Thread: Im starting to get desperate!

As the title may have already i'm starting to get a little desperate and frustrated... I'm not sure how to move forward from this point i'm at.

A little background though, I remember 2 dreams each night on average (I think that should be good enough, right?) And I've had somewhat lucid experiences before (i think) but clearly im aiming for a lot more. I'm just as interested in my normal dreams than lucid ones just because the plots are so interesting and immersive, I could legit think about one of these dreams all day replaying in my head over and over. Heres my problem though; MILD, FILD and especially WILD haven't worked for me up to this point.

I held out a lot of hope for FILD especially but i feel like i continually mess it up... Whenever i wake up i just can't sit still and i always clear my throat and throw myself off course. I'm not really sure exactly what it is im looking for but a lucid dream is definitely one of them... any help is welcome... im sorta desperate for it at this point lol

Originally Posted by Kxngoliver

Heres my problem though; MILD, FILD and especially WILD haven't worked for me up to this point.

Then do DILD, the most beginner friendly method..
We would require a lot more information to tell you what you're doing wrong and how you can improve, though I'm sure you are far from out of things you can do to increase lucidity, so no need to despair.

i am having problems learning what FILD is.

True, so i may not be at the end of my rope but what makes DILD so easy for beginners?

Btw I like your signature lol... It's not that far off from mine

Are you doing anything to become hyper aware while awake? that is very important, as the increased awareness is what you need to realize you are in a dream.

Are you living in a state of constantly and honestly questioning reality? Do not just RC once in a while by trying to breath with your nose plugged, instead get to where you always analyze the very state of being awake. Look at things and ponder how you can tell that this is waking life. Touch surfaces and wonder how they would be different in a dream. Always have it on your mind that specific things can confirm if you are awake. It is a state of mind, not a couple nose plugs a day.

Finally, you should never give up. If you just do the things I mention and you stick with that for years you will eventually start lucid dreaming. it may happen next week, or many months from now. I know you are excited to get started, but it takes as long as it takes. Giving up is the one way to not get there. Sticking to these steps with sincerity will get you there eventually.

Originally Posted by sivason

Are you doing anything to become hyper aware while awake? that is very important, as the increased awareness is what you need to realize you are in a dream.

Are you living in a state of constantly and honestly questioning reality? Do not just RC once in a while by trying to breath with your nose plugged, instead get to where you always analyze the very state of being awake. Look at things and ponder how you can tell that this is waking life. Touch surfaces and wonder how they would be different in a dream. Always have it on your mind that specific things can confirm if you are awake. It is a state of mind, not a couple nose plugs a day.

Finally, you should never give up. If you just do the things I mention and you stick with that for years you will eventually start lucid dreaming. it may happen next week, or many months from now. I know you are excited to get started, but it takes as long as it takes. Giving up is the one way to not get there. Sticking to these steps with sincerity will get you there eventually.

Add the notion of working hard on dream recall (which I know sivason wholeheartedly promotes in his "LD in 5 sentences" challenge answer), and this deserves to be gilded in platinum and hung in a prominent spot on the site. This, in essence, is it.

*Know* that conscious awareness has different states: the dream state and the waking state, and make it your personal life's mission to distinguish between the two.

And *know* that if you never give up, you *will* achieve it. Some day, something will just "click" and boom, it's party time all night long. (Actually, by living mindfully, you learn to enjoy every conscious/aware moment, and not place your happiness into some vague future place: when you achieve it, it's icing on the cake).

Look forward to the night with severe excitement and anticipation (gab: "to the point where you feel you're going to pee your pants, you're so excited"). Go to bed and declare to yourself, "Let's see what's out there!"



Oh, and read some DJs of awesome dreamers to see what kind of amazing dreams you can have with dedication and effort.

What has been mentioned so far is definitely true, but from things that I experienced and observed, an understanding of yourself and your problems and opportunities regarding the matter helps tremendously. If you feel that you mess up, think about why you mess up or at least think so. Techniques that do wonders for some might do nothing for you, but keep in mind, there's likely gonna be a technique out there which will give you a lot of success, the trick is to find it and apply it correctly.
Think about why it might work for others, but not for you, then understand yourself, and learn how to learn how to become lucid.

As for recall, there's probably still room for improvement, I'd point you at the Dream Recall Compendium, linked in my signature.

Originally Posted by StaySharp

As for recall, there's probably still room for improvement, I'd point you at the Dream Recall Compendium, linked in my signature.

Just to add my experience with recall and where I see it fitting in. First off, no LDs yet after about 6 weeks, and that's okay because right now I'm putting my effort into recall and daily awareness.

As far as recall, I went from a couple of dreams a week to an average of 2.5 dreams a night the first 4 weeks and so far in February I've had 3 nights with 7 & 8 dreams and a several more with 4 & 5 and most of the rest with 2 or 3. I look at this as very important for several reasons.

1) When I do attain lucidity I'm am more likely to recall it.
2) I'm not only recalling more dreams, but also more details of dreams with increased vividness. I'm learning a lot about the territory of my dream reality.
3) I'm compiling statistics on my REM cycles, their timing and where I'm more likely to have the higher quality dreams.

By the way, I find StaySharp's Dream Recall Compendium invaluable!

Have you tried using external cues to signify you are dreaming? I have used music playing on my bedside CD player, which sometimes can become incorporated into the dream. Then you can take notice of it and reality check with it. For me, if I can still hear it after taking my headphones off, that's a good sign you are dreaming.

Do you frequently question whether you are dreaming? You could be dreaming at any moment. You should always wonder...
I'm never sure, so I maintain that skepticism which is carried out in both the wakeful state and dream state. I RC (examine hands) at least four times a day.
It should happen organically.

OP: Which guides and other materials have you read?

Wow, Thanks for all the feedback guys!

To answer your questions though Sivason, I was quite captured by KingYoshi's ADA tutorial and i totally went after it full force and it did yield many results such as increased vividness and a recall boost, but i guess you could also say that i haven't been 100% invested in it lately.. I'm not too sure what happened but i was falling off the technique little by little. Im trying to get back into the technique and renew the original interest i had in it though.

And to StaySharp, funny thing is ive actually skimmed through your guide once already i think but you know everyone is always pushing "new" techniques on the site so usually i tend to dismiss a couple at first glance, If you really beleive it'll help me i will be more than convinced to check it out. thanks for the link btw

and mzzkc- Ive read a couple i even kept up with the dream yoga class up till lesson 5 and it was one of my favorite tutorial/classes offered here. and also KY'ss ADA tutorial a couple of meditation related things and awareness guides

Don't be desperate, instead try to make yourself feel as excited and motivated as possible, so that you actually look forward to having lucid dreams without forcing it.

One thing that I often do when I want to become motivated again is that I pick a relaxing environment in waking life (usually some calm and sunny corridor at my university or something like that) and then just sit somewhere and imagine for myself that waking life is already a lucid dream.
If you try doing this yourself and really imagine waking life as a vivid lucid dream then you will probably start feeling more and more relaxed, and feeling an increasing excitement.
This is what I personally like to think of as "Lucid Living" - playing with the thought that the waking life surroundings are a dream.
I find this to be an incredibly effective way to meditate and relax, and also become excited and "lucid" at the same time.
I suggest that you try this, you will almost by instinct start to treat your waking life surroundings as a dream and become naturally excited and curious about everything.
Then just take a walk for a while and really experience all surroundings with all your senses, and keep pretending for yourself that you are moving around in a lucid dream.

I don't have a lot of experience, but one thing I do that really helps me with lucidity is this (and I can't say this enough!):

READ, READ, READ!

I always get lucid when I saturate my mind by reading everything I can on lucidity...right here on Dreamviews. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but all of this information will seep into your subconscious eventually. Another small tidbit of advise...stay positive. I know your desperate (we all have been there and sometimes continue to go there...me), but as you stated earlier, desperation leads to frustration which leads to having NON-LUCIDS.

You can do it...I am rooting for you!
One Love.