# Lucid Dreaming > Attaining Lucidity >  >  Nina's Stabilization & Clarity TUTORIAL

## nina

*Dream Stabilization & Clarity Tutorial*
I.IntroductionII. Focus/Centering YourselfIII. Initial Stabilization
Anchoring to the DreamHand Examination TechniqueVerbal CommandsIV. Re-StabilizingV. Preventing Premature Awakening
Hand Rubbing TechniqueDream Spinning TechniqueFalling Backwards TechniqueLinear Acceleration TechniqueReality Check/Re-StabilizingVI. What if you do wake up?VII. Useful Practice For Dream StabilizationVIII. Techniques Used In This Tutorial

*Dream Stabilization & Clarity*

*I. Introduction*

Anyone familiar with lucid dreaming knows that wonderful moment when you  realize you are dreaming and immediately take off like a bat out of  hell, running or flying around, trying to get as much fun and craziness  as you can squeeze into those few precious seconds before the inevitable  awakening. 

When you find yourself in a lucid dream it is natural to be overcome  with feelings of elation and excitement, yet if you do not follow a few  simple steps, that lucid dream will disappear as quickly as it came. I  have seen so many new dreamers fall victim to premature awakenings  because they quite simply do not know about dream stabilization. 

This is why I am writing this tutorial. In the hopes that you can learn  dream stabilization effectively from someone who uses it to great effect  on a consistent basis. 

So, what is Dream Stabilization anyway? Well, as the name implies, it is  attempting to stabilize the lucid dream. You utilize Dream  Stabilization techniques immediately after finding yourself in a lucid  dream. 

Ok so you find yourself in a lucid dream...what should you do?


*II. Focus/Center Yourself*

Focus involves relaxing and bringing your attention to the task of Dream  Stabilization. A lot of inexperienced lucid dreamers want to rush into  the dream and start doing things very quickly fearing that the dream  will end. You get really excited, your mind is racing, and your thoughts  start tripping over one another...you wake up. Stop. Relax. Focus. Know  that you do not need to rush because you have plenty of time. If you _think_ that you need to rush because you could wake up at any second, you will...instead you want to firmly _believe_ that you have plenty of time because you are in control of the dream.

Everyone knows that a house built on solid ground will be much more  sturdy than a house built on sand. It is extremely important to take  your time and make sure you are doing these dream stabilization  techniques properly in order to ensure your lucid dream has a sturdy  foundation. If you don't, then it can easily be swept away. 

When you have a grounded, confident, focused frame of mind, it allows  you to have a more stable base to start your lucid dream. This will also  result in more dream control and more clarity. 

Ok, so you took a few seconds to relax and focus. What next?


*III. Initial Stabilization*
*Dream Anchoring*

In order to anchor yourself inside your lucid dream, you will use two techniques; Hand Examination and Verbal Commands.

But first, let's consider this important word...Anchor. It's not just a  word, it's more of a symbol or metaphor. This metaphor can be utilized  to establish a very strong connection with your dream and prevent  premature awakening. You really need to feel the word and appreciate the  heaviness of it. You are acknowledging that this dream exists because  of you, that you are in full control, and that because you are anchored,  the dream cannot end until you are ready to leave it. When you are able  to firmly believe this within your lucids, you will find that they last  much longer and are more vivid.

So, how do you anchor yourself to the lucid dream?


*Hand Examination*

Look down at your hands. Hold them close to your face. Take your time  when looking at your hands. You should not be thinking about what is  happening in the dream world...only your hands. Do not rush. Know that  the more attention you give to your hands, the more clear your dream is  going to be when you stop. If you become excited to begin your lucid  dream and rush this step...know that you are doing a disservice to  yourself. Look at the wrinkles in your hands. Look at the little hairs.  Turn them over, examine the other side.


*Verbal Commands*

While performing the Hand Examination Technique you should also be using  Verbal Commands at the same time. While examining your hands, say  outloud, firmly and confidently, "STABILIZE LUCIDITY NOW". If you are  having trouble focusing on the details of your hands or if they look  blurry, say firmly "INCREASE CLARITY" or just "FOCUS NOW". 

Once you have stabilized, imagine an anchor connecting you with the  dream, say to yourself, "anchored in lucidity". Don't just say it, feel  it. 

Once you have examined your hands in full detail for a few moments and  used the above verbal commands, put them down and look up. The dream  should be crystal clear. Congratulations, you have succeeded at  stabilizing and anchoring yourself to the lucid dream! 

At this point, you are free to proceed.

*IV. Re-Stabilizing* 

If at any point during your dream things begin to blur even  slightly...stop. Whatever you are doing. Just stop. Examine your hands  again. Repeat the verbal command "stabilize lucidity". If you do not  feel it stabilizing, try repeating it again "stabilize lucidity NOW"  (the NOW is added for emphasis, use this if it doesn't work the first  time). Once you have stabilized, look up...if things are clear, proceed.  If not, do it again. 

This method should be used when you have any level of visibility inside a  dream. I use this technique often throughout a lucid dream to prevent  waking and achieve crystal clear focus. You will find that there are  some dreams you need to stabilize every minute or so, and others where  you need to do it less frequently. I might use it several times over the  course of a 45 minute dream. The key is just to remember to use it when  you find the dream beginning to fade, or if things begin to lose focus.  Remember, don't panic. Focus. Hands. Words. 

_*Hand Examination with Verbal Commands is the only technique that has  worked for me just about every time without fail for many years,  therefore I highly recommend it as your go-to method for stabilizing  your dream._  


*V. Preventing Premature Awakening*
*1. Hand Rubbing*

This isn't just about rubbing your hands together though...this is about  stimulating your senses and involves any sort of physical touch  sensation. Rubbing your hands together during a lucid dream can help to  stabilize the dream, but if you do it too often, you may find that it's  effectiveness quickly wears off. This can be typical of any technique  however, so it is good to mix up your techniques or you may become  immune to some of them.

If your dream is quickly fading out, try grabbing hold of anything. Any  sort of physical sensation, especially when you can feel it AND see it  with your eyes is helpful. So grab your shirt, look down at it and see  it. Grab something in the environment around you...a doorknob...a  tree...anything. Once you grab something, take a moment to examine it  like you examined your hands. Use verbal commands like "stabilize lucid  now". You can use the hand examination technique with anything else in  your environment, so long as it is clear and you can really examine it  up close in detail. Hands are usually easiest because they're always  right there. Also hands help because you are looking at your dream body,  thus reinforcing and strengthening your presence inside the lucid  dream.


*2. Dream Spinning*

Dream Spinning should be used as a last ditch effort. If you have no  visibility and therefore cannot examine your hands, if you find yourself  in the "void" which is just infinite darkness, or if your dream is  fading beyond control and even staring at your hands and verbal commands  are not working.

Do not spin wildly about. This is likely to wake you up. It might  transport you into a new dreamscape, but the majority of the time it  will result in premature awakening or false awakening. Instead of  spinning wildly about in circles, try a short, controlled spin...like a  figure skater.


*3. Falling Backwards*

Another technique similar to Dream Spinning is Falling Backwards. Simply  letting go, and allowing yourself to fall. However don't just let your  mind go completely blank or you are likely to wind up back in your own  bed. You should be thinking of a new dreamscape that your fall will  transport you into. 

Dream Spinning and Falling Backwards are notorious for landing you in a  False Awakening. So always...always...perform a Reality Check after  using these techniques. Even if you remain in a dreamscape, it's just  good practice. You may think that you have woken up, but really, you  have not. So do an RC after every Dream Spin/Fall Backwards.


*4. Linear Acceleration* 

This is another technique that is useful for getting you out of the  "void"; which is the vast emptiness that you might find yourself  floating around in after a lucid dream ends but you have not yet woken  up. Simply begin accelerating yourself forward through the blackness.  Your goal is to accelerate at such speeds that you will tear through the  blackness and find yourself in a new dreamscape. This has worked for me  quite a few times but I've never heard of anyone else doing something  similar, so I'm not as quick to recommend it. 

When using any of the above three techniques, make sure you are thinking  that you will land in a new dreamscape. If you just let your mind go  completely blank, you are more likely to wake up. Have a new destination  in mind.


*5. Reality Check & Re-Stabilizing*

If you perform any of the above three techniques and find yourself in a  new dreamscape...or in your bed...the first thing is to do a Reality  Check. You may have landed in a False Awakening, which you can turn into  a wonderful lucid if you do the Reality Check and it fails. If you find  yourself in a new dreamscape, you should treat this like entering a  completely new dream and your first priority should be anchoring by  performing the hand examination technique with verbal commands.

*VI. What if you do wake up?*

It's not such a bad thing...in fact, a skilled lucid dreamer knows that  you can take advantage of this and use it to attempt to enter another  lucid dream with a technique called DEILD.  Basically this allows you to chain lucid chains together for as long as  you can handle it. I say "handle it" because I have often been able to  chain lucids while I nap over and over for up to two hours, at which  point I become completely exhausted and am not able to continue any  longer. The only potential problem with this however is that you risk  possibly forgetting your earlier lucid dreams. If you practice  mindfulness within your lucids though and make an effort to remember  things which are meaningful as they are occurring then this won't be  such a problem. When you do finally wake up though, make sure you write  everything down in your Dream Journal.


*VII. Useful Practice For Dream Stabilization* 

Here are a few visualizations/meditations you can do during the day or  before bed to aid you in becoming more familiar with the best state of  mind to become lucid and utilize these methods for dream stabilization. 

*Mindfulness Practice*
It is important to train yourself to be prepared for the lucid state of  mind. Essentially, being lucid in a dream is the epitome of living _in the moment_ aka Mindfulness.

"When we're at work, we fantasize about being on vacation; on vacation,  we worry about the work piling up on our desks. We dwell on intrusive  memories of the past or fret about what may or may not happen in the  future. We need to live more in the moment. Living in the momentalso  called mindfulnessis a state of active, open, intentional attention on  the present. When you become mindful, you realize that you are not your  thoughts; you become an observer of your thoughts from moment to moment  without judging them. Mindfulness involves being with your thoughts as  they are, neither grasping at them nor pushing them away. Instead of  letting your life go by without living it, you awaken to experience." - source

If you make an effort to practice Mindfulness in your waking life, you  will be more prepared to handle your lucid dreams and also more likely  to get lucid in general. Overcoming the tendency for distraction and  awakening to the present takes intentionality and practice.

*Concentration Practice*
Basically the Hand Examination Technique is a form of concentration  practice, whose goal is to focus the attention on a target (such as the  hands) that keeps us anchored in the present moment. The target can be a  physical object, or more commonly, the breath. We give the mind  something consistent to focus on and this becomes the object of the  meditation. Whatever is used as the object for the attention, the aim is  to keep the mind focused as often as you remember to do so. As the mind  starts to wander, we gently direct the mind back toward the object of  attention. 

*Dream Anchoring*
Visualization. Anchor yourself inside the dream. Actually feel the  word..."anchor". Sense it. You are a part of the dream, get ahold of it.  Don't let the dream runaway without you. You are anchored to it. The  dream cannot disappear until you will it. Don't just think this...feel  it...know it in your heart. You are in control.


*VIII. Techniques Used In This Tutorial*

*Hand Examination* 
Used: when you first become lucid and need to anchor/stabilize; anytime  you need to re-stabilize during the lucid; should be used as often as  needed; best when combined with verbal commands
Technique: Look down at your hands. See them clearly. Hold them close to  your face. Take your time. Think only of your hands, not your dream.  Look at the wrinkles. Look at the tiny hairs. Turn them over if you life  and examine the other side. Use verbal commands.

*Verbal Commands*
Used: at any point during your lucid dream; highly effective when used along side another technique such as Hand Examination
Technique: when doing the Hand Examination Technique, say with force and confidence, "STABILIZE LUCIDITY"
_*note: I prefer to use the two word verbal commands first...if for  some reason it does not work as effectively as I would like, then I  repeat the command and firmly add the "NOW" to the end of it. This  usually does the trick._

*Hand Rubbing*
Used: at any point inside the lucid dream; to increase vividness; attempt to stabilize
Technique: continuously rub the palms of your hands together very quickly; may not be as effective if used too much

*Dream Spinning*
Used: to keep from waking, when you are stuck in the void or do not have vision and are unable to use other methods to stabilize
Technique: a quick 360 degree controlled spin, or attempt to _pull your mass_  inwards and spin like an ice skater for a few full revolutions; if you  choose to spin wildly about in circles instead, this may be effective at  transporting you to a new dreamscape but has also been known to cause  thee dreamer to awaken
_*notorious for creating False Awakenings, always complete a Reality Check after using this technique_

*Falling Backwards*
Used: to keep from waking up, when you can't do much else
Technique: simply let yourself fall backwards while thinking that you will land in a new dreamscape
_*notorious for creating False Awakenings, always complete a Reality Check after using this technique_

*Linear Acceleration* 
Used: to get out of the void (complete darkness) often after a lucid dream fades out to blackness
Technique: will your body to accelerate forward, usually accomplished by  just thinking it with a little imagination, continue accelerating  linearly until you reach enormous speeds (you will feel very strong  g-forces), imagine yourself moving so quickly you are able to rip  through the fabric of time and space that is this dark void; all the  while knowing that when you stop you will be in a new dreamscape

*Reality Check*
Used: to be performed after using a technique such as Dream Spinning or  Falling Backwards that might wake you up or land you in a False  Awakening
Technique: use your RC method of choice, I prefer finger through palm, or holding my nose and trying to breath through it.


*Thanks for reading this tutorial, and happy dreaming! - nina*  ::dreaming:: 

(I didn't appreciate what the DGTL did with my tutorial, so here it is again, hopefully people will comment and let me know how it works out for ya.)

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## Orgun

Very nice tutorial, no doubt it will help me the first time I become lucid.

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## Erii

This is a very good tutorial  :smiley:  
I'm sure it will help a ton of people, nice work. 
 ::goodjob::

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## Kinetic

Awesome, i havent had a lucid for ages but im sure it will help when i do, thanks alot.  :smiley:

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## Jac

Another thing that I think that can help you stay in the dream is to take a dream character with you, for e.x. a friend, and tell him the whole tutorial. Works perfect.
I have only had a couple LD's so far. Very short ones, but the last one I had lasted for about 20 minutes or so it felt. It was a DILD, luckely I a friend was with me in the dream and when I transfered to a LD he was still there and I was constantly telling him how to stay in the LD, I told him to rub his hands, to look around the whole time and not focus on 1 spot and I did the same when I telling it to him. I'm not a really an experienced lucid dreamer but if you are and still have some trouble with staying in the dream you could create a dream character and tell him everything and pretend you are the one who knows how to do it all.

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## ninja9578

:smiley:   Nice tutorial nina  :smiley:

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## nina

> Nice tutorial nina



Thanks. I think tutorials should stay whichever way the person who made it, intended it to.

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## DeletePlease

I love you.

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## dreamcatcher81

yeah thanx this is gd info here. namaste

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## dark_grimmjow

Thanks for mentioning becoming immune to stabilization techniques. It never occurred to me that that was happening in some of my lucids. Looking back at some of my previous lucids, i can see that happened most with the rubbing the hands together stabilization technique (just like you mentioned.) I guess that was because i did it too frequently and without really focusing on the physical sensation it was meant to induce. Great guide!

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## NatDug

Really Can't thank you enough for this tut, changed everything. My vision was like 1 megapixel, I checked my hands for like 6 secs and it was like blueray  ::D:

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## Imbrainy

This is a great tutorial! I know I'm going to read over this one a few times to memorize each technique. Thank you!

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## Goodfellow

This was so helpful, thanks very much  ::D:

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## nina

You are very welcome!  :smiley:

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## Ladusence

Thanks, now all I have to do is to remember doing it when I'm lucid.

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## Marm

Wow great tutorial. You must have spent ages writing it  ::shock::

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## Phion

> I love you.



 :For Xox:

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## nina

I hope people have been finding this tutorial to be helpful.

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## dakotahnok

*Thanks so much for posting this. Probably the best stabilizing tutorial we have.*

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## faxman

Very good tutorial, thank you  ::D:

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## Starlia

[QUOTE=nina;1696311][*]*4. Linear Acceleration* 

Grr it didn't quote

This is another technique that is useful for getting you out of the  "void"; which is the vast emptiness that you might find yourself  floating around in after a lucid dream ends but you have not yet woken  up. Simply begin accelerating yourself forward through the blackness.  Your goal is to accelerate at such speeds that you will tear through the  blackness and find yourself in a new dreamscape. This has worked for me  quite a few times but I've never heard of anyone else doing something  similar, so I'm not as quick to recommend it. 

Since I was 15 I would have a sleep paralysis stage which is scary. I do it by accident all the time.  though I didn't know what it was. It began as a reaccuring night mare where I was paralyzed and could only hear my heartbeat. I learnt to relax and sink through my bed to the void where I would fall  and make myself fall faster and faster into a Lucid dream. It soon became enjoyable but still a little scary.

Looks like you found someone who can do something similar.

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## LucidRaider

Thanks for this. C: I can't wait to use these methods. ^.^ :3

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## paigeyemps

Thank you so much for this. I always come back and read this from time to time, and it really helps a lot! Really well done :bravo:

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## espsika

Thank you nina

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## Kaenthem

Nice tutorial.It covers a lot of thing and it has been very helpful to me.thanks nina.

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## LDreams

Nice! It's funny cause I've fallen victim to the notorious spinning technique FA several times. Didn't know it happened to everybody! :Cheeky:  I will definently use these techniques ::banana::  ::banana::

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## nina

Good luck  :smiley:

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## VagalTone

"Essentially, being lucid in a dream is the epitome of living in the moment aka Mindfulness."

Absolutely agree. May be why mindfulness is great for LD skills.

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## MooMix

i've had a dry spell for a while now and I've been slacking with coming on this site and then i read this guide and that same night i had one of my most vivid LD and it became really clear when i was focusing on my hand. lol =)

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## fogelbise

What a great tutorial!!! Professionally written to boot! It is so very appreciated!!!

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## 006

Thank you Nina!

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## Jocke155

Thanks, nice job writing this  :smiley: 
Going to test this next time i get lucid.

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## nitika

Nina, you rock!

I stopped lucid dreaming 2 months ago, cause I had to study a lot, night, days, I was stressed, tired and had no will to do it. Yesterday I decided to try it again and I came on this forum again. The only post I read was this one. My problem was always rushing into things. Had no problem becoming lucid, but as soon I knew I was dreaming, bam... I started to rush and do things fast and I lost vividness soon. Today I had my first lucid after 2 months, I said to myself remember what Nina said and then when I fell asleep I remembered it. Didnt want to do anything just wanted to stay lucid as long as possible, with grabbing things, telling myself to stay aware, looking at my hands, I tried the DO IT NOW¨! thing and it got me where I wanted. Then I woke up. It was SOOOO much clearer and I decided to first start with few lucid like that, then I will try to do things I want. So thanks!

Sorry for bad English.

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## Jocke155

It worked! But the last dream i had tonight was weird, i didn't remember much of it

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## Hitokage

Many thanks. I especially liked the part about ANCHOR and verbal commands. I feel this is good technique for me.

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