Lesson 2: Getting Started with Dream Control
I understand there are a lot of requests out there and I promise I will get to all of them. First off though, I am going to touch up on some of the essentials with dream control.
Stabilization
Everyone hears it all across the forum. There are hundreds of different stabilization techniques out there and I am going to let you know what really matters.
So you become lucid, but everything is either fuzzy/unrealistic. maybe your dream is nice3 and clear, but you keep waking up just seconds into the dream. Stabilization is really just a mind over matter technique. The idea is to fully immerse yourself into the dream environment. Think about it. When you have a normal dream, it will last until the dream plot ends or until you are woken up by an external device (alarms clock, noisy roommate, etc). Of course, in a normal dream your emotions can overtake you and cause you to wake as well. The reason it is so easy to stay in the dream world with normal dreams, is simply because you have no idea you are dreaming. You are engaged in the dream scenario and have no reason to wake up...because it is real (or so you think).
Now it is time to apply this same strategy with a lucid dream. Of course, during your first few lucid dreams, you are going to be excited. "Oh my god! I am dreaming!" or "Yesss! I did it!" or "I am dreaming, I am dreaming! What should I do!" These are very common occurrences. These strong emotions can definitely wake you up from the dream. I am sure just about everyone realizes this. Here are some steps you should take upon first becoming lucid....
Stay calm
This isn't easy in your first couple of lucid dreams. Don't get discouraged if the first few lucid dreams you have quickly fade due to excitement. It happens. Just continue practicing and you will get used to the feeling of becoming lucid. That initial rush can be overwhelming at first. Don't get frustrated...just be happy you achieved lucidity. Fall asleep expecting to become lucid and once you do, get into the "Yeah, I am dreaming. Of course I am :)" mindset. Learn to not be overwhelmed with your success and just embrace it. You become lucid...because you CAN become lucid. You were successful because you WANTED to be. Next step...
Stabilize
Now this can get a bit tricky. If you find yourself thinking, "I better stabilize, so I don't wake up!" You are going about this process the wrong way. Thinking about waking up, expecting to wake up, or worrying about waking up, can be detrimental to your lucidity. You want to stabilize, because it will help prolong your lucid. Know in your mind that this dream is going to last a good amount of time anyway. you aren't stabilizing to keep yourself from waking up, you are stabilizing to enhance your experience. This may take some time to get used to, but dreaming is seriously 100% in your own mind (barring outside influence of course :P). You are lucid and this dream is just like any other you have had during your life. The only difference now...you know you are dreaming. That is it. If you can stay in a normal dream, you can stay in a lucid.
Some Stabilization Techniques
Like I said before, there are many stabilization techniques. They have all been created by dreamers in the past. Just like every individuals personality is unique, every individuals dream state is also unique. Just because a stabilization technique doesn't work for one dreamer, doesn't mean it is garbage and should be tossed aside. The key is to try out many different stabilization techniques and see what works best for you. If the dream is already pretty stable, just perform some quick stabilization and proceed with your dream. My favorite form of stabilization are reality checks. The reason these are so effective, is they really plant that "I am dreaming" thought into your mind. This helps confirm you are in the dream state and can allow you to really become immersed within it. Here are several stabilization techniques that I have tried in the past with some success...
Patience - This is the easiest/simplest to pull off. Just wait and allow your dream to settle. This is especially useful when first becoming lucid. Just stand still for a moment and allow everything to settle in. Your mind just switched over to the "I am dreaming" stage, so just give it a second to relax. Sometimes all you need to do is sit there for a moment and let everything calm down. Relax, you have plenty of time to explore. Too many dreamers run off to finish as much as possible before they wake up. This alone is a recipe for a short experience. Get everything to settle and take your time. Expect the dream to last and it will.
Reality Checks - Perform your favorite reality check at the beginning of the dream. Even if you know you are dreaming already, a reality check here and there can help you hold onto your lucidity. I like to perform these every so often throughout my dream. Mainly to help keep my mind knowledgeable of the dream state, but also because it just feels damn cool to breathe out of your nose even though it is pinched close :D!
Rubbing Hands - Rub your hands together and look around at your dream environment. Your hands simply assist your mind and with each rubbing motion, the dream clears up a little. Imagine the dream scene clearing up while you perform this. What this does is allow you to feel the friction between your dream hands. If you can feel your dream hands rubbing together, you are engaging in the dream and leaving your waking body behind.
Look Down at the Ground - This has recently turned into one of my favorite stabilization techniques. If the dream around you is blurry, why not make it easy on your mind? Look down at the ground/your feet and give your mind a break. It is much easier to create/process the limited vision that comes with you looking at the ground. Think about it, your mind simply needs to create a surface that your standing on. Look down and give everything time to settle. Once it clears up, slowly raise your head to the upright position and give your mind time to create/process everything in front of you. It is true that the mind is very powerful, but even the most powerful processors need a break from time to time. Give your mind a second to regroup itself and get rolling again. Simply look down at the ground :D!
Engage all of your Senses into the Dream Environment - This one is classic. Smell the air, take a deep inhale and taste the air, feel some textures around you, listen to any sounds coming from within the dream, and look around at everything. Applying your senses to the dream environment, can really help you immerse yourself within the dream work. This is the whole idea of dreaming after all.
Dream Spinning - This acts as the refresh button of your dream. If the dream is unstable, maybe you should just try reloading your environment. Take a quick spin in a circle and allow everything to jumble up. Now wait a moment for everything to settle down and see if it helps out. The blurring/scrambling of your vision allows everything a second chance at settling in. I really like using this when I feel the dream is ending. Its like, "Not so fast my friend! I think i shall reset this dream and go on a bit longer!"
There are so many more that you can try. Hell, you can even invent your own. Try rubbing the scene clear with your hand, moving your arm in a windshield wiper motion...clearing up the dream scene little by little, shout "Increase clarity now!", whistle loudly until the dream clears, rub your eyes, etc.
Sometimes, you can simply walk around in the dream as if it is crystal clear (even if it is fuzzy). Just engage in some dream activity/explore and the dream will clear up on its own.
Pro tip: Try to find some eye drops in your dream. You could ask a DC for some, or simply feel around in your pocket until you find some. These things are just amazing in a lucid dream. Seriously, if you find some eye drops, be prepared to be amazed :D!
Prolonging a Lucid Dream
Prolonging a dream is a goal for many lucid dreamers. Here are a few ways to go about it...
Expectations
Always expect the best. Expect your dream to last for a long time and it will. If you feel the dream fading/becoming unstable, perform a stabilization technique and know 100% that it will bring back your dream. Simply stay positive.
Continuation
Many times you will find yourself in a lucid dream trying to achieve a goal. Lets say that your goal is to find a ninja sword. You look around for a while, but can't seem to find one. Finally, after a while spent in the dream, you find the sword. You think, "Yes! I finally found it! Goal accomplished." Then the dream ends. Always look ahead. As soon as you find that sword, don't simply be satisfied with your achievement. Think, "I found the sword, now it is time to slay a dragon" or whatever :P. Always look forward to the next goal. Don't get so caught up on an achievement that you accept it as a successful dream and allow yourself to wake up. Yeah, it is awesome that you found the sword, but the main goal was to actually use the sword...right? Always think just a little bit ahead and keep the dream rolling. If you come to a closing point, the dream may end on its own. Just try to keep rolling along.
Keep Your Mind in the Dream State
Like I mentioned before, don't even think/worry about waking up. Keep your mind off of your waking body and any ideas that involve it. Stay aware of the dream state and treat it as if it is reality. At the moment, this dream IS your reality. This is where you are, where you want to be, where you have been trying to get to. Just let any thoughts of the actual world and your actual body, escape you. Really get into your dream world and have a blast in there. Waking life can wait until you are done dreaming :D.
Passive Dream Control
Now, most of you read the first lesson. Passive dream control can really help you out with prolonging lucidity. Everything you do involves the dream itself. You are applying control my using the dream, its characters, and its elements. Passive control can really keep you engaged in the dream environment. Like I mentioned in the previous lesson, it can be fairly easy to lose lucidity with a lot of passive control. Overcoming this takes practice and awareness. Even if you are playing along with a dream plot, know that it is a dream plot. Perform some RCs every often to keep the "I am dreaming" mindset. This really just takes some practice to perfect. It can be quite rewarding though. My lucid dreams feel as if they last an hour or more on average. I have had many that felt as if they lasted in the 4-6 hour range. Applying and practicing all of these mentioned techniques have really pushed my dream time to desirable levels.
If all else fails...DEILD
DEILD is seriously one of the easiest techniques in lucid dreaming. The catch is, you have almost have to be lucid in the first place to get it to work. My DEILD success rate is, no lie, like 95% or better. After you gain some experience with lucid dreaming, you will start to get a feel for when you are waking up/going to wake up. You can try some last minute desperation to save the dream (dream spin, look at the ground, other stabilization techniques, etc), but if it doesn't work, you can always prepare to DEILD. Close your eyes right there in the dream or as you are waking up. Just lay still and relax. You will feel yourself wake up and then fall right back into the dream state. Basically with a DEILD, you are simulating a micro awakening (most dreamers have these several times a night and don't even realize it). this technique will allow you to fall right back into a lucid dream. Often times, you start right where you left off beforehand.
Practice
Like everything in lucid dreaming, you just have to practice. Practice and experience are the best teachers. All this knowledge I drop and help fellow dreamers with, comes straight from my experience. I speak these strategies to you because I have lived them. I am no more talented than any of you out there, I simply have had all of these things happen before, so I know how it goes. Be persistent. There will, of course, be struggles along the way. Just power through and learn from everything you do. if something works, try it out again...and again...and again. If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Stay confident and practice your asses off :D!
So it seems I wasn't able to get around to specific types of control, but I felt these things needed to be addressed. Please stick around and in my future lessons, I shall touch up on the many different activities you guys are looking to attempt. Thanks for your patience and enjoy :D!
Note: I will post the chat session date and time tomorrow. Good luck to everyone!
