Noob squared

Hi guys!

This is the first community I join, so I'm a noob even at being a noob... Sorry in advance if I do something wrong! :bowdown:

As for lucid dreaming in particular, it's been on my mind for several years now, but this one is my first serious attempt at it. The other time I relied on sloppy guides found on the Internet, without much digging on my part -- but there again I didn't imagine, back then, it would be so tough to get some results. So, I continued cherishing the idea, but gradually abandoned any practice.

Some months ago, however, I bumped into some videos on YouTube selling the idea that you can AP tonight. Well... didn't work, of course, but it served to catch again my interest in the matter of LD, which in my opinion is tightly related. In fact, once I get a bit more proficient in LD, I'm interested in AP also, and I'm curious to compare the two.

As of now, my LD record still leaves something to be desired, to say the least. I remember having some rare lucid moments in my child dreams, long long ago, when just before awaking I realized I could fly because I was dreaming, and then dejectedly waited for the spell to be broken in a while. Then, there are a couple of episodes dating to the first time I intentionally tried to get lucid, but I didn't keep a dream journal at the time and don't remember other details. This time, however, I've decided keep track of my experiments and results. I've been dream journaling since the end of March, although skipping some days here and there when I'm late for work or particularly frustrated by the lack of results...

Since the beginning of my practice, three months passed before getting the slightest result, in the mid of June. To be honest, however, I must say that I still had to orient myself in the topic, thus I probably took the hardest way. When I finally got things more into perspective, I got back to basics: DJ, RC's, recognizing dream signs etc., hoping that I would consistently get DILD's (which is kind of LD entry which I deem most suited to me). Unfortunately, these happen very rarely to me, and did not happen at all until I discovered the SSILD technique. I've abandoned the idea of trying to WILD, at least for the moment, due to my utter restlessness and to the abundance of unavoidable disturbances in my bedroom. However, I suspect that I may have on some occasion performed a sort of hybrid between SSILD and WILD, when losing count of the cycles and thus inadvertently looping until a spontaneous transition took place.

More recently, I discovered this community and I finally feel at home: the tutorials (which I devoured ravenously) are great and the staff seems friendly. Plus, I really enjoy the feeling of community, where people want to openheartedly share their experience rather than hook potential purchasers. Based on those tutorials, I've started practicing awareness to the best of my ability: that is to say that I tried ADA for a couple of days, then my brain got burned and I switched to SAT and reverse-RC. I still have a lot to learn, however, and sometimes find myself not practicing enough, or enouth often, or with enough focus.

In this last month I've recorded more episodes (17 between LD's, FA's, failed "dives"...) than in the rest of my life, which is encouraging, but I lack consistency: whenever I think I've got the hang of it, the next night is fruitless. Also, it is high time that I improve LD stability, because they tend to be very short. I only had one long LD, but with third-rate level of control and lucidity, and two dubious cases where it may have been me messing it up by inexperience.

So, that's it. I hope to grow in experience soon and be able to contribute in return to the community!

Sweet dreams!

YinEdmon

Welcome!

17 lucid related episodes is a good start. With more practice you will be able to turn more of these into full-blown lds. :)

Thank you for the encouraging words! Whoever I talk to about it in my circle treats me as though I must be mad or something...

Welcome! You're definitely not mad.

Enjoy your stay.

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Originally Posted by YinEdmon

(...) but I lack consistency: whenever I think I've got the hang of it, the next night is fruitless. (...)

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Personally, my advice, would be that you have to prevent yourself from setting your expectation too high (or too low!); remember that expectations in general have an effect on the dream world, and in my case, probably for other people too, the more you want something, the harder it seems to be for it to happen.

Right now I have not been expecting to have lucid experiences at all but have recently had a few semi-lucid ones, and I am happy about it, but think that I should not direct my efforts towards this so precisely; I know that in my case there are many other things I could sort out first, such as my "waking up" situation, which is not ideal. When I was doing LD techniques regularly I found myself setting my expectations too high after even the smallest "success". I've since stopped measuring successes for this reason.

Let me know if you think what I said was helpful, or not.

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Originally Posted by YinEdmon

Thank you for the encouraging words! Whoever I talk to about it in my circle treats me as though I must be mad or something...

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I rarely talk to most people about dreams in waking life unless I know that they have a genuine and open interest in the subject. I know I'm wasting my time otherwise, and while everyone may dream, they might not be able to relate their own dreaming experience with yours at all, for so many reasons. I do wish I could talk to people more about it but I find that you can't really force a subject like this into conversation. You almost have to act like a dream character yourself, with subtle suggestions, etc... :lol:

Hi DarkestDarkness! Yes, I tend to be a little overcritical of myself (and of others, for that matter...). So I agree with you that I should not set my expectations to high (no risk in the other direction): that's why I'm keeping, in addition to the DJ, a check list of goals, sorted by estimated difficulty, by which I'm trying to measure my progress as objectively as possible.

Also, I have a page in my DJ where I summarize my "performance" by recording any LD-related episode with different kinds of dots and dashes, each row of squares corresponding to a month, each column to a day. The fact that this page has begun being populated is in itself comforting, although I can't help striving for more frequent, and especially longer, LD's.

Finally, I know I'm not mad (don't worry!) and that the subject of LD is definitely "niche". However, I honestly wonder how one can dismiss it so easily when one comes to hear about it... Of course, I suspect this may not be the best place where to look for the answer to that :wink:

So much for being a total noob. You just taught me something major about RCs which I've been working on for a bit. I came to this thread in hopes I could give you a wee hand, but you gaaaaaht dis.

Awesome to see ya join tho, ya great big noob ya.

So... weclome! :D
https://media.giphy.com/media/TiuShTf3ehYZi/giphy.gif

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Originally Posted by slash112

You just taught me something major about RCs which I've been working on for a bit.

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Yeah, sure... which is...? :huh:
Thanks anyway for the compliments :)

It's difficult because what I've learned is that RCs work differently depending on the person/soul.

Like, for me, I use a "totem" as they called it in Inception. But I do it different than them. For my spirit, I require RCs which test not only if I'm dreaming, but which dream I'm in, and which reality, and which dimension of consciousness, all at the same time. I have other tools involved in my totem, but I can't reveal them because it really would defeat its purpose. It's not easy to figure out what kind of RCs to use, but once you find your own style of RC, it is amazing. It makes all the difference. It makes a difference to your lucid dreaming life, your waking life, your sense of security, and it even helps you find yourself. It helps you find your heart's calling. It's like a compass.

However, I still do RCs sometimes, as well as Totem Checks. But not as much, because I personally don't yet feel the need to RC. Mostly because to me, all is reality. But for others it ain't the same way as that.

Really is difficult. But what I've learned is damn powerful. And I feel like shit cause in the past, I totally ignored the legitimacy of the movie Inception.

Interesting read Slash112. A few years ago I tried seeing if I could have a totem in waking life and if it would carry over into my dreams, but unfortunately it never worked for me.

My RCs are fairly effective, when I remember to do them. I think why the totem thing never worked for me, even though I really like the idea, is that me and "accessories" just don't get on well. Whenever I've had rings, pendants, necklaces, sunglasses; anything that adds to the overall appearance apart from clothes (which I'll can include scarves and gloves in) seems to really stand out with me, which is perhaps a self-conscious thing where I feel attention gets drawn to me, when otherwise it wouldn't; and there really does seem to be a correlation between accessories and attention drawn for me, but the underlying cause may be a change in my own behaviour at a less than conscious level, rather than anything else...

To be honest, I think I prefer the Matrix (as a series/universe, not just as single films on their own) over Inception in the sense that it approaches dreams in a somewhat indirect way, which I relate better to my own experience of dreams. But I did like Inception too, and could relate to some of the dreaming aspects presented in the film (can't remember everything anymore, I should re-watch it now...).