May I? My progress.

[Überschall]

How about threads about one's progress to getting an LD. I haven't had one yet in my whole life that I would remember and I am in desperate need for one. Boy I want one. So what I did the last week, I gave WILDing a try, since I thought that I'd somewhen want to get into WILDs anyway, so why not start early. Never worked out. The first try got me close, but I lost the feeling somehow.It was the only one that I didn't do with WBTB. At the second try I didn't feel anything, I didn't get any sensations or vibrations, there was nothing but laying there for one and a half hour. The third try got screwed because my alarm went off two hours too late, there it was already too noisy outside for me to relax. For now, I will put WILD aside. I've been doing loads of RCs, especially looking at my hands and trying to put my finger through my monitor, mirrors or windows. I am also having a dream journal, which you may find here in the DJ section. There's a common dreamsign for me that seems to be fighting and war. I also dreamt about bombs a lot a few months ago. Everyday I go to sleep I think often that I would do a reality check if I notice anything about war, but I never do. So, what other technique would you recommend? Is there anything that me as a newcomer without any LDing experience could try besides simply DILD? I will keep on informing you if I make any progress, be sure.

[Xyn]

Ok first of all, I don't think you should just stick with one technique. I'm doing WILD (Keep practicing, I cannot get it either, but we will get it sooner or later) Then you do that before bed or after a WBTB. Then train yourself when you wake up from a dream to not move and stuff so you can do DEILD. Other than that, thats what i'm doing.

[Rainman]

Yep. Xyn's got it. I would really concentrate on one technique. Putting all of your intent into one method is often the best way to achieve goals. And that's the other thing. Set actual goals. Not just, "I want to have a lucid dream" but what do you want to do? What are you going to do when you do have a lucid dream? The other thing is don't stress over it. Just take a very passive view of it. Think of it like being constipated. Don't try to force one out, that's what laxatives are for Let relaxation and passiveness be your laxative! Ha ha ha...

[Redrivertears]

My advice to people starting out: Take an active interest in dreaming in general. Don't get too hung up on the need to 'achieve'. Read about dreaming, read about lucid dream, talk about it, experiment, and just relax and have fun. The rest will come by itself -Redrivertears-

[little nemo]

Two suggestions that may help you over your hurdle; 1) Try having a little coffee before you go to bed. This stimulates the mind just enough to cause you to linger in the uppermost levels of the dream state - the very place you are most likely to remember commands set up by your waking self. 2) Pay attention to how you are setting up your intent to enter the state of lucid dreaming. If you say to yourself "I want to have a lucid dream tonight." you are commanding your inner self to want to have a lucid dream, and you inner self will accomodate you by keeping you LD free so you can continue to want a lucid dream. Try instead imagining yourself having a lucid dream. Use your imagination in this way as vividly as possible before you sleep, and do this in a playful way rather than in a heavy or serious way. GOOD LUCK!

[padawan]

Progress? I think I forgot the meaning of it... I've got SP before trying to WILD, but that's about it... All the LDs that I've had on my life where those that you "find out" you're dreaming. Not even SP anymore... I get too excited when I'm close to SP and it messes up everything