Thread: Totally new at this, but I'll give it my best shot!

So basically to introduce myself, I'm Nick, I'm 15 and I'm from the UK.

For quite a while now I have been really interested in things like this, the idea of controlling your dreams is just irresistable. I am fully aware that it will take a lot of practice, persistence and patience but I am well up for it.

I have been browsing around the internet for a few hours now and so far this website appears to be the most useful.

I have been reading through some threads and read a lot on the main website and I think I have a general idea of what to do next.

- I am planning to drink a lot of water before I go to sleep.

- Then I wake up during an REM cycle and write down my dream(s) in my Dream Journal before going to the bathroom

- Then I copy up my dream to this forum (I have so enjoyed reading other people's, especially Ninja's)

I think that is about right so far but what I am really struggling to understand is how on Earth I'm supposed to recognise these dream signs. I mean it's all very well looking over my journal and then noticing what my dream sign may be but how am I supposed to ever realize when I'm in a dream? I thought the whole point of a dream is that you're in a world where anything is possible, therefore you will accept everything as the norm despite how crazy it may be. So am I supposed to wake myself up or something I'm very confused at what to do at this point. shock:

Welcome.

I'am relativly new also. this website has helped me a great deal.

Still haven't had a lucid but its helped me remember my dreams.

Good Luck with the dreaming.

Welcome to Dream Views! I just commented on your other post about the dream sign issue. Basically, every-time you see it, or experience your dream sign, you need to do a reality check. In order to do this, you must visualize yourself in a dream, performing your reality check with your dream sign. Hope that helps!

Originally Posted by Barbizzle

In order to do this, you must visualize yourself in a dream, performing your reality check with your dream sign. Hope that helps!

So basically right now as I'm awake imagine myself doing the RC as I am falling? What should I do for my RC like pinch myself of something?

Wow, this is all so exciting!

You seem very experienced, how have your LD been, what do you do in them like fly or what?

Right now, or before you go to bed, just all the time , picture yourself performing an RC as you are falling/ My personal fav is the basic /putting your finger through the hand/ RC. it works well.

My LDs have been so much fun I do not fly that much, but I LOVE to explore strange ancient ruins and stuff like that. In my LDs, i just walk around and try to stretch my conciseness around the whole visible universe. I mean, in our dreams, we ARE everything, even sounds and colors and wind. I spend my time trying to be everything I see and hear and sense at the same time. But sometimes I just like to fly around or explore for fun too

So what am I supposed to expect in a dream if I do it? What tells me that it is a dream? That the hands go through each other or something?

Originally Posted by Bing

- I am planning to drink a lot of water before I go to sleep.

Why not use an alarm instead? Of course, drinking water is healthy, but why the extra effort?

Originally Posted by Bing

- Then I wake up during an REM cycle and write down my dream(s) in my Dream Journal before going to the bathroom

Hah, we'll see if you can manage that. I hope you are a very fast writer. You may also feel tempted to leave out details. For me it takes about half an hour writing down dreams. I wouldn't want to do that having a strong urge.

Originally Posted by Bing

I think that is about right so far but what I am really struggling to understand is how on Earth I'm supposed to recognise these dream signs.

By analyzing what you wrote down of course. You need to find and memorize regular aberrations from waking life. Don't expect too much from that though. Just look at this thread: http://www.dreamviews.com/community/...ad.php?t=67771 As you see, a pink elephant could stand right in front of you singing an operetta and you wouldn't notice that you're dreaming. It may work sometimes, but usually it fails more often than not.

There are effective methods you've been missing so far:
1. prospective memory (as used in MILD)
2. regular challenge of reality ("Is this a dream now?") until it becomes a habit + doing reality checks
3. Sleeping schedule (total sleeping time; when to apply methods, etc.)

That seems to work best for most people and requires you to train special skills.

And of course there's WILD. I wouldn't start with that though, unless you have a really good reason.

Thanks Barbizzle. That actually helped me alot.
I was wondering how to do an RC in a dream too.
I have had a lucid dream once but i didnt know it was an "art"

This website is amazing. I cannot wait to fly around the universe inside my head.

Dream Journals are awesome for dream recall. It's really helpful in recognizing the differances from the waking world to the dream world. However if you just spend some time each morning when you wake up, or when you wake up in the night just thinking about the dream you just had, keeping it in your memory, you can get a basic version going with dream recall.

If you just keep asking yourself off and on throughout the day, "Am I dreaming?" (then do the finger through the hand thing or whatever suits), your subconcious will start picking that up and sticking the pattern in your dreams.

"Waking up" in a dream isn't quite like hitting the sound barrier, but you'll experience some shock and awe at the vivid reality that your mind is putting in front of you. Just try and relax when it does happen so you can make it last. (Alot of folks wake themselves up from getting too excited, like me >.<)

I started in around May 2008. Reality Checks are the way to start in my opinion...I started a dream journal and read about lucids on this and other sites . But the biggest thing is I did hand check where I looked at my hands as many times as I could remember a day asking myself is this a dream.

I think it was about three weeks when I finally asked myself in a dream "is this a dream" and before I even looked at my hands I knew it was. That first moment of being aware in a dream is totally worth the effort and patience. I was lucid for about 3 minutes, flew, transported and walked through a door. It was amazing.

So, my advice do many, many reality checks and get your dream recall up and eventually out of habit you will do one in a dream and BAM you'll have your first lucid.