DaveTheJoker's Workbook

Just wanted to post this here as a reference for me, RareCola was extremely helpful in the chat as usual.

[21:44:52] <%RareCola> So here is your homework for this week, and I want a report back from you in your workbook next weekend:

1) Sort out your sleep schedule

2) Practice waking up multiple times during the night, there are multiple methods to do this, research them.

3) Start a list of why you want to lucid dream. Make them meaningful and things that will motivate you.

Another tip I have is to focus on finding "dream feelings" in real life. For example, if you're driving in a car open up the window and notice the environment rushing past you as the wind blows against your face. It's a pretty surreal thing that can feel really dream-like

So how goes the homework so far man?

1) I have been attempting to even out my sleep schedule, I have been waking up at 11am every day lately.

2) I am working on it. I have been setting alarms since last Thursday with limited results. I have been having some problems with WBTB, I have been setting my alarm for 6AM, and none of these WBTB's have been productive. During the majority of them, I have been either sleeping through my alarm or just turning it off and having no recollection of doing so in the next day. I know last night I know that my alarm woke me up, but I have no idea what I did. I think I at least attempted a FILD, but I really have no recollection of it at all, and my memory appears to have been wiped. If I can't remember what I did how I was awake, how will I remember what I did when I was dreaming? I think I will start to experiment with longer WBTBs later in my sleep, such as getting up for 20 minutes, then going back to sleep for a couple more hours. Reflecting on my previous experiences, I think this may yield better results for at least recall.

3) I have thought of a couple good ones so far.

I also have been learning a lot about Western Buddhism, a subject that I have long been interested in apart from dreaming, and relating it to lucid dreaming. I have been watching various videos of my favorite philosopher, Alan Watts and I can't help but think of lucid dreaming and relate it to dreaming.

I think you should cut out the alarm, it's alright to have the alarm to go off if you need/want to be up by a certain time, but stop using it for the WBTB and to wake up throughout the night. I occasionally use a night-time mantra "I wake up after each of my dreams and recall them perfectly." and it works remarkably well for me. You just need to really set your intention that you WILL wake up.

That's my biggest flaw I caint I have to have the alarm. It helps me a lot. mabey I'm learning I'm a deeper sleeper then I though but when I stopped using my alarm my recall did not improve at all. Always try without and Set ur intentions first but an alarm isn't always a bad thing though.

Hey Dave, how'd that incubation go? Did you think of something interesting, did it work?

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Originally Posted by Caenis

Hey Dave, how'd that incubation go? Did you think of something interesting, did it work?

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I gave up thinking of one. :P

And then I ended up dreaming about DV. :(

Tonight I will go over my DJ and try to incubate a dream based upon an previous dream.

Haha, I dream about DV too sometimes. I generally don't dream about the LDing part of DV. Strange, since I spend most of my time in DVA. Feel free to type up or paste your incubation into your workbook! I'm curious about what you'll incubate.

Well it's late now but I have taken some time to type out what I want to incubate, laying here in bed with my tablet. Here is what I just typed out, I haven't even proofread it and I'm on my tablet so bear with my grammar.


I intend to dream of walking into a medium sized room late at night, dimly, lit by soft lighting. A girl, slightly older than I, the girl who has been in my dreams many times before is here, sitting at a table. As I walk in, our eyes meet. I feel a great sense of understanding and clarity, a type of euphoria produced by no drug. I walk towards the table noticing the fire in the fireplace, its heat radiating relaxed, but not tired vibes. I sit down at the other chair at the table. Time goes by. I eventually end up relaxing in a very comfortable chair, continuing to quietly converse about life. She is just as thoughtful about things as I am. Eventually it comes time for me to leave. I stay sitting in the chair as I feel the dream begin go end, becoming lucid at the last moment, waking up ready to fully recall all of the details of the dream,including any emotions that went with it.

That's a very very nice dream to read. I feel relaxed just reading it lol x) Great job with the recall, and congrats on the lucidity! :)

btw, who is that on your avatar? I've been really curious.

That's Kramer, a character on the TV show "Seinfeld". lol here is one of his best moments.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkpvON6IpNs

Took just 2x 25mg Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) last night and it knocked me out. I woke up at 6:00am with a benadryl/sleep buzz (I actually only just remember that I woke up). Not sure if I remembered dreams. I remember thinking "I hope I can remember this tomorrow" but I don't remember what I was supposed to remember :eek:

I did have some dreams, but again, none of them were particularly interesting. Plus they may have been even more illogical than normal do to the Diphenhydramine.

I will upload my DJ later I think, even though it is short.

Oh diphenhydramine wipes out my recall too. Are you sick? Or just trying to get yourself to sleep easier?

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Originally Posted by OpheliaBlue

Oh diphenhydramine wipes out my recall too. Are you sick? Or just trying to get yourself to sleep easier?

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My mom told me to take some for rashes on my legs and swelling in my foot. I don't think it did anything for that. For dreaming, considering how bad my recall has been lately, I wouldn't say it killed it, in fact it may have helped. I must not have much of a tolerance for it because just two of the pills made me soooo tired and even delirious in the early morning.

I've heard that it suppresses REM for a while until it wears off so maybe if you sleep long enough you get a rebound? I don't know, but I took it, crashed at 1:30am and got up at 11:30pm.

I remember when I woke up at 6am trying desperately to stay awake long enough to LD, but I remember thinking "If I am this out of it in real life, why even bother trying to get conscious in a dream".

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Originally Posted by DaveTheJoker

I've heard that it suppresses REM for a while until it wears off so maybe if you sleep long enough you get a rebound? I don't know, but I took it, crashed at 1:30am and got up at 11:30pm.

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Ah that makes sense. Whenever I've taken it and it wiped out my recall, I had only slept for 5 or 6 hours because I had to get up for work. I imagine if I had slept in it would have been better.

Dammit man I'm so effing frustrated with LDing. No recall again last night. Can't expect to lucid dream with recall and like this. This whole thing is turning into a disaster.

To make things worse I won't be in #DVA because of my latest chat ban. Just great.

Dave, I know this sounds a bit contradictory, but try to "try less." Frustration and stress is definitely not conducive to lucid dreaming, the past few days I've been very relaxed and confident in my lucid dreaming ability, even though I was going on a week dry spell, and I broke the spell. Don't give up, just remember that every experience, even a seemingly disappointing one, is exactly that; experience. You can learn what does and doesn't work for you this way.

Figured I should finally do the homework that I should have done a long time ago:D

Dream Signs: (In order of frequency)

Buses (School or greyhound type)

Aunt and Uncle/Aunt and Uncle's House

Public Restrooms

Large Hotels

Boating

Hard Liquor

Airstream Trailers

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Originally Posted by DaveTheJoker

Figured I should finally do the homework that I should have done a long time ago:D

Dream Signs: (In order of frequency)

Buses (School or greyhound type)

Aunt and Uncle/Aunt and Uncle's House

Public Restrooms

Large Hotels

Boating

Hard Liquor

Airstream Trailers

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Woo! We're making progress. Good job :)

So no dreams again last night. Umm I really don't know what the heck is wrong here. Rant rant rant rant

You're too preoccupied with thinking about your wife, aren't you? It's all Kraom's fault. Pining over your wife has ruined your recall.

Have you tried apple juice yet, or a banana before bed? Have you been doing WBTBs recently? Or if you're able, try taking two or three naps in the day instead of sleeping the full 9 hours. I find taking two 4hr naps is very helpful for remembering more dreams. Or you could read some of your recent dreams before you go to bed.

As eMCLucid stated, don't get frustrated! Take a break for a few days or a week if you need to.

One of the weird things that helps me remember stuff if I have no recall in the morning: daydreaming. Sounds counterproductive, but sometimes my own daydreams will spark my memory. Or just relaxing in bed while daydreaming will make it easier for the dream to come back to me.

Good luck Dave, I'm sure you'll get good recall again soon. If you can't believe in yourself, believe in the me that believes in you!

Hahaha I figure I have better chances with her in my dreams, so no dream recall = no Yvonne. Now there's an incentive :)

Set two alarms for WBTB. To night I will try the old "Mess up your sleep so much that you are bound to wake from a dream sometime" technique. Will report how it works.

I am up at 8am doing a WBTB and I am thinking about what my last dream felt like. It was just really a bunch of uninteresting thoughts going around in circles as I roll around uncomfortably in bed. Not sure what I can do about it. Maybe I am getting too much sleep.

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Originally Posted by DaveTheJoker

Hahaha I figure I have better chances with her in my dreams, so no dream recall = no Yvonne. Now there's an incentive :)

Set two alarms for WBTB. To night I will try the old "Mess up your sleep so much that you are bound to wake from a dream sometime" technique. Will report how it works.

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I do this from time to time on the weekends I like the dedication u have even with a low dream recall. Like mister cheezel said in grandmas boy "good things will come" lol caint wait to hear about ur next dream!!

Set my alarm for 6:15AM and did a WBTB+SSILD and said a mantra. I recalled 3 dreams, but no lucids. They weren't real interesting, but beggers can't be choosers. All of the dreams had something to do with golf for some reason. Very strange.

Golf - Dream Journals - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views