2 in the last few weeks

So after a LONNNNNG LONG time of not having any lucid dreams (more than a year), I've had two in the last 2-3 weeks. I'm not sure what's brought this on, b/c each time I've just snapped into lucidity. I wasn't doing any reality checks or anything else that would help.

The 1st one only lasted maybe 15-20 seconds. The only thing I remember happening is all of a sudden realizing I was dreaming. I've always had the problem with waking up moments after I become lucid, so I immediately began rubbing my hands together...unfortunately while rubbing my hands together, everything began to turn white and I woke up :?

The 2nd one happened last night and lasted a good 2-3 mins--my longest ever! Before becoming lucid, I was having a weird dream (seem to happen often lately) which had something to do with survival (i.e. surviving monsters/zombies/something else that had attacked the city). I was locked up in my childhood home and for some reason I just began floating around...I've completely forgot the context, lol. Anyways, all of a sudden, I just realized I was dreaming. I don't know what triggered it. Again, immediately I began rubbing my hands together. Like always, things began to turn white and I knew I was about to wake up. But this time, for some reason I was able to keep control and forced the "whiteness" to go away. I don't know how I did it, but I'd like to master that.

Anyways, after a good 15 secs of rubbing my hands together, I remembered the other techniques I learned and began looking around and feeling the ground and different things like that, to take in my environment. It was so real! But I didn't get excited, I remained calm...perhaps that's what allowed me to stay dreaming rather then waking up like usual?

In any case, after I settled myself into the dream, I just started flying around in the house like I was just doing prior to becoming lucid. And it worked! I've NEVER been able to accomplish flying before, and I finally did it! :banana::banana::banana: I flew around my house for a little bit, having fun, lol, then I wanted to go outside and fly around in the open. So I flew towards my door, and remembered that I can do pretty much anything just by thinking it, so I said "open door!" and the door swung open and I flew outside. JUST as I did this, I began waking up. :(

My question now is, what are some techniques I can use to remain in the dream? I think I can definitely tell now when I'm about to wake up, because everything starts fading to white (the same way a movie would "fade to black"). So now that I know exactly when I'll be waking up, how can I use this to stay in the dream? I seemed to "will" myself to not wake up in my 2nd dream (at the beginning when I was rubbing my hands together)...but I don't know how I did it! I'd like to master that. In any case, I'm ecstatic that I'm finally making progress!! lol

My first question to you before I suggest anything is, how do you react once the scene starts to 'fade to white'?

:)

Usually i'll either try to rub my hands together faster and with more intent, or I'll just stop and wait hoping it doesn't end. Either way, it usually does end, lol--except, of course, for this past time where I was somehow able to stave off 'fade-to-white' at the beginning of my lucid dream (still happened at the end). I'm thinking the next time it happens I'll try the DEILD and hopefully I can go right into another LD.

Well, I don't have a whole lot of experience with LD's, but my most recent one, like a week ago, I tried the spinning technique, where I spun around one point, it worked pretty well, I never woke up, instead I had a false awakening, and lost lucidity, which stunk...


So yeah, try the spinning, I hope it helps, and congratulations!! :)

Restless got my suggestion!

Try spinning in place, like you were a kid pretending to be a tornado. It seems ridiculous, but who would take you seriously if you said "I created friction between my hands to stabilize a dream to fight of the evil butt pirate invaders from Glorhghon 7" anyway? :P

Give it a shot next time and report back!