Types of intent

How would you define the type of intent that is required to successfully carry your intentions into your dreams. Throughout the day, when reciting mantras or setting your intention to have a lucid dream, do you express your "desire" of lucid dreaming, like you would do when you desire something in the physical world, such as eating when you are hungry. Or, instead of having a physical/active intent, do you rather set your intention in a passive/daydreaming way. I use daydreaming to describe the type of intentions that arise when your mind drifts off and starts imagining how your life could be or things you would like to do. The reason why i'm asking this is to know if i should actively set my intent before sleeping when i perform MILD, like i would when i want to say something or go somewhere, or rather just keep the idea in the back of my mind and kinda drift off to sleep while daydreaming about it. Sorry if the dinstinction between both is hard to grasp, my explanations weren't very clear :P.

I understand you. Personally I think too much intent doesn't work. It's more a soft touch IMO. Otherwise you stress about it and end up losing sleep. Intend gently and relax and drift off to sleep.

For me, the stronger intent I have to lucid dream, the more I do become lucid and the more reality checks I do per day. September 2013 is proof of that; got 28 LDs based on intent and reality checks alone.

Whatever works for you. Everyone is different and you sorta have to find your own way. But you DO have to sleep to LD so avoid stressing too much.

I think success comes with a bit of both types. Daydreaming and a passive desire for lucid dreaming I think are necessary, or else you would lose interest. As for more forceful intent, I think it's best if it is narrowly focused and clear. If you have a broad, vague intent that you express strongly ("I really want to have a lucid dream!") then that's the kind of thing that can stress and discourage because it's difficult to measure or see progress. It doesn't call you to a specific action. Instead, you want to direct that intent into something more concrete ("When I walk through a doorway, I will perform a nose pinch reality check.")

It's an interesting topic because I think people uses mantras for both purposes, but if they confuse the two then they may be counter-productive. I think some mantras are meant to be more passive ("I dream"). Repeating it over and over doesn't so much set your intent but rather puts you into a sort of hypnotic state. On the other hand, a more specific mantra sets a clear intent, like LaBerge's original ("The next time that I am dreaming I will remember to recognize that I am dreaming.")

Thank you all for your answers! In my own experience, reciting mantras and doing reality checks troughout the day does not cause me to question the nature of my dreams. What works better for me is simply to fall asleep while maintaining the passive knowledge that i will have a lucid dream. The only way i could accurately describe it is like having an idea in the back of my mind, while at the same time carrying out my other activities like i would normally do. Then, when i am dreaming, this idea that i kept in the corners of my mind naturally comes forth and causes me to question the nature of my reality.