Apparently I was lucid for 5 seconds.

[tnemrot]

I was laying in my bed, I knew it was a dream, so I started rubbing my hands (to make the dream more vivid), each time they touched the dream seemed to fade away until I finally woke up. It was so real, the only reason I know I was dreaming it's because when I woke up and wrote it in my dream journal it was still dark (around 4:00AM) yet in the dream it was sunny outside. As to how I was aware that I was dreaming in the dream, I have no idea. So my question is: WHY THE HELL DID RUBBING MY HANDS HAD THE OPPOSITE EFFECT IN MY FIRST (and probably only) LUCID DREAM!?

[kingofclutch]

I don't think it had the opposite effect, I think it just didn't help. Probably you were destined to wake up and the rubbing of the hands didn't help. Next time try looking at your hands.

[Vex Kitten]

It only happened one time. If you rubbed your hands and the same thing happened in repeated lucid dreams then there is cause for concern. Like mentioned above, maybe you were already on the verge of waking and there was no way to stay in the dream no matter what technique you used. It's happened to me. Instead of rubbing your hands next time you get lucid try a simpler method. Simply look at your surroundings for a few moments and appreciate that dream world that you're standing in the midst of. That usually makes the dream hyper real and vivid. After that explore the dream, touching, smelling, tasting things to further ground yourself in dream. Once the dream is stable then you can meander off on some crazy ass lucid adventure.

[reesespieces]

i would personally reccomend Reality Checking in your dream every couple of hours during the day reality check and it will become a routine after a while and you many do it in your dream. Thats is when i had my first "almost" lucid dream so i hope that it works for you!

[reesespieces]

i agree with you kingofclutch