Retention and Control?

**9911MU51C** · 06-12-2013 12:34 AM

Hello, I've had a dream journal for about a week now and have not had a lucid yet, but my main focus is dream recall. For the past year I went from having about 80-90% dream recall to maybe 5%, remembering a dream maybe once a month. I think it's the high stress, but things are getting less stressful now and I'm hoping for better recall. I've been able to remember one dream so far this week and it was a nightmare. So. my questions are this

-what can I do to recall more dreams aside from a DJ?
-how can I learn to become lucid in those dreams (I already use RC's)

**Flycat** · 06-12-2013 01:01 AM

Hi, for your recall, do you write down every dream you have, in the most detail you can? Because that helps. Also, RCs are not the main way of lucid dreaming. Try DILD (dream journal helps there, its about recognising a dream sign, then RCing to check), WILD, MILD, and DEILD. Most powerful is WILD, which sorta sucks you into the dream itself. DEILD, is mostly for chaining lucid dreams. Have you never had a lucid dream? If you havent, PM me if you want tips. I have no idea for recall though, But i hope i helped with lucid induction

Good luck!

**JoannaB** · 06-12-2013 01:20 AM

For recall, first of all try to recall and write down dreams not just in the morning but also in the middle of the night: we always wake up after every sleep cycle, every 1.5 hours but without special effort, we usually roll over and fall back to sleep, and forget the wake up ever happened. Try to change that by intending to wake up and write down at least some key terms every time. Make sure to write in your dream journal every day, even if you do not recall, you can write "No dreams recalled." Or "I woke up feeling sad, but don't remember why." Or "Elephant?" It that is all you recall. When you wake up, try to lie still, and try to recall the dream, and only when it is firmly in your mind, move, and write it down. Also keep in mind that dream recall does tend to fluctuate, so sometimes it gets better and then again worse, but as long as you keep up the effort it should improve again.

**Flycat** · 06-12-2013 01:40 AM

Okay, so both of us explained a part. You recall, and i techniques.

**9911MU51C** · 06-12-2013 01:46 AM

thanks guys

I think I'll set an alarm to wake me up mid-dream. That's how I remembered my nightmare, I woke myself up and remembered it so I wrote it down. And no, I've never had a lucid dream (or atleast one I remember). But the only technique I've tried is WILD and I usually fall asleep during it. Does timing have an effect? Usually I go to bed around 1 or 2 AM and wake up around 10

**Flycat** · 06-12-2013 01:52 AM

Wild is moste effective (or actually, the only time it can work at) after 4, 5, or 7 hours of sleep (right before/during REM sleep)

**JoannaB** · 06-12-2013 01:56 AM

If you go to bed at 1 or 2, then you would set an alarm for for example 6 or 7am, and get up for a while but with the intension of going back to sleep, and then after 20 minutes or an hour or so, go back to sleep and then try to WILD. That's called a WBTB, wake back to bed.

**Flycat** · 06-12-2013 02:04 AM

Originally Posted by JoannaB

If you go to bed at 1 or 2, then you would set an alarm for for example 6 or 7am, and get up for a while but with the intension of going back to sleep, and then after 20 minutes or an hour or so, go back to sleep and then try to WILD. That's called a WBTB, wake back to bed.

Now, we both summed it up.