Thread: FryingMan's DILD course workbook

p.s. thanks to Rothgar for the "zero distractions" control knob idea to clear the mind in order to fall asleep.

RE: WILDing

Mantras have a few purposes. (when WILDing)

1. They keep us focused on what we are doing, so we don't forget we are WILDing.

2. Once crossed over into a dream, they can remind you to do anything that mantra is saying.
For example: when I kept failing to stabilize, because first thing I did was jumping out the first window, my mantra was "slow down, stabilize". You can use any mantra to help you with any problem you have.

3. It quiets our mind by keeping other thoughts at bay.

I decide few hours, or even a day ahead, that I'm going to WILD later. That way I keep thinking about it and setting my intent. I also try to make it a special occasion and I look forward to my HH, sensations, dreams, and of course, a LD. This tell my mind what I'm after.

When I lay down, I start looking at the back of my closed eyelids, becasue that's where I expect things to happen. Like lights, any visuals, pictures and later videos. Also, I tell myself, that I'm ready for any audio HH and I'm not scared. When i don't forget, I tell myself "I'm surrounded by white light of devine love and protection" and "Only entities with my and above my level of development are allowed to be here, help and participate". This is just in case, that I happen to have OBE and to fell confident that nothing bad will happen.

Then I just enjoy the sensations I get from my body and any HH. I'm also ready to notice a dream, if it comes in more subtle way. For this, I have mantra "when I see my room, I get up", which I later shortened to "when I see, I get up". I started using this after a few times, I almost missed a LD, when it took me a while to realize that I can see my room with my eyes closed. I was so sure I'm still awake, since in my head, I was still thinking about what to cook for dinner. That's when I realized, that transition can be so smooth, that it's hard to notice.

Then, when I feel vibrations, I try to "see" my arms by raising them. If I feel as if my real hand would move, I don't continue. But when I suddenly see my arms in front of me, and my eyes are closed, I know I can get up.

Another way is to just rool out from the body. I just give it a gentle rolling over command and when I feel a slow-motion rolling and then me slowly falling off the sofa and floating to the ground, I know I'm sleeping.

I keep trying these thing even when I'm sure I'm still not asleep. Because one day you will do it, and you will move your dream body and be lucid.

Originally Posted by FryingMan

Verrrrry interesting night last night ! On another thread fogelbise recommended I tried DEILD since I have a number of wakings during the night. I read a little bit about DEILD before going to bed. On my first waking as I became aware that I was waking up, I remained still, eyes closed. So I decided to try a DEILD. I did not have a dream immediately in my mind, so I asked "What was I dreaming about?" and the dream scenes right away came flooding in. I chose a few to visualize and tried just to fall back asleep. Alas, I did not make it in to the dream and ended up fairly alert after 10-15 minutes when I decided to MILD and go back to sleep, but I think I had a successful "try" -- I remained still despite my body "screaming" to move, my hands were very uncomfortably painfully numb from my position, and I had to badly go to the bathroom. Maybe if I had not had these very strong body feelings I may have made it! I stopped because I felt like I was tending towards wakefulness rather than sleep (although I did "dip" towards sleep a few times) and I didn't want to miss more dream time. (I also got a bit tired of hearing the "Love Boat" theme song playing in my head over and over The Love Boat - YouTube, starting about at 0:50 ).

So I went to the bathroom, quickly voice journaled just keywords from the scenes I recalled, immediately went back to bed and did MILD (back to the DILD topic at last ). It took a while to fall asleep, but I used the trick of visualizing turning a "distractions" knob to "zero," where it clicks and a little green light goes on (had to do this a few times), and trying to detach myself from the process of falling asleep (so I'm not paying it much attention, like I just don't care), trying not to think about my body, and I did get back to sleep in not too long a time (maybe 10-20 more minutes, it's interesting that time seems to move faster in the "real world" than in the "trying to go to sleep world". In any case 10-20 minutes is way better than 2-3 hours).

No lucids (you can bet I'll announce the first LD with trumpets blaring here!), but I did end up having a unique, first-ever-for-me very vivid dream! It was not vivid visually, it was mildly hazy on visual details in fact and took place in a slightly dark room (in fact I thought in the dream about turning up the lights), but my "awareness" was vivid, if you know what I mean. My consciousness was totally involved, I did not get close to thinking about whether it was a dream or not, but I was fully "there." I recalled a continuous scene of awareness and interaction that lasted maybe 5-10 minutes before the "wacky random" dream stuff started happening again.

It was one of those mornings where you wake up and go "YES!" pumping a fist in the air . I've had one other like that in the last 3 weeks (a flying one, which was more visually vivid but still had that heightened sense of awareness, presence and confidence that was so awesome). In fact in this dream I also was very very confident, no hesitation at all about what I was doing.

Can't wait for the LDs, but having vastly improved NDs along the way is really really cool.

Question: I've started to add the "In my dreams I see my hands and realize I'm dreaming" to my daily mantras. I did see my hands in my dream last night but nothing triggered. I just started it, though. Is it counter-productive while working towards the first LD to switch mantras around, perhaps I should stick with "The next time I'm dreaming I remember to recognize that I'm dreaming?". The hands mantra seems attractive to me as well, I may just repeat it during the day during RCs along with my usual, unless gab you think that's too much switching around?

By the way, is there a limit to how many intentions one can successfully set for oneself? I'm up to about 5-7 now, including remembering dreams, staying still, having interesting dreams, waking up after dreams, and of course, the MILD mantra. Maybe if they're kept short and clear there is no upper limit? I'm interested in other's experiences here.

p.s. gab I thanked my subconscious profusely this morning and asked for more. In fact, I've been doing this only for the past few days (thanking my subconscious, and putting in a few requests for what I'd like) and I got the sort of dream I was asking for!

That was great DEILD attempt! I'm a huge proponent of reading articles on DV, and re-reading them. That's how I had my first DEILD. Not sure if I already linked it to you http://www.dreamviews.com/general-lu...cid-dream.html

Practice yelling during day "vividity now" "focus now" "clarity now". Yell it like you mean it! This is great to use in your lucids, but perhaps it will help you in non-lucids as well. Since waking life and your practice does reflect in your dreams nicely.

I think I used only one mantra for my first LDs. But I used morre than one RC - hands, palm and nose. But those didn't make it into my dreams until later. I would say pick one mantra that feels the best and stick with it for a while.

I have my hands down. I look around and I get the feeling I could be in a dream. I expect something "dreamy" to happen. Like my TV to float up, or pizza guy walking throught the door, or anything. Then, I start saying mantra and when I come to the part "I look at my hands" I swing my hands up and look at them. Then I put them down and bring them up again...

While I'm saing mantra, I'm imagining how cool it will be/was, when I realize/realized I'm lucid. I also recall a happy moment from my life, when I had this funny, happy and exciting feeling in my stomach and I try to feel it when I'm saying "I realize I'm dreaming". This helps my mind to associate me being happy with getting lucid. And our minds listen to us more than we think. All we need to do is to tell it what we want.

Intent - I would concentrate at 1-2 relating ones at a time.

I would thank my mind for my drams and ask for more in the morning.
Mantra about realizing I'm dreaming during day and as falling asleep.

I had my first DEILD without mantra, just after reading an article on DEILD. I guess I just set my intent while reading the article, something like "oh, I gotta remember this. great advise". And I guess that was enough. Because when time was right, I was able to recall all info from that article, as if I had photographic memory.

For me, DEILD is a thing of chance. I don't actively pursue it. I just wait for the moment when I by myself, don't wake up too much.

I would rather concentrate on DILDs at night and practice WILDs in morning naps, or WBTBs.

And good job on talking to your mind. It had worked for me as well. And you know what, with your level of excitement and dedication, and doing everything right, I know you are about to have a LD.

I'm sure I left something out, so please ask

Originally Posted by gab

And you know what, with your level of excitement and dedication, and doing everything right, I know you are about to have a LD.
I'm sure I left something out, so please ask

Thanks! I sure hope I'm doing everything right. I don't know if I'm putting enough mental effort into the actual MILDing when doing back to bed, doing it long enough. But for right now the basics of recall and figuring my sleep patterns out so I can get back to bed are probably more important. In addition to the full MILD steps (recall, visualize, say mantra, imagine becoming lucid), I will do just a few mantras as I'm falling back to sleep if it's taking me a while, as the full steps tend to make me more conscious and take me farther from sleep.

Well I had a fairly sucky night last night. Constantly interrupted doing pre-bed intention meditation (my # of wakes has decreased from 4 to 2 for the last several days, and less recall [other than 2 nights ago which was an amazing dream as noted above], so I wanted to really establish the "I wake up after every dream and remember it in detail" intention again), small argument before bed, went to bed mad, took me a while to calm down enough to sleep. `Actually I think I had enough wakings, I just didn't have the will to do recall. Only came through with a few fragments in the morning. Still not nothing, but not up to my better nights. Tried to go back to sleep at 7 hours after bedtime in the morning, too much distraction from wife waking up and flailing around. So I just got up with the idea I'd try a nap once the house quieted down later.

Eventually house got quiet later, wasn't really tired, but felt I could sleep if I tried though since I did get up about an hour early. I was pissed about the bad night and wanted to get another dream in, so I went for a nap. Loooooong time falling asleep, but eventually did. I'm not a napper traditionally, and I don't fall asleep easily with even the slightest distractions around once I'm up during the day, even with earplugs and sleep mask -- it took a lot of effort! Emptying mind of thoughts, keeping mind relaxed and receptive instead of "clenched" on thoughts in "full on" day alert mode. Couldn't sleep on back (I did nod off but my snoring woke me up), couldn't sleep on side (normal position), tried on stomach which is what I do in the mornings sometimes when I have the bed to myself and can spread out a bit, got comfortable and it worked! Woke up, recalled a few fragments, enough to satisfy me that I could dream in a nap, goal achieved, happy that the whole night then wasn't a waste and I jumped out of bed because I had to go do some WL things. I had the "dreamy" feeling upon waking, pretty sure I could have gone back to sleep again, but had stuff to do, so no go.

Eating lunch I was reading something and encountered the word "insect," which BOOM brought in another fragment from the nap dream which I had not recalled in my hurried waking (I was inside squishing bad ants, and the more I looked the more I kept finding, they got larger and larger and yuckier and nastier kinds of insects). I think this is one of the first times I'd had a mid-day recall moment.

$%@%#%!!
Bad night. 3 hours of sleep, 2 puny 10 second fragments of recall. Just couldn't get back to sleep after the first waking and MILDing briefly, and nothing helped, not the "turn off the distractions knob," nothing.

I tried staying off the computer several hours before bed to "enhance sleep" -- hah! Guess that my computer use is calming in some way.

Or it could have been I ate too much from my tryptophan shopping spree -- peanut butter, humus, whole grain bread and crackers. Threw in some mussels for B12. Stomach was too full, that did bother me a bit.

A few other deviations from routine: I had the 2-hour-ish nap in the afternoon, and I went to bed a bit earlier than usual. Normally I fall asleep in minutes at bedtime, but last night it took probably an hour.

Gotta stay positive. Remember the awesome dream from two nights ago. Stay positive! And stick to the routine.

I'm going to change my "question reality" query from "Am I dreaming?" to "Where am I (and why)?" "How did I get here?" finishing with: "Why do I think I'm awake?" (with some RC checks like nose/hands, etc.). Of course the danger of "Am I dreaming?" is you could just zombie-like answer "no" and keep going. I've had it suggested that instead I should assert that "I am dreaming!" but that doesn't feel right either, especially when I'm surrounded with proof that I'm not. So instead of assuming what my state is, I plan to cultivate a critical check including memory and some RCs.

As I creep towards one month of LD training with no LDs, my attention is starting to stray to things like: induction aids like audo tracks, diet (tryptophan), and.....the red pill: galantamine. I really don't want to get "hooked" on anything like that and want my LDs to be "all natural," but I'm wondering if a little LD "assisted vacation" from time to time wouldn't help with motivation...?

I think all the signs are there for getting close ("lucid dreaming" appearing in my dreams twice recently, once audibly and once live in front of my eyes (doh!)), I'll hang on, I'm shooting for the "one LD by the end of Septamber" still as my goal, and hopefully exponentially doubling LD frequency every month (faster would be OK too!). Must. Not. Give. In........(unless anyone has recommendations for an awesome safe aid that is not LD-addictive [meaning you can't LD without it after using it]).

I guess I'm officially making it my intention to fill in a daily report here. Not a "dream journal", but a "LD training experience" log. Hope it doesn't get boring. I think it will be informative looking back to see the day by day thoughts, feelings, and experiences of an LDer-in-training.

Feeling better today. Many WL distractions last night, but still managed consistent sleep with several wakings with decent recall. Didn't get all journaled (again due to WL interference), but still I feel like I'm heading back away from my mini-recall "dry spell" to normalcy (multiple wakings with multiple dreams recalled). Slept long time, 11-ish hours, making up for only 3 hours the night before. Read some about "REM rebound," it seems like something dreamers would like to do?

Tryptophan and choline binge before bed last night. Tried a little bit of everything:

• 1 teaspoon soy lecithin granules
• 4-5 smoked mussels (B12)
• 1 cup apple juice (1 hour before bed, and 1/2 cup in middle of night during WBTB)
• cup peppermint tea before right before bed
• peanut butter on multi-grain/seed bread
• hummus on rye crackers
• 30 drops Valerian extract in water 10 mins before bed

In terms of judging the effectiveness of the lucid food/stuff: I can't say that I had any vivid dreams, but my recall was improved, and I didn't toss and turn trying to get to sleep.
Going to bed at night I had strange tingly feelings all over my body. Maybe tryptophan/choline overload? Too much stuff taken too close together?

In the morning around the 8 hour mark I was dozing back to sleep and suddenly noticed the "full body buzz" as I call it: like a mild-medium electrical / numbness buzzing throughout my entire body. It's not painful. It's unexpected arrival though sort of jolted me alert. I believe this is my own "body is falling asleep noise", as I've experienced it before. What the heck I thought, maybe I'll get an unplanned WILD, and starting in with '1. I am dreaming, 2. I am dreaming" but the buzzing quickly subsided and I became alert/awake. Darn. Rolled over and went to sleep, had some more dreams, woke up at 11am and had to get up for work. I probably could have slept more.

My goal of my first lucid dream by the end of September is rapidly approaching. Good thing I still have 2 weekends (6 nights) left before I hit that deadline. I sleep in our place outside the city Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, where it's very quiet, dark, practically no distractions at all.

I like the new state check ritual: "Where am I? Why am I here? How did I get here? Why do I think I'm awake?" It feels natural, and forces me to review short term memory and to examine critically my environment and my reason for being there. I absolutely know the first time I do this in a dream I will become lucid!

Originally Posted by FryingMan

Gotta stay positive. And stick to the routine.

Yes, and yes. I understand the need to have it all - wakings, dreams, recall, lucids,... But, it all should be a pleasure to do. If it becomes a chore, or something that is not pleasant to do, or it makes us mad if we don't get it, that's when we know we are trying too hard. We have all done it. It's importantant to realize that even "failiures" are teaching us something.

Originally Posted by FryingMan

I'm going to change my "question reality" query from "Am I dreaming?" to "Where am I (and why)?" "How did I get here?" finishing with: "Why do I think I'm awake?" (with some RC checks like nose/hands, etc.). Of course the danger of "Am I dreaming?" is you could just zombie-like answer "no" and keep going. I've had it suggested that instead I should assert that "I am dreaming!" but that doesn't feel right either, especially when I'm surrounded with proof that I'm not. So instead of assuming what my state is, I plan to cultivate a critical check including memory and some RCs.

As I creep towards one month of LD training with no LDs, my attention is starting to stray to things like: induction aids like audo tracks, diet (tryptophan), and.....the red pill: galantamine. I really don't want to get "hooked" on anything like that and want my LDs to be "all natural," but I'm wondering if a little LD "assisted vacation" from time to time wouldn't help with motivation...?

I think all the signs are there for getting close ("lucid dreaming" appearing in my dreams twice recently, once audibly and once live in front of my eyes (doh!)), I'll hang on, I'm shooting for the "one LD by the end of Septamber" still as my goal, and hopefully exponentially doubling LD frequency every month (faster would be OK too!). Must. Not. Give. In........(unless anyone has recommendations for an awesome safe aid that is not LD-addictive [meaning you can't LD without it after using it]).

That is a good way to question reality. But just remember, in a dream, it will feel like waking life. You will not realize you are dreaming untill you do. So don't assume in waking life, that you are awake, just bacause you are surrounded with "proof" that your are awake. It will be same in a dream. Good way to conquer this is to have mentality "it looks like I'm awake, but I will check anyway, because I could be dreaming". You don't have to have this as a mantra, just think about this throughtout the day. I can't tell you how many times I was absolutely sure I'm awake and did a RC just because I read about that possibility here on DV and got lucid.

Originally Posted by FryingMan

I guess I'm officially making it my intention to fill in a daily report here. Not a "dream journal", but a "LD training experience" log. Hope it doesn't get boring. I think it will be informative looking back to see the day by day thoughts, feelings, and experiences of an LDer-in-training.

Feeling better today. Many WL distractions last night, but still managed consistent sleep with several wakings with decent recall. Didn't get all journaled (again due to WL interference), but still I feel like I'm heading back away from my mini-recall "dry spell" to normalcy (multiple wakings with multiple dreams recalled). Slept long time, 11-ish hours, making up for only 3 hours the night before. Read some about "REM rebound," it seems like something dreamers would like to do?

Tryptophan and choline binge before bed last night. Tried a little bit of everything:

• 1 teaspoon soy lecithin granules
• 4-5 smoked mussels (B12)
• 1 cup apple juice (1 hour before bed, and 1/2 cup in middle of night during WBTB)
• cup peppermint tea before right before bed
• peanut butter on multi-grain/seed bread
• hummus on rye crackers
• 30 drops Valerian extract in water 10 mins before bed

In terms of judging the effectiveness of the lucid food/stuff: I can't say that I had any vivid dreams, but my recall was improved, and I didn't toss and turn trying to get to sleep.
Going to bed at night I had strange tingly feelings all over my body. Maybe tryptophan/choline overload? Too much stuff taken too close together?

In the morning around the 8 hour mark I was dozing back to sleep and suddenly noticed the "full body buzz" as I call it: like a mild-medium electrical / numbness buzzing throughout my entire body. It's not painful. It's unexpected arrival though sort of jolted me alert. I believe this is my own "body is falling asleep noise", as I've experienced it before. What the heck I thought, maybe I'll get an unplanned WILD, and starting in with '1. I am dreaming, 2. I am dreaming" but the buzzing quickly subsided and I became alert/awake. Darn. Rolled over and went to sleep, had some more dreams, woke up at 11am and had to get up for work. I probably could have slept more.

My goal of my first lucid dream by the end of September is rapidly approaching. Good thing I still have 2 weekends (6 nights) left before I hit that deadline. I sleep in our place outside the city Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, where it's very quiet, dark, practically no distractions at all.

I like the new state check ritual: "Where am I? Why am I here? How did I get here? Why do I think I'm awake?" It feels natural, and forces me to review short term memory and to examine critically my environment and my reason for being there. I absolutely know the first time I do this in a dream I will become lucid!

REM rebound does exist. I'm not a big fan of it. My first LD was only after about 3 hrs of sleep. I shudder what would have happened, if I didn't have it because I took something for rebound. And since then, maybe that's why I'm reluctant to take 5htp for rebound - I just don't want to miss any dreams I may have.

Try not to worry about a deadline. It may put too much pressure on you. Some people report success, when they stop "wanting" to have a lucid. Give yourself a 1-2 day break from practice. Don't wish for it. Then after 2 days continue. But think more of an intent, then a wish. The difference is like between you "knowing" that you are going to work in the morning, and "wishing" you went to someplace else instead. One is a wish, one is a given, done deal.

That is a good way to question reality. But just remember, in a dream, it will feel like waking life. You will not realize you are dreaming untill you do. So don't assume in waking life, that you are awake, just bacause you are surrounded with "proof" that your are awake. It will be same in a dream. Good way to conquer this is to have mentality "it looks like I'm awake, but I will check anyway, because I could be dreaming". You don't have to have this as a mantra, just think about this throughtout the day. I can't tell you how many times I was absolutely sure I'm awake and did a RC just because I read about that possibility here on DV and got lucid.

Thanks for the feedback, I absolutely do this seriously considering each question. The great thing about this approach is that it is much harder if not impossible to take shortcuts! You can't answer "how did I get here?" or "why am I here?" or "where am I?" or "why do I think I'm awake?" with "yes / no" and just move on.

And good job on talking to your mind. It had worked for me as well. And you know what, with your level of excitement and dedication, and doing everything right, I know you are about to have a LD.

Hey gab, guess what...? You were right!!
I got my first lucid last night!! It was amazing. Detailed post to follow later.
Lasted about 30 seconds to 1 minute, I'm very pleased I didn't snap out instantly!
However I did run through the dream like a giddy schoolboy . So much for stabilization goals

Yay I made my goal, in fact it was in the night of lucid living day 31 so I even made it right at the edge of 1 month!

I know you said not to stress about deadlines, they're goals more than deadlines, and for me provides a little extra boost in motivation, as long as I don't stress as you said. Laberge writes that goals are extremely valuable, always set aggressive but achievable goals, and always adjust them as you progress.

Two little words have rocked my world and changed it forever: "I'm dreaming!"

It was several minutes in to an extended fairly vivid ND dream sequence about 7.5/8 hours after bedtime that I recall very well (because it became an LD? Does becoming lucid in a DILD tend to boost recall of the ND leading up to lucidity?). I'm descending down stairways leading through a rectangular building (frequent dreamsign). I recall passing little cramped workplaces packed with large collections of fine and delicate tools and equipment. I reach the ground floor, encounter a man, I'm talking with him (skipping detail here just to get to the good stuff). I'm standing fairly close to him. I notice all of a sudden he has a one-or-two foot-long, scabbed and bloody looking pointy monster/gremlin ear. I'm inspecting it fairly closely. Without any stirring of a critical faculty, with no sense of confusion or wondering what was going on, and without performing any RCs, the thought just pops into my head: "I'm dreaming."

I'm instantly lucid! The effect cannot be adequately described though many say it's like everything becomes very vivid. The best way I can think to describe it is like transitioning from watching a movie on a screen, to being quickly sucked into the movie and becoming present in the scene. It was bizarre and fascinating. Some part of me I think was saying "I did it!". I also had a quick concern about losing lucidity, but didn't hold on to that for long. I forgot my WL "first time lucid" stabilization practice entirely, I didn't even rub my hands, I just started looking around and the thought that I had to find a certain kind of person also instantly presented itself. By the way the man turned in to a red-haired woman with a normal ear I think (red haired woman is also a dreamsign), I'm not sure if the transformation of the man to the woman happened before or after the "I'm dreaming" trigger.

So I start my search for this person: I scan around the room that I'm in (it's like a large library). DCs are seated along the wall opposite me in chairs. THEY'RE ALL STARING AT ME! They all have these blank expressions, bordering on disapproving, that seem like they're thinking: "just what do you think you're doing, buddy?" Kind of like, they're on the inside, and I'm not "supposed" to know what's going on. I'm surprised but not really spooked, I didn't recall reading in other's DJs that DCs stared at the dreamer like that though.

I'm concerned I won't find the person in time, and I start running. I'm outside on some kind of concourse, passing people, I can't find who I'm looking for. Things start to fade to gray. Without thinking about it I right away start spinning to my left. Two, perhaps three rotations, then stop, and the dream scene is back. Do I take this moment to ground myself, to stabilize, to "make out with the ground" to get all the senses involved in the dream? No, of course I just start running again, doh!

Before starting running I did make an observation on the "feeling" of the visuals. They were clear and fairly crisp/vivid, not super vivid though. I had the distinct feeling like I was seeing everything through a viewfinder of an HD video camera.

Maybe because of this thought of the video camera analogy, I use my "telephoto zoom" vision which I just seem to know I have and I see whom I'm looking for ahead of me. I run up and meet the person, and the dream starts fading again. I spin around instantly again, but no luck, I wake up.

I'm pretty pleased at this first LD experience. I did not instantly wake up after becoming lucid, I had the sense to make a note of how the dream "felt" visually, and I responded like a reflex to the fading of the dream with spinning. Of course, better would have been remaining calmer, not following my impulse, and stabilizing via vocal commands and engaging all the senses. Next time, I hope!

Thanks for all the support and encouragement, I'm sure they helped!

After waking up and pumping my fists a few times and voice recording my experience (and some the ND leading up to the LD, and some earlier recalled NDs), I starting considering, "just how did I become lucid?" I felt no critical faculty arise, I did not question the reality of the dream, and I performed no reality check.

Last night was a "complex" LD-night. I woke up once with no recall at about 4 hours, a bit bummed, usually I have at least a fragment or two at the 4 hour waking. So I focused just on setting intention for: remembering dreams, and waking up after each dream. At 5 1/2 hours I woke up with recall, one 90-minute period following the previous waking, so the "wake after each dream" intention seems to have taken. At some point I briefly tried FILD, WILD, and did some SSILD cycles. Mixing stuff alot. After the SSILD cycles I had trouble getting back to sleep, it took an hour at least I think. Then once I woke with the recall of some dreams, I did MILD with a small adjustment: instead of looping through: recall scene, visualize with mantra, visualize becoming lucid, repeat, what I did was: visualize scene, say first part of mantra: "Next time I'm dreaming I remember to recognize that..." then pause, and then visualize becoming lucid, saying "...I'm Dreaming!". Then rapid-fire I visualize a series of scenes from the dream back to back, like a slide show, at each one I say to myself "I'm dreaming!". So the mantra goes something like: "Next time I'm dreaming I remember to recognize that....I'm dreaming!...I'm dreaming!...I'm dreaming!...I'm dreaming!" with each "I'm dreaming!" each time changing the scene in my head, to associate many different pieces of the dream with "I'm dreaming." During this I'm trying to get the same "feeling" I get when setting a prospective memory target, just as LaBerge says to do.

In the dream when "I'm dreaming" popped into my head, it was VERY similar to doing a WL prospective memory exercise, the same feeling when you encounter a target in WL and the prospective memory association "fires" and you get the "ping!" feeling of recognizing it.

It also so happens that earlier during the day I increased the intensity of the prospective memory exercise. Instead of just settling on 4 targets for the day, I resolved to keep a running set of 4 targets at all times: when I realized that I'd hit or missed a target, I set a new one right away. I think this kept the "goal" seeking center of my brain active throughout the day, instead of just shutting it off once the 4 targets had been hit or missed. I also realized in the middle of the night that I had missed my "brushing my teeth" target earlier before going to bed, another clue that the goal center was still activated perhaps?

Anyway, while there was a big mix of techniques, I'm pretty sure that it was a pure MILD LD.

Lucid "aids": drank a cup of peppermint tea (Dutchraptor claims this enhances dream vividity, albeit he uses it with St. Johns Wort which I haven't got yet), at the 4 hour awakening drank a cup of apple juice, when I couldn't get back to sleep, I took 30 drops of Valerian extract. "Sleep juice" as I thought of it, it helped and I got back to sleep in probably 10 minutes after that, with the new MILD "I'm dreaming" repetitive approach.

The LD occured about 8 hours after bedtime.

Three days in a row this week (Mon, Tues, Weds nights) I just couldn't go back to sleep after waking up around the 6th hour of sleep, journaling, super quick bathroom visit, and BTB for MILD reps. Tried Valerian only on Monday, didn't help, and didn't want to build up a Valerian resistance so stopped trying that. Slightly bummed due to the loss of the key REM times 3 days in a row. However, each time later in the morning I did get back to sleep for some more dreams (effectively a 3-hour or so WBTB, so more like "late morning nap" I guess ). Each time in the late morning attempts I felt myself falling asleep really slowly after MILD reps, so decided to try WILD. On Thurs (yesterday) morning, I made it in to a short WILD! I switched mantra to "Patience....." after getting some feedback from Sageous that being patient is part of the required mindset. I was definitely "holding on" to awareness much more lightly this time, almost falling asleep unconsciously. I just barely realized it as a dreamlet presented itself and did not vanish right away, it stayed about 4-5 seconds. This was suprprising/new (normally the dreamlets vanish pretty quickly), so this nudged my mind a bit, and I told myself "This is a dream" and unfortunately instantly woke up after that. I saw a winter scene and was looking out over a frozen lake.

I have a solo weekend coming up, 3 nights of absolutely no distractions, so I'm looking forward to some great MILDing.

Last night had trouble falling asleep right at bedtime (wife came to bed late, woke me up). I read in bed for about 15 minutes and that did the trick! I fell asleep fairly fast after that. Have to remember to power of reading in making me sleepy, and to keep some boring books by the bed .

Also, I was able to get back to sleep after the 6th hour awakening finally Thurs (last) night, which made me happy. Had a nice variety of dreams and fragments. I know that I forgot a bunch before I could get to the journal.

In my enhanced Prospective Memory exercise I hit 10/12 targets two days ago. It's definitely effort to constantly choose and set intention on new targets, but I feel my PM improving, and note that my "goal center" seems generally more active reviewing the targets during the day.

Yeeeey, awesome, congrats! See, I told you


Yes, I agree that setting achievable goals is a good thing. You can even decide to "reward" yourself for achieving something. Like recall a dream, or even as you did, to have a lucid. But if you don't succeed, don't be disappointed, angry, or punish yourself. I know you would not do that, because I can tell, that you have a very good feel about the whole LDing thing, and you know, what helps and what can hinder it. Btw, I strongly believe, that every attempt is worth of appreciation, because it will teach us, one way or the other.

The best way I can think to describe it is like transitioning from watching a movie on a screen, to being quickly sucked into the movie and becoming present in the scene.

I get a very similar feel myself.

DCs are seated along the wall opposite me in chairs. THEY'RE ALL STARING AT ME! They all have these blank expressions, bordering on disapproving, that seem like they're thinking: "just what do you think you're doing, buddy?" Kind of like, they're on the inside, and I'm not "supposed" to know what's going on.

Funny Reminds me one of my very first LDs. I get lucid and all excited and I say "Hi" to a little girl. She rolls her eyes, as if thinking "oh, great, another one. You are not the first to get here, so get over it".

Yeah, I still get super excited most of the times when I realize. And I like it, even if that wakes me up. But it looks like you are not gonna be waking up that soon. Good job keeping it up for 1 min.

Often we get lucid, it seems like "out of the blue". No RCs, no questioning, no nothing. But you see, those things happen only after you get some tiny bit of awareness in a regular dream. And that is a fruit of your labor. All the mental prep you did. The awareness, RCs, questioning reality, working on recall, thinking about dreams and LDs.

And congrats for getting closer to a WILD. The dreamlet is indeed a good sign. Now you know you can get to it. I do get excited as well, but I also try to be just a pasive observer. That's the best mindset for a WILD.

So, your progress is huge. You doing great. Keep at it and Happy dreams

Last night was one of those dreaming nights you wish you could put in a can and just keep opening again and again!

Day: lots of prospective memory targets. Medium number of state checks, a few Sageous RRCs.
Before bed:
One hour of transcribing my voice journaling into written journal for a couple days.
~1 teaspoon lecithin granules, couple of glasses of apple juice
Read for about 45 minutes (helps me get to sleep faster I've found).

Bed at 01:00 Thank SC for dreams, ask for more LDs, put in request for particular themes.
wake at 05:17, no recall (may have been some earlier awakenings, I thought, hey, I didn't recall doing any journaling yet, and I was pretty sure I had some earlier light recall)
drank 1/2 cup of apple juice
then did some MILD reps based on previous night's dreams
and did some SSILD cycles for good measure.
wake at 06:17: LUCID!
Progress! A different lucid awakening moment, this time: critical faculty! I was in the middle of a (somewhat bizarre) conversation, I was asking an old friend about his hush-hush new business venture. It had to to with coaching (kids?) football. I said I had not ever coached football but that I had coached soccer (true in WL). I tried to hand him a card from my wallet, when all my cards fell to the ground. About 10-15 of them, I'm kneeling down trying to pick them up. And I can't. They just keep falling out of my hands, they just won't get arranged how I want them to be. Then I think, "Hey, this is a bizarre situation, I should check to see if I'm in a dream" and BOOM as soon as I said "dream" I became lucid. Same "sucked into the movie" feeling as the first DILD, I instantly stood up in amazement. I was *so sure* that I had been awake before, I was almost in shock to realize it was a dream. No RC again like DILD #1, as soon as the word "dream" popped into my head after and I had the notion to question my state, I was instantly lucid.

And I wasn't super-confused before being lucid, like I am sometimes in dreams, it was more like light puzzlement, the flavor of the thought was, "oh, this is one of those times when things don't work like you think they should that you're supposed to see if you're dreaming." If I can get consistent with this then my frequency will skyrocket since I have these moments all the time. I missed one earlier in the ND portion: I saw a shooting star (cool, it went all the way across the sky). Then more, and more and more shoting stars (whoa!). Then I saw colorful pinwheels of stars in the sky, I tell my friend "Look! Check that out!" Then I see a huge picture/ scene in the sky and first am filled with wonder, but quickly think, "Oh, someone must be running a projector somewhere" and my attention moves on. Doh!

Again, right away the very high/giddy excitement, I completely forgot and blew off the ND conversation and DCsI, I just turn around and walk through the crowd of people and head down the corridor, no clear goals in mind. Without willing it, I suddenly float like a balloon up to the roof of the hallway and stay there, looking down. I get a grip on myself, and rub my hands together (yay!). I feel my hands rubbing and and see them briefly, feel a little heat. Right away I float down to the ground, and feel more in control. (I wish I had right then done a thorough stabilizatation / dream quality shouting, but I didn't, I guess I felt sufficiently stable.)

I start walking the hallways looking for a way out. All the people have vanished. I'm walking through a building, observing, looking for a DC to talk to. It's sort of a cluttered industrial "backstage" place, lots of random stuff around.

I decide to try summoning. I say to myself "there's a DC around that next corner." I look around the corner -- empty hallway. Darn. I turn around, walk back, and then try "there's (my prepared-in-WL special dream location) through that next doorway. Nothing. Just an old woman in the distance.

Have the idea to stabilize (woot), I decide to try "making out with the ground" as heard in a podcast here on DV. I lie down on the ground on my stomach and lick the floor. I'm only wearing underwear, and I feel the grain/grittyness of the wood floor on my stomach and arms. I lick the floor with my tongue. No taste, though. In retrospect I think it's better to "make out with the wall" since lying down can be risking a waking.

I want to get outside, to where more people are. I'm still in the very high-ceilinged storage room, the same area I've been in for a minute, I see a sign/doorway about 15-20 feet above the ground. At one point it says "exit" I think and at another it shows a big picture of a person in a swimsuit. Must be the way to the pool, I decide to go there.

I start climbing up a dresser to get to the exit/door and have a Matrix moment (as in, "do you think that's air you're breathing!?"), thinking I'm going about this the wrong way. Some things are in my way, I try to "jedi force blast" (I wasn't actually thinking "jedi force blast" I just pushed my hand forwards and willed the stuff to zoom out of my way) them out of my way, I succeed in moving a few things out of my way. Then 3 people came in to the room from the swimming pool entrance above me and I woke instantly, no fade to gray.

Thought briefly about trying DEILD to get back in but decided I wanted to journal and remember.

Subjective time: 2, maybe 3 minutes

Thanked my SC and asked for more!

07:20 MILD reps and SSILD cycles
09:37 woke from vivid ND , just what I asked SC for!
09:57 trying more MILD and SSILD
Couldn't sleep, very excited, going over dreams in my head
10:43 trying more MILD and SSILD
12:44 woke from another awesome reasonably vivid ND, many details forgotten, but still fun

Woohoo, one month to first DILD, 1 week to second DILD (with 3 days of missing the key REMs), shooting now for multiple per week! And it didn't need to wait for the late morning REMs, it came around the 5th hour.

There is a very different feel between my 2 DILDs and the recent vivid NDs: in the vivid NDs I'm totally confident and feel entirely in control, in my LDs I'm excited but my attempt at control was more "hopeful wishing" than "confident expectation." That's the next thing.

Wow, congrats!

I very much enjoyed reading your description. I can feel the excitement and I'm happy for you.

I'm sure the control will come after you read some more accounts from people describing how they walk through walls, fly, summon... That's what I strongly believe is very helpful. Every time I read something, I think "oh, so that's how it works". I think that, even if I don't think that actively. But my mind is paying attention to even those thought of mine, that I'm not even aware that I have.

I really wanted to 'summon' Tahiti. So I practiced in WL. I pretended that I just got lucid (complete with excited and shocked feeling that you get when you really get lucid). I imagined beach behind me and thought "when i turn around, there is Tahiti". Then I turned around and imagined it being there. It took a few tries, but I finally got it.

Happy dreams.

The back-to-sleep portion of WBTB is an ongoing challenge. I think my progress would be even faster with more quality dream time, especially the 7th and 8th hours. I must spend effort to learn about what works for me to get me back to sleep quickly to get the most out of both MILD and WILD:

0) I already wear earplugs and use a sleep mask.
1) relaxation techniques...take them seriously, study more about them, find what works for me. Audio tapes? I prefer not to sleep with earbuds in, I understand it's bad for hearing.
2) getting enough exercise so that my body needs 8+ hours of sleep (I just have not done this...and it's beneficial for general health, too!)
Just started exercising today. Nice long fast walk/slow jog in the park for an hour. Body held up quite well, pleasantly enough .
3) not eating fatty/big meals just before bed...keep it light for several hours before bed time. Milk/yogurt, fruit.
3.5) relaxing bed time drinks: peppermint tea.
4) melatonin issues (I'm middle-aged, again, and melatonin production supposedly starts to fall off in middle-age)? Tough for me since we live next to several strong streetlights outside our bedroom window and my job has be on a computer all day long.
Get thicker curtains? Acquire sour/tart cherry extract?
5) lucid-friendly diet. Keep up with the B6, B12, tryptophan, choline providing foods (which are generally quite healthy).
6) experiement more with natural relaxants like Valerian. I see this as only a "once in a while," I don't want to become dependent on them or to build up a resistance to them.
7) try keyword *only* journaling during middle of the night wakings. Journaliing can take me upwards of 20 minutes even for brief dreams, as I like to go for details. Trust my memory that details will flow back in with the right keywords / tags chosen.

I'm hoping the "easy" (physical) ones will yield results: regular exercise, lighter/smaller meals, lucid-friendly diet.

Positive attitude, set intention: "I fall asleep easily, right when I want to" (can't say "I fall asleep quickly" or that intention might hurt WILD?).

Big goal: get dream recall, vividness, duration, sleep quality, sleep time up to vacation levels while living the daily city life.

Yet another bad sleep night. This is really starting to suck. Bedtime around 00:30, awake with a few fragments of recall at 04:30, did some MILD reps and couldn't get back to sleep, tried continuously to get back to sleep until around 07:30 (it doesn't feel that long somehow), when I got up to do the family morning getting everyone ready tasks. BTB around 09:30, I feel super tired, like I could sleep in mere moments upon lying down, but I still couldn't fall asleep! I very quickly got close, but every time I got close, and felt the final "drop" off to sleep starting, I woke up. Lather, rinse, repeat, over and over.

I tried to keep my mind empty. It seems to be something to do with my eyes, maybe I'm watching the HI/HH with too much attention and keeping me too alert. I saw tons of little dreamlets, some a few seconds long, but I paid them no attention and refused to be temped to try an impromptu WILD, because I just wanted to sleep because I was so tired! When I was not focusing on my visual input I felt like I got more relaxed and closer to sleep. I tried holding the "hearing focus" of the SSILD cycle, moving all attention to my hearing away from my eyes and holding it there, and I found this got me drowsier and closer to sleep pretty fast, but I had trouble holding it for very long periods of time, long enough to sleep.

I also felt a few "WILD noises" (vibrations) but ignored them. During the 04:30-07:30 wakeful period, I got the "loudest WILD noise" I've experienced yet: very unpleasant pressure in my chest, and a loud roaring in my ears. I was lying on my back at the time. Normally I sleep on my side and the WILD noise only comes to relatively mild full body vibrations.

Eventually I fell asleep, don't know for how long. And I dreamt, and I recall a few short scenes.

Now I'm concerned that something is "broken" about how I fall asleep.

On the one hand I feel great that I've made good progress in recall and having my first LDs within 5 weeks of effort.

On the other hand missing all this sleep consistently is missing all the dream time and potential LDs. The odd thing is that I don't actually *feel* all that tired now that I'm up. Maybe I overslept on the weekend when I had my 2nd DILD and was in bed for about 12 hours straight on a dream marathon and got too much "sleep in the bank?"

I got good exercise both yesterday and today. I'll keep up the exercise. I'm avoiding overeating and junk food.

Hope this phase passes very soon.

Ideas/advice?

Positive attitude, set intention: "I fall asleep easily, right when I want to" (can't say "I fall asleep quickly" or that intention might hurt WILD?).

Big goal: get dream recall, vividness, duration, sleep quality, sleep time up to vacation levels while living the daily city life.

Hi FryingMan!

I think you are on the right track with maintaining a positive attitude and focusing on recall. For many months, these exact factors are the only things that kept me going. When I focus on keeping a positive attitude (even adding some humor into it) I feel like I am accomplishing something...and you are! Even if I don't get lucid, I still have hit the jackpot because I gained a positive attitude in the process. Keep up the great work!

Originally Posted by bemistaken

Hi FryingMan!

I think you are on the right track with maintaining a positive attitude and focusing on recall. For many months, these exact factors are the only things that kept me going. When I focus on keeping a positive attitude (even adding some humor into it) I feel like I am accomplishing something...and you are! Even if I don't get lucid, I still have hit the jackpot because I gained a positive attitude in the process. Keep up the great work!

Thank you bemistaken! Yes I must remember my progress, that I've already had 2 DILDs and a tiny WILD, and several long, vivid NDs that were really awesome, that I never would have had without all this entire experience. Not to mention the weird/funny situations of the regular NDs. I'm impatient I know for more, I want LD mastery right away! The fairly severe backwards progress in recall and sleep quality due to returning to busy city life after vacation was a bit of a downer. But keeping a positive attitude, and calmly working around issues is the way to go, all the while never giving up. I thought last night would be the first night of zero recall since I started LD training, but lo and behold, I relaxed, and asked myself "what was I dreaming about?" and a few scenes came back to me!

In fact last night I had a pretty good sleep night, probably 8 hours at least, and an OK recall night. The goal was falling asleep quickly after each waking after a few MILD reps, and it basically worked out pretty well. Woke twice, (5.5 hours, and 7 hours after initial bedtime) and both times got back to sleep and dreamt more. I could have slept more but I got up 9.5 hours after bedtime, and I wanted to quickly go to the gym. I think the extra exercise is starting to catch up with me and making my body want to sleep more (yay!). My obstinate desire to stay in bed until I get a dream to recall may have been throwing off my sleep schedule, making and endless cycle.

Hi FryingMan,

You are doing so well! Just continue with concentrating on your sleep schedule and recall and you will be there before you know it and don't for to RC every time you wake up!

I want LD mastery right away!

You are not alone...me too. Good luck to you and happy lucid dreaming!

Originally Posted by FryingMan

I also felt a few "WILD noises" (vibrations) but ignored them. During the 04:30-07:30 wakeful period, I got the "loudest WILD noise" I've experienced yet: very unpleasant pressure in my chest, and a loud roaring in my ears. I was lying on my back at the time. Normally I sleep on my side and the WILD noise only comes to relatively mild full body vibrations.

Well, the body sensations and HH are suppose to be observed passively, that's true. But they can also be an indicator, that a dream/lucid dream is very near, just seconds away.

From my experience, and also have read about it, there are a few main ways how to get into a LD with help of HH sounds, images, or sensations. http://www.dreamviews.com/wake-initi...ntry-wild.html

slow recall early morning, made up for it with late morning BTB / nap. Room too cold. Incubation! - Dream Journals - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views

Night started out with initial bed time long to sleep, unusal for me, especially in the country where it's quiet. Maybe ate too much too late, including too much sugar.

Didn't journal during the night, despite some wakings with a bit of recall. Room too frickin' cold!

Got up after about 6th hour waking, tried more sleep, didn't feel it coming, read in bed for a while, late morning nap resulted in a bunch of recall with a lot of different scenes.

Every dreaming experience is positive! Must remember that. I think I'm going to stop writing "trouble sleeping" because I seem to be setting intention and creating a self-fullfilling prophecy. This night, I actually did some unintentional incubation (and some intentional): I imagined petting my cat while trying to relax and fall asleep. And I saw a dream about my cat! I also got a (vague/partial) small portion of a scene which I specifically tried to incubate before bed.

Tonight I'm going to try very minimal artificial light: screen brightness to minimum, lights basically off starting at 7pm, just one indirect light enough to see keys on keyboard. Need to get a laptop with lit keys! Hopefully this will get my melatonin maxed out. Lots of B-vitamin: multivitamins, smoke mussels for B12, soy lecithin for choline. Apple juice. I don't know yet if it helps or not, but I actually feel a great deal better now than I did a few months ago, paying attention to exercise and nutrition makes a big difference in overall well-being, which hopefully will transfer into sleep.

Need to get back to *regular schedule*! That's one huge difference between now and in my first 3-4 weeks of lucid training where my recall shot up to over 10 scenes per night, sometimes as high as 16. My to-bed time is all over the map, 1-2 hours differnce from night to night sometimes. That's got to be affecting everything, recall and time-to-sleep.

Also, only electronically journaling now. Probably need to return to at least pen and paper intention setting.

Goals helped get to lucid #1 and #2. Got lazy, haven't kept a goal journal for dream recall and more LDs. Do that soon, tomorrow perhaps.

Continued prospective memory exercises. Typically about 8-10 targets per day, doing 4-5 at a time, set new targets once old targets get hit/missed. Some days close to 100% hitting them all.

RCs and RRCs count a bit low today.

Will set incubation intention tonight as well.

This is quite exciting. If unintentional incubation works (as it has a few times), I thought intentional should work even better. I thought of two scenarios last night and "asked my SC" to present them to me in dreams. They both occurred! They were fairly majorly transformed from my original visualization (to fit into the story line I guess), but I have no doubt they came from my incubation intent! I'm like 4/4 now in having "dropping off to sleep" thoughts show up in my dreams that same night (two unintentional, two intentional).

If this is true (and it seems it really is), then it must be a fairly short path from just "theme" incubation into lucidity incubation!

I feel that "the next time I'm dreaming I remember to recognize that I'm dreaming" is too long and cumbersome. Yet I'm leery of "going against LaBerge" and shortening it just to "I'm dreaming" with accompanying visuals of dream scenes and becoming lucid in them. But when I'm tired, I just can't get that whole mantra out without mangling it or having to think too hard about it.

Does that seem like a good approach? Just visualizing a scene and repeating multiple times to myself, "I'm dreaming....I'm dreaming...." That's basically exactly what I do for my prospective memory exercises and I have a pretty high "hit" percentage now every day.