Just thought I'd introduce myself.

My name's Stephen Wicklund, I'm 16 and I'm trying to learn how to have lucid dreams more frequently. I've had about 10 in all, and so far all but one of them have been DILD's (though some of them have been very close to WILD's--where I black out, while trying to WILD, a few minutes before I actually become lucid. (I know because I look at the clock soon before and after))

I think lucid dreaming is extremely fun, and freeing. My very first lucid dream started with me opening up my window, "falling out", and then flying above my back yard. And it feels just like we all imagine it would, except so real.

Anyway, I've been trying for a few weeks now to improve my technique. So far, by waking up for an hour or two, then going back to sleep just thinking about lucid dreaming, I have about a 33% chance of having a lucid dream. But I want to raise this, and find faster methods, because currently it takes about 3 hours of time invested for each lucid dream. (it takes about 50 mins for me to fall asleep, and I have about a 1/3 chance of success each time)

I've tried visualization and tactile methods, as well as mantra's to repeat, which haven't so far been working very well for me. The mantra let me get one WILD, (which was awesome, cause I stayed conscious as I fell asleep, and heard sounds around me and stuff), and the tactile method has gotten me into sleep paralysis with tactile sensations and visual sensations (as well as one undesirable situation where I couldn't move, with my face up against the pillow, and I couldn't control my breathing, and had "air hunger" that I couldn't get rid of that was stressing me)

So I hope that getting to read through this forum will help me find ways to become more efficient.

Also, I really want to make my dreams last longer. Right now, they tend to only last about 3 minutes, just enough for me to try a thing or two out before I wake up again. So I really, really need to find a way to stabilize my dreams better. (the rubbing hands method has saved me a couple of times, but I'm still not staying asleep long enough because I usually wake up to fast; and the spinning technique doesn't work, at least not yet--by the time I remember, by body is already too far gone for me to spin it.)

Anyhow, I'm looking forward to this, asking questions, and hopefully, eventually, becoming able to lucid dream at will!

P.S. Is this a realistic goal, or do only a few people ever get to this point?