Getting into lucid dreaming again

[MariosDrougas]

So hello, I had started trying to lucid dream from november 2013 but I gave up quickly and started trying 4 more times with a 6 month gap each time and I am sure I had failed because I didn't tackle the right parts. So I am asking you people if what I think I should do is correct. Fix my sleep schedule to sleeping at 10:00 pm and waking up at 8:00 am After I do that for about a week, start dream journaling Techniques etc...

[Rothgar]

Here's my recommendation... 1. Read Stephen LaBerge's book "Exploring the world of lucid dreaming" to understand the basics. 2. Journal your dreams. 3. Identify your dream signs. 4. Practice reality checks. 5. Wake up a couple hours before you normally get up long enough to rouse yourself but not prevent you from falling back asleep. 6. Anticipate a lucid dream as you fall back asleep. That prescription works well for me. Don't try too hard. LD dreams usually come when you are not overly tired. If you are lacking some sleep...just sleep in and get caught up, and try the next night. I don't go for suppliments but I have noticed a couple times I was tired in the evening (although not because of lack of sleep) and had a soft drink with caffine in it. Later that night i had really good, long LDs. Being a stimulant it makes you more alert, which is needed to catch the dream sign.

[Snooze]

I'm glad you're back, im definitely not a natural either, I have long breaks due to frustration , about to start my journey back into LD'ing aswell, hope you keep us updated!

[Shabby]

I've started again as well. Currently very inactive due to finals, but good luck to you guys. Maybe we could use this as a progress thread, or possibly make a different one?

[MariosDrougas]

It would be nice if we would use this as a progress thread :p

[Shabby]

Well then, I'll start: Today I remembered a lengthy dream about amphibious creatures fighting it out. Also, my awareness in waking life is becoming more prominent again, which will help with the LDs. I still need to improve it and learn to recognize dream signs/often do reality checks, but it's a good start.

[Laurelindo]

Think of it this way - your next chance to have a lucid dream is never further away than the next time you fall asleep. You can very likely become lucid tonight, or the night after that. Also, make sure that you actually feel excited about lucid dreaming. Some people can need a couple years in order to really get used to the idea; I started becoming interested in lucid dreaming some time in 2008-2009, and I think I had my first lucid dream in late October 2011, if I recall correctly - and then I would have at least one lucid dream every week for some time after that all of a sudden, probably because I started feeling so motivated from that first lucid dream, so motivation and excitement play a major role. Make sure you have some concrete goals, so that you have a reason to practice lucid dreaming. Flying and sex are easily some of the most popular goals for any lucid dreamer, but there are infinite possibilities, so if you can imagine something, then you can also have a lucid dream about it. One of the simplest ways to practice lucid dreaming is probably to just tell yourself every time you go to sleep that you are going to recognize your next dream for a dream, and then keep doing that every time you go to bed until it has "sunk in". I am not sure if there is a name for that "technique", but I guess it is some kind of MILD (Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams) method, where you remind yourself to remember to carry out a future event - that is, recognizing a future dream for a dream.

[Shabby]

Thanks for your comment! I'm getting really excited about this whole thing again~

[Laurelindo]

Thanks for your comment! I'm getting really excited about this whole thing again~ That's great. Don't put too much pressure on yourself, because that's one of the biggest excitement killers. One good way to get started is to have realistic goals that you are confident that you can succeed with without too much trouble. For example, your very first goal can be something as simple as trying to recall one dream per night on average, and then your next goal can be to try figuring out what it is that usually happens in your dreams. If you notice that there is a certain element that often appears in your dreams, then you can prepare for that and remind yourself "the next time I notice that element, I will try to figure out if I may be dreaming". So for example, if you often dream about a family member, then make sure that you always double-check if you might be dreaming at that moment whenever you spot that family member - even if you are "sure" that you are awake. I have had many dreams that have felt so realistic that I have just assumed that I was awake, and then it turned out that it was actually a dream! So it can be a very good idea to critically check your surroundings for something that indicates that you are dreaming whenever you feel the slightest suspicious. I also highly recommend that you watch the movies The Matrix and Inception if you haven't seen them before - they are to some degree based on lucid dreaming (especially Inception, although personally I think that The Matrix nailed the "lucid dream feel" slightly better) and they are very motivating. I really like the "Jump Program" scene from The Matrix, it feels almost exactly like when you are trying to fly or jump very far in a lucid dream for the first time (you sometimes fail at supernatural things in your first lucid dreams because your brain still has problems accepting that you can do something "impossible").

[MariosDrougas]

Yes, I understand what you mean. I started learning about lucid dreaming in late 2013 but the lifestyle change it required made me give up. Now I'm ok with it and this is my plan of success: Recall 20 dreams Start reality checks Have my first lucid Do other techniques (especially interested in CAT)

[MariosDrougas]

So far recalled 3 dreams out of 5 days of starting this!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[LDman]

So hello, I had started trying to lucid dream from november 2013 but I gave up quickly and started trying 4 more times with a 6 month gap each time and I am sure I had failed because I didn't tackle the right parts. So I am asking you people if what I think I should do is correct. Fix my sleep schedule to sleeping at 10:00 pm and waking up at 8:00 am After I do that for about a week, start dream journaling Techniques etc... Sleeping at 10:00 pm and waking up at 8:00 am sounds a bit too good to be true, maybe 23:00 with WBTB at 5:00 and my personal wake up time 7:00 will work better...