New guy

Hey everyone
It seems like this is the place to introduce myself, so here goes. My name is Mark (are we supposed to refer to eachother with our usernames or our real names?), I'm a 20 year old student in the ridiculous country Northern Ireland. I've been visiting this site for a good few months now and have decided it's about time to interact with people here because I've been attempting to lucid dream for a couple of years with very limited success and have been annoying my friends by telling them all about my attempts despite knowing full well I'm boring them to tears. I've tried various techniques (i even bought that Bradley Thomson lucid dreaming kit that's advertised on google searches) but experienced little joy. There have been a few occasions where I've become lucid, usually using the wild technique, but as soon as I realise I'm dreaming I get so excited I immediately wake up, which is really frustrating. So, I'm sure this is a common request, but if anyone would give me advice on how to control my excitement it would be very helpful.

Cheers!

'Ey, man. Welcome to DV.

Sucks that you've been having so much trouble with it, but I'm sure the forum will help you out as much as it has some of the rest of us. Starting up a dream journal is going to the first think you wanna do. Being able to recognize dream signs and patterns will help you find lucidity more than anything else. As far as when you get lucid, the trick is to stay calm. It is a lot like knowing when you Have to stay calm in waking life. You just, realize you're dreaming, calmly look around and think, "alright, this is cool..what next?" The more you keep in control, the more control you'll have.

lEdit: Oh, and it doesn't matter what you wanna be called. Just let people know. ;) ]

Welcome to the site. I'm sure you will have much better luck here. This place goes far beyond some kit. :D And its free!

Hey Mark :) We're glad that you finally joined the forum and congratulations with the success that you've had so far. Let us know if we can help you out with anything.

As for getting excited, I'd also recommend deciding what you want to do when you become lucid. Repeat it to yourself before you go to bed so that when you become lucid you won't have to think about what you want to do. Also, it should allow you to react quicker so that you don't have to spend time merely reveling in the feeling, though I enjoy that as well.

You could also try any relaxation techniques during the dream. The best would probably be to watch your breathing and keep it steady.

Welcome and don't worry man, with some practice you'll be able to achive lucid dreaming. I have only been a member for a little over a week and already have improved alot on my lucid dreaming. People here are really helpful. Good luck :)

Thanks for the replies, this is a really friendly forum. I like it. I've tried starting a dream journal but i've only made a couple of entries because when i wake up from a deam i'm so tired i can barely lift my head never mind writing my dream down. I've tried just noting key points so i can elaborate later but i always just end up getting caught up in the business of the day and forget about it. I've been considering getting a tape recorder to make it easier but i can't find any because tapes are shit and no one uses them anymore. As for the reality checking thing, I have a problem which always carries over into dreams, I'm wondering if this ocurs to anyone else. I've decided upon certain triggers, which when they occur I do a reality check (like taking a piss, looking in a mirror, talking about dreams, or if anything out of the ordinary happens). But, the problem is, everytime i do a reality check I've already decided in the back of my mind that it will pass, so even if i'm in a dream and i do a test no matter what happens I'm satisfied that I'm experiencing reality. I even had a dream where i was talking to Descartes and getting really pissed off with him because he was telling me I'm dreaming but I kept coming up with what i thought were irrefutable proofs that i was awake. Sorry to ask again but any advice about these problems?

Btw, what are the stars under some peoples names about?

MSD...

Hello and welcome to the forum! :D I've been fairly lucky with my LD's, and this forum has only enhanced my abilities to do so. There's lots of friendly, helpful folk here (me included!) more than happy to help you on your way...

As far as the stars, I believe they indicate status in the forum. The Mod's seem to have the most - other forums on the `net use similar methods to indicate number of posts.

Again, welcome!

C

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Originally posted by mrselfdestruct
Btw, what are the stars under some peoples names about?

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Muahaha! Power! :-P

But seriously, welcome to the forum! I'm glad you stopped lurking and started posting. I think you'll find that we have a great community here (like one big, wonderfully disfunctional family). :D

Orange or Green?

as for the reality checks, every time you do one, instead assume that you are dreaming and you are using the reality check to corroborate the fact that you are dreaming...it's hard to really believe you are dreaming when it's very obvious you are awake, but you have to be able to take that mentality in order to be successful in the dream....but in a dream if you expect to be able to put your finger through your hand, or breathe with your nose plugged, etc, you will be able to do these things.

Quote:

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Originally posted by mrselfdestruct
But, the problem is, everytime i do a reality check I've already decided in the back of my mind that it will pass, so even if i'm in a dream and i do a test no matter what happens I'm satisfied that I'm experiencing reality. I even had a dream where i was talking to Descartes and getting really pissed off with him because he was telling me I'm dreaming but I kept coming up with what i thought were irrefutable proofs that i was awake.

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Well, what kind of "proof" have you been coming up with? The next time you're talking to someone about lucidity, take a moment to ask yourself if what you're saying is really making sense. Another important thing with reality checks is that a lot of people tend to dismiss the results one way or another, but it's important to tell yourself, "Yes, I am dreaming because..." or "No, I am not dreaming because..." It may take a few tries before you get into a new habit, but just be aware of what's going on in your dreams.

And as far as tapes go, those stupid recorders/players are pretty expensive nowadays. You'd think that obsolete technology would be cheaper. Maybe if you could find one of those cheaper digital voice recorders. It's worth a shot.

-Amé

Welcome to the board MSD. I like the name. "I tear you down, I build you up!"