Dreams are always so cloudy and distant

Hi,

I've been trying to lucid dream for the last 2 months, I've written my dreams (if I can even remember them) in a dream journal every day, and perform hourly reality checks throughout the day. I have attempted WILD twice, after waking up after 5 hours sleep. Each time, I could not see any astral patterns even though I used body relaxation techniques. My dreams are always so distant to me, and I normally only remember fragments of them. However I've started using mugwort and this has really helped with increasing the vividness, but there still not at a point where I feel a DILD would ever occur.

Any advice on what to do?

I would suggest inducing DILDs via some induction technique (SSILD or MILD) directly before REM sleep. After you WBTB (roughly 4-6 hours after bedtime), perform your induction.

Also, why only two WILD attempts in two months? Seems like not many to me. Glad mugwort is working out for you. Disrupting your sleep in the middle of the night is super important, though. Do you WBTB on other nights as well, or just the two times you attempted WILD?

Ok thanks I'm going to try an SSILD tonight, and start doing WBTB every day. I tried doing WILD again last night, I woke up read a lucid dreaming for 30 mins and then followed the procedures from my book, I felt incredibly relaxed but did not see any astral patterns or any visuals at all, so I left it.

Dreams get "closer" and more vivid with experience, improved dream recall, and increased self-awareness. I think the best program for beginners is to read LaBerge's excellent "Exploring The World Of Lucid Dreams" and his exercise book "A Course In Lucid Dreaming" which gives a progression of step-by-step exercises from the techniques mentioned in ETWOLD. Can't get much better than that to get going.

Also, come on over to the DVA forum and sign up for one of the classes, like the intro class or the DILD class, and keep a workbook of your progress, it's a great way to maintain your momentum and to get feedback and ask questions.

Yes I'm reading "Exploring The World Of Lucid Dreams" at the moment. Thank you I'll join today

One more thing: don't "look" for any particular sign of an approaching WILD. I personally do not see HI ever (which is what I think you are calling Astral patterns), but this does not stop me from WILDing. It could be you have different signs, or no signs at all. So just try to be mindful of what us happening without focusing on any one thing. You might read up on finding an anchor as well: something to hold your awareness at the approach and onset of sleep.