Thread: Im bad at Dream Control -> Any Advice?

The key to dream control is expectations. You have to truly expect that what you want to happen is going to happen. Having people appear around the corner to summon them is a great way to do so and a great example of this. You're expecting the person around the corner, so when you round it, there they are! It's the same with flying, making a fireball, or teleporting. When you're trying to make a fireball expect there to be a flame in your hand. Picture the warmth, the light it creates, and the way it flickers in the wind. Every little detail that you imagine helps to make it a reality. You could even try closing your eyes and picturing a fire growing in your hand, and when you open it, it will be there. Nothing is I want to do this, it's I will do this.

If you practice SAT/ADA at all, try doing that but a few seconds into the future. Instead of focusing on what you're feeling/your surrounding at that moment, focus on what you want to do will feel like. If you want to fly, think about the wind flowing through your hair, your feet falling limp as you float off the ground. My first attempt at flight was just floating a couple feet off the ground, but it's grown from there. Yes, practice makes perfect, but as long as you believe that you will do something, you will.

Originally Posted by Burke

The key to dream control is expectations. You have to truly expect that what you want to happen is going to happen. Having people appear around the corner to summon them is a great way to do so and a great example of this. You're expecting the person around the corner, so when you round it, there they are! It's the same with flying, making a fireball, or teleporting. When you're trying to make a fireball expect there to be a flame in your hand. Picture the warmth, the light it creates, and the way it flickers in the wind. Every little detail that you imagine helps to make it a reality. You could even try closing your eyes and picturing a fire growing in your hand, and when you open it, it will be there. Nothing is I want to do this, it's I will do this.

If you practice SAT/ADA at all, try doing that but a few seconds into the future. Instead of focusing on what you're feeling/your surrounding at that moment, focus on what you want to do will feel like. If you want to fly, think about the wind flowing through your hair, your feet falling limp as you float off the ground. My first attempt at flight was just floating a couple feet off the ground, but it's grown from there. Yes, practice makes perfect, but as long as you believe that you will do something, you will.

Thats actually some pretty good advice. I feel I have approached it the wrong way since I never experienced doing anything similar in real life (you never really experience conjuring fire or flying) so I suppose the subconcience has a hard time making that happen opposed to making people appear around the corner which we experience daily.

So it seems I would need to work on visualizing the feelings and the look of it.

Thanks a bunch for this. Can't believe I missed that. Will try it for sure once I get into a next LD .

Yes, I totally agree…expectations and visualization will help a lot. You have to know you can do it (flying, throwing fireballs, etc.) and visualize yourself doing it. Daydream about it. Imagine how it will feel.

Hmmm... I like expectation, but I feel like expectation itself doesn't cover it. If I expect something to happen in a dream, but subconsciously don't expect it, then itwill do my subconscious thing.

Dont think "if I expect someone around the corner, they will be there." Think "oh yeah! So and so is around this corner." It is kind of an intro into fake memories dream control, and I have found it very helpful. Hope it helps.

Originally Posted by Electrode

Aight so I have been Lucid Dreaming for few years now and have had quite a bit of them, but I just can't seem to do stuff. Like at first my my LD-s lasted from 5-20 seconds and I made a plan to improve it and I managed it (now they seem to last 2-5 min(maybe even up to 10 if im lucky)) which is a major achievement for me.

But man do I have trouble controlling the Dream. I thought it would just take time but damnit after countless fails I'm just stuck. Like the only thing I can reliably do in a Dream is summon people (make wanted people appear), and even that is by semi-cheating (making the person conviniently come from around the corner), and yeah you know how something like that may come in handy but I'm quite frustrated not to be able to do basic things which most newcomers can do such as fly, use magic or teleport.

Like flying is ultra hard for me. It works maybe 1/10 times and when it does its pretty much shit as it doesn't work properly and I can barely do it and its quite pathetic lookin'. (2 times I managed to do it and it was quite cool but that was years ago)

Oh and I tried making fireballs and stuff like that but NOPE, can't happen, if it does happen its pretty shitty to say the least.

Now I know its all me and I am holding myself back but it seems I just cannot do anything unrealistic in a dream when I'm lucid and I don't know how about I go doing it.

Any advice from more experienced people?

Well, to me it sounds like you are really frustrated and have a kind of negative feelings in general about this. I know how you feel. I can have awesome dream control when I am in a deep sleep, but when I have regular lighter sleep REM dreams, I can't do shit. I am teaching my Alpha-Theta brainwave self to do what my Delta self does automatically.
So, I am re-learning everything again from the ground up.
I recently have been re-learning flying, and making fireballs. To fly, I felt like I needed to not just believe I can fly, but believe in myself, because that's exactly what I shouted when I rocketed into the air as a flying werelion in my last lucid dream.
I haven't been able to make fireballs yet, but I discovered that if I rub my hands together (in a dream) they get hot, and I can pull them apart, and the heat is still there. I started to form a bit of a psi-ball the last time I tried, but it vanished.
I suggest believing in yourself more, and incubating dreams by daydreaming/meditating/visualizing.

Here's an example: Imagine yourself getting repelled by gravity until you are floating above the earth. You fly toward any point you see with your will. What is your will?

I got the perfect solution for both dream control and time. First of all, do you WILD? If you don't, then you should start, because WILD is perfect for long LDs because you aim for the beginning of REM, so you would have a long period of dreaming before the dream ends(fades). You might think:"why do my DILDs don't start at the start of a REM cycle? why is it always at the end?". Well, when you are starting to wake up, you regain some awareness before the dream end, so that is when you are most likely to become lucid. For WILDing, you need strong self-awareness. Here is the good part: Self-awareness is the key to dream control! It is what puts "Lucid" in "Lucid Dreaming"! Practicing it will increase your lucidity, awareness that you are in a dream and you have full control(in LDs, we seem to forget that, or only feel it slightly(the control we have)). The other good part about self-awareness is that, when you develop it through years of practice, you become a master of detecting the dream state. The self-awareness 'levels' are a lot. You may train a hundred years and your self-awareness may still be advancing. Indeed, it is quite impossible to reach the highest level of self-awareness. The great thing from that is that the more heightened your self-awareness is, the better you get at dream control and becoming lucid.

If you don't WILD, then read Sageous's course in the WILD class in DVA. If you do WILD, then also read them, because everything is explained there.

Keep asking

Originally Posted by LouaiB

I got the perfect solution for both dream control and time. First of all, do you WILD? If you don't, then you should start, because WILD is perfect for long LDs because you aim for the beginning of REM, so you would have a long period of dreaming before the dream ends(fades). You might think:"why do my DILDs don't start at the start of a REM cycle? why is it always at the end?". Well, when you are starting to wake up, you regain some awareness before the dream end, so that is when you are most likely to become lucid. For WILDing, you need strong self-awareness. Here is the good part: Self-awareness is the key to dream control! It is what puts "Lucid" in "Lucid Dreaming"! Practicing it will increase your lucidity, awareness that you are in a dream and you have full control(in LDs, we seem to forget that, or only feel it slightly(the control we have)). The other good part about self-awareness is that, when you develop it through years of practice, you become a master of detecting the dream state. The self-awareness 'levels' are a lot. You may train a hundred years and your self-awareness may still be advancing. Indeed, it is quite impossible to reach the highest level of self-awareness. The great thing from that is that the more heightened your self-awareness is, the better you get at dream control and becoming lucid.

If you don't WILD, then read Sageous's course in the WILD class in DVA. If you do WILD, then also read them, because everything is explained there.

Keep asking

I am trying to get into being successful in WILD but so far have only been able to do it 2 times. Its quite hard tho. Will sure read up on the material.

Just think what you want to do, be sure with it and expect it. I flew only a little for my first LD

Originally Posted by Electrode

I am trying to get into being successful in WILD but so far have only been able to do it 2 times. Its quite hard tho. Will sure read up on the material.

I've tried to do WILD literally hundreds of times, for the past three or four years, and could only do it about two times also, but I keep trying.

I just thought of something, Lucidity is not always necessary for Dream Control. Maybe you can incubate a flying dream, for example, and not concern yourself if you're lucid or not.

Originally Posted by WakingNomad

I've tried to do WILD literally hundreds of times, for the past three or four years, and could only do it about two times also, but I keep trying.

I just thought of something, Lucidity is not always necessary for Dream Control. Maybe you can incubate a flying dream, for example, and not concern yourself if you're lucid or not.

Yes WILDs are extremely hard to pull off. I could stand sometimes an hour in bed trying to achieve it but get nowhere. I know the methods I read on the material but I just need practice.

I don't really bother much on non lucid dreams (I remember 1-2 a night) and they are mostly made out of average daily stuff (with some quite cool ones every now and then). If I could only succeed and try to do these things from WILD right from the start that would be amazing.

Guess thats my new goal -> throw a fireball during a successful WILD.

You guys take long to fall asleep?

Originally Posted by LouaiB

You guys take long to fall asleep?

At night no. But Its way harder to get a WILD during night then it is during a nap since the REM cycle is so far away and lasts less.

If you can fall asleep quickly then WBTB+WILD should be easy! You just need to practice your self-awareness and prospective memory for the WILD. Who falls asleep quickly is the best candidate for WILDing!

Originally Posted by LouaiB

If you can fall asleep quickly then WBTB+WILD should be easy! You just need to practice your self-awareness and prospective memory for the WILD. Who falls asleep quickly is the best candidate for WILDing!

I will try a WBTB / WILD tonight. Will post results. I'm actually excited about doing this since I never attempted a WILD during the night always in the afternoon (naps). Also doing it at night time is kinda creepy tho but I suppose if I don't stress about it should be fine.

great!
Try adding white noise(like a fan) to concentrate on while doing the WILD. You want to wake before normal by 2-3 hours, stay up for like 45 minutes, and then do the WILD. Of course WBTB times may vary. A night WBTB may be better that an afternoon nap, since in the afternoon nap there would be extra NREM added to the REM mixture since you stayed up much more than a regular WBTB. That may be the reason why you fail. Also, self-awareness and prospective memory are essencial during your WILD attempt. They keep you conscious and aware to a degry that you hopefully won't fall asleep during the dive. Also, try not to focus on the HI, because, unlike what is usually mentioned, that makes things worse. Or even worse, trying to control them! You can use schemas to associate the HI with something so the dream forms quickly, but be passive as much as you can.

Originally Posted by LouaiB

great!
Try adding white noise(like a fan) to concentrate on while doing the WILD. You want to wake before normal by 2-3 hours, stay up for like 45 minutes, and then do the WILD. Of course WBTB times may vary. A night WBTB may be better that an afternoon nap, since in the afternoon nap there would be extra NREM added to the REM mixture since you stayed up much more than a regular WBTB. That may be the reason why you fail. Also, self-awareness and prospective memory are essencial during your WILD attempt. They keep you conscious and aware to a degry that you hopefully won't fall asleep during the dive. Also, try not to focus on the HI, because, unlike what is usually mentioned, that makes things worse. Or even worse, trying to control them! You can use schemas to associate the HI with something so the dream forms quickly, but be passive as much as you can.

Well I don't have a fan but I can always leave my computer on downloading something (its not very loud and I think it could work). I dont usually focus much on HI its the senses that get me. Such as I get itches/need to swallow etc.. which messes up with things so being I have to quite relaxed.

Also I don't think I could do a 45 min WBTB I will just get waaay awake and wont do much I feel. I will try with 15-20 min this time . Thanks for the advice.

You need to forget about your body during the transition, so body sensations may not be the best option. Try counting, or the computer noise. I'll check this and post in a minute what you should not focus on exactly. Also, HI are not a must for WILD. They are barely only sign posts at best.

Read this:
http://www.dreamviews.com/wild/13228...out-noise.html

Sorry for multi posting, but need it to appear in his CP

Originally Posted by LouaiB

Read this:
http://www.dreamviews.com/wild/13228...out-noise.html

Sorry for multi posting, but need it to appear in his CP

Im actually quite familar with that but thanks for the link. I tried it yesterday after I came back from a rough day and woke up like 5 hours after I went to sleep. Stayed up for like 10ish minutes and went back to attempt a WILD. Fell asleep in the middle of it (failed) still had an LD that night (at the end of the dream lasted like 30 seconds). Completed a goal -> (I wanted to observe the dream scene see how well it matches reality visual and audio).

So I got that going for me which is nice. Gonna try it again in a few hours.

For dream control, practice in waking life. "Play pretend" I think WakingNomad has a thread on that. Works wonders, I find myself doing all those things in non-lucids after a while, and hopefully they'll move to lucids too! People may look at you like your bonkers walking down the street throwing "fireballs" and doing superman-style "takeoffs" but man it really does work. Rehearsing stabilization worked, several LDs long enough to do stabilization had me doing my practiced stabilization ritual.

Sorry Louai - but somehow - it nerves me a lot how you walk about the forum lately and tell people how to do stuff - even how to think - on the basis on what exactly??
Five lucid dreams?
Please explain, what it is with you, that all your super-easy I have the solutions - just won't work on your very own doorstep?

You must be treating your lucid dreams as too realistic, too life like, you should treat it more as a world you can manipulate at will and somewhere you know you can do whatever you want.

It's exactly what Burke said, its all about expectations. Expect you can fly once you have jumped up in the air, expect someone specific to be behind you once you turn around, ect.

Using the Auto-suggestion technique or using a mantra to tell yourself "I can control my dreams whichever way I want" or "In my dreams I can fly", as part of your reality check might help as well. Try it, it might work.

Originally Posted by StephL

Sorry Louai - but somehow - it nerves me a lot how you walk about the forum lately and tell people how to do stuff - even how to think - on the basis on what exactly??
Five lucid dreams?
Please explain, what it is with you, that all your super-easy I have the solutions - just won't work on your very own doorstep?

I assure you these are not my experiences and conclusions I've made. I studied LDing everyday for the past 5 months and used experts' opinions and tutorials and explanations to build my knowledge. I don't talk from my experience, but from experts' experiences and knowledge.

Originally Posted by LouaiB

I assure you these are not my experiences and conclusions I've made. I studied LDing everyday for the past 5 months and used experts' opinions and tutorials and explanations to build my knowledge. I don't talk from my experience, but from experts' experiences and knowledge.

Sorry there - I know, you do. And your enthusiasm is also nice - it's just - I also mistook you for an expert initially - maybe mention a bit more, that this what you preach comes from your studies of material of others - and not directly from the person, having come up with it.
This is a very friendly forum - and I have been nasty - I apologize.
What I meant, I could have said very differently indeed - so - shame on me.
And of course good luck in your practising of all the great advice.
I'm surely here and there guilty of the same thing, actually - but I tend to try and make it clear, where my own experience ends and other's theories start.
Sorry - baaad mood - let out on you, not nice.

flowers (1).gif

Originally Posted by StephL

Sorry there - I know, you do. And your enthusiasm is also nice - it's just - I also mistook you for an expert initially - maybe mention a bit more, that this what you preach comes from your studies of material of others - and not directly from the person, having come up with it.
This is a very friendly forum - and I have been nasty - I apologize.
What I meant, I could have said very differently indeed - so - shame on me.
And of course good luck in your practising of all the great advice.
I'm surely here and there guilty of the same thing, actually - but I tend to try and make it clear, where my own experience ends and other's theories start.
Sorry - baaad mood - let out on you, not nice.

flowers (1).gif

Not at all!
on the contrary, we need people who make sure everything is true here on DV.
Thnx for the wishes! I wish you too have great progress!