# Lucid Dreaming > DV Academy > Current Courses > General Lucid Dreaming >  >  Smudgefish's Workbook

## Smudgefish

I've been trying to lucid dream for about 2 years. It's a work in progress, but very slow as I work very long hours in a stressful job and don't get enough sleep! Progress is slow, I try, give, up, then try again.

I have tried most induction methods and have started using a combination of slightly unusual methods as follows:

1) A sort of ADA - trying to become very aware of my surroundings, my body and remaining mindful. Doesn't happen all the time just as and when I remember to do it. I try to realise that waking reality is just another form of dream state that we have little control over. I reality check when I remember.

2) A form of WILD/SSILD based on Charley Morley's dream yoga. As I go to sleep I try to hold my awareness being aware of all my senses. My house is quite noisy with teenage children who stay up late, and a dog that cannot stay quiet for any length of time so I get interrupted a lot. I have never yet managed a proper WILD using this method but I think it sets me up for lucid dreaming in the same way as SSILD.

3) I never manage to write a dream diary because I get woken up by the dog/children every morning and have to jump out of bed to attend to something. I try to run through my dreams as I get on with whatever I need to do.

4) Praying - something I read in a Charley Morley book. I ask for some control over my sleep and to become lucid. It really does seem to work.


My reason for starting a workbook here is that I feel I am progressing very slowly. I have had a number of lucid dreams and last night had my best lucid ever although I cannot remember most of it - I was actually very relaxed, didn't get too excited and managed some dream control, and it lasted a long time, although I spoilt it by trying to have sex and woke up at that point. I did fall asleep immediately again and was lucid again but tried to have sex again and woke myself up. I must try to resist that temptation next time!!

I find that all my lucids occur early in the night - last night it was 11.30pm! I am unusual in that respect.

I look forward to getting some help with my progress  :smiley: 

Thank you.

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## Elaineylane

> I've been trying to lucid dream for about 2 years. It's a work in progress, but very slow as I work very long hours in a stressful job and don't get enough sleep! Progress is slow, I try, give, up, then try again.
> 
> I have tried most induction methods and have started using a combination of slightly unusual methods as follows:
> 
> 1) A sort of ADA - trying to become very aware of my surroundings, my body and remaining mindful. Doesn't happen all the time just as and when I remember to do it. I try to realise that waking reality is just another form of dream state that we have little control over. I reality check when I remember.
> 
> 2) A form of WILD/SSILD based on Charley Morley's dream yoga. As I go to sleep I try to hold my awareness being aware of all my senses. My house is quite noisy with teenage children who stay up late, and a dog that cannot stay quiet for any length of time so I get interrupted a lot. I have never yet managed a proper WILD using this method but I think it sets me up for lucid dreaming in the same way as SSILD.
> 
> 3) I never manage to write a dream diary because I get woken up by the dog/children every morning and have to jump out of bed to attend to something. I try to run through my dreams as I get on with whatever I need to do.
> ...



I totally understand all of these all too frequent issues. I can relate. Have you tried reading fiction that contain magic? I find that changes my way of thinking. I also read a book about lucid dreaming or astral projection that I own not checked out from the library where you can mark your favorite parts & just read them at random. Those seem to stimulate my lucidity. Lately I find my lucids aren't doing well w/ the TOTM but I think it's because I'm becoming more aware of my dreams & want to learn from them. Maybe you are in that phase. I go through that periodically because in the end it's not just about TOTM's & wings. It's about the bigger picture for helping you work out your problems whether you realize it or not. I get out aggression in dreams by saving ppl which is usually during my second dream which is chained from the first. Think about what motivates you as a person. Do you like helping ppl or are you just drifting through life right now. Do you feel you have a purpose. Those are some very big questions to ask yourself. I'm no expert so I just draw on what I feel from my own experiences. Do you ever just close your eyes & imagine yourself getting out your own body & floating through your house, going outside & detail by detail go somewhere where you already know the route by heart because you've done it a million times in waking life? Do you go inside somewhere through doors & windows & see other ppl? I think that is a big one for me. It's fun & it reminds us that we are aware of our awareness & it's showing we have quite the imagination. I think when we feel stuck we should do something totally different because what we are currently doing is not working. Kind of like we are some how bored with the tactics we are using. Just some food for thought. Maybe some of these could help you. I've been making this dream house forever in my head before I go to sleep every night for many many years & still can't get there in my dreams. I've made it really big w/ serious details. That's my ultimate lucid dream. However, even though I may not have gotten there doesn't mean it hasn't helped me. I think that's why I have so many house dreams, just not the one that I want. Enough of my babble. Hope you find something new that works for you & good luck!

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## Smudgefish

I sort of ran out of any time to give my lucid dreaming efforts again. Work has remained busier than ever and any odd day I get off work is spent...... preparing for work!

Despite this I had another lucid last night. Well, I'm not sure that I was TRULY lucid but perhaps the more of these things I have the more I analyse them and wonder what is really going on.

Last night I was flying down a street and had the thought that I must be dreaming. I couldn't remember what to do about it so I looked and my hands (I was surprised that they looked entirely normal) and flew over a river, I became aware that I was cold and knew that it was my real body that was cold so tried to force myself to concentrate on the dream and not wake up, and spent a moment trying to put myself in a warm environment, and tried spinning around to get myself more grounded in the dream. I don't really think I was aware of what was going on in the dream at this point. On spinning I then found myself outside a house and went inside and took a wander around, I tried to summon someone and it worked but I didn't get much further than that and woke up. I wasn't really thinking clearly through all of this and don't remember seeing much detail.

Anyway. I seem to have a lucid very occasionally at random at the moment despite not really putting a lot of effort into it. I suppose I am slowly getting a feel for what to do and they get longer each time but I still haven't had a full 'awakening' during a dream where I could say that I felt fully concious, always more of a clouded conciousness without a lot of access to my normal memory. So that means that I must do something to try to make myself more awake in the dream - I suppose a mental task might work, and I have read that trying to remember your name and address is one way to do that, or what you were doing the day before, so I will make sure that I do that next time. Also I have yet to remember to shout 'more lucidity' so that's my plan for the next one.

Thanks Elaineylane. I wish I could use my dreams to help me work out my problems. I'm trying to find a different way of looking at my problems at the moment  so I think I know what you are getting at.

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## NyxCC

Congrats on the ld, Smudge! I think you showed pretty good dream control there! I also like your ideas to help increase dream awareness :smiley: .

As far as business is concerned, I'm coming to the conclusion that there will always be work and lots of it - unless one has a really chilled out job. I can totally relate to constantly having to chase deadlines and what not and when this task is over there is more work and one feels like there really isn't a time to dedicate to lding and we give up on it. But that unfortunately seems to cause us more harm. 

We are not better off spending every second of the day thinking about work. There are always little moments here and there that we need to take advantage of and simply relax and be aware. From the moment we wake when the mind is fresh and clear and ready for the new day - instead of rushing to think about the future and work, we can take the time to focus on every single detail on the way. Also, we can have small breaks (as a minimum during lunch) to completely relax and absorb the environment and be in the now. That is lucid dreaming practice and also very good for unwinding of the constant business of the mind.

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## Smudgefish

Thanks NyxCC, good to hear from you.

I am a very much into personal development and the work of Erkhart Tolle and others. Unfortunately life throws at us VERY difficult challenges sometimes which take a great deal of work to overcome. I have a few of those at the moment, but then I do believe that the universe only gives us challenges that we are strong enough to overcome. I'm a doctor in the UK and it's hell on toast, but we make our choices, I'm working hard on developing other skills so I can escape but that takes time; at the moment I am stuck having to keep the money coming in by working in the system and I plan to escape at the end of this year. I can't take lunch breaks or I get home even later at night. I'm exhausted because not only am I working to earn a living but I have to study in my spare time so that I can escape. Things will improve eventually. And I have relationship problems and a few other issues going on which are absorbing what little spare time I have. Again, the universe only gives us what we can handle, we have options, and it's all a learning process.

No more lucids last night. They come at random. I'm looking forward to my next one.

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## NyxCC

Stay strong Smudge! I wish you lots of energy and positive outcomes to follow your efforts. But please, do still take small breaks every now and then.

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