Thread: Simple Lucid Dreams: stress free induction

This is a thread for all those who don't enjoy _ILD induction. This community has a knack for taking the simple process of becoming aware in your dreams, and turning it into over the top complex analytical systems. These systems might work for a few people, but a lot of people (me) are just confused and scared by them.

What happened to lay down --> have ld?
I mean, come on. Does over-complication solve anything? Do newbies now have more lucids than the newbies of 5 years ago? How many regular Joes/Janes who read these _ILD systems eventually have consistent lucid dreams -- without it interfering with their real lives in any way? Are _ILDs more vivid, more complex, more concrete, or more beautiful than less stressfully induced LDs? Lucid dreaming should be about chilling out and having easy free fun. Why make such a big deal out of it?

Keep in mind here that I haven't invented a new way to get lucid dreams. I'm basically just trying to pull away all the dogma and give you a logical, simple, instantly applicable way to get lucid. Mainly I just wanted to take away all the 'mind' stuff. You don't have to know anything about yourself, your dreams, or your 'subconscious' to do any of this. The dumbest high school jock could get lucids with this - that was the point.

Simple Lucid Dreams
stress free induction.

This is the simplest way I know of to get consistent LDs. You don't have to get 'good' at doing this because you're not directly inducing lucid dreams; Instead, you're indirectly setting yourself up to be in prime condition to naturally induce a lucid dream.
Because of this, the more lucid dreams you have this way, the easier it will be to get more in the future. You naturally learn to more easily notice when you are in a dream. Its stress free induction.

Basically just do most or all of these regularly:

Sleep for a long time.
The longer you're asleep, the longer your REM cycles become.

Relax before you fall asleep.
Do some meditation as you're falling asleep. A wound up mind is not an observant mind.

Keep a dream journal.
It doesn't have to take more than a minute each morning. Just write the gist of your dreams.

Wake up, count down.
Wake up at night and then count down from 1000 as you fall back to sleep. It doesn't matter what you do between getting up and counting down.

Reality check.
If you ever think about dreams, or see something that reminds you of dreams, pinch your nose and try to breathe through it. If you can't, you aren't dreaming right now.

Don't think about it.
Sitting around thinking about lucid dreaming all day won't get you more lucid dreams, It'll get you less. Find something else to do; anything else.

And do some of these when you really want to have a lucid dream. They aren't as powerful as the above, but they do have an effect. I ordered them randomly, not in level of importance:

Starve yourself.
Dreams become incredibly vivid when you're hungry. Be really hungry when you fall asleep.

Eat B6, B12, melatonin.

Don't take too much, but too little won't do anything. Too much of anything can kill - research deeply before using. You were warned.

Sleep with the light on.
You will sleep lighter, which is good for getting lucids.

Wear earplugs.
Sensory deprivation sometimes helps.

Keep a TV or radio on, without earplugs.
Sensory information can sometimes help. Doesn't matter how loud it is.

Sleep in a weird place.
On a couch, on a floor, in someone else's bed - anywhere you don't normally sleep.

Do something exciting.
Once I rode my bicycle from Florida to Virginia - I went from no lucid dreams to four a night instantly. Once it stopped being exciting, they stopped again. Try and do something that takes an entire day. Like a concert, or a hiking trip. Or whatever you would find exciting.

Avoid other's techniques.
If you want an induction method, create your own from scratch. A thousand variables effect what will and won't work for any given person. Even after creating your own, you'll need to totally change it over time, as you yourself change. You don't really need one - they're more trouble than they're worth.

Have lazy mornings.
Sleep as long as usual, then just lay there after you wake up for another few hours; drifting in and out of sleep.

Get horny.
Get sexually charged before sleeping. This means depriving yourself of certain things. Sexual dreams can easily become lucid dreams.

Sleep deprivation.
Sleep little or not at all one night, and the next night you'll have REM rebound. More REM equals more lucid dreams, especially when combined with wake up, count down.

__

Yeah, that's it.
_ILD methods aren't worthless, they just contain a lot of stuff that most people don't need. You'll find that as you become lucid more often you'll start to spontaneously develop your own personal 'induction method.' As you notice things that are particularly potent for you, focus on them more.

Have fun.

The Messiah has returned! Thanks for this

Not having had my first ld yet, an article about not stressing is just what I needed
I'm currently trying MILD/DILD, but I guess it might take a few months before it properly settles in my sub-c, huh?

Originally Posted by BillyBob

Get horny.
Get sexually charged before sleeping. This means depriving yourself of certain things. Sexual dreams can easily become lucid dreams.

I guess I'm good to go for a nap ld then

The only point I don't agree with is not thinking about it. Although, I can see how obsessing over it too much could be stressful for newbies.

Other than that (and the counting thing), you've pretty much just summed up what I've been doing this past month. Thank you winter break.

That said, I think my monthly lucid count speaks for how well this can work (31 as of this post). Sure, there are some WILDs in there, but they weren't anything I went out my way for.

Thanks for taking the time to post this. Without you, it probably never would have gotten out there in such an accessible manner.

How much b6 and b12 is too much? I just started taking a b complex supplement. Seems like my dream recall and lucidity has actually went down, but could be unrelated.

Originally Posted by BillyBob

Sleep for a long time.
The longer you're asleep, the longer your REM cycles become.

This is the simplest thing that has increased my LD count in the past few months. As much as I have had an interest in lucid dreaming, and love experiencing them, over the past few years (who am I kidding, the past ten years) I have really suffered from sleep deprivation.

I would try to "get by" on 4-5 hours of sleep per night, and after having done that for years I am now getting at least 10-12 hours per night. Since I have started doing that, my dreams have become way more vivid and I usually get lucid at least once per night (with varying levels of lucidity from night to night).

Also feel a lot more lucid during the day, too, which is nice.

Originally Posted by Captain Sleepalot

This is the simplest thing that has increased my LD count in the past few months. As much as I have had an interest in lucid dreaming, and love experiencing them, over the past few years (who am I kidding, the past ten years) I have really suffered from sleep deprivation.

I would try to "get by" on 4-5 hours of sleep per night, and after having done that for years I am now getting at least 10-12 hours per night. Since I have started doing that, my dreams have become way more vivid and I usually get lucid at least once per night (with varying levels of lucidity from night to night).

Exactly. Stole the words from my mouth. I was even tempted to make a thread last week about just simply, sleeping more. It has always worked to end dry spells, and assure lucidity pretty much whenever I desire it.

Also regarding this thread...yes. People should really take this to heart and stop overcomplicating everything.

Great thread

As always, you have that knack to take the sorts of things I want to explain but that I eternally fail to explain properly and you put them into threads that do it more concisely then I thought possible =O

Now I just have to wait until you master visualization so you can mop up the mess I've made of explaining it ;P (It's regretful I attached -ILD to it, but I'm not sure if anyone pays attention to non -ILDs anymore unless they are well experienced in the subject matter already)

heh nice work. i have been thinking about this problem as well. it seems that when i get really involved in lucid dreaming and try all the weird techniques my lucid dream count goes down. when i just relax and dont think about it all that often they seem to just pop up. the problem is that i want them NOW! im all about immediate gratification so i come on this site hoping for some new technique to magically pop up. but you got the basics all right.
Sleep for a long time.
Relax before you fall asleep.
Keep a dream journal.
Reality check.
Don't think about it.

over the years ive been on the site it seems that new people join and post like 4,000 posts in 3 months then they disappear off the face of the earth. they try too hard. completely obsessing over lucid dreams is a big mistake. the best thing ive learned about lucid dreams is that life is much more precious. i should spend my waking time better to make my waking life better.. not spend my waking life to make my sleeping life better... that just doesnt make sense. thanks!

Hm. This thread seems to take all those other induction techniques and turns them on their head. I had my first real lucid from sleeping in one morning, getting way more sleep than I actually needed. I've been trying WILDing, and would like to succeed at that, but what I think I'll do is get excessive sleep on some mornings, just to simple-DILD - which, as far as I can tell, is what BillyBob pretty much said in the first post. SLD.

Originally Posted by BillyBob

Sleep with the light on.
You will sleep lighter, which is good for getting lucids.

Haha, intentional or not?

Originally Posted by BillyBob

Sleep deprivation.
Sleep little or not at all one night, and the next night you'll have REM rebound. More REM equals more lucid dreams, especially when combined with wake up, count down.

I don't really see the point of this, you don't sleep for a night then you do the next night getting double the amount of rem, right? By doing that you would for example, get 4 lucids in that night, if you don't do that then would you not get 2 lucids the previous night and two that night without having to be tired the whole day before?

Originally Posted by Dying Dignity

I don't really see the point of this, you don't sleep for a night then you do the next night getting double the amount of rem, right? By doing that you would for example, get 4 lucids in that night, if you don't do that then would you not get 2 lucids the previous night and two that night without having to be tired the whole day before?

the point is to increase your CHANCES for lucid dreaming. not necessarily to increase the NUMBER of them. most people that use this would be more appealed to the first one. if you can get two lucid dreams a night then by all means share what you do

I can really attest to relaxing before bed and sleeping a lot. Not only makes for more restful sleep, reduces nightmares and stress dreams, but also makes it much easier to get lucid.

Gah, I guess the simplicity thing is true.

I haven't LDed in about a month. Since then I've had very many vivid dreams, been aware as much as possible, made sure I used RCs and dream signs and my DJ, sleeping more, and yet still not a single lucid since freakin christmas break. I guess I just gotta go with the flow.

Originally Posted by ReachingForTheDream

Gah, I guess the simplicity thing is true.

I haven't LDed in about a month. Since then I've had very many vivid dreams, been aware as much as possible, made sure I used RCs and dream signs and my DJ, sleeping more, and yet still not a single lucid since freakin christmas break. I guess I just gotta go with the flow.

Have you tried (or do you have the opportunity anytime soon to) get an excessive amount of sleep one particular morning? Best advice I can give, I'm afraid.

You make a very good point billybob. I think I'll try this simple way of getting lucids for a while.

Originally Posted by Clyde Machine

Have you tried (or do you have the opportunity anytime soon to) get an excessive amount of sleep one particular morning? Best advice I can give, I'm afraid.

Yea, on weekends I often get more than enough sleep. I used to be decent at DEILDing (usually 6 at a time if it was a good morning ) but I seem to have lost it. I think it's been about a month since my last LD. I must say I've been disappointed with my last few days too. A whole long weekend, and then I've been sick for a few too so I've gotten to stay home and sleep all I want. I have to say, I'm having a hard time figuring out exactly what I gotta do.

thanks for this list. i don't have much rhyme or reason as to why some dreams are more vivid or crazy than others. but i can sleep in from time to time, and that really helps!

oh yes.
Inducing LD shouldn't be hard or stressing.
It should be fun.
I simplified my practice, and it's so simple that's working!
before, when I tried the complicated method, I became totally frustrated. but now, even if I don't have inmediate success...I'm still motivated! I keep practicing! this is great!

Great post. I began having LDs after I started keeping a dream journal for fun. The journal and getting enough sleep seemed to work pretty well for me. That was many years ago. Of course now after reading LaBerge's book and info on the internet, I have been feeling overwhelmed with the various techniques. I do have a much clearer understanding of it all. But I'm all about going back to a simple approach.

Anyway, thanks for the post! Just what I needed.

Hey Mariano, could you please briefly explain in a nutshell your current successful methods. I'm interested in your progress.

Cheers.

bushi:
I'm currently on day 8 on this simple practice.
this is what I do:

-Training my prospective memory until it becomes perfect(I'm becoming slowly better and better)

-When first going to bed review all my day....

-"If I see one dreamsign I will become lucid, or if I have a bit of awareness then I will become lucid too"(even if I awakened from a dream)

-Visualize my LD

-Fall asleep while being aware of breathing(very easy for me)

-Every time I wake up, review my dreams, and then repeat my night practices (not the reviewing of the day)

and, that's all.

it's easy, I'm starting to sleep lighter, it's always motivating, even if it's a slow process.
that's the good thing, I never lose motivation, I'm always happy with this approach.

pd:I was thinking about adding awareness on breathing during the day, because it's something that's easy for me to do, now that I'm higly motivated.

Sweet cheers mate.

I just started meditating again yesterday. Hopefully this will help me with my concentration after a week.

Then I'll start doing the night practices.

Have you done the kind of mediation night practices before bed?

I have to completely agree with the OP.

Any natural occuring LD I've had in my life I did absolutely nothing to make happen, they just happened.

I've been able to increase my chances anytime by dream recall, dream journals and reality checks.

Although alot of the techniques here I would suggest using just to get an idea about how the mind and dreaming works. They give you some more control and some more answers as to why things are the way they are...

But, to quote Waking Life,

"They say dreaming is dead, no one does it anymore. It's not dead it's just that it's been forgotten, removed from our language. Nobody teaches it so nobody knows it exists. The dreamer is banished to obscurity. Well, I'm trying to change all that, and I hope you are too. By dreaming, every day. Dreaming with our hands and dreaming with our minds. Our planet is facing the greatest problems it's ever faced, ever. So whatever you do, don't be bored, this is absolutely the most exciting time we could have possibly hoped to be alive. And things are just starting"

Thank god for community forums like these eh? Forget forgotten!

thanks man. Thats what I waited for xD