Physcological Barrier?

[Ethereal]

I've been trying for nearly a year. And I really have been trying. Sure, there have been patches without recording dream journals, but I tried like a steer for the first 3 months and the closest I ever came to a lucid dream was on the first night. About a month ago I really renewed my efforts and I've been keeping at it ever since. But regardless, after about 8 months of being aware of lucid dreaming and intermittent attempts, I've gotten no where. And here I see people who joined in September with 7 lucid dreams already So I'm thinking that I've been failing for so long that I've doomed myself from the start. I simply do not expect to become lucid, despite all the autosuggestion and motivation. I've tried working on different methods, for example the WILD, but I should have had at least one DILD so far... So anyway, I'm quite certain that I've become so accustomed to failure my mind doesn't know how to gain success. Any ways around this?

[Maria92]

Well, are you reality checking like a fiend? And when you RC, do you pay very close attention to everything around you? Yeah, I would try a different method. WILD is virtually guaranteed to give you a lucid if you can get past sleep paralysis. MILDing is good if you have good memory (it works for me). In your case, I would recommend some sort of WBTB method, as anything DILD-related doesn't seem to be working so well. Whatever you do, just have confidence. Remember, ANYONE* with a brain can learn to lucid dream. It just takes some longer than others. Oh, and NEVER "take a break" from trying...that'll only set you back, and quite quickly, too. Frequent these forums often, and just immerse yourself in LDing. And don't count on a DILD...they are the easiest, but most unpredictable. Good luck!

[Mariano]

tell me something. which techniques have you tried and how?

[Ethereal]

To be fair, I actually haven't been RCing like a fiend. Probably because of the mixed opinions on reality checking. And I've realized that looking absentmindedly at your hands isn't the same as meticulously questioning your world. I will improve on that. I have tried only a few techniques; recently tried WBTB, but that still relies on DILDing, and 2 nights ago I tried a WILD during the afternoon but simply fell asleep. Understandably, it wasn't the right time in the afternoon. I have been reading this forum more, and I am steadily increasing my efforts. I am thinking that I need some sort of iron schedule to reality checking; wearing a beeping watch that goes off every 15 seconds, or something along the lines of that. Thanks, and I will continue, nay, renew my efforts !

[Maria92]

Go, man, go! Good luck to you!

[Mariano]

yeah, to LD you must too put much willpower into it, if not, it will not come to easily.. good luck.