💀😭Lucid Dreaming is IMPOSSIBLE 😭💀

Sometimes it can feel as if lucid dreaming is impossible.

If you're just starting out and are struggling or you're an old-hat going through a long dry spell, sometimes lucid dreams can be so elusive that you start to doubt if lucid dreaming is even real.

Sometimes this subject can be really disheartening.

So, I've created a video aiming to act as an antidote to feeling this way and to put things into perspective. I hope it helps those of you who are feeling this way...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QRnbSFFLkA

What are your tips for staying motivated and positive?

Hey, this is neat. I'm going to check out your YouTube channel! It can be nice to have some motivation and guidance.

I think it helps if you fully enjoy and appreciate your non lucid dreams as well. Non lucid dreams can be very powerful/memorable experiences too. The worst kind of dry spell is when recall is so bad you struggle every night just to remember anything, let alone getting lucid. So when you just start getting nights full of vivid intense dream recall it's a joy. Then, when lucidity comes it's like the icing on the cake.


Over time, with experience, one can get used to the process and start to know how their mind works so to speak. I've gone from scratch/zero recall to fairly frequent lucidity more than once in my lifetime. So when I'm that down on my dreaming, I guess I don't really feel like it's impossible. Because I always feel like I know how to bring it back when I set myself to it. Just a matter of being motivated/wanting it badly enough.

I totally agree, Caradon. I highly value my non-lucids as well. I wonder why the LDs seem to come in waves for so many people, even when they're adept at becoming lucid. How often is it that experienced LDers go through phases of having no LDs? And do they ever get to a point where they have consistency without the dry spells? I would think a big factor is waxing and waning motivation.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zelcrow

I totally agree, Caradon. I highly value my non-lucids as well. I wonder why the LDs seem to come in waves for so many people, even when they're adept at becoming lucid. How often is it that experienced LDers go through phases of having no LDs? And do they ever get to a point where they have consistency without the dry spells? I would think a big factor is waxing and waning motivation.

---

That's exactly it. The focus on it needs to be maintained. It's true it gets much easier the more you do it. After a while you are getting lucid so often you get used to the feeling of being in a dream and it becomes much easier to recognize. And you start having lucids where you are not even aware of the moment of realization, because you just so smoothly knew it, almost natural like. It's actually a little annoying when that happens lol. I like the moment of realization. The wow moment, the sudden awareness. And those moments when you don't really believe you are dreaming but do a reality check and find out you actually are and just totally blown away by what the RC is telling you. :)

But life has many distractions for the mind. And things come up, for good or for bad. And when your focus is taken away from your dreaming practices it begins to all fall apart. And eventually you come back to it, and begin the process again.

I think I'm at a point in my life now, where I'm done with all of the BS of waking life. Just have one more terrible thing I have to get through, but I'm trying to use that thing in as positive a way as I can and use it as a springboard into even greater motivation and focus.

That's good to know. I also enjoy my moments of realization in dreams. So far I haven't had the smooth transition that starts to happen with more experience. I'm really looking forward to having longer and more dynamic LDs so I want to have consistency with my practices.

I have another question. In the past when your LD practices have been derailed for one reason or another, do you pretty quickly pick up where you left off? Is it like riding a bike in a sense where you never really forget the skill and it takes little time to spring back?

Good luck with getting rid of the thing in life. I hope it can be used as a catalyst for something good!

That's a good question. I think it depends on a lot of things. How long it's been. How far I've gotten away from it. Right now though, having had so many experiences. Once recall is where it needs to be, and doing the right things, I think falling back into it is pretty natural. Might take a bit of effort but once the ball starts rolling so to speak like putting on an old hat. After all, I feel much more naturally at home there, than the waking world.

Before 2005 I had gotten so far away from it. That I had not had any recall at all for several years. I'm not sure why. As a kid I was a natural dreamer, not a natural LDer as I never had a random lucid before I forced it through effort. But I was into my dreams and had vivid intense recall all the time with no effort to recall dreams. Even when I was first teaching myself to become lucid I was never writing anything down, well very rarely.


But somewhere along the line I just stopped. Got into the partying lifestyle and video games. And dreams just fell away. I stopped remembering dreams at all and years went by. Then, I think it was about 2005 when I started thinking about dreaming again and all the lucid dreams I used to have and how much I missed it. And started working really hard to get it back. Every night was a challenge and struggle to remember any kind of little thing at all. Took me forever just to start getting fragments.

But I just worked and worked and worked and gradually the dreams started coming back, and eventually started getting lucid again. And found this site in 2007 and joined. Started a journal, made some really good friends in the journal section of the forum. A group of us always posting dreams and discussing experiences in the journal sub forum. I rarely even ventured out of the journal forum as I was so busy there with the discussions and journaling. The majority of my 2000 posts are in journals. And my profile says I have no journal entries lol. I find that a little humorous.

Those were probably the best days of my life. As everything was still good in life and also in dreams. But then life happened again, I made some bad choices. I got involved in a couple of relationships that ended horribly. Went through some of the worst times of my life. And now my little dog, the most important thing that has ever come into my life is getting old and can't live much longer. Diagnosed with cancer last fall. She is still doing okay, but still she turned 17 in March and wasn't even expected to live through the winter. That's the thing I mentioned I'm going to have to figure out how to get through. But there is some other things too.


But I'm determined to get back to who I used to be, before my happy little world started turning upside down on me. And find the kind of peace again, that comes with the practice of lucid dreaming. And I think I'm old enough now, and been through enough shit, to figure out how to not let life get in the way again...

It sounds like it has been on and off for you at times. It is nice to hear that there's some retention with lucid dreaming abilities.

I am sorry to hear about your little friend's condition. I hope she can enjoy a good quality of life for the remainder of her time.

How many DJ entries did you have before they were wiped?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zelcrow

It sounds like it has been on and off for you at times. It is nice to hear that there's some retention with lucid dreaming abilities.

I am sorry to hear about your little friend's condition. I hope she can enjoy a good quality of life for the remainder of her time.

How many DJ entries did you have before they were wiped?

---

Yeah definitely has been off and on throughout my lifetime so far. At least during this most recent off time, was so into it previously that still getting the random lucid once in a while. Didn't completely lose it. And didn't completely lose recall.

Thanks, yeah so far she is still not showing any symptoms and having a lot of fun going out. So that's good at least. Just not as energetic as she used to be.

Oh the Journals were not wiped just locked so we can't use them. Look where it says archived journals and you can see all the journals that were locked. At least can still read over them for motivational and reference purposes. The current DV ownership had nothing to with the lock out. I still don't see why they were locked other than to ensure they can no longer be used. And that seems pretty offensive to me. But whatever, doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done.

I'm not sure how many dreams I had posted. My main DV everything journal has 1,450 posts. Dreams and comments.

https://www.dreamviews.com/dream-jou...m-journal.html

I eventually started another journal for a place to keep the lucids all in one place. My DV lucid journal is here.

https://www.dreamviews.com/dream-jou...id-dreams.html

And decided to start one for my feeble attempts at WILDing. As I've always been okay at WILDing into dreams or getting lucid HI. Just not very good at staying in a WILD for more than short periods. My DV WILD attempt journal is here.

https://www.dreamviews.com/dream-jou...-attempts.html

I missed this excellent video so I'm glad you guys kept this thread alive.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Caradon

After a while you are getting lucid so often you get used to the feeling of being in a dream and it becomes much easier to recognize. And you start having lucids where you are not even aware of the moment of realization, because you just so smoothly knew it, almost natural like.

---

I'm pretty new at that but actually my goal is to achieve a dream state where lucidity is pretty much always there in some level as I am not looking for thrills and adventure. I'm looking to establish a kind of a feedback loop where life becomes the dream and the dream becomes life and lucidity, clarity and focused awareness are maintained throughout.

Getting there.... :nodyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zelcrow

I would think a big factor is waxing and waning motivation.

---

I am hoping that through the slow but steady establishment of an unbroken continuity of consciousness between dream and awake, the waxing and waning can be overcome over time. We'll see how that goes. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lenscaper

I missed this excellent video so I'm glad you guys kept this thread alive.

I'm pretty new at that but actually my goal is to achieve a dream state where lucidity is pretty much always there in some level as I am not looking for thrills and adventure. I'm looking to establish a kind of a feedback loop where life becomes the dream and the dream becomes life and lucidity, clarity and focused awareness are maintained throughout.

Getting there.... :nodyes:

---

Yeah I understand that. I think you and I think a lot alike. But I have the adventure in me too, At least inwardly. For me it's both for fun and other purposes. Though if one reads over my journal they will see a lot of focus on the fun aspect, shrugs. lol. At least so far. But I do have higher goals set to work on. And it's not always about what you do, but how it makes you feel too. Even something that might seem like trivial fun may have a profound affect.


As you say you are new. It's difficult to avoid the adventure aspect as it's such an exhilarating wonderous experience with sights to be seen that are truly impossible to describe. And you can't deny the pure joy of flying in a lucid dream. Prepare to be wowed, no matter the intent. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Caradon

And you can't deny the pure joy of flying in a lucid dream. Prepare to be wowed, no matter the intent. :)

---

:):):)

I have had some great flights and a few very cool interactions with dream characters. I admit that I do like it when something triggers the transition from lucid observer to flight. I also really like dropping into a dream from high up.

As I have mentioned elsewhere, though.....I'm a bit older (late 60's) and I have already had my adventures. :D I am training to spend the final third of my life in lucid awareness. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lenscaper

:):):)

I have had some great flights and a few very cool interactions with dream characters. I admit that I do like it when something triggers the transition from lucid observer to flight. I also really like dropping into a dream from high up.

As I have mentioned elsewhere, though.....I'm a bit older (late 60's) and I have already had my adventures. :D I am training to spend the final third of my life in lucid awareness. :)

---

I'm getting close to 50. Hit 48 June 1st. Nice thing about dreaming reality is age is irrelevant in our dreams. Though the practice might take more work than when younger depending on the person maybe. I know if I'm not focused on dreaming recall gets shitty anyways. When I was a kid/teen I didn't have to work at remembering dreams at all.

I understand what you're saying though, but nothing wrong with having some fun in the process too. When you are in a world with no rules... Hell, just walking around and enjoying the beauty of it and the feeling of freedom you have just in the knowing, you can do whatever you feel like.


I've had plenty of lucids where I just walked around looked at everything touched things, just in amazement over it all. In awe of the fact I'm just walking round inside my own mind, and this world is in here. lol. And when I'm in there, and think about the fact that I have another body, laying somewhere asleep. Is kind of weird to think about when in a dream where the world seems so real and you feel like you're awake.

My current goals, what I had previously started working on before I got out of things. Was, in dream thought control. I want to remain aware of my thoughts my feelings while in a dream. Observe and pay attention to how my thoughts and feelings are altering the dream, and learn to become more aware of my own symbolisms. And understand better, how to use them.

Also have some personal issues involving relationship I want to work on. Since having nothing but bad experiences with that in life has left my mind a little psychologically f...ed up in that regard.

Hopefully so, lenscaper. It is nice to think of not being lost in "samsara" so frequently in life. I'm hoping to work towards being proficient enough to have LDs on command through MILD. After that it would be nice to recognize the dream state without practicing induction methods.

And yeah, Caradon, I want to achieve a high level of self-awareness and lucidity whether asleep or awake. But like you, I also want to experience some thrills along the way since I haven't had much of that with LDing so far. My LDs have mostly lasted between one to five minutes at the most.

Caradon, how long did it take you to get to a point where you frequently were able to become lucid and what helped you the most along the way? I see you have "lost count" for you LD count, which is pretty awesome!

Also, I'm really looking forward to flying. The last time I tried I finally was able to glide over the ground, but I woke up before much ascension.

My tip doesn't look what other dreamer is doing or how many dreams have because it will cause you to fail. For me, a failure of becoming or staying lucid is a learning curve.

I agree with you, Lang. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." Of course I want to progress as quickly as possible, but whether faster or slower than myself, it is interesting to learn of the journeys of fellow LDers :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zelcrow

Hopefully so, lenscaper. It is nice to think of not being lost in "samsara" so frequently in life. I'm hoping to work towards being proficient enough to have LDs on command through MILD. After that it would be nice to recognize the dream state without practicing induction methods.

And yeah, Caradon, I want to achieve a high level of self-awareness and lucidity whether asleep or awake. But like you, I also want to experience some thrills along the way since I haven't had much of that with LDing so far. My LDs have mostly lasted between one to five minutes at the most.

Caradon, how long did it take you to get to a point where you frequently were able to become lucid and what helped you the most along the way? I see you have "lost count" for you LD count, which is pretty awesome!

Also, I'm really looking forward to flying. The last time I tried I finally was able to glide over the ground, but I woke up before much ascension.

---

How long? I don't remember exactly, sometimes it takes a while to build them up and it's different for everyone. I've always been someone that has to work hard at it. Though as mentioned it does get easier as you go. frequency for me has always varied with the amount of concentration I put into it. I think the best streaks I've had were getting lucid four nights in a row. I don't think I've beat four nights in a row yet. Most of the time I don't have more than one in a night, though there has been nights where I had several.

I learned it helps me to set a goal, a realistic goal. Say, if you are having one a month, make the goal to hit two a month. Until you are setting the goal for one a week, then two a week etcetera... It really helps you to motivate to hit that goal. And can often exceed it because of the extra effort being put in. It's like you start to build up a momentum. I would always set the goal to get lucid on the night of my day off. I often went to my cabin on my days off. I would concentrate hard all week with the intent to get lucid at the cabin. And I started getting lucid at my cabin almost every time I went there. And started associating the cabin with lucidity.

Right now my goal for July 2019 is mainly to get my recall back where I want it by the end of the month, and maybe get a good lucid in there before the month is over.
I had started the process last year, and was making great progress and started getting lucid. But the news about my dog just threw me off, and I stopped working at it. But I'm ready to begin again.


I once had a night. It was in the 90's I know because I was living in Colorado at the time. I had a lucid dream where I was convinced that I figured out how to become lucid in every single dream. And every dream that night, it worked, I would become lucid. I just knew every time. It was weird lol. I was lucid the entire night. Went to sleep the next night hoping the trend would continue but it seems I forgot the magic secret the next night lol.

Flying:

I'm convinced the best way to learn to fly is telekinesis. It's the best skill in a dream and can be used many ways. When I was first learning to lucid dream I was getting very good at telekinesis but struggling to fly. Doing stupid things like trying to flap my arms like a bird and all that. One day I was thinking about how dumb it was to flap ones arms in a dream since there really isn't any gravity, and even if there was gravity flapping your arms wouldn't do you any good. lol.

I had a sudden epiphany. I'm really good with TK and can easily move any kind of object or people through the air with my mind. Why not use it on myself? So in my next lucid I tried it and it worked beautifully. I was suddenly a master of flying with perfect control. However, after a while. It becomes like walking. You don't even need to think about how you are doing it anymore you just do it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lang

My tip doesn't look what other dreamer is doing or how many dreams have because it will cause you to fail. For me, a failure of becoming or staying lucid is a learning curve.

---

That's true but also reading about other peoples experiences can get you psyched up and excited and motivated to have more of your own. And can get ideas on things to try.

But yeah, it's not good to get too frustrated if you are not getting the same results as someone else as quickly as you hope. Patience patience patience. Everyone is different and gets a feel for it in their own way. And some people it just comes easier to than others. Just one of those things.

Goal setting definitely seems like a good way to go about it. I'm feeling pretty motivated now that my certification test is over with. Also, that's a great idea for flying. I'm going to give that a try in one of my hopefully near-future lucids. It sounds pretty cool.

Good luck with regaining your dream recall by the end of July, by the way!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zelcrow

Goal setting definitely seems like a good way to go about it. I'm feeling pretty motivated now that my certification test is over with. Also, that's a great idea for flying. I'm going to give that a try in one of my hopefully near-future lucids. It sounds pretty cool.

Good luck with regaining your dream recall by the end of July, by the way!

---

Thanks. Recall already seems to be improving. Recalled a couple of dreams very vividly last couple days. And been working on The WIlding and that's started to come back a little. Started being able to get some lucid HI and audio. And WILDing into little lucid dreamlets a bit. But I never really counted that stuff as full blown lucidity, like getting lucid in the middle of an already established dream. Would be nice to get really good at WILDing some day and just step into dreams lucid and have them continue as a full blown lucid.


Good luck to you too. Definitely recommend practicing the TK. It comes in so handy in so many situations, and can be used in so many ways.

It 's interesting...every time I post a few things here at DV lucidity spikes. last night, after engaging in this excellent discussion during the day, I had five different dreams, all of which were lucid (some more so than others), and all of which were crystal clear in the morning. I flew from dream to dream a few times. It all started with a 2:00 AM WILD attempt and just snowballed from there. I woke up at my customary 4:00 AM time massively exhilarated!

Thanks to you, DanielLove, for mentioning in the vid to stop doing the same thing if you need to change. SSILD was not getting me further along.

I am convinced that one of the most important things for us to do when we get stale or just want to step up our game....is to get more involved in everything lucid.

Dream Views is a FANTASTIC resource for that!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lenscaper

It 's interesting...every time I post a few things here at DV lucidity spikes. last night, after engaging in this excellent discussion during the day, I had five different dreams, all of which were lucid (some more so than others), and all of which were crystal clear in the morning. I flew from dream to dream a few times. It all started with a 2:00 AM WILD attempt and just snowballed from there. I woke up at my customary 4:00 AM time massively exhilarated!

Thanks to you, DanielLove, for mentioning in the vid to stop doing the same thing if you need to change. SSILD was not getting me further along.

I am convinced that one of the most important things for us to do when we get stale or just want to step up our game....is to get more involved in everything lucid.

Dream Views is a FANTASTIC resource for that!!

---

Wow, congrats! Sounds like you had a great night of lucidity. Yeah sometimes all it takes is talking about it to help bring into your dreaming thoughts. A couple of my most recent lucid dreams were randomly triggered by talking about lucid dreaming with someone at my job that brought up the subject when dreams were mentioned. It actually surprised me, because I wasn't purposely trying to induce one during that period. And it's pretty rare for me to get lucid randomly like that. But it's happened a few time during my off period.


A humorous one. I have a Playstation VR I was in a dream having a completely random lucid. And for a minute I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or in virtual reality. Forgetting about the usual reality checks my way of checking was to reach up and feel my face to see if I had the VR headset on. I couldn't feel the headset so determined I was dreaming and went on with the lucid. A flawed RC of course, because one could dream they feel the headset on their face. But it worked for me in that instance at least.

And I had a few dreams where I believed myself to be in virtual reality. I guess not technically a lucid dream because I thought it was a video game. But the experience was pretty much the same because I knew I was not in the real world.