I can't keep my eyes open

[sanctum]

This isn't the first time I've had this issue. I'll WILD and ride the vibrations into the dream. Then I'll slowly sit up and try to open my eyes -- but I can't. Or if I do force them open, it's very difficult, like when you're woken in deep sleep and can't get your eyes to stay open. Even if I get them open, the rest of the dream is marred by the fact that my eyes keep closing. My first two WILDs were totally fine, but my last three haven't been enjoyable at all since I can't see what I'm doing. Also, a lot of what I see is fuzzy. That might be a separate issue. I've tried voice commands, shouting "focus!" or "open!" to my eyes, but nothing happens. How do I get my eyes to open properly? Am I somehow still tied to my real body?

[spartinpastic]

Not sure, I suggest mantras or autosuggestion. "I will keep my eyes open when dreaming" or something like that.

[fOrceez]

Stabilize in the dream, work your 5 senses. Rub your hands together, etc, etc.

[dms111]

Strange things can and will happen from time to time that negatively effect your enjoyment of lucids. But these strange things are not problems. Problems reoccur until something is done to fix them. But the only reason anything reoccurs in lucid dreams is because you expect it to. You have actually turned a meaningless, random occurrence into a problem by giving it a name and description. Even posting about it on a forum like this will further ingrain the idea that there is a problem into your mind, thus making it reoccur. In order to fix these types of problems you need to remove it from your mind in any way that you can. My advice is don't follow or log every WILD you have. Don't try to analyze occurrences. Think back and focus in on your previous successes and try to forget about the WILD's that don't work out. Hopefully this made some sense.

[lawilahd]

I experienced the exact same thing when I was a complete novice to LDing. My first few were fun and exciting but over time I started running into stabilization problems etc. I think the reason my eyes kept closing on me in my dreams was because I was expecting the dream to end to soon, and trying too hard to keep it going. I would always expect the dream to be really sensitive to my emotions and my mind was filled with worrying that my dreams would end if I did not stabilize, then I would stabilize very anxiously when I should have been stabilizing calmly and with the flow (something matte72?? taught me.) Struggling to keep the eyes open never worked for me, I even remember physically using my hands in the dream to pry open my eyelids which worked for a bit but ultimately failed. There are a few things that will help you get past this stage. First of all, faith: you need to be calm when you enter the dream or become lucid, and be confident in the fact that this is your dream and it should not end abruptly unless you want it too. You need to use commands and stabilization, but you need to do them authoritatively. One time I remember fixing this eye closing problem by stopping what I was doing, and yelling with authority "Left eye open!! Right eye open!! and they each did one after the other. You need to stabilize as well and what dms111 said is right. This is not a problem, it never was until you made it into one as did I. There is no problem with your dreams or your dream eyes, but there was a random occurence when your dream eyes closed on you. If you start expecting this to happen even a little bit, it will continue to unfold. Just be confident in the fact that your dreams are not like this, as you control them, and if it happens again, try the other techniques we have listed.

[Zenithar66]

indeed, this is the perfect reply, i had the EXACT same problem for ages, i would not be able to open my eyes, like the most heavy cinder blocks were weighing them down! sometimes it would be my hair in front of my eyes obstructing the dream. I also think it is something to do with the time you attempt teh lucid because evertime i have had such a problem., it was very bright in my room! odd but true, oh , and learning fus ro dah, i would love to do that hehe. 251 hours is damn skyrim, amazing game!

[sanctum]

Well, I had a fantastic string of DEILDs last night, and though I had a few minor stabilization problems, my eyes closing was not one of them. Like dms111 said, you have to not ingrain them in your subconscious. I had completely forgotten about my eyes closing, because I had had a week long dry spell. That way I was able to have successful lucid dreams without exacerbating the problem. I think an important key to LDing and other things is being prepared, but being flexible. For example, if I need to reality check, I've read enough on here to have an arsenal of at least a dozen; but sometimes I don't even need to reality check. I learned enough to recognize the transition when I first felt it, but when my transitions changed, I could deal with that too. And when my eyelids started closing on me, I eventually adapted to try to fix it.

[siuol]

I know you already fixed the problem, but if it even happens again try not to force them open but relax and try to look through them. If there is a blurry image forming concentrate on it and it will clear up. You aren't using your real eyes so if it is black you can even form an entirely new dream if you want.

[sanctum]

Last night, when I exited the transition and sat up in bed, my eyes felt tired, like they were in danger of closing. I didn't pay too much attention to it; instead I got out of bed and ran my hands over my dresser and things to stabilize. My eyes opened on my own as I walked around.

[Cinder]

I think you should refer to a Matrix rip-off quote I made here. "Don't try to open your eyes, just try to realize the truth" "What truth?" "You aren't closing your eyes"

[elucid]

What I suggest is if you try to open your eyes and it does not work, it might be that your personal "system" is at work and might get on it later. So try opening them later or wait for them to do it by itself.

[sanctum]

This happened AGAIN, really annoyingly last night. I DEILDed into a lucid dream like I usually do, and I was very lucid and conscious of being in a dream. But I could barely open my eyes, and when I did, they kept closing. It felt like I was so crushingly tired that I couldn't keep my eyes open. I tried imagining them opening with all my concentration -- nothing. I tried to ignore it and feel around my surroundings in the meantime -- no change. I tried physically holding them open -- I still could barely see past them. My lucid dreams are very realistic and conscious; that is, when I look around my room it looks like my room, when I talk to someone I know in real life they look normal, and when I run my hand over things it feels exactly like it should. But I simply cannot get over this barrier right now, and I don't know how I can. I know acknowledging it probably makes it worse, but what more can I do? Edit: I've noticed that I really only get the eye problem when I first wake (that is, start dreaming) in my bedroom. My DEILDs always deposit me right back in my bed. So far I've never tried to leave my room--I wander around it or make people appear, but that's about it. The dreams naturally change around me, occasionally with a ->waking->transition->dream in between. Those dreams are always in strange buildings or places I've never been before, and I never have the eye issue. So, first dream in my room = can't open my eyes. What do I do?