Thread: What technique? + introduction

Hey all,

I'll start with an introduction of myself
My name is (make a guess) TheEagle, so far kinda zero experience with lucid dreaming. (no LDs/false awakenings so far i can remember) Though as kid i used to have a sort of list in my head with things i could dream about. I would just pick one and dream about that one Like some other people i still feel weird about lucid dreaming, though i really really really have no idea why. Since i also know people personally who were pro in LDs and of course there is this society! (would be weird if it would be build on nothing).

The last few months/years (no idea) i did not recall anything of my dream (just small parts sometimes) i almoost believed i wasn't dreaming at all i know everyone dreams now though. So i just started with lucid dreaming something like 3 days ago, and began to recall my dreams.

I really feel like i am making progress, i remember more and more of my dreams. and thanks to a technique i found yesterday i recall even more! With this technique you recall your whole day, so put your brains in the 'recall mode' . Last night, i woke up like 3/4 times (i think after every dream) and i wrote them all down.
Waking up 3/4 times in the middle of the night can be pretty annoying... But of course i am willing to do that for a LD!

Things i already noticed:
It is almoost always day (when outside) in my dreams, i read this means your dream is stable? And for some reason i recall more with my lights off then with my lights on (though i also wake up more often with my lights off). Also noticed that i often have conversations in english in my dreams (i'm not english)


Anyway, my question:
I read the introduction on lucid dreaming on lucidipedia.com, and i was wondering...
At one page they say you should find your dream signs (by recalling and writing your dreams down for 2/3 weeks or so) and on another page they say you should use the WBTB technique right away...

What technique would be best? Find your dream signs or go WBTB?
Or perhaps a mix, find dream signs on normal days and go WBTB in the weekends (since i don't have time to go for a nap). or perhaps a whole different technique?

If you want to use all those abb's like WILD/EILD/L-EILD etc. go ahead, though i doubt i will see the difference. Because i do see the difference between WILD and EILD but not between EILD, L-EILD or MILD (read tutorial on lucidipedia.com though)

Thanks,
TheEagle

Hi and welcome! Lucid dreaming is getting more and more publicity, and it is VERY real. Everyone has dreams. Would it be so strange to become aware while dreaming? Well no, but the tricky part is to do it.

Finding dreamsigns is something you should try out. We often dream about specific things. When you train yourself to ask if you're dreaming when you see a dreamsign, your chances of becoming lucid increases. You're on your way with the recall, which is perfect! Keep on practicing and soon you'll remember alot of them.

WBTB is a great technique. By staying up for 30-40 minutes, focusing on having a lucid dream when you go back to bed, you increase your chances ALOT. I really like this technique, and it was a success the first few attempts I tried it.

1. Dream recall.
2. Think / read alot about lucid dreaming, daydream!
3. Realitychecks / dreamsigns.
4. Set up a simple goal for your first time, and imagine becoming lucid and achieving it.

This is all you need to start out with. You will be able to DILD with just that. MILD is when you have intentions, tell yourself you will become lucid just before bed, do mantra work and often combined with meditation.

You might have your first lucid tonight! Belief is VERY strong when it comes to lucid dreaming, but there's a chance that it will take some time. To stay focused and motivated, you should cheerish having awesome dreams. Even if you aren't lucid, they're still awesome adventures right?

There are tons of stuff to read on this forum. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or any of the other Dream Guides.

Keep on dreaming!

Thanks for the quick reply

So if i understand you... You say i should just go for the WBTB technique and on the way find dream signs? (to increase the chance to get lucid).
For how long should i go for dream recall? Just like 1 day and go straight to point 2? I've been recalling dreams for only like 3 days now (i don't fully recall them yet though)

So the main thing of WBTB technique is that you wake up 1h earlier, focus on have an LD and go back to sleep 1h later. (the time you normally would wake up). But what if you don't have time to do this (school)? Can you also wake up like 3h's earlier then normal?. I'm afraid wouldn't have the chance of getting fully awake though . perhaps i could read a bit, but that doesn't really wake you up... Since i can't go downstairs that early (i would wake up my parents )

You can try finding dreamsigns and WBTB at the same time. Every so often, look over your journal and pick out things that appear often.

To WBTB, go to sleep for roughly around 6 hours (this is trial and error depending on what works for you. Only experimenting with different times will help), and stay up for maybe 20 minutes (you can increase or decrease this depending on how long it takes you to fall asleep. If you fall asleep easily, increase. If you struggle to fall asleep, decrease). Make sure you're comfortable (go to the toilet, not hungry etc. I usually stay up for 10 to 15 minutes) and record your dreams. Do lots of reality checks and make sure you really question whether you're dreaming instead of just going through the motions. Try and think about lucid dreaming as much as you can. I also recommend doing some math questions or suduko as this will make your brain aware and increase your chances

MILD really helps me, but I'm just starting out! At first I didn't really like the idea but I really came 'round to it. To MILD, you need to think of something you want to achieve (e.g recalling dreams) and then as you're falling asleep, gently focus on this thought. You can repeat "I will recall my dreams. I will recall my dreams." and you really need to feel it. As you're doing this, imagine yourself waking up from a very clear and long dream, recalling it, and writing in your dream journal. Try and make it as realistic as possible. Imagine emotions, smells etc. Repeat this several times and drift off to sleep thinking about this thought

I wish you the best of luck. It really is worth it

Wow thanks Raspberry!

Think i might go try WBTB tonight..
Just gna set my alarm 6h after falling asleep (NO radio, just easy music).
Any suggestions on becoming awake? (must be something without computer or going downstairs though :S sudoku/happy music or so?)
Meanwhile i will record my dream and spam RC's (prob looking at my hands or trying to put my finger through my palm), any other suggestions?
After that nothing else and just go sleep with the mantra 'i will be aware that i am dreaming'? (not something with planning ur LD already and such?)

About the MILD, can you put 'i will have an LD/i will perform a reality check' and 'i will recall my dreams' in one mantra?
Cuz i read you can't :S
Btw, yes i did that mantra (?) yesterday evening 'i will recall my dreams' and so i did

Great posts raspberry! Mantras are supposed to be short, and even "I am dreaming" is enough. You have to try different ones out

As for dream recall. It is something you will have to practice all the time. Sometimes it's good with a break, but other than that, try to record dreams every time you have them.

KNOW you will have a Lucid Dream. That is the most important thing while doing your mantra for MILD.

And if you intend on doing a WBTB, I recommend you sleep atleast a few hours more after you've gone back to sleep. But that's just me, I'm not sure if you need to. But I would say atleast 2 more hours. You shouldn't do this too often, and I only do it on weekends.

As for the doing part. Just do whatever you feel like, but like Raspberry said; Think about lucid dreaming as much as possible. I often read or watch some TV, and eat something.

Thanks

Ima try some stuff out tonight and i will post the result in here
(currently typing my DJ)

No problem. And easy music is good, you don't want to startle yourself awake as it may cause the dream to slip from your mind.

I recommend going to the bathroom, and then what I usually do is sit up in bed with my lamp on and record/read my dream journal. I try and write down as much detail as possible while it's still fresh in my mind. Then I'll do a math pattern in my head e.g 2x2=4 4x2=8 all the way up until i'm doubling hundreds. Then I'll square numbers or something like that. Between doing this I'll be looking around my room, searching for anything that's out of place or distorted whilest doing multiple reality checks. Do as many different reality checks as possible, because sometimes your finger won't go through your palm or something and then you might jump out your window and break a leg!


I don't recommend using a laptop or computer before sleep anyway because it can keep you awake.

I'm not sure on the long mantra. It might be too much to focus on at one time. I recommend sticking to "I will recall my dreams" until your recall is where you want it to be. Then move onto "I will lucid dream". Another good one is "When I wake up I will know I am awake and lay still." This is a method I'm trying at the moment. After each REM period you awaken but don't really notice it as you fall asleep so quickly. You can DEILD at these points as long as you don't move when you wake up.

As for the "I will reality check" reality checks rarely actually make you lucid. They are there in waking life to help you question your surroundings and by doing that, when you see something strange in the dreamworld, you will think it's odd and reality check. It's why when you reality check you should always search for something out of place.

In waking life, whenever someone or something is strange e.g your friend is acting wierd, you get deja vu or you don't remember putting something somewhere etc. Then you should question your surroundings and reality check. I also recommend reality checking every time you wake up, encase it's a false awakening

As Matte said, belief is very strong. A lot of the work is in the mindset. My first FA was the night I discovered lucid dreaming, it was because I was so excited and I thought about it a lot. I love the the feeling when you suddenly realise you're dreaming

I hope this helps!

Wow, suddenly i think i get it Raspberry!!

New plan:
-Go to sleep and use the mantra 'When I wake up I will know I am awake and lay still' (still quite long though)
-Wake up (by having my alarm set around 6h after falling asleep with smooth music) ->DONT MOVE
Stay awake for about 20 minutes
-Record my dreams
-Bathroom
-Math paterns/sudoku
-Between all this, i will look around and try to notice anything odd and do multiple RC's
-Go to sleep with 'i will recall my dreams.' Perhaps i will have an LD (hopefully )
-Wake up -> WONT MOVE
-Record my DJ

Something like that ?


And what do you mean with:

Do as many different reality checks as possible, because sometimes your finger won't go through your palm or something and then you might jump out your window and break a leg!

. Can you actually confuse reality and a dream?

Originally Posted by TheEagle

. Can you actually confuse reality and a dream?

it is VERY likely that you confuse a dream with reality and think you are actually awake, or know you are dreaming and still think you can get hurt. However, i highly doubt that you will ever think you are dreaming while awake. If you do, just preform a RC! I'm pretty sure Raspberry was joking.

Sometimes in a dream when you pinch your nose you can't breath because it's blocked by pillow or something, or your finger won't go through your palm if you don't believe it will go through

The not moving part is actually not necessary in what you are trying to accomplish The not moving is used when you are trying to DEILD (which is Dream Exit Induced Lucid Dream).

So for you it's just waking up after 6hrs of sleep, and staying awake for 20 minutes while doing the stuff you're describing.

Also, for me, not moving for a few moments after I wake up tremendously helps my recall

OK
Cya all tomoz

Yup, you guys answered it!

Oh and also, on a different note, you say in your first post that you often converse in english in your dreams. I'm curious as to whether you were raised bilingual?

Because I was raised in my native language as well as english, one apparently took the upperhand while I was young, resulting in me thinking AND dreaming in english:p I do all the rest perfectly fine in my native language though, but I remain unsure if I need to use flemish or english when doing any mantra's...

No, i was fully raised in dutch, even though my english is quite good. I speak (almoost) fluently english with my cousin who lives on aruba. At this moment i'm in the last year of pre-university education. I normally dream in dutch though, that's why this dream was sorta weird. Oh yea, i did have some results from the WBTB technique, i'll post it today (when i'm at school or so).

Curious to hear about it I miserably failed with FILD again, woke up and fell asleep without being able to do anything:p

Ok, i posted my dream in my DJ, you can check it at:
dreamviews.com/blogs/theeagle/

oh and if i try to paste the full link, it says i have to be a registered member for 7 days.. OK i get that.. but why does it say i'm a registered member for 0 days so far?

Originally Posted by TheEagle

but why does it say i'm a registered member for 0 days so far?

Think it counts in 24hour days So you probably haven't been a member for the full 24 hours yet...

Hmm, i'm sure im member for more then 24h though :p

Btw, got sort of a headache at this moment. Perhaps the dream within a dream was a bit 2 much for my brains.. or it was a bad idea to wake up at 2.. -.-*

It seems as if you are very motivated TheEagle, and that is great! Keep it up

What you want to do though, is to not take too much in at once. Try to focus on a few things at first, and get the hang of it all. The WBTB should be longer than 10 minutes in my opinion, the easier you can fall asleep, the longer you should be up. And the mantra needs to be alot shorter. You need something short like I said before. "I am dreaming" or "I lucid dream" has been recommended by lucid dreamers on a higher level.

The not moving part, is only necessary to try to recall your dreams, and if you want to DEILD. You just want to lie still long enough so that you remember your dreams, then write them down.

I also dream and think alot more in english these days, but I guess that's DV's "fault" hehe. I must relate dreams to english.

The headache is probably just something random, don't worry.

Keep on dreaming!

Originally Posted by Matte87

It seems as if you are very motivated TheEagle, and that is great! Keep it up

What you want to do though, is to not take too much in at once. Try to focus on a few things at first, and get the hang of it all.

So i should find my dream signs first and then use them to go lucid?

Hey that's great progress! I'm not sure about the headache. I've heard that after a night of intense dreaming people can feel quite tired though

Being British, of course I dream in English I tried learning German at my school but failed miserably. Languages just confuse me... It's why I always feel amazed when I go abroad and everyone can speak English quite fluently!

Increase your dream recall by writing your DJ and trying to remember as much as you can from dreams. Details is important.
Do realitychecks and think about lucid dreaming alot.
Have a goal, like staying lucid. Flying is good if you want to try it out, the feeling is amazing.

That's what you should start with. Then do WBTB during weekends imo. After a few weeks, you will notice what you dream alot about, those are your dreamsigns and then you can start using them to get lucid more often.

From that you will start having DILD's.

Good luck!

So i'd just go to bed, mantra 'i will recall my dreams' for 2 weeks or so..
Meanwhile do RC's and think bout LDs

and after i found my DS i can really go for DILD's?

(sorry if i was just kinda repeating what u just said xD)