Thread: Dreamingaze's DILD Workbook

Hello Dreamingaze! Welcome to the DILD class!

Congratulations on your successes and your participation in the Intro class!

I think there is a special kind of challenge for the class of LD practitioners who are not new beginners, and who have demonstrated the ability to get lucid with practice, but haven't found yet a consistent approach or a way of integrating LD practice into regular daily life, to meet the LD frequency goals they have. I can empathize with this closely since I consider myself in the same boat! Something that really strikes me about LD practice is that it is all about balance: the balance between effort and relaxation, between "trying" and letting go. This balance rears its head in many ways in many aspects of LDing. WILDing is perhaps the most obvious example of requiring such a delicate balance between awareness/effort/intention (to keep a pearl of awareness intact) and relaxation (you gotta fall asleep to WILD!).

I'm convinced of the power of active goals to achieve results. In my own practice, when I really wanted those TOTM wings, I would typically have fabulous, long, high control / high awareness LDs in which I did those tasks. Some of my best LDs are from TOTM task LDs. So finding those dream goals that motivate you is really important. I think vague goals like "getting lucid and enjoying the dream state while lucid" are less effective than specific, concrete goals. Having clear, immediate goals seems to activate the goal-seeking center in the brain effectively, and brings about more LDs. Likewise, having clear, specific goals while in the dream and lucid helps to maintain the dream by placing your attention on the dream itself, having a very strong sense that you're not done yet, that there is more to do in the dream, seems to prolong it effectively. Also, it helps in recovery/maintenance of lucidity in those times where you find yourself having transitioned to a FA or another scene.

You mention waking life stress as a main cause of dry periods. I agree, I notice the same thing myself. That's why one of the best pieces of advice for LDers is to "take care of your life." Make sure you do the things you need to do. Building a very happy and satisfying waking life is one of the absolute best things you can do for your dreaming life! Exercise regularly, eat a healthy balanced diet, get enough quality sleep.

Waking up in the morning without any LDs, try not to think "darn, didn't get any LDs, that night was a failure." Instead, thank your SC for your dreaming experiences, and feel joy if you've managed to recall dreams. You want to build a reward feedback loop where your mind realizes that "dreaming = reward". Love all your dreaming experiences and celebrate them. Keep sight of the goal of lucidity, but look forward to it with excitement and anticipation, try to erase any thoughts of the sort "but I've worked so hard and I haven't gotten lucid in a while now, darn...". I know (believe me, I know) this can be challenging in dry times.

You mention personal and spiritual growth. You may find a way to integrate a practice like mindfulness and some Buddhist (I'm not a Buddhist but I admire many of their practices) practices like compassion/loving-kindness meditation.

I have my own theory on the best way to go about LDing practice in the long-term for frequent LDs. Many others have mentioned similar things, phrases like "lucid living" and the like. Our dreaming mind reflects our waking mind: if we wish to be lucid regularly in dreams, we must first learn to be lucid regularly in waking life. Trying to live one way during the day (on autopilot, stressed, non-reflective) and another way during the night (lucid, engaged, reflective) is counter-productive. Instead, we should strive to be lucid persons 24x7. Pay attention to life experiences, reflect upon them, and practice recalling them. Dreams are just life experiences we have while in the dream state: if one can become the sort of person who naturally pays attention to all experiences, thinking about/reflecting on them, and recalling them later, that lays the foundation for a perfect lucid dreaming life!

The benefits of approaches like mindfulness is that they are not focused only on our dreaming life, but also on our waking life. Having a unified approach like this cuts helps to cut through the stress/dry times, by preventing them from arising in the first place. It's not a small order, it's a life-time journey, but we as lucid dreamers have sampled a taste of the amazing experiences waiting for us when we become aware in the dream state. The secret is that there are just as many awesome experiences awaiting us in the waking state, if only we'd notice them and let them in!

On the subject of WBTB: if micro-WBTBs work for you, great. But you may want to experiment with WBTB times to see if you can find the sweet spot where you can still get back to sleep without much trouble, and also increase the likelyhood of LDs. Daily DJ is a good thing, if you can approach it with joy and not as "ugh, another thing to do in my busy schedule." I think a very thorough review of dreams while still in bed can serve the same purpose of the DJ. But I like having a written DJ so I can remember all those dreams!

Hi FryingMan! Thank you so much for your response. I resonate on a deeply personal level with everything you said. This is just what I needed to hear, at just the right time. Things tend to happen that way, don't they?....

I totally agree that this middle ground in LD development has its own special challenges. I've thought about that a lot in the last couple weeks, especially as I've gone back over my old workbook, journals, and LD count spreadsheet to review my LD history. I know a lot about lucid dreaming, have tried a wide variety of techniques, and have had great success. But.....I've reached this level where that is just not enough. I think you're absolutely right about "lucid living," as opposed to a "dream practice" that is somehow outside the normal structure of everyday life. Although RC is a daily practice, it's a tool that can easily just turn into another chore. I believe to be truly successful with LD in the way I most desire, my entire life needs to be my dream practice. I feel I am already working on developing that. I am very familiar with mindfulness practices (I'm a counselor in training so use mindfulness a lot with my clients), and have been using it more and more in my daily life. I believe my most recent LD successes have largely been the result of cultivating this kind of awareness. And yes, balance is essential. Mindfulness goes a long way in balancing those life stressors that so often "get in the way."

I also totally agree about the need for specific goals to continue developing. I am a goal oriented person, so I definitely found myself getting stuck in my LD experiences not having a solid goal in mind. The first time I tried a TOTM, I was much more successful at maintaining a highly lucid state and accomplished more than I believed possible for a novice. That is one huge advantage to participating on this site. I usually avoid social media, etc. but it has been really helpful to see what other dreamers are doing. I feel encouraged by the feedback and guidance here so I'm not just flying blind in Dreamland. I have accomplished my general LD goals, and am now looking at more specific things to work on. I really want to manifest an earthquake this month!

Thanks again for your excellent response. I look forward to more of your insight and guidance.

Yes! I completed two basic TOTM last night! The dream is here.

A special point of interest in this dream is the strange way I became lucid. I entered a lucid dream by using an induction technique within another dream. This happened in another dream a couple weeks ago. That dream is here. I'm very intrigued by this development....

Edit: I just saw your new post. Congratulations!! (You can still ask yourself the question below in the same way)

What an excellent post FryingMan!! Love it!

And a hearty welcome to you dreamingaze! There is not much I can think to add to FM's excellent post at the moment, but I will pose a couple of questions.

I would like you to ask yourself this first question before you finish reading all the way through this post and take a moment to quietly notice any thoughts that pop up in response to the question. I would also be very interested to hear what you found as well, but that is secondary to you noticing the thoughts that pop up. The question is "Will I have another lucid dream soon?"

...

When you are done with that, I was also curious if you were using micro-wbtb when you were having the most success?

Originally Posted by dreamingaze

Yes! I completed two basic TOTM last night! The dream is here.

W00T! Congrats! Keep that ball rolling!

A special point of interest in this dream is the strange way I became lucid. I entered a lucid dream by using an induction technique within another dream.

Haha, I know, I've done that a few times. I've "WILDed" from within a dream before and the best part about it is that it's so easy!

On the subject of mindfulness and lucid living: I think it's important to maintain the frequently-visited thought and intent that "I desire to get lucid in dreams." This is where mindfulness for LDing diverts a bit from generic mindfulness and Buddhist practices, because we do need to insert a bit of "judgement" about our experiences. Not good/bad judgement, but making a determination about our state.

The way I like to frame it (because I prefer not to reach a conclusion of "not dreaming") is: am I currently experiencing a waking dream or a sleeping dream?

Hi fogelbise! Thanks for the welcome! I'm very happy to be here in good company.

Originally Posted by fogelbise

I would like you to ask yourself this first question before you finish reading all the way through this post and take a moment to quietly notice any thoughts that pop up in response to the question. I would also be very interested to hear what you found as well, but that is secondary to you noticing the thoughts that pop up. The question is "Will I have another lucid dream soon?"

I spend a lot of time being mindful of my thoughts and feelings as they happen, so this was a natural exercise for me. I am pleased that my immediate response to this question was an enthusiastic and confident "ABSOLUTELY." I've become aware of a deepening confidence in my ability to lucid dream. Despite my frustrations over dry spells, I can honestly look back over the last two years and give myself credit now for what I've done with my dreaming even while feeling buried in graduate studies. My life has been nuts, but my lucid dreams always resurface when I return my attention to them. I am currently aware of a very interesting process taking place where I can feel a number of key things in my life, including my education (psychology, counseling) and my spiritual background (shamanism, occultism, Buddhism), coming together in a beautifully cohesive way. Rather than keeping my various interests in different mental compartments, so to speak, I can feel them blending now into a single path. What's really amazing to me is that lucid dreaming is the thread that ties it all together! I think that is why FryingMan's comments about lucid living really struck home for me. This feels like an extremely important shift in my life, so I am anxious to see where this takes me.

Originally Posted by fogelbise

When you are done with that, I was also curious if you were using micro-wbtb when you were having the most success?

Looking back over my periods of success, I can see that my WILDS occurred when was I using longer WBTB sessions. For awhile, I was doing a body awareness meditation/visualization during those longer sessions that increased my success. The micro sessions have been spread all over the last two years, so it's hard to identify any other patterns there other than the fact that they consistently provide more dream recall and additional opportunity to think about dreams without the interference of daytime clutter.

Originally Posted by FryingMan

Haha, I know, I've done that a few times. I've "WILDed" from within a dream before and the best part about it is that it's so easy!

I'm glad to hear that someone else has done this! LOL. After the dream I had a couple weeks ago about using a WILD to transition from one dream to the next, I really struggled with whether I could actually call it a WILD. However, since I tend to believe that EVERYTHING is a dream, I decided it was fair to call it a WILD since the process and experience was exactly the same as it was when I successfully used the technique to transition from "awake" to "asleep." It was definitely easier to do it in the dream. LOL.

Originally Posted by FryingMan

The way I like to frame it (because I prefer not to reach a conclusion of "not dreaming") is: am I currently experiencing a waking dream or a sleeping dream?

I do this too. As I said above, I tend to believe that all our experience is a kind of dream (I'm a little bit obsessed right now with theories about the relationship between consciousness and the quantum world...) so I have had to reframe my RC practice to acknowledge the distinction between the "waking" dream and the "sleeping" dream. I try to be very mindful of the specific language I use because I believe it makes a difference in intention.

Well, no more lucids the last several days, but I have dreamed a couple times about LD. In one dream I was acting as though I was lucid (the way I moved, etc.) but I had no awareness at all. In another, I was talking to a DC about lucid dreaming. So, I consider these small successes since the idea is clearly making it into my dreamspace. I've had six LDs in the last three weeks, so I'm on a pretty good role right now. Here's to keeping the ball rolling!

I tried galantamine last night for the first time in awhile and it was a flop. When I first tried galantamine, it worked every single time. However, over the last year or so it has not been helpful (only one low level DILD). The issue is not likely tolerance since I take it so rarely, but it is interesting that it just doesn't seem to work anymore. I took only 4 mg last night instead of the usual 8, but still....I wonder why? I've been thinking a lot about brain chemistry and how that impacts LD success. From a purely biological stance, the right level of neurotransmitters need to be present to not only become lucid but also retain the memory. However, I feel torn between the biological view vs. a more energetic/intention oriented view (I tend to lean more in this direction). It's a chicken or egg quandary. Does our brain chemistry respond to thought/intention, or is thought/intention a result of chemistry? Really, I believe it's both, which certainly doesn't simplify matters one bit. A month ago, when I first got back on DV and started working on my LD practice again, I was really focused on clean eating to help build a stronger, healthier body to support a stronger mind (using my intention to nurture better chemistry). I've fallen off that wagon again as usual. I need to climb back on that wagon because I do believe it makes a difference. That's all part of lucid living. Balance.

I've more or less given up on supplements: I don't like the way they make me feel, and the result seems to always be I spend hours wide awake, eventually fall asleep exhausted, and only rarely have amazing dreams from them. I even have doubted whether it was the supplement or whether the 4-5 hours spent trying to sleep thinking intensely about LDing was actually what caused the LDs. I've had so many amazing dreams, both lucid and non-lucid without them that I know I dont need them.

I tend towards the non-biological view. Tibetan monks don't take supplements and they're lucid more or less 24x7. Yet, there's no denying WBTB is effective (the Tibetan approach also uses noticing wakings), and LDs tend to happen more later in the sleep cycle. I think it's a matter of finding the right approach for yourself so that you can build and build successes on top of each other. Yup, and there's the "B" word again, it keeps cropping up all the time.

P.s. did you stack the G with any cholines and take a bedtime rem-suppressor like melatonin or 5htp? Did you take the G at bedtime or WBTB time?

Originally Posted by FryingMan

P.s. did you stack the G with any cholines and take a bedtime rem-suppressor like melatonin or 5htp? Did you take the G at bedtime or WBTB time?

I always take G with choline, and sometimes add additional alpha-GPC for longer half-life. I take it after at least 4-5 hours of sleep, and usually don't have a problem going back to sleep in a timely manner; however, the sleep tends to be restless after taking it. I don't like how I feel the next day, so the payoff is really not worth it at this stage since I've done better without it. I've never had any luck at all with REM-suppressors. My REM cycles are vivid all night long (I always remember dreams no matter what time I'm woken up during the night), so I don't feel I am in need of more REM. I've even had LDs during the first REM cycle of the night, though they most commonly occur in the early morning. The only thing I've ever taken that clearly impacted my REM was Prozac, which I took for only two weeks. I could not remember my dreams during that time so I refused to keep taking it. Mess with my dreams = instant deal breaker!

So, I feel myself leaning toward ditching the G altogether, though I hate to waste the rest of the bottle. I've had a handful of successes with it, but waaaaaaaay more success without it...and without the headache. And you're right, the Tibetan monks certainly don't need it. They live a simple, balanced life, including a clean and simple diet. That seems like the best approach.

Well you're certainly following all of the mainstream advice, then, for the supplements. Vivid recall all night long, wow, that's a gift. I slip in and out of that mode but it never seems to last for long.

Mess with my dreams = instant deal breaker!

Haha I *so* know what you mean. I've was never much of a drinker, maybe once every couple of months, but I've barely touched a drop now in 3 years with dreaming practice! There is nothing bleaker than a morning without recall!

Originally Posted by FryingMan

There is nothing bleaker than a morning without recall!

Exactly! Even when I'm having a spell where I just really suck at writing them down, my dreams are an absolutely essential part of my day. I don't feel like myself without my dreams. Sooooo many people say they never remember their dreams, and I always think how sad and strange that is. Our unconscious is a vast, miraculous, and beautiful source of pure creativity, so I just can't imagine going through life being cut off from it!

I just started taking Zoloft. Given the recall issue I had with Prozac, I've been really concerned about taking anything else...but I'm at a point right now that I need something to help me through my final year of graduate school. I talked to the doc about my concerns with my dream recall and she said she'd never heard anyone express concern about NOT dreaming before. Sigh. But anyway, no recall problems last night, so I'm relieved. I felt a little groggy though, so I may take it in the morning instead of at night because I'm worried about being too groggy to become lucid. Since SSRIs increase serotonin, I really shouldn't have a problem, but just in case, I may increase my intake of B vitamins and choline during the day to make sure I'm getting adequate acetylcholine during my REM cycle. I think the important thing here is maintaining a healthy mind/body with the help of proper self-care and clean diet. I'll let the Zoloft do what it does to take care of my brain chemicals, and I'll do what I need to do to maintain my commitment to balance and increasing awareness.

I really need to up my game on getting my dreams recorded on a daily basis again. I don't know why I'm struggling so much with that right now. Maybe because I've had other things kind of up in the air, which has been stressing me out. I'd like to get back to a steady routine again. I am very familiar with my dream signs since I've been following my dreams for years and years now, but the act of writing my dreams down religiously is a powerful communication to my unconscious that says "I'm all in." I created a personal dream database a couple years ago, but it's broken at the moment so my husband needs to fix it before I can use it again. I think that would help. In the meantime, there's no reason why I can't record them all here.

Originally Posted by dreamingaze

I am currently aware of a very interesting process taking place where I can feel a number of key things in my life, including my education (psychology, counseling) and my spiritual background (shamanism, occultism, Buddhism), coming together in a beautifully cohesive way. Rather than keeping my various interests in different mental compartments, so to speak, I can feel them blending now into a single path. What's really amazing to me is that lucid dreaming is the thread that ties it all together! I think that is why FryingMan's comments about lucid living really struck home for me. This feels like an extremely important shift in my life, so I am anxious to see where this takes me.

This is awesome to hear about how everything is coming together for you! I am not saying that lucid dreaming is the biggest factor in all of this for you, but I do truly believe that many of the practices tied to lucid dreaming as well as the amazing experiences in the dream realm have many positive effects. For me it has sparked my strongest efforts towards personal growth, a revitalized thirst for learning, a new appreciation for the waking world from a seemingly new set of eyes and a more open, accepting mindset.

Originally Posted by dreamingaze

Well, no more lucids the last several days, but I have dreamed a couple times about LD. In one dream I was acting as though I was lucid (the way I moved, etc.) but I had no awareness at all. In another, I was talking to a DC about lucid dreaming. So, I consider these small successes since the idea is clearly making it into my dreamspace. I've had six LDs in the last three weeks, so I'm on a pretty good role right now. Here's to keeping the ball rolling!

I agree that those are good signs and I really like how you are focusing on the positives!

I tried galantamine last night for the first time in awhile and it was a flop. When I first tried galantamine, it worked every single time. However, over the last year or so it has not been helpful (only one low level DILD). The issue is not likely tolerance since I take it so rarely, but it is interesting that it just doesn't seem to work anymore.

I wonder if the chemical efficacy of G degrades faster than we realize. I noticed the same thing and just finished my bottle and may see if a fresh bottle brings back the great results that I had the first 6 months or so (taking no more than once per week - usually less - in order to try to eliminate tolerance issues as well as to save it for special occasions.) I wrote Relentless Improvement (manufacturer of my bottle) and their current batch has an expiration of June 2018 and they claimed that they have no plans to make another batch for about a year.

Originally Posted by dreamingaze

I always take G with choline, and sometimes add additional alpha-GPC for longer half-life. I take it after at least 4-5 hours of sleep, and usually don't have a problem going back to sleep in a timely manner; however, the sleep tends to be restless after taking it. I don't like how I feel the next day, so the payoff is really not worth it at this stage since I've done better without it.

Was this also the case when you first started taking it? It didn't seem like it for me, but maybe towards the end of the bottle…but take that thought with a grain of salt.

Originally Posted by FryingMan

Haha I *so* know what you mean. I've was never much of a drinker, maybe once every couple of months, but I've barely touched a drop now in 3 years with dreaming practice! There is nothing bleaker than a morning without recall!

Same here! I avoid alcohol almost entirely and a number of other substances as it gets closer to the evening.

Originally Posted by dreamingaze

Our unconscious is a vast, miraculous, and beautiful source of pure creativity, so I just can't imagine going through life being cut off from it!

I talked to the doc about my concerns with my dream recall and she said she'd never heard anyone express concern about NOT dreaming before. Sigh.

It seems some people will never understand. I really value talking to people who do!

I've been out of the game the last two weeks or so. Ugh. I'm really feeling the reality of my summer vacation getting so close to being over already, and I have two very intense final semesters of school ahead of me. I've let my dream practice slip the last two weeks while focusing on other things, but I did have a brief low level DILD this morning after counting myself back to sleep following a brief awakening to let my cat out. As is often the case in really low level LD, I slipped into sexual gratification mode rather than remembering any goals. That annoys me when that happens....Id totally takes over, I guess. Despite my irritation, I still consider it a small success in the haze of a two week hiatus. I have a little bit of time off school early next month between Summer and Fall semester, so I am hoping I can get some good rest and get back on track then.

Originally Posted by fogelbise

I wonder if the chemical efficacy of G degrades faster than we realize. I noticed the same thing and just finished my bottle and may see if a fresh bottle brings back the great results that I had the first 6 months or so (taking no more than once per week - usually less - in order to try to eliminate tolerance issues as well as to save it for special occasions.) I wrote Relentless Improvement (manufacturer of my bottle) and their current batch has an expiration of June 2018 and they claimed that they have no plans to make another batch for about a year.

Was this also the case when you first started taking it? It didn't seem like it for me, but maybe towards the end of the bottle…but take that thought with a grain of salt.

Hmmmm, I hadn't thought about the possibility of G losing it's chemical efficacy. I also buy from Relentless Improvements. My bottle doesn't expire until next year so it should be good, in theory, but this is worth considering. I'm curious to hear if your new bottle provides good results again.[/QUOTE]

The double-edged sword of summer breaks...I remember that feeling. It can be tough in to keep up full practices in the midst of busy times like your upcoming two intense final semesters. If you can keep up some level of practices, it should be easier to advance and improve later. If you can think of some aspect(s) of your practices that you really enjoy, that might be something to hold onto even through the busy times. Good luck!

I have had the new bottle of G for over a week now and still haven't dipped into it, but I will try to remember to let you know when I do, especially if a fresh batch seems to make a difference. This weekend had too many obstacles, so I will likely wait until at least next weekend to experiment with the G + Choline.

Oh and congrats on the LD! I have no idea what you mean about slipping into sexual gratification mode! (wink) ...TBH, it has actually been a goal at times.

Originally Posted by fogelbise

Oh and congrats on the LD! I have no idea what you mean about slipping into sexual gratification mode! (wink) ...TBH, it has actually been a goal at times.

Nope! None of that around here!

Originally Posted by fogelbise

I have had the new bottle of G for over a week now and still haven't dipped into it, but I will try to remember to let you know when I do, especially if a fresh batch seems to make a difference. This weekend had too many obstacles, so I will likely wait until at least next weekend to experiment with the G + Choline.

I finally tried it this past weekend…what took me so long! It was very impressive so if this keeps up it may be important to have a fresh batch well away from the expiration date!

Originally Posted by fogelbise

I finally tried it this past weekend…what took me so long! It was very impressive so if this keeps up it may be important to have a fresh batch well away from the expiration date!

Wow, that sounds encouraging! I may have to try a new bottle as well. My current bottle doesn't expire for a while, but it may not last as long as they think it does. At least not for our purposes. The dramatic decline of its efficacy was frustrating, but now I am hopeful that it might still work if I get a fresher batch! I really appreciate the update.

Life continues to be a challenge and I've been struggling to stay focused on my dream practice. I started school again, among other things, and it takes awhile to settle my head into a new schedule and routine. Despite the upheaval, I've had three spontaneous DILDs in the last month with zero effort, so I feel really good about that! They were all low level like my last report, and yes....I wandered into the sex zone again.....but they were lucid, so they count as successes. I've also had some very intense non-lucid dreams and amazing synchronicities that make me feel like some very interesting energy is stirring in my life right now. Since it ALL ties together, I feel less discouraged by the slower pace of my dream practice than I have in the past. As I discussed in an earlier post, I believe I have moved passed a certain threshold in my practice, and am no longer trying to figure it out. I know how to do this work. The struggle is now finding the right balance to integrate my dream practice successfully into my daily life. I feel hopeful about things, but need to keep reminding myself that things take time, and that time does not always move at the pace I wish.

Congratulations on your LD's since we last spoke!!

Originally Posted by dreamingaze

...but they were lucid, so they count as successes. I've also had some very intense non-lucid dreams and amazing synchronicities that make me feel like some very interesting energy is stirring in my life right now. Since it ALL ties together, I feel less discouraged by the slower pace of my dream practice than I have in the past. As I discussed in an earlier post, I believe I have moved passed a certain threshold in my practice, and am no longer trying to figure it out. I know how to do this work. The struggle is now finding the right balance to integrate my dream practice successfully into my daily life. I feel hopeful about things, but need to keep reminding myself that things take time, and that time does not always move at the pace I wish.

Looking for balance…pacing yourself…maintaining that interest in your dreams…this sounds like a good place for you right now with your mention of the upheaval starting back to school. I recommend to keep the dreaming layer there though…don't remove it altogether or let it fall off entirely…that can easily happen unfortunately. Hope to see you around whenever you can pop in!

Originally Posted by dreamingaze

The struggle is now finding the right balance to integrate my dream practice successfully into my daily life. I feel hopeful about things, but need to keep reminding myself that things take time, and that time does not always move at the pace I wish.

AH! The "B" word! Yes, it rears its ugly head again and again. LDing practice is pretty much all about balance: how much time/attention to give day practice vs. night? Focused intent vs. relaxation? Active control vs. "go with the flow" in the dream...and on and on. Everyone needs to find the right balance for themselves.

The great thing about awareness and memory work is that they are not only dream-focused: they benefit our waking experiences as well as our dreaming experiences!

Greetings, Dreamers!

I have been away for what feels like a very long time. I recently finished graduate school, so I've been spending a lot of time doing nothing. My final semester of school was very stressful, so my LD practice came to a halt during that time. My original plan was to turn my focus back toward dreaming right after graduation; but instead, it's been a challenge to focus on anything. I guess I needed some time to decompress after reaching the end a very looooong journey. Now, the focus of my life can finally turn toward other goals and personal aspirations. Lucid dreaming is definitely on that list.

Despite my intense focus on school, and general lack of focus on dreaming this year, I have actually counted about 20 LDs in 2017. Most have been low level DILDs, but I did have 4 high level LDs (also DILDs). These high level dreams happened earlier in the year before my stress level about graduate and licensure exams consumed all my energy. I also had one high level WILD last month with the help of galantamine/choline/GPC. Looking back, I am quite surprised by these numbers. I am really glad I keep a spreadsheet of my LDs, otherwise I don't think I'd give myself any credit for dreaming this year!

Where to start, where to start, gahhhhh! I figured getting back on here is a good starting point, so I can voice my intent to someone besides the audience of my own mind. I know I need to return to my dream journal. I've been terrible about keeping up with this. I have a digital voice recorder now, so I am hoping that will help with recall and record. I already have a natural daily WBTB routine because I get up and feed my cats at 4 AM, then return to sleep for a few hours. I need to take advantage of this, since the whole reason I started that feeding schedule in the first place was to assist with lucid dreaming. And, I need a new set of goals to focus on...

Welcome back, dreamingaze!

Starting with dream recall, and more generally giving more attention to your dreams, really helps in getting things going again. When I need a big kickstart to getting back into dreaming, what I'll do is set strong intention at bed time both to remember my dreams upon waking, but also to notice every waking during the nght and to recall dreams each time. Keeping that up over long periods can be tiring, but it sure gives a quick boost to recall! And summer is a great time to do that, when sleeping in more often is a possibility.

Your habitual WBTB should give you a helpful boost to lucidity as well!

Also congrats on the LDs this year!