Greetings :)

[Nighteyes]

Hi folks, I thought I might introduce myself a little. I've been lucid dreaming for a while, although I've grown lazy in recent years. It makes me sad that lucid dreams have become a rare thing for me and so I've joined this forum. I've seen most of the techniques before and I used to follow some of them almost fanatically. These days I just don't seem to be able to stick with anything. I might share my most recent problem, perhaps you can help. I use visualisation in the mornings to move into lucid dreams. As the picture becomes clearer I feel a tingling around my belly. This is the time when I would hope to stand up, look up, dive through etc. But at the moment all that happens is that I panic and lose the image. I know this is a basic problem that a lot of people have at some point, but I used to be so good at it :/. Any tips on staying calm when that particular time comes. Thinking about it as I write, its probably just the knack thats gone - ho hum. Look forward to reading more of the forums, I hope I'm still here in a week

[incognito]

Originally posted by somebody I've been lucid dreaming for a while, although I've grown lazy in recent years. Wait a minute... lucid dreaming... like, when you're in bed... lying down... doing nothing... this is the ultimate in lazyness. You're just not working hard enough at being lazy! hahah, welcome to the site, I'm your friendly neighborhood smart ass that nobody knows yet, so I can strike at random and disappear before anybody notices. I'm going to have to refrain from trying to answer your question tho, I'm not completely an invalid on the subject, but I haven't had enough experience yet to even begin to offer rational advice. So this is just Hi. Bye now! (check out the banana emoticon, if it doesn't turn you on immensely, well then... *runs away*)

[Placebo]

Hey nighteyes! Welcome Hehe - lucid dreaming could be considered the height of laziness, but to get real good it seems to takes a bit of effort, IMO About your problem... normally people get that when starting out with lucid dreams - and usually its fuelled by excitement. In your case, it seems to be anxiety and doubt It seems you just need to build back your confidence in your abilities again The ability is still there, but you're making it harder on yourself If you wish to work on it in a different way, you could try self hypnosis Placebo's Personal Self Hypnosis Method (inspired of LDGuy) This is all just my opinion I guess... Welcome anyway

[incognito]

Originally posted by :etorw but to get real good it seems to takes a bit of effort, IMO Yea I didn't keep the sarcasm there in check well enough. Next time I'm just going to say "Hi", hahah.

[Placebo]

Originally posted by incognito+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(incognito)</div> <!--QuoteBegin-:etorw but to get real good it seems to takes a bit of effort, IMO Yea I didn't keep the sarcasm there in check well enough. Next time I'm just going to say \"Hi\", hahah. [/b] Err. yeah, my sarc-metre seems to be offline.. *kicks it* *red light comes back on* Ah ok there we go *LMAO... HAHAHAHA... that was classic * Hehe.. anyway, yeah, let's just leave it on You're just not working hard enough at being lazy * [/b]

[Nighteyes]

I will give the self hypnosis a try. Your technique is a lot longer than the one I have used in the past. I'm guessing this means a better trance, lets hope so. I'm going to forget about trying anything in the morning and just go over my dreams again and again.

[Xisdence]

Take your time though, maybe if you push yourself too much it might fuel the panicing. Hope you get your abilities back, welcome to the forum ey

[Placebo]

Yep - could be a matter of trying too hard... About the self hypnosis - all I know is that this version works for me. No idea how it compares to your version Let me know, please ?

[Amethyst Star]

Hey there! Welcome to DV! Okay, that's it....nah, just kidding. Anyway, have you ever heard of or tried Dream Re-Entry? It's a technique I used to use when I was younger to enter an LD, even thought I didn't know what I was doing at the time. Normally if I was having a particularly interesting or vivid dream I'd try to finish it when I woke up. So, I'd still be only half-conscious and use visualization to try and finish it and often found myself re-entering the dream with a degree of control. I haven't had time to play around with it lately but I hope to. If you want to give it a try it sounds like you're well on your way. Hope to see you around! BTW, where'd you get your name? It reminds me of some books by Robin Hobb. -Amé

[Nighteyes]

Well, I'm still not getting very far . My recall is getting a little better I suppose. When I try anything in the morning there is literally nothing there - I'm just a blank screen. I'll keep trying and do a little more self-hypnotism. btw Ame, I did get the name from the Robin Hobb books - she's a good author

[Nighteyes]

Breakthrough The drought has ended - I had a very short lucid dream this morning, after a lot of effort. I got some extra pillows till I was a bit more upright then counted my breaths till I was relaxed. After a while my hands, which I keep on my chest started to get numb and my little finger and thumb on both hands became rigid like iron. Looking at me inner screen I couldn't see very much but there was a slight movement there, like the whole something spinning. So I concentrated on that. After a time I started to see something spinning clearer and clearer. It was a bizzare object of lights and metalalic colours. Rather than be panicky and worry the image would disipate I was full of the most overwhelming confidence as I built up the image - which is a very new thing for me. After it was in focus I started to try and figure stuff out. The image seemed to be above my head as I slept in bed so I tried to look around the room - it was very dark. It struck me that it was not my room at all but another room. So I reasoned that if it wasn't my room then it was a dream room so I had a little wriggle around in my body to check where I was at with it. I felt the familiar restrictions of sleep paralysis. I'm pretty good at getting out of this but it usually takes a lot of effort. This time I relaxed into it and rather than get up out of bed I simply put my feet down through the bed then stood up. Phew, what a lot of effort - but I was now lucid and in control of my body somewhat. Looking around I was in an unfamiliar bedroom which I could barely make out as everything was so dark and grey. I knew this wouldn't do so I tried to fly up through the ceiling to go somewhere else - no luck though as I was rooted firmly to the ground. Instead I leaped out the window (going sideways is so much easier than up ) As soon as I broke out of the confines of the bedroom it was like the sun came up on the world. The room was my childhood friends bedroom and I was now outside his house. Things where not quite in focus so I found myself shouting 'increase lucidity now' - much to my own annoyance since I think its very cheesy . But since it worked I did it again, and then again for good measure. In front of me was the garden, to my left the yard leading down to the sheds. To my right was a fence and beyond that was a little man wondering out of a building. Everything was very bright and in perfect focus now, I could even see the mountains in the distance (although I wasn't really buying that, clearly somebody had just drawn them in, tsk - a low budget dream) I ran to the man to try and strike up a conversation. He looked like a short version of pai-mei from kill bill 2, but with red hair. He ignored me - as is often the case. I was aware that there was somebody else there some way behind the little guy but then I woke up. A very short dream but I'm very pleased as it shows I've still got the skills. I tried for hours to have another one but only succeded in having some normal dreams.