Thread: Fennecgirl's Workbook

Hey fennecgirl, welcome to the class!

Those specific RCs are really great ideas! I'm gonna try some of those as well

By the way, how long have you been keeping a dream journal? I noticed you said you don't notice any recurring elements at all. Have you tried looking into action dream signs as well? They don't necessarily have to be places or people. They could also be recurring events, like if you keep dreaming about running, or falling (or in my case I seem to do parkour a lot in my dreams haha!)

Anyway, good luck and happy dreaming

Well, I started my dream journal back in the fall (for the purpose of dream interpretation), but I kinda forgot about it after awhile. I wrote in it once more in May when I had a vivid dream I really wanted to remember, and then I started writing in it again probably around late June to improve my dream recall for lucid dreaming. I've kinda been neglecting it again lately, though... ^^;

Ah, alrighty! You should keep writing in it whenever you remember any dreams, and for that matter, you should try to recall your dreams too. Your dream journal is one of the biggest factors in achieving lucidity, next to patience and determination. Not only will it give you valuable info like dream signs, but it is also fun to reread your dreams!

And I know how that feels too, sometimes I feel too lazy to write them up, especially if they're very tiny fragments. But I learned that that attitude would not be beneficial at all in the long run, I'm still working on being not lazy until now hahaha.

Yeah, I'm the same way; I tend to not bother with fragments, even though I know I should still write them down. I'm trying to get over that...

Speaking of which, I think I did well with my DJ update today, as I managed to force myself to write down what little recollection I have of last night, despite the fact I could hardly remember anything at all (my dream recall's been lower than usual for the past few nights).

Awesome, after all, we all need to start somewhere! Keep it up

Hey welcome to the class My assistant, paigeyemps, is a great help to everyone in the class.

Just kidding, paige is my overlord in the class ;_;.

I'm certain you will get along with everyone on the site and most of all, you will learn a lot. My guess is that you will have your first LD within 2 weeks, although it depends.

Good luck and see you around the chat!

Originally Posted by Lunatide

Hey welcome to the class My assistant, paigeyemps, is a great help to everyone in the class.

Just kidding, paige is my overlord in the class ;_;.

Lol wuuuuut. But I am your assistant, Master Lunatide!

Good luck and see you around the chat!

Oh ya, I hope to see you on chat! C

Yesterday, I thought that brain training games could perhaps be helpful for lucid dreaming. I figured that stimulating the logic centre of my brain before going to sleep might make me more likely to notice something illogical in a dream. I also figured that playing memory games, especially ones where you have to remember a picture or scene, would be helpful for improving dream recall. I think I may have been right, as I managed to recall four dreams last night (two fragments from one, one fragment from another, and two whole dreams), which is unusual for me.

Anyway, here was what I did last night:

At 9 PM, I had a banana (since I heard they can make dreams more vivid). I played various brain training games online for about an hour (probably not totally necessary, but I was having fun). Then, I watched the second episode of Ghost Hound and had chamomile tea (with milk and sugar). I started watching it because I heard it was about lucid dreaming, but, so far, it's just been strange with little connection to LDing. It's kind of bizarre, and I don't really care for it. I'm probably not going to watch it tonight.

After one episode, I went off to bed. I meditated for a little while and then did KenKen puzzles (kind of like Sudoku with math; again, it was for logic stimulation before sleep) while listening to theta binaural beats (6.3Hz).

I did two and a half puzzles, then got bored of it (it was easier than I remembered), so I turned off the light and decided to go to sleep. I tried MILD, repeating, "I will become lucid tonight" in my head. I also tried using self-hypnosis to aid the effectiveness of it.

I woke up at around quarter to four, just remembering fragments from two non-lucid dreams. I made some quick notes on my iPod and then, seeing as I'd just woken up after some sleep, decided to try WILD. I listened to some music on my iPod (quiet, all without lyrics and not fast/high-energy), as it aids in visualization. I find that the combination of visualization and quiet music helps keep me conscious enough to WILD. I started the visualization consciously, but I let my subconscious take over as much as it wanted (it usually at least takes over the environment pretty quickly). I soon ended up in this big, empty, white room. For each note in the music, a coloured dot would appear and ripple out, then disappear. It's the same place I'd ended up last time I'd tried WILD (which was the first time I'd tried it with music). I remembered from last time that I could step in time to the music to make the coloured dots appear where I stepped. I tried it, and it still worked this time. Ash (one of my CALD characters) appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and we started doing it together (i.e., one of us would use the melody, the other would pick another harmony part). (Note that there was a third stage last time, of lying down as if I was going to sleep with someone guiding me through WILD (it had been both Amy Pond and the Doctor last time). I didn't reach that stage this time, unfortunately, though I think I got close, as the representation of myself in my mind just collapsed... but then got back up again and continued stepping in time with the music to make more coloured dots appear.)

(EDIT: I almost forgot something! In that music room (as I'll now call it, for lack of a better name) the Minecraft soundtrack has some REALLY fun songs!)

As for physical sensations during this, I felt some sort of wave of... something, like it washed over me. It was... it wasn't exactly numbness, nor was it quite a wave of relaxation. It's hard to describe. It happened again a few minutes later, though. I did stay at the point of being really still and relaxed, feeling almost as if my body isn't there, for quite a while, though. However, I didn't quite reach the point of feeling really light or heavy.

I don't really remember why my WILD wasn't successful. I think I moved a little bit accidentally and kinda woke myself up. Well, I at least know I woke up a bit for some reason, so I just decided to shut off the music and go back to sleep (as it was around half past four in the morning by this point). I used MILD, but, unfortunately, didn't become lucid, though I did have two vivid dreams that I could recall in the morning (which I've posted in my dream journal). I think I almost became lucid because I noticed something was different when we had a different instructor for taekwondo. Then I remembered it was Wednesday... which seemed like a valid explanation to my dreaming mind.

Hmmmm, that's rather interesting Fennecgirl. I know others have described SP as a wave feeling. You got the visualization down well at least! I'm sure that if you keep trying, you'll manage to get there. You certainly have more luck with WILDs than I do. Keep trying!

I knew memory games were good, but I never thought of using logic/puzzle games for logic stimulation. I'll try playing Professor Layton before bed and see if that works for me. Sounds like you have a good routine going, Fennecgirl!

Last night, I didn't really follow a routine or do much to prepare for lucid dreaming (I kinda got carried away talking to a friend on Facebook chat). I did do a couple of KenKen puzzles again, but that was it. When I went to bed, I'd intended to use MILD, but I think I must have fallen asleep almost immediately (I was really tired) because I don't actually remember doing it at all.

I also think I was correct about playing memory games in the evening helping with dream recall, as I can't remember any dreams from last night.

I have a hard time with recall as well if I'm super tired when I fall asleep. It's like I sleep TOO deep or something.

Anyway, if the memory games help your recall then definitely stick to that method. I find that very interesting that you tried that and it worked. I wonder what effect that would have on others?

Anyway, better luck tonight!

I think the memory games are definitely helpful for recall. I tried playing them again yesterday evening. In the morning, I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't remember any dreams from last night, but I did wake up with that feeling of "I can remember dreaming of something; I just can't remember what". I spent awhile trying to remember and managed to recall pieces of four dreams again (including one whole dream), even though none of them were particularly clear.

By the way, I also used MILD again.

Last night, I didn't end up playing memory games in the evening because I had a friend over. I hoped my dream recall would still be okay, and it was. I'm pretty sure I could remember four dreams when I woke up this morning, but I can only remember three now (just missed that extra credit!). I've posted them all in my DJ.

As for induction methods, I planned on hanging with my characters a bit for CALD and then doing MILD. I do have other, non-CALD characters and worlds in my mind, too (I always have, just for my amusement), and my mind ended up drifting over to another world instead... and then another. I guess I was having a bit too much fun with that (not to mention I had some... important business with a couple of other characters, long story there), so I figured I'd just go back to CALD later. I ended up falling asleep before returning to them or doing MILD. Oops.

Hey, seems like a good plan!

Btw, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

I did it. I finally did it.

...well, sort of.

I became lucid, but I got too excited, which caused me to wake up before I could really do anything. Turns out it was actually a false awakening, but I didn't realize that until I woke up for real. Hopefully, my next LD will be a bit longer!

I've posted the details in my dream journal, by the way.

Heyyy!! That's great news! Congratulations!

Read your DJ entry :3

Those annoying FA's! Gaaa! At least you caught one of them! Haha. Congrats again.

Thanks! I didn't quite catch it, though; it wasn't until I woke up for real and replayed the dream in my mind that I realized I'd paid no attention to the extra finger that was still there.

I didn't manage to become lucid again last night, though I did meet a DC who seemed important after going back to sleep this morning. I think there is a possibility that she might be my dream guide, but I'm not sure yet. I'm going to have to look for her in my next LD (if I stay lucid long enough next time) and ask her. By the way, do you have any tips for remembering what DCs look like? I find that I'm terrible at recalling the appearance of DCs (unless I'm familiar with them IRL), despite having decent dream recall.

Homework Assignments for Lesson II

1. Maintain your Workbook and your Dream Journal
Done!

2. Continue to do at least one reality check a day, and list it in your workbook.
I do at least a few a day, though I haven't been posting them in my workbook because I don't really keep track of them. I'm still trying to get better at remembering to RC more often, though I still do at least a few every day.

3. Select an Induction Technique from Lesson II, and begin practicing daily. Post your results in your workbook daily as well.
Well, I've been practicing MILD most nights (as well as CALD, as it seems all I have to do for that is spend time with my characters in my mind, as well as talking about LDing with them, especially when going to bed), sometimes in conjunction with self-hypnosis (which I haven't been totally successful with yet). I have been posting my results.

Extra Credit: Recall more than 3 dreams each night, for at least 3 nights this week, and you will be awarded 20 hall points.
Done, and recorded in my dream journal!

Awesome work fennecgirl!!

I too, despite having great recall, have issues recalling the details of a DCs face. I think this is due to interference from our left brain. The left brain associates "symbols" to things, such as facial structure. This is why so many people have issues drawing because when you draw an eye you draw an oval shape with a circle in the middle, as is the symbol from your left brain. In actuality, each eye is very different.

I'm still not too great at remembering what DCs look like, but I found the best way to get as much information as possible is to study the finer details of their appearance, as you would if you were attempting to draw somebody's portrait. And instead of noticing their eyes as eyes, notice them as simple shapes, lines and how wrinkles look as they're hit by light.

I think I came close again last night. For some reason, I had a dream that my dad was dead. After speaking with him for awhile, I started to suspect that he was actually still alive (as opposed to, you know, a really alive-looking zombie or something), but I also began to suspect that none of this was real. However, it didn't actually cross my mind that I could be dreaming; I thought that perhaps he was just acting and this whole thing was staged.

I used MILD again last night, by the way.

Awww. I have plenty of dreams like that too. I wonder if it's real, but for some reason I think that I'm just being stupid, and end up never getting lucid. That's why lately, when I do mental reality checks such as asking myself "is this real and why?", I try to really take time to think about my answers so it gets internalized and I don't end up disregarding it.


Hahaha tricky tricky brain. Well, you're doing really great still. Keep it up ;D

I have kind of a hobby of worldbuilding, which I'd been really focused on before bed last night, so that's all I really had on my mind when I went to bed. I realized this was a bad mindset for lucid dreaming, as it would just distract me from LD-related thoughts if I kept thinking about all my ideas. I decided to incorporate it into my MILD, saying, "I am a Lusaŋki. I know this means I'm dreaming."

The Lusaŋki are a race I made up for the world I'm making, by the way. My intention was that I'd dream of being one of them (or, at least, being WITH them), leading me to realize that I'm dreaming.

In retrospect, that was probably a bad idea, being too specific. I ended up dreaming about playing video games instead, so I had no apparent reason to question reality. When it started getting weird, I realized that I didn't recognize that part from the game I thought it was, but then I remembered I was playing a different game. That explanation satisfied me... until I woke up.

On the plus side, I actually got to play a video game without it glitching to the point of being near-unplayable, and I also managed to (sort of) remember the appearance of a DC.

That's really interesting. How great would that be though, if someone could successfully incubate his own made up world in specific details, and having the ability to enter it everytime he sleeps.

Well, you can always do the worldbuilding as part of your daydreaming when you're up and awake. And then, just as you said, focus on incorporating it into your MILD over and over before bed