first beginning?

so i've been reading these tutorials, and am i to keep a journal for as long as i can and noting what happened in the dreams and my feelings. then for reality checks, are they meant as if i think something is odd in the day or something weird i look back and concentrate on it to make sure its fine. then eventually will i automatically lucid dream, or how does this process work of actually lucid dreaming?

i'm wondering as well is lucid dreaming an exciting experience compared to regular dreaming? will you always remember how to do it when you're older, or once you stop practicing it you will go back to dreaming regularly?

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Originally Posted by newblade

so i've been reading these tutorials, and am i to keep a journal for as long as i can and noting what happened in the dreams and my feelings. then for reality checks, are they meant as if i think something is odd in the day or something weird i look back and concentrate on it to make sure its fine. then eventually will i automatically lucid dream, or how does this process work of actually lucid dreaming?

i'm wondering as well is lucid dreaming an exciting experience compared to regular dreaming? will you always remember how to do it when you're older, or once you stop practicing it you will go back to dreaming regularly?

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You should always keep a dream journal unless you plan to stop practicing remembering your dreams. Which will eventually mean you won't remember them as easily.

Reality checks are used in the day to see if your dreaming, in hopes that they carry over into dream world where you will do a Reality Check, notice somethings wrong, and become lucid.

Lucid dreaming is definitely more exciting than regular dreaming. Don't get too excited or it will end early! And usually if you stop practicing/get uninterested in it, you will go back to not having very many LDs over time.

thank for your input.

so to begin, i should keep a dream journal with me, and record every dream possible. then once i start doing many reality checks in the day, eventually i will go into a lucid dream?

i'm curious however, what are some examples of reality checks in day time?

By keeping a journal you will pass the first barrier which is forgetfulness, and can be overcome when going from dreaming to waking state.
As the clarity and detail that you remember in your dreams are recorded, the process becomes easier and easier.

During normal dreaming you accept of the events around you as being completely real, and are absorbed by the magic of the dream.
The reality checks are to help snap you out of this normal dreaming and to become aware that you are really dreaming while in a dream.

The easiest way to inducing lucidity is to remember to "awaken" if you witness anything outlandish or abnormal, practicing reality checks help.

Once you are able to consciously recognize that it is a dream you will see it take on a radically new quality.

reality check example - look at your hands during the day. Say to yourself in your head "am I dreaming?" Look around for a moment then continue to carry on with your day.
Periodically do this, then before you go to bed try to think to yourself when you see you hands in dreaming to will remember to "awaken".

this helped with me the first time.
Good luck:)

when you first arise in a lucid dream, is it always the same setting you are currently sleeping in then you can morph the setting to something else, or can you start your lucid dream say in a forest?

As someone learns to master the lucid dreaming state you can to chose to travel & explore anywhere. Once you realize that you are, in fact, dreaming you can will yourself to different places.

The most likely time to become conscious of dreaming is near the end of the sleep cycle - near morning.
The amount of dreaming by your mind is at it's maximum. (an excuse to sleep-in;))
- keep a dream journal going and beat that memory barrier.
These will help you create the steps necessary to begin to consciously dream.

I've always assumed there are two kinds of reality checks.

The first type are the ones you do whenever you see a dreamsign. For example, if you have identified "family members" as a dream sign, you should RC every time you see or talk to a family member. If "Driving" is a dreamsign, you do them every time you get in the car, or see a red light, ect.

The second type, are just used to increase your awareness. You do them randomly throughout the day just to get in the habit of being more aware of your state. Be sure to really question your state and actually do the RC, with these. You don't want to enforce the habit of just saying, "Am I dreaming? No, obviously not." You want to assume you always are dreaming.

Hello newblade! Yes, lucid dreaming is MUCH more exciting in my opinion than normal dreaming! There is no evidence that I've seen that shows that lucid dreaming gets worse as you age. Of course, if you stop remembering your dreams and don't bother to do reality checks, your chances of getting lucidity are significantly hampered.

Anyway, see you around the forum! :welcome:

I have heard that you dream less as you grow older. When you are a teenager, you sleep for rediculous amounts of time with long REM periods, while old people sometimes only sleep 4 hours a night and wake up frequently.