My problem isn't GETTING lucid, it's STAYING lucid- Advice?

Lately, I've been waking up early, staying up for a half an hour, and going back to bed. This technique has worked every time for me, and I end up in a lucid dream...

For about five seconds.

I can't seem to STAY within my lucid! As soon as I realize I'm lucid- I know for a fact that I'm lucid. Yet, I still look at my hands to see that they're warped, I still try to stick my finger through my hand, and even rub my hands together. This morning, I even SPUN. I felt the spin, I felt everything..
But it faded, fast. The clarity is not great during this either, and even yelling 'Clarity!' doesn't seem to work. It's almost as if I'm wearing beer goggles. xD

I was even in the exact setting I wanted to be in for this, but nothing.

It seems that no matter what I do, I can stay stuck inside my dreams. I know this is all in my mind, so how did you get past this?

http://www.dreamviews.com/community/...ad.php?t=95034
That link should help!

^I second that post; the tutorial should help a lot.

But one thing I've started doing recently that has worked out great and isn't (to my knowledge) in the tutorials, is shouting: "TIME: SLOW DOWN!" once lucid. That way, even if my dream only lasts a short while, I will feel like I've been in the dream several hours.

(Note: I say 'slow down' because I'm thinking of real time when I say that. If it helps you to say 'time: speed up' while referring to dream time, that works too, of course :))

A big thanks to both of you!

I believe I've read the thread before now that I look over it, but I think it's worth going through and looking at it again.. It seems fitting!
I'm definitely going to try Time: Slow Down! That actually seems like it might help the feeling of being in the dream longer!

I think it's not a very good idea to shout in Lucid Dreams. For me at least. When i shout, my voice gets weak, and i can hear myself mutter in my bed and that can wake me up. It's just me though.

Generally I find that taking a step back is the best thing, and neither getting stuck in the plot or immeadatly teleporting to some other location (unless it's a nightmare). Stay calm as well, as getting excited or panicking can fade dreams. Then, if all else fails, (I know this is probably annoying to hear) bring on Operation Dream Spin.

I think the order of actions upon becoming lucid is:

1) Stay calm
2) Take a step back from the plot/control, while observing the enviroment
3) If above two fail, dream spin.

Also, DO NOT WORRY if lucid dreams fade quickly, eventually something will ‘click’ and your lucids will become long.

Try the tutorial Charmarlw posted. Also, if you find yourself still exiting prematurely from LDs, try the DEILD technique. It's pretty handy.

Quote:

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Focus / Center Yourself.


Focus involves relaxing and bringing your attention to the task of Dream Stabilization. A lot of inexperienced lucid dreamers want to rush into the dream and start doing things very quickly fearing that the dream will end. You get really excited, your mind is racing, and your thoughts start tripping over one another...you wake up. Stop. Relax. Focus. Know that you do not need to rush because you have plenty of time. If you think that you need to rush because you could wake up at any second, you will...instead you want to firmly believe that you have plenty of time because you are in control of the dream.

Everyone knows that a house built on solid ground will be much more sturdy than a house built on sand. It is extremely important to take your time and make sure you are doing these dream stabilization techniques properly in order to ensure your lucid dream has a sturdy foundation. If you don't, then it can easily be swept away.

When you have a grounded, confident, focused frame of mind, it allows you to have a more stable base to start your lucid dream. This will also result in more dream control and more clarity.

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Tha's about the best advice one can give on the issue.

A really simple effective way to be able to hold onto a lucid dream for longer, is, once you become lucid just take a few seconds to observe your surroundings..

For example I attain lucidity inside my house. I will pick up the nearest object and feel its texture. I would look at it closely and observe its detail. Give it a smell and even taste it. Try to just use your senses.

I have found this is a good way to distract you from thinking you don't have much time. Just be relaxed and take things slow. Your dreams can last for as long as you want, you just need to know it.