Thread: How long does it take most people to achieve a lucid dream?

I have learned about lucid dreaming a long time ago. I tried reality checks and then I got myself a dream journal, and in 2 and a half years I still have not achieved a single lucid dream. How long is it usually supposed to take?

It's different for everyone, could be the first day you heard of it and it could be never... Maybe there's a reason why you can't lucid, what do you do before bed each night? Btw I've never had one also, but I've only known of them for about a week.

Edit: Oh ya if you haven't tried all day awareness you should try that, I did that for a couple days and I'm remembering dreams quite easily now.

I think what might happen is after a while we just convince ourselves that it is something that is difficult to do, something we can't do when in reality the only thing holding us back is our lack of confidence. It's only natural for us to dream and when we set our minds on lucid dreaming that should start to come about naturally as well. Try not to look at it like "i have been trying so long." Dont even think about that, its in the past. Stay in the present moment and when you go to bed, know you will have a lucid dream. If you wake up in the morning with no success, write down the dreams you remember and then forget about it. Dont get bummed because you went another night without lucidity, instead return to the present moment and know you will have one tonight. Also maybe try some different techniques. You said you did reality checks so i guess you were trying to DILD. Perhaps you could start practicing a WILD method and see if that comes more naturally to you. Just stay confident and know that not only can you do this, but it is something that should just come natural to us as human beings. If we want to have lucid dreams than we will. The only thing holding us back is our belief that it is something we dont do, something that is difficult, that only others are capable of. Good luck man

Originally Posted by hashmash89

If we want to have lucid dreams than we will.

If we KNOW WE WILL have lucid dreams then we will.

1 through 1781 days, give or take a few years. Meaning, it is different from person to person. Took me over year, has taken some others less than a week, and yet takes some people multiple years.

Just keep going at it, expecting to have one with every attempt. If you really just can't get it, give it up completely and forget about lucid dreaming altogether for a good 1-2 weeks to let your brain refresh itself. If you push it too much, your brain will in fact prohibit you from having them at all.

How's your dream recall?
You could be having 3 every night and not remembering them.

I find it hard to believe that you're doing your reality checks correctly and have yet to become lucid after 2 and 1/2 years. Please tell me exactly in detail how you do your typical reality check, and how often you do it per day. Then tell me how many dreams on average you remember per night.

I plug my nose, then I try to put my finger through my palm, then I test the elasticity of my skin to see how far I can stretch it when I pinch it lightly (if it goes too far then I'm obviously dreaming). Those are the tree RC's that I use. I try to remember to do these as much as possible (sometimes I hardly do them in a day since I forget, sometimes I do them constantly).

Originally Posted by BeeClock

I plug my nose, then I try to put my finger through my palm, then I test the elasticity of my skin to see how far I can stretch it when I pinch it lightly (if it goes too far then I'm obviously dreaming). Those are the tree RC's that I use. I try to remember to do these as much as possible (sometimes I hardly do them in a day since I forget, sometimes I do them constantly).

I have never tried the "plug your nose" RC, but the "finger through palm" RC has failed me MANY times, including last night. If I hadn't had checked on the alarm clock then I wouldn't have become lucid, because the finger didn't want to go through, nor did it feel any weird. It was just like in real life. I felt physical resistence of the palm against my finger.

I would suggest you wear a digital watch and do an RC by looking at the time, remembering what it says, looking away, and looking back to see if it has changed. For me personally, this is the perfect reality check. It is my personal favorite, and it never failed me. The only times I didn't become lucid through it was when I for some reason thought that the watch is broken. The numbers on the watch ALWAYS change for me. I usually look away two times in order to confirm.

Some other important things I would highly suggest are the following:

1.) Look through your dream journal to see what things are common in your dreams. Whenever you encounter similar situations in real life, do a reality check.
2.) Make a list of about 10 things that will always trigger you to do a reality check. For example, "whenever I leave my house", "whenever i meet a new person", "whenever I become surprised", etc.
3.) Do a reality check whenever you "think" you woke up. This way you will catch false awakenings.
4.) Imagine becoming lucid throughout the day, and think what you would do if it happened. Try to visualize it as clearly as possible, with all the details, feelings, and sounds.

That would be my advice. Also, as I said before, through my personal experience, the best reality check for me is the one with the wrist watch. But to each his own.

Just my two cents.

try the mnemonic technique (MILD) after getting your dream recall up the same way (also keep a journal). try meditation and also get on a regular sleep pattern.

@Jakob, it took me over a year myself to have my first lucid dream. I am and was well informed in concept of dreaming, the dream state, and lucid dreaming. I knew how reality checks worked, how to do them properly, and still they didn't work for over a year. My point is that sometimes it just doesn't work well for people. I am saying this simply because your post sounded a little rude, but perhaps I am just on edge today.

@BeeClock, as for reality checks, what I said could be true for you, or perhaps not. One thing that is very important is NOT to do reality checks in the form of a habit. Make it a habit, yes, but don't treat it as one. What I mean by this is don't do it sub-consciously. When you form a habit, you get into the pattern of doing it without much thought. However, reality checks require a true doubting of your surroundings. Your dreams can easily imitate your nose being blocked, your skin being normal, your hand being solid, if that is what you expect. So when doing reality checks, make sure you actually expect it to work, truly doubt your surroundings as real. If you have this view when dreaming, then it will work. But if it just becomes a subconscious habit, your dream will just mimic what you are used to happening.

Originally Posted by -InsaneKid-

@Jakob, it took me over a year myself to have my first lucid dream. I am and was well informed in concept of dreaming, the dream state, and lucid dreaming. I knew how reality checks worked, how to do them properly, and still they didn't work for over a year. My point is that sometimes it just doesn't work well for people. I am saying this simply because your post sounded a little rude, but perhaps I am just on edge today.

Sorry if my post came off as rude, but maybe you are really on edge.

It took me 2 months to have my first lucid dream i could really get into and explore. Then i started having 1 every week or 2. Then this week trying a new method the WILD i had 3. I think it should take about a month or 2 and it only started happening when i stoped thinking it was life or death to have one.