# Lucid Dreaming > DV Academy > Current Courses > Intro Class >  >  Dreamer's Workbook [Intro Class]

## ~Dreamer~

Hello, I'm Dreamer!  :OK Bye now: 
I'm an experienced lucid dreamer, but I have spent the last year intentionally killing my recall and lucidity as part of an experiment, where I needed to have a 'blank slate' to avoid skewing the results. I did a good job of it, because I rarely remember my dreams at all these days, let alone become lucid.
I'm looking forward to getting back into a good daily routine, and I thought starting a workbook would be a great way to keep me motivated.

*Reality Checks:*
- nose plug
- looking at hands / counting fingers
- memory check

*Dream Signs:*
- toilet disasters, including flush malfunctions, missing doors, being walked in on, peeing on the seat, being unable to find a toilet, etc.
- negative emotions, conflict, frustration
- smaller signs come and go, eg. kids/babies, animals, medical themes, etc.

*Short-Term Goals:*
- Make RCs part of my daily routine, especially upon waking and during toilet visits
- Buy a paper DJ and try Zoth's Mental Map Recall technique
- Complete a Task of the Month for May
- Dig up my old DJ and read TotM entries (maybe post them in current DJ)

*Long-Term Goals:*
- Practise stabilisation techniques and dream control
- Do a 15 minute session of meditation/incubation every day
- Learn WILD method

*Lucid/Dream Recall History:*
I was a natural lucid dreamer as a kid and had some great adventures.
I had a break from lucidity for quite a few years, but my dream recall remained vivid.
In 2007, I learnt how to induce lucid dreams. I used DILD/MILD methods over the next few years, and was becoming lucid most nights at my peak, sometimes multiple times per night using DEILD. Most of my dreams were at least semi-lucid at that time.
For the last year or so, I have been experimenting with external aids as preliminary research for a documentary I am making on LD induction. I wanted to remove my natural LDs from the equation so I could get a better idea of the effect the external aids were having, so I stopped doing all things dream-related for a while: no recall attempts, no DJ, no RCs, no talking or thinking about dreams (hence my hiatus from DV,) and no other forms of induction. It took a while, but I eventually stopped having natural LDs, and my recall became very poor - some days I remember nothing, some days I remember only fragments. I generally only have LDs / vivid recall when I use supplements/aids at the moment, which was the purpose of the experiment, but it's not what I'd like to rely on in the long-term.
I am keen to get back into a good daily routine, and shift my focus back to natural dream induction and recall techniques. I look forward to sharing my progress in this workbook.  :smiley: 

*Current Technique:*
Will begin practising DILD/MILD/WBTB.
In the future, I'd like to learn how to WILD. I have very little experience with this technique outside of DEILD, and have always been interested in trying it.

 ::loveyou::  Thanks so much to the wonderful DVA staff for your dedication to helping others achieve their lucid goals!

----------


## ~Dreamer~

> Additionally, your dream journal is a good place to list the times you wake up, which can help you hone in on when to perform WBTB.



First question:
I have a very irregular schedule at the moment, because I don't have a set time I need to be awake.
Do you think it would be worth getting into a stable routine with similar waking/sleeping times for WBTB?

----------


## NyxCC

Hey Dreamer, welcome to intro class!  :smiley: 

So I take it, you're done with the no-induction tech different aids experiments and are ready to come back to having more lds? That's great! Feel free to browse the class materials and let us know if you have any particular questions here or in the http://www.dreamviews.com/intro-clas...o-class-q.html thread.

I think getting started with DILD/MILD/WBTB is a great idea and you can experiment with WILDing whenever you feel it's the right time. Sageous has a great class on wild, so be sure to check out his materials as well. 

Now onto your question, I have to say that having a consistent sleep schedule is very important for both recall as well as lding. In the very least, try to minimize the fluctuation around your sleep/wake times. When you manage to set your schedule so it doesn't deviate too much, you will see that recall becomes better. By doing this you allow your body to best do what it is programmed for - regulate the circadian rhythm, produce melatonin on schedule and adjust neurotransmitter levels. It's also important to know that bright lights before bed time like lamps or PC/tablet, etc. stop melatonin production and can lead to major sleep disruption and affect recall as well. Hope this helps for starters!  :smiley:

----------


## ~Dreamer~

Hey Nyx, thanks for your advice.

Yes, I am done with my no-induction experiment! I'm so excited to get back into dreaming regularly!  ::D: 

I will work on regulating my sleeping pattern. I'm sure it will be good for me to see more daylight anyway.  :tongue2: 

I recalled some fragments this morning, in more detail than I have been lately. Perhaps just getting excited and thinking about what I want to achieve is helping already!
I will keep posting my progress here.

I will definitely check out Sageous' WILD class in the future!

----------


## ~Dreamer~

I will probably stick to just posting memorable/lucid dreams in my DV dream journal, but I will post notes/fragments in my workbook, to keep track of dream signs and progress with my recall.

I have been having a lot of 'Layer Zero' dreams lately, where lucidity features as theme, but I don't actually become lucid. I've had a few dreams about DV since I started posting again, and also some non-lucid dreams in which I've been talking about lucid dreaming.
There were some lucid themes in my dream again last night.

*7th May, 2014 [Fragments]*

_Moved to DJ:_
Dream Journal: Contortionist, DV, Mancon's Dojo [Fragments]

Lots of the themes in these dreams were a result of day residue, eg. reading melanieb's posts about being transgender, TheConned's thread about LDs for mental health, DV tutorials, making a Harry Potter / sorting hat reference yesterday, etc.
There were also some pretty random elements, eg. contortionist, school characters, pumpkin.
This recall is more detailed than the kind of fragments I've been getting lately, but I know it can get much more vivid with smoother narrative.

----------


## ~Dreamer~

I had an interesting realisation about one of those seemingly random dream signs.
I think my brain has made an association between Mancon and carved pumpkins...
I was reading through my old DJ, and there is an entry from 2012 where I did a Halloween task of the month, where I carved up pumpkins with Mancon and some other DV members. That's the only other time he has ever featured in my dreams:
Halloween Party [Lucid, Task of the Month]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

More Layer Zeros... D'oh!

*8th May, 2014 [Fragments]*

_Moved to DJ:_
Lucid RPG, Britney Spears [Fragments]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

I've installed a program called f.lux on my computer and iPhone.
It adjusts the colour temperature of the screens to reduce blue light exposure at night, which is what suppresses melatonin production.
I usually spend some time reading on my phone before bed, so it will be interesting to see if this makes a difference.

----------


## ~Dreamer~

I had a short LD during a half hour nap.
I attempted a task of the month, but my dream control wasn't great.
The most interesting thing was the induction. I was totally convinced that I was awake, but I have committed to doing RCs whenever I experience stress / negative emotions, because I know that they come up a lot in dreams. When my RCs failed, I really had to convince myself that I was definitely dreaming, because it came as such a surprise.

*8th May, 2014 - Nap [Lucid]*

_Moved to DJ:_
Dream Journal: Terrorist Hackers + Worst Limerick Everrr! [Non-Lucid, Lucid, TOTM]

----------


## NyxCC

Congrats on the ld! Very good catch with the RC and great try for the advanced task!  :smiley:  I suspect coming up with a limerick wouldn't be very easy for me, I don't know if my mind can follow with the format!  :tongue2:

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*9th May, 2014 [Non-Lucid]*

_Moved to DJ:_
Dream Journal: Virtual Storytelling [Non-Lucid]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*10th May, 2014 [Fragments]*

My recall wasn't very good today. It's mostly because I was so sleepy when I woke up, I had trouble keeping my eyes open to record my dreams. I even fell back asleep and dreamt that I wrote down a dream, and then woke up to find that my phone just said 'mdasldamkml'. And I had forgotten the original dream by then. D'ohhh.

_Moved to DJ:_
Dream Journal: Helpful Lady, Outdated Sex Ed [Fragments]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*10th May, 2014 - Nap [Non-Lucid]*

_Moved to DJ:_
Dream Journal: Video of H-Dog's Past Life [Non-Lucid]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*11th May, 2014 [Fragment]*

Dismal recall last night.
I only slept for a couple of hours and found it really hard to wake up.
I have been setting alarms to get into a better sleeping pattern this week, and it's left me feeling a little sleepy. I will persevere!

_Moved to DJ:_
Alarm vs. Sleep [Fragment]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*12th May, 2014 [No Recall]*

Slept for 3.5 hours with no recall. I may have remembered something briefly when I woke up, because I felt like I was in the middle of something, but my dogs were jumping on me which killed any chance of recall.

I have been having trouble sleeping since I started trying to regulate my rhythm. I usually sleep for about 10 hours naturally, but I have only been sleeping for 2-6 hours per night this week.
I should mention that I have DSPD, so attempting to stick to a 'normal' sleep/wake schedule has always been a challenge for me. I will probably get amber goggles soon, and make sure I get out in the sunlight first thing every morning.

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*13th May, 2014 [Non-Lucid, Semi-Lucid]*

I had an awesome sleep last night! I was so tired, I went to bed at 9:30 PM. I was woken up once when my housemate came home, but apart from that, I slept solidly til just after 7 AM (no alarm.) Hopefully I'm making progress with my sleeping pattern!

Some of my dreams were semi-lucid, but there was never a moment of realisation where I took control of the dream.

_Moved to DJ:_
Flying, Favouritism, House Inspection, Sex Talk [Non-Lucid, Semi-Lucid]

----------


## NyxCC

Happy to read that you have managed to get more sleep and enjoyed better recall and lucidity!  :smiley:  I'm quite of a night owl myself (and somewhat insomniac on top of that!), so I can relate to having difficulty adjusting to the new sleep schedule. Hopefully if one sticks with the regular times, falling asleep will get easier at some point.

----------


## ~Dreamer~

Thanks for your encouragement!
I've had a friend from interstate staying with me for the last few days, so I haven't had time to post updates.
I have still been recording my dreams on my phone when I wake up.  :smiley:

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*14th May, 2014 [Non-Lucid, Fragments]*

_Moved to DJ:_
Social Commentary, Frigid Wives [Fragments]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*15th May, 2014 [Non-Lucid]*

_Moved to DJ:_
Art Film For Enn [Non-Lucid]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*16th May, 2014 [Non-Lucid, Semi-Lucid]*

_Moved to DJ:_
Maze, Wise DC, Carjacking, Babysitting [Non-Lucid, Semi-Lucid]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*17th May, 2014 [Fragments, Non-Lucid]*

_Moved to DJ:_
Films, Ethics, Drug Talk [Fragments]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*18th May, 2014 [No Recall]*

Woken by alarm, no dreams recalled.
I have been waking up naturally most days lately, which makes it much easier to remember my dreams.
My sleeping pattern is definitely improving.  :smiley:

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*18th May, 2014 - Nap [Lucid]*

Dream Journal: Having A Baby & Using The Force [Lucid, TOTM]

I think I will start recording these in my DV journal after all.
My recall has been much better since I've started this workbook, and it will be good to have a word cloud of my dream signs.

Soon, I will start reading through all the tutorials listed in the lessons.
I am not doing much incubation during the day at the moment, and would like to get back into a good daily routine.

----------


## NyxCC

Oh! All those tasks were during a nap? Awesome! How long was the nap? 

Congrats on the task completion. I have to stop reading all these bonus task descriptions, who knows what kind of stuff they will incubate.  :tongue2:  

I really liked the part with the haiku! Really cool to have DCs recite like that!  :smiley:

----------


## ~Dreamer~

> Oh! All those tasks were during a nap? Awesome! How long was the nap?



Longer than a midday nap should be, haha... Probably about an hour. I feel like an old lady sometimes.  :tongue2: 

My recall from yesterday was terrible. I woke up early to get ready for a political protest against Australia's disgusting right-wing Prime Minister (but I digress!) so I was pretty rushed when my alarm went off. Fragments are here anyway:

*19th May, 2014*
Nana, Frazer, Filmmaking [Fragments]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

My recall from this morning was a bit better:

*20th May, 2014*
House Escape, Political Protest [Fragments]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

Much better recall today! Not lucid, though.
The dreams were pretty long, so I recorded them as separate entries:

*21st May, 2014*

Sex & Flowers for Katy Perry [Non-Lucid]

Warehouse Prostitutes [Non-Lucid]

There's some shared themes in both.

----------


## NyxCC

> Longer than a midday nap should be, haha... Probably about an hour. I feel like an old lady sometimes.



Lol! Well, you put it to a pretty good use! That's actually very exciting - because you then have a bonus option to lucidity. If you are able to nap, that is. I can't fall asleep for a nap, even if I have the whole day available.  :tongue2:  But you seem to be able to take a advantage of those and turn them into lds! Great!  ::D:

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*22nd May, 2014*

Cinema, Nicknames, Dogs [Fragments]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*23rd May, 2014*

Spent much of the day talking about dreams with Atras, and continued doing that in my dreams without becoming lucid.  :tongue2: 

Talking to Atras & Missing Leo DiCaprio [Fragments]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*24th May, 2014*

I did recall some dreams, but I was too tired to write them down. They didn't feel particularly significant or interesting, otherwise I probably would have forced myself awake.  :tongue2:

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*25th May, 2014*

A bit the same this morning - I could have recorded these in more detail, but I wanted to go straight back to sleep.
I did take some notes this time:

Film Stuff & Sexual Tension [Fragments]

Another thing on my to-do list now is to read the threads on different recall and DJ methods.
I remember when my recall used to be much better, it would take me ages every day to record all my dreams, because I would remember multiple full-length dreams most nights.
I'll keep journalling for now, because my recall could still do with a lot of work, but perhaps there will be better ways to track my dream signs when it starts to become too time consuming.

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*26th May, 2014*

Shamanism vs. Schizophrenia [Fragments]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*27th May, 2014*

Film Critique & Factory Work [Non-Lucid]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*28th May, 2014*

Sim World with Jeremy [Non-Lucid]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

I still need to get onto reading those tutorials!
I will keep recording my dreams in the meantime, but I'll definitely set aside some time over the next week to do some proper reading.

I'm trying voice recordings for my initial recall to see if I find it any easier than waking myself up to type on my phone.
My sleeping schedule has slipped a bit (I'm becoming a night owl again), but I'm trying to get it more regular.

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*29 May, 2014*

I Need A Break [Non-Lucid]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*30 May, 2014*

No recall, barely slept. :sleepysteph:
I'm going to have some mugwort tonight, I wonder if that will make a difference to my recall.
I'm also going to try FryingMan's suggestion of asking myself directly (possibly out loud) what I was just dreaming.

----------


## ~Dreamer~

The mugwort may have had an effect - I had very vivid dreams, including a lucid dream! I have a 40 minute voice recording where I tried to explain everything... I'll see if I can transfer it into an abridged DJ entry later.  :tongue2:

----------


## ~Dreamer~

I've been lucid a few times lately, I just need to catch up on my DJ.
My recall has slightly better since I started voice recording, because I don't have to fumble around on my phone when my fingers aren't working. I started out just whispering so I wouldn't wake my housemate up, but I've realised that I really need to talk out loud or I'll fall back asleep. I have 2 voice recordings where this happened - in one, I spoke for about 20 seconds and then fell asleep for the remaining half hour sound file, while I dreamt of continuing the recording, haha.  ::doh::  My housemate has said that I can talk as loudly as I want and he probably won't wake up, so I've been doing that, and haven't fallen asleep that way.

----------


## ~Dreamer~

Okay, I've finally caught up on my DJ entries!

*31 May, 2014*

Running From Meeting, Power Experiments, False Awakenings [Non-Lucid, Lucid]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*1 June, 2014*

School Tour & Retro Game Arcade [Non-Lucid, Lucid]

Porno & Candy Land [Non-Lucid, Lucid, TOTM]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*2 June, 2014*

No recall because I didn't sleep a wink. My sleeping pattern has gone way off again, and I had to get up to do stuff during the day. :sleepysteph:

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*3 June, 2014*

Bed, Farm, Sexual Fail [Non-Lucid, Fragments]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*4 June, 2014*

Blasting Cee About Professionalism

Sarah's Breakdown + Lesbian Proposal

----------


## ~Dreamer~

Apart from the issues with my sleeping pattern, I'm really happy with my progress.
My recall is definitely improving, and I've been lucid 6 times in the first 4 days of this month (although a couple of those were very short-lived.)
Reading about LDing during the day is definitely making me think more about dreams while I sleep. Sometimes this results in really annoying missed opportunities (like teaching someone about LDing, but not becoming lucid,) and it's also making lots of my dreams 'semi-lucid', where I'm somewhat aware that I'm not in the real world but I haven't fully identified it as a dream that I can take control of. I will try to work on both of those things by doing more RCs when I think about dreaming.  :smiley:

----------


## NyxCC

That's great! I'll be sure to check out the epic one (candy land) soon! Congrats on the early totm completion and the increased ld rate!  :smiley:

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*5 June, 2014*

Embarrassed at School + Pizza with Atras & Aqua

TV Theme Song + Parking In The Street

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*6 June, 2014*

Spiritual Practices With My Family

Derren Brown's Guided Tour & Bro Shits His Pants
(Yep, my 22 year old brother soiled his pants in this dream, haha! I must tell him about it...)

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*7 June, 2014*

I was woken up by the dogs, so my recall wasn't very good today.

Various Fragments

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*8 June, 2014*

My sleeping pattern is a mess again.  ::disconcerted::  I hardly got any sleep, and woke up without much energy for writing a detailed DJ entry. I jotted down a few notes:

Nightclub + Dream Trance

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*9 June, 2014*

Atras Visits Australia + Drugs In Pots

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*10 June, 2014*

Jee's Suicide, OP's Dualism, Political Rebellion

----------


## ~Dreamer~

Phew, it took me ages to catch up on those DJ entries. I'm trying to weigh up the pros and cons of voice recording my dreams. In terms of recall, it's much easier to just rattle off anything I remember. But in terms of being able to easily transfer it to a coherent written entry, it sucks. It takes way longer than just checking my sleepy spelling errors and doing some font formatting. When I write notes on my phone, I can scroll up and add bits I remember to the appropriate sections. But when I do a voice recording, it gets recorded in fragments because I'll remember details to add after I've already moved on from that part of the dream. Then it takes a while to keep rewinding the voice recording to transcribe it in the right order. I suppose doing the voice recordings would still be beneficial for recall, even if I chose not to record the dreams in a written journal. But keeping a journal on DV and updating this workbook with my entries has really kept me really motivated - it's like homework I know I need to do, and I can't make excuses about being tired in the morning.  :tongue2: 

I keep meaning to start making my way through the tutorials for this class, but other things keep coming up. Even when I have time to come on DV for a while, I find like 5 PMs that I need to reply to, and then I'm too tired to concentrate on reading tutorials and taking them in properly.
So I think I need to make a formal commitment that tomorrow, I WILL read at least one tutorial from the list, as a priority over doing other things on DV. You have written evidence here, so feel free to tell me off if I don't report back soon, haha.  :tongue2: 
Even without tutorials, this workbook has been really beneficial in motivating me to work on my recall and DJ. So, thanks for checking in and sticking with me, NyxCC.  :smiley:

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*11 June, 2014*

I only slept for a couple of hours before I had to get up again, so I didn't dream for very long.
I'm having sooo many Layer Zero dreams lately - I really need to start RCing more while I'm on DV so I don't miss these!

Conversations with Darkmatters & dutchraptor

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*12 June, 2014*

This one was fun! I felt like I had good dream control and remained confident even when the dream destabilised.

Meeting CanisLucidus & June Tasks *Lucid *TOTM

----------


## ~Dreamer~

Must resist temptation...
I'm going to read a tutorial right now!  :tongue2:

----------


## ~Dreamer~

I can't believe how distractible I am! Five hours later, I have finally made it through one tutorial, haha. And I didn't even reply to those messages, I got distracted with other things!  :tongue2: 
I'll edit my original post with a checklist of the tutorials listed in the Intro Class lessons.
_Edit:_ Actually, is it possible to add in a new #2 post specifically for this list? My intro post is already pretty long. I'm not sure what the mod capabilities are for stuff like that.

Today I can check off *Puffin's DILD Guide*.
I was good to reinforce some of those ideas. I haven't been practising mindfulness as much as I'd like to lately, so this was some extra inspiration to get back into that.
I have a few questions:

What are you thoughts on visual cues? By that I mean, for example, making a mark on my hand to remind me to focus on my awareness whenever I notice it. Do you think it's counterproductive to the purpose of the exercise (sporadic awareness)?
What if I combined the digital clock/reading RC with a visual cue, like writing a 2-digit number on my hand? I may or may not reproduce the number in dreams, but either way, any time I think about/notice my hand, I will hopefully question whether I'm aware in that moment.

----------


## ~Dreamer~

I didn't sleep last night because I'm trying to fix my sleep/wake times.
Instead, I went through my DJ entries from the last week, and noted anything that appeared multiple times.
I'll probably start doing this on a weekly basis.

*Dream Signs*
Dates: 6-13 June

*People:*
- Housemate
- Atras
- Mum
- Grandpop
- Uncle

*Characters:*
- teachers/guides

*Places:*
- my kitchen, and places that are meant to be my kitchen

*Environments:*
- in a car

*Scenarios/Events:*
- being around drugs/cigarettes
- talking/thinking about dreaming
- my anxious dog being comfortable around people
- FA: writing in DJ
- using DV
- hiding/sneaking
- making films
- forbidden sexual encounters
- electronics failing

*Emotions:*
- stress/fear
- sadness
- close bond/connection with DC

*Objects:*
- food/drink
- makeup

----------


## NyxCC

Hey Dreamer, awesome performance this month!  ::D: 





> Edit: Actually, is it possible to add in a new #2 post specifically for this list? My intro post is already pretty long. I'm not sure what the mod capabilities are for stuff like that.



I'm not sure we can add anything after the first post since the system arranges the posts by time. I could theoretically insert it in place of your original post number two. Your idea to post this weekly might be the best option to do this though. 





> What are you thoughts on visual cues? By that I mean, for example, making a mark on my hand to remind me to focus on my awareness whenever I notice it. Do you think it's counterproductive to the purpose of the exercise (sporadic awareness)?



That's fine I guess even if it's a little reminder, you are going to remember to look at your hand sporadically, right?  :smiley: 





> What if I combined the digital clock/reading RC with a visual cue, like writing a 2-digit number on my hand? I may or may not reproduce the number in dreams, but either way, any time I think about/notice my hand, I will hopefully question whether I'm aware in that moment.



Same here, I think it should count as well. Why would you write a number on your hand? I once had a whole story develop from the lines on my hands during a dream, but I was already lucid.  :tongue2: 

Keep up the good work!  ::dreamerchair::

----------


## ~Dreamer~

Thank you!  ::D: 

The number idea was just because the digits might change in a dream. Like, if I get used to seeing a number on my hand in waking life, and I reproduce that in a dream, then it might behave the same way as other text/digital clocks, where the digits tend to change after you look away. I figured if I'm going to make a reminder mark on my hand anyway, I might as well double up with a number RC.

My sleeping pattern has reverted back to its old terrible ways.  :tongue2: 
I've been recording my sleep/wake times in my phone, to keep track of how much sleep I'm getting (not much...)
My recall has suffered for it, so it's good incentive to keep trying to get into a good routine.

My dream challenge with CanisLucidus has been very motivating, and I still have one bonus TOTM to complete.
My reward for completing all 6 TOTMs will be to visit the Lucid Task Club and read/make some suggestions for next month. Hopefully I get this Father's Day task in time!

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*14th June, 2014*

I skipped sleep completely the previous night to try to make myself tired at the right time, but I still couldn't fall asleep until my usual ridiculous hour.  :tongue2: 
I only slept for a little over 2 hours before it was time to start the day, but managed to recall a few fragments:

CanisLucidus' Recall Technique

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*15th June, 2014*

I drank lots of apple juice before bed, and had this dream:

The Nice Postman

I woke up to pee after 2.5 hours (bit heavy on the apple juice, I guess.)  :tongue2: 
I drank some more apple juice, and went back to bed.
It took me ages to fall asleep, and I had no further recall when I woke up.

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*16th June, 2014*

I could remember a fair bit from one dream, but it was in fragments and I'm not sure how they tied together.

The Newsroom

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*17th June, 2014*

I recalled a few non-lucid fragments, including one about CanisLucidus. (We are having a competition to see who can have the most dreams about the other person.)
I don't think dream incubation had much to do with this one though... it was more likely day residue, since we'd been chatting on Skype all day.

Fragments (CL CoQ10)

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*18th June, 2014*

Fragments

Smelly Armpits *Lucid

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*19th June, 2014*

Didn't sleep again. I'm still trying (unsuccessfully) to get my sleeping pattern to match the sun.  :tongue2: 

I'm now trying a different method, which has worked better for me in the past.
Instead of trying to wind my body clock backwards, I'm staying up a bit later every day, to try to gradually move it forwards.
If this doesn't work, I might just give up and commit to a regular sleep schedule that works with my body clock. It's not interfering with my daily life at the moment, so I suppose it doesn't really matter if my circadian rhythm is a bit out.
The intermittent sleeping is having a negative effect on my recall, so I'd like to get that settled ASAP.

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*20th June, 2014*

Many failed attempts at various induction techniques, but eventually I had a good DILD.

Impregnating CanisLucidus *Lucid *TOTM"]Impregnating CanisLucidus *Lucid *TOTM[/URL]

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*21st June, 2014*

Fragments, Dream Sync

Interesting synchronicity!

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*22nd June, 2014*

I recorded some fragments, but I haven't transferred them to my DJ.

I think I'm going to change my journalling habits a bit.
I will keep writing notes on my phone every morning to make sure my recall doesn't drop, but I won't worry about transferring fragments to my DJ unless I have a lot of free time.
I'll continue to post my LDs, and I'll probably also still post some non-LDs, but on busy days, I think my time could be better spent doing day practice/incubation.
I've tried to be pretty diligent about writing in my DJ every day lately because I wanted to track my dream signs, but I think I'll still get a good idea of what to look for without daily updates.
I'll see how I go!

----------


## ~Dreamer~

*25th June, 2014*

Didn't sleep for 3 days... I have patches like that sometimes, which obviously doesn't help my dreaming along.  :tongue2: 
I might've had a bit of REM rebound last night, though.
I had a fun LD with CanisLucidus for the DV Members Dream Challenge x Task of the Year!
I'm also feeling like I'll be able to sleep at a regular time tonight, so here's hoping!

The Perfect Cookie for Canis *Lucid *TOTY

----------


## NyxCC

You mean at all? That's terrible!  ::disconcerted:: 

Were you trying to fix your schedule? Congrats on the toty!!!  ::D:

----------


## ~Dreamer~

Yeah, no sleep at all...  :Insomnia: 

It was initially an attempt to fix my schedule, but sometimes it backfires and I get a bit manic once I pass a certain tiredness threshold.
So it didn't go to plan, but it's 10pm now and I'm planning to be in bed by midnight. Hopefully this works!  :tongue2: 

Oh, and thank you! Hopefully it counts!  ::D:

----------


## NyxCC

Ouch! I see. While I haven't missed more than a night's sleep, I can understand this. Sometimes there's this wakefulness the nights following insomnia night so it's hard to fall asleep too.

Ok, time to switch off all devices and get some sleep then. Sweet lucid dreams!  :Off to Bed:

----------


## ~Dreamer~

I'm dusting off my workbook.  :smiley: 

Firstly, I'd just like to say thank you so much Nyx for all your encouragement when I started this workbook. It was such a great help and motivation to get back into lucid dreaming!
My recall improved dramatically, in large part because I had promised myself I would update this workbook with my recall efforts every day.
I had a great few months with my LDs steadily increasing from almost none in the months pre-workbook, to 23 LDs in August.
My frequency has dipped again though, down to <10 per month.

I know that my focus and sleep schedule are the main issues:
- My attention has been elsewhere lately, with a few significant life events (both positive and negative) happening in quick succession recently. Some of those have been on my mind immediately upon waking, so my recall has been quite poor. I've also spent much less time on dream incubation.
- I've only been sleeping in small blocks (a few hours at a time,) but I nap a few times throughout the day at completely irregular times.

I also recognised last month that I was feeling overwhelmed by taking on too many tasks at once. I really enjoy lucid tasks, and they've been a great source of motivation for me in the past. But with my dream frequency decreasing and my task list getting bigger, I noticed some negative feelings creeping in... I felt like I wasn't succeeding, and I was having trouble deciding which tasks to focus on, so none of them got my full attention.
Once I realised this, I decided to sit out of the TotM this month, and requested that no further lucid dares be assigned to me until I've completed some of my current dares. I also spoke to CanisLucidus about pausing our challenge for the time being so it didn't become a source of stress. I said I'd still be excited to feature in his dreams if he chooses to summon me, but we won't be counting points or approaching it competitively.
Instead of in-dream tasks, I tried to focus on allowing my positivity to build around the idea of lucid dreaming again. I wanted to feel like there was no pressure to "succeed" outside of enjoying myself and feeling relaxed. This had an immediate positive effect and I had a few very nice, peaceful lucid dreams soon after.
I also wanted to return my focus to inducing lucid dreams in the first place.
I joined Sageous' WILD class which I've been making some progress in. My DEILD attempts are starting to be successful more often, and I'm experiencing less noise during transitions.
I still haven't read through all the WILD lessons, so that's something I'd like to work on in the near future.

I am still struggling with my recall and doing very minimal day work.
I decided to update my workbook with some new goals to help keep me on track.  :smiley: 

*Day Goals:*
- Daily MILD meditation for 15+ minutes
- Start a paper DJ (I've been talking about this for ages!) and write notes every day
- Mantra throughout the day: "I have lucid dreams"
- Nose plug + hand RCs with a few moments of focused awareness as often as I think of it

*Dream Goals:*
I will try to live out the motto in my signature: Be free, be positive, be present.
I won't have any specific tasks in mind, but I will choose a scene to incubate during my meditation.

Anotherdreamer and I are going to try posting every day in the "*Share your dream from last night in one sentence*" thread to help motivate us to recall our dreams.
I'll make it a goal to do that every day in December on days where I recall dreams (I'll just choose one dream to summarise and post.)

I'm not going to tackle my sleeping pattern yet because I think it's likely it'll be irregular for the remainder of the year. Hopefully things will settle down in the new year and I can work on that next, as well as getting back into WBTB.

 ::dreaming::

----------


## ~Dreamer~

[X] Dec 01 - Posted dream
[ ] Dec 02 - No sleep
[X] Dec 03 - Posted dream
[X] Dec 04 - Posted dream
[X] Dec 05 - Posted dream
[X] Dec 06 - Posted dream
[ ] Dec 07 - No sleep
[X] Dec 08 - Posted dream
[X] Dec 09 - Posted dream
[X] Dec 10 - Posted dream
[X] Dec 11 - Posted dream
[X] Dec 12 - Posted dream
[X] Dec 13 - Posted dream
[X] Dec 14 - Posted dream
[X] Dec 15 - Posted dream
[X] Dec 16 - Posted dream
[X] Dec 17 - Posted dream
[ ] Dec 18 - No dreams recalled (stressful awakening)
[X] Dec 19 - Posted dream
[X] Dec 20 - Posted dream
[ ] Dec 21 - 
[ ] Dec 22 - 
[ ] Dec 23 - 
[ ] Dec 24 - 
[ ] Dec 25 - 
[ ] Dec 26 - 
[ ] Dec 27 - 
[ ] Dec 28 - 
[ ] Dec 29 - 
[ ] Dec 30 - 
[ ] Dec 31 -

----------


## NyxCC

Hey Dreamer, good to see you restarting the workbook again. 

Sorry to hear about all the negative events that have derailed you from your lucid path for a while. On the brighter side, you have reached a nice level of proficiency and given some reorganization, I think you will be able to be quickly back on track. I agree that you should focus on a few things at a time and leave the long to do lists partly aside for a while. I pretty much follow the same strategy when things become overwhelming. 

My only recommendation regarding your program would be to try if possible to get more hours of sleep and fix your sleep schedule, circumstances permitting. Letting real world worries take away sleep time just isn't helping solve situations at all. I've tried to embrace this philosophy since starting to induce ld, but it needs constant reaffirmation, especially when times are more challenging.

I wish you to grasp the opportunity to notice more of the positive side of life during the day and carry this into dreams.  :smiley:

----------

