Onemoretime's LD Progress Journal

I like to keep a paper journal of my dreams, and I'd hate having to type everything over, so there won't be any dream content in this journal. Rather I'll use this to keep track of my lucid dreaming skills and progress. I'll record the induction methods used, stabilization techniques, ld specific phenomena within dreams, etc.

As for background, I've known about lucid dreaming for a while, since at least middle school, and I've had several that I can recall since that period (actually now that I think about it I can't recall them very well at all! Yet I'm certain I had them), but only now, in the past month of my last year at college, have I really become serious about training myself to lucid dream. In the past four weeks I've kept a steady dream journal, I've been consistently reality checking, and I've had 5 so far. My ideal would be an ld for every REM period, but my realistic goal is one a day, with a good success rate for wake to sleep inductions of lucid dreams, as well as never missing my most obvious dreamsigns.

Format

Date - date of dream occurence + approximate time.

Induction Method - How lucidity came about.

Stabilization Techs - How I stabilized the dreams and maintained lucidity.

Dream Intent - What intent I might have had before the dream or intent which developed during the dream.

Dream Control - How I interacted with the dream and any other interesting features of the dream.

Rating - on a 1 to 5 scale.

Stability -
(1) Highly unstable, prone to becoming a normal dream
(5) Tightly controlled with great clarity (with or without techs)

Length -
(1) Very Short
(5) Extended perception of time

Control -
(1) Dream very difficult to interact with
(5) I get everything I want

Content -
(1) Nothing all that interesting happens
(5) Something that I'll have trouble forgetting

I suppose if anything else comes to mind I'll add that as a category, or if I have an extremely powerful experience I'll add a 6 to the ratings.

3/31/06: I'm going to start keeping track of normal dreams on this as well, no content as before, but will record dreamsigns, missed opportunities in red, .

Date: 3/6/06

Induction Method: I woke up in the middle of the night, around 2:30, in one of the normal sleep cycle breaks, very tenuous awakening, I still felt sleep paralyzed, but I noticed the city lights through my blinds and the dark shape of the flag hanging on my wall, so I realized I was awake. I decided to try WILD, I thought of some imagery that could translate into my dream, and I decided on an alien abduction, a la an alien beam floating me out through the window or something. So I concentrate on that, and then I start to feel the pressure rising and hear the ringing/buzzing in my ears. Then everything starts to get whiter and whiter, until there's nothing in my field of vision but the whiteness. Then it suddenly disappears, and I'm lying on the ground, in the same position I was, in the dark. No aliens or anything, I will the lights to come on, they do, and I'm lying in front of a brick wall.

Stabilization Techs: Didn't try any, it just didn't occur to me to.

Dream Intent: Control of dream characters.

Dream Control: I successfully turned one dream character into someone else, in front of my eyes, it was difficult. Psychologically manipulated other dream characters using dream logic I knew was false.

Dream End: Things started going dark and transition right into a very wide awake state in my bed, 100% awake in fact.

Rating:
Stability - 4
Length -3
Control - 3
Content -3

Date: 3/13 (approx)

Induction Method: DILD. I was in a bus, meditating in the sunlight, when I started to feel very strange. I gradually realized it was the same pressure/tinnitus/white light as the last lucid dream I had, and when the light cleared I was on a different bus. Immediately I did a reality check, holding my nose and trying to breathe, but I didn't have a nose! Lucidity ensued.

Stabilization Techs: Didn't try any.

Dream Intent: Changing dream characters.

Dream Control: Was more subtle in my approach to changing characters into others. I had them disappear from my line of sight and then come back as someone else, I managed successfully.

Dream End: Overload perhaps, closed eyes and woke up in the same position, but awake. 100% awake once again.

Rating:
Stability: -- (too short to judge)
Length: 1
Control: 3
Content: 3

Date: 3-18 (approx)

Induction Method: WILD. Woke up from a dream during cycle break, decided to go lucid. Remembered the last l'd experienced, so I imagined myself meditating, and gradually that same pressure/tinnitus/light feeling. Entered dream in the same zazen position, but on a packed beach.

Stabilization techs: Didn't think to try any.

Dream Intent: Exploration.

Dream Control: Wandered around where I felt. Minimal interaction with dream characters, though found it was easier to get what I wanted out of each dream situation if I let them appear natuarally, rather than forcing outright change.

Dream End: At some point I lost lucidity and the dream became a normal dream. I guess I got lazy as I was walking around.

Rating:
Stability - 3
Length - 3
Control - 3
Content - 2

Date: 3/25

Induction Method: DILD. In a dream I was about to take a test, but I realized I wasn't prepared for it. Now in real life I really was supposed to have that test, but the weekend wasn't over so I still had time to prepare for it. So I recalled that, and it didn't make any sense to be taking the test now, so I realized I was dreaming. I performed a reality check, the breathing through pinched nose. No nose, clear breath, went lucid.

Stabilization techs: About 3 times during the dream I rubbed the top of my left hand with my right thumb. Each time felt the friction on my hand, and subsequently the dream around me became much clearer. It was as everything snapped into focus. I did this even when I didn't feel like I was losing much control, and it still snapped clearly.

Dream Intent: A short exploration and then flight.

Dream Control: Didn't try to control anyone, spent most of my time in flight, swooping and soaring in the open sky. Flew through a closed window at one point.

Dream End: I was flying through a multicolored starburst field, and decided to fly outwards into deep, dark space. And as it got darker and darker I guess the dream faded and I awoke in the darkness of my room, 100% awake. In the last flying part of my dream I hadn't thought to do any stabilization techniques.

Rating:
Stability - 4
Length - 3
Control - 4
Content - 4

Date: 3/26

Induction Method: DILD. However, I can't recall exactly what triggered the lucidity! Which bothers me. I began in a normal dream, and was in the same setting of that dream when I recall the lucid memories. At one point during the dream I remember looking into a mirror, and seeing a carnival mirror like reflection, heavily distorted body, but this was in the middle of the dream.

Stabilization Tech: Used the thumb stroking once to bring everything into focus, but then I guess I neglected further stabilizations.

Dream Intent: I want to have a stable list of characters who will appear repeatedly in my dreams, just to maintain some continuity in my dreams. So I was trying to pull characters out of my subconscious. Holding auditions, sort of.

Dream Control: I only got up to two different characters, I did this by willing someone to appear in the adjoining room to the one I was in, and then walking into and seeing who it was. Then walking back to the original room, willing someone different, and walking back in.

Dream End: For some reason I stopped doing that and started exploring, and I think that was when lucidity drifted away from my control, and I segued into normal dreams.

Rating:
Stability: 2
Length: 1
Control: 2
Content:2

Date: 3/28/06 ~0700

Induction Method: DILD. My alarm clock was going off in real life, but I hadn't woken up yet. Instead, I had a false awakening, and turning off my dream alarm clocks wasn't affecting the sound of the alarm clock. Searching for the still ringing alarm clock made me recall a previous dream (non-lucid) in which I heard the alarm clock ringing in real life but didn't acknowledge it. I performed my favorite reality check, plugging the nose and breathing. But it didn't work. Confused, momentarily, I can't really recall what I did until I RCed again, this time checking out my hands. One of them appeared to have four fingers, so I went lucid.

Stabilization Tech: At one point walls started stretching/melting. Tried to stabilize with thumb rubbing. Failed! Immediately tried palm rubbing, everything snapped back really quickly, so I think I'll use that one preferentially from now on.

Dream Intent: I first tried to fly, and then went on to try to have my subconscious call up specific dream characters.

Dream Control: I attempted to fly through a close opaqued window, but it merely turned membranous and repelled me. After that decided to summon dream characters, but none of them were of interest to me, not fitting the requirements of what I was looking for. I should have been more specific or forceful. But I didn't want to control too much of the creation. So no go.

Dream End: Throughout dream ringing of my alarm clock was going on, I couldn't shut it off. So just ignored it, or suffered through it. But at one point my second alarm clock kicked in, and I woke up immediately. Not 100% awake, but not tired either.

Rating:
Stability: 4
Length: 3
Control: 2
Content: 2

Date: can't recall, within the past two or three years.

Induction Method: DILD. I was out in a sleeping bag on Low Plaza. Sun setting, stars out, clouds out. I see a gigantic cloud baby, turning over in it's sleep. I'm stunned, and realize I'm dreaming.

Stabilization Tech: Didn't use any.

Dream Intent: Before I had any lucid intents. Just took the dream as it came.

Dream Control: Interacted with dream characters, didn't try too hard to control them. Majority of the dream spent in flight, exploring fairly low to the ground, among structures.

Dream End: Can't recall.

Rating:
Stability: 3
Length: 4
Control: 3
Content: 3.5

Date: Can't recall, within the past 2-3 years.

Induction Method: DILD. Can't remember what though.

Stabilization Tech: Didn't try any (unless spinning?)

Dream Intent: Nothing specific, avoiding one imp-like dream character (majora's maskish) who seemed to show up in multiple dream scenes.

Dream Control: Interacted with various dream characters, some flight I think. Most memorable was travel. I was thinking of Earthbound's teleport (the better one, where they run around in a circle), but I was spinning and kicking up a tornado, as the tornado slowed down I'd be able to see some features of the place I was being put down, landmarks, etc. Kept seeing that green, forestish clad imp. Wanted to avoid him I think.

Dream End: Can't recall.

Rating:
Stability: 3
Length: 4
Control: 3
Content: 3

Date: 3/31/06 Morning

Attempted MILD, 10 count breaths, followed by "While I'm dreaming I will remember I'm dreaming, and when the dream is over I will wake up." No dice, slept through the alarm that was supposed to wake me up in the middle of the night. When my normal alarm went off, woke up and attempted to WILD. This time didn't get up at all except to go to the bathroom, remained in bed, altogether 5-10 minutes before I trying WILD again. No dice, fell asleep. TOO tired. Next time more time up.

In dream from first waking, I was either in or watching a Super Mario World scene with Yoshi jumping around at one point. Should have noticed this 'in a video game' dreamsign. In the dreams from second waking, very many family members in it, missed that dreamsign. At one point I was watching TV and I zoomed into something that was on. Missed that. Was playing scrabble at one point, and the pieces changed color at various times, the amount of words on the board changed color, the size of the board changed color, the players kept switching positions. Christ! How could I have missed that. Another time I'd suffered a huge leg wound, dried bloodstain running from my hip to my foot. It didn't hurt, I didn't recall how I'd gotten it. My flesh under my pants was this white, puffy, soft sort of deal. Poking it, no feeling. Next time think about when you get hurt.

Date: 4-1-06 Afternoon (was a late night)

Was drinking a little the night before, went to bed dead tired around 5 am, but I was too tired to try any sort of induction. Too bad. Might have been a good opportunity. Can't recall if I tried to WBTB, I don't think so.

At one point in my dream, my field of vision, haha my HUD, had a circular radar screen. Obvious video game dream sign. Missed it. In another dream I was reading some text, and the next thing I knew I was pulled into the situation described. This "entrance into fiction" theme, whether through television or books, is something I've got to watch out for. At another point, I was in a pretty devastated city, and dream characters were telling me about all these events (floods, riots, etc.) that I just could never remembering. They were big enough to constitute big news, but I'd never heard of it, and they rationalized some reason that I'd never heard it, like I'd been out in space or something. Do not let dream characters dictate what you remember! Try and remember that.

Date: 4-2-06 Morning & Afternoon Nap

Attempted MILD last night, the same 10 breaths plus "reality check in dream, after dream wake", but I could not concentrate for shit. Waking up early, after three hours, this time stayed in bed, was up for maybe 15 minutes? I don't know, I wouldn't be comfortable saying any time for certain, I can't recall, and I was really drowsy. Either way, couldn't concentrate then, too tired. So just fell asleep. During after noon, attempted WILD, and drifted in and out of consciousness, several dreamlets, but I succumbed to sleep in the end. Though had a "WILD" in my dream.

At one point in these underground mines, with baddies it seemed, sort of skeletosish. The viewpoint was that 3rd person whatever the SIMS perspective is called, iso-something. So, there's a video game cue. Then there were plenty of family members in my dream, another missed cue that I can't seem to ever recall. Worst of all, at one point I'd found a broken guitar, I was mad, distraught, thought it was mine. I couldn't believe it so I reality checked, and it FAILED! I just held the nose. I should have done more reality checks! missed goddamned opportunity. But there's another dreamsign, really distressing situations. During one of the nap dreamlets, there was another case of me trying to talk to someone out of sight and not receiving any response. Then there was a weird semilucid one in which I couldn't control anything or move or change perspective. I don't know what was up with that. Then there was more family member stuff, all the kids. I can't drop this dreamsign, though it never works, I've just got to take it more seriously in real life, any mention of family reality check. Also, stop making the nose one your primary. Then there was part of a scene where I was studying abroad, in Japan though. No matter, being abroad should be a dreamsign, because I'm in New York. Then there was writing in my fucking dream journal. This has happened before. When writing about dreams, make sure you're not dreaming. Finally, a successful dreamsign was the WILD sensation. Which is about as obvious as you can make it.

Date: 4/2/06 Afternoon

Induction Method: dWILD? Was in a dream in which I was writing in my dream journal about dreamlets from my actual attempt to WILD into a nap, and then lying on a bed decide to try to WILD. Sensation started almost immediately, however, the WILD sensation was limited to the pressure build, like when your ears pop on a plane as you go up. No light this time, the only ringing was that associated with the pressure build. There was a little fear, but I got over it quickly. I would have pressure build up, relax a little, go through it again, several times, each time more powerful. And then I went write into another dream scene in which I was lucid and had total control. I think I might really have become lucid when I started feeling the WILD sensations.

Stabilization Techniques: No time to use any.

Dream Intent: Was still to find a "secretary". A dream character that I want to make a recurring figure, who will be able to run errands for me, call up things I need, take me places, etc.

Dream Control: Began in 3rd person, I switched to 1st person. Then I said/thought(?) I want to go to an office, then I walk a little and next thing I know I'm stepping around and sitting at a desk. Then I say I want my secretary to come in, and she comes in. I ask her name. Jeanine, apparently.

Dream End: After that short interaction, I wake up, into the black that I know is closed eyelids. The lucid did occur towards end of fairly long dream period. Wish I could get them sooner, also, next time remember to do stabilization right away and frequently, and always always always more than one RC!

Rating:
Stability: 2
Length: 1
Control: 3
Content: 2

Date: 4/3/06 Morning

Induction Method: DILD. Was in a slightly creepy dream. Not a nightmare, but weird and dark nonetheless. However, at some point the dream underwent an abrupt switch, sky turns bright out, massive dream character switch out, the entire feeling of the dream goes from frightening to innocuous is such a short span of time that I am certain it's a dream. I don't even do a reality check.

Stabilization Tech: First thing I did was rub my palms together. But it didn't have any recognizable effect, it seemed things were already pretty together.

Dream Intent: None. Just went lucid and I was in a rush to get things done, but not continuing to develop the dream secretary idea.

Dream Control: Characters listened to my commands without pause.

Dream End: Abrupt end into waking, not 100% awake but awake enough, and pissed that my dream was so short.

Rating:
Stability: 3
Length: 1
Control: 3
Content: 1

Date: 4-3-06 Late morning & Afternoon

In the morning, went lucid from that first WBTB, but after waking and another round of sleep, no attempt at induction made, no lucidity, though dreams. In the afternoon attempted WILDing into a nap, there was one point where I think I went conscious in a dreamlet and promptly woke up, but because I felt that stuffiness/pressure that comes along with a WILD at that point I think I was still skimming along the top of my consciousness. No dreams. Need to just keep practicing staying awake.

I think a good dreamsign would be seeing animated characters walking around, this should be a direct tip off. Again, I missed family members as a dreamsign. Then, I was on an internet forum which would normally have some content about lucid dreaming, but I didn't catch it. More obviously was the text on it was mixed alphanumerics! I was trying to figure out why I couldn't make any sense of it, but in the end I ended up coming up with some interpretation. Shit. At another point I was in some pretty dangerous traffic, perhaps intense traffic could be a good dream sign (be careful!). At the end of the the dream I think there was some of that reality/television blurriness. It's a little hazy, so I'll let this one slide this time, but be on the watch out for that type of switching in the future.

Date: 4/4/06 Morning

Took a while to fall a sleep, WBTB after four hours, meditated for twenty minutes, no problem staying up. Better way to pass the time then just lying there. However, maybe still too tired? WILD attempt failed completely.

Not very many dreamsigns in the dreams. I was at the lab at one point. Then there was a girl I had a crush on. Should pay more attention to those dream signs. Food switched from one thing to another, from some sort of pastry to pizza. That sort of thing should be noticed.

Date: 4-5-06 Morning

During my up phase for my WBTB, I planned on 20 minutes, but I'd lie there in the dark, then the next minute I'd look over and 15 minutes would go by, and this happened for like an hour. And it seriously did not occur to me that I was passing out. But obviously I can't stay in bed from now on, gotta get up. WILD, as you can guess, was a failure.

Nothing too obvious. One dreamsign I should look out for is the zooming event in dreams. Something's far away, you concentrate on it or pay attention to it, then you're looking around a moment later and you're there! Another would be change in mood, this one wasn't as drastic as LD eight. But there was this pretty serious fight going on at one point, and the next moment it was this comedic sort of, what now? situation. Then a part of the dream was distantly related to a plotline from a book, one of Goodkind's. Where one of the heroine's loses her memory. Now I've never read the book, I haven't reached it in the series yet, but here it was, or something similar, unfolding before my eyes. It was only obliquely related, but it gave me pause, because I was thinking that I hadn't reached it yet. Sort of a watered down "I haven't studied for that test yet" feeling I've had before. Then there was a weird dream feeling I can't quite put words to, I was told to look for something where it shouldn't be (wine in the oven?), so when I look in the right place instinctively (fridge), I'm laughed at, and there's discord. Need to make a list of these dreamsigns to review every night.

Date: 4-29-06 Afternoon

Induction Method: DILD. Saw these pink writhing things all over the ceiling, tried to get a closer look at them and just couldn't believe they were real. Went lucid.

Stabilization Tech: Tried rubbing my hands together, may have worked slightly, but nothing extremely noticeable. Tried to concentrate on a specific sensation, but couldn't feel one in particular.

Dream Intent: None really, first thing I did was try to get Jeanine out, but then the dream ended.

Dream Control: Very poor, a lot of the time my view point was actually stuck on the ceiling.

Dream End: Just felt the dream break down. Had this really strange feeling after waking, the position of the head on my pillow felt extremely unnatural, as if there was this loud noise in my ears (that doesn't really make any sense, but it's what it felt like), but I knew that it was just some function of having come out of the dream. So when I opened my eyes and got my orientation, it felt the same, but normal.

Rating:
Stability: 1
Length: 1
Control: 1
Content 1

Date - 5 -2-06 Morning

Induction Method: DILD. Sitting on a bench with a lot of other people, noticed one girl who I'd seen in a different dream from earlier. I mentioned this out loud and then thought about how I could be seeing her on the bench as well, and realized this too is a dream.

Stabilization Tech: Didn't use any.

Dream Intent: DC control, more or less.

Dream Control: DC did what I wanted, though rather willingly, and talked back, describing how it wasn't really "in character" to be doing it. Interesting.

Dream End: During the dream there were these speeches being made from a podium, and after I went lucid the guy came back to make another speech and for some reason I thought it signaled the end, so I rushed through everything. Sensory overload into being awake.

Rating:
Stability: 3
Length: 1
Control: 2
Content: 4