Thread: Is there something wrong I do?

Ok. It, been a week or more since I started Luciding and I don't see any improvements ever since
Here's how i prepare: Last hours before bed I usualy play a game for an about hour, then I go eat something. Afterwards, I go to bed (not laying yet, just repeating my mantra: next dream I will be awake, I will become Lucid in a dream etc...) for a few minutes and then perform a RC. Then I lay back and go to sleep, again repeating "I will have a Lucid dream now" until I fall asleep. And the dream is like normal...

I know it takes time to get lucid, but is there anything wrong I do or I just need to wait for it?

Why are you eating so close before bed? This is an extremely BAD idea. Try not to eat anything past 7 pm is a general rule... Especially do not eat fatty foods before sleep.

You're doing everything else fine, just do not eat. Try maybe reading a LD book before bed so it is fresh in your mind. Or go to sleep for about 4 and half hours, wake up, read the LD book, then go back to sleep.

Becoming lucid takes time, keep at it - it took me about a month to get my first, and this was after every day doing what you say.

This can be very dangerous, but if you want QUICK LD... deprive yourself of sleep for about a week, 3 hours a day... then have a nice long sleep in the weekend, or have a nap when you get extremely tired and yes.. the chances of an LD would be higher.

For this above example though, I strongly suggest you DO NOT do this as it can not only harm your health, if you operate heavy machinery/drive a car for work or leisure... it could be potentially dangerous for other people too (considering you may spontaneously fall asleep)

Im 16 xD I dont have a car yet.
Well, im always hungry even after 1 hour i had big meal so...

Originally Posted by Lucidit

Well, im always hungry even after 1 hour i had big meal so...

A little off topic here mate, but I wanted to say it still. It's not because you can't eat, no-one will stop you from doing that, but think about it. If you eat right before going to bed, 95% of what you eat will not be used but rather turned into body fat because you burn almost no energy when you sleep

Originally Posted by Kruse

A little off topic here mate, but I wanted to say it still. It's not because you can't eat, no-one will stop you from doing that, but think about it. If you eat right before going to bed, 95% of what you eat will not be used but rather turned into body fat because you burn almost no energy when you sleep

Sorry but that's a myth :-)
You don't gain more weight from eating prior to sleep. I can understand the rationale though, considering you use less energy when you sleep... but you quite simply make up for it by using energy the next day so in the big picture it doesn't matter.

Originally Posted by Bansheet

Sorry but that's a myth :-)
You don't gain more weight from eating prior to sleep. I can understand the rationale though, considering you use less energy when you sleep... but you quite simply make up for it by using energy the next day so in the big picture it doesn't matter.

You are right, there is no conclusive evidence that eating before bed leads to weight gain. Your metabolism is still slowed down, and eating wrong sorts of food before bed is, whichever way you look at it, not healthy. Also, what's the rational thought behind "you just use more the next day"? That's the same as saying we don't gain weight, because if we eat more, the body will just make up for that by "using more energy"?

Originally Posted by Kruse

You are right, there is no conclusive evidence that eating before bed leads to weight gain.

Because it doesn't.

Your metabolism is still slowed down, and eating wrong sorts of food before bed is, whichever way you look at it, not healthy.

Eating wrong food at anytime of the day is not healthy

Also, what's the rational thought behind "you just use more the next day"? That's the same as saying we don't gain weight, because if we eat more, the body will just make up for that by "using more energy"?

I think your misunderstanding me here. Those two statements are not even remotely comparably unless you though I meant that your body uses more energy because you eat more... this is obviously not the case.

When I say "using more energy the next day" I mean that you can't look isolated on a single night in regards to gaining weight. You have to look at your energy usage on average over the whole 24 hours every day of the week for a decent period. In the same way you have to look at the average energy intake during the whole 24 hours. So yeah sure you might use less energy in the night but your making up for it by using more energy during the day.
My point being that the time of which you eat doesn't matter in terms of weight gain.

Anyway on topic: Eating/drinking stimulants prior to going to bed might be a bad idea because it will make it hard to fall asleep. Stimulants could be coffein, suger etc.
Oh and I've heard people say that you won't sleep as deeply if your body is busy digesting food... I'm not sure if there is any validity to this though and even if there is I would think the difference would be minor at best... However don't take my word for it as I haven't researched it myself

When you're repeating your mantra before you go to sleep, make sure you aren't just saying it, but rather truly believing in it.
Atleast, that is what my problem was when I started, I would repeat a phrase over and over, but not actually believe it.
Once I did that, Lucidity followed along.

weird but: How do I believe in it? U know what i mean... hope so

Are you keeping a dream journal? Is you dream recall improving? That's the most important practice.

Dude, you have been here for four days. No offense, but plenty of skilled LDers can go four days without a lucid. Lucid dreaming takes persistence.

Rhill, haven't seem you in a while, how have you been? Where did you hear that about not eating? I always eat before bed. Last night I had tons of popcorn and had an LD. I have not heard of that before. :/ if it something that helps though, I might get more lucids! Haha.

Well if your mantra is "I'm dreaming." Or "the next thing I see will be a dream." Then you have to believe those things. Put meaning behind each word, have a picture in your head of what that mantra is. It is really hard to explain. Read this:
Tutorial for Saying a Mantra - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views

Originally Posted by BrandonBoss

Dude, you have been here for four days. No offense, but plenty of skilled LDers can go four days without a lucid. Lucid dreaming takes persistence.

Rhill, haven't seem you in a while, how have you been? Where did you hear that about not eating? I always eat before bed. Last night I had tons of popcorn and had an LD. I have not heard of that before. :/ if it something that helps though, I might get more lucids! Haha.

Well if your mantra is "I'm dreaming." Or "the next thing I see will be a dream." Then you have to believe those things. Put meaning behind each word, have a picture in your head of what that mantra is. It is really hard to explain. Read this:
Tutorial for Saying a Mantra - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views

Hey mate yeah I am good been busy with life etc and to the eating before bed thing, I've always been told it's bad to before bed for dream recall; but that said, it was through the grapevine and I have no scientific data. If you said you've had an LD after eating before bed then you've destroyed my "theory".

But regardless, (OT) you shouldn't worry about not having LD's Lucidit, as Brandon said, you go can a long time without an LD even if you're experienced. Patients, believe you can... and you will.

Originally Posted by rhill1991

Hey mate yeah I am good been busy with life etc and to the eating before bed thing, I've always been told it's bad to before bed for dream recall; but that said, it was through the grapevine and I have no scientific data. If you said you've had an LD after eating before bed then you've destroyed my "theory".

But regardless, (OT) you shouldn't worry about not having LD's Lucidit, as Brandon said, you go can a long time without an LD even if you're experienced. Patients, believe you can... and you will.

Life is always so busy isn't it. you back for good here?well it might be something with a small effect, or it might just be an old wives tale. I'll look it up online and get back with you.

thnks guys for help, I really appreciate u'r taking time to help me :9

Dude, you have been here for four days. No offense, but plenty of skilled LDers can go four days without a lucid. Lucid dreaming takes persistence.

I haven't had very vivid dreams in that week of trying and i see other people improvements so I thought: I must be doing something wrong, how come other see some improvements nd I dont...

nyway, thnks for the link

Originally Posted by Lucidit

thnks guys for help, I really appreciate u'r taking time to help me :9


I haven't had very vivid dreams in that week of trying and i see other people improvements so I thought: I must be doing something wrong, how come other see some improvements nd I dont...

nyway, thnks for the link

Well DJing will improve recall, vividness, and awareness.

THIS was my mistake: ''I will have a Lucid Dream'' instead of "I lucid dream"
'''I will do reality checks in my dreams'' instead of "I do reality checks in my dreams"

Yeah! There is some controversy in the mantra area, some people do not think that the tense matters, but when I switched to present tense I started having more LDs.

ok, gonna try that tonight thnks gain

The only thing I could add here that has not been said allready is to have patience and be calm and at peace. I have seen many a time too much anticipation or expectance can trouble ones mind and prevent LDing. In any case, I am very interested to hear what results the mantra sorting will yield and, take your time, focus on your progress, there isn't a need to think you are in a race with others.

As for eating, I always eat late at night and it had never impacted my LD's whatsoever, neither other sleeping habits and events. I think this is a matter that differs from person to person, their metabolism, habbits.

LOL When I was a kid I used to eat cheese and fruit cake before going to bed. I thought it would improve my dreams.

I know that Albert Taylor says that he kept logs of his lucid dreams and habits before bed to keep track of and improve his ability to lucid dream. He states in his book called Soul Traveler that the optimal time to eat a HEAVY meal is 3-4 hours before sleep. Obviously he reported more lucid dreams if he didn't eat just prior to going to sleep.

It makes sense to me in this way; If your body is not busy digesting a lot of food at night it will have more energy to spend inside the brain and keep a conscious enough mind to actually induce lucidity in dreams.

Originally Posted by Dthoughts

I know that Albert Taylor says that he kept logs of his lucid dreams and habits before bed to keep track of and improve his ability to lucid dream. He states in his book called Soul Traveler that the optimal time to eat a HEAVY meal is 3-4 hours before sleep. Obviously he reported more lucid dreams if he didn't eat just prior to going to sleep.

It makes sense to me in this way; If your body is not busy digesting a lot of food at night it will have more energy to spend inside the brain and keep a conscious enough mind to actually induce lucidity in dreams.

Yeah I definetly see the rationale and it might very well be true. Again I have my doubts as to the extend of which this would affect dreaming though.But I never researched it. If you believe that you have good evidence that it does indeed have a noticable effect please disregard my doubts since they're purely based on speculation

The fact that he reported more lucid dreams if he didn't eat just prior to sleep could be atributed to expectation/placebo effect/coincidence. Also humans have a tendency to see patterns in randomness. Maybe he was spending more time meditating before bed when he wasn't busy eating? There can be loads of reasons.
Again, and I can't stress this enough! I definetly see the rationale here. I'm just not entirely convinced.
If I'm being completely out of line here, please enlighten me

Isn't that book about astral projection? In most peoples opinion, that is a lot different. I am actually just asking because I am interested in all things that effect lucid dreaming

So I've been doing everything this says and I still can't remember my dreams

Originally Posted by Dawson980

So I've been doing everything this says and I still can't remember my dreams

Well you're not doing everything this says as you are commenting on this post.

This post says for you to be patient, and expect and believe you can LD. If you're posting here then you haven't been patient enough. it could take days, weeks, months and years but EVERYONE can lucid dream.

Keep at it, believing you can and never doubt yourself. I know it's hard not to doubt yourself but you just need to believe that one day you will, essentially tricking your mind in a sense as you're going against all your beliefs.

Keep trying, you'll get it one day. If you keep trying, I promise you will LD!.

Make sure your dream recall is at least once a night and make sure you get enough sleep. If you have 4-5 hours sleep a night, you will miss those important REM periods (where LD'ing happens).

When you wake up after a decent sleep, only move to get your dream journal and sit there and think in your mind what you experienced last night.. try to remember like a memory that was lost. You'll get progressively better at dream recall and then you have the foundations to LD'ing. If dream recall is not strong currently, the chances of "remembering" an LD is so low. Plus, if you keep a record of your dreams, you will start to see a pattern and when you dream you can spontaneously become lucid as your unconscious will spur on your conscious as it notices some signs.