Rapterbone's Workbook

Why Do I Want to Lucid Dream?
Well, I've always been the type of person who is very logical but often lacks creativity. When I first discovered lucid dreaming, the idea of connecting to my subconscious appealed to me heavily. The main reason I wanted to lucid dream was to be able to venture into my own mind, unlock my true beliefs, ask myself to compose beautiful music, paint, etc. I just felt like the freedom would be an out-of-this-world experience. I have yet to really experience a lucid dream, though... Hopefully I will soon understand.


Reality Checks:
- Push Fingers through Palm
- Looking at numbers/text
- Try breathe with pinched nose

Dream Signs:
- Often find myself in dreams where I fail class
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Short-Term Goals:
- Achieve a state of lucidity
- Better lucid control
- Find a successful induction method

Long-Term Goals:
- Learn to obtain lucidity on command
- Gain a further insight through dreams
- Improve creativity

Lucid/Dream Recall History:
- Dream recall comes and goes; remember 3 or 4 dreams per week

Current Technique:
- WILD

The WILD seems appealing to me because I don't want to leave lucidity to mere chance happenings. I'll try it for the first time tonight. I will make sure to awaken myself enough to actually remain mentally conscious!

Hey Rapterbone, welcome welcome! Your workbook looks great, you're off to a good start already.

You know, I share a similar dream sign with you. I used to sing opera, so in alot of my dreams, I'm on stage but can't remember my lines, or the staging, so the performance bombs. Or sometimes I can't remember where my classes were in college, or I have a test but I didn't study lol. So annoying.

That's good that you have substantial dream recall already, you've got the first step out of the way. Now all you need to do is focus on your chosen technique, in this case WILD, and keep reporting your attempts/progress/successes here. And ask any questions or post any concerns you have along the way. We have a great team here to help you with every step.

Good luck and I look forward to working with you! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OpheliaBlue

I used to sing opera...

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WHAT! This is.. A great revelation. :lol:


Welcome to the intro class, Rapterbone. Can't wait to read about your progress! :)

So what exactly do i post in this workbook? Interesting dreams? Questions? Progress? Experiences?

Thanks for the welcome guys :)

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Originally Posted by Rapterbone

So what exactly do i post in this workbook? Interesting dreams? Questions? Progress? Experiences?

Thanks for the welcome guys :)

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Yeah, all of the above! Talk through what you experienced, how your attempts have gone, how dream recall has been, and any thoughts/concerns/questions that arise for you. We'll steal your ideas for ourselves check it out and discuss your progress and help you with any questions. You can fill out material related to the assignment when you get to those as well.

Speaking of assignments, Lesson II will probably be an enjoyable one for a highly logical guy like you. (I've got some Vulcan in me as well.) :mrgreen:

Assignment II goes over induction techniques, and one of the optional tasks is to select a secondary induction technique. One thing about WILD is that it goes great with other techniques like DILD, giving you even more "rolls of the dice" at becoming lucid. OpheliaBlue, for example, is great with WILD but still hits lots of DILDs. Give that assignment a look when you are ready!

Okay. So I read about WILD techniques and such. I think this will be my approach:

1) Increasing self-awareness through viewing my impact on society. I think of this as watching myself from a third-person view.
2) Setting a time to WBTB
3) Keeping a positive mindset for WILDS
4) Remembering to write down my dreams
5) Mantras/Mental intentions

I think I will try my first WILD tomorrow morning at around 4 AM. I'll post how it goes!

Quick question: Why do you all spend so much of your time helping others? What inspired you to guide people like me?

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Originally Posted by Rapterbone

Okay. So I read about WILD techniques and such. I think this will be my approach:

1) Increasing self-awareness through viewing my impact on society. I think of this as watching myself from a third-person view.
2) Setting a time to WBTB
3) Keeping a positive mindset for WILDS
4) Remembering to write down my dreams
5) Mantras/Mental intentions

I think I will try my first WILD tomorrow morning at around 4 AM. I'll post how it goes!

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Sounds great... I can tell you've been doing some good research! Definitely keep us posted. :goodjob:

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Originally Posted by Rapterbone

Quick question: Why do you all spend so much of your time helping others? What inspired you to guide people like me?

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It was my good fortune that some great people (such as OpheliaBlue, RareCola, paigeyemps and others) did the same for me. This was a huge boost to my lucid dreaming and if I can pass this on or pay it forward in any way, I'd like to.

And speaking more generally, over time I've learned that helping other people succeed simply makes good things happen. It's one of those rules of thumb that never fails and I stopped questioning it a long time ago. It's just the way things seem to work.

Now for my unabashedly selfish reason: I get a ton of benefit from reading other people's dream journals, workbooks, and other experiences. I have a great time talking about dreaming and I can easily say that I get more out of these discussions than I put into them.

I agree a gazillion percent. I don't know if I'd have this many lucids if I hadn't been around the intro class. Just being around here and the site, and around people who talk about lucid dreaming really boosts your lucid mindset. Kinda like that saying that says "You can't light someone else's candle without illuminating your way too." or something lol

So, last night I tried my first real attempt at WBTB+WILD in quite a while. For some reason, I initially had trouble falling asleep. When I woke up, I turned a light on to write down my dreams and go to the bathroom. After, I took a couple gulps of water and laid back down. I found myself getting hot really quickly + unable to get comfortable. I ended up tossing and turning for the next 2 hours (3-5AM), only managing to sneak in 20 minutes of sleep. I wonder what caused my insomnia-like state. Will try again this weekend.

I've never employed WILD before (unless you count DEILD) so a more experienced WILD'er like OpheliaBlue or paigeyemps might be able to give WILD-specific advice.

As for sleep trouble, I can offer you a couple of pointers on how to get back to sleep. (These only apply for when you have decided to abandon the WILD attempt for the evening, get some sleep, and maybe hope for a DILD.)

First, if you are feeling hot, peel those covers off as much as necessary to feel better.

Try not to toss and turn if you can help it. Find a good "go to" sleeping position and see if you can make it work. In my experience, movement has been a setback for falling asleep. On the stomach sometimes works for me but the best may be on the side. If I'm on my right side, my right hand is tucked under the pillow with my left arm draped across the front of my body. Bunched up covers or a pillow between the knees can keep them from rubbing together and keep you a little cooler. But find what works for you.

The final thing I had to learn to deal with was quieting my mind and purging it of racing thoughts. For this, I like taking long, very slow, deep breaths. Just burrow into that pillow, focus on how good it feels and think of nothing but your breathing. If concerns arise, gently set them aside and return to thinking only of your slow breaths. This generally does it for me.

Keep us updated on your attempts over the weekend!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rapterbone

So, last night I tried my first real attempt at WBTB+WILD in quite a while. For some reason, I initially had trouble falling asleep. When I woke up, I turned a light on to write down my dreams and go to the bathroom. After, I took a couple gulps of water and laid back down. I found myself getting hot really quickly + unable to get comfortable. I ended up tossing and turning for the next 2 hours (3-5AM), only managing to sneak in 20 minutes of sleep. I wonder what caused my insomnia-like state. Will try again this weekend.

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Hmm how long were you up and about? Also, what kind of light did you use and how bright was it? These could very well affect how your attempt turned out. Light inhibits production of melatonin, and..

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The melatonin signal forms part of the system that regulates the sleep-wake cycle by chemically causing drowsiness and lowering the body temperature...

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So basically this is why we become sleepy during nighttime, though it is not the only factor. Using lights too bright or too sudden directly inhibits the production of melatonin, so that might be why you couldn't go back to sleep – kind of like 'shocked' awake. (maybe it's also why you felt hot?)

Staying up for too long could also completely wake you up physically. But you can experiment with your optimum WBTB time over the course of your attempts to figure out what works best.

I suggest that the next time you attempt a WILD, use a dim light and not for too long if you have to write down your dreams or get up to go somewhere. Also, when you get back to bed, try using anchors to help your body fall asleep yet keep your mind awake. You can use something as simple as the sound of a fan for white noise, or perhaps a white noise maker. Or you can try counting down while meditating or doing some relaxation techniques. If you feel the urge to move, don't do it. You probably know about rollover signals, and everytime you move, it resets, so you end up doing it over and over, thus insomnia.

I'm not very experienced with WILDs, as I've only done it successfully a couple times, but I hope this helps! This is what I did on many attempts :)

http://www.sleepfoundation.org/artic...onin-and-sleep


EDIT:

Heads up: It's almost October! I suggest making a new list of monthly goals you want to achieve, as well as reevaluate your DJ for possible new dream signs or any realizations :D

As an update:

-Still having trouble falling back to sleep in WBTB. WILD seems to be unsuccessful for me, and I've only once achieved sleep paralysis. What do you suggest?
-Dream recall has been negligible. How should I improve
-WBTB makes me very groggy throughout the day.

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Originally Posted by Rapterbone

-Still having trouble falling back to sleep in WBTB. WILD seems to be unsuccessful for me, and I've only once achieved sleep paralysis. What do you suggest?

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If you're having trouble falling asleep, try to lower the intensity on your WBTB. Cut down on how long you stay up. Expose yourself to less light. Don't get that drink of water. For example, with mine I just get up long enough to pee, write down my dreams, and crawl back in bed. If you feel like you've already dropped these adjustments as long as they can go, see if you can maybe give us a bit more detail about your WBTB procedure. I strongly recommend the breathing relaxation technique for getting back to sleep. Slow the breathing way down and focus on nothing but that gentle rhythm.

Next, let's talk WILD. First, understand that WILD is quite an intricate technique. It's powerful in that it leaves so little to chance but there's a significant learning curve there. Could you give us a feel for how long you spend on the WILD attempts themselves? Is the excitement of attempting WILD getting you too amped up to sleep? Don't let me put words in your mouth if this isn't the case. We're interested in your assessment.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rapterbone

-Dream recall has been negligible. How should I improve

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When you first awaken, try to move as little as possible. Grasp for every little bit of dream that your mind can find. Even a small fragment or a feeling is enough. You may find some emotion sensation or flash of imagery. Try to bring it back into focus. If you get one image, try to work backward and then forward in time from there until more of the experience spools back in.

In cases of a real recall rut, my weapon of choice is Mastermind's day journal approach: http://www.dreamviews.com/f15/if-you...ams-try-93005/. Keeping track of (and writing down) the day's events will raise your awareness and train your memory. This has gotten me unstuck from every recall rut I've ever gotten myself into.

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Originally Posted by Rapterbone

-WBTB makes me very groggy throughout the day.

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How long are you up for WBTB? It really doesn't have to be very long? What does an example night of sleep with the WBTB look like? If your WBTB + your induction technique is keeping you up for a long stretch of time, we should adjust. My whole WBTB experience from wake to sleep is usually a 20 minute experience, give or take.

Give those questions a look and keep us updated!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rapterbone

As an update:

-Still having trouble falling back to sleep in WBTB. WILD seems to be unsuccessful for me, and I've only once achieved sleep paralysis. What do you suggest?
-Dream recall has been negligible. How should I improve
-WBTB makes me very groggy throughout the day.

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Quote:

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"Begin by closing your eyes and lying in a comfortable position. Your goal is to become so relaxed, you lose track of your body altogether. You are going to coax yourself into a deep trance-like state that will, effectively, let your body fall asleep while you maintain some awareness. If you have experience with meditation, use your favorite relaxation method.

If your thoughts are racing, calm your mind. Let each thought pass through your mind, recognize it, and then let it go. When your mind is settled, tell yourself firmly that the next thing you see will be a dream. The next thing you experience will be a dream.

Bring your attention to your breath. Breathe slowly, comfortably, and evenly, counting each breath on the exhale. Imitate the breathing of someone who is sleeping. Move your attention to your feet. Feel them relaxing and gently sinking into the bed under their own weight. Now move your attention to your head and face. Feel the muscles in your face relaxing. Relax your neck, and let your head sink gently into the pillow under its own weight. Do this for any part of your body that feels tense or uncomfortable.

When you feel loose and comfortable, start to imagine your body swaying side to side, or rocking back and forth. Imagine you are swaying loosely to the rhythm of your breath and your counting. If you feel any annoying itches or twitches, scratch them, then go right back to what you were doing. "

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This is Here

That should help you with your getting back to sleep problem. You can also try flexing your muscles one by one from your toes to your scalp. Then begin the relaxation exercise. I always have a lot of trouble staying still, but if you begin with your preferred sleeping position that usually helps.