I know barely anything...help??

[kcat220]

So. I've read the basics on LD. Like MILD, WILD, WBTB. I actually tried the WBTB and it didn't work... So I started a dream journal, and I've kind of been ignoring it () but when it's there I almost always remember at least a fragment. My problem is that I almost never see things through my eyes in a dream. It's usually me watching me doing stuff. Also, my dreams are dark a lot, with flashing brightness. And I don't have any recurring things in my dreams, and I don't see clocks or my hands or anything so I can't do a reality check. I was just wondering, how can I do it?? I usually get so caught up in the dream that I don't remember that I'm in it until the morning. Can I try another technique? Because I always find my mind wandering when I'm MILDing. I think I have a short attention span... Thanks sooo much in advance.

[GestaltAlteration]

Welcome to dreamviews! Do you play a lot of videogames? I experience this when I used to play a lot of stuff, so I was dreaming in the third person. First off for WBTB set your alarm for about 6 hours after you sleep. Then, an optional choice, is to set it for an hour each hour afterward. This will increase lucid chances and improve recall. I bet you'll find reoccurring themes in dreams, even if it's something as disconnected as being in locations with no relation to real life and, as you mentioned, being an observer instead of the first person view. If you absolutely cannot consolidate specifics, than do a RC every hour on the hour. These are very important for dream induced lucid dreams. I'm willing to bet as your recall increases and you get deeper into the lucid field, things will start opening up to you. If you have any questions feel free to ask! - GA

[kcat220]

I'm really not much of a videogame player, no. Thanks for your help on WBTB. I looked through my journal and noticed water. Like, my house was flooded. And I went to swim practice a lot. Also, my friend had a pool at her house. Could that be a recurring theme? Because I spend a lot of time around water in real life, so it wouldn't be a very good indicator of dreaming.

[The Question]

Well one of my dream signs is being with friends...thats a horrible one! lol So ya water can be one pretty much anything

[GestaltAlteration]

I'm really not much of a videogame player, no. Thanks for your help on WBTB. I looked through my journal and noticed water. Like, my house was flooded. And I went to swim practice a lot. Also, my friend had a pool at her house. Could that be a recurring theme? Because I spend a lot of time around water in real life, so it wouldn't be a very good indicator of dreaming. It is. Resolve to do a reality check everytime you see water. You can make a list of whatever else you see is a dream link and do likewise. Whenever I do a RC I do the following: Hold my nose to see if I can breath through it, read something, look away and read it again, jump to see if I stay in the air any longer than usual, and critically ask if I know where I am and if this is exactly like the reality as I know it. As for the specific lucid dreaming techniques. Give it some time. Lucid dreaming is a "skill" for us non-naturals, and it must be taken one step at a time. It may take many attempts, but you'll get it.

[kcat220]

Thank you!! I have another question-- do I have to be totally focused when I fall asleep? Because I can't sleep if I'm focused. I mostly have to let my mind wander. And can eating/drinking before you sleep make a difference? I noticed a long time ago that if I drink something while in bed reading and then go right to bed I remember dreams, even without a journal. Is that just a coincidence?

[GestaltAlteration]

Thank you!! I have another question-- do I have to be totally focused when I fall asleep? Because I can't sleep if I'm focused. I mostly have to let my mind wander. And can eating/drinking before you sleep make a difference? I noticed a long time ago that if I drink something while in bed reading and then go right to bed I remember dreams, even without a journal. Is that just a coincidence? On MILD you repeat the last two steps for a good time, but when you think the intention is set, relax and go to sleep. Even though technically you're not supposed to think about anything else, if this keeps you awake I would say just let your mind wonder its marry way and forget about it. I can't keep thinking "I will have a lucid dream" and picture myself in a dream every time I think about something else either. Being able to go to sleep is more important than the technicalities. On the other hand MILD is more effective without much else thought. That is another reason it is performed after a WBTB. When you get up after 6 hours of sleep, you should be able to go to sleep with relative ease. Again, though, prioritize ease of sleep over doing the method 100% perfect. Stress is a lucid killer, so if you obsess over it and lose sleep it is not good. I hear things about cheese, B6 vitamins, tea, so forth. Unfortunately I am uneducated on this aspect. However dreamviews is a treasure chest of information. Look around and you'll find your answer about the effects of eating/drinking this and that. - GA

[kcat220]

Am I asking too many questions?? Also, once I imagined myself looking at a clock and looking back and it changed radically, and I told myself "I am dreaming" except that I wasn't, I was imagining. I got a tingling feeling all through my body. Does this mean anything?

[GestaltAlteration]

Am I asking too many questions?? Also, once I imagined myself looking at a clock and looking back and it changed radically, and I told myself "I am dreaming" except that I wasn't, I was imagining. I got a tingling feeling all through my body. Does this mean anything? Well when you're learning something new you can never ask enough questions. I would call that an example of how you gain lucidity in dreams if you keep up on reality checks. If you were in a full fledge dream and did that, you'd have it! What do you mean by 'imagining' though? A daydream? The tingling seems to suggest sleep paralysis. Maybe it was just excitement.

[kcat220]

Before I go to sleep, I try to influence what I want to dream about. I did this even before I started to learn about LDs and it's kind of a habit by now. Basically I think about a situation and think about it and think about it. I tend to find my mind wandering, but I also replay it over and over. It has never worked its way into my dreams, so I guess I shouldn't do it. With the clock, I say a digital clock in my mind's eye. Nothing else, just darkness and the red numbers. Then I looked at it, imagined looking again and it changing and realizing "i'm in a dream", except I wasn't. I think it was me trying to influence what is happening in my dreams again, since I never see clocks in my dreams... Another question... How do I do a reality check if I never see a clock in my dream. I never see my hands, and I can't make myself do anything in the dream, like hold my nose. Do I have to work my way to to more vivid dreams first??

[GestaltAlteration]

Well I believe that once you have the habit of questioning wither you’re in the dream and it reaches your subconscious level, you will obtain it even without the exact RC being performed. I think you do need to weave your way into more vivid dreams though since they are fragmented, dark, so on. How consistently do you dream? Every night? How lengthy are they? A lot of what you described reminds me of myself when I start loosing a lot of recall. I think right now recall is mostly what you need to focus on. Only my more vivid long lasting dreams seem to take place in particularly bright environments. Remember that even if you are just stuck as an observer, it is your subconsciously created dream with your thoughts and dialogue. The visualization thing never helped me either. I've been imagining this story in my head since I was 8 (I know I'm wired) and I've only had a small handful of dreams related to the characters, environments etc. Visual intentions may help when you are able to achieve lucidity though, such as if you have a specific goal like flying. That comes later, of course. Sorry if I'm missing a lot of what you want to know. Though talking like this in general should help.

[kcat220]

I don't really dream when I don't have my dream journal. I have been neglecting it for a couple of weeks now (I went away and was too lazy to unpack it) and I'm going to start to have it at my bedside again. My peak was one night when I had two dreams, each lengthy(to me. I was able to fill up about 1/4 of a page with my info for each) sometimes I'll remember that I had two dreams, but I can only remember one of a fragment of one. When I have my dream journal, I can remember at least a fragment every night ,even if it's just "I was at my friend's house and she turned into a mushroom." Some nights they're more lengthy and rememberable. Also, I remember some dreams from a looooong time ago, just every once in a while when I would have one. These dreams that stick in my mind from when I was little, are they special in some way? I have about 10 that I can remember from my pre-LD days.

[WhiteVeins]

Hi Kcat! I'm new here too and just posted a bit about hypnagogic imagery and tingling sensations that sounds a lot like your account. It sounds like your experience was a lot like mine: http://www.dreamviews.com/community/...ad.php?t=43298 Good luck controlling it!