Thread: Pennyroyal's workbook

Originally Posted by OpheliaBlue

Finally CONGRATULATIONS on achieving all your goals for march. And with more than a week to go! I'm telling ya, all you have to do is get lucid for the basic TOTM. Then grab the nearest object and destroy it! I promise you, if you're worried in the dream that it's real life and you're about to destroy something nice, Auntie Ophelia will buy you a new one. Just have no fear of the consequences. Chuck it against the wall. I'll send you some duct tape and gorilla glue if necessary

Oh, next time it's ON! I'm just having a hard time becoming Lucid again lol.

This is really sounding like a great program (or at the very least, a whole lot of fun.)

You're doing an outstanding job with your workbook and I'm enjoying keeping up with it. I'm also becoming very conscious of how long it's been since I properly updated mine!

And congratulations on completing all of your March goals already! Got a long way to go on mine!

Alright. Having completed my NLD/LD goals for March, and there are 8 days left in march (I think) I need to put my focus on something.

I have a DEILD competition with MyCooky - whichever one of us managed to DEILD from a Lucid first wins.

I've been using the same mantra for a month or so, setting intention for recall. Now I'm going to change it up and try to see if I cant get myself to actually hold still with my eyes closed when I wake up to make DEILDing a bit easier, also seems to help remember dreams if I just stay relaxed.

8 Day Goals:

Have a Lucid Dream
Stabilize by spinning
before the dream ends remember to hold still and DEILD into another dream.

I have a LD coming on I can feel it. Just gotta wait it out. I'm feelin' pumped!

Hey great work!! And it's a great idea to have friendl lucid competitions, it really kickstarts your subconscious to actually get things done. Good luck

Originally Posted by paigeyemps

Hey great work!! And it's a great idea to have friendl lucid competitions, it really kickstarts your subconscious to actually get things done. Good luck

Yea, the last time we had a friendly competition I had my first DILD after a bit of a dry spell. Hoping to accomplish the same now!

Good luck in the comp RoyalDipshit. Im off to a horrible start.

Originally Posted by Xanous

Good luck in the comp RoyalDipshit. Im off to a horrible start.

Hahah thanks Xanous!

It's still early on, plenty of time to get an awesome streak in. I'm sure I'll be reading an awesome update from you soon that will make me totally jealous

My own awareness technique -

I've been thinking about this the last few days, for a while I felt like awareness was really just clicking with me. Then my habits got pretty bad and I'm not feeling as confident now. Longer lapses in being aware, etc etc. I was thinking of a way to help my awareness gradually increase without relying completely on random acts of strangeness to make me say.. 'Now hold on just a minute, am I dreaming?"

"Gradual Awareness Technique" - I may not have been the first to invent this, but I have not heard of it before.

The basic idea - You choose one thing that causes you to do critical state testing (Am I dreaming?). Once you have become proficient at questioning your awareness on that one task almost every time, you choose a new one. The concept is to slowly build an arsenal of things that cause you to always question what state of reality you are in. Constant vigilance in being aware always seemed like such a daunting task to me - build it one block at a time!

e.g. - Every time I see anything green, I stop and ask myself if I am awake or dreaming. Green shirt, Grass, green cup, green car, etc etc.

I started off with something that would be common, once I am always questioning whether or not I'm dreaming when i see something green I can move on to something else, possibly more specific. Use dream signs, etc.

I'll be using this in conjunction with other awareness-checking habits I've already developed.

Creative Sleep Program Day 7:

Day time:
- Tell yourself you will consciously examine negative[dream] images next time you dream.

Night time:
- Choose an appropriate symbol to place in your room and write your intention in your dream journal. (I'll leave a yellow hand picture on my desktop)
- In your dreams, ask unpleasant images and entities what they mean to you. (Yellow hand from childhood nightmare, Necromancer lady from several weeks ago)
- Focus on your goal as you go to sleep.

Yellow Hand
Necromancer Lady Like that but without the face thing.

Originally Posted by PennyRoyal

"Gradual Awareness Technique" - I may not have been the first to invent this, but I have not heard of it before.

The basic idea - You choose one thing that causes you to do critical state testing (Am I dreaming?). Once you have become proficient at questioning your awareness on that one task almost every time, you choose a new one. The concept is to slowly build an arsenal of things that cause you to always question what state of reality you are in. Constant vigilance in being aware always seemed like such a daunting task to me - build it one block at a time!

Cool technique, and seems perfectly suited for self-pacing. LaBerge had an interesting section on rotating different dream signs for training prospective memory, but it had a totally different purpose and approach. With your tech, the idea is to add stuff permanently until one day the world looks very different to you -- now everywhere you look, something is reminding you that you might be dreaming.

This is a really cool idea. I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes for you, especially in terms of how quickly you add new elements as well as what the best approach turns out to be for "preserving" old triggers. Gently coaxing progress out of the body and mind usually seems to be the most effective approach from my experience.

Plus, it's pretty sweet that your acronym works out to be "gat".

Originally Posted by CanisLucidus

Cool technique, and seems perfectly suited for self-pacing. LaBerge had an interesting section on rotating different dream signs for training prospective memory, but it had a totally different purpose and approach. With your tech, the idea is to add stuff permanently until one day the world looks very different to you -- now everywhere you look, something is reminding you that you might be dreaming.

Yes, I believe I saw it in Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by LaBerge. I've been meaning to do this for a week as advised, but havn't got around to it. Maybe I'll make it my first week goal for April.

[/quote]This is a really cool idea. I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes for you, especially in terms of how quickly you add new elements as well as what the best approach turns out to be for "preserving" old triggers. Gently coaxing progress out of the body and mind usually seems to be the most effective approach from my experience.

Plus, it's pretty sweet that your acronym works out to be "gat".[/QUOTE]

Haha, I hadn't considered the acronym

Originally Posted by PennyRoyal

Creative Sleep Program Day 7:

Day time:
- Tell yourself you will consciously examine negative[dream] images next time you dream.

Night time:
- Choose an appropriate symbol to place in your room and write your intention in your dream journal. (I'll leave a yellow hand picture on my desktop)
- In your dreams, ask unpleasant images and entities what they mean to you. (Yellow hand from childhood nightmare, Necromancer lady from several weeks ago)
- Focus on your goal as you go to sleep..

Results:
I didn't have a dream about any of the negative or nightmarish dreamsigns mentions above, but I did experience another negative dreamsign that I havn't had in a while (Teeth/Tooth falling out)

Day 8 Reality check:

This was nothing out of the ordinary, I try to practice awareness/RC as often as I think about it.
While drifting off to sleep vow to recognize a dream while you in in the midst of one.

Terrible Recall. I remember delivering something. I remember having a false awakening that it was raining.

Day 9:

Same as Day 8, including -
If I wake from a NLD in the early morning hours, review the details and vow to recognize a dream when you are in it.

Only a few more days to try for the march Totm. I feel like I'm REALLY close to a Lucid this week.

-Tonight I will recognize a dream sign in a dream.
-I will break something when I become Lucid.

Originally Posted by PennyRoyal

Only a few more days to try for the march Totm. I feel like I'm REALLY close to a Lucid this week.

-Tonight I will recognize a dream sign in a dream.
-I will break something when I become Lucid.

When you feel this close, you really are. I went through this sort of feeling last week and it was followed by a great LD. I know you've got the same thing on the way for you!

Take this intent with you to bed and during any WBTB. Intent matters so much. Drill this in as you get close to sleep to remind yourself of what's coming. Because seriously... it is coming. All you're doing is reminding yourself to make it happen.

Looking forward to reading it!

Not much luck in the past few days.

Not even much NLD recall to speak of. I'm just going to give myself the weekend off and start fresh on Monday/April.

I've been using MILD since mid february. I've had a few DILDs since then and a pair of DEILDs. I want to try out a new technique for the next 4-6 weeks. Any suggestions?

I know the feeling man. My work schedule is so borked right now that I can't even remember my nonlucids for the past week. I'm going to try for some nap lucids instead, until my sleep goes back to normal.

Anyway, if you're starting to have some luck with DEILDs, you could focus on that. If you're getting familiarized with the amount of time you need to accomplish them, and the transitions that take place, maybe you should give DEILD some more attention and see if you can increase their frequency. And MILDs/DILDs can always happen whether or not you focus on them.

Here's to April! I'll post some new tasks on the first, maybe they'll bring us some luck.

Originally Posted by OpheliaBlue

I know the feeling man. My work schedule is so borked right now that I can't even remember my nonlucids for the past week. I'm going to try for some nap lucids instead, until my sleep goes back to normal.

Damn work, always getting in the way!

Anyway, if you're starting to have some luck with DEILDs, you could focus on that. If you're getting familiarized with the amount of time you need to accomplish them, and the transitions that take place, maybe you should give DEILD some more attention and see if you can increase their frequency. And MILDs/DILDs can always happen whether or not you focus on them.

I had two DEILDs in the first 3 weeks of practicing induction, but the first was a total accident. The second one I was just trying to go back to sleep after an awakening in the morning and noticed some very strange HI that I could interact with. I feel like they were a bit of beginners luck. Both of them happened in the early morning hours but I'm not sure how many hours of sleep I had before I managed them.

Here's to April! I'll post some new tasks on the first, maybe they'll bring us some luck.

I sure hope so

Today is the final day of march. Time to summarize this month.

March:

Technique:
Primarily MILD. Goal setting, mantras at night.

Goals:
Remember 1 Dream per night, or 31 dreams in March X
Become Lucid once a week or 4 times in March X
Stabilize the dream by rubbing your hands together/against the enviornment. X
Stabilize by spinning.
Become Lucid and break something (TotM)

Comments:

Overall I had good success this month, I was able to reach my recall and lucid goals.

I was unable to try the second method of stabilization or complete the March Task of the Month. The last week or so of march was extremely disappointing. I felt like I was right on the brink of a Lucid, but instead my recall dropped to zero for most of the week.

Trying to decide what Tech to focus on for April. Considering DEILDs or SSILD.

April:

Technique:
SSILD if I move when I wake.
attempt DEILD if I remain still when I wake.

Bedtime Mantra:
I stay still with my eyes closed when I wake up.

Goals for the month:
Have 45 Dream Journal entries for April.
Have 6 Lucid Dreams in April.
Become Lucid and stabilize the dream by spinning.

Week 1 Goals:
Log 10 dreams in my Dream Journal.
Become Lucid in a dream.

Great update. SSILD is the technique that I used to get my start. Even though I primarily practice MILD these days, SSILD is probably still where I've gotten more than half of my LDs. It is an impressive technique. Too bad nobody really knows why it works!

Be sure to check out CosmicIron's new, official steps. They've been refined a bit from the originals and I found that they worked better for me, particular the introduction of fast and slow cycles.

What's great about your excellent recordkeeping is that you'll be able to, at the end of the trial of SSILD/DEILD, be able to tell how well each tech performed for you and proceed accordingly. I have learned so much from being able to go back over my own records! Good luck and keep us up to date. And congratulations on an excellent March!

Originally Posted by CanisLucidus

Great update. SSILD is the technique that I used to get my start. Even though I primarily practice MILD these days, SSILD is probably still where I've gotten more than half of my LDs. It is an impressive technique. Too bad nobody really knows why it works!

Be sure to check out CosmicIron's new, official steps. They've been refined a bit from the originals and I found that they worked better for me, particular the introduction of fast and slow cycles.

I'll have to find that, thanks.

What's great about your excellent recordkeeping is that you'll be able to, at the end of the trial of SSILD/DEILD, be able to tell how well each tech performed for you and proceed accordingly. I have learned so much from being able to go back over my own records! Good luck and keep us up to date. And congratulations on an excellent March!

Thanks CL. Here's to a good April as well!

I'm going to add a goal to my first week. I'll try a new one each week during this month.

I want to try and single out one of my personal goals. At night I'm going to incubate the hunting as a wolf in a pack dream in hopes for an awesome lucid, or at least a cool NLD.

week 1
-log 10 dreams in dream journal for week 1
-Have a lucid dream in week 1
-Have a dream about wolves.

Originally Posted by PennyRoyal

I'll have to find that, thanks.

Good grief, sorry about that! I meant to paste the link... I even found it before posting!

Here are the official SSILD steps: 宇宙��: Senses Initiated Lucid Dream (SSILD) Official Tutorial

Originally Posted by PennyRoyal

-Have a dream about wolves.

Just added "ride a giant wolf" to my list of dream goals recently.

And yes -- to your continued success in April and many moons thereafter!

Originally Posted by CanisLucidus

Good grief, sorry about that! I meant to paste the link... I even found it before posting!

Here are the official SSILD steps: 宇宙��: Senses Initiated Lucid Dream (SSILD) Official Tutorial

hahaha thank you. I couldn't find it xD

Just added "ride a giant wolf" to my list of dream goals recently.

That's awesome, I had a few dreams in my childhood with a reappearing Dire Wolf. I never rode her though.

Ideally I'd like to BE a wolf hunting in a pack. I've been fascinated with wolves ever since I read White Fang as a kid.

Originally Posted by PennyRoyal

hahaha thank you. I couldn't find it xD

Yeah, dude, that's why I felt like a jerk for forgetting to paste it in! What, you didn't try googling for " 宇宙ã�®é“"?? Gosh!

Originally Posted by PennyRoyal

That's awesome, I had a few dreams in my childhood with a reappearing Dire Wolf. I never rode her though.

Ideally I'd like to BE a wolf hunting in a pack. I've been fascinated with wolves ever since I read White Fang as a kid.

That sounds amazing. One look at my avatar ought to tell you how cool I find that idea.