Thread: Lohtur's workbook

Welcome to the class!
Also, if you have any questions feel free to PM someone or ask them in your workbook.

Thank you Kraom!

Homework for Lesson I:

Sleep schedule: I will start to go to bed around 11pm/midnight everynight. And then I'll record the time I wake up.

Reality checks and ADA: Since yesterday I've been paying attention to everything around me and I keep asking myself if I'm dreaming. Then I do a RC.

Why I want to LD: Lucid dreaming seems like an amazing experience. I use to daydream a lot. I normally think about things I want to do in the future and places I want to visit. I've been doing this when I go to sleep for several years (which is why I'm considering Daydream Awareness Technique), because it helps me fall asleep. I've read a few LD experiences and all of them are really good. The fact that you can do whatever you want once you control and stabilize your dreams is a huge motivation.

What I want to do in my next LD: I want to start with small things so I can be there, at least, more than 2 minutes. I want to explore the environment. I want to walk and pay attention to everything around me. And I want to try to talk to a DC.

Last night, I went to sleep saying to myself I would be able to control my dreams and that I would look at my hands and realize I was dreaming. I started to daydream: I built a scenario, and I started putting there some familiar things, things I have in real life, like books and paintings on the walls. Then, after the whole scenario was built, I sat on the sofa and started looking at my hands and counting my fingers. Then I started to walk and tried to fly inside the house and went to the window next to the dinner table, and I built a landscape. I was doing all sorts of things so I could take this scenario into my dreams. I eventually fell asleep. I woke up at 6am and wrote on my DJ. I can recall, for the third consecutive night, several scenarios from my dreams, so I think I can recall at least 3/4 dreams every night, so far. But my dreams didn't take place in that scenario. After updating the DJ, I tried to get back to sleep, always saying to myself I would be able to control my dreams, and I kept putting myself in that scenario I've built. I fell asleep and woke up at 8am, but I couldn't remember anything. I fell asleep again and I woke up a couple of hours later and the same thing happened.
This afternoon, I took a nap, maybe 3/4 hours after waking up. I went back to that scenario and started doing things like flying, moving things with my eyes, pretending I was already lucid dreaming. I did this for 40 minutes, more or less, until I started to feel my body getting really, really relaxed. My eyes started moving really fast, and I felt like I couldn't control my body. I felt some pressure as if my arms were about to move on their own. A bright light on the back of my eyelids appeared and started getting bigger and bigger. I felt like I was going to be swallowed by it. My heart started to beat really fast. I felt like that for about a minute, and then that light went away, my eyes stopped moving so fast and I continued to daydream, still feeling my body really relaxed and eventually I fell asleep.
And again, I can't remember any dreams. What was that? I've read about hypnagogic imagery here on DV. Was that it? I felt like I was entering a dream state. I even thought I was already dreaming. It kind of felt like I was going into another dimension and after that bright light it all became normal again. And I think it all stopped because my heart started beating too fast and I got nervous.

Sounds like it could have been the precursor to an afternoon nap WILD. Maybe..

I don't know. I experienced some vibration when I tried to LD the first time, but nothing like today. I'll keep practicing, maybe I'm close.

It sounds like you were almost there but you just got too excited. With a little more practice you will nail it. BTW you wont always get vibrations.

I've been having some problems. I keep forgetting to do reality checks, and I guess I won't get used to them because I have a lot of work to do everyday, so my mind is always focused on something else. What do you think I should do? Is there something I can do to remember to do reality checks?
I've been thinking of trying WILD instead, but I've read here that's a much more difficult technique that DILD/MILD, so I don't think that's a good option.

You could always, try WILD and if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. But if you want a solution to your forgetting to do reality checks, one thing I did back when I used reality checks was put an A on my hand which stood for awake? and whenever I saw it throughout the day I would preform a reality check, it might sound simple but if you adhere to it, it should work..

You could try WILD. I usually save it for the weekend when I'm off and have more time to fall asleep consciously. It can take a little longer than the other techniques.

I used to set a alarm on my device to remind me or an hourly chime or a wrist watch works. You could place a post-it note some place you will see with something inconspicuous on it so you don't get stupid questions from nosy co-workers. You could also wear something on your wrist like a rubber band or one of those silicone bracelets. Or like Kroam said write something on your hand.

Usually, I just keep it sporadic. I feel its less robotic if I remember on my own but I can totally relate to needing a reminder. Getting too engrossed to remember at work is pretty normal it happens to me all the time. When I notice this I'll do a quick nose plug and resolve to remember in the future.

Anyway, WILD needs to have a good awareness built up so I wouldn't throw RCs out the window completely if you switch to it. Reading Sageous' WILD class is highly recommended as well as the techniques in LaBarges book. Personally, I'd ignore all the other WILD "tutorials" on this site. It's usually the same stuff rewritten and gets pretty confusing. Stick with methods that are proven and keep it basic.

Originally Posted by Kraom

You could always, try WILD and if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. But if you want a solution to your forgetting to do reality checks, one thing I did back when I used reality checks was put an A on my hand which stood for awake? and whenever I saw it throughout the day I would preform a reality check, it might sound simple but if you adhere to it, it should work..

I'll try that. Thank you.

Originally Posted by Xanous

You could try WILD. I usually save it for the weekend when I'm off and have more time to fall asleep consciously. It can take a little longer than the other techniques.

I used to set a alarm on my device to remind me or an hourly chime or a wrist watch works. You could place a post-it note some place you will see with something inconspicuous on it so you don't get stupid questions from nosy co-workers. You could also wear something on your wrist like a rubber band or one of those silicone bracelets. Or like Kroam said write something on your hand.

Usually, I just keep it sporadic. I feel its less robotic if I remember on my own but I can totally relate to needing a reminder. Getting too engrossed to remember at work is pretty normal it happens to me all the time. When I notice this I'll do a quick nose plug and resolve to remember in the future.
Anyway, WILD needs to have a good awareness built up so I wouldn't throw RCs out the window completely if you switch to it. Reading Sageous' WILD class is highly recommended as well as the techniques in LaBarges book. Personally, I'd ignore all the other WILD "tutorials" on this site. It's usually the same stuff rewritten and gets pretty confusing. Stick with methods that are proven and keep it basic.

I will try WILD then. I think those reminders will work. I've already started reading LaBarges book, so I just need to start reading Sageous' class. Thank you for your advices.

I've been really busy lately, so I haven't been practicing much. This morning I woke up, stayed up for about 5 minutes and then I went back to sleep. (I wasn't even thinking about LD, I just woke up earlier than usual and decided to go back to sleep). Rarely, when I wake up in the morning and go back to sleep, I start feeling an intense vibration. This has happened a few times, even before I knew what LD was. I even felt SP once. Normally it scares me and I shake my body in order to wake up. And today that happened again. But instead of ending it, I remembered what I read about WILD and I decided not to do anything. It got really intense: I think I heard someone saying something, and then I started hearing a continuous buzzing. I remember feeling something touching my head. At this point it felt like I was moving really fast. I think I saw something, but I can't remember what I saw. And then, it all stopped (I guess I fell asleep, I don't know) and the next thing I remember is me suspended in the sky. I remember thinking "No, I'm not ready to fly". I closed my eyes and wished to be on the ground when I opened them. I started running, because I had a feeling I had to do something. Then I looked at my hands and it all slipped away. I tried rubbing my hands together and spinning in a circle but it didn't work. And then I woke up. I guess it all lasted about 10 seconds. I tried again and again but I didn't feel that vibration again and eventually I fell asleep. So, now I'm not sure if I had a LD or if I just had a dream about LD. I probably had a dream where I was lucid dreaming and now I think I actually had a lucid dream. But I'm not sure

And a question: Is it normal to start feeling that vibration right after I lie down? Isn't it supposed to happen after I'm really relaxed and when I'm falling asleep? This rarely happens, but when it does is right after I go back to sleep.

Hi there, im quite late on this but welcome to the intro class

I don't think what you experienced was a lucid dream since there was no moment when you particularly realized it was a dream. In many dreams, we do actions as though we know it's a dream, like live out superpowers and know it isnt normal to have them. But unless we actually have that moment where we realize it's a dream after all, it isn't lucid. Don't worry though, having dreams like these means you're on the right track and right mindset.

As for your question, yes it is completely normal to have thise sensations quickly. It varies differently for everyone, but having the sensations quicker only means that your body is really sleepy and is activating its rem atonia (the paralysis thing) sooner cheers!

I've been really busy lately and I haven't been practicing. But now I finally have time. And today something happened.
Lately I've been having some problems falling asleep at night, which makes me really sleepy during the day. Today, I was watching a movie when I started to get really sleepy. I decided I wouldn't fight it and closed my eyes. At this point I thought about LD and decided I would give it a try. So, I tried my best to stay awake while my body kept getting relaxed. I don't know how much time passed because I lost focus, but I reached a point when I felt my body moving, just a little bit. Then I heard people talking. It was the movie playing (I paused it before, so I must have touched the keyboard). I reached for the computer and paused the movie again, all of this with my eyes closed and in a very sleepy state. Then, right after I paused the movie, my body started getting heavy. I started spinning in a circle, slowly. I started saying "I will know that I'm dreaming". While I was spinning, I started seeing branches of trees. Then, I was falling from the sky, really slowly, and the landscape kept getting clearer, but it was still blurred. I heard a voice saying something but I didn't understand what it said. I was close to the ground. When I got there I couldn't feel the floor. Everything was green, with lots of trees, and I was moving around until everything turned black. I started spinning again. When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the floor. I noticed I was wearing the same shorts I'm wearing right now. I got up and there were a lot of ants on the floor. I was in a very small room, and it looked like an old house. I looked at the door and I recognized several of my jackets hanging there, which I found strange. I opened the door and saw a white wall in a very bad state. I exited the small room and looked to my right. There was an old woman, dressed with a long white jacket, standing in front of the window. She turned to me. The corridor wasn't very well illuminated so I couldn't see her face. She started moving towards me and I got scared. I started screaming and she started getting close to me, her hands pointing in my direction. She held my hands as if she was trying to calm me down. I was really close to seeing her face, but then I just couldn't move my head to the right. I just got a glimpse of her face trough the corner of my eye before everything turned black again. I started thinking of a person I wanted to see in the next place, but when I opened my eyes I was in front of the computer again, which was disappointing.

So, now I have some questions:
- It felt so real as if it was right now, except it was blurred at the beginning. Do you think this was an LD?
- This has happened before, during an afternoon nap, but not like this. This time it was much longer and much more realistic. Do you think afternoon naps are the best time for me to try to LD?
- The two times this happened I was trying WILD. I have tried DILD/MILD before and nothing ever happened. I guess WILD is the right technique for me. What do you think? Should I stick with WILD?

Thanks in advance.

Congratulations, Lohtur! That sounds like an awesome experience! Let's break this down.

Originally Posted by Lohtur

- It felt so real as if it was right now, except it was blurred at the beginning. Do you think this was an LD?

Yes! I had one similar to this a few nights ago. WILDs often (but certainly not always) come out like this -- in a dream-like, distorted version of the environment that you fell asleep in. Since it was the last thing on your mind when you slipped straight into the dream state, it's often what you experience once your dream begins.

- This has happened before, during an afternoon nap, but not like this. This time it was much longer and much more realistic. Do you think afternoon naps are the best time for me to try to LD?

Afternoon naps certainly work well for lots of people! If you are fortunate enough to fall right into REM sleep during an afternoon nap, they are perfect for WILDs. The best course of action is to keep experimenting with this. I mean, after an experience like this, how can you not?

- The two times this happened I was trying WILD. I have tried DILD/MILD before and nothing ever happened. I guess WILD is the right technique for me. What do you think? Should I stick with WILD?

Yeah, you may be a natural WILDer! For afternoon naps, it sounds like you should definitely keep experimenting with WILD. For me, DILD comes much more naturally, so I tend to do more of this. But I think that most people, regardless of what they're "naturals" at, can get very good at either approach.

One crucial element for DILD (for me) is some form of WBTB. While I've had the occasional DILD without it, this was the most crucial piece of the puzzle for getting good at DILDs (for me.) I don't know whether you've done any serious work with WBTB, but if not, don't assume that you're not also a natural DILDer. If you choose to practice WILD at night in addition to your afternoon naps, you'll almost certainly be best off incorporating some kind of WBTB for that as well.

The nice thing about naps is that you just... go to sleep.