Need Support and Encouragement

I've been attempting lucid dreaming for over 2 months now and I'm having issues.

I am having serious problems with dream recall. Even though I keep a dream journal and record in it every day, I don't have very clear dreams at all. About a week and a half ago, I experienced a true lucid dream but it was by accident. I was sleeping during a time that I'm normally awake, and my reality check reminder went off while I was dreaming. This triggered my awareness and I had an awesome (if non-eventful) lucid dream.

I thought that my dream recall might get better or that I'd be able to have LD's much easier after that, but it didn't work. In fact, the last few days my dream recall is worse than ever, and no amount of "I will remember my dreams!" mantras seem to work. I've tried setting my reality check to go off while I sleep but the timing is always off. It always just wakes me up, and I can't get it to synch up with when I'm supposed to be in REM sleep.

I'm baffled, and I feel like giving up. I don't WANT to give up, though: I've had a taste of lucid dreaming and I want more, yet it's eluding me stronger than ever.

Any pointers or help that you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hey there,

First of, it's not abnormal to have periods of lesser recall. It happens even to experienced dreamers. Progress, when it comes to lucid dreaming, isn't linear. It goes in leaps and bounds and sometimes it's two steps forward, one step back. So don't worry too much about it, its only been a few days.

That said, if your problems with dream recall persist, it may be helpful to stop trying to lucid dreaming for a little while and work on simply recalling your dreams. Focus your attention on that until you feel you've improved, then pick up your lucid dream goals again. Having good recall and being familiar with your dreams is pretty much a necessary step if you want to lucid dream with any sort of regularity, so don't skip this. On the plus side, know that simply by improving your dream recall and getting more familiar with your dreams you'll be already taking huge strides forward towards lucidity, so its not wasted work. There's plenty of advice and literature on these forums on how to work on dream recall.

Lastly, if things become too frustrating, take a break. Take a week off, recover, start again. Not practicing for a few days doesn't mean you're going to lose the progress you've made. On the contrary, sometimes its exactly what you need to make your next leap forward. Even top athletes need some rest now and then :)

-Redrivertears-

I was told by gab or someone that the mantra "im dreaming" is better than "I will have a lucid dream". Although "I will lucid dream" works the other keeps you in a better mind set or something like that.

I'll give you a tip that I picked up here at dreamviews years ago and it has always worked for me when suddenly my dream recall just vanishes without a trace. Before going to sleep at night get some paper and write down everything you can recall for the day starting with when you woke up. Try to recall as much about the day as you can and write it all down. Sometimes I need to do this 2-3 days in a row but it always increases my dream recall. Hope it helps!
Happy dreaming....

Two months is a short time to be attempting to LD in my view. Some good advice already in the other replies. I would only add that maybe you need to take a more relaxed approach. Don't stress about the end goal, but enjoy the journey. Each morning as you do remember a dream or two, or even snippets, be pleased that you've managed that, and don't be unhappy that you haven't. The negativity can make you stress more and can be a downward spiral.
As you wake, remember to stay absolutely still and keep your eyes closed. Then slowly and deliberately play what you can remember back in your minds eye. Run dreams backwards and forwards a few times to get them to stick.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NocturnalEcho

I've been attempting lucid dreaming for over 2 months now

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Just a tiny drop in the bucket. LDing is a life-long discipline of self-discovery relating to consciousness/awareness (particularly self-awareness), memory, sleep, and dreaming. Be patient, and build a practice of consistent effort, determination, and positive emotions.

Quote:

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About a week and a half ago, I experienced a true lucid dream but it was by accident.

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No, it wasn't an accident. That's precisely how you lucid dream: by trying and intending to do it. LDing is never a 100% guarantee on any particular sleep cycle, all you can do is build a practice that gradually increases your chances to LD over time. That you may not have meant it on that particular sleep does not make it "accidental."

So take heart in your success! You did it! You got lucid!

For recall, have a look at my dream recall tips

Super short summary: night-time: reach for dream memories every single time you find yourself awake. Day-time: pay attention to life, recall your day (like your day was all a dream) in detail at bedtime.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Goldenspark

Each morning as you do remember a dream or two, or even snippets, be pleased that you've managed that, and don't be unhappy that you haven't.

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On that note, I actually have two dream journals. One is my regular journal, which I keep by the side of my bed, and in which I record all my dreams. And one is on my computer, which I've titled 'my journal of dreamfun'.

Each morning, I try to pick one dream or dream element that I found interesting, funny, fascinating, intense, ... I write this in my 'dreamfun' journal. If its a lucid dream, great. If it's a non lucid dream, just as great. Even if its a hypnagogic image or a feeling that somehow struck me, it goes in there.

Not only does it help with dream recall, but since I usually find something to write in this second journal, it helps me to keep positive and reminds me that each night is a gift, as I almost come back with a bit of 'dream fun' to write down in the morning :)

-Redrivertears-

I have been trying about two months also and I haven't yet had a single lucid dream, so you are way ahead of me. My dream recall varies wildly sometime I remember 4 dreams in reasonable detail, other mornings I struggle to remember anything at all.

I get frustrated sometimes but know that it will happen one day and it will be worth it. Reading about other people's experience on here keeps me going and I keep telling myself that it might still be months before anything happens and trying to be patient.

I suggest focus on recall first, lucidity second.

It took me about 2 months to have a lucid dream, and almost a month again to have another one. Here is a thread I made for new people so that they know what is ahead of them and can be a little more encouraged in the long run when things are looking down. Some say that it is discouraging, but I think of it as realistic, and if you don't have realistic expectations, you will meet with frustration, since frustration is the gap between expectations and experience.
http://www.dreamviews.com/dreamviews...e-told-me.html

I also think that there is no such thing as a "random" lucid dream. They always happen for a reason. Every time you have a lucid dream, it is a good thing to look at the previous month of work.

Honestly something that you need to do when you are learning to do is to be self sufficient. :P Learn how to get your own encouragement. I made a "lucid encouragement" thread. It went great, and lots and lots of people commented and most all of them don't LD anymore. lol. A lot of things help keep your LD "spirit" alive and kicking. One of them is posting a lot on DV! :P I would recommend posting and getting to know some people around here. PM people, ask them about their own LDing experience, chat on the IRC, read threads, enjoy the site! :)

Thanks for all the replies! It's been a while since I've been here: I took a break from trying to lucid dream for a while, and unfortunately I did a lot of backsliding but continued writing in my dream journal. I was doing better with dream recall but then a few days ago it seemed to stop again. I'm deciding to focus exclusively on dream-recall now and reality checking, at least for the time-being. Hopefully my dream recall will get stronger. It's very strange, though: I used to remember my dreams so clearly, and now there are some days when all I know is that I dreamed, but have no idea what was in them. Very frustrating.

I recently had a dream where I became lucid, but instead of rushing forward into the dream with clarity, I actually rushed BACKWARDS from the dream and woke up, despite my attempts to stay in the dream and asleep.

I'm not getting discouraged: I know it'll happen. I just wish I'd started learning how to LD years ago, when I had good dream recall and clarity instead of now, where it's an uphill battle just to have a dream at all. :whyohwhy:

I'm attempting since 4/5 month for now, and I'm just beggining to improve my dream recall at an average of 2 dream per night. Actually if I'm about to lose motivation I just think "Well, I don't care, let's have one without doing any effort" then I just stop thinking about it for one or two days, putting it in the background of my thoughts while keeping my dream journal, and I go in again when I want to go in again. Results, it take me 4 month to have my two first LD in one week, without trying as hard as certain people, even if it takes more time like this, at least I'm not going to feel unconfident about it at all. Just try to tell yourself "Bah, i I don't give a shit about it" and tadaam, you are the more confident guy of your whole neighborhood :thumbup:

I agree: it's probably going to happen if I ease up a little and not worry about it so much. The only real lucid dream I had actually happened on a night where I said to myself "Don't worry about it tonight, it'll happen eventually". However, that lucid dream occurred by accident because my reality check reminder on my iphone went off while I was in the middle of a dream (I usually turn it off), and it happened at just the right time. I've tried leaving the reality checker on during the night and all it does is wake me up, hahaha. Well, I'll keep on trying, but I'll also keep telling myself "it doesn't matter to me". :lol:

LD practice consists of managing a never ending series of balancing acts: you must be relaxed and confident, yet focused and motivated. In the dream you should remain slight detached, yet still engaged. You should do consistent day work, yet not burn out and stop. Everyone needs to find their own balance, that is the true heart of LD practice.

There is so much great advice on this thread!

There are a lot of times when I feel that I'm not making any real progress in becoming a proficient lucid dreamer. Hearing the stories of others on DV going through similar journeys never fails to inspire me and remind me why the journey is worth it! For that, thank you all so much! :D