Thread: Elaol's DILD Workbook

^Agreed

Originally Posted by Elaol

What are your advice in synchronising your life with your lucid dreaming practice? I'm having hard time finding that balance. When I have a lot on my mind, I just forget about lucid dreaming.

Mindfulness like FM said here and/or elsewhere has many waking life benefits so it is great to keep working on that, even if you can't do it much on a particular day. We also recommend to find a practice(s) that you enjoy more than the others and keep that going at times when your waking life is super busy by setting random reminders. At the busiest of times you can put in strong nighttime efforts during weekends or days off. To be honest, I am at a stage where my day work is very minimal (some of it runs in the background with little thought perhaps) and I put most of my effort into WBTB with MILD. I recognize that the quality and the length of my LD's are strengthened by putting in a little more day work though and will periodically say okay today I want to focus a little because I really love those highly present dreams and highly aware lucid dreams.

It is better to slow down a little bit if you feel like you are getting to a place where you might feel burned out by putting in too much effort. Slowing down but not stopping will allow you to progress, even if it is more slowly…that is okay! Getting burned out and stopping altogether is what you want to avoid. We see it all the time and people start over months or years later as the try to remember what was working for them.

Happy dreams!

^^ Yes! Finding a practice that you enjoy is probably most important -- if you enjoy it, you'll keep doing it, and consistency is most important for progress.

Wow, you guys are awesome, I feel much better. Next week I am buying Kindle and Dream Yoga book

I had an epiphany about GRC couple days ago. I think it is much easier than the practice I was doing. I would love if I could transform my yoga sessions into some LD practice. I mean, the awareness during the practice is beneficial by itself, but I would like to transform it into yoga induced LD. I just don't have an idea how to do it

FM, you mentioned in a comment about concentration meditation that it is very useful for WILDing. What did you mean by that? Can you clarify further?

Concentration meditation: Samatha meditation, meditation on an object: your breath (most common), an external image or object (sometimes called zhine meditation in the Tibetan tradition). p.s. if you already have a tablet (like an ipad) you can download for free the kindle app. But if you don't have one, a kindle is a good investment, there are lots of LD and meditation/mindfulness books available on amazon for kindle/ebook.

Originally Posted by FryingMan

Concentration meditation: Samatha meditation, meditation on an object: your breath (most common), an external image or object (sometimes called zhine meditation in the Tibetan tradition). p.s. if you already have a tablet (like an ipad) you can download for free the kindle app. But if you don't have one, a kindle is a good investment, there are lots of LD and meditation/mindfulness books available on amazon for kindle/ebook.

I know, but I like reading at night, and you know the blue light curse

I don't think we understood each other. I meant how to use skills you acquire at concentration meditation to WILD? I know WILD means passive awareness, I was thinking concentration meditation means active awareness. So I am a bit confused

Got it. WILD requires you holding your mind very still. In order to make progress towards falling asleep, one must be good at quieting the inner voice (monkey mind) and keeping it quiet. At the same time, you do not want to become lax and lose awareness altogether and fall asleep unconsciously. WILD basically *is* meditation, with the twist that you allow yourself to fall asleep.

Originally Posted by FryingMan

Got it. WILD requires you holding your mind very still. In order to make progress towards falling asleep, one must be good at quieting the inner voice (monkey mind) and keeping it quiet. At the same time, you do not want to become lax and lose awareness altogether and fall asleep unconsciously. WILD basically *is* meditation, with the twist that you allow yourself to fall asleep.

I see, so basically I use concentration meditation until I fall asleep. Nice I think that would give good results when used with WBTB

Today I have been working on GRC, but I cannot report much progress. I just lost motivation to do it. I don't know why has that happened since I was having awesome results. Tomorrow I will buy the Dream yoga book. I just don't know if I am going to buy Kindle version or paperback. I would really love to get interested in GRC again. I'll read Azul's and Hukif's tutorials once more.

Now I am going to read The Mind Illuminated and then do yoga

See you soon

Originally Posted by Elaol

Today I have been working on GRC, but I cannot report much progress. I just lost motivation to do it. I don't know why has that happened since I was having awesome results.

One thing that helps me is to go back and review my favorite lucid dreams. Similarly you can read other's dream journals. Many people find Hyu's dream journal motivating: Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views - Hyu's Adventures - Dream Journals

Originally Posted by fogelbise

One thing that helps me is to go back and review my favorite lucid dreams. Similarly you can read other's dream journals. Many people find Hyu's dream journal motivating: Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views - Hyu's Adventures - Dream Journals

Thanks fogelbise, Hyu's journal is really amazing. I love the idea of persistent characters, I would like to have one or two as well

I have something to report you guys

I had lucid last night. It was triggered by other dream. In the first dream, I was dreaming I was on an education. Because of that I missed another education. In my next dream, I was on the missed education, so I thought this can't be, since I have already missed it. So, I exited the class. The educator came after me, and I just imagined a concrete wall instead of the door I just went through. It appeared. It was awesome I tried stabilizing, but I did it sloppily, and I woke up, by opening my left eye IRL xD

Notes:
1. I was lucid without any day or night work. Seems I am getting used to the state of LD
2. I didn't work on fundamentals. Can that be the reason my dream was lesser quality than my others, thus I awoke quickly?

And also The Mind illuminated is awesome, a must read for any meditator, I love it so much

Congrats on the lucid!

Originally Posted by Elaol

Notes:
1. I was lucid without any day or night work. Seems I am getting used to the state of LD
2. I didn't work on fundamentals. Can that be the reason my dream was lesser quality than my others, thus I awoke quickly?

Lucid dreaming practice doesn't wear off in half a day . It is the slow, gradual transformation of your brain, into one that operates in the lucid mode more readily, and for longer. You don't see instant results the same day, or the next, but eventually, over time (we talk of months and years, not days or weeks), all that work and that transformed awareness begins to manifest in your dreams (and waking life!).

So you *did* have day and night work: every day you've practiced lucid dreaming training up to now has contributed to your results last night, not just what you did earlier that day.

Thanks FM, that makes a lot of sense! :-)

Just a quick note since it's part eleven. I did great on grc front. I'm definitely getting better.
Didn't do yoga this evening

Hey guys, I had so awesome dreams last night. Not lucids, but whatever

Today was a good day. I did GRC a lot, I think I am getting back to the right track.

I bought essential oil burner and lavender oil, I am enjoying in the scent, it is so relaxing. I want to meditate while the room smells of lavender.

I am reading further into The Mind Illuminated and I love it more and more. I can see how that can be applied to the LD practice, not just for WILDs, but for DILDs as well. Any technique, actually. But it is a long journey ahead of me

Now I am going to finish the chapter and do yoga.

My weekend is filled with classes, so I will get some rest today.

Have wonderful dreams

I missed the last day. Crap

Anyways , for day 43 I did GRC during the day, and I skipped yoga during the night.

For day 44, I have one thing to note (I will write about techniques in the evening)

I had 2 dreams in last 4 days (I think) that included me thinking about LDing. In the first dream, I was thinking how creating protective shield around me was good practice for dream control when I become lucid. In the second dream, I used my mind to make room bigger, I didn't think about LDing, but I did some dream control stuff. These dreams were not lucid. What the hell is going on?

I'm really sad for those two missed opportunities.

On the contrary, you should be very pleased, because dreaming *of* lucid dreaming is a sure sign that a lucid dream is just around the corner!

Just perhaps work in to your reflection/vigilance that the subject of dreaming coming to your mind is a prime time to perform an RC!

Thanks FM, I really hope I will have lucid dream tonight.

I definitely need some work on fundamentals. Next month, I will start dream yoga practice. I lost motivation for GRC, I hope I will not develop method-changing-syndrome

Today's GRC 3/10
Yoga 0/10

I think there's nothing wrong with looking around and trying different things. Everything you do and learn changes you. That's why it's great to re-read your favorite LD literature from time to time, you keep discovering new things and re-discovering thing you've perhaps forgotten. You have to enjoy the practice, if you don't, it will fall away eventually. That's why I recommend a practice that has benefits beyond just lucid dreaming (e.g., mindfulness).

You are doing very well Elaol. Be proud of that and know that you will be able to expand your achievements tremendously over time by keeping up your efforts, making adjustments and including practices that you enjoy. I agree with FM that those dreams of lucid dreaming are a very good sign.

Originally Posted by Elaol

In the first dream, I was thinking how creating protective shield around me was good practice for dream control when I become lucid.

This could be an important clue given to you from your mind and could be a great way to maintain lucidity and lengthen lucid dreams. Because it came to you in a dream it could be very effective for you. Just believing that it will be effective could prove to be very powerful!

Thanks for responses. I agree with you guys about enjoying the techniques. I can't wait to read Dream yoga. Those are techniques monks use, right?

Today i played a bit with GRC, and I am going to do yoga and try meditations from The Mind Illuminated. I will post if it affects my dreams.

Have wonderful (and hopefully, lucid) dreams

Originally Posted by Elaol

I can't wait to read Dream yoga. Those are techniques monks use, right?

Yes!

Hahahahah FM, short and precise, I love it Thanks for answering.

Today I bought Dream yoga, I will start to read it tomorrow

I had awesome recall last night, mostly short dreams, few sentence each, but there were a lot of them.

I meditated last night, it was pretty hard to sit for 20 minutes, but I was proud of my success I did pretty good. Idk if the recall is from GRC, yoga, meditation, something else... Probably a mixture of those things

Today I was at home mostly, I did some GRC, but not much. I will skip yoga tonight and go straight to meditation. I hope I will have lucid soon

Another lucid todaaaaay Maybe a lucid nightmare.... I'll let you decide

Spoiler for Lucid Nightmare?:

I'll skip to the lucid AHA moment. The dream lasted for good 10 minutes before the following part. I am looking at the mailbox. There is some mail inside. I open it, but when I close it, I see the door of the mailbox is different. I realize it is a dream. I look around and find my mom's keychain. It is in shape of little blue bag. I look at it (to stabilize) and realize my vision is becoming blurry. I squeeze it in front of my ear and the dream becomes more stable. Near me there is one woman in her late 40's. She has ginger hair. I step away from her (starting to loose lucidity), but she teleports behind me and unzips the zipper on my hoodie.I turn around and look at her. Fear is starting go increase (semi-lucid at this moment). I want to get away from her. The "camera" is shifting to 3rd person and I see myself running away from her. I decide to wake up

Things to note:
1. Is it common that stabilization works better for some senses than the others? I am auditory type, which means I rarely see pictures during reading, I hear the characters talk, I learn better by listening to someone, etc. So it is obvious that I stabilize by listening. Is this making sense?
2. I was really afraid of this woman. I hope it won't show up in all my dreams, like Hyu's dream guide who turned evil.
3. What are your advice on increasing the quality of my dreams? I would really like to be fully lucid and do fun stuff. I know most if not all of the stuff on the forums, I know stabilization techniques, memory tricks, etc. What else can you suggest me?
4. Is it possible that meditation (which I have been doing for the last two days) has influenced on me becoming lucid

Today I was doing GRC, I won't do yoga, and I am going to meditate right now

See you tomorrow

Originally Posted by Elaol

Things to note:
1. Is it common that stabilization works better for some senses than the others? I am auditory type, which means I rarely see pictures during reading, I hear the characters talk, I learn better by listening to someone, etc. So it is obvious that I stabilize by listening. Is this making sense?

Sure, everyone experiences phenomena differently. As Sensei says, we should each of us concentrate on our strengths.

3. What are your advice on increasing the quality of my dreams?

Increase the quality of all life experience. For all experience, the recipe is the same: pay attention, reflect, recall. Our dreaming selves are our waking selves, just muted by impaired access to memory and a layer of fog on our awareness. If you become a person who consistently lives in the present moment with awareness and attention (with a nod towards recognizing the dream state, bringing in reflection and memory), without regretting the past or fearing the future, wherever that present moment may be (waking or dreaming), that should be all that's required.

I would really like to be fully lucid and do fun stuff. I know most if not all of the stuff on the forums, I know stabilization techniques, memory tricks, etc. What else can you suggest me?

If you want to be fully lucid and do fun stuff in dreams, then I suggest working on being fully lucid and doing fun stuff in waking life. Also, visualize the kinds of dreams you want to have, and spend time building up a set of go-to goals that you can immediately start working on in dreams without having to work hard to remember them. There is knowing, and there is doing. At some point I realized I had spent large amount of time slurping up knowledge, and little time applying it. The point of learning is to eventually start doing. So formulate a plan, and adjust your balance of time more towards practice than research...and do it!

4. Is it possible that meditation (which I have been doing for the last two days) has influenced on me becoming lucid

Of course it has, in some very small way. Just like everything you've done up to today also influenced last night. It's the sum-total of who you are now. Change comes slowly, though, so be persistent, patient, and dedicated in your practice.

Thanks FM, very informative post. I will try stabilization by listening next time. I have also spent a lot of time learning, but I didn't have lucids at that point so I used that time effectively. I have made myself flashcards with goals. Each has 4 goals: stabilization, lucidity-improving, learning something new, and fun. Those are all short-term goals, ready for fulfilling

Seems that everything LD related is connected to Awareness, Reflection and Recall. That makes it easy to focus on those aspects and by doing that improving number/quality of lucid dreams.

Today I did a bit GRC, and now I am going to meditate. My back hurts so much during meditation, I will try to relieve it somehow. Now I will read Dream yoga and then meditation, perhaps even a bit of yoga