another newb... (think ive had an LD or two)

hullo people... name's tony...

i was thinking earlier today about a few dreams ive had a long time ago and googled "how to dream"... apperently, i needed to google "dream recall techniques" but since i didn't, i found this place.. read everything there was to read...

i beleive ive had several 2 second lucid dreams...

i can recall one specific time where my reality check (that i didn't know i was performing) made me aware of it... i was somewhere doing something with my dad and i could see myself reading a book.. i actually looked over at my dad and said "you know.. when youre dreaming you usually can't read because the left side of you brain reads and the right side makes up dreams" and when i looked back down i saw.. well.. i knew there was a jumble of "letters" there, but i'd compare wha ti saw to listening to someone across a room speaking quietly.. it was there and i think i heard(saw) it.. but there wasnt anything for me to actually decipher...

i actually turned to look at my dad and said "whoa.. i'm dreaming right now..." to wich he replied "really" and the last thing i remember is lifting up the book to see if he could read it and "Bzzzz" time to go to work...

i will deffinitely be reading a few tutorials and look into keeping a journal...

based on what ive experienced, can anyone reccomend a technique that may work better than others for me?

thanks...
-tony

Hey Tony, :welcome: to Dreamviews!!
You should use RC/DILD. Basically this just means that during the day, you ask yourself if you're dreaming, ask how you know, and what you would do if you were. You should also do RCs (reality checks), such as plugging your nose and trying to breathe. The idea is that you will ask yourself if you are dreaming, or do a reality check, in your dream, and become lucid. All of my LDs were from DILDs (the "hey, I'm dreaming" kind).

my only concern with "letting it happen" is that in the past.. several years... i cannot recall a single dream that wasnt brought on via one too many drinks... and even those i can only recall that they existed.. nothing more...
ive gone through my share of bad stuff happening and i think that has alot to do with it so im wondering if i can use reverse psychology.. if i can dream again, perhaps it will be that much easier to let go of everything else...

i'll surely be on the lookout for floating things and oobe's tonight though ;)

You dream every night, it's a matter of recalling it...
Check out Dream Recall on dreamviews.com and the Recall forums :)

will do.. thanks...

(if anyone else has any other relevant input i'm still all over it...)

-tony

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Originally Posted by tonythephatone

my only concern with "letting it happen" is that in the past.. several years... i cannot recall a single dream that wasnt brought on via one too many drinks... and even those i can only recall that they existed.. nothing more...
ive gone through my share of bad stuff happening and i think that has alot to do with it so im wondering if i can use reverse psychology.. if i can dream again, perhaps it will be that much easier to let go of everything else...

i'll surely be on the lookout for floating things and oobe's tonight though ;)

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I can relate to the "too many drinks" aspect, but my thought was that alcohol dulled your recall, unless you are allowed to sleep later into the morning, then you get an extended, super REM period. The dream recall techniques work (I never thought I'd suggest it to someone. See my 1st ever post at Yeee Haaaa!!! in this forum).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tonythephatone

.. if i can dream again, perhaps it will be that much easier to let go of everything else...

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From what I've read here, you dream several times a night. It is remebering the dream that is the hard part.

Roy

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kroy

From what I've read here, you dream several times a night. It is remebering the dream that is the hard part.
Roy

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Yes, that's correct. Although I wouldn't say it's that hard ;). Dream Journals are extremely effective.

... i tried perhaps a little too hard last night to remember i was dreaming.. woke up feeling like my body was rested but my brain was.. not.

still all i can remember is something about duct tape, something else that's there..but so hazy i can't describe it, and just as i was beginning to drift off i kept hearing voices.. like i was outside a room and people were talking inside.. very hazy voices, but i distinctly remember "yeah, her foot is pretty loud" .... lol

is there any way to draw on those voices without actually waking myself up? as soon as i began to realize there was actually something there and the noise wasnt just my fan, i tried to focus on it but both times found myself staring at the LED clock projection on my ceiling... almost instantly... tried the wbts thing and after the third try i was awoken by my alarm clock 7 hours later with a feint memory of duct tape.. and no more..

please do offer any advice you may have...

-tony

The biggest boon to dream recall besides a dream journal, i've found, is waking up with your mind focused on dreams INSTANTANEOUSLY, and I mean within a split-second after waking! This is a habit more than anything; natural recallers seem to have this habit perfected after years of practice. Yet anyone can learn a new habit. All you need to do is practice "waking up". This might sound silly, but try lying down and setting your alarm to go off in five minutes. Then, when it does go off, ignore the alarm and recall what you were just thinking about. Do this a couple times a day, and you train your consicous as well as your subconscious to think about dreams right away.

Remember, you only need the alarm for practice. If you don't use an alarm, remove it, and you'll still be thinking about dreams when you wake. Of course, keep a dream journal. Write down ANYTHING that comes to mind when you wake, even if it's just duct-tape! Soon you'll recall MUCH more. ;)

i am becoming hopeful...
perhaps not yet at becoming lucid, but that i may learn to recall my dreams... i'm almost sure i remember a bit of one i had last night... involved myself, my dad, my brother, and my room... i wish i was better at RCing because my brother lives about 6 hours away and my dad is about 2 hours away.. and there's no way all four of us could have been in my room talking the way we were positioned in my dream...

i only remember about a 3 second clip and a few fuzzy emotions, but it's a start... and i'm happy with it..

only strange thing is..
the last two nights as i've been actively trying to remember my dreams, ive woken up. exhausted... going to be before 12 and getting up at 7ish... i should be getting enough sleep but i feel like crap for about 1.5 hrs... am i accidentally trying too hard?

thanks again for the support
-tony

Maybe.

You know the old saying about how we all dream every night? Well, it's true... if we sleep long enough and well enough! Some individuals dream ALL the time, even if they sleep for only 15 minutes. Most others only dream if they're very relaxed physically and emotionally, and sleep a good duration; at least six hours.

What I'm trying to say is that for some, even the slightest bit of stress or worry can throw off their dream recall. If you are going to sleep anxious about recalling dreams, then you are probably trying too hard. Instead, tell yourself that you're going to have the healthiest and longest sleep that you've ever had. I find this improves REM and dream vividness, and thus helps with recall MUCH more than getting into a frenzy about remembering. After all, it's easier to remember a detailed dream, than it is to force yourself to remember a vague and short dream! :D

... over the years i've adopted the "let it be known i just barely have the capacity to give a ****"

ive been through enough that i just don't get upset like i used to (and by human nature, probably should)...

stress? nah.. perhaps the ever-present "why didnt i goto bed an hour ago like i should have".. but i get over that pretty easy...

i would almost compare my situation to someone who goes to the movies and "watches" against someone who's "friggin into the movie"...

this week ive gone to bed determined to the best of my knowledge to recall some sort of dream... perhaps for me that's the rough equivalent to going to a movie and looking entirely for little hidden secrets... (who hasnt done that at least once IRL?)

maybe i'm missing the big picture that's right in front of me.. i just cant figure out how to relax and remember..

still hopeful though..

thanks again for the continued support..
-tony