Awareness of both bodies

Last night I had my 14th lucid dream, but it was disappointingly short. The problem was, when I came to stabilise my concentrating on my senses and rubbing my hands together, I felt my real hands and not my dream hands, and so I quickly slipped out of the dream and woke up.

I've never felt my real body in dreams before so this was new to me, and I think it's actually because I read a guide here last night that repeatedly said "do not think about your real body" - kinda counteractive I think :cheeky:

So is there any way to avoid this happening? More importantly, once I'm controlling my normal body in a dream how do I go back to controlling my dream body? Trying to fight it made me use my real body more and that's what woke me up.

Are you sure your real body actually moved, and it wasn't just a hallucination? If you were in SP, then theoretically, you shouldn't be able to move your physical body while in a dream. I've had many dreams where I thought that I was experiencing physical sensation in my real body but it was just a hallucination. I realize that either way, it doesn't really answer your question, I just wanted to clarify that matter. I've found that the only answer is to always ignore any physical sensation and dismiss it as hallucination, because it always has been. To my knowledge, my physical body has never moved when I thought it had while in SP. So when I just ignore it my focus goes back to the dream. The only thing I can think of that you shouldn't ignore is when you have to pee. :P

Yeah, just ignore your waking body. Either that or try WILDing in the dream, that should solve the problem.

Actually I'm not sure my real body actually moved, but basically the feelings I had were of my hands being on my chest, as they were when I fell asleep - but in my dream my hands were out in front of me, so when I felt them together on my chest I was sure I was feeling my waking hands, and upon trying to move them my dream hands didn't move and I woke up.

Also, on a completely random note, Hukif, you've really had 3266 LDs since January 2009? What's your secret? Haha.

When I get that, I try to move my dream body through space by running, jumping or flying. The feeling of speed and motion helps ground me in the dream. You know your real body won't be running, back in bed, so you won't get fooled.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Robot_Butler

When I get that, I try to move my dream body through space by running, jumping or flying. The feeling of speed and motion helps ground me in the dream. You know your real body won't be running, back in bed, so you won't get fooled.

---

Thanks, I'll try that. My only problem is that all this happens so fast, I usually don't remember how to react in situations where my dream is fading. That's why apart from 2 or 3 of my 14 LDs, all of them have lasted 30 seconds or less.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Royaltramp

Actually I'm not sure my real body actually moved, but basically the feelings I had were of my hands being on my chest, as they were when I fell asleep - but in my dream my hands were out in front of me, so when I felt them together on my chest I was sure I was feeling my waking hands, and upon trying to move them my dream hands didn't move and I woke up.

Also, on a completely random note, Hukif, you've really had 3266 LDs since January 2009? What's your secret? Haha.

---

Yep, that's completely normal. Actually it's even more normal to feel your real hands at your sides or in some other weird position even though you know that they should be on your chest, where you last left them. It's a little game the mind likes to play. Whenever you start to sense your physical body, just keep thinking about the dream and try to divert your focus back to the dream body. It is weird the first time you realize that you can sense both bodies at the same time...but now that you've experienced it...it won't be so weird next time and you should be able to ignore it. This is just one of many things that come with experience.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Royaltramp

Thanks, I'll try that. My only problem is that all this happens so fast, I usually don't remember how to react in situations where my dream is fading. That's why apart from 2 or 3 of my 14 LDs, all of them have lasted 30 seconds or less.

---

You might find this helpful. Dream Stabilization and Clarity Tutorial - Dreamviews Lucid Dreaming Community & Resource

I wrote it so if you have any questions feel free to ask me. :)

Thanks, I'll give that a good read :)