CanisLucidus

Indeed, a fantastic lucid and so long too! How did you manage to recall it all? I seem to forget details once it gets longer than a page.

Thanks so much! I was lucky enough to be really in the zone for this one and really hit that sweet spot. It was also one of those LDs where while I was having it I kept sort of thinking, "Holy crap this one is going to be good. I have to remember everything." Then I ran through it end to end without moving as soon as I woke up. Once I was sure I had it firmly in mind, I went straight to the computer and typed it all up. I was lucky in that I'd gotten up a little while before my alarm clock so I had some extra time.

One other thing that makes the recall look better here is that I've focused on the "high points" that I remember well. There was a whole bit on the basketball court where I found a group of people sleeping on stacked shipping pallets and talking about some unusual lifestyle, but it was weird and not especially interesting, so I didn't recall it as well. NewArtemis and I also talked about a lot of random dream control stuff when we were jumping around on the beach, but that got a little scrambled because I didn't have as much to anchor it to. I also gabbed with some of the tourists in the grotto, but none of that really went anywhere. Trimming some of that out hides some of the rough edges that were there.

Great job on dealing with paralysis. I still have some doubts about being able to create additional body parts and move my awareness to fit into them.

I don't know whether this helps, but I almost think to myself "That's not me -- these arms are mine" and just start mentally moving them, repetitively if necessary. It's really similar to a lot of stuff that I do in the void. Basically just focusing on the dream body you wish to have as if you already have it rather than focusing on this stuck thing. I've found that there's no better way to force an old, unwanted idea out of your head than to focus your energy on some new, more desirable idea.

It is so good to have a partner in LDs and NewArtemis is a great team mate. I have the feeling that I will be reading more of your adventures in the future.

You said it -- Art rocks! For months now I've leaned on her and Xanous time and time again when developing my LD and dreaming practices. It's made such a massive difference.

And yeah, if I can get a dream put together for those "mythical creature" advanced wings, hopefully you'll be seeing it sooner rather than later! Not all of us can conjure up a cyclops as easily as you -- some of us have to ask our friends to turn into werewolves for us. Kinda handy that Art's a natural werewolf transformer and Xanous is blutbad through and through. =)

Then I ran through it end to end without moving as soon as I woke up. Once I was sure I had it firmly in mind, I went straight to the computer and typed it all up.

Most of the time I get out of bed quite quickly but somehow manage to hold on to the dream to enable recall. But I really have to get myself into the habit of taking it slow in those early moments, and observe if my recall improves. That would make for a good practice because I am still skipping the RCs when I wake up. Since I don’t WILD very often I rarely get any dreams in my bedroom, and have non-lds in our place also quite rarely at the moment. But yeah, should take more time and just lay still for a bit, get a better hold of the dream and also notice my sleeping position – something that I also want to monitor.

On a number of LDs I had the goal of getting some information out of DCs, but my conversation recall is lagging way behind my action recall. Like here - key word "ask him" - Good dream control dream

NewArtemis and I also talked about a lot of random dream control stuff when we were jumping around on the beach, but that got a little scrambled because I didn't have as much to anchor it to.

Even short ld conversations may be hard to recall, let alone longer ones. I had in some cases awesome lucid conversations with knowledgeable DCs, such that actually reveal some kind of wisdom. All I remember is the feeling during the conversation and that it was important but no recall at all. Do you happen to notice this for lucid conversations or is it just me?

I was trying to have a shared dream with a friend and explain a few things to him, because he is so stubborn irl. I actually had a very accurate non-lucid with him, and have the feeling that it might have been a shared dream, but did not ask him about it. We had a conversation about sharing dreams once irl and he wondered if it is possible. He is a very talented dreamer but has a poor recall, so I told him something like “With your recall it will be really hard to confirm it”. I didn’t mean it to sound like a reproach but he got a bit offended. Later on, I saw how bad my LD conversations can get and thought to myself “If I can’t remember that conversation, what I am expecting from the guy?”. I let it rest at that for the moment, but I still plan to get back to trying to talk to him in a lucid and if I get the gut feeling that it may really have been him, I will ask him. (I am not supposed to talk too much about dreams around here, because people think I am...strange?)

Not all of us can conjure up a cyclops as easily as you -- some of us have to ask our friends to turn into werewolves for us.

I am still thinking of how to approach this TOTM. I seem to have much better results the less I try to engage in controlling. In April’s basic TOTM “eat something”, I was frantically looking for something to eat, then I turned around and bf was holding a piece of bread, voila! This was so much easier than trying to get that coal and diamond especially when the first piece of coal turned into a backpack. Then the DC next to me gave me a piece of coal and I wasn’t even looking at her and where she got it from. To conclude, if only I could work together with my subcon, it brings the main characters and does the summoning, while I bring the awareness at the right time.

Still, you seem to be doing a good job at consciously summoning so I am looking forward to reading about a full werewolf transformation some time soon!

On a number of LDs I had the goal of getting some information out of DCs, but my conversation recall is lagging way behind my action recall. Like here - key word "ask him" - Good dream control dream

Even short ld conversations may be hard to recall, let alone longer ones. I had in some cases awesome lucid conversations with knowledgeable DCs, such that actually reveal some kind of wisdom. All I remember is the feeling during the conversation and that it was important but no recall at all. Do you happen to notice this for lucid conversations or is it just me?

When I was talking with NewArtemis at length about dream control during the beach scene, much of that conversation is hazy in my memory. That's why I left it out. Some of the random conversation with the tourists in the grotto is hazy, too. I was thinking about why some lines are scrambled but others are so vivid.

For many of the lines that I remember well, I recall seeing the DC speak the line. When Art spoke the line about the frat brothers, we were definitely looking at each other. Likewise when she was talking in the grotto about having jumped in the pool. When the kid said, "Nuh-uhhh!" I remember him looking semi-pleadingly at the grandfather figure, and I remember the grandfather drawing up pridefully when he tried to convince me that I wasn't real. When I play the line back in my head, I have a comingled visual and audio track. It's like watching a scene from a movie versus remembering text that I've read.

So I think that a big part of remembering dialogue well might be a combination of eye contact and remembering what the DCs face/expression/demeanor/body language as they speak the line. I guess as a fallback, maybe remembering the line in the context of some scenery might help. When I was talking to Art before I had actually looked at her, I can remember precisely the direction I was looking over the ball courts, how I was positioned, etc. Do you know what I mean? I'll have to think about this more, but I think that tying together sight and sound (perhaps touch, in some cases) could be key here.

What do you think?

I was trying to have a shared dream with a friend and explain a few things to him, because he is so stubborn irl. I actually had a very accurate non-lucid with him, and have the feeling that it might have been a shared dream, but did not ask him about it. We had a conversation about sharing dreams once irl and he wondered if it is possible. He is a very talented dreamer but has a poor recall, so I told him something like “With your recall it will be really hard to confirm it”. I didn’t mean it to sound like a reproach but he got a bit offended. Later on, I saw how bad my LD conversations can get and thought to myself “If I can’t remember that conversation, what I am expecting from the guy?”. I let it rest at that for the moment, but I still plan to get back to trying to talk to him in a lucid and if I get the gut feeling that it may really have been him, I will ask him. (I am not supposed to talk too much about dreams around here, because people think I am...strange?)

Is your friend a lucid dreamer? That's cool that you guys tried the experiment. Did you ever ask him whether he remembered any of it, just to see? I guess it's been too long now, but you never know whether you might job his memory.

And as for "not supposed to talk too much about dreams around here", I assume you do not mean DreamViews. We don't do much else. I know the feeling of not always being able to share with

I am still thinking of how to approach this TOTM. I seem to have much better results the less I try to engage in controlling. In April’s basic TOTM “eat something”, I was frantically looking for something to eat, then I turned around and bf was holding a piece of bread, voila! This was so much easier than trying to get that coal and diamond especially when the first piece of coal turned into a backpack. Then the DC next to me gave me a piece of coal and I wasn’t even looking at her and where she got it from. To conclude, if only I could work together with my subcon, it brings the main characters and does the summoning, while I bring the awareness at the right time.

Still, you seem to be doing a good job at consciously summoning so I am looking forward to reading about a full werewolf transformation some time soon!

Thanks! The example w/ your boyfriend is perfect btw. Expectation created the result in this case. You didn't have to scrunch up your face, place your fingers to your temples, and then start straining. You just treat the world as if it's already the way you want it to be and it will comply. (Easier said than done many times, I know!!) And I didn't remember your coal turning into a backpack. LOL.

When I was talking to Art before I had actually looked at her, I can remember precisely the direction I was looking over the ball courts, how I was positioned, etc. Do you know what I mean? I'll have to think about this more, but I think that tying together sight and sound (perhaps touch, in some cases) could be key here.

Perhaps. I just got another thought, could it be because you know her? The hardest to remember lucid conversations for me are with strangers? Maybe the brain has to work extra hard to memorize both an unfamiliar person and what they are talking about. (need more observations to confirm)

Is your friend a lucid dreamer? That's cool that you guys tried the experiment. Did you ever ask him whether he remembered any of it, just to see? I guess it's been too long now, but you never know whether you might job his memory

Yes and no. He gets lucid from time to time, but his recall is rather bad. He is not that interested in dreams but I had quite a number of conversations with him about dreams in general. So he’s told me how he has learned to do things in dreams very well, including flying. Who knows what he does when he is sleeping, if only he could remember more. He is very sceptical about everything in life and very argumentative so I really do not want to push things further. I prefer to do an experiment and reach him in dreams, which will be much more fun and would have a more profound impact than explaining things I do not quite understand.

And as for "not supposed to talk too much about dreams around here", I assume you do not mean DreamViews. We don't do much else.

I meant in my friends/bf circle. I don’t see any point in trying to force anyone into dreaming if they are not interested. Talking too much about it makes me look like a crazy person because not everybody understands my passion.

And I didn't remember your coal turning into a backpack. LOL.

Here:

So I glance at the floor and start looking for coal. I see a large black object and take a piece of it, but it turns into a backpack and the piece in my hand is useless. I turn to the DC woman on my left. " Quickly, give me a piece of coal" , she hands me a brown black pointy piece of a coal.

There was a brief moment of confusion but I managed to overcome it by relying on my subcon. Also finding coal in the supermarket and attempting to steal it in a non-ld was easier than getting one in an Ld and then trying to turn it into a diamond in terms of effort.

I hope my subcon helps me out this month, I seem to be getting behind everybody else, but that at least give me incentive to lucid more often!

Perhaps. I just got another thought, could it be because you know her? The hardest to remember lucid conversations for me are with strangers? Maybe the brain has to work extra hard to memorize both an unfamiliar person and what they are talking about. (need more observations to confirm)

Oh sure! Even though I've not physically seen NewArtemis, we've been friends for long enough that her DC has developed into a stable, consistent entity. I could easily see that making interactions easier to remember.

Yes and no. He gets lucid from time to time, but his recall is rather bad. He is not that interested in dreams but I had quite a number of conversations with him about dreams in general. So he’s told me how he has learned to do things in dreams very well, including flying. Who knows what he does when he is sleeping, if only he could remember more. He is very sceptical about everything in life and very argumentative so I really do not want to push things further. I prefer to do an experiment and reach him in dreams, which will be much more fun and would have a more profound impact than explaining things I do not quite understand.

I meant in my friends/bf circle. I don’t see any point in trying to force anyone into dreaming if they are not interested. Talking too much about it makes me look like a crazy person because not everybody understands my passion.

It's good to have someone who'll get what you're talking about when you go into this stuff, even if he's not that into it himself. The only trouble is that if your experiment succeeds... what if he doesn't remember it? It's interesting that even though he's clearly capable of it, LD really hasn't made much of an impression on him. IMO that sounds like yet another curse of poor recall. If you remember controlling things and realizing you were dreaming, but the whole thing is incredibly hazy, it wouldn't seem nearly as special. Shows how important good recall really is!

I hope my subcon helps me out this month, I seem to be getting behind everybody else, but that at least give me incentive to lucid more often!

No way, you are doing just fine! My pace has been a little slow this month, too, but it's all good. Normally I'd be going a bit nuts for an LD but this one in particular has really kept me going and motivated.

It's good to have someone who'll get what you're talking about when you go into this stuff, even if he's not that into it himself. The only trouble is that if your experiment succeeds... what if he doesn't remember it? It's interesting that even though he's clearly capable of it, LD really hasn't made much of an impression on him. IMO that sounds like yet another curse of poor recall. If you remember controlling things and realizing you were dreaming, but the whole thing is incredibly hazy, it wouldn't seem nearly as special. Shows how important good recall really is!

Yep, that’s probably because we are (or most of us) taught from a very early age to ignore the dream world. With the exception of the average person checking dream interpretations when they dream of flying pigs or have a very realistic or disturbing dream. Well, if you think that whatever happens in dreams is not important, then it is more likely that you will forget it. Even though I have always been a dream addict, that attitude has left its influence on my daily recall. I always had to get out of bed fast and hurry because the world can’t wait; foget about dreams - there are so many urgent and important things that need to be done irl.

Now that I try to journal every day I have encountered other challenges relating to improving recall, but let me see – for the duration of one month, I have gotten like 18-20 pages of notes. Not bad at all. And I can use those notes to look for signs to help me get lucid, or just to check out what my subcon has been up to. I feel much better after paying attention to my nightly adventures because I know I have been neglecting a part of me for so long and now I am finally on my way home.

Now that I try to journal every day I have encountered other challenges relating to improving recall, but let me see – for the duration of one month, I have gotten like 18-20 pages of notes. Not bad at all. And I can use those notes to look for signs to help me get lucid, or just to check out what my subcon has been up to. I feel much better after paying attention to my nightly adventures because I know I have been neglecting a part of me for so long and now I am finally on my way home.

That's great. I know just the feeling you're talking about. I went so long thinking that I "rarely ever dream". In reality, I was simply not paying any attention.

It was an accidental lucid dream that brought me around. After that, I started actually trying to remember my dreams and found out that my dream life was way more interesting, imaginative, and just active than I'd ever realized.

Same as with you, this reconnection with my NLDs is something that's been great about getting into lucid dreaming.