Thread: 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! 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