Hey everyone

I have just registered with these forums today, but I have been reading them, as well as the website for a few days now.

I first became familiar with the term Lucid after watching vanilla sky, after viewing this site however it seems that movie is misleading, because if the program worked correctly you would never realize you were dreaming, thus making it not a lucid dream . . .

anyways that's really not the point of my post.
I am 18 now, my dreaming history is a little weird, I have quite a few memories of dreams from when I was probably about 7 until about 14 or 15 maybe. even a few that could have been lucid, at least I was aware I was dreaming, I could wake myself up (not that I would just wake up, I actually recall thinking, ok I should wake up now, or something along those lines) if I was about to die or something embarrassing was happening, but other than that I don't remember having much control.

Then from around 13 to about 17 and a half I don't remember any dreams, well maybe one or two, but very very rarely.

now for a few months I have started recalling my dreams more often, I have no idea why. But I got interested in it, and I stumbled across this site, through erowid actually.

So, I have started a dream journal and have been writing them down, not full length stories, but just little bits I can remember.

Last night was the first night I actually prepared myself before I went to sleep, saying things out loud to myself and whatnot. so last night I awoke several times, I went to sleep around 12 I woke probably around 1 and then again at 3, but I didn't have any dreams, that I recall - but I know that is before the prime REM sleep - so I woke again, naturally, at 5am and had a dream in my mind, I made some notes in my journal and then went back to sleep and my alarm woke me at 8 and I had another dream in my memory, this one was quite a bit more full then the first one. but in neither of them could I control or even realize I was dreaming - but at least my recall is improving!

any tips? i have recalled a dream every night for about 3 or 4 days now, and last night i got 2.

I downloaded a mp3 of sounds and a voice, so i was gonna turn that on at 5am or so tonight, think thats a good idea? tips and suggestions are welcome i'll take all the info i can get right now.