I'd like some help on focus.

[ArtfulBodger]

Hello reader! I'm new so please be nice. I'll try not to bore you. Thinking back, up to this day (1st october 2007) I can only really remember about 4, 5 vivid dreams since infancy. I have a very active mind so I'm currently having trouble with keeping my mind from wandering during preparation for lucid dreaming, but I don't think I'm even ready for that yet. I found DreamViews.com about 3 days ago and have been facinated since. So, after reading a lot of the tutorials, DreamViews entire introduction and near enough the whole of "Onieroughts: Welcome to my sick, twisted mind" Dream journal, I've started my own DJ. On the first night of finding this website (3 days ago), I sucsessfully Recalled my dream in the morning, and wrote it down. The two nights following were nowhere near as sucsessful. Logically it'd take me a while to get used to Dream recall, and seeing as I've only been at it for 3, 4 days now, I don't expect my dream recall or LDing to just be perfect straight-away. But what I do know, is that, as i explained above, I can see that I'm going to have trouble concentrating when trying to relax and focus at night times. Last night, while trying to WILD, I tried a technique I read somewhere about placing your thoughts on clouds wafting them away to clear my mind, and, as instructed, after clearing the clouds away, thus removing the thoughts in my mind, Blink 182 music played over and over in my head (I forget which song. )! I'd appreciate any help anyone has to offer, as i really hope to get involved in the hole Lucid Dreaming experience. (From what I've read on this forum alone, its apparently "The Bogs Dollox" ) Thanks for your time. (P.S also, not Dream related, for somereason I can't change barely any Profile options, like Avatar, signature, Profile picture, and i keep being told im logged off. whats up with that!? )

[Vex Kitten]

Can't help you with the profile stuff, sorry, but welcome to Dream Views. I have a mind that tends to wander alot too, hell, I usually forget what point I was making when I'm halfway through a post. I started out by watching my Hypnogogic Imagry since it was fairly vivid. If you have such imagry before actually going to sleep perhaps it will help you to focus on that too. Mine is like whisps of smoke against black and the smoke is everchanging so it keeps my interest. If you can stay concentrated on it long enough it will eventually become more elaborate and develop into a dream scene and viola... your lucid. Other than that, I'd say attemp DILDs before WILDing, as it does take a balanced concentration to go from wake right into a lucid dream.

[ArtfulBodger]

Thanks Vex Kitten. I'm not too concerned about profile problems at the moment but im sure in time its going to get to me! I haven't experienced Hypnogogic Imagery before, at least i don't recall having done so, and your right about WILDing, I just don't know how easy its going to be for me to actually DILD. I need to develop a method of reminding myself to RC as much as i can, but i only do it whenever i remember. Mainly because at the moment i can't think of any significant Dream Signs that i'd see in RL. Would you recommend a specific time to go to bed? Because for the past few months I've gone to bed around 1 am everynight, and have to wake up about 7 in the morning for college most of the week. (I'm sure it isnt healthy! ) I feel like I'm being to hasty, but any other methods you could suggest for concentration? OH! Another question! When people have suggested saying things like "I will wake from a dream period" and such like in their methods, do they mean saying it out loud!? Because I'd rather not wake the house. Thanks.

[memeticverb]

You could try WBTB since most LDs are going to occur in the last few dreams of the night. Im going to start this method soon because I used to rely on DILD but it hasnt been happening very much in the last month or two. And the dream journal is the most important to LD regularly. For concentration most people count, or say silently "Im going to lucid dream", or both. Hynogogic imagry is really easy too - just wait until you are pretty tired and use your eyes as if you are awake, trying to focus on what you are seeing on teh back of your eylids. Slowly youll see little bits of color and fluid-like motions and trails. You can let it do what it wants, or try to control what you are perceiving with your imagination. Good luck!

[Robot_Butler]

When it comes to focus, I find that I use different techniques almost every night. I think it depends on what's going through your head. Do you have a song stuck in your head? Did you just watch TV and have it's images stuck in your head? Do you have excessive internal dialogue running through your mind? I believe that the most important thing to get rid of is the internal dialogue. Try to get the 'words' out of your head by imagining things that have nothing to do with language. Try to focus on your senses - visualize something, focus on the sound of your breathing, imagine the feel of a texture. There are a ton of mediation techniques, so I would read around and find a couple that appeal to you. I believe that getting your mind to work without language is the key. Good luck!

[ArtfulBodger]

Thanks guys. Memeticverb, I have quite a bit of trouble getting up in the night, so i don't no if at this stage i could really succeed with WBTB, though i suppose Trial and Error is the only way foreward. I've only just started exploring Dreams so I don't know what I'm capable of yet. I tried counting on my first night so i guess i should try that again. Robot Butler, words are deffinately hard to get rid off, that and music. I shall try to focus on my senses tonight. I just tend to describe everything in my head with words. Does anyone have a recommended time for me to sleep? Because like i said, i go to bed quite late and wake up quite early on most nights of the week. Also, should i be telling myself "I'm going into a lucid dream" and "when i wake i shall remember my dream" out loud? or should i say these things in my head. I have the feeling these words would make me loose focus. I think thats where im slipping.

[Vex Kitten]

Hi there again. You should figure out a fairly regular sleep schedule. I normally sleep 5 hours a night and that seems to work fine for me. Perhaps you only need 6 hours sleep. Though if you really want to lucid maybe you should try sleep a little longer since the longer REM periods are after about 5 or 6 hours of sleep. Maybe go to bed an hour earlier and wake up an hour earlier to try a wbtb before you actually get out of bed for the day? Actually, I don't think it matters whether you say your affirmations out loud or in your head, the trick is to REALLY MEAN and BELIEVE what you say. Say them as you feel yourself getting drowsey and then start into whichever lucidity technique you choose. Best of luck and hope something that one of us said will work for you.

[ArtfulBodger]

Thanks, it's all very much appreciated. If I get a chance tomorrow, I'll post tonights results, if any, on this thread. I think i'll go get cosy in about 2, 3 hours. I don't know what its like wherever you are but its night here in merry ol' England. Thanks for all the "Good Lucks" !!!! It be Very kind of you.

[Chris182t]

Thanks guys. Memeticverb, I have quite a bit of trouble getting up in the night, so i don't no if at this stage i could really succeed with WBTB, though i suppose Trial and Error is the only way foreward. I've only just started exploring Dreams so I don't know what I'm capable of yet. I tried counting on my first night so i guess i should try that again. Robot Butler, words are deffinately hard to get rid off, that and music. I shall try to focus on my senses tonight. I just tend to describe everything in my head with words. Does anyone have a recommended time for me to sleep? Because like i said, i go to bed quite late and wake up quite early on most nights of the week. Also, should i be telling myself "I'm going into a lucid dream" and "when i wake i shall remember my dream" out loud? or should i say these things in my head. I have the feeling these words would make me loose focus. I think thats where im slipping. Basically, the more hours of sleep you get, the more chance you're going to get a lucid dream. As for telling yourself those things, i don't think it really matters whether you do it out loud or in your head, as long as you know that you intend to wake up then. It's just like when sometimes you may wake up just before your alarm because your body knows when you are intending to.

[ArtfulBodger]

Cheers Chris. The alarm clock metaphore has actually made alot of sence, Thanks. I'll let you all know tomorrow.

[Kitties]

I, too, have the neverending problem of music in my head. >_<;; Hopefully I can learn to overcome it and get to that point where I'm not thinking of anything, as well as you!

[Wavefunction]

Thanks for all the "Good Lucks" !!!! It be Very kind of you. Well then, good luck! And

[ArtfulBodger]

Thanks WebMaster, nice to know I am. Kitties, tell me about it, it was non-stop last night, after every 15 mins of solid concentration music would suddenly burst out and i couldn't get rid of it for the next, like, 10 minutes. Last night was slightly sucessful on the Dream Recall, guys. Not lucid though. I'll tell you the dreams later on, at the moment I'm in college. I will tell you one thing though, I stayed awake most of last night just trying to focus, I don't think i actually got much sleep, even though i did have a good few dreams. So tired today. I'll get the dreams down later.

[ArtfulBodger]

Ok. Next time i post something like this it should probably be in the Dream Journals forum, but because I'd like to see if anymore pointers could be given on the topic, I'll post my dreams from last night here and now. I haven't given these Titles yet and they're only short so for the mean time they'll remain "Dreams 4, 5 and 6" Dream 4 I can see my old maths room from secondary school, but i don't appear to be in the dream. Two kids are sitting where me and my mate Sam used to sit (Or rather, one is sitting and one is standing next to the table). The one sitting down passes the other a piece of folded paper, and says "Slip this." With a mean face, the other says "Slip you!" The dream ends!

[ArtfulBodger]

Dream 5 My friend Lauren is standing in the science department of my secondary school, holding a book against her chest with both hands. I seem to remember her asking for help with her work. The Dream ends.

[ArtfulBodger]

Dream 6 Me and my two friends Adam and Lisa appear to be just entering a cinema screening room, it seems to be quite large. While walking down the stairs Lisa moves into an isle and sits with someone i presumed to be her boyfriend (Haven't spoken to her in a while so I'm unaware if she's in a relationship or not). Me and Adam sit two rows down. Infront of where we sit, Sam is seated with a person i believe to be Nikki (mainly a friend of friends, but i sorta know her). We have a massive uproaring hello in public as we usually do, but I stop talking to him when i look up and realise that the Cinema is suddenly much larger. ALOT larger infact. It was at that point, that Jack Black himself stood up from a seated circle of famous actors on the floor infront of where the original screen would have been, to announce his new, serious Drama film that we were about to watch. It was at that point i realised that there was now infact 3 Screens in the cinema, each being on a different wall, and Chairs filled with people occupied the entire (very large) Screening room. I did comment on this but non of my mates replied. The film starts quite quickly, having no intro or title, all i see is a man and woman, (wearing that sort of tudor style Posh clothes and bonnets look) talking by a blue wooden farm house. I didn't hear any dialouge and it only lasted a matter of seconds (if that). Jack Black didn't even show up in the film! I then wake up.

[ArtfulBodger]

I was pleased to remember so much this morning. I didn't go lucid last night but i do remember POSSIBLY seeing HI. The thing is it didnt sound as litteral as other people seem to describe it. It was kind of like that purple coloured blotch that appears when you stare into the sun, and it was incredibly hard to focus on. After a while, they did move around fluently, like the blades on a fan, circling a blotchy purple circle. Still very hard to focus on mind you. Whenever I thought i witnessed what people describe as "Shapes and figures they enter, to enter the dream", I couldn't 'Fly' towards them or bring them anycloser. The HI's, if they were HI's, didn't last very long either. I Think i heard a HS at one point, but i've forgotten what it sounded like. It was very disturbing last night though, as my brother and his friends returned from the pub at around 12 a.m, 1 a.m. There was constant bustling through the night of people going to the toilet and such. Hope you enjoyed reading these Dreams, though short. Could anyone point out anything significant i should know? (Dream signs, pointers, more calming methods.) I know i should probably figure the those things out for myself but comments and tips are always nice, and i'd be thankful. Thanks. (P.S I Fixed my Profile options!!! My routers busted so I couldn't transfer images to the site fast enough without them being lost in the void!!! Thats also why I've posted these dreams in so many different sections, sorry.)