So close, yet so far away... ((Advice would be nice))

[Katniss]

I've been trying for a lucid dream for a long time and I still can't lucid dream. It's really annoying and I just want to be able to. I keep a DJ, I do RC, I am trying! Every once in a while I'll have a freaky experince, and I know I'm really close. I get sleep paralysis often, and I know people have told me I can turn it into a lucid dream, but while I'm in on the moment my brain just doesn't process this until afterwards when I really wake up. I've come really close to having an OOBE but then I get scared and back away. Part of the problem is anxiety for me I think. I feel scared even though I know I'm safe. It's frustrating I can say the least. Anyway, I already dream every night, and last night I had a dream where I was sitting in school talking to my friend about lucid dreaming. I was telling her how wonderful it seemed and everything. What would it have taken for me to have done a simple RC? Even when I dream of lucid dreaming it just doesn't seem to happen. Any advice would be really nice, I've been reading over some tuts, but any advice on my situation would be great. Thanks for reading! -Kat

[Avalanche]

For reality checks to work, you need to think of them in a dream. You can either wait for yourself to randomly think of one.... or force one to happen. Easiest way to do that is to link the idea of doing R.C.s with lots of things, mainly your dreamsigns. I assume you know what these are, but basically they are the most common subjects/objects/people/things that pop up in your dreams. If you can establish a mental link between R.C.s and those dreamsigns, you will think of R.C.s when you see a dreamsign. Best way to build this up is to first find out what they are. For me, I play games a lot, so a lot of characters and aspects of games get into my dreams. So what I do is reality check or keep reality checks on my mind while I play my games. This is establish a link, much like how when you smell flowers, you think of your favorite flower or gardens, etc. You are so used to linking one thing with another, that they pop into your head because of the stimulant. Basically, with enough linking, next time you see a dreamsign in your dream, we hope that this makes R.C.s pop into your head and you do one.

[Katniss]

Thanks a lot. I'm going to focus on this and my dreamsigns and hopefully I'll get into a better pattern and it will work. Thanks so much!

[Powerdreamer]

DON'T be afraid in a dream-world if you recognize you are dreaming. Katniss: you CAN'T feel pain or get hurt in lucid dreams. If you encounter this opportunity again, simply try out something you want to do: whether it's possible in the real world--or better still----totally impossible . I guarantee you will enjoy the experience. If you are near a clifftop in the lucid dream, just jump off: it is truly exhilirating.............if you can't fly for some reason, simply waken up before you hit the dreamworld ground level. Alternatively, you can burst right through the ground like Superman......that's what this is all about. Just try out something pleasant and exciting, and avoid negative thoughts, which can kill lucid dreams stone dead.

[Katniss]

Yeah that seems to be the problem. I know I'm not in danger. I've read to many stories I think. I don't want to be afried bit it's that nervous feeling I get at the pit of my stomach before I go to bed :/ I know it's stupid. Thanks so much for the support it means a lot, and I hope I will experince it again! I wasn't lucid though and when I some up I mentally slapped myself. I want to so bad, and I'm working on my R.Cs now because I need to strengthen them. I'm really close I know! Thanks a lot Power and Origami^^

[Prontera]

I'm no expert in the convention of dreaming (DJ? OOB? RC?) but you could try practicing waking up methods(open close eyes repeatedly) in this reality and translate that behavior into your dreams. Who knows, maybe this is a dream as well. It'll wake you up, but I think it'll also allow you to gain a clearer comparison between dream and reality. I think awareness because of forced "wake up" is stronger/easier than reality checks, especially early on. As far as anxiety goes, I don't see a connection. In fact, anxiety kind of convinces you to mentally reject the situation, hence, allows you to gain awareness in your dreams.

[StonedApe]

I've been trying for a lucid dream for a long time and I still can't lucid dream. It's really annoying and I just want to be able to. I keep a DJ, I do RC, I am trying! Every once in a while I'll have a freaky experince, and I know I'm really close. I get sleep paralysis often, and I know people have told me I can turn it into a lucid dream, but while I'm in on the moment my brain just doesn't process this until afterwards when I really wake up. I've come really close to having an OOBE but then I get scared and back away. Part of the problem is anxiety for me I think. I feel scared even though I know I'm safe. It's frustrating I can say the least. Anyway, I already dream every night, and last night I had a dream where I was sitting in school talking to my friend about lucid dreaming. I was telling her how wonderful it seemed and everything. What would it have taken for me to have done a simple RC? Even when I dream of lucid dreaming it just doesn't seem to happen. Any advice would be really nice, I've been reading over some tuts, but any advice on my situation would be great. Thanks for reading! -Kat Stop wanting to be able to lucid dream and just pay attention to whether or not you are dreaming. Just ask, "is this a dream?"(you have to do this all the time, and really do it. Be curious and really aware. Enjoy the fact that you can test what kind of reality this is, have fun with it). Eventually it will be and then you'll be lucid. As for anxiety, you might try meditation.

[Katniss]

Thank You. I'm trying and doing all this! Thanks a bunch XD

[Katniss]

Oh pardan my abrivations. I was in a rush. DJ=Dream Journal RC= Reality Check OOBE=Out of body Experince. ((happened when I was younger)) I'm trying a little bit of everything here and other places. It^^ means a lot to me. Thanks for reading!

[yuppie11975]

Talking about lucid dreams/ relations to them means you're very close! I had a dream one night I was researching it, but it didn't click! And then I had my first lucid about three days later! Don't be discouraged, I'm sure it'll happen within the week

[Katniss]

Oh yeah! Someone with the same experience. Last night I had a chaotic dream. Flying roller coasters and dragons XD. Anyway, today I start reality checks galore, and soon I hope it will click like it die for you!

[yuppie11975]

Good luck

[dakotahnok]

Are you doing reality checks? Or are you DOING the reality checks? Some beginners have the problem of not really DOING the reality checks. What I mean is that the people will pinch their nose and then go on with their day. The problem is that they are not really questioning their reality. They are just going through the motions. So what you need to do is really question whether or not your are dreaming. Pinch your nose and try to breath. But at the same time ask yourself how you got to where you are. And really answer yourself with a thought out answer. Again don't just be like "am I dreaming?" "No.", because that wont work.

[UcfGirl]

this worked for me, a method not discussed in this forum. Go to bed relaxed and excited. You have nothing to fear since in a lucid dream, you can basically control what dream you want to have! I started when I was little without the intent to lucid dream. I was only trying to avoid nightmares. So as I was trying to fall asleep, I'd create a story in my head. Something pleasant, like spending the day with somebody you love at the beach or a crush of yours asking you on a date. If this works for you, the story will turn into a dream and you'll realize that you aren't writing the story anymore. It'll take its own course and it will be very obvious you are dreaming. Placing you right into a lucid dream of your choice. Remember to focus on good things in your life, your mindset will be reflected in the dream. I hope this might work for you! Oh and I'm interested in you OOBE, do tell!!

[Texture]

I've never experienced SP as a frightening experience, I just hear loud noises for about 15 seconds, sometimes imagine people are partying in my living room, crazy fireworks all over my bed. Then I transition into a Lucid dream. I can't really understand your fear, because I've never experienced it, but if you do it enough, I imagine the edge will wear off and you will realize it is just hallucination and they can't hurt you

[UcfGirl]

I just meant I was afraid of having nightmares as a child. I'm over it now. I do not have SP, but I have experienced it before after a bizarre dream when my mind woke up before my body. I saw hallucinations but I enjoyed the experience. Luckily I got over my fear a while ago and now I am fascinated by any type of dreaming or mind experience. Nightmares are just really scary until you learn to lucid dream because in your dream, everything is real and you feel like you are in actual danger. But again, I haven't had one since I was little.

[yuppie11975]

Is your name katniss from the hunger games, or is it your name? ;3

[fOrceez]

@Katniss: What's your dream journal like, how many dreams do you call a night and are they vivid? Also, on a contrast to everyone else says; you CAN feel pain in your dreams, but if you are being attacked in a lucid dream, you can always wake yourself up at will or retaliate to your attacker on your own. The best part is, your attacks are limited to nothing but your imagination. You also have your defensive options for example, absorbing the attack or letting it pass right through you. Seeing as you are lucid, your attacker's attacks will hurt if you expect them to hurt. When you are lucid, it's all about expectancy. Good luck~

[yuppie11975]

@Katniss: What's your dream journal like, how many dreams do you call a night and are they vivid? Also, on a contrast to everyone else says; you CAN feel pain in your dreams, but if you are being attacked in a lucid dream, you can always wake yourself up at will or retaliate to your attacker on your own. The best part is, your attacks are limited to nothing but your imagination. You also have your defensive options for example, absorbing the attack or letting it pass right through you. Seeing as you are lucid, your attacker's attacks will hurt if you expect them to hurt. When you are lucid, it's all about expectancy. Good luck~ I do not believe you can feel pain in your dreams..

[fOrceez]

I do not believe you can feel pain in your dreams.. If you can touch and hear and see in a dream, why should you not be able to feel pain? All your senses are mentally stimulated.

[Dark_Merlin]

You can most certainly feel pain in your dreams, there's no limit to what you can and can not feel. In fact, there's no limit at all. I think one of the things that limits a lot of people is that they put lucid dreaming on a pedestal which becomes some kind of giant un-achievable goal, when in fact it's quite the opposite. Everyone dreams, everyone is more than able to become lucid in every dream they ever have in every night of their life. It's something that is natural, and the ability is inside you already. All the RC's, journalling, awareness, meditation all just helps you bring out that natural ability to dream! Don't look at lucid dreaming at something you want to learn to do, you already know how to do it! Simply allow yourself to become lucid and realise, it's easy!

[UcfGirl]

You can feel pain and I have felt pain in dreams...Nothing too extreme or you'll just wake up. But the uncomfortable sensation of falling, a punch, broken glass shards across my body, etc. I have all felt before. It's true from my experience. I almost always wake up, but it does still hurt X_X

[Katniss]

Oh sorry I left I see many people have been kind enough to answer this thread so I'm going to go through everything. X.X 1.) @Dakota. I will most definently keep that in mind. I will make sure to be much more in-depth. 2.) @Ucf. I think I've actually done this without meaning to! I'm going to try this tonight, after a nice day of reality checks. Yes, I've had an OOBE First one was when I was really little I woke up and got out of bed. I keep the door open so I walked out and looked down the stairs. Suddenly I had the urge to jump and I flew down the stairs, and it was a night I'll never forget. It happened when I was 6 I think, and right after I hit the bottom stairs I woke up in my physical body and then stood up and I didn't understand what had happened. At the time I just thought it was a dream, but when I got older I researched it more and I think it was an OOBE. In a thread I posted it up not to long ago I had a, yes, painful experince. I can post the experince on here if you like. Off topic though! 3.) @Yuppie. Nope just a fan. 4.) @FOrceez. My dream journal is chaotic to say the least. It ranges from long detailed pages to simple scentences to^^ keywords when I wake up in the middle of the night. I actually dream the most in the morning and will wake up many times during the morning hours with dream fragments. I'd say I have extremely vivid dreams 4/7 times. Four being number of dreams, seven being days in the week. I am I suppose a newbie at this, been trying for a while though. I'm always trying to get beter each day. I might have been lucid with out realizing it if it's possible, during a couple extremely give dreams. However, I have not added many dreams on here though, which I should. I keep them in a journal next to my bed. Off topic again sorry... 5.) @DarkMerlin. Thank you for those words of encouragement. Or they are seen as encouragement to me anyway. I need to be more positive and those words defienetly helped. Really, honestly. Especially the "You already know how to do it!" part 6.) I have felt pain to a point in a dream. The dreams were vivid in the ones I have had. If you would like more detail I can share a couple of dreams. I would consider them nightmares I suppose. I have also felt extreme emotion in dreams as well. Well I think I got everybody's comment in there! It means a lot that everyone here posted on this thread, even the ones who are going back and forth about feeling pain in dreams x.x

[yuppie11975]

You can most certainly feel pain in your dreams, there's no limit to what you can and can not feel. In fact, there's no limit at all. I think one of the things that limits a lot of people is that they put lucid dreaming on a pedestal which becomes some kind of giant un-achievable goal, when in fact it's quite the opposite. Everyone dreams, everyone is more than able to become lucid in every dream they ever have in every night of their life. It's something that is natural, and the ability is inside you already. All the RC's, journalling, awareness, meditation all just helps you bring out that natural ability to dream! Don't look at lucid dreaming at something you want to learn to do, you already know how to do it! Simply allow yourself to become lucid and realise, it's easy! That reminded me of the fourty year old virgin - put pussy on a pedestal. SOrry for off topic ;P

[RealitySucks]

What method are you using Dild?