When I become aware, the dream expires

I have been very active with lucid dreaming for a few weeks now. Every day I do as many reality checks as possible, I keep a dream journal and I know the dream signs that largely make up my dreams.

Currently I am working on the MILD, SILD and WILD technique. So far, the SILD technique is the only one that has been successful. Last night I became conscious 4 times during a dream. The only problem I have is when I become aware that I am dreaming my dream is paused, everything disappears (which I can perceive with the 5 physical senses) and goes black.

I have the following 2 questions:

How can I prevent my dream from falling away when I become aware?

How can I make sure that when I step out of my dream, I step back in and continue to experience the dream?

Do you have a dream goal; something you want to accomplish during the dream? Having your attention on accomplishing something during the dream can help prevent the dream from falling away when you become aware.

If you step out of the dream, give your mind an idea of what to dream about. For example, one time, a dream of mine went black like you describe and I said "I want to see!" and a dream appeared. Or, alternatively, you can imagine something and let your mind build a dream around that. For example, you could imagine your body or a dream scene or anything else and let a dream build around your idea.

The answer to your first question might depend on what happens in the moment you become lucid, and other factors.

It's possible you're becoming lucid at times in your sleep cycle where dreams tend to be much shorter, so when you become lucid, you simply don't have much time no matter what you do. It's also possible that when you become lucid, you're thinking of yourself lying in bed, or the waking world, in some manner. If so, try to keep your attention on the dream itself and your surroundings. To aid this, pivot around slowly and take in as much of the surrounding scene as you can. You can also walk around and note how the ground feels under your feet, rub your hands together, and touch objects in the vicinity. Don't be afraid to get creative. I once grounded myself in a pinch by licking a dirty bathroom floor, which was both entertaining and functional. And it's fun to see how differently things might feel/look/taste compared to what they should, theoretically, be like. Adding onto the aforementioned, try not to focus excessively on your dream body, and remain aware of your surroundings. If you stop paying attention to what's around you, the dream could destabilize faster. (Needless to say, closing your eyes for a long time is generally a bad idea!)

Returning to a dream is feasible with techniques like DEILD (dream exit initiated lucid dream):

https://www.dreamviews.com/wiki/DEILD-Tutorial

I haven't visited this site for quite a while, and it's so great to have people who are sharing their inner experiences in the dream worlds. I wanted to recommend a resource that may be helpful. There's a publication called Soul Adventure Magazine. The most recent issue is devoted to Dreams. There are quite a few good resources in there including a story by someone who faced his fear in a dream. There's also a technique to explore your dreams, as well as information about a spiritual guide or the Dream Master who can assist you with dream exploration. They also offer a free book on dreams. The link to download the entire magazine PDF is here: https://www.eckankar.org/eck-soul-adventure-magazine/ There may be some tips or tools in there that can provide some insights for deeper dream exploration. You can also download other issues which cover the topics of Past Lives, Present Lessons; Miraculous Coincidences; and Life After Death. All issues are complimentary.

Sometimes I get too excited when I realize im in a dream, and this sort of thing happens to me too. It can be really frustrating. I wish I could say I knew how to prevent this.

I think the key is to keep doing what you're doing. If you're keeping a dream journal, then you are many steps ahead of the majority of people. If you're doing reality checks, then you're even further ahead.

I haven't done either of those things in a very long time. But I'm very aware of my surroundings in the waking life, and I notice when things seem out of place in my dreams. That's where I get all my triggers from.

As for falling back into the same dream after waking up, I don't move or shift my position. I stay exactly as I was when I awoke. Then I fall back to sleep, while replaying the major details of that dream in my mind. (plot, setting, characters, etc.) I Imagine I'm back in that place and add more to the story in my mind. Like daydreaming. As I fall back asleep, this daydream can sometimes carry over into a sleeping dream. It doesn't always work, but it happens often enough.

After I got passed the I'm dreaming, don't panic phase, I found the next stage was to control the awareness volume. If I became too aware I would switch to wake mode... During a bunch flying LDs I found I could control my level of awareness to prevent getting too aware but just enough to go were I wanted without being fancy.