I'm really excited to join this class. I'm a 39 year old woman, married with two cats and a dog. I've had a couple of lucid dreams a year my who life and consider them some of my peak experiences. About 5 months ago I decided to learn more about them and try to induce them. It took me about 3 weeks to induce my first one. Since then I've had an average of 2 a week which I'm thrilled about! At first they lasted only a few seconds but they have gotten longer. I've had a few last 20 plus minutes and they average 5-6 mins. When I remember to stabilize by rubbing my hands, spinning, and falling these techniques do help. I'm an agnostic and am interested in the spiritual aspect of dreaming (and life) without getting religious or too new agey. I keep an open mind and am fascinated by waking and dreaming reality.

Techniques: I use WBTB staying up for about 15 mins and doing the MILD technique. I also do occasional reality checks and read a lot about LDs. I use galantamine with choline a couple of times a week as well which I find helpful. I've tried the WILD technique about 10 times. It worked the second time I tried it but since then I've just fallen asleep.

Experiments: I usually have an experiment or goal lined up ahead of time and almost always remember them. Things I've done/tried...
Asked the dream how I could be happier...no answer
Asked it to show me something amazing...hit by a wall of ecstatic feeling
Asked all DCs that are part of me to disappear....they stayed then became sexual
Asked the dream to show me a truth...a DC hugged me and told me I'm the earth, moon, and stars
Summoned my dog
Breathed under water
Walked through walls with and without success
Looked for an attractive man to have sex with...found one on a few occasions but the face would become really odd as I looked at him
Flew and floated many times and with ease
Ate frosting, tasted smelled grass and gravel...almost no sense of smell or taste
Various other things

Goals:
Lucid dream more often and have them last longer
Visit dream locales I've dreamed of before
Ask recurring dream symbols or characters what they mean (whales, snakes, the ocean, houses, buses etc.)
Ask my subconscious meaningful questions about life and the nature of reality
Summon friends or pets
Ask for art ideas or to hear music
Develop my sense of taste and smell
Meditate
Meet a recurring character
Explore without waking up

Tonight I will try to visit a previously dreamed of locale, the beach. I will ask to speak with a whale and ask why I dream of whales so often. If I become lucid, hopefully I'll be able to stabilize the dream and bring it back if I lose it (usually rub my shirt).

I'm excited to hear any feedback about ways to stabilize or bring the dream back when your vision fades. I'm also curious about how to visit certain locales. I've done it once with success by stating the scene would be beyond this wall and it was. I'll try that again next time. I'm also
curious why my sense of taste and smell are absent.