How do you really prolong a dream?

[Alric]

Not just a quick thing that gets you an extra minute if your lucky, but what can you do, to get like 10 minutes or more?

[Reala]

I find that shouting "Slow down real time!" works.

[pcmsurf]

i wish i knew also cuz i go lucid many many times about 3 minutes before im ready to wake up

[odd2k]

My longest LDs are pretty much always a result of "going with the flow" of the dream. Just walk around, talk to people and try to be involved in the original plot of the dream. Other than that, I find that paying more attention to all the senses also makes the LD longer. Like everytime you move, you try to feel your foot hitting the ground, maybe even listen for your own footsteps. Pay attention to everything around you; how it looks, what it feels like etc.

[pcmsurf]

im going to try and remember to remind myself to do this tonight ill probably have a little lucid splat that i can try and extend if i think about it

[nightowl]

My longest LDs are pretty much always a result of \"going with the flow\" of the dream. Just walk around, talk to people and try to be involved in the original plot of the dream. [/b] Personally this doesn't work well with me. I almost always lose Lucidity if I go with the flow, but I'll try your other suggestion.

[Death-Wuad]

I don't think theres really anything you can do that just adds time, but if you stay calm and focused on your intent then you can stay awhile. If the dream starts to fade, then I think that's when you're supposed to do the prolonging techniques.

[Alric]

My dreams don't fade anymore. They havn't in about 2 months. I go from dream to fully awake in a second. I never have a chance to try and stop it from fading.

[slimslowslider]

Have you tried going back into a dream? I expect that even if you wake quickly you dont leap straight out of bed. I have been able, quite a few times, to go back in by: 1. Not opening my eyes or moving 2. A supreme effort of will in visualising intensely the last scene that I left off with. As long as the new day doesnt invade, and with a bit of luck (!) it always works. I wake up quickly too, and have only had a dream fade once or twice that I can remember. But nonetheless, usually there is some kind of warning. For prolonging dreams I do various things: 1. Concentrate on some thing, any detail, observe it, feel it with all my attention (eyes or letters I find good things). If necessary I reinforce it with visualisation - which can probably only be done when more awake than asleep; 2. Spinning (with me its often forward somersaults) into a new scene; 3. A new technique for me which I tried spontaneously the other night, in the presence of my dream teacher. I can only describe it as 'plucking dreamstuff' - it consisited of rapidly grabbing bits of dream fabric (not sure what that is it was the intention though) out of the air and pulling it towards my eyes. Gradually this solidified the dream, until I was back in the thick of things. Hope this helps

[pcmsurf]

dream spinning worked well i think everyone has to find their certain way of dream spinning because i tried it many times before tonight and it didnt work or just changed some of the landscape what i do is close my eyes when things get fuzzy and feel like they are fading and put my head towards the ground and spin in a tight circle

[LewisM]

There are probably some personal ways for everyone to prolong lucidity, but Im pretty sure that a side effect of trying to improve the clarity of the dream, is length. A common method for that is shouting in the dream 'CLARITY NOW!' or something to that effect. 'HIGH LUCIDITY' would work too - anything.

[Lowercase Society]

This is something i definately struggle with too. Try and use VERBAL COMMANDS, as the aussie above said... Also, take notice to detail, use all 5 senses to take in the beauty of the dreams, etc....

[pcmsurf]

yeah verbal commands work occasionaly for me

[cavattack]

When I close my eyes I wake up, always did it when I wanted to wake up from a nightmare when I was little.

[gameover]

My LD's last very long when I keep busy. And when things calm down, I spin on my center of gravity very fast, and woosh, the drema keeps going. I had a 20 minute LD this morning and a 45 minute one the day before last. All of this success is pretty new to me, so I'm no expert, but this is what works for me.

[clarkkent]

I recently had 4 LD's in a night where I just tried spinning and nothing else. The result was, it was as if I had closed my eyes, so I saw just white and then the LD ended, taken over by a normal dream, until I got lucid again (up to 4 times).

[UseYourIllusion]

I find that if I keep busy in a dream, and really try to get as involved as I can in the process of the dream, I can stay in the dream for a much longer period of time. For example, if I am always talking to someone, walking, or trying to do something, I tend to stay in the dream for a much longer period of time.

[Dark_No0B]

Originally posted by odd2k My longest LDs are pretty much always a result of \"going with the flow\" of the dream. Just walk around, talk to people and try to be involved in the original plot of the dream. Other than that, I find that paying more attention to all the senses also makes the LD longer. Like everytime you move, you try to feel your foot hitting the ground, maybe even listen for your own footsteps. Pay attention to *everything around you; how it looks, what it feels like etc. Very well said, pretty much what i was going to say. Pay attention and be involved with everything thats happening in your dream. If you feel the dream is starting to fade, focus on something or think up another thought that will get your mind going. When your focused on something you wont wake up so soon and your dream will continue. In other words, always have something to do in your dream. If you feel this doesnt work, just go old fashion style and keep saying to your self "I will have a long dream" throughout the day and before you sleep. Some dreams can be about events that took place in a day, so think about alot of things in your day and feel like you need to always do something.

[Neo Neo]

i have tried dream spinnning, looking at my hands, flying, and there are rarely people around me so i cant talk to them to prolong control. so my dream always ends up changing and i lose lucidity or i wake up. what is with this? it ends within the next 30 seconds. i havnt tried the technique that slows down real time. and i dont believe this is a mental block(if exists). anyone know a technique that works really well usually? or any suggestions?

[pcmsurf]

neo neo you can also try zooming in on something or yelling out something like "prolong dream" orlooking at something with alot of detail