Lucidity: not only when asleep. Problems.

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03-19-2009, 07:07 AM
Merlock

Lucidity: not only when asleep. Problems.

Recently, I've come to fully agree with the views expressed by many who say that the best way to lucid dream is to always be lucid. Naiya's tutorial, etc.

Meaning that being lucid/aware throughout the day and night will have greater results. But that can be questioned as being too exhausting. So I also considered the idea of just always keeping goals like lucid dreaming and such in mind, all the time, not to the point of debilitating my ability to focus on other things but enough to drill the thoughts into my mind like other typical obsessions and fascinations.

Yet the problem is...both of these things are extremely exhausting.
I don't know if I'm the only one for whom this is so, but that's pretty much why I'm here posting again.

I'd like to know, has anyone ever "taken control" of their mind in such a way and succeeded in gaining such new habits and changing their mindframe on the matter? Even if it didn't help lucid dreaming (or if it did), has anyone succeeded in becoming lucid at all times or forming a habit of being obsessed with lucid dreaming and such to the point of the subconscious mind taking over the thoughts on its own?

I decided to ask about this here after I read the first page of a random astral projection book, which had this to say:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonas Ridgeway

You need to become obsessed with OBEs and the idea that YOU can experience them. This is very important. You can't just want to leave your body, you must desire it. You must read everything you can about it—then read it again. You must think about it every free moment that you have. Pound it into your head!

And while at first glance this might seem like a somewhat unsavoury idea, the point behind it is cultivating a habit of being in control of your mind and thinking of what you want rather than what's being thrown at you at all times through your waking life.

So aye, not to make this into too much of a wall of text...
Has anyone ever taken such an approach (either making a habit of thinking of things like LDing or becoming lucid all throughout waking life) and succeeded?
If so, how did you fight exhaustion? Was there exhaustion? Etc.
03-19-2009, 03:09 PM
Abra

Quote:

Has anyone succeeded in becoming lucid at all times or forming a habit of being obsessed with lucid dreaming and such to the point of the subconscious mind taking over the thoughts on its own?

To the point where the subconscious mind takes over...? That is anti-lucidity, my friend. And there is a fine line. The catch to lucidity is that you must make a conscious effort.

Lucid living... Merlock, what do you consider to be "lucid while awake?" And if you do live a lucid life, does it have to be in the search for lucid dreams?
03-19-2009, 04:01 PM
wet_roof113

LOL at your quote from the book hhaha...that does seem very exhausting. I think there are other ways to go about LDing but it certainly takes the desire.

I've had around 4 nice lucids this months, I'm not obsessed with them, but I have always been interested in dreaming from young age, like 5 yrs old, so I think in the long term fascination would help.
03-19-2009, 05:18 PM
ClouD

Try being self-aware/aware of awareness through the day.
Like watching a movie, but also watching the watcher.

It takes conscious effortlessness to sustain in waking life. Relaxed but aware.
Meditation.

Blarg blarg. Exhaustion comes from effort.
03-19-2009, 07:52 PM
Merlock
Quote:

Originally Posted by Abra

To the point where the subconscious mind takes over...? That is anti-lucidity, my friend.

No, you missed the "or" in that sentence of mine. I was asking if anyone has succeeded at being always lucid or forming a habit of being so interested in LDing that it becomes natural (your subconscious mind is literally thrilled about it, so it feeds you thoughts about LDing and dreaming all the time instead of other things you also enjoy and usually ponder).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abra

Lucid living... Merlock, what do you consider to be "lucid while awake?" And if you do live a lucid life, does it have to be in the search for lucid dreams?

No, it doesn't have to be. In fact, I'm sure being consistently lucid has plenty of benefits on its own, including vigilance and all such. But the problem I ran into with it is that it's not exactly exhausting in itself...no, but it's exhausting to work up such a habit or change my mind frame in such a way. Once changed, it wouldn't be exhausting anymore.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClouD

Try being self-aware/aware of awareness through the day.
Like watching a movie, but also watching the watcher.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClouD

Blarg blarg. Exhaustion comes from effort.

But it takes effort to, say, start being truly fascinated by lucid dreaming. I need it as a means to an end. I mean, I am interested in it and I do want to lucid dream for many reasons, and it would be great, etc. -- but that isn't enough to make me fascinated by it.

I just realised though that my original post was probably rather confusing.

I wrote it rather compacted, but it has two different concepts in it:
- Becoming consistently lucid throughout waking life
- Forming a habit of thinking about LDing and such endeavours (OOBs, etc.)
The latter method made me have a dream about lucid dreaming. I dreamt I was in a lucid dream, which, by all accounts, puts me very close to succeeding with LDs.

But the problem is...it's so exhausting keeping up such artificial fascination. So I was hoping for some input and any experience anyone might have with the matter.