Hello everyone! I am new

[Ryder]

Hello guys, I am a 15 year old male, 5'7" 125 pounds. I'm not sure if any of this has something to do with lucid dreaming, but I thought I'd include it. I just recently discovered lucid dreaming (yesterday) and I am already extremely eager to learn more. As soon as I learned about it, I created a dream journal and started performing RCs. The past couple months I have been attaining lucidity in dreams but soon after I go into sleep paralysis. But I had no idea what lucidity and sleep paralysis were so I was baffled. Sleep paralysis is extremely frightening and I want to be able to control it. I feel like I have 1 dream a week (that's all I remember) and I'm afraid I will not be able to have dream recall, therefore not be able to have lucid dreams consistently. I have read that MILD often leads to sleep paralysis so I will be performing DILD. So I am now performing RCs daily and I am very excited to see them in my dreams. But I'm worried about my dream recall skills not sharpening. Even when I do have a dream/remember one, it is not vivid whatsoever. I am in desperate need to obtain this skill because I can't get through the day because I fear sleep, sleep paralysis is changing my life, but I want to turn it into a positive change, lucid dreaming! Hopefully you guys will help me through this process. I am very excited about this forum and general idea and I look forward to talking with you all, thank you! EDIT: I have a question about alarm clocks. You're supposed to keep your eyes closed, not move, and focus on the dream you just woke up from to recall it and write it in your journal. But, I need to wake up at certain times (school, activities, etc.) so I use an alarm clock and I wake up, move over to it and turn it off. But if I didn't move, the noise would distract me. What do I do about this???

[Arra]

Hi, welcome to the forum. With sleep paralysis (SP it's often abbrivated here), I think if you genuinely believe you have nothing to fear, and expect a positive experience, it will become one. I'm not completely sure about staying still, as I have trouble remembering to stay in the same position when I wake up until I've already moved. But I think I've heard that it still works if you move to turn your alarm clock off, then go back into the position you were before.

[Ryder]

Okay thank you Dianeva. I think when I have sleep paralysis the feeling is so scary I have a hard time thinking I'm going to be okay. So I guess I'm not aware enough. Yea, I just woke up and I did 4 DJ entries surprisingly with the alarm clock so I think I'll be fine. I woke myself up in the middle of the night as well. Last night, I had 4 dreams, one lucid WILD which took me into sleep paralysis which was very disappointing. I snowboarded that day, and I was VERY tired, so I'm not sure if this had an effect on what happened. Anyways, it was an amazing feeling. It was very scary, but I saw 2 flashes of light and then I felt like I was going down a very steep drop on a rollercoaster, I didn't know what to think, but then I was snowboarding in my dream, and I went into sleep paralysis, I tried to ignore it because I was lucid and excited about this (BUT I COULDN'T CONTROL ANYTHING) but I couldn't, i got scared and woke myself up. I'm claustrophobic so the feeling of not being able to move while being aware is horrifying to me but I tried my best to ignore it. So I'm going to only try to do DILDs from now on. Sleep paralysis is an option I want to be scarce. I also had 3 more dreams of which were not lucid. But having the dream recall is nice, now I think I just need to work on reality checks and stuff so I can become lucid in the dreams, right? Anyways, second night of keeping a DJ and I think recalling 4 dreams is great. Even though 2 I barely remember, but I DID have them, one took me into SP, and the other I remember pretty darn well. I am still looking for more info on this so feel free to give me tips! Thank you everyone (: EDIT: The dreams I am having do not give me the opportunity to perform a reality check. For instance flip a light switch, look at a clock, [and now] look at my hands for the "A" on them. But I'm afraid even when I do, I won't perform a reality check and become lucid. Help?

[Bizarre Jester]

Hi Ryder, when you experience Sleep paralysis just go along with it. There is nothing to be afraid of. It is a natural process that happens every time you sleep, you just might not be consciously aware of it. Your dream recall will improve naturally as long as you keep up with the dream journal. Even if you wake up and can't remember anything concentrate on trying to remember for a few minutes. Sometimes stuff will come back to you.

[Ryder]

Okay, thank you Bizarrejester. Also everyone, during my short lucid dream that took me into sleep paralysis, I couldn't really control anything. How do I do this? I focused on doing what I wanted.

[KingYoshi]

Whats up man! Welcome to the site. Everyone feels that sense of fear/danger during the WILD process, but the more attempts you have entering SP, the more you will get used to it. After a while, you will learn that its all hallucinations that can't harm you. The fear will go away and you may even grow to enjoy SP. There are some pretty cool, trippy stuff you can see/feel during SP. As for dream control...it is something that takes practice and experience. It took me several weeks of failed attempts to finally learn how to fly in a lucid. Just keep practicing and if you have a specific control problem, don't be afraid to ask advice (if you have any specific questions in general). Your dream world is all in your mind, so if you truly 100% believe you can do something, then you will find a way to be able to. Any doubts, and it will make it THAT much harder. Its ok though, because once you do something once...you know you can do it again. Just keep practicing. Waking during the night with an alarm clock is very good. It helps a lot with dream recall. I used to know I dreamed all the time, but never could remember much. I built up my recall by waking during the night like you are doing. Make sure you keep a pen and paper beside your bed, so you can write down your dreams as soon as you wake up (you can take a moment to lay still and remember it/replay it in your head first if you like). I always write my dreams down in reverse as well. Like, I write down the last thing that happened, then ask myself "What was I doing before that?", "And that?" and so on. This may help if you are forgetting the details. Good luck to you and just keep practicing!

[Ryder]

Thank you very much KingYoshi. It's late and I'm about to go to bed. I am going to try WILD again, but am not looking forward to it, sleep paralysis is SO scary. I'm 15 and I'm a scaredy-cat. I'm not afraid to admit it. But, is there a way to avoid sleep paralysis? Because I've had it about 5 times and I get terrified with horrible anxiety every time. I BELIEVE I can do this, it's just a matter of time. But I'm impatient, I want to enjoy this phenomenon instantly hahaha. But thank you for the help.

[KingYoshi]

Yeah, SP can be pretty scary, I admit. I'm 22 and it still freaks me out every now and then. I would suggest listening to some music as you fall asleep, or perhaps have the t.v. on. Something to distract you as you tire out, so SP won't set in. Good luck to you, I'm sure you'll be fine!

[Ryder]

Yeah, SP can be pretty scary, I admit. I'm 22 and it still freaks me out every now and then. I would suggest listening to some music as you fall asleep, or perhaps have the t.v. on. Something to distract you as you tire out, so SP won't set in. Good luck to you, I'm sure you'll be fine! Once again, thank you! Wouldn't back round noise disturb a lucid dream if I have one? Also, I am about to take a nap, last night (3rd night of knowing what LDing was) I didn't recall my dreams. But the night before I did. Should I expect this fluctuation? I am sure I'm able to LD but I'm not sure how long it'll take until I can do it on command. Everything just seems SO UNSURE. Like...Skeptical that it's possible. Even though I know it is. But I have the right attitude, I'm going to do it. It's just a matter of time. I just want to know how you guys felt before you could LD.

[KingYoshi]

I promise you it is a sure thing. I, personally, had LDs periodically through my childhood. Not a lot, but every now and again. I just didn't know what they were and what all I could do in them until I joined this site. Recall has to be built up and even now sometimes I won't remember a dream I had. If you keep practicing your dream recall will improve. Just make sure you are putting in the effort to remember. Background noise won't disturb your dream unless its really loud. You can hear music from waking life in your dreams and its actually pretty cool. What I used to do was play the same song every night as I slept (low volume...just audible enough to make out the words). During the day, I would play the song and do a RC with it. Every time I heard it I would RC. I heard it in dreams lots of times. Anyone who can dream can have a LD. I'm sure you have dreamed before, so I know 100% fact you can have one. Just keep working at it and you will get there. Sometimes it takes a few weeks to have one, but once you breakthrough, it will get easier for you. Good Luck!

[Ryder]

Once again, thank you. Yea I just got done with a "nap" but I couldn't fall asleep. I slept 4 hours last night too so I'm tired. I tried earplugs because my mom was cooking, but that didn't work. So I listened to binaural theta beats, that didn't work either. I was just focusing on -mantras -my dream setting (a beach) -and not moving I wanted to WILD to get over my fear of SP and I THINK I went into SP once but I was so aware of everything I wasn't sure. I was just numb all over...I didn't officially fall asleep so I didn't write in my DJ but I was on that border of dreaming and being awake. I had the dream scenario in my head as well, like what I wanted to happen.

[KingYoshi]

Yeah, that numb feeling is the beginnings of SP. If you are wanting to go to a particular scene, once the numbness starts, start searching for it in the darkness of your closed eyes. Not actively searching, but imagine it is appearing/showing up in your vison. Then casually and calmly look into the darkness and imagine it forming. SP should hit full scale soon enough and pictures/images will start to blur into vision and get clearer and clearer. As the SP sets in pretty deep (HI/HH is getting full blown and clear)...imagine yourself laying in your scene. Imagine the whole scene forming around you and you are laying down there in the sand looking up at the sky. That should help your scene form around you. There will be HI/HH that you can't control of course...it be a wide variety of stuff, but imagining that scene should help bring it to life for you.

[Ryder]

Okay, thank you ONCE AGAIN! Hahaha. Also, when I experienced SP without knowing what it was and when I entered WILDs without knowing what they were (even though I couldn't control them) it was when I just went to bed. I didn't wake up in the middle of the night. Does this mean I can still perform WILDs right when going to bed or should I just do it after waking up in the middle of night as usual? If so, are there any LD induction techniques that you perform right as you're going to bed? I haven't seen any, maybe I haven't looked hard enough. I've been performing RCs religiously for the past 4 days. What're the chances of me going into a DILD via a noseplug check/hand check (which are the RCs that I do)? I constantly study LDing and I'm trying everything I can to become a LDer. I have a DJ, I RC often, I am always looking on DV, I have RC written on my hands etc. Judging by my current attitude, how committed I am, and my past experiences with SP, WILDs, and LDs etc. when will/how long until I start LDing and controlling them? Also, last night I went to bed at 12, set my alarm for 4:30, 6:30, and 7:10. I tried to WILD, but failed for some reason, couldn't even get into SP (maybe because WILD/SP happens after you wake up and go back to bed, but I've been able to in the past even though I didn't know what they were), I kept getting itchy, too hot, have to pee, get thirsty, etc. And when I woke up at 4:30, NO dream recall, about 5:00 for some reason NO dream recall, 6:30 NO dream recall, I woke up at about 6:50 for some reason as well and I remembered a short dream that wasn't very vivid (I ate peanut butter the night before, so I expected it to be vivid) so I wrote it down in my DJ, went back to sleep, woke up at 7:10 and remembered another short dream that wasn't very vivid as well, so I wrote it down in my DJ too. I'm wondering if my heavy REM cycles start that late? And that's what's causing me to only dream THAT late. But in the past I've had dreams around 4:00+ ish and maybe earlier, so why didn't I dream that early this night? I focused hard and I was frustrated. Maybe I shouldn't be because this is my 4th day of knowing what LDing was but I wasn't worried about that, I was worried about Dream Recall. Thank you King Yoshi and others!!!

[KingYoshi]

Hmm...let me see Okay, thank you ONCE AGAIN! Hahaha. Also, when I experienced SP without knowing what it was and when I entered WILDs without knowing what they were (even though I couldn't control them) it was when I just went to bed. I didn't wake up in the middle of the night. Does this mean I can still perform WILDs right when going to bed or should I just do it after waking up in the middle of night as usual? If so, are there any LD induction techniques that you perform right as you're going to bed? I haven't seen any, maybe I haven't looked hard enough. It is possible to WILD before sleep, but I wouldn't recommend it. It will likely lead to many failed attempts and frustration. Even if you get into SP it is very hard to make the transition during this time period. You could always try day time naps to WILD as well. Hmm...you can use autosuggestion and mantras just before sleep. This will help increase your chances of becoming lucid during the night. The reason WILDs don't work at the start of sleep is because your REM cycle isn't "pumping" and hasn't been for several hours. I've been performing RCs religiously for the past 4 days. What're the chances of me going into a DILD via a noseplug check/hand check (which are the RCs that I do)? I constantly study LDing and I'm trying everything I can to become a LDer. I have a DJ, I RC often, I am always looking on DV, I have RC written on my hands etc. Judging by my current attitude, how committed I am, and my past experiences with SP, WILDs, and LDs etc. when will/how long until I start LDing and controlling them? Make sure that when you are doing your RCs, you aren't just going through the motions. Make sure you look around at your environment and say to yourself, "Am I dreaming right now?" Look around you and imagine what you are seeing is actually a dream. Then perform your RC and see if you actually are. If you do this every time you RC, your chances are improved. Once you get that first lucid, it will get easier and easier for you. Don't get discouraged after only 4 days. The lucids will come, just keep practicing and stay confident. Also, last night I went to bed at 12, set my alarm for 4:30, 6:30, and 7:10. I tried to WILD, but failed for some reason, couldn't even get into SP (maybe because WILD/SP happens after you wake up and go back to bed, but I've been able to in the past even though I didn't know what they were), I kept getting itchy, too hot, have to pee, get thirsty, etc. And when I woke up at 4:30, NO dream recall, about 5:00 for some reason NO dream recall, 6:30 NO dream recall, I woke up at about 6:50 for some reason as well and I remembered a short dream that wasn't very vivid (I ate peanut butter the night before, so I expected it to be vivid) so I wrote it down in my DJ, went back to sleep, woke up at 7:10 and remembered another short dream that wasn't very vivid as well, so I wrote it down in my DJ too. I'm wondering if my heavy REM cycles start that late? And that's what's causing me to only dream THAT late. But in the past I've had dreams around 4:00+ ish and maybe earlier, so why didn't I dream that early this night? I focused hard and I was frustrated. Maybe I shouldn't be because this is my 4th day of knowing what LDing was but I wasn't worried about that, I was worried about Dream Recall. Your REM periods can fluctuate depending on how much sleep you got before and some other things. I would suggest setting your first alarm at 5 hours of sleep, then 6, and then 7. Write down your dreams immediately upon waking. The peanut butter can help with vividness, but it isn't guaranteed. There are other factors as well. Just keep practicing and they will get more and more vivid and memorable for you. Dream Recall is something you have to build. It sounds like you are on the right path. Keep journaling and practicing and you will be fine. The key is to not try TOO hard. Practice it, but don't try to force anything. LDing is an art form (in a sense). You got try and stay positive and not get frustrated with failures. When it comes to dreaming there are going to be some frustrations, guaranteed. Just stay positive and don't let it bother you. look forward to your next attempts. Thank you King Yoshi and others!!! No problem. Glad to help out. Good Luck to you!

[Ryder]

Thank you! You are literally helping me take the baby steps to improve my life King Yoshi! So, judging by my current attitude, confidence, path etc. How long until my first LD would you estimate? What supplements do you take/what to you eat do increase vividness/chance to LD? If I go to bed too early/not tired, will that have any effect on me? EDIT: If anybody that is reading this can provide any fraction of a piece of information, please do so because most likely it will help. Thank you!

[Lost_prophet]

Thank you! You are literally helping me take the baby steps to improve my life King Yoshi! So, judging by my current attitude, confidence, path etc. How long until my first LD would you estimate? What supplements do you take/what to you eat do increase vividness/chance to LD? If I go to bed too early/not tired, will that have any effect on me? EDIT: If anybody that is reading this can provide any fraction of a piece of information, please do so because most likely it will help. Thank you! If you're looking for a set number, I'm sorry that's impossible. Every person is different. But, with previous unintentional experience and confidence, it won't be very long. You can take some minor supplements or vitamins like B6 or B5 to help recall, but I would suggest starting out not to take anything. For the first little while, just focus on not moving when you wake up and take a moment to try to gather previous thoughts/feelings/visions from prior dreams. It helps you get a good idea of what you're working with to start. How would you know if the supplements are working if you don't have anything to base them off of? What is too early? How long have you been up? What activity have you done today? Each day is different. With different variables that is even effected by the things you eat, how much stress you're under, etc. As long as you have had a "normal" day, if you go to bed a little early or don't feel tired, you should still go through the stages of sleep as usual. On a side note, do a little bit more research on Sleep Paralysis. What it is exactly, what is happening, and why it is happening. For me personally, it was much easier to cope with and much less scary after I knew what was happening.

[Ryder]

Thank you, Lost prophet. I will do some research on SP some more.