How/Where do i go from here?...

[jamboh]

Hi everyone, i'm new to this forum and would like to know if anyone has some advice they could give me... I've been lucid dreaming on and off for a while now (half a year or so) and have got to the stage where i'm pretty confident of having at least one lucid dream in the morning, if i get chance to have a period of about 20 mins of wakefullness after 6 or so hours of sleep. I've also improved my dream recall to at least 3 dreams per night by keeping a dream journal. But i've found that i've hit a rut and i don't know how to improve from here. My problem is that although i am confident of having lucid dreams i can't seem to have any high level lucid dreams. I've read that lucid dreamers can experience consciousness levels equivalent to, or greater than, that of waking awareness but no matter what i try i can't seem to improve my awareness in dreams much. I have tried reciting my name and address - this helps a little usually, i've tried rubbing my hands, focussing on the floor, finding something to read, spinning and using verbal commands like "increase lucidity level" or "full consciousness now!". The verbal commands usually help a bit actually, my vision kind of pulsates and goes in and out of focus, but i've only ever been able to achieve partial consciousness, never full awareness. Usually after a while trying to improve a lucid dream i'll give up and have a half-lucid dream, which is fun but is unsatisfying. Is it a case of perserverence? Maybe i'm concentrating on the wrong areas? Thanks to anyone who actually reads all this :happygolucky: , Please Help!!...

[Ev]

If you are sure you can have a LD on a given night, try taking 50 mg of vitamin B6 before going to sleep, or bseefore you try whatever technique you use. ↑ It works for me. Timed correctly, it makes my dreams super clear, and heightens my awareness of details. You may try WILD technique, as it produces highest lucidity dreams...

[Seeker]

Ooh, tough one! I wish I knew the answer to that. I've had my share of high level lucid dreams and they are awesome. I would like to learn how to have them ALL the time, if it is possible!

[Lowercase Society]

It seems as if your subconscious needs some kind of 'mental push' Explore a little in the dreams and try to find something that works, for example...take a 'LUCID PILL' in the dream, that increases levels of lucidity, etc. Or drink 'LUCIDITY JUICE'... It sounds corny, perhaps you need to 'plug yourself into a lucid machine, or whatever. As long as it works, right!?

[CT]

yeah, placebo effect You just need to really believe and accept it and be fully aware of it.

[jamboh]

Thanks a lot guys. I will definately try taking some vitamins in my wake period, i've also heard a lot about caffine and theobromine - maybe i'll try these too. I recently had a bit more success with trying to remember more complicated personal details, i just need more chances to sleep in!!...

[RedStarSoldier]

Originally posted by jamboh i just need more chances to sleep in!!... Don't we all.

[intent]

excellent question from the original poster. as to some of the answers, no supplements won't have a measurable long term impact as to the clarity of your lucid dream. Just like you spent all the time and energy to learn about having a lucid dream, you can have clear lucidity while having a lucid dream. the trick is to fix your perceptual point in the lucid dream and not have the normal state of dream fluctuatation taking over. a little background to explain. when you have a regular dream your perception shifts to perceive a difference spot than 'reality' or normal waking life. this shift happens randomly and normally you never control it. when you first become lucid, you stop that random movement. you temporarily 'fix' your perception on that spot in your dream when you have a reality check or 'ahha, i am dreaming' awareness. the problem is, even after you become lucid, the normal tendency of the dream state is to keep moving on, keep up the chaos. so you may have a lucid dream where you are lucid, but still have the same kind of dreamlike 'storyline' that you follow along. the more you totally 'stop' the dream so that it doesn't move on, the more the dream will become more vivid. basically you have to practise to fix the lucid dream to that new perceptual spot you just moved to... once you do that the lucid dream becomes alot more vivid. Here's a quick excercise to do next time you lucid dream: 1. See your hands, stare at them for a few seconds, then stare at the dream world. 2. Pick four objects in the dream world, point at them 1-2-3-4 and then back to the first object 1-2-3-4. 3. Then look back at your hands again. 4. Rinse and repeat. Try not to leave the room or spot you were in. if you are not in a room at the time, i would suggest trying to find a house and go inside the house and go in the room. If the room or scene you are in is dark, yelling 'light' or just willing or intending the room brighter will make the room brighter, it really works. keep trying it and indeed that will happen. alot of times things seem dull just because the dream or scene you are in is dark or dim. this excercise above will help you build your dreaming body so that you can fix a dreamstate on one dream or dreamscene. later you can do another excercise which is how to shift dreams. awesome website btw! just discovered this yesterday... keep up the great work!