Thread: Dreams very dark and fragile

Hey - sorry, I can't answer your questions but just wanted to say how cool the title of the thread is - like an album title or a book of poetry or a movie. Maybe change very to most or so though, or just drop it altogether. Anyway, welcome to the forum, and now I'll bow out and let somebody in who might have an answer!

1.) If shouting it doesn't work, there are some more ways to make the dream brighter! Convince yourself that you are wearing sunglasses in the dream and reach up to your face to take them off. Expect it to be brighter. If that doesn't work, expect to find a light switch somewhere you can use. Just be creative and confident it will get brighter!

2.) Rubbing your hands and spinning are the main methods people use to stabilize a dream. I recommend just stopping for a moment and really paying attention to all the details around you. Be aware and focus on everything. Then rub your hands and spin. It might take a few attempts, but you will get it!

Good luck!

I finally had a lucid dream last night (it's been a while) and I had some trouble holding on to it at times. I noticed that, for me, it was usually when I got excited about realizing I was lucid or when I would start to get too caught up in the dream (felt like I was losing awareness), so I'm not sure if the methods I used will help you or not. I used the same methods I've used in the past and they always seem to work for me. When it starts to feel weak or fragile I stop what I'm doing and concentrate on my breathing (strange since it's a dream, kind of like dream mediation?) and while I'm doing that I try to focus on all the details around me (like Mancon suggested above). I start to feel more "there" and everything seems to become more solid around me when I do this.

Like I said, my dream last night was the first in a pretty long time, so I was pretty excited I was also able to get past a block I had before, so I hope that continues if I had another one.

Good luck!

Along with shouting and rubbing your hands, I have had great success just walking, and focusing on the realism in my legs. Something about the fact that I can actually feel my legs moving helps my immersion.

Zaggy, I know exactly what you are talking about. I had this problem sometimes when I was younger. You feel like your eyes aren't open all the way or you are in a haze or darkness. You can try a couple of things that helped me until I got better control. Create a Bright Light and turn it on in the dream. You can start with a Flash light and work your way up to a bright light that makes everything bright and clear. Let me know if it worked.

There's some good advice in this thread. On the slim chance that it doesn't work for you, I'd like to ask - how are you attaining your lucid? This doesn't sound important, but it can be, especially if you're trying to WILD, and sometimes even WBTB.

If I attempt to WILD immediately at bedtime, rather than waking up between REM cycles and then attempting, I can go lucid but everything is black. Sometimes, I'm completely blind and can't do anything about it at all. Sometimes I can feel the floor/ground, sometimes I'm hanging in space. I can't create lights or brighten anything, and everything is very shadowy. I think it has something to do with where I am in my sleep cycle.

If I find myself in this state, flailing about, getting frustrated or trying to force things to be brighter doesn't work and actually causes the dream to disintegrate. I've found that the only thing that works is patience. I settle down and do my best to maintain lucidity while I wait for the dream to coalesce without forcing it. Sometimes, it can take quite a while. Eventually, either the shadowy objects will become more solid and things will brighten up, or else a hazy scene will form in sort of a frame in front of me and I will then be able to step into it. This can take quite a while, though.

Otherwise, try to wait until a few more REM cycles in. For me, attempting to induce a lucid dream before I've had one prior dream that night results in the sort of experience you're describing.

The shouting suggestion is a good one. I've had lots of success with this practice and speaking or shouting defiantly works.

Originally Posted by dreamweaver28

The shouting suggestion is a good one. I've had lots of success with this practice and speaking or shouting defiantly works.

Now you are heading towards your goal, shouting helps you!