I'm Dreaming!... Wait... NOOOOO!
Okay, I have a problem. I have been getting lucid a lot lately, most notably twice in the last week. The problem is I get lucid when the dream has about 5 seconds to go. I just randomly realize I am dreaming, but then everything starts to literally fade to black.
I know the usual tricks for stabilizing and extending a dream, such as spinning, rubbing your hands together, feeling random objects, etc. The problem is that I have found that these take time to work. When I am in control long enough to start touching things for the texture, it takes a few objects to really ground myself.
Would someone mind providing any personal tricks for stabilization that take almost no time to start working? It obviously won't be the ultimate be-all-end-all of techniques, just something that buys me enough time to start twirling in place.
Also, seeing the transition from sleep to waking obviously calls for a DEILD attempt, but I am having trouble there too. Just last night, I watched the usual fade to black and eventually got my closed eyelids. I was there, unmoving for a few minutes before I performed a reality check to prove that I was not, in fact, dreaming. I think I might be failing because I get too excited when this sort of thing happens. Could someone please tell me about any visualizations or mental exercises they use when transitioning during a DEILD?
Thanks in advance!