should really start to go to bed on time! I'm fairly confident that it will help quite a bit. (or at least I hope so)

Cheers,
Dylan

Ive tried between 1 and 3 hours before, or after naps, you being tired lets you get some insane HI, sometimes even your entire world around you coming into focus, but I never get vibrations, and I never LD. I takes at least 5 for me, 6 works better, I like it best right as you wake up in the morning, that really works well, but only in the summer, thats when I had all my lds, because you dont have to get up and you wake up naturally, was up late last night, you know the whole story and you can just go in and out of sleeping for like 4 more hours in the summer :D

I know exactly what you mean! I had way more lucid dreams in the summer - all the sleeping in. I often get lucid dreams in naps as well but that's beside the case. To be honest though, I don't think that this HILD technique will ever work for me, maybe I'll just have to use a different one. I just liked the idea of having that sensation of finger tapping be transfered into the dream world and then waking up in bed in the dream as well - so i could get up and do more exploring.. you know? All my other self-induced LDs have been if I wake up for some reason, I just go back to bed and feel like "Ah that was a good dream, I'm gonna go back into it now." and I just think "Now where was I." and I eventually do go back into it. When I go into it a second time I'm aware that it's a dream because, well I woke up. Problem with this is, I'm already in a particular situation and sure, I can control certain things within it, but I've never strayed from it. I've never gone out and started exploring other places.

That's why the HILD technique appealed to me. Because it's pretty much like me waking up in a "Start"like place, as opposed to already being in the game. If that makes sense at all. I'm just too aware though, to be able to fall asleep when I notice myself falling asleep :-P it's silly, maybe I really am just not tired enough. I need to get back into one of those trancelike states as opposed to a "going to bed" state.

Dylan

yes, that is just like a natural would do it. I did it that way for years.. I should try again, it feels as if time has stopped and good back and then forwards for me. I have my dreams naturally again and I can resume them.

Another thing to do is think to yourself, "hey, i wanna use a sword tonight.. or I wanna fly" for interesting affects.. having a messed up day helps too.. you will dream weird things and find your patterns (they change over time though..)