# Lucid Dreaming > Dream Control >  >  Lack of Awareness and Control

## MRH92

After a very long dry spell I've managed to get back into a fairly regular LD pattern. I have between 1-5 a week it seems. However my ability to control the dream and my level of awareness is shockingly poor and that's something I've always had major issues with. I have had some amazing LD experiences but I've never really had full awareness, that is to say they still feel very dreamlike and I don't think I've really experienced the "more real than real life" thing that people often talk about. My LD's tend to be a little fuzzy and often my senses are dulled. Also my awareness that I am in a dream gradually fades and I often find myself simply back in a regular dream.

My LD's tend not to last more than a minute. I think I still get too excited about the idea of being in a dream and that emotion tends to destabilize things. I think I've also got it into my head that my LD's will be short and unfocused so when I do become lucid I panic and think I only have a few seconds to do everything and I manically try and cram stuff in. 

I've experienced DILDS, DEILDS and WILDS before and the latter has been the most successful as in one WILD I found a character that taught me how to stabilize but I can't recall all that she said now. However as much as I would like to master WILD or DEILD I feel for the time being it's best to stick to DILD. I feel like I should try and master, or at least improve, this technique first. 

So what is the best way to increase awareness in a dream? What techniques can I use in waking life and in a LD in order to do this?
Will more awareness bring more control?
What stabilizing techniques can I use? Are there some that are more effective in a DILD to another technique?

All answers are welcome and appreciated. Thanks for reading.

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## sisyphus

Three things: stabilization routine, goals, and schemas. The underlying idea is that it's important to plan ahead, have intention, and use the dream environment to your advantage. These apply to either DILD or WILD. When you direct your attention with a plan, it will lessen your worries about the level of awareness or length of the dreams.

Stabilization routine: You want to have a sensory interaction with the dream to improve awareness and stability. When you become lucid, take a deep breath to calm yourself and observe the environment. Remind yourself with a short memorable statement ("Act live you've been here before" or "Keep calm and carry on" or simply "Here we go"). Then start a routine to activate as many senses as you can with about 3 actions. They should be things you can also practice in waking life. My routine was: Look at my hands and rub them. Then nose pinch RC. Then closely look at and feel the nearest object, such as the ground, wall, DC, or anything. I experimented with shouting as well. After stabilizing, you recall your goal which leads to the next item.

Goals: You want to have a goal or task in mind before the dream so that you can direct your focus and control toward it. A goal can be very specific (fly to the moon) or somewhat open-ended (engage a DC in conversation). And you can vary it each night or every few nights. A good habit is to write your goal in your dream journal before going to bed. Visualization also supports this practice.

Schemas: Whatever the goal is, you need the help of your unconsious mind and that's where the concept of schemas and archetypes comes in. For example, if your goal is to fly, consider how you will fly. Like a bird? Like an angel? Like superman? Each example is a different archetype within the common schema of flying. Using an archetype will activate ideas, beliefs, and expectations and that will help your unconscious mind to create the experience and sustain it for a long time. Choose an archetype that resonates with you and rehearse it during the day by daydreaming/visualization or reading/watching fiction. Schemas and archetypes don't have to be supernatural. They can come from your own life like how you start a conversation, or the route to travel from home to a friend's house.

Read this article and also the threads it links to: A Unifying Theory of Dream Control - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views

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## MRH92

That was very insightful Sisyphus. It's actually got me feeling pretty excited and positive about going to sleep tonight. Thanks for the link to the article as well. Much appreciated.

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## TwoCrystalCups

Are you having bad dreams? Usually all what you said about not seeing well in dreams or control much fits some pattern of bad, disturbing dreams. Also facing fears blurs a lot too.

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## MRH92

Nope. No bad dreams at all.

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## willeex

Regarding dream control, I believe that confidence is the key. One of my first LDs I tried to walk through doors, but failed and walked right into it.
Then I realized what's standing in my way of succeeding is no one but myself. It sounds a little silly, but it's exactly like The Matrix. Don't think you can, know you can.
When are you going to realize that you can do whatever you want?

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## MRH92

Yeah I'd say in the majority of my dreams I often encounter a lot of doubt over my own abilities which often results in failure and further reinforces my lack of belief in myself. I like your comparison to The Matrix. I'll keep that in mind on my next lucid adventure.

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## Hypertrophy

I'm here, that leaves only Awareness now.

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