Greetings. Recent dreams and signs of getting closer to ludity, facing some inner blocks

Hello folks,
I've been lurking here a bit this last week since seeing inception (I wonder how many "lucid dreams" google searches there have been since that movie, and new members here?). I also have been reading "Lucid Dreaming" by waggonner, and enjoying it very much.

So, I've been paying some more attention to my dreams recently, with a real commitment to try attaining lucidity for a few months. Not much has happened until this morning.


I had a number of dream scenes, at least 3-4, early this morning. Here are the major happenings:

-I woke around 6:45 with a few scraps of memories from dreams, nothing clear or interesting..sort of annoyingly shallow or vague, and then I remember that I'm trying to recall dreams and lucid dream more.

-I went to the bathroom and tried to decide whether or not to stick with my new (night before) commitment to try sitting outside our bedroom (my wife was sleeping still, like usual...any of you married folks have a solution for this?) and write down my dreams. But they didn't feel 'worth' it.

-The idea struck me that it was early enough for me to go back to sleep and try to have more dreams.

-I entered a period of not too deep sleep and not too clear dreaming, still with an 'annoying' feeling.

-Next time I woke up I found myself struggling with thoughts like "You can't do this"; "You don't care enough"; "You don't believe your dreams are worthwhile enough to lucid dream"; "You don't know what you want"; "You don't really want anything, life is boring now", etc. These are some of the core struggles I'm having about my real life these days, so it makes sense that I'd have them about lucid dreaming.

-I found some courage/faith to counter these thoughts with some positive thinking, which for me, I really need to find a place inside where I *believe* what I'm thinking to some degree...but emphasizing the more hopefully/positive/kind/loving thoughts can be really powerful...things like "I can do this"; "I want to do this and I can find things I really care about"; "I can lucid dream and it will happen in time", etc.

-Well, sure enough I gradually fell into a sleep with some more vivid dreams. I'm too lazy to recount all of them and don't remember many details...but there were 3 main scenes that I think were connected. The most powerful one I will recount because a)it was particularly cool <more 'fantasy' like> and b)it had some obvious symbols that are escaping me and c)I almost became lucid.

I was walking towards a forested area with a house, I believe a combo of two places I've lived, when I noticed (I think I might even remember 'expecting', and have read that that's often how dreams work) two trees that were about to fall. I thought how weird it was that they were falling right when I was arriving. They eventually did fall, but with much more 'human' like heaving/writhing. Next I remember I was up fairly close to one of them (or a combo of them, or a third) and sure enough it really was an 'alive tree' (Ent like <from Tolkien's LOTR> I guess, though I didn't think it at the time). It was trying to speak some last words but I couldn't hear it. Before I went up close I think I remember coming close to lucidity because of how interesting the dream was (and probably because of my early affirmations/positive thinking). Eventually, I believe I heard it say "Adam" to me. Which made, and makes, me think of Adam as in the biblical first man. I believe we had some other words exchanged, like my asking it if I could do anything for it, but I alas I don't remember any details now...sad. However...

I want to emphasize that the most valuable thing about the whole experience this morning for me was realizing that my lack of more vivid, interesting and probably lucid dreams (though I don't know if I've ever intended a lucid dream, I think I've had a few in my past, before I even knew what it was) **is very likely because of personal beliefs, blocks, issues, etc. **

If I were to label the primary issues now, they would be:

1. It takes too much work to remember and write down my dreams (especially being married and trying to find a way to not wake my wife and daughter in the morning). I don't like handwriting very much (find mine is cramped, messy, fast) and the light from a computer screen often fuzzes out my memory/creativity even more.

2. I'd do the work if it was 'worth' it, but something in me has believed that it's not worth it -that there isn't any valuable/worthwhile/interesting material in there...or that I won't be able to interpret it...or that even if I could, what good would it do me. Or perhaps, that I'm scared to face certain things (or lack of things) in my deep places.

3. The struggle that I've been having a lot in waking life, the fear that I don't really know what I want or that I don't really want anything (or will never really be able to find/listen/give in to those deep down needs, passions), or that life is now boring or meaningless or 'used up', etc.

I'm ready to face and challenge these blocks, and any support would be appreciated.

Thanks folks, looking forward to more.

Warmly,
Leif

Hi Leif, :welcome: to DV.

First off, keeping a dream journal is a very important part of lucid dreaming so it's unfortunate that you feel it's too much work. However, you don't necessarily have to physically write or type everything down; you can always jot down key facts of each dream on your side table and when you wake up, you should remember the dreams from the notes you've written. Go over each one a few times in your head. I've done this for a while and it seems to work as well as keeping a full DJ.

What do you want from lucid dreaming? If that alone doesn't make it worth it, have you had a lucid dream before? If so, remember what it felt like. Lucid dreaming opens up a lot of different possibilities for people; although others can't really see what you do in dreams, the things you can do are very exciting. Even if you just want to explore the dream world and see how real everything feels.


A lot of people run into problems trying to lucid dream; they go through dry spells where they can't remember any dreams at all, or can't seem to get lucid. This can demotivate people, but I just remember the first time I flew and had a fight with a dream character. I was floating on clouds the next day. That helps me stick with lucid dreaming.

That's all the advice I can give. I'm afraid I'm not really eligible to answer your third question as I'm only sixteen, but I tried! :P

Had the same "problem" last night. I woke up about halfway into the night. It was my first time trying to become lucid. After no success, I was thinking of giving up, and that it was too hard. When I woke up in the morning, I realized that I had done not only the nose RC in my dream, but the hand through wall, and finger through palm RCs as well. I think the nose one made me lucid for 2-3 seconds, but the other 2 somehow sucked me back in. At least its progress :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pronoia

If I were to label the primary issues now, they would be:

1. It takes too much work to remember and write down my dreams (especially being married and trying to find a way to not wake my wife and daughter in the morning). I don't like handwriting very much (find mine is cramped, messy, fast) and the light from a computer screen often fuzzes out my memory/creativity even more.

2. I'd do the work if it was 'worth' it, but something in me has believed that it's not worth it -that there isn't any valuable/worthwhile/interesting material in there...or that I won't be able to interpret it...or that even if I could, what good would it do me. Or perhaps, that I'm scared to face certain things (or lack of things) in my deep places.

3. The struggle that I've been having a lot in waking life, the fear that I don't really know what I want or that I don't really want anything (or will never really be able to find/listen/give in to those deep down needs, passions), or that life is now boring or meaningless or 'used up', etc.

I'm ready to face and challenge these blocks, and any support would be appreciated.

Thanks folks, looking forward to more.

Warmly,
Leif

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greetings, i too am new here and just completed my introductions as well. i am also dealing with many of the same issues you are, so let me bounce my encouragement and ideas off you and we can possibly help each other out. ill do it list style to speed things up:

1>
-make sure your wife clearly knows what you are doing and that it is important to you, for encouragement and to lessen the stresses of waking / disturbing them. you may also want to invest in a sleep mask, ear plugs, or a fan for her to mask your disturbances

-my handwriting is completely illegible (especially in the middle of the night) so i have turned to various methods depending on when / where i am:
--practice waking without moving and go over as much dream detail in your mind as you can BEFORE you get up to write it out.
--i use my phone (moto droid) and type in brief dream notes on it, to be fleshed out later. i can do this while still in bed and not wake my gf.
--sometimes i also use the voice recorder (again to be transcribed later) which you could get a cheap voice recorder / mp3 player and quickly and quietly dictate them in your bathroom.
--before i go to bed, i turn the brightness on my computer monitor waaaaaay down and i go ahead and create a document with the date on it so all i have to do is turn on the monitor and start typing.

2>
-i feel you on this as well. lately, i have felt the majority of my dreams are pretty mundane with a few exceptions. but the exceptions make things worthwhile! i have also found that weekday dreams are more mundane, because i am more focused at work, but my weekend dreams take everything up a notch. (also i get to sleep more, heh.)

you should do your best to keep the dj up for awhile and then really look at the things you have recorded from multiple perspectives, not just as literal events. look for symbolism, plays on words, common themes, and relate things to your daytime activities.

if you want to lucid dream or walk the path, you must start to remember your dreams. if you want to remember your dreams you must keep a DJ. its like learning any new skill, there is a definite learning / practice curve and you may increase recall suddenly or things may drop off. there are cycles to it and you have not seen enough mornings to begin to see the larger picture.

if your scared of shadow things in your psyche.... well pony up and begin the process of taking those things on! this will probably help you with number 3 as well....

3>
like mentioned before, its a process, and your dreams are a perfect way to begin to address waking life problems like this, but in the end you have to take responsibility for your dream life, your waking life, and everything in between.

i am struggling with these things as well, though i am quite confident in some aspects of my 'selfness' i am a complete newbie in addressing other parts. the struggle is not always pleasant or easy. you must learn to listen to yourself and others (whom you trust) and know when to re-double your efforts, when to maintain, and when to sit back and let things cogitate on their own.

these comments are all meant in sincere encouragement, i hope they help some.