Texture's workbook

Reality Checks:
-Breathing through pinched nose
-Pushing finger through palm

Dream Signs:
-A certain muted harmony that echoes from the heavens when my dream is falling apart (I'm talking to my lawyers as we speak, Inception)
-My own ridiculous purple strat with hypnotic white swirls where the volume knobs should be
-A reoccurring nightmare since childhood where I am chased by a masked, weapon-wielding psychopath. I always run up some stairs nervewrackingly slow, and throw myself out the nearest window. This suicide brings with it a great feeling of relief, and I can wake up from my nightmare. Whenever this dream happens, I am usually quite stressed in waking life.

Short-Term Goals:
-I wish to start using a dream journal again
-Improve recall
-Change my current induction technique
-Have my first DNEBNWRENILD (true story)

Long-Term Goals:
-Increase awareness in everyday life
-Consistently have quality lucids and become a strong member of the DV community
-Experiment with complex dream ideas, inductions, techniques, and tasks

Lucid/Dream Recall History:
-Counting snippets and dream chaining, over 500 since 2011. I like the idea of a fresh slate so I can moniter my progress and see how effective this workbook will be over time.

Current Technique:
-FILD, WILD. But let's get away from all that. I am quite interested in mastering MILDs and, to a lesser extent, DILDs.

Welcome back Texture, glad you joined the Intro Class :) The workbook looks great, I look forward to reading your journal when you start it. Not sure if they had the blog style journal when you were here last, but here's the link to it once you want to get started: Dream Journals

Quote:

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DNEBNWRENILD

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Oh do tell the story :happy:

Thanks! And well...potentially untrue story ;)

Lesson 1 "Homework" *

Sleep Schedule: 10:30PM-7:20AM M-F

Times woken up
4:30, 6:50, 7:15

Things that caused me to Reality check
An albino deer that ran across the road as I was driving. (RC)
Was at the movies with some friends, and the actor stared straight into the audience, breaking the 4th wall (RC)
Ate Pistacio Icecream (RC) ;)

Why I want to Lucid Dream
I've digested thousands of books since kindergarten, and have always had a quite active imagination. The thought of being able to participate in a fantasy adventure was my initial motivation, but it has morphed into being fascinated with the mechanics of dreaming, tweaking what will work in a dream, interpreting my psychological state, etc. I still enjoy power punching a baddie through a concrete wall as much as the next guy, but that no longer holds my full interest.

Make a plan for your next Lucid Dream

Have an entertaining conversation with myself and create a new dream world where the denizens worship me as a god and are subject to my cruel experiments for the greater good.

*Template shamelessly pasted from Pennyroyal's workbook

Hi Texture, welcome!

nice plan :)

and excellent workbook as well!

Quote:

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A reoccurring nightmare since childhood where I am chased by a masked, weapon-wielding psychopath. I always run up some stairs nervewrackingly slow, and throw myself out the nearest window. This suicide brings with it a great feeling of relief, and I can wake up from my nightmare. Whenever this dream happens, I am usually quite stressed in waking life.

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Maybe doing something relaxing during the day might help with that? Even some relaxing breathing before bed can help a lot with tense sleep. The body can carry a lot of tension in the muscles into sleep as well as the mind, which can be on high alert when it needs to be at rest.

Pleasant dreamz :offtobed:

I don't actually have it too often and some of the scare effect has worn off through age, but thanks, I'll try a period of relaxation before bed.
I love that there are people that will read and post positive feedback to your workbooks, definitely helps with motivation :)

Lesson II "Homework" 3/24/13

Sleep Schedule 12:30AM-9:30AM F-S

Times woken up
7:30

Induction Technique

MILD, and since I had one last night, DILD
I will practice these induction techniques from 3/24-3/31
And will post my experiences daily here, in a dream journal, and in the snippets thread.

Things that caused me to RC
-The time changing as I glanced at a clock, away, and back again
-Noodling around, and realizing the intonation was off on my guitar
-Seeing a brand new red mustang drive past me on the freeway

What I want to accomplish next
-Overall awareness in waking life
-Experiment with dream incubation
-Seeing how badly a slap from Tyrion Lannister will hurt

OPTIONAL
Discuss your chosen technique with the teachers by posting in your workbook. There are lots of ways to go about each technique, we will be able help you find a method that suits you!


Okay then :D DISCUSS :idea2:

Lesson III "Homework" 3/25/13

Sleep Schedule 11:06PM-7:14AM

Times woken up
None that I remember


Total Situational Awareness (Archer reference, anyone?)
I have been practicing reverse reality checks, and have been doing 9-15 reality checks a day, whenever I pause in an activity and break the haze of autopilot. I am really starting to see the benefits of this, and how it would help with DILDs and realizing when something is completely crazy.

Things that caused me to RC
-Powercord dropped out of my laptop, and the screen brightness lowered
-Having one of my friends run up from behind and cover my eyes with cold hands, whispering guess who?
-Having a girl bake me a cake, even though it's not my birthday
-Singing a song, then having it come up on Pandora
-Me becoming aware at various times throughout the day

How I stand with DILDs and MILDs
Unfortunately, I had absolutely no recall, possibly due to the fact that I went to bed off of my normal schedule. I have actually been focusing on overall awareness in waking life, and haven't repeated any mantras except during a 15 minute period I have before bed. I plan to keep focusing on awareness, dream incubation, and avoiding going off sleep schedule or cheating with WILDs or WBTBs (How I got the majority of my lucids, and not what I want to concentrate on....even though those TOTM wings are quite tempting). I also am planning on updating my workbook, real life, and DV dream journal daily to keep up motivation.

**POTENTIAL DREAM GOALS SOLELY FOR DVA STUDENTS**

I like the idea of creating a more beginner-friendly, TOTM-esque thread with dream goals that will help everyone be motivated, and update their workbooks more regularly (more homework). OpheliaBlue thought it'd be a good idea, so I'll probably start that up in a few days. The whole idea for this thread is the students coming up with great ideas for dream goals, so if you happen to read this, PM me some suggestions or comment below. If you're a little more into competition, Matte87 will be starting a lucid contest for both beginner and experienced lucid dreamers once enough people sign up. If you're interested,

http://www.dreamviews.com/general-lu...read-11-a.html

Workbook Entry Day 4 3/26/13

Sleep Schedule 10:30PM-7:20AM

Times woken up
4:30, 6:15, 6:30, 6:50


.........................
I had a pretty good nights sleep, and remembered 6+ dreams, although some were fragments. I know there were more, but I only recorded a few when I woke up at 4:30. I have quite a hard time becoming lucid when I am extremely tired, and I think this is why I didn't have one even though there were plenty of times I subtly manipulated the dreamscape.



Things that caused me to RC (In waking life)
-Me becoming aware at various times throughout the day
-Trying to do reverse reality checks at least once an hour, at random times during that hour

WHAT TO KEEP PRACTICING
-This is only my 4th day, but I've only had 2 nights of remembered dreams. I want to stay on a consistent sleep schedule, which I think will increase the frequency of lucids
-All day awareness, 15 minute relaxation periods before bed, possibly meditation
-Detail of Dream journals (due to the fact that I scrawled all across my dream journal early in the morning, wanting to get back to sleep)

MISC STUFF
-I've found that I can sit in the lotus position with a straight back for quite long, and keep my mind clear and focused, just after 4 nights
-I really enjoy the relaxation period, where I stretch and reread my dream journals from the past few nights, so I can use them as schemas for dream incubation. When I get close to sleep doing this, I can remember dreams I had forgotten from UP TO 6 YEARS. :D

Wow, good stuff Texture! The work ethic is impressive! :breakitdown: I like the meditation idea as well. Pre-sleep exercises are imo essential for solid recall. Getting in a mind set good for dreams is gonna help tremendously.
The memory of past dreams is awesome. To me, they provide a lot of motivation. Over time, they begin to grow in meaning and having that is beneficial.
As far as your technique, I would just add that your practice so far will eventually apply to any technique. In the earlier stages, they would probably do better with DILD.
Eventually greater awareness, and familiarity with the dream environment will get you any kind of lucid you happen to come upon.
Do you have any specific questions about techniques or anything else for that matter? We are always excited to share the knowledge!

:wizard:

Do you have any good advice, or know of any good guides on dream incubation? I've perused some, but my main problem is once I get far enough relaxed, it is harder to maintain past scenes, and I start to have periods of blankness, no matter my efforts. I actually induced a 10 minute WILD yesterday by slightly switching up a mantra in my head until images started to form along with the thoughts, but this took upwards of 20 minutes, after sleep paralysis had hit. Some guides, such as Sageous's, want you to start with an image so your mind doesn't have to create it, then slowly influence it until you're having your own little daydream. Maybe I'm rushing it, but whenever I try to tweak too much I wake up my brain, and the scene fades entirely, making it difficult to even get the previous scene back. Unfortunately the incubation also didn't work, which has me a little bummed, but I've had great success and already had one lucid in 4 days (not really counting last nights, WILDs are easy :P).

Workbook Entry Day 5 3/27/13

Sleep Schedule 10:45PM-7:20AM

Times woken up
none that I remember


.........................
My nightly relaxation period turned into a WILD, but I actually didn't remember any dreams besides that until after I had taken a shower and was back in my room. It's interesting how recall works; you remember one dream, then suddenly 5 different fragments fall into place. I'm a bit frustrated that once my mind gets sleepy enough, I can't create any schemas, and must wait for near or after sleep paralysis to get them back, just repeating mantras to the blankness in my mind. I'm not sure if incubation is supposed to happen when still quite awake, during that weak, pseudodream-like state that takes place for about 7 minutes before you start to fall asleep, or up until you fall asleep. If anyone knows, please correct me :)


Things that caused me to RC (In waking life)
-Me becoming aware at various times throughout the day
-Trying to do reverse reality checks at least once an hour, at random times during that hour (I was busy today, and unfortunately did not every hour)
-Whenever I came across "Reality Check" in a post on DV
-Hearing the word dream in a song

WHAT TO KEEP PRACTICING/WHAT I AM DOING NOW

-Incubation through mantras
-Incubation through a scene I have where I create a horned blue man named Oom, and he comes to me as soon as I begin to dream, causing me to have a vivid lucid dream. I do variations of him appearing in front of me during relaxation incubation, and saying "You're in a dream!", while clapping a hand on my shoulder. "Do a reality check, and then ask yourself "Where do I want to go today?" I will switch up the words to all the dialogue and motions, as well as changing the "Where I want to" and where I actually DO want to go to keep up excitement
-Continual Reality Checks, posting in this workbook, and both my dream journals daily
-Eating well, and drinking or bringing a glass of water before/to bed

Kinda late, but welcome to the intro class ¯\_(°‿°)_/¯

Workbook Entry Day 6 3/28/13

Sleep Schedule 12:30PM-7:20AM

Times woken up
None. I was EXHAUSTED

.........................
Potentially being one of the worst cases of procrastination I've ever had, I started a 6 page Supreme Court paper due the following day at 10PM. Only 3 hours? pretty damn good. So I'm off my sleep schedule, and unfortunately only had the smallest inkling of the night's dreams before they faded, so I'll post Tuesday night's dreams in my DJ, which I didn't yesterday because of the massive essay panic.

Things that caused me to RC (In waking life)
-A reality check at different times each class period/hour
-Whenever I came across "Reality Check" in a post on DV


WHAT TO KEEP PRACTICING/WHAT I AM DOING NOW

-I WILL NOT BE ON OR POSTING IN MY WORKBOOK FROM FRIDAY-MONDAY, I WILL BE IN FLORIDA
-I will continue my dream journal while on the trip, and update for you guys when I get back :)
-I will create an elaborate dream incubation scenario on the car ride up tomorrow, and post the results
-I have been testing out a theory on dream recall, and might post a guide on it once I have more experience and am able to remember at least one dream per night

FULL ON MOTIVATION, HOPEFULLY SOME CRYSTAL BLUE WATER BEACH DREAMS!! Enjoy your spring break everybody (if you're lucky enough to have one)

Ok have fun in Florida!! See you when you get back :)

Workbook Entry Day 7 4/3/13

Sleep Schedule 1:04AM-9:58AM

Times woken up
None that I remember, due to being off schedule because I got up at 4 on Tuesday to drive back from Florida

.........................
I'm back from Florida, and had some pretty awesome dreams there. None were lucids and I am still only focusing on DILDs, but I had some highly vivid and lengthy fragments. I'm really interested in conducting psychology experiments on myself, some implemented during daily life, some that will be done once I become lucid from a DILD. I'll keep you guys posted :)

Things that caused me to RC (In waking life)
-At least twice an hour for around 12 hours, I did an RC (today)
-A girl I saw that looked like one from a dream

WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO/WHAT I AM FOCUSING ON

-Matte's dream competition that just started
-Even though it's spring break, I'm going to try to get back on a normal sleep schedule
-Attempt to flesh out some of the senses I use less in dreams (smell, touch, taste); I want to have a dream where one of these is the primary focus, or the only focus, and without seeing I am completely relying on that one dream sense
-I'll write and draw my blue Named-Subconscious buddy Oom to tie waking and dream life together
-Post a few DJ entries from the weekend vacation

Workbook Entry 8 4/5/13

Sleep Schedule 11:30PM-10:17AM

Times woken up
3:52, 6:57

.........................
I had lots of really long, interlocked dreams, unconsciously tying them together. These dreams themselves felt very realistic, with real life consequences and feelings playing a very large role. Normally, I get the feeling that deep down I know I'm dreaming and will lazily exploit it sometimes, but am too tired to care. This had me feeling repercussions for cheating on a test, and later, killing someone. I felt very much like I had approached the scenario like I would i waking life, and that I had consciously decided to kill him. This was very interesting for me when I woke up, as I felt this monumental relief that I hadn't done so.

Things that caused me to RC (In waking life)
-At least twice an hour for around 12 hours, I did an RC (today)
-I found I was unaware of my body parts (proprioception..? I think it's called that)
-My hands were ice cold, due to lying down without a shirt on and not moving
-Playing a particularily melodious piece on guitar, and getting the sensation that my fingers were flowing across the strings

WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO/WHAT I AM FOCUSING ON

-Matte's dream competition that just started
-Even though it's spring break, I'm going to try to get back on a normal sleep schedule
-FINALLY post a long list of dreams I've had since vacation, but have been too lazy to type up
-Get back to doing a 15 minute relaxation period before bed
-Experiment with dream incubation more than I have been...I'm thinking writing a song that will be Oom's (named subconscious), and whenever it's playing I'll become lucid, or he'll show up. I'll also write a detailed description of him and flesh out his personality. I might also draw him, and post the pictures for you to laugh at :)

Workbook Entry 9 4/7/13

Sleep Schedule 2:00AM-9:58AM

Times woken up
none that I recall

.........................
I stayed the night at a friend's house, and as a result did not have my dream journal. We also stayed up watching some movies, so my sleep schedule got pretty off.

Things that caused me to RC (In waking life)
-At least twice an hour for around 12 hours, I did an RC (today)
-Sitting at the computer for too long, then realizing how quiet it was

WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO/WHAT I AM FOCUSING ON

-Matte's dream competition that just started
-Get back to a good sleep schedule for school (I have it again Tuesday, yikes)
-Begin posting in dream journal daily from now on. I'm not going to try to catch up all the days missed this week due to vacation/procrastination, but take a fresh start

Workbook Entry 10 4/15/13

Sleep Schedule 11:00PM-7:20AM

Times woken up
4:30

.........................
I went to bed a half hour later than usual, but got some writing done so it's okay.

Things that caused me to RC (In waking life)
-At least twice an hour for around 12 hours, I did an RC (today)
-Trying to do in the middle of actions

WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO/WHAT I AM FOCUSING ON

-URG it's been almost a week since posting this, I was going for once every two days and my dream journal... :(
-I've been keeping up with my dream journal in waking life, which is good.
-I've noticed that my reality checks often happen AFTER doing something -- I'll walk the dog, and only do a reality check as I'm sitting down. I need to start implementing them more at times where I'm focused on other things and less aware, not when I'm sitting around and am like "OH YEAH!"
-I haven't had a DILD since the first day, but I want to stick with the method. ANY TIPS? THANKYA

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Texture

-I haven't had a DILD since the first day, but I want to stick with the method. ANY TIPS? THANKYA

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Hrmm... I wonder if your WBTB time is too early. Either that, or your going to bed time is too late. Some people need a larger chunk of sleep before that first alarm goes off *coughMEcough*. Also, are you DJing fairly regularly? And finally, what are you doing during your WBTB to get your mind geared up for a lucid?

Well I'm not actually doing WBTB, I'm trying to stay well away from WILDs right now...
I think my sleep schedule has been a tad irregular, but I've been doing a dream journal every day and have remembered at least one dream for 2 weeks now(I'm also doing a 10-20 minute relaxation period before bed every night). Should I take more time off to focus on Dream incubation and also get my sleep back on track? Btw, thanks for responding so quickly :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Texture

Well I'm not actually doing WBTB, I'm trying to stay well away from WILDs right now...

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Hey don't get me wrong there. Alot of my DILDs have been after a WBTB, whether or not I meant to wake up early. Sometimes what happens is, I'll wake up early for whatever reason, then as I am going back to sleep, I think of something like, oh let's say balloons. Then suddenly I'm in a nonlucid dream where I'm at work for example, and I think, "Hey, I was JUST in my bed thinking about balloons not 4 seconds ago!!" The WBTB isn't just for WILDs, it's all about waking up, getting your mind in a higher level of awareness, but still being tired enough to fall back to sleep while still retaining some of that level of awareness. It's a sweet spot, but it's so incredibly worth it to find it. :)

Quote:

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I think my sleep schedule has been a tad irregular, but I've been doing a dream journal every day and have remembered at least one dream for 2 weeks now(I'm also doing a 10-20 minute relaxation period before bed every night).

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The relaxation thing before bed is really helpful. A DVA staff member named RareCola even wrote a Night-Time Routine Guide that has the aim to better prepare the mind for lucid dreaming before bed: http://www.dreamviews.com/attaining-...-lucidity.html

Quote:

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Should I take more time off to focus on Dream incubation and also get my sleep back on track? Btw, thanks for responding so quickly :D

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Anytime, that's what we're here for. That said, if you ever have a question in your workbook and I miss it for whatever reason, please feel free to PM me and redirect me to your question or concern. Anyway, I think that while you get your sleep back on track, you could still work on dream incubation. For example, you could pick a relaxing, serene dream environment where you imagine yourself getting lucid. That way, it won't deprive you of sleep, but will still gear up your mind for lucidity.

I hope some of what I've said resonates with you. I'm always checking my PMs, if not posts, should you have further questions. Good luck and I look forward to your next lucid!

Hey Texture!

Sorry about the gap in my response to your workbook, time always finds the best hiding places...
and so I will try to find time a bit more often in the future.

As far as your workbook goes, it looks awesome! You have made some excellent progress already. My only advice today would be to remember to keep the basics solid, and its only a matter of time before you have a lucid. Sometimes, lucidity can even be a boost to recall.
Do what gives you the most enjoyment.
:banana:

Workbook Entry 10 5/10/13

Sleep Schedule 2:00AM-7:20AM

Times woken up
6:50AM

.........................
I have a virus right now, and have been having lots of trouble sleeping due to the massive pains in my head and congestion. So I pretty much stayed up for quite a while snap chatting people and noodling to some backing tracks. All in all, not a bad night

Things that caused me to RC (In waking life)
-Various times throughout the day
-I try to do it at least once a class period, as well as during transitions and while talking to people, so I don't get lulled into the fact of everything's normal...lalallalalala
-Dejavu and later in the day thinking about the past which is an automatic trigger for remembering to RC for me
WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO/WHAT I AM FOCUSING ON

Wow. I slipped for almost a month, due to LOTS OF STRESS in personal life with girlfriend, AP exams and finals coming up, and lots of relatives visiting + my sister coming home for college.
I had to drag myself out of bed this morning, and was in such a bad mood from the pain in my throat that I was frustrated and ignored my dream journal, opting straight for the shower and some tylenol. I think I will post a (brief) dream I had from Thursday night, just to set myself up for getting back into the habit of posting here daily. I agree with your post, chimp- I need to hone the basics and really commit for things to be easy. I see lots of things I can do to improve or help, and when I focus on them I can see positive change almost every morning, but I do have trouble with motivation and getting thrown off. I love writing in my dream journal and think it is PHENOMENAL practice for so many aspects of writing, so I will really try to keep up with it now. I'm going to be aware, continue my nighttime relaxation periods (maybe some meditation..?) and spice this workbook entry up both for myself and others. I think slight encouragement is a great motivator for me (so I feel more integrated into the community) so thank you guys who post here to give me encouragement and feedback, keep it up! :)
In addition to focusing on the fundamentals and establishing an stricter routine, I'm going to act out some fun experiments to see how they affect my dreaming, and hopefully post the results here! My first idea is to better flesh out my 'named subconscious' by writing a few descriptive pages detailing his (Oom) physical features and personality. I might create a running adventure series about him, both in waking life and from my dreams to help with dream incubation, and try some songmaking and art to further enhance his realism. OKAY. you're seeing me set up a great plan for a fresh start, and I'm going to start implementing it today. NEXT GOAL: #2nd LUCID DREAM DILD THROUGH DREAM INCUBATION

=========================> Have any suggestions or tips? what do you want me to do for my next big dream views project? Comment below:)

Workbook Entry 11 5/11/13

Sleep Schedule 12:30:00PM-9:20AM

Times woken up
7:30AM

.........................
I studied for finals, ate cake and ran around in the rain with my friend today. That's pretty much it :)

Things that caused me to RC (In waking life)
-Various times throughout the day

-At a stoplight while driving

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I remembered a few dream snippets, and will record them in the dream journal. After I do that, I'll hopefully translate some of my LOOONNG description of what Oom (my named subconscious) is like. If I don't get to it today, it will definitely be up tomorrow.

Quote:

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I might create a running adventure series about him, both in waking life and from my dreams to help with dream incubation, and try some songmaking and art to further enhance his realism. OKAY. you're seeing me set up a great plan for a fresh start, and I'm going to start implementing it today. NEXT GOAL: #2nd LUCID DREAM DILD THROUGH DREAM INCUBATION

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Very cool plan, Texture! I love this idea of blending together the art of waking life with your dream life. I think this makes for a great two-way street. A buddy of mine that's into film-making for a living swears that pretty much every film idea he's had has come from a dream (often a lucid dream.) You may also want to check out oneiroer's workbook. He does a lot of art and poetry about dreaming as well.

Good luck and I'm looking forward to that 2nd DILD. Keep after it and it will come! Your dream incubation plan sounds great.

Workbook Entry Day ** 5/18/13

Sleep Schedule 11:30PM-7:20AM

Times woken up
none that I can recall


.........................
I Had about 6 dreams, all in the last dream cycle before I woke up. I posted this brief entry to keep up with the workbook, and will FOR SURE write up my Oom character description later today (saturday). I had AP exams this week, and that mixed with what exactly I should include from my DJ actually made me not post anything about it. (I had a soccer tournament last weekend as well) OKAY! Enough excuses, have a nice day. :)



Things that caused me to RC (In waking life)
-Various times during the day, specifically when not talking to someone (when I'm more to myself, I bring up lucid dreams and reality checks in my mind more often than when in the flow of things, I'll try to fix this. I also want to incorporate lucids into my everyday thoughts more. "OH! The sun reflecting off that puddle is beautiful, I want to experience this in a lucid!", etc.)




I also made sure today to devote my entire attention to the reality checks, not just glance up from my laptop a do a short checkup, already to dive back into my browsing.

Quote:

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I also want to incorporate lucids into my everyday thoughts more. "OH! The sun reflecting off that puddle is beautiful, I want to experience this in a lucid!", etc.

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That is a great idea! You can also use them as dream content, and not necessarily dream goal. What I mean is like, if you like a certain color or object or sight, tell yourself you'll use that as your dream environment—you'll have a house with THAT color and the trees will look like THAT. This way, you also get to decide and somehow influence the dream foundations :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Texture

I also want to incorporate lucids into my everyday thoughts more. "OH! The sun reflecting off that puddle is beautiful, I want to experience this in a lucid!", etc.)

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Great idea. I'd suggest even taking this a step further and imagining what it would be like to experience this as a dream. Treat it as if it's something that you're dreaming right now.

It's another good opportunity to reflect on the dream-like nature of life and to remind yourself that at any given moment, you could already be dreaming.