Thread: Dream Journal + Reality Checks

Raise awareness (i.e. mindfulness, self-awareness, present in the here & now). Set strong intentions (mantras, affirmations, autosuggestion). Prospective memory too, but it's not clear to me if this is as important for DILD as it is for, say MILD or WILD. Perhaps one of the more experienced LDers will provide some insight on this.

I know about all these, I'm just asking if djing and rcing is enough i.e you can still get lds. I'm talking about DILDS.

You need to work on awareness and intentions for DILD, at least if you want more than the infrequent LD. Prospective memory can come in handy too, for instance if you want to do something specific once you attain lucidity, but I don't think it's necessary, however it can't hurt? Might even help to remind you to do things like confirm and stabilize.

It depends on what you want. For most people, only DJing and doing reality checks will bring you a LD once in a while. If you want to become really good and take it to the next level, you're gonna have to do a lot more, like he explained above.

Originally Posted by mimihigurashi

It depends on what you want. For most people, only DJing and doing reality checks will bring you a LD once in a while. If you want to become really good and take it to the next level, you're gonna have to do a lot more, like he explained above.

Yup. I'm pretty sure if I just DJ and do some RCs and because I do meditate daily, I'll get the occasional LD.

However I want more !

Reality Tests and a Dream Journal are a good foundation for a beginning lucid dreamer. (I don't want to pass judgement on you based soley on your post count, but I'd probably be right to say you're fairly new to this.) If you want to avoid feeling overwhelmed in the beginning, then these two elements alone will probably help you to get your feet wet with lucid dreaming.

I like to think of lucid dreaming as a pyramid. Recall is the foundation, because it is most essential. Without solid recall, you might not remember what you dreamed about. You could have a fantastic, long and vivid LD, but not even know that you had it thanks to less-than-adequate recall. Keeping a dream journal helps to improve your recall, so this helps build that foundation level of your lucid dreaming pyramid.

Likewise, Reality Tests are a solid second tier on your pyramid.

The final Tier of your pyramid is where you will work on dream stabilization and control and carrying out whatever antics you have planned. Like a food pyramid, this is kind of the 'Junk Food' tier, because it's the one everyone enjoys the most. If you want to start planning some lucid goals now, that's good, but you should really focus on building solid lucidity and recall first.

Short Answer: Yes, this is a great start for a newcomer to lucid dreaming. But don't be afraid to try other lucid dreaming 'foods' (techniques), as you progress.

Originally Posted by JadeGreen

Reality Tests and a Dream Journal are a good foundation for a beginning lucid dreamer. (I don't want to pass judgement on you based soley on your post count, but I'd probably be right to say you're fairly new to this.) If you want to avoid feeling overwhelmed in the beginning, then these two elements alone will probably help you to get your feet wet with lucid dreaming.

I like to think of lucid dreaming as a pyramid. Recall is the foundation, because it is most essential. Without solid recall, you might not remember what you dreamed about. You could have a fantastic, long and vivid LD, but not even know that you had it thanks to less-than-adequate recall. Keeping a dream journal helps to improve your recall, so this helps build that foundation level of your lucid dreaming pyramid.

Likewise, Reality Tests are a solid second tier on your pyramid.

The final Tier of your pyramid is where you will work on dream stabilization and control and carrying out whatever antics you have planned. Like a food pyramid, this is kind of the 'Junk Food' tier, because it's the one everyone enjoys the most. If you want to start planning some lucid goals now, that's good, but you should really focus on building solid lucidity and recall first.

Short Answer: Yes, this is a great start for a newcomer to lucid dreaming. But don't be afraid to try other lucid dreaming 'foods' (techniques), as you progress.

This. Dream recall is one of the most important aspects of understanding dreams. Think of it like an exam, you study, do research, and then sit down to do the test, but then you've forgotten everything you learned and you fail the exam. It's the exact same principle, being able to recall your dreams is what allows you to think about them and understand them in the way they need to be understood, so that when you're in the dream you're not overwhelmed by things you don't understand. For me I have a terrible short term memory in waking states, but for some reason I have excellent dream recall naturally, not sure why but I do. For some they have to write DJ's for recall, but the philosophy is the same. Being able to remember what you've dreamed and to study the different aspects of it is what helps you pass the exam of attaining lucidity, things like reality checks are just tricks that you can apply to help you pass the exam a little bit easier.