Thread: How do i prevent waking up from a lucid dream?

What happens when you realize your dreaming? Do you just wake up or does something happen first? I suggest spinning or rubbing your hands, or even anchoring yourself to the dream by grabbing things

Rub your hands together and focus on the dream (not the fact that you're sleeping or your physical body). Overtime they will get longer and more vivid. My first few were pretty hazy and short, but now they are getting pretty long and a bit vivider. You just need to stick with everything (Dream journal, reality checks etc.). I made the mistake of getting lazy with my dream journal and I went from 1 or 2 dreams a night and the odd lucid, to no dreams remembered and (of course) no lucids.

When i realize im dreaming I just wake up. The first lucid dream I had lasted a few seconds (3-4) the second dream was a little longer (few seconds more). I will try rubbing my hands and/or grabbing things like you've suggested next time i have a lucid dream.

As for the dream journal, reality checks and so: i haven't been using that. I can see the point in reality checks, but why keep a dream journal?

Also, why exactly does rubbing hands and spinning help staying in the dream? (just curious )

The first time (or few times) you have lucid dreams, it's really the excitement that wakes you up. This will go away eventually and you'll just be left with a shock and fascination that you're dreaming. Like others have said, all you can really do is rub your hands to help stabilize the dream, and try touching dream objects. Observe what's around you, looking around the area. Remaining calm too should help, if you can remember to do so.

Pretty much everything already said, rubbing your hands lets you focus on your dream body and the sensations in your dream, not your real life body. Same thing with feeling things around you. Spinning helps but be aware that you may end up in another dreamscape.

Also, if you do feel yourself waking up beyond the point of stabilizing your dream, relax and DON'T MOVE, don't even open your eyes. if you stay completely still after you wake up, you can attempt a DEILD, and reenter the dream very easily, after waking you may feel SP kick in rather quickly, this is good, just focus on the dream you just came from and you can reenter it.

And beware of False Awakenings, if you wake up, do a reality check anyway, you may find you're still dreaming

Sometimes when trying to hold on to the dream, I'll close my dream eyes to try and focus, then open them irl. Try to avoid that :p

Rub your hands together and spin in circles. That should help a lot.

Originally Posted by Supernova2131

Rub your hands together and spin in circles. That should help a lot.

But don't spin too fast, just enough so you get a good view of everything around you. It'll help your mind fill in missing pieces of the dream.

Originally Posted by Puffin

But don't spin too fast, just enough so you get a good view of everything around you. It'll help your mind fill in missing pieces of the dream.

Thanks for the tip. I'm new to LDing too :p

Ah, no problem. :3

Ahh thanks for all your great answers. I can hear I have a lot to work on.

Now I just can't wait to have a "full length" lucid dream. It sounds awesome !