Dreams are vague and foggy, not able to get lucid whatever I do - please help!

[lucid8]

Hello, I have made a few earlier posts but the question I want to ask is this; My dreams are normally quite foggy and incoherent and if I do remember them, they are normally patchy and vague. I have willed myself to become lucid so many times, tried things like doing reality testing throughout my day, immersed myself in thinking about dreaming, lucidity etc. However, I never seem to attain anything close to awareness in my dreams, let alone clear lucidity with control. Even when taking various supplements (including "the lucid dream combo pill" galantamine + choline), the best I have achieved is an unclear dream in which I had brief sleep paralysis and dreamt myself floating up. I took a galatamine + choline pill last night and the only thing it did was make me have a weird sexual dream which wasn't even that vivid in comparison to sex dreams I have had in the past without supplements. What am I doing wrong? Do I just face the possibility that my brain chemistry is not suitable for lucid dreaming or is there something I can do to achieve this. I feel quite despondent about it all .

[Darkmatters]

If you figure it out, then let me know, ok? I'm in the same boat with you. But I USED to be able to make myself lucid, even before I started taking Galantamind. I've had 8 lucids, so I can vouch for th fact that even a person whose dreams are vague and foggy and who can't seem to get lucid even with the Big G (no, I don't men Godzilla! ) can indeed have lucid dreams. I believe my problems actually started when I began using Galantamine - I think I let my concentration slip and began to rely on the pills. Most of my Galantamine dreams these days are like yours - weird and sometimes vivid, but usually not lucid (occasionally they are though). And since then I haven't really gotten myself back up to the sheer concentration on lucidity that I had when I first started out and was reading EtWoLD. I don't know if your problem is the same or not, but in my case I'm sure I'm just not trying hard enough. Actually, let me rephrase that a bit.. To be honest, I think it's more that I just don't want it as bad as I did. Somewhere along the line, for reasons that are hard to explain, I think I became convinced that I actually like regular dreams better than lucid dreams. I know, right? What the hell was I thinking??!!? But I do believe that's my problem. I don't know if this helps you at all - I don't now if it even helps ME! But at least now I think I understand why I'm not having lucid dreams these days. I just need to find a way to change my mind.

[Rudedudeowns]

Well to increase vividness in dreams awareness is the key, it helps a lot the more you notice in your waking life the more you will notice in your dreaming life. Its as simple as that, or try a dream journal , write as most details as posible that you notice in your dreams (colors, words, names,shapes,objects), the more you take note of the more you will notice next time.

[Naiya]

I think that meditation+visualization may help you. For example, sit and stare at a small object, then close your eyes and try to see it accurately in your mind's eye. Try doing this before bed. Mantras may also be helpful-- i.e. "I will have clear, vivid dreams tonight."

[lucid8]

Thanks for all your replies. I will continue doing the reality testing and focus on a small object as recommended by Naiya. I just have a feeling my brain chemistry is not naturally that of a lucid dreamer. Also I feel like it is a bit of a catch 22 in the sense that lucidity and awareness in dreams increases lucidity but even if I will myself to be lucid every night and look at my hands before sleep, my stupid brain forgets about this and I have some weird vague dream which has no relation to my lucid endeavours.

[Arch]

I find my dreams are foggy when I don't fully remember them, especially when I first started out, try keeping a DJ or make the effort to remember them in the morning!