The more vivid the dream, the less control I have.

My level of control seems to be inversely proportional to the level of clarity. I noticed that when I'm in a life-like LD, it's hard to expect something to happen; as opposed to a considerably less vivid LD, where it's relatively easy. It's frustrating when I'm doing almost everything I can to make myself expect things I want to happen, and it doesn't work for the most part. Pretty much the only thing I can consistently do regardless of the level of clarity is grow my favorite tail, and even that requires a few seconds of 'reassuring' or something. Help plz

The reason behind this is likely the fact that less vivid dreams are generally more out of the ordinary and strange, so it makes more sense that you would be able to change them. With vivid dreams, they may often seem very similar to waking life, even if the content is a bit odd. This makes it harder to convince your brain that it's a dream and that you can control it and change it into whatever you want. Basically, vividness and control are often inversely proportional, as you stated.

I suggest you try focusing on the things that are out of the ordinary, like the initial thing that tipped you off to it being a dream (if it's a DILD) or just anything that you know shouldn't actually be. This helps to convince you that it is indeed a dream, and can help increase your level of lucidity so that you have more control over the dream. Focus is always the key factor to most lucid dream related things.

Another tip is to try different methods of dream control. Are you doing any specific techniques or just willing things to be the way you want them to be? Personally, I snap my fingers when I want something to happen, since it kind of culminates all of my focus and energy into one specific burst of focus. There's also using a dream object, like a wand or something, to give you a major point of control and influence on your dream world. This can help deal with the lack of control and can be suited to what fits you best.

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Originally Posted by Burke

Are you doing any specific techniques or just willing things to be the way you want them to be?

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I'm mostly just willing things, along with imagining/visualizing them. Sometimes I manage to spawn a small object and find it nearby, which, in the last case, was a blue crystal from a pokemon fanfic.

I'd definitely try what I suggested above, then. Find some sort of object to channel your focus into and concentrate it down into whatever task you're trying to perform. As said, I snap my fingers, and other use a magic wand or, like you said, a blue crystal of sorts. Using something that has preconceived notions of having power/effect can help a lot.