Need help getting past this roadblock

Hello all – I am one of those fortunate people who has always been able to recall dreams nightly and retain the memory of the dreams with no problem. I am also on many occasions aware that I am dreaming, but have some kind of mental block that keeps me from being able to control them. It seems like as soon as I become aware that I am dreaming, I get stuck in kind of a loop that causes me to wake up.

Here are the most common examples:

1. I will be trying to read something like a sign or a printed page but can not make out the letters. I consciously try and focus on them but can not make them out no matter how hard I try. I also for some reason can not make myself stop trying to read them and eventually wake up.

2. I am wandering through the halls of a school and can not for the life of me remember what or where my next class is. I consciously try to remember but just search aimlessly until I wake up.

I just recently found this sight and read about ‘dream spinning’ on the main page but have not yet had an opportunity to try it. I was wondering if anyone else out there has had a similar experience and was hoping to get some tips on getting past it. I feel that if I can get past this hurdle, I will be able to control my dreams with ease.

Thanks!

Those don't necessarily sound like lucid dreams...consciously doing something is different from realizing that you're dreaming. Sounds like good dream signs, though...just need a bit more work to break into lucidity.

And if you can, I would really recommend a DJ. It may seem unnecesary, but it is very nice to be able to go back months and read through your dreams, many of which you have probably forgotten by now. :)

Quote:

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1. I will be trying to read something like a sign or a printed page but cannot make out the letters. I consciously try and focus on them but can not make them out no matter how hard I try. I also for some reason can not make myself stop trying to read them and eventually wake up.

2. I am wandering through the halls of a school and can not for the life of me remember what or where my next class is. I consciously try to remember but just search aimlessly until I wake up.

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1. Convince yourself that it's perfectly fine if, in a dream, you can't read. This is because your prefrontal cortex is acting all wanky, as is the rest of your brain.

2. If you know you are dreaming, then you know it doesn't matter whether you reach your next class or not.

Remind yourself of these points before bed, and especially after having a dream in which 1 or 2 occurs.