StingPT's DILD course workbook

[StingPT]

Introduction Hello guys! I'm StingPT and I'm 19. I'm from Portugal and I'm currently on college taking engineering. I like to play saxophone, play video games, watch movies/series and regular exercise! After more than 1 year of absence, I'm back with more motivation than ever! Previous Experience on Lucid Dreaming I've been lurking Dreamviews since 2010, with some huge gaps of absence due to lack of motivation (I'll explain it further on). I've had some LDs from DILDs, MILDs and DEILDs (never true WILDs, I just suck at it x) ). Most of them were from DEILDs though... So I know some stuff that I can try to help other fellow members =) Why I lost motivation I told you guys that most of my LDs were from DEILDs. That's great and all, but they always had the same problem. They started in my bedroom and the dreams would always vanish after 4-5 seconds (When I tried to get up from the dream bed). At the time, when I should be happy from having quite some DEILDs, I was kinda sad, because of the unstability of the DEILDs. I had that same kind of DEILD 2 days ago when I tried to practice again for LD... But now that I think better of it, maybe I just have to imagine a dream scene when doing DEILD instead of just focusing on the blackness... That might work... So my weak spot is stabilizing the dreams. I'll make that one of my first goals. I've already read some newer threads with new info that should help! Why I'm practicing DILD now The thing is. The LDs I had, which were more stable and a little longer were MILDs and DILDs. So I thought that I will benefit my dream control if I just practice DILD with some stuff from ADA and MILD. Why I'm making a workbook Well, after such an absence I think it's better to make a workbook here, since it boosts your motivation and I can interact with fellow members that are doing the same as me! Because it's very easy to lose motivation when you come from a year of absence. This gives you some kind of commitment, which is great! My plan I'm keeping a dream journal, but I'm not going to write them in here. Only possible lucids or some great dreams. Basically, in the beginning of each day, I will choose 4 situations. When one of those situations occur, I will question the reality (Am I dreaming?), followed with the questions "Where am I?", "Where did I come from?". I do those questions very seriously. Even if I can answer those questions, I will also do an RC. After that I try to feel the reality (hear all possible sounds around me, try to notice things that i was unaware of, etc...). I will take 15 minutes of each day to just focus on the sounds around me and/or focus on my physical sensations (cold, warm, tactile sensations, weight, etc...). When I go to bed I will just repeat a mantra like "When I dream, I know that I'm dreaming". I will sometimes make some WBTBs. If I make WBTBs I will go drink a glass of water and read something related to Lucid Dreams. Then I will go back to bed and repeat the same mantra. When I'm saying the mantra I will also try to imagine myself becoming lucid on a beach (it's relaxing for me to try imagine a beach x) ). Basically it's a mix of DILD, MILD and ADA. It might work! If someone wants to follow my plan, feel free to try it out ^^ Goals Early goal: Have a succesfull LD until the 11th of March. Mid term goal: Have 2-3 LDs per week. Long term goal: Have LDs whenever I want. Goals in LDs I want to LD, because I want to improve myself in any way possible. and also to have fun. So some of them are: -Practice speeches; -Practice confidence; -Explore the dream world; -Talk to my subconsious. So let's go at it! Thank you for reading and see you around! =D

[StingPT]

So let's make my first update! I was very tired last night. I didn't write on my DJ on the middle of the night... dammit. But I still recalled 3 dreams I had in the morning. I don't if it's from my plan (been following it for almost a week), but my dreams are becoming gradually more vivid. This time I could recall 2 complete faces, characters from Boardwalk Empire, but still it's my first time ever I could recall the faces I saw in a dream. So it was worth it! Today I will test the reality whenever these 4 situations happen: -When I see someone smiling; -When I eat; -When I read text on a foreign language (like right now x) ); -When I see someone crossing the road.

[fogelbise]

Welcome (back) StringPT! It looks like you have a good, solid plan for getting back to it! I normally provide regular feedback in the workbooks but it sounds like you already know a lot about lucid dreaming so I may try to remember hang back a little more unless I see questions or unless you want regular feedback from me. One note for now: When I'm saying the mantra I will also try to imagine myself becoming lucid on a beach (it's relaxing for me to try imagine a beach x) ). This is my favorite visualization too. This could also be ideal for your DEILD attempts as well...it can be a kind of "closed-eye teleport" as BrandonBoss calls it and may help you to skip ending up in your room if desired.

[StingPT]

Thank you fogelise! No problem, any kind of feedback is greatly appreciated =) This is my favorite visualization too. This could also be ideal for your DEILD attempts as well...it can be a kind of "closed-eye teleport" as BrandonBoss calls it and may help you to skip ending up in your room if desired. The funny thing is.. That I tried this exactly last night! (before reading your reply ahahah!) I will explain it further... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update: Yay got a DEILD!! I currently have lost count of my LDs, so I'll just check this as my #1 LD since I returned ^^ So last night I did the usual, except that this time I drank 3 glasses of water before going to bed. Meditated 10-15 minutes and then did the mantra and fell asleep. I woke up 6 hours after (naturally) with no dream recall (must have been for that glass of beer on a college barbeque I had before returning home x) ). I tried to remain awake and do some meditation (was too lazy to WBTB...), but I quickly dozed off... Oh well. Later on I had a dream about my childhood. I had a sky perspective (like a camera) on some moments that I believe were from my childhood (interesting). Then when my dream finished, I was still thinking about the dream (unaware that it was a dream), and I thought "Hey, what about "someone's name"? Can I see it?". Then BAM!! SP kicked in! "Oh boy, oh boy" I thought. Then I remembered of doing visualizations that I committed myself to do on coming DEILDs. Then I just visualized a beach and I just saw the beach appearing from the darkness until i was on the beach! INCREDIBLE! Then I remembered to stabilize the dream. Looked at my hands and they were messed up, flickering a lot and distorted. I tried to focus on them so that they could regain proper form. They were indeed regaining form, stabilizing. And when I was going to say "CLARITY NOW", in the background I started to hear my flat colleague's alarm clock and I woke up. "GODDAMMIT!" I thought. And said to him "f**k y**" ahahah Worst part was that it was his 15 minutes early alarm clock, so it was kinda useless, but oh well! Of course that I was kinda upset about the alarm. BUT what happened tonight completely motivated me to LD! For the first time I did a DEILD on a different place and I was managing to stabilize it! Oh so I recalled more 2 dreams that I had in the morning.... Today's plan So today I will question my reality when these things happen: -When I see someone wearing a scarf; -When I see someone with a tie; -When I hear someone asking a question; -When I feel noticeably hot or cold. I don't know why but the first 3 are extremely difficult to notice. That's why they're so good! I must have never really noticed on what people are wearing (when walking/moving)... Tonight I will drink those 3 glasses of water again before bed... I'm thinking that it gave me more awareness in the morning, that might have led to the DEILD. Because When I got out of bed, I had to go to the bathroom x)

[fogelbise]

Awesome! We were thinking along the same vein of thought! Great job putting the visualization to work for you! Too bad about the flat mate's alarm!

[StingPT]

UPDATE Last night I almost entered into a DEILD... I felt the SP kicking in. Heard some voices around me, but no problem (they are rare for me though...). Visualized the dream scene, but when the scene was gradually showing up, the dream faded and I woke up... What could it be? Excitement? End of REM? This wouldn't be the first time though, but no problem! And I recalled 1 dream which I didn't write on my DJ (rare lazy morning), but I can still recall it. So it's interesting. I've had 3 DEILDs/almost DEILDs since 5 days ago. Without even doing suggestions of laying still, other methods, etc... So it made me change my plan a bit.. Test plan So since I've had a few DEILDs recently, and since I'm still practicing my progressive memory , I've decided to: -Continue with my ADA/DILD plan; -Change my mantra to "I always stay still when I wake up from a dream"; -Say that mantra throughout the day; -Have also a daily journal. So I basically stopped doing MILD, but still practicing my progressive memory. And I'll corporate some DEILD intentions while still being aware of my surroundings throughout the day. Fogelbise, I saw your reply to shadowwolf6tail's workbook about the daily journal to help increase recall, and I wanted to thank you for reminding it to me x) I believe that will also help with DEILDs. I'm curious if I can actually practice my DEILD and still at the same time practice DILDs...

[StingPT]

UPDATE Got a DILD!! Well, it lasted 5 seconds x) I was shooting into a room to find something who was hiding in it. I was shooting with my hands. Then I realized, what the hell am I doing and became lucid. Looked at my hands and said "clarity now", and the dream stabilized. Now, stupidly enough, I tried to make sounds with my hands to stabilize even more. But my dream collapsed. I should have first rubbed my hands and grab some objects and then make sounds... Oh well, next time I'll know what to do! Maybe it was from the day journal I just started last night... Interesting... I also had a very vivid and long dream. I also wanted to say that I drank 1 or 2 glasses of beer last night.. So I'll keep up with the plan. Today I will test my reality when these happen: -When I see the stars; -When I use the toilet after noon; -When I see a bird; -When I open a door;

[fogelbise]

What could it be? Excitement? End of REM? This wouldn't be the first time though, but no problem! Those sound like probable reasons to me. Fogelbise, I saw your reply to shadowwolf6tail's workbook about the daily journal to help increase recall, and I wanted to thank you for reminding it to me x) I believe that will also help with DEILDs. Sure. I really find it good for boosting recall. I'm curious if I can actually practice my DEILD and still at the same time practice DILDs... And you got your answer...congratulations on your DILD! Yes, you can definitely combine them. You may end up focusing on a mantra that leans more towards one method than the other at different times and that is fine too since you can get DILDs without mantras. -When I see the stars Probably my favorite! I have found this coming into my dreams and making me lucid when I realize that the stars look odd or are doing strange things like moving (or disappearing) when I look at them.

[StingPT]

Thanks for the reply! Probably my favorite! I have found this coming into my dreams and making me lucid when I realize that the stars look odd or are doing strange things like moving (or disappearing) when I look at them. I never actually looked at the stars in my dreams, that I remember, of course... UPDATE! Despite waking up on the middle of the night, because my stomach was hurting like hell, I managed to recall a LONG and vivid dream and also fragments of a dream. Writing that daily journal really gives a great boost, wow! No LD's but the recall was surelly worth it! When I wake up on the middle of the night I switch the DEILD mantra to the MILD one "Next time I'm dreaming, I want to remember that I'm dreaming", because I also do the DEILD one during the day. I will test my reality when these happen: -When I see an advertisement; -When I eat something after breakfast; -When I insert a key into a lock; -When I see a bicycle.

[fogelbise]

Nice on the recall! By the way, do you come up with the daily prospective memory targets from a pre-set list or do you just think up 4 targets each day?

[StingPT]

Nice on the recall! By the way, do you come up with the daily prospective memory targets from a pre-set list or do you just think up 4 targets each day? Thanks! I do them both. The 2-3 previous days I followed the ones written on ETWOLD. And the other ones I chose them myself. I keep track of the targets that I miss. I miss the target when I don't recognize the first one I see. Then I will have to do that again, on another day.. UPDATE Last night I meditated to solve a problem, and damn I meditated for a whole hour! I thought that it was only 20 minutes, even that is long x) And I recalled 3 vivid dreams, all of them short. But one of them was really vivid, because I remember all my thoughts and movements. It was awesome! I didn't write on the day journal... Today I have these targets: -When I see a pet/animal; -When I turn on a light; -When I see myself on a mirror; -When I see a flower.

[StingPT]

Damn! I just had a non lucid dream with the most spectacular scenario I've ever seen! By far the most vivid of my non-lucids! A thing that I've noticed is that I'm starting to recall much more fluid movements from dreams. Before, my recall was by images, separated by some seconds... But now... so fluid! I even remember all of my thoughts at the time. It's amazing! Maybe it's from the meditation... I seem to be getting better! Last night I meditated until the point I could visualize an image for 15 seconds, without thinking on other things... And in the end, it seemed like the room was rotating kinda fast, on my head axis. Just wow... UPDATE Today I tested my reality on the same occasions as yesterday. Just because I failed to recognize them the first time I saw them. I'll sure keep up with the meditation! =O

[fogelbise]

Damn! I just had a non lucid dream with the most spectacular scenario I've ever seen! By far the most vivid of my non-lucids! A thing that I've noticed is that I'm starting to recall much more fluid movements from dreams. Before, my recall was by images, separated by some seconds... But now... so fluid! I even remember all of my thoughts at the time. It's amazing! Nice! Keep up the good work!