Can't 'tap' into dream? PLEASE HELP!!

[AvengingHunter]

Hello! So, I have this current problem in my dreaming state that I KNOW I'm dreaming because things are there in my dream that in my normal waking life, isn't there. I'll supply you with an example from last night. Last night, I had a dream that was researching a volcano that when it erupted, a large black rock (like from the ABC show, The Whispers) came out from the top standing straight up. Some of my partners on the case were none other than the (2003 version) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But, the thing is, is that I can feel my subconscious in the veeeery back of my mind saying, 'Hey, this isn't right. The TMNT's aren't real! I must be dreaming!' But, as I've read on many other websites, I don't get that sudden spark that causes me to do a reality check, or puts me in the dream when I realize that I am dreaming. Instead, the dream just continues on like normal. Now, my question is, how do I 'tap' into my dream by acknowledging that I am indeed dreaming? Like I said, I know I am sometimes, but I never become lucid with it, therefore I can't do a reality check to make sure. I remember 98% of my dreams, write in a dream journal, and I do about 10 reality checks a day, and I do various ones. I do the blocking nose technique, the finger through the palm one, the double checking the clock one, and if I'm alone, hopping in the air and willing myself to float. I've been told that I'm doing my reality checks wrong, but I don't know how else to do them. In short, I ask myself if I'm dreaming, do the action, WILL it to happen and observe my surroundings, then conclude that I am not dreaming at the moment. What am I doing wrong? Can anybody please help me out? c:

[RaveCrazedDave]

Well, I'm not sure this will help a lot, but something I learned very early is that just because you know you are dreaming that doesn't mean your dream will go the way you want, or that you will have any control what-so-ever. A lucid dream is simply a dream where you know you are dreaming, nothing else. In your case there might be some things you can work on. First of all, doing a reality check should be really impactful, you should be really mindful of the results, because if you're doing a RC over and over again without paying much attention you'll just have another routine, and not a reality check. Reality checks are all about breaking routine. Do you feel that is the case? Do you stop and REALLY think about where you are, what you're doing, and in general if you think you're dreaming or not before doing the reality check? Do you REALLY think about the implications of suposedly not being asleep after you cannot breath with your nose plugged? All those seem like very important things to conssider. Make RCs and awareness checks the biggest deal you can and bring them to the FRONT of your mind, not the back. If you have that right, maybe it's a problem with stability, maybe you just forget you're dreaming easily. The long, drawn out RC might help with this. Try to remember to repeat it to yourself as soon as you realize you're dreaming. This is one of those things that you'll just have to hammer down into yourself. You'll not remember every time, but eventually I assume you will. Which brings me to what seems like a very important factor, and that's memory. Maybe you're just not remembering what a RC really means, or what being in a dream really implies. I don't know if this is a thing, but it seems plausible. Are you new to this, or is this a problem that didn't exist before and now does? If you are new I would say these things are common. I've had some dreams like that, where I realize I'm dreaming and either wake up or just forget. But I've always strived to do something new. I think my first big progress was when I really told myself "ok, when you're dreaming, you're going to try to press your finger into your palm." And this wasn't even a reality check, it was just something I really wanted to experience, and something I REALLY wanted to remember for my next lucid dream. And then it happened. I was in my dream going up some stairs when I reach a dead end at the top and realize "I'm dreaming mang." I got really excited and then I remembered "Oh right, the finger thing." And I did it and it was amazing, even though I woke up imediately afterwards, or at least don't remember anything else. But yeah, try to set small goals for yourself, something like blinking 3 times, touching your nose or something like that. Take it slowly, just to train your dream to awake memory a bit more. Then you can go to harder stuff like remembering to REALLY keep calm and focus that this is in fact a dream, and that I'm dreaming, and what does this entail... Keep in mind that I'm very newbie to this too, so be warned, but I assume what I said isn't too far from the truth, and it certainly isn't too far from my own experience, as little as it may be. I hope it helps a bit. EDIT: This might be a useful read: Dream Stabilization and Clarity Tutorial Also, I sugest looking around, the forum is filled with great ideas to help improve your dreams and lucidity. Just try to improve bit by bit.

[cooleymd]

how do I 'tap' into my dream by acknowledging that I am indeed dreaming? Some people know they are dreaming but don't have control, and call it go with the flow. But just doing your reality check is a form of control. You sound semi-lucid, or very low level lucid in these dreams. Doing the reality check or telling yourself you are dreaming or using dream power is the next step. Just having the dream power doesn't make you lucid tho, usually in non-lucid dreams I will draw weapons to defend myself, become bullet/arrow proof or whatever with no idea I am dreaming. Also just realizing after the fact that the dream was ridiculous isn't the same as realizing it in the dream. You can become lucid in totally realistic dreamscapes too. Maybe you should try visualization of your dreams where you relive them just before you go to sleep and see the weirdness and then in your mind as you relive them, tell yourself "I am dreaming, I must reality check, I must stabilize", then imagine yourself checking, and then imagine yourself stabilizing, then say in the vision "I must have a dream goal" then set one like flying and imagine yourself setting off after your goal. If you remember 98% of dreams you should have a lot to work with. You could also try setting a dream intention, like to dream of a particular impossible thing, and mantra to yourself you will become lucid when it happens. Usually if you become lucid suddenly one of several things will happen, you will wake up quickly, you will enter the void, or you will set about a routine to stabilize, going with the flow is another option but it never happens to me, I would have to intentionally do it. In my last three lucids, the first was blurry and I failed to stabilize, in the second I tried to rush a DC and lost the dreamscape, then one minute latter in the third, I realized I was still asleep and became lucid again, decided to jump got stuck in the air and woke up. But in each case I was certain I was dreaming. My lucidity was strong (if brief), my control was fair, but my stability was crap