Spinning technique doesn't work that well

I still have serious trouble keeping the dream going when I find myself in a lucid dream. It just keeps fading away. All the visual detail disappears.

I found myself in a lucid dream last night and I kept it going for about 20 minutes but at least 5 minutes out of it was black patches. For example when it started I was going for about 5 minutes straight and having loads of fun breaking windows and flying and things like that. I was in some big massive office building then the dream started fading so I started spinning real fast and everything got blurred then when I stopped spinning the dream reemerged but only for about 10 seconds then it started fading again so I started spinning again.

Actually what I started to do was keep spinning every 10 seconds to insure the dream would keep going but it didn't work. Its as if me spinning actually provoked the dream to start fading.

The only trick I found that works is patience. When all the visual detail fades if you don't try to move and just lie there and think about the dream coming back it always comes back in full detail. The problem is it really does take patience. Sometimes I'm thinking ah its taking too long so I end up waking myself up. When I'm patient though the dream comes back every time without fail.

Does anyone else know any techniques for keeping a dream going? Can any of you hold a dream for more than 20 minutes straight? Is it possible to hold a dream indefinitely until you accidentally sink into it and forget your dreaming?

Also I found out the spinning technique doesn't work in mid air when I'm flying. When I'm flying though if I start speeding past the landscape real fast it sorta has the same effect as spinning and the dream never ends.

What I find completely mad is how the mind can generate all these crazy random landscapes in a matter of seconds when your flying over it. Some of the things my mind creates are so complex and detailed I can hardly believe its all in my head sometimes.

I don't like the spinning either. It disorients me too much. I've used spinning as a last resort to change dream scenes before.

I always try to touch my surroundings and my dream body. It keeps me from getting distracted by my real body and surroundings back in bed. I rub my hands together, touch my arms, the floor, the walls, ect.

Maybe you're spinning too fast. Try doing a 180 or a 360 instead of multiple spins.

I'll try it slow next time I'm lucid. I can imagine that working better. Maybe just the movement gets you engaged with your surroundings.

I normally spin around fast, like a top, and just get confused. Honestly, I haven't done it in years.

How long can you all hold lucid dreams? Its like its psychological I start worrying about the dream fading and it does. Another trick that works is if I half pretend its not a dream. I pretend its real and it doesn't fade for some reason but when I do this half the time I end up forgetting its a dream.

I suppose its just about practice though. I managed to master breaking windows. Dream I was having last night I was smashing big office windows with one punch. At one point I was about 20 floors up and I was a bit worried about jumping out the window thinking I was gonna fall but I jumped anyway and started flying. Its weird that even though I know I'm dreaming I'm afraid to fall off heights.

Huh, the dream spinning 2 nights ago actually CAUSED me to have a DILD. I spinned around for some reason, prompted by a DC, and then the spinning sparked my brain to make a connection, lucidity is connected, I think about that, and thus, lucidity. Twice that night too :P. But, you are likely the reason you cannot hold a dream. When you think about it, do you say "this dream will fade"? What a lot of people say works best is to say OUT LOUD (verbal commands work best) "Increase clarity", "increase visibility", or things like that. Verbal commands are one of the best ways to hold a dream.

I'd go with the hand rubbing, works amazingly.
maybe chuck in a shouted "CLARITY" for good measure.

I ended up in a lucid dream last night so I tried out all the stuff people recommended here. I didn't bother with the spinning technique instead I went around screaming LUCID LUCID!!! I couldn't remember what it was I was meant to shout but it seemed to work anyway. The dreams seemed to carry on much longer than usual they went black about 5 times but I just laid there shouting the word lucid in my mind until the dreams reappeared.

I tried rubbing my hands together too but it didn't have much effect. I was having some trouble with glass windows again for some reason. I was flying in the room and wanted to get out so I flew head first into the window hoping it would shatter but it was real flexible like plexiglass. This always happens. Bendy plexiglass windows. In this case I just decided to open the window though that solved the problem.

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Originally Posted by Gez

I'd go with the hand rubbing, works amazingly.
maybe chuck in a shouted "CLARITY" for good measure.

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Damn clarity that was the word. I couldn't remember it at the time.

spinning doesn't work for me either, all it did was confuse me :banana:

how long a lucid dream lasts for me, has to do with my balance of dream control. the more I try to control the dream - the shorter it is. the less control, the longer. But with zero control, I snap out of lucidity.

Some of my lucid dreams felt like they only lasted thirty seconds, but I was really trying to do a lot of things - from summoning to shape shifting all at once.

In my longer lucid dreams, I explore the dream world first before trying to control for no reason. Instead I only pull out dream control if I encounter something I don't like.

I've had trouble with clarity too - especially if I am about to wake up. Two things have worked for me - 1. SCREAMING. If I really feel I'm about to wake up I scream at the dream to last longer :bowdown: "WAIT, GIVE ME MORE TIME". Its 50/50. If the screaming doesn't just wake you up, the dream will zoom back into clarity and stability.

the other thing that has worked for me is imagining my own bedroom behind a door. Maybe because in some strange way, this is where the dream begins. When I opened the door, I wasn't looking into my bedroom. Instead when I opened the door I opened my eyes. And I found myself on my own bed. It was so vivid I thought I woke up. It was however a false awakening, and the dream was once again stabilized and vivid.

I've given up on spinning

Its habit for me to quickly spin in an emergency. Yea...I'd say its only about 50% effective. Your right. You gotta land first, it doesn't seem to work while flying.

I also tried simply sitting down which worked for me a few times.

And falling to the ground and rubbing everything: the ground, my face, with my hands.

Spinning technique doesn't work that well for you? Simply drop the technique & do not use it.
For those that it does work for -> use it.
I use it, and I simply use it because I enjoy it.
It is only a one way of many ways.
Use your "patience" way since it works for you.

I tried spinning for the first time a couple nights ago and it didn't work too well. But I was in an uncontrolled float, I was hoping that the spinning would help me ground myself but it may have just made it worse. It was a very aggravating lucid dream.

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Originally Posted by Gez

I'd go with the hand rubbing, works amazingly.
maybe chuck in a shouted "CLARITY" for good measure.

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I agree. Rub your hands. Spinning never worked for me.

For the few dreams where I become partially lucid, the world starts to spin just before I wake up. I found that I can make it stop by touching an object with my hand, feeling the texture and temperature of it. You might want to try this if you can't get spinning to work.

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Originally Posted by Licity

I found that I can make it stop by touching an object with my hand, feeling the texture and temperature of it. You might want to try this if you can't get spinning to work.

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I agree with Licity here. When my dream starts to dissolve (mine tend to do that rather than spin), I grab hold of anything that is there – DCs, tables, grass – anything.

One time I grabbed a DC’s arm and asked him to keep a hold of me. I explained that I was feeling a little dizzy and didn’t want to collapse. I didn’t want to tell him the truth, because I’ve found that telling DCs I’m dreaming can sometimes have the effect of waking me up. This worked a treat. As soon as he held me, the whole environment gained clarity and stabilised.

The sense of touch is very powerful in my dreams.

As for length of time for a lucid dream – I’m not sure how you can tell? Some dreams can go on for hours; some of mine have lasted years in the dreamworld. :)

Cham