What to do?

[Skydreamer707]

in the 5 months i was really into lucid dreaming i had a grand total OF: 3 lucid dreams.... Woooo... all were spontaneous. i recently got back into LD'ing but.. the problem is... 1. my dream recall is erratic now and using autosuggestion isnt working as well as it used too... 2. DILD's dont work for me. even when my dream recall WAS good (remember 2-7 dreams per night) i could never find a dream sign connecting any of them. and reality checks...ahhh... those never worked either. the time RC failed because i rarely ever see clocks in my dreams, the hand RC failed the first time i used it in a dream, the nose pinch RC...in my dream i failed to realize that the fact i could breathe meant i was dreaming. 3. the only method that has ever worked for me are WBTB's and now when i wake up im not coherent enough to realize what the alarm is for and why im being woken up. so i turn it off and fall back asleep... :/ should i just give up?

[Lucid-Balloon]

I can help you with number 3. Try putting the alarm away from the bed, so that when the alarm rings you get out of bed to walk over to the alarm to turn it off.

[louie54]

I can help you with number 3. Try putting the alarm away from the bed, so that when the alarm rings you get out of bed to walk over to the alarm to turn it off. +1. With WBTB's, look over some of your favorate dreams (preferably lucid). This should help remind you how exciting lucid dreaming can be and help you achieve it. Also do a lot of reality checks during the time you are awake. I know you mentioned that they don't work but it's just about incorporating them into your life. This would require you to do them on a regular basis but you don't need to do that. If you just want to do WBTB, just reality check during your WBTB times. You have anymore questions?

[Lucid-Balloon]

+1. With WBTB's, look over some of your favorate dreams (preferably lucid). This should help remind you how exciting lucid dreaming can be and help you achieve it. Also do a lot of reality checks during the time you are awake. I know you mentioned that they don't work but it's just about incorporating them into your life. This would require you to do them on a regular basis but you don't need to do that. If you just want to do WBTB, just reality check during your WBTB times. You have anymore questions? No, that is it i am afraid. I have not been into lucid dreaming for a while, but i am going to get back into it soon.

[louie54]

Well maybe I'll see you around. Good luck with that

[Maria92]

in the 5 months i was really into lucid dreaming i had a grand total OF: 3 lucid dreams.... Woooo... all were spontaneous. i recently got back into LD'ing but.. the problem is... 1. my dream recall is erratic now and using autosuggestion isnt working as well as it used too... 2. DILD's dont work for me. even when my dream recall WAS good (remember 2-7 dreams per night) i could never find a dream sign connecting any of them. and reality checks...ahhh... those never worked either. the time RC failed because i rarely ever see clocks in my dreams, the hand RC failed the first time i used it in a dream, the nose pinch RC...in my dream i failed to realize that the fact i could breathe meant i was dreaming. 3. the only method that has ever worked for me are WBTB's and now when i wake up im not coherent enough to realize what the alarm is for and why im being woken up. so i turn it off and fall back asleep... :/ should i just give up? 1. Definitely build your recall up again. I have ceased doing recall mantras...I think what's really helping me the most is my diligent DJ keeping. Looking back through my earlier entries, my recall sucked for the first month, but then started getting really good. I'm breaking vividness records left and right now. If you keep up with your DJ, it should help you greatly. 2. The fact that you actually perform RC's in your dreams may be a reason to continue using them. Even though they haven't worked in the past all that well, your prospective memory seems to suggest otherwise. If you keep with them, and combine them with awareness, as well as, say, a memory-based RC (try to remember the past 5 minutes, search for unusual events, question where you are and how you got there, does everything make sense, etc), you could see great success with the DILD method. 3. If WBTB simply isn't working, then don't worry about it. Switch to another method. It sounds like you were very close with your DILD's. I like DILD simply because it requires the least amount of effort, provided you have the necessary patience. Any method you choose will require practice and time, as well as effort; as long as you can and are willing to invest the necessary effort, you will have lucid dreams, and you will improve over time. The question whether or not to continue is a question that must be made by you and you alone. Are you prepared to invest the effort required, or would you be happier simply getting along with your regular dreams? The choice is yours.

[Clyde Machine]

I can give some input: No, you shouldn't give up. Lucid dream induction requires some level of effort from the oneironaut for them to work, even the very simple auto-suggestion-based methods. That being said, you just need to find the technique that seems to suit you best, or just pick one and stick with it, practicing the required parts diligently and consistently, until you get the results you're looking for.