Hey....I'm new...Got a question...

[LucidM!nds]

Hey...How's it going people? I'm new here, and...uhm...I'm interested in lucidity and being able to "live in your dreams"..I've got a question...a semi serious one that hopefully someone could, you know, help me shed some light on, perhaps? I'm not exactly what you call the best when it comes to dreaming. I really can't remember anything at all when it comes to dreams, except some rather vivid ones I had a while back...(This pertains to the question, so bear with me)...Yeah, I used to be really good at remembering my dreams, but then I started indujging in illegal substances that will remain nameless...I read up on the effects of these said substances, and supposedly the "acreditied" site claimed that the REM periods of sleep are dramatically decreased while under the influence...Yeah, now I'm what I believe to be sober...But unfortunately I have no recollection of dreams whatsoever, save for the dreams I've had in the past... Another thing... I used to read about dreaming and such quite often (which made my dreams so vivid and memorable), and...well...uh, Yeah, I've had a lucid dream before, only once that I can remember and, well, I only realized that I was dreaming, and I had forgotten everything else....Can someone please exlplain to me my "half-lucid dream"? Also, can anyone tell me some better techniques to dream recall besides a dram journal? any comments appreciated..

[Oneironaut Zero]

What’s up, man? Welcome to DV. I think one of the most important things is for you to make sure you’re getting enough sleep. I think the deeper you sleep, the less likely you are to recall your dreams, if you’re only getting like 5-6 hours of sleep. Also, you might want to try a light stimulant over night, like B-6, or even a multi-vitamin containing a lot of b-6 would probably benefit you. You won’t sleep as heavily and you have a good chance of remembering your dreams. Start doing reality checks during the day, making sure you’re serious about asking yourself whether or not you’re dreaming whenever you do them. Don’t just passively assume you’re awake when you’re sure you are, because you’ll never take RC’ing in your dream seriously. Also, you might want to start affirming to yourself “I will recall my dreams.” With all confidence while you’re drifting off to sleep. As far as your half lucid dream, I’d say there is nothing too unusual about it. There are quite a few levels to lucidity, and one of them seems to be waking up with the notion that you were lucid Some Time during the dream sequences, but not really remembering too much about the dream. The more comfortable you get with the dream state, the less this should happen, but I’ve been LD’ing for years and it still happens to me, sometimes. Hope these help. Good luck.

[wombing]

heya. yes, i have also found certain substances pulverize my chances of remembering dreams. abstaining should help. other than that, a DJ really is the best suggestion anyone will probably give you to aid in recalling dreams.. to this i would add: when you wake up, do not instantly move, roll over, or sit up. lay in the same position you woke up in, and do not allow your mind to start thinking about things you must do today, or anything else. try to feel any impressions, moods, or snippets of a dream that you can, and try to build on it. after a minute or two, write down anything you come up with, no matter how vague. it helped me out tremendously. i went from a couple dreams a month, to a few a week, to about 3-4 a night now. also, it sounds kind of new agey and mystical, but you could try chanting RAOM GAOM. (the RAOM sounds like 'round', but with a M sound at the end. GAOM has a similar ending sound.). supposedly it helps one recall dreams. i've been trying it, and placebo or legitimate, it seems to have helped...

[mrtywalsh]

Im new to the board, but this topic caught my eye. I use an illegal substance almost on a daily basis. I didn't plan on quiting anytime soon. Will this really hurt my chances of gaining lucidity? I do have a really hard time remembering dreams, but I thought that it was normal.

[LucidM!nds]

Okay...The whole dream journal isn't working out, really. This is my second day (perhaps I'm impatent, but I'm really trying) recording my dreams, and I've got nothing. It's as if I don't exist when I'm asleep. I literally don't have any clue as to where my mind is when I'm asleep. Sure, I've got bits a pieces of dreams,that don't really make sense, but that's all really. Also, when I wake up, I dunno if I'm dreaming or not...For example, everytime I first wake up, the first thing I do is reach for my journal...I see my journal, feel it in my hands, know that I'm writing, but it sort of feels like a movie...So I dunno what to believe. This morning my dad woke me up to warn me about the weather (it snowed). I'm not sure if I was awake or not when he said this, though I was out of bed and I proceeded to do all my normal events that eventually led up to me typing this post (so I guess you could say I dunno if I'm awake or not at the moment, either)... Here's what I wrote in my journal for my two entries...It's not much, but someone tell me...Am I improving? "Entry one: I honestly don't remember anything at all during sleep. Before sleep, I noticed my thought patterns changing, and compared to rational thinking...I know I wasn't. I witnessed REM consciously. I suppose to some extent that's a lucid dream, though not quite sure" Then later on in the evening I wrote this (I don't even remember writing this) "An oriental stuardess takes (illedgible words..too sloppy to make out) belief in my ability to recall dreams, and has my thoughts, or "luggage" sent away to ?, my room perhaps?" Weird, I know... "Entry two: I asked this dude if he had some sort of fetish (I remembered what it was before I woke up, but I forgot as soon as I tried remembering...the fetish, I mean). We were in a park near some bleachers?" Yeah..those are my two entries. I've been repeating to myself constantly before bed this little phrase: "I will remember my dreams, and they will be completely lucid and vivid to me when I wake up" So far, hasn't worked really, other than what I've accumulated from those dream journal entries... Suggestions, advice, anyone?

[TygrHawk]

Give it some more time. A couple of days isn't really enough to tell whether it's working. Sometimes it can take a week or two of practicing your recall before you really see any significant results. Just don't give up!

[Keleiter]

Yes.. I would say you need to be patient. It is not going to happen overnight. It takes practice..and patience. Keep using the dream journal..and keep using the affirmations..and be sure to do the reality checks as Oneironaut suggested. Also..don't do drugs!! I have trouble remembering my dreams just from taking a Percoset..because I sleep too deeply. If you are too tired..or knocked out from drugs you will never make any progress. Good luck.

[wombing]

well, it sounds like you've already had two dreams, just not long, vivid ones. the 'luggage' one, and the 'fetish' one. two days isn't nearly long enough to benefit from a dream journal. as well, if you are recently sober, it may take 2-4 weeks for traces in your system to dissappear. it sounds to me like you are making progress, you are just impatient. IMHO, if you cannot keep a dream journal for a few weeks without getting frustrated, you might not be the right sort of temperament for learning to lucid dreaming. because it is something you must learn. you wouldn't expect to learn how to fly a helicopter in two days, or snowboard in a half-pipe, or most other things...it would be very unrealistic to suppose you will learn to view, and then control, your dreaming mind in less than a week. keep at it my friend its well worth the effort, trust me.