My issue with lucid dreaming

[Monster99d]

Hi guys. I've been trying to lucid dream for a while now, and I keep having this issue every time I've gotten in a lucid dream. When I do, the moment I tend to become lucid my dream fades away or I usually wake up. I'm talking like instantly after I realize I'm lucid this happens, so there is no time to stabilize. Any suggestions of what to do?

[JadeGreen]

This is called a "Layer 1" lucid dream, and it means that your becoming lucid and then, almost immediately wake up. Don't worry, these experiences happen to everyone, and we all find them annoying. I have three tips: -Get in the habit of doing a reality check everytime you wake up. Don't really need to say too much on that one. -Try to avoid becoming excited when you get lucid. This can be difficult when you aren't very experienced, so perhaps daydream about becoming lucid (in waking life) then daydream that you stabilize the dream and carry on to do [whatever it is you want to do in lucid dreams]. Don't daydream about waking up. -Try applying a MILD mantra to counteract the problem. "When I become lucid, I will not wake up." or something similar.

[imrossed]

This will happen every now and then even after you are experienced. It happened to me recently even without getting excited, where I just said, "this means I'm dreaming" and then I just immediately woke up. Don't get discouraged by it and just keep doing what JadeGreen mentioned.

[DreamHighlander]

Do you get excited when you become lucid? If so, don't, as JadeGreen said. When i become lucid, i go like: "Hummm... I'm dreaming... Ok... So... What shall i do...?" I say this in a very calm way, don't move too much and make sure that i am 100% in the dream. When i am, then i can be more excited.

[Leo96]

This happens to me oftenly and sometimes i can't control it, but othertimes i just become really calm and everything reapears in a second. But if you happen to wake up, DON'T MOVE, just stay perfectly still and you'll enter a DEILD.

[501]

This was happening to me too, seconds after I would realize it was a dream I would be pulled right out. What I did was use my hand as a RC and really focus on the details of it, the hairs and wrinkles every little aspect of it. After you can see your hand clearly raise your head and stabilize the environment. Above all keep calm!! I also read about someone grabbing onto something in the dreamscape and that working to hold them in the dream. I know this can be very frustrating, keep working on it and try to remember to relax and stabalize. Good luck!!

[TheThinker]

-Try applying a MILD mantra to counteract the problem. "When I become lucid, I will not wake up." or something similar. Do not think about a baby crying. From a great self hypnosis book I read and use he says whenever possible it's best to word 'suggestions/mantras' in a positive way that can't in some way be changed by the mind into a negative thing. Example, "I will not eat chocolate cake" could be improved by saying "I avoid chocolate cake", if your brain drops the word 'avoid' it won't cause you to "will eat" the cake. Depending on how annoying your brain can be, it could even rearrange the order of the words so keep it short and sweet. "When I become lucid, I will not wake up." Could be changed to "My lucid dreams are long lasting", "I'm lucky and I have lengthy lucid dreams (extensive, etc)." The subconscious likes the idea of luck because it might protect the ego etc so it doesn't hurt to add it. Sometimes I'll say "Keep dreaming" or something similar when I become lucid, experiment to see what words etc work best for you. Maybe it's just me but getting angry during the start of an LD has helped me stay lucid and/or greatly improve the quality/stability of the LD. 1- I'd just got lucid and I saw a scary ghost, I'd worked hard to get lucid and assumed my subc was trying to scare me out of it or something so I got angry and attacked it and it disappeared. 2- I had a dark wispy dream (thought brain was messing with me by reducing the quality etc) so I yelled "this is my dream!" and like in a movie everything formed into a perfect house in front of my eyes. Maybe the anger increased some brain chems that helped, or when you're 'attacking' you aren't in fear and thinking/focusing on the dream ending, etc, if it works, great. I think "object meditation" could help too, keep it simple don't worry about the extras in tutorials out there. 1- Look and keep looking at some object 4 feet or so in front of you and don't blink just close your eyes if your eyes are too dry. 2- (eyes still closed) Focus on the afterimage or visualize a dot or the object until you can go without blinking again. 3- Open eyes and look at it. 4- Repeat. You want your mind to be like a spotlight, your only purpose is to 'look' at that object. Unwanted thoughts etc will be around at first but DO NOT give them any more power by shining the 'light' on them (by getting angry, annoyed, etc at them/yourself), just shine it back on the object. It will take practice so just relax and know that you'll get better at it. Thanks for bringing up mantras they've worked for me when I do them at the end of my RCs, etc.