Thread: Hey there!

Hello! I'm new here (but I suppose that's just stating the obvious). Let me just start by saying that I'm very excited to become part of this community! I actually found this site a few days back and I was immediately fascinated by all of it. Here's a little about me and my history with lucid dreaming:

I have had two lucid dreams before, but this was before I ever knew anything about it. Naturally, I spent the rest of the dream just watching wacky events unfold around me and being very, very confused. (I believe this forum calls them DILDs) I think I did look it up though, and found a name and a definition. I never looked further into it.

A year or so later I came across a lucid dream inducing technique. I was very eager to try it out since I had often thought about my previous experiences and wished I could have taken advantage of them. I decided to attempt it that very night and so I did. I relaxed with my eyes closed, waiting patiently but making sure to stay fully awake. After awhile I felt heavy and convinced that it must be working. However, no dream came. I felt uncomfortable--entirely awake but so dreadfully tired--and then it started. I don't know how else to say this, but it was like I got "stuck" between sleep and a full waking awareness. As soon as I felt I was waking up, I'd be plunged back into sleep. Before I entered a truly full sleep, I was shot back toward an "almost waking up" feeling only for the process to start over again. Again and again, unable to break either barrier. I must have finally fell asleep but woke up the next morning feeling exhausted.

One statement on this site jumped out at me and reminded me of this:
"Attempting to WILD when you first go to sleep at night is not recommended. You can do everything right, but there will be no dream available for you to enter (or at most, a brief and unsatisfying dream)." (Official Dreamviews WILD Tutorial)

I wish I had found you guys earlier, haha!

Anyway, I think the main thing that completely convinced me that I should join this forum was when I read about reality checks. I began to practice it everyday, even though I doubted it would actually work (who would remember to do it when they're sleeping?!) But sure enough, last night, I had a DILD. I seemed to naturally do a reality check (which for me, is looking for small reflections [the glint of metal that reflects light, perhaps]) and was immediately excited when I realized I was dreaming. My next thought was 'But I don't have a goal for lucid dreaming! What do I do?' and for some reason, hugging one of the people in my dream sounded good.

Not breathing fire. Not flying. Not going to some amazing place. No, my lucid dream was spent hugging a stranger in the middle of Walmart. (I'm such a acreative individual, if you couldn't tell.)

But the point was that it worked, I woke up excited, and then decided to join. I look forward to meeting you all and to work on inducing lucid dreams and actually make some goals for myself (because heaven forbid I spend my next lucid dream eating cereal or something)!




;-; And I ramble when I'm excited. Congratulations on making it through alllll of that ^