Autosuggestion is my enemy!

It seems like if I ever want hope of dreaming what I want to dream about, I'd better not have thoughts of it anywhere in my conscious brain before bedtime. For example, if I think "maybe tonight I'll dream about my cat", then that pretty much guarantees that I will NOT dream about my cat, and pretty much everything BUT my cat. This goes for everything, including the intention to have a lucid dream.

About a week ago I had a successful DILD during an afternoon nap, because earlier that day I had been doing thoughtful reality checks during crucial moments, but also because I just wanted to rest on the couch and had no thoughts of falling asleep, let alone wondering if my reality checks would work this time. Usually I over-think this stuff when I'm about to go to bed at night, even when I try not to, and get no lucid dreams.

How am I supposed to combat this to have DILDs? I'm saving WILDs for the weekends when I'm more free to meddle with my sleep schedule.

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Originally Posted by DeeryTheDeer

It seems like if I ever want hope of dreaming what I want to dream about, I'd better not have thoughts of it anywhere in my conscious brain before bedtime. For example, if I think "maybe tonight I'll dream about my cat", then that pretty much guarantees that I will NOT dream about my cat, and pretty much everything BUT my cat. This goes for everything, including the intention to have a lucid dream.

About a week ago I had a successful DILD during an afternoon nap, because earlier that day I had been doing thoughtful reality checks during crucial moments, but also because I just wanted to rest on the couch and had no thoughts of falling asleep, let alone wondering if my reality checks would work this time. Usually I over-think this stuff when I'm about to go to bed at night, even when I try not to, and get no lucid dreams.

How am I supposed to combat this to have DILDs? I'm saving WILDs for the weekends when I'm more free to meddle with my sleep schedule.

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hmm, to be honest, I can't recall seeing someone on here with the same problem. I've always heard that autosuggestion doesn't work for some, but, never about it going badly. Also, are you putting some emotions into your autosuggestion? That's the only way they will work. As for how to combat this to have DILDs, the same way you combat a fear. Face it head on. I think in your case, you've created a mental block which says that if you try to use autosuggestion, you'll fail to have a dream with your wanted dream content. Hope that helps :)

That's unreal ! I just posted a similar topic in the general area on DV, though it's probably in the wrong area now that you've posted here.

I know what you mean though, I'm having the same sort of trouble, it's very hit and miss whether I'll have the kind of dream content I'm focusing on, plus, the fact that your dreams can be based on any previous thought patterns you had going on in your head hours before, not necessarily right before you sleep.

I've not been lucid for a couple of weeks now so I'm willing to try a reverse psychology on my mind and I'll post any interesting results if any.

Don't get disheartened though, as I'm sure for the bulk of people here that autosuggestion or MILD does work, it's just finding the right phrases to suggest in the first place I reckon.