Thread: Just another quick dumb question from a newbie

Hi,

To me it seems like you are doing quite fine.
In DILDs doing frequent reality checks and noting down dream signs n' mentally preparing to react for them is quite a good start

And about those Dream Signs
It might be just that you stopped activity in waking life which was dream sign for you while ago.
So subconsciousness stops to use it during creation or just existance our dreams after a while.

I guess it's like comparing retro games from 50s and newest ones
We know which ones get more popularity

There are few suggestions that i should throw:
- Make sure your mindful when doing reality checks. You don't want them to become mindless habit that you will do in dreams.
- Wait. It might be just that reality checks haven't made their way yet into your dreams. If you were for some time doing reality checks they should eventually bleed into your dreams.
- Do them more often but not too often (This would be the option if you wouldn't do them quite often?)
- Don't feel exhausted, forced or unhappy when doing reality checks (If you will be like all unhappy and feeling pressured or forced when doing them, you might prevent yourself from doing them in dreams. Since subconsciously you might protect yourself from stuff that makes you feel bad in dreams. Try to keep up being energyful, happy and optimistic when doing most of RCs)

I think the great for you would be signing up for Intro Class at DVs
It has most stuff covered

Intro Class

Look forward, be excited, think about it whole day...

Thanks a bunch! This is quite encouraging. I'll keep in mind what you said.

It might be just that you stopped activity in waking life which was dream sign for you while ago.
So subconsciousness stops to use it during creation or just existance our dreams after a while.

And I thought of that too. But not to seem rude or anything, but one of my dream signs is my recently dead father. So I don't quite know what to make of your statement. But still. That is all very good advice. Thank you.

How long have you been trying for?

When I first began trying to lucid dream it took 3 weeks to have my first one. It was pretty short and nothing much happened, but becoming lucid was a big milestone. Each successive LD after that become more vivid with more control etc. I am almost certain that if you keep trying you will experience the same thing! Really expect it to happen, and it will. Good luck

Thank you for your helpful advice!

First off, I'd say I've been trying in earnest for a little over a month now. So yeah, about three weeks or more. That's not to say lucidity hasn't been a goal of mine for a long time, because it has. But I've only REALLY been trying for about a month. And I'm SO looking forward to my first lucid!! Thank you so much for your help and encouragement, and your patience with my newbishness. I'm anticipating my lucid dream very much.

Try WBTB (wake-back-to-bed). For your first attempt, start with 10 minutes. Ideally, you're already waking up naturally between REM cycles during the night, so try it then. Otherwise you can use an alarm. If you must use an alarm, try one that uses vibration or gradually increasing volume.

Even better, combine WBTB with a session of MILD or SSILD.

I've considered doing WBTB before, I just haven't gotten around to it. But this is good motivation. I'll try that. The only thing is, I don't naturally wake up during my REM cycles. I'd need to use an alarm. Do you have any ideas on what I should set my alarm for? Or how to train myself to wake up during REM?

Thanks for your support! I look forward to hearing more from you!

P.S. I'm just mildly scared of the WILD technique. I don't exactly relish the thought of sleep paralysis. But whatever.

I noticed, Sedrick, that you listed everything you are doing to LD in less than 20 words. Though they are important, there really is more to learning to lucid dream than doing RC's, journaling, and recognizing dream signs. Also, three weeks is not a long time.

I suggest you take some more time, learn about the fundamentals (self-awareness, expectation/intention, and memory), look into some of the techniques for achieving WILD's and DILD. If you haven't already, you also should read LaBerge's Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming as well, as it is an excellent summary of what needs to be done. There are a lot of pieces to assemble in the LD'ing puzzle, and it takes some truly careful assembly to put them properly together. You should be sure to at least have all the pieces on the table before getting started.

Good luck!

Absolutely! Wonderful advice, sir!

Though I must say in my defense, however, yes, I have read Mr. LaBerge's book, and many other articles. I do not confess to know it all, of course. And if using less than 20 words bothers you, I can edit my original post and be more loquacious. But seriously. I thought it would be best to leave things concise. I know how tedious it is reading through long lists written by people who don't know what they're doing.

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Using less than than 20 words -- and leaving out the fact that you are apparently well-versed in the subject -- did not bother me. Brevity is a good thing, but clarity is an even better one... would've saved me some time, I think.

Never mind.

I see. I'll keep that in mind for next time. Pardon me if I seemed rude. Really, thank you for your help!

WBTB is best done after about 6 hours of sleep. That's after your 4th REM cycle. The cycles are about 90 minutes each. There's also sweet spots after the 3rd and 5th cycles (4.5 and 7.5 hours).

That's based on a lot of assumptions though. It assumes that you have a regular sleep schedule. And even if it is regular, the 90 minute cycles are really just an average. They can vary from night to night even with everything else constant. This is why it's more effective to wake naturally after the cycle than to guess at a time with an alarm. But don't take that too strongly. The REM timing is probably more critical to WILD techniques and maximizing dream recall. For a WBTB+DILD approach, it's not so bad if you interrupt a cycle with an alarm.

So if I could back up, I'd say my first advice, on top of all the other things you're doing, is to ensure that you're getting good quality sleep, or what we call good sleep hygiene. Then try WBTB.

As for waking up naturally, you train yourself to do this by developing a strong intent and habit. Before going to bed, get your journal ready next to your bed and, with strong intent, remind yourself: "I will wake up after my next dream and write in my journal." Repeat it a few times. At this time you can also do some preparation in your journal: write the date and time you are going to bed, write any goals you have for that night, and anything else you'd like to record daily like alarm times, supplements, or sleeping conditions. If you stick to this routine for several days, you will likely start to wake naturally in between cycles. You will be very sleepy during those wakings. At a minimum, record the time in your journal and then go back to sleep. Better though would be to spend 1-2 minutes writing whatever you can remember about the previous dream. Continue to be diligent with the dream journal and this will become a strong habit.

Ah! Very informative! It will take a while to digest all that information. I'll be sure to give all this a try and let you know how it goes. I'll most likely have some questions before it's all over. Thanks!