
Originally Posted by
Xaqaria
If you were aware of your 'real' body, it is most likely because you became lucid when you were very close to waking up. A lot of times, the first few lucids will happen this way because that is the time that you are most aware and so it is the easiest to realize that it is a dream. Unfortunately it also means that you will very soon be aware enough to also be aware of your body and then usually what happens is you will just wake up shortly after. The next time you become lucid, try to relax yourself; sit down take deep breaths and focus on your surroundings. Try to fall just a little bit deeper into sleep/dream without losing lucidity and focus on bringing the dream world back into full focus. As you get more accustomed to the difference between waking and dream awareness you'll be able to become lucid during deeper sleep/dream states and the dream world will be much more real.
Also, once you are able to overcome the excitement of becoming lucid and develop more control, you will be able to consciously sink yourself into a more vivid dream. The way I like to picture the dream state is like a deep ocean. The water is clearest (highest awareness) near to the surface, but breaking the surface is waking up. The dream is more encompassing as you go deeper, but also darker (less awareness). Once you get a feel for the depth and how to travel in it, you can get yourself to float far enough below the surface to achieve maximum vividness and avoid waking, but close enough to the surface to stay aware.
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