iPaula's workbook

Reality Checks:
- looking at clocks
- looking at my hands
- plugging nose (relatively new)

Dream Signs:
- best friend when I was a teenager
- Not being able to walk or see normal
- boy that was in my class as a child (which is something I really want to find out more about)

Short-Term Goals:
- flying (done a few times but for a too short time)
- be lucid for a longer time than in the past
- talk to my dad

Long-Term Goals:
- finding out what the boy in my old class is doing in my dream. why is he always in love with me in my dreams?
- WILD
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Lucid/Dream Recall History:
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Current Technique:
- DILD
- I do sometimes feel myself falling asleep. I start seeing weird things an feel myself 'drift away'. is this a WILD? Because I don't know if I step into a dream immediately.

I'll edit this later

Welcome, iPaula! Good to have you in the class. You've already made quite the splash having done Task of the Month with your very first post on the forum. :goodjob:

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- I do sometimes feel myself falling asleep. I start seeing weird things an feel myself 'drift away'. is this a WILD? Because I don't know if I step into a dream immediately.

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While it may be a DILD that you're experiencing, you are at least quite close to a WILD! Very nice.

In the WILDs that I've done, when that feeling of "drifting away" would come over me, I had to stay just aware enough that I wouldn't lose self-awareness before the dream began. At the same time, I could not allow myself to get too excited and shatter the dream before it formed. It actually took me quite a while to get to the point where I even recognized and appreciate the "drifting away" state that you're already experiencing regularly. To me, it sounds like you are very, very close.

I've only done a small number of WILDs, so someone who has many more under their belt like OpheliaBlue, Xanous or paigeyemps might have some additional thoughts for you.

Anyhow, let us know how things go for you and I hope to hear more from you soon!

:welcome:

Hello iPaula, welcome to the intro class! :D

I agree with CanisLucidus, it seems like that is a progress towards WILDing. The things you see/hear/feel etc. as you are falling asleep are called hypnagogic hallucinations, and they're quite normal. As what CanidLucidus said, basically in WILD, you retain that awareness as you experience those and you start going into the dream without fully drifting off. So if you get to do that, that could be a great opportunity!

Good luck and congrats on the TOTM success!

Thanks for the responses! And the explanation about WILDs. I hope I'll get there soon!

Dreams 9 januari-10 januari

Time I went to bed: 12 am.

Night-time routine: listen to calming sounds and focus on breathing. Did a few reality checks. I would like to improve my night-time routine in the future. maybe using a mantra.

Lucid dream?: I didn't had a lucid dream. My dreams were a chaos and I didn't even know how to explain them in my dream journal.

Dream signs:
- being able to do something I would normally be to scared of.
- boy from my class was there again but didn't had a big 'role'
- a lot of children in my dream. I was organizing a huge afternoon full of games and playing. I was an adult myself and leading this project.

Dreams 11-12 januari

Time I went to bed: 11.30 pm
Routine: Reality checks every hour during the day (app). Listening to calming sounds and focus on breathing/

1st dream: non-lucid.
Dream signs:
- being naked
- old class (including the boy that's in my dreams regularly)
- playing a game in teams

2nd dream: lucid moments
Dream Signs:
- swimming pool
- my 2 youngest cousins
- youngest cousin was a child

I remember no one was flirting with me and I thought that was strange. (sounds so arrogant now I'm awake)
I wanted to see how I look and when I was walking to the mirror I became lucid and did reality checks. While awake the first reality check I always do is pinch my nose. I never done this in my dream. My hand looked very weird. I couldn't stop myself of looking in the mirror and I saw myself with a big forehead and the vision(?) was hazy.
It was hard to control my dream. I tried really hard to change things but It didn't work too well.

3rd dream: non-lucid (nap)
I only remember the last part of it.
Dream signs:
- boy that was in love with me when I was a child
- new apartment
- roommates (none I really know)

Homework Lesson I:
Why do I want to lucid dream.

I like the possibilities in dreams that I will never accomplish in real life. The feeling of being able to fly in a dream stays with me when I'm awake. Sure, I know it was not real, but I know that it will be real again when I go to sleep. My illness makes me very tired. When I'm not tired because of my illness my medication makes me tired. For now I'm not able to work or go to school. Sleeping has become a huge part of my day. I make a long night and have to take a long nap too. My life became a little bit boring. Of course I try to make the best of it during the days, but I can't do a lot. Lucid dreaming makes me able to step into a world of possibilities. My goals for lucid dreams are not that big. Not yet. Whenever I get lucid I try to do small things like running without getting tired, go to parties, playing a sport or have fun with friends. Things I'm not (always) able to do in real life, but am able to do in the world of lucid dreaming.

I think this is the main reason I want to learn more about lucid dreaming at this moment. But I must say I've been interested in it before I even heard of the term 'lucid dreaming'.


My first lucid dream was the day after a dream I couldn't stop thinking about throughout the day. I think I was around 6 years. I was dreaming about about a little gnome in an ufo. The thing I remember most is that I was on the back of my mom's bike. (don't really know how to say that in English so: Attachment 4059)
And the ufo was floating above me, going with me wherever I went.
The next day I wanted to dream about the gnome again and I could make him appear in my dreams sometimes.
I think that was the only thing I did in my lucid dreams for a long time. Whenever I realized I was dreaming I made the little gnome appear.

Dreams 13-14 January

1st dream: non-lucid
Dream signs:
- sister, family
- hospital

2nd dream: lucid moment?
I let someone appear but I kind of have a feeling that I was dreaming I was lucid. I don't know why. I did a reality check but it feels like I was just dreaming that too. In a non-lucid dream. This was very confusing when I woke up.

3rd dream: non-lucid
Dream signs:
- dutch holiday
- guy in my past that looked totally different than he does in real life

4th dream: non-lucid
Dream signs:
- in class with some old classmates (including the boy that's in my dreams a lot)
- old math teacher but the assignment was to write verbs
- newer friend sat next to me in the class

I wonder why I keep dreaming about this boy in my class. I feel it's getting worse because it frustrates me.


This afternoon I had the same signs as I described in my first post. I don't really know how to explain. I couldn't feel my body, felt like I was disappearing. I also saw weird colors. Hope I'm getting closer to a WILD but I'm trying not to get too excited yet.

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I let someone appear but I kind of have a feeling that I was dreaming I was lucid. I don't know why. I did a reality check but it feels like I was just dreaming that too. In a non-lucid dream. This was very confusing when I woke up.

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Ahh, those moments are always very confusing. Although you didn't actually become lucid, don't fret! Thinking about lucidity in your dreams is a huge step forward and it only means you're becoming more aware :D

Yeah it's very strange! I think I've had these moments before.

I'm now focusing on the different kind of methods to become lucid.
I've had some lucid moments and I remember doing reality checks. Again I'm always looking at my hands. Never pinching my nose.

Last night I was in Los Angeles, where I took a course 2 years ago. I didn't recognize the streets and missed my flight back to the Netherlands.
It was a very dark dream, kind of spooky. I was lucid at one point but I couldn't focus. There was too much going on and I felt like I was in a hurry.

It has been a while.
I was very busy.

I've haven't had many lucid dreams in the past period.
I think my mind was set on other things.

I stopped the alarm sound on my phone that helps me to check every hour for a while and I really think that decreases the lucid dreams.
The alarm is back on. I also experience with binaural beats. I don't know if I believe in it but I am very curious about it.

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Originally Posted by iPaula

I've haven't had many lucid dreams in the past period.
I think my mind was set on other things.

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Hey, no worries on that. We all go through periods of time where our minds are simply focused on other things.

Simply treat it as a break, reset your mind, and come back. (Hey, you already did that part! :goodjob2:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by iPaula

I stopped the alarm sound on my phone that helps me to check every hour for a while and I really think that decreases the lucid dreams.
The alarm is back on. I also experience with binaural beats. I don't know if I believe in it but I am very curious about it.

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Cool. So was the idea with the alarm to remember that the alarm was about to go off, catch it before it did, and perform a reality check? I think that Tim Post suggested something like that and I thought that it was a really cool idea for training prospective memory. But I can certainly understand wanting to turn that off when you're in a busy phase of your life!

I'd also be curious to hear how your experience with binaural beats goes. I haven't done much with them myself.

Ok it has been a while.
I kind of stopped doing too much with lucid dreams for a while.
I noticed I just start using it for the wrong reason. Like seeking contact with my deceased dad.
It just made me more sad to wake up and it didn't help me to get over his passing..

I think it's safe for me to get back into it now! I did had lucid dreams in the mean time and I'm now practising summoning people. (that aren't my dad of course, haha)