Hello

Hi everyone, I'm very new to the whole lucid dreaming thing, but I've been hitting the dream recall and reality check stuff pretty hard for about a week or two. I've gotten to the point where I can remember at least one dream every night, sometimes up to 3 or 4. Last night I had a dream where I was telling all my friends about lucid dreaming! I was surprised when I woke up that it hadn't triggered me questioning whether or not it was a dream in the dream. but I thought maybe it might be a small step in the right direction ....? what do you experts think? any tips? any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Lodestone

What's up, Lodestone? Welcome to DV.

I suggest the Wake-Back-to-Bed method. Wake up a little while earlier than you normally do. About two hours or so. Stay up for about maybe a half hour, doing something dream related. (Maybe even come to Dream Views. :wink:) Then go back to sleep for about another 2 hours or so, setting in your mind the intention to realize when you are dreaming, by looking for strange occurences, as you're lying down to fall asleep again.

A technique to add to that, if you want, is to prop one arm up on its elbow. You try to keep the hand in the air and stay conscious while your body is trying to go back to sleep. Keep your focus on staying "awake" to support your arm. Once your body wins over and you finally fall asleep, you should still be "awake" because of your intention to remain aware, to hold your arm up, thus being aware enough to realize when you are experiencing a dream.

Hope this helps. :cooler:

[Edit= Also, if you haven't already, I'd suggest starting a dream journal to help log your experiences. Keeping track of dream signs is definitely going to help you out, along the way. If you have any other questions, just PM one of us Dream Guides (those of us with the green stars) and we'll help out any way we can.

L8er.]

Wow thank you for all the help! I'm definitely going to try those things. I'll keep you posted!

Lodestone

No problem. Good luck. :goodjob2:

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A technique to add to that, if you want, is to prop one arm up on its elbow. You try to keep the hand in the air and stay conscious while your body is trying to go back to sleep. Keep your focus on staying "awake" to support your arm. Once your body wins over and you finally fall asleep, you should still be "awake" because of your intention to remain aware, to hold your arm up, thus being aware enough to realize when you are experiencing a dream.[/b]

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i have never ever heard that heard of that technique before it sounds like it woudl be really tough to fall asleep while keeping your arm up the way you said, but i guess its worth a shot. have you ever successfully done it before?

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Originally Posted by Lodestone25

Wow thank you for all the help! I'm definitely going to try those things. I'll keep you posted!

Lodestone
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Also during the day make it a habbit to do RC's (reality checks). Ask yourself, "am i dreaming?" and then perform whatever reality check you choose, whether its plugging your nose, and tryin to breathe in through your nose, (if you're dreaming, you'll be able to breathe), or trying to stick your finger through the palm of your other hand. Do it every time you walk through a doorway, or every time you look at a clock, do the clock RC technique. Make it so its a habbit, and so when youre in a dream, if you go through a doorway, or look at a clock, chances of it triggering an RC are more likely.

To help lucid dreams become more vivid, focus on your senses during the day. Notice shapes of things, sounds in the environment youre in. The feel of certain objects, or any object. FYI, this is coming from someone who hasnt had any proper LD's, but i have had 1 that lasted a very short time, and ive only been practicing for maybe 3 days. The technique i used is different than the holding your arm up technique.

I've read on these forums about the FILD technique, or finger induced lucid dream (now named HILD i believe, after the person who posted the technique). Just last night i woke up in the early hours of the morning, a good 4 or 5 hours into my sleep, so chances are i had reached a REM cycle. I was dead tired and decided to do the FILd technique. Before i know it i do a RC and find out im lucid, but it only lasts a few seconds before everything seems normal and i dont remember what happens (if anything did). Anyway, heres the FILD technique in detail.
http://www.dreamviews.com/forum/inde...showtopic=5270
hope this helps. enjoy and good luck :yumdumdoodledum:

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Originally Posted by Casualtie

i have never ever heard that heard of that technique before it sounds like it woudl be really tough to fall asleep while keeping your arm up the way you said, but i guess its worth a shot. have you ever successfully done it before?
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Yup, my last two lucids (within the last two weeks or so) have been because of this method, and I've used it enough times in the past to know it works for me. :content:

The concept is to hold your hand straight up in the air, so that it's able to balance on your elbow, with minimal effort on your part. When you feel your arm start to fall, simply adjust it so that it stands straight up again. Eventually, you will fall asleep. Your arm will fall and your mind will still be trying to hold it up. :cooler:

I think it was in LaBerge's Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming, but I'm not exactly sure if that's where I first heard of it.

should i keep my wrist limp or should i try to keep that up too. i just tried it sitting here to balance my elbow, but with my wrist "tense" i feel like i'm using too many muscles, but when it is limp its pretty hard to balance.

Hmmm. Now that I think about it, (just tried it on the desk. I've never paid any attention to it before) my hand just kinda "sits there" when I let it rest with my wrist straight up, fingers curled and relzxed. The only strain you should feel at all should probably been on your elbow alone, as the rest of your joints kinda sit on each other, when your forearm is straight up.

Hey that might actually work. Though I wonder what its like to close your eyes -.-..... be awake then your body sleeps while you are aware.

Welcome to the forum Lodestone. I hope you find everything that you're looking for! :)

Last night I actually realized I was in a dream during the dream! I was sitting there talking to three of my friends and I realized it was a dream when I noticed I was holding a really expensive video camera that there is no way I could ever afford to own. I did a RC (plug nose and breathe) and it worked! I was so excited i woke up about 2 seconds later. is there anything I can do to stay asleep?

Thanks again for all the help!

Lodestone

I'm prolly not the one to talk to cause I've had that happen 4 times in the last week but the most important thing is to keep yourself calm. Getting too excited will wake you up.