kaze's Workbook

**kaze** · 07-03-2013 01:30 AM

Hi all,

So here's a little about myself and my dreaming habits:

I've been trying to LD for the last 4 or 5 years, and it's always been hit and miss (mostly miss). I'm fine once I get into the dream and become lucid, but the issue (as it's always been) has been just to get to that state at all. I'll have an LD once every few months, and the low LD rate causes me to forget to keep up good practices and prevents me from actually gaining the experience I want/need. I've tried all of the methods, and all of them have been met with minimal success, but frankly I'd rather just be good at only one, and I figure that the DILD is as good as any.

Anyways, I have very good recall when I want it and I'm not feeling lazy, and my level of awareness has greatly improved recently due to daily meditations. I've noticed that I'm more 'there' in my dreams nowadays. I have more awareness and I can make decisions and have conscious thoughts, but it's like I just cant take that extra half step to lucidity. I'd like to say that I have dream signs to help tide me over that extra half step, but after scouring my DJ's nothing pops up that's overly reoccurring, so doing a fairly appropriate RC is difficult.

Since that's the current case, I figure doing a workbook will force me to think about dreaming more during my waking hours. I'm hoping that a little discipline will be what I need, but I'm very open to suggestions and pointers as well.

**kaze** · 07-04-2013 02:54 AM

Not a whole lot to report for today. Dreaming wasn't too strong last night, which was kind of disappointing, but tried to turn it into motivation to do more random RC's during the day. Guess we'll see how tomorrow goes.

Also, I think I'm going to set a goal. I want to have a DILD within the next two weeks. That should be a good way of working on intention.

**kaze** · 07-05-2013 03:34 AM

No DILD to report, but the dreaming was stronger. Had a few moments of noticeable awareness, though nothing extremely close to lucidity, but still a pretty good start. Also began putting more focus into my ADA. My RCing could be better though. Need to work on that.

**gab** · 07-07-2013 07:15 AM

Welcome to DILD class, kaze!

RCs are a wonderful tool. Not because of the reality check itself, but mostly because of the awareness question you ask yourself just before that. The "wow, this could be a dream" realization/statement, that makes you stop doing whatever you doing and question your reality.

Although you are questioning your reality, you firmly believe, that yes indeed, you are in a dream. (This of course when practicing during day.) And questioning of reality and RCs are more just to find some inconsistencies and to prove to us, that yes, we are indeed in a dream.

I know it's not easy to believe during that that we are in a dream. But you already had LDs, you know how realistic they can be. So it should be easier to believe during day that you are in a dream.

Then this "wow, I'm in a dream" feeling will start happening in regular dreams and give you enough awareness and urge to RC to realize and confirm.

Here is more about RCs http://www.dreamviews.com/dild/13212...ods-dilds.html

And here is something about Dream signs and RCs http://www.dreamviews.com/dild/14017...ml#post1986927

Here is a bunch of very recent conversations about RCs

http://www.dreamviews.com/attaining-...ml#post1953139
http://www.dreamviews.com/attaining-...idnt-work.html
http://www.dreamviews.com/general-lu...you-lucid.html
http://www.dreamviews.com/attaining-...intervals.html

Happy dreams

**kaze** · 07-07-2013 08:46 PM

Thanks gab! I really appreciate the pointers on RCing (I hadn't thought about using the daytime emotion associated with RCing as a trigger for lucidity. Makes complete sense, and I kind of feel foolish for not realizing it

). I'll have to work on that.

But really, the biggest problem I've always had is that I either want to get lucid too much, which inevitably means I wont make it at all, or I don't want it enough, which means the same thing. It probably doesn't help that I'm hard on myself and, in the face of constant failure and endless sleepless nights and tired mornings, I lose motivation. There's no middle ground for me, none that I've discovered yet anyway.

Anyway, as a general update nothing to report. Haven't been sleeping well, so recall and general daytime focus have been low. Still working at it though, which is a good thing I suppose.

**gab** · 07-13-2013 01:55 AM

Yes, if you wish it too hard, it tends to not happen. What helps is to have an intent.

The difference between a wish and intent. Wish is something you just hope will happen. Intent is something you know it will happen.

Like you know for sure, that in the morning, you will go to school/work. It's a done deal. You don't have to wish for it, yet you know it will happen.

Try to set an intent to have a lucid dream like that. You just know that you will, you don't have to wish for it, because it's a done deal. There is no reason, why you shouldn't have it.

I can only suggest to think about LDing and dreaming often. Tell your mind how much you appreciate that. Do this as falling asleep. That's the best time to communicate with our mind.

Other thing is just to practice, practice, practice. Read some exciting dream journals, write down your LDing goals, draw a picture of what you want to do in a lucid.

My favorite RC and mantra with awarness is the looking at hands and counting fingers. It gave me numerous DILDs. If it becomes boring, switch your mantra. One of the most fun mantras is when you try to change something in waking life, or you anticipate something. Like "if this was a dream, my crush would walk through that door right now". Or insert something that's fun for you. Good luck