wRembrandt

I've been trying to rebuild myself with meditation lately. For years I've done lucid dreaming with RCs and Autosuggestion but it never produced the reliability of lucid dreams that I was hoping for. The thing that bugged me was that they came randomly.

Forming the habit isn't easy. I started on sept 13th, writing down every day that I meditated and how much, and even drawing up a chart to see how dreams are affected on days that I meditate more. Sadly, I was pretty bad at forming the habit, at least in the beginning, but as I've had the accountability of the chart for myself, I've been getting better about meditating daily. (I'm on a four day streak of meditations, and had a semi-lucid last night.)

With the chart, I've seen that there is a definite improvement in my dreams on the nights that I do meditate. I've meditated 7 out of the (I think 20 something nights) and the two lucid dreams I've had since I started have both been on nights that I've meditated. (Theres a nice boost in recall two. Nights that I meditate usually I recall two or three dreams rather than just one.) But I have yet to have meditation work for incubating dreams.

I know there's the Dream Yoga course, and maybe I'll try it in the future. But I want to give my own technique a fair trial first, though. (Sorry for long comment about what I'm doing, but I haven't really gotten to talk about my new approach with others much.)

Of course dream journaling is important too. I am becoming more diligent in writing down my dreams every single time I wake up.

Another good habit to have regardless of what you are doing is going to bed on time. I often find that improves my recall and chances for lucidity greatly.

I totally agree with you. The simplest form. Not so easy, but the best for the long time run. I have problems with lazyness, and getting over the motivational roller-coaster. But, I improve, and when I am doing it "harder" (no agression), then all the qualitys around dreaming are really improving. "I am" in sitting and before sleeping meditation, and "I am" in active meditation (mindfulness). To be ownest, mostly I am using a focus point. Breath, voices, visuals, body feeling etc, because maintaining the "observation" of my existence (observing the observer with meta awareness) is really a hard job, and in my best moments, it is clear (withouth thoughts) for 1-max.2 minutes. I like to make walking meditation. Then I try this merciless "I am technic". I know, it sounds crazy, and unbelievable, but if(!) I maintain this perfect silence, with obserwing me in the deep meaning (I am) for 5-10 minutes, without letting the "automatic" thoughts in my mind, I experience a quite shocking (in positive meaning) changing in my consciousness. There are changings in my visuals (clearer and foggy-aura thing at once - cant explain), time and space (I am archaic, and objective-subjective connects), and I have rushes of laughing. When I "step over this barrier" and step into this, the holding back of the thoughts effort becomes childrens play. You do it with your little finger. There is a strong intensity in the here and now silence. There, in the moment of "nothing" you are living hundred times "stronger". I am falling out from this experience, because I begin to analyze all this intensive-happy-beauty with my thoughts. I had this wonderfull success few times, and in all cases the same night I had a lucid dream. I remember, that one time in this hightened existence, I was saying: I am a lucid dreamer. Just one time. So, I stay by this path, and I dont care how long it takes for me, but I want to master it. Good luck for you!