Unable to stabilize dream

[InnerVision]

Hello, I've had 3 lucid dreams so far, in all of which I lost lucidity or woke up because I could not stabilize. I'll shortly describe them: First dream I was at some university campus. Right in front of the main staircase leading to the main building I suddenly became lucid. No reality check, just a sudden realization. I remember thinking how 'wonky' it felt; not really lifelike so far. Then I tried jumping up the stairs and I cleared the whole staircase, which I found pretty awesome at the time. Then, somehow, gravity shifted and I was falling forward through the hallway. After 50 metres or something I smashed into a wall and gravity shifted back to normal. I was surprised because I had felt no pain at all and realised that I needed to stabilize very badly. I started rubbing my hands together but my control was so low that it seemed to be slow-motion. IRL I would've rubbed my hands like 20 times but I only managed 2 times in the dream. Then I woke up. Second dream I was flying an airplane (kind of a childish one) and had a similar sudden realization of lucidity. Looking out of the windscreen I was quickly approaching a building so I turned the airplane, but I couldn't keep it from going down and I woke up upon hitting the ground. Last dream was last night. I was with some people from school as we arrived at some kind of building with a couple apartments. Each of us was guided to a different room; in mine there was a beautiful woman, lying half-naked on a bed (there wasn't anything else in the room). The moment I saw that I became lucid, as suddenly as in the other two dreams and again without RC'ing. I thought of stabilizing immediately and started touching the bedside and tried to be aware of my feet on the ground. It seemed to work for a moment and I remember thinking it actually felt quite lifelike. Then, as I started approaching the woman, everything started to fade away. I tried hard thinking about the scene, visualizing it, touching objects and being aware of my body, but it was to no avail. There were one or two moments where it became better for a second but no more. After waking up I am of course happy for having another lucid dream but I can't help but feel a little disappointed at their duration and level of control. Any suggestion or tip would be greatly appreciated! Inner Vision

[Claritas]

I had the same problem and for me the hand grabbing and the "stabilize" shouting didn't work too. I signed for the dream yoga course on the site, and it became better. I guess if we practice more, the result will be better.

[Sageous]

This: I guess if we practice more, the result will be better. Practice, stay calm, and get more experience. In time stabilization will be much easier, if not just a second thought.

[InnerVision]

Thanks to both of you. I guess you are right, it's just that I'm getting a little bit frustrated by having only 1 lucid dream every 2 months and then it lasts only 3 seconds. I'll just keep on trying then

[Arnov]

I personally found meditation to be very helpful. Just like we get lost in our thoughts, stresses, and worries throughout the day, that same habit carries over to our dreams. Meditation can be a powerful way to be more aware of our thoughts and be in the present moment. I've noticed that the more I've practiced meditation the better my dream stabilization and dream control has become. I'm a lot more calm in my dreams and can maintain lucidity for a longer period of time. If you don't know where to start, there's this cool free app called "Headspace" that walks you through short (10 minute) guided meditations sessions.

[Eonnn]

I found that when you stop following the dream plot the dream has no where to go and ends quickly. If you are trying to assert control and do your own thing it can make it end quicker. If you can find a balance between the two then it should last longer.

[Mzzkc]

I wrote a decent guide on this topic ages ago. I think it might help ya get into the right mindset. =) http://www.dreamviews.com/dream-cont...damentals.html