I have a problem. Is this normal?

**Tazeron** · 02-11-2005 01:40 AM

Howdy, I've always been interested in the dreamign world since i was young... it just always facinated me-- as i got older (i'm currently 17) I sereiously haven't dreamed in ages ( Well, actually "remembered" them), and i started wondering why can't i dream?

My first assumption was that i was sleeping too deeply. For a few years i sleep with a noise machine that made sounds of the ocean, rain, water, ect. It really puts you into a deep sleep, so i did away with that. I down graded to a small fan that i'm currently using-- that didnt help much.

My school just started a psychology class and the teacher told us to make a dream journal-- so we can analyize our dreams next week. Me being frustrated and wanting to dream, i posted on a forum that i visit regularly. People started posting things about lucid dreaming and dream recall. And many offered to just say "I want to remember my dreams, and I will remember them when i wake" before i went to sleep.

I tried that 2 nights ago and it actually worked. I actually remembered parts of my dream (fragments). I wrote it down, like most sites suggested.

Last night i read up on the wonders of lucid dreaming... its so interesting and wanted to give it a try. I used the MILD method once again, repeating it over and over in my head as i drifted to sleep. Then something very frustrating started happing-- I couldnt go to sleep. I would dose off for what felt like seconds.... then i would wake up and faintly have a thought in my head (possibley a short short dream?) then it would just disappear. And i did this about 3 times... before falling asleep and then not remembering any dreams at all.

Maybe i was trying to hard?

Then i read about False awakinings. And thought i had tricked myself and got a chuckle out of it.

I thought nothing of it-- because i just started. I had to stay out of school today for a denist appointment far away...soo i used the day to make reality checks.

I got home and was super tired... and i thought maybe i could get a dream or 2 out of this?

Wrong-- the same thing happened... i kept running my line over and over in my head-- and couldnt get fully to sleep... I even felt close to a dream and it would just stop with my eye movements?

Its truely hard to explain so please bear with me. I don't know what's going on. Why can't i go to sleep? Am i too eager? I'm as relaxed as i possibly can be. It just seems that right before i trasfer into dream lands my mind wonders, "Is it a dream" then i wake up.

Its constantly going back and forth.

Whats wrong?

EDIT: I do have a cold-- maybe its a subconcious urge to cough that is knocking out of sleep?

**Howie** · 02-11-2005 01:59 AM

Hello & Welcome Tazeron

It is easy to say you are trying to hard. But that probalby is the case.
Make sure you are tired before you try this technique again. Somtimes when I think about somthing my concious mind gets TOO envolved and makes it hard to go to sleep much less pratice a technique.
Maybe try the 61 point relaxation technique. I find you don't usally have to go to such great detail with this.

**Tazeron** · 02-11-2005 02:35 AM

Thank you for the kind welcome!

Ah ha! You hit it right on, i think. Glad to see its not just me.

Now for the even harder task of.... trying not to try so hard.

**Tazeron** · 02-11-2005 02:41 AM

As for the technique you posted.

The guide isnt very clear... Do i need my eyes closed? i just focus on the points on my body? how? by moving my eyes under my lids? or just thinking of the point? or do i physically look at them?

And pretending I'm at the point? Do i pretend that i'm a little person walking on my body to each point?

I thnik the guide need to be more specific... especially when talking about the limitless realm of dreaming

thanks

**Howie** · 02-11-2005 04:44 PM

Originally posted by Tazeron
As for the technique you posted.
The guide isnt very clear... Do i need my eyes closed? i just focus on the points on my body? how? by moving my eyes under my lids? or just thinking of the point? or do i physically look at them?
And pretending I'm at the point? Do i pretend that i'm a little person walking on my body to each point? I thnik the guide need to be more specific... especially when talking about the limitless realm of dreaming * *
thanks

Yes. Close your eyes! And think of the point. No actual movement.
When you focus on a particular point you cannot be \"there\" in a literal sense, but the mind can.

Picture your concious, your attention & awarness at that point alone. It takes some practice without letting your mind drift to another subject. So try to concentrate.

Do i pretend that i'm a little person walking on my body to each point?[/b]

If it gets you mentally to that point, sure. Use whatever works.

**Amethyst Star** · 02-11-2005 09:16 PM

And once again Howetzer beats me to a response. But yah, just relax. If you're trying to fall asleep and think about LDs at the same time, it can often keep you awake. I find that I just sometimes have to "surrender" to sleep to fall asleep, because merely getting more sleep can help you recall dreams better. Also when you wake up, don't move because that will instantly lessen the amount of dreams you are likely to remember. If you use an alarm clock, wake up, turn it off (or hit snooze), and just lay there think about the last dream you can remember. Often just laying there and progressing backwards will produce more results than you may think.

Hope this was helpful and if you have any other questions feel free to ask.

Welcome to DV!

-Amé

**Barbizzle** · 02-11-2005 10:45 PM

Hi! I know what you're talking about. It's happened to me a few times when I try to think about lucid dreaming and fall asleep, I just can't get to sleep. By the way, my psychology class is doing the same thing rite now. Do you live in MA? Its would be kind of funny if I knew who you were.

**Tazeron** · 02-11-2005 10:48 PM

Last night i tried to relax... i had multi short dreams... after each VERY SHORT dream i would wake up. Its annoying... but i was too tired to write most of them down. I think i have my brain trained to much to wake up after a dream. After awhile i had to basically tell myself "...I really dont care if i remember anything! I just want to SLEEP!"

Its like i'm dosing off...and just before i get to sleep it feels like i move my eyes.. and im back awake... then i can faintly remember a dream. Its very fast. I just want to sleep normally!

I think i have my brain set to trying to hard... is there anyway to reverse it? The technique above would just make me think of dreaming more

I mean-- it might be working to remember my dreams...but while i constantly awake up it cuts the dreams short... and after an hour or so i'm so tired of waking up that i magiclly fall asleep and dont remember anything. I was confident that i wasnt going to be able to go to sleep. That in itself is scary.

Definatly frustrating-- Especially of something as basic as just sleeping.

Edit: Nope i live in Alabama

**Howie** · 02-12-2005 08:46 PM

Originally posted by Tazeron
I think i have my brain trained to much to wake up after a dream.

It is a natural function to wake up after dreaming. SO you have that in your favor. Somtimes you may be so out of it you may not even recall waking up.

Anyway. It seems like this is creating a snowball effect on you. I suggest you take a break from any method at this point and focus on a regular sleep pattern, which is essential anyway for good dream recall.

Good Luck.
Just don't overthink anything. See, for a dult like myself it's easy.

In fact to incorporate some non seriuos thinking into this whole procedure may help as well.

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