Thread: Hello Everyone!

First let me start out by saying, I have never had a lucid dream. I have a ton of dreams, though, all of which are very strange.

Lately I've been interested in learning to lucid dream. My very first attempt at lucid dreaming wasn't a complete failure, I guess, as I experienced sleep paralysis for the first time. I was attempting the FILD method after waking up early in the morning. I could literally feel myself consciously drifting into another state. I heard my name called...I still don't know if my girlfriend actually said my name or if it was just a part of the experience...she doesn't seem to remember whether or not she said it either. Either way, when I heard my name, I tried to wake up and I couldn't move a muscle. It felt like I was awake and asleep at the same time, but I couldn't see or move at all. It was actually pretty freaky.

Anyways, for the past two weeks as soon as I wake up in the morning I have been immediately writing down any dreams that I have. I was told that this would help with dream recall, which is important for lucid dreaming.

Any tips or tricks that may help me get started? I can also post some of my dreams if anyone is interested.

Thanks in advance!

Hello! It sounds like you're on the right track!

Next time you find that you're in that "awake and asleep" in-between state, try moving in an unnatural way, like sliding sideways or levitating vertically or rotating in either direction. Sometimes that's the best way to get the "dream body" (sorry, don't have a better word for this) used to working independently -- if you try to move in a more natural way you risk breaking SP.

Definitely journaling is a big factor in improving your recall! I keep a very detailed private journal and occasionally post relevant dreams to this forum. I can say with certainty that once I started writing my dreams down regularly, they got a lot more interesting, even the non-lucid ones!

Originally Posted by Verre

Hello! It sounds like you're on the right track!

Next time you find that you're in that "awake and asleep" in-between state, try moving in an unnatural way, like sliding sideways or levitating vertically or rotating in either direction. Sometimes that's the best way to get the "dream body" (sorry, don't have a better word for this) used to working independently -- if you try to move in a more natural way you risk breaking SP.

Definitely journaling is a big factor in improving your recall! I keep a very detailed private journal and occasionally post relevant dreams to this forum. I can say with certainty that once I started writing my dreams down regularly, they got a lot more interesting, even the non-lucid ones!

Yeah. Ever since I started keeping a log of my dreams, I have a much easier time remembering them. I used to only remember basic things, now I remember every little detail.

In regards to the sleep paralysis...are you saying that was the initial stage of a lucid dream? If I experience it again I should just try and focus on being aware of the state?

Originally Posted by TheLastOneDead

Yeah. Ever since I started keeping a log of my dreams, I have a much easier time remembering them. I used to only remember basic things, now I remember every little detail.

In regards to the sleep paralysis...are you saying that was the initial stage of a lucid dream? If I experience it again I should just try and focus on being aware of the state?

For the record, I've noticed that "sleep paralysis" is a somewhat controversial term around here, because in addition to the ordinary sleep paralysis that most people (those who don't sleepwalk, anyway) experience every night--more technically, "REM atonia"-- there is a pathologized use of the same term referring to a state where people become consciously aware of their SP and typically freak out (if they aren't lucid dreamers). But I still prefer to use "sleep paralysis" for the ordinary condition, because "REM atonia" is a mouthful and there's no convenient acronym.

But yes, if you ever do become aware of those liminal sensations between sleeping and waking, it can't hurt to try to slide or roll out of bed, taking care not to accidentally move your real body and break SP. This is how most of my WILDs begin. I understand that not everyone's WILDs start this way: some are able to enter dream imagery directly from the hypnagogic state, but I usually find myself simply "getting up" out of bed into a dream version of my house. I wouldn't focus too much on the sensations themselves; they're a means, not an end. If you get too excited it can wake you up, so just treat the SP sensations as a neutral signal that you might be ready to work on the transition. Don't rush it!

Often when I enter this liminal state it can be hard to tell if I'm physically moving or not, which is why I find that it helps to try to move in deliberately unnatural ways -- if it works then you can be confident that you are dreaming. Sometimes even after you've transitioned, the REM state might not be fully established at first so it can take a bit of work to stabilize and gain traction with your dream-senses. Early in my WILDs I often find myself crawling on the floor because I can't walk properly yet, or struggling to see in an environment that still seems dark. Ordinary stabilization exercises are useful here.