I've Had A Perculiar Start, Any Advice?

[Western Vagabond]

Hey guys. Basically, I saw lucid dreaming on an episode of Ed, and being bored last night I decided to look into this. After reading for hours I decided to dive straight in. I got the pad and pen next to the bed, set the alarm for what I guessed was going to be the REM period of my 4th cycle. On going to bed I really tried to concentrate on the mantra, "I will go to sleep, dream, remeber it and write it down," though i caught myself musing over anything and everything as usual. I dropped off soon after. Then 4.45 in the morning I get awakened by an alarm; dreamless. So I tried to stay positive and had another go. I woke up around 6ish with 2 dreams, thats more than I recall in a month usually! I wrote them straight down. Then at 8 I recalled another. This one even more startling for me as when the nights sky turned into a bright blue canvas I realised I was asleep. Excited i immediately wondered what to do next, who should I try to meet round the next corner? Thats when the walls of the buildings around me and the road I traversed became vivid colours shining like an acid trip off a bad TV show. I realised i was waking up, and tried spinning on the spot. It was as if moving through treacle, and I barely moved. Thats when I woke up, instantly reaching for the pad. Thankyou if you actually read all this, is there anyhting you can suggest to stay in a dream state? Have you had a similar experince? Feel free to PM me or reply with anything, as Im fascinated with this new world I've been oblivious to until now. I love the site. It's also great to find somewhere you don't need to swallow all the ideas about astral projection and the like.

[Zyphern]

Wow what a great start. I started last night and woke from three dreams naturally. two of which slipped my mind. I've read in many places that you should try to wake up as naturally as possible in order to retain your dreams, however the alarm clock method seems to work great for you! I also noticed that the long sentence you were repeating to yourself was...well long. I keep mine short and sweet. I think "I WILL recall my dreams" to myself every time I exhale placing extra emphasis on the will. It's great that you managed to get semi lucid! Good luck with your continued efforts! -Zyphern

[ReaLIllusion]

Hey Vagabond! Welcome to DV, sounds like you had a great start. Seems like it's a pretty common complaint among newbies that they wake up quickly after becoming lucid. Most people will tell you it's a result of getting excited in your dream, as you were. I find it useful to take a moment after becoming lucid to stop, take a look around, calm myself down before trying to "do" anything. Also, some people find it helpful to use verbal commands like saying "increase lucidity" to help the dream become more stable. I haven't had any luck with spinning yet either, but a lot of people swear by it! You might want to peruse the Dream Control forum for more suggestions/ideas. You're definitely not the only one with this question! Good luck, happy dreaming.

[AwesomeAlex13]

Hello, welcome to DV! That IS a great start, it's similar to the one I had. I also agree with what my previous posters have said, I believe in the same techniques they said. Keep up the good work! -Sweet Dreams-

[Burns]

Hey WV Welcome to the forum! Glad you found the site - I'll you'll find a ton of helpful information you can use. One of the basic things with LDing is that everyone's different, so what may work for one person may not necessarily work for another. Practicing and experimenting is key. Find what works for you and go with it. Check out the tutorials to get started - oh and start a dream journal, if you haven't already. Feel free to use the one available here at DV. Good luck and have fun!