Noob's question: Is there really anything that works better than stick-with-it-ness?

**gloriousbattle** · 05-19-2012 05:49 PM

Noob's question: Is there really anything that works better than stick-with-it-ness?

I have only been at this four about two months. During that time, i have managed to initiate two lucid dreams, and maybe a half dozen or so strange dreaming experiences that I would not exactly call lucid. I have also read several books, and watched loads of youtube vids on the subject, done reality checks multiple times daily, etc.

My experiences generally:

There does not seem to be a lot of conventional wisdom about this, and many people say contradictory things.

For example, regarding WILDs, there are some who say that you do not scratch itches or adjust your body for pains that crop up, because, if you absolutely don't move, the body is fooled into thinking it is in sleep paralysis. Others say scratch or adjust as you like.

For another, some say that sleep aids (soporific drugs) are helpful, others say stay away from them altogether. Personally, the two voluntary lucid dreams I have had were one of each: one under a soporific and one not.

The one piece of received wisdom that does seem pretty universal is the dream journal, but isn't that really just a form of concentration on the lucid dreaming itself? You write it down, you read it over, and this just results in your spending that much more time concentrating on it.

Anyway, I guess my question is this: Since there don't really seem to be any rules (or at least not a lot of universal ones), but lots of people can voluntarily lucid dream, is it likely that it is simply the intent and desire and concentration on lucid dreaming in waking life that are what is really causing it to happen?

**SilverJay** · 05-19-2012 10:44 PM

For itches and swallowing, see: http://www.dreamviews.com/f12/someth...35/#post520297

Besides trying different methods, and ADA (All Day Awareness), the rate of Lucidity only increases with dedication and practice. Take Naiya for example, she started at my age, and several years later, she only has about 1 or 2 non-lucids a month. The desire to lucid dream=practice.

Currently, there's no machine to make you instantly-lucid. (Dangit.

)

Dream Recall, the dream journal, do focus on dream concentration. Look at it this way, your dreams may have common recurring elements that show that it's a dream, and can be noticed through practiced dream recall. Humor me for a moment.

The Point of Dream Recall

Let's say in your dreams you commonly see a pink flamingo hat. (Silly, yes, I know.) When you woke up, without nice dream recall, you wouldn't remember this key detail. Of course it wouldn't show up in every dream, as all are different, but it could still be used as a sign. Also, let's say you do remember it on occassion. If you didn't write this down in a dream journal, then you wouldn't notice this fact is recurring. What I'm stressing is that, over time, you'll pick up on more details that, in dreams you would expect as normal, but in reality you would obviously know. These techniques help you identify what it's like when you're dreaming.

This falls along the same idea as All-Day-Awareness, or ADA. The concept of this is that you'll take time out of the day, whenever is possible, and soak in your surroundings. Interrogate the room, question every living detailof the room. Question reality for a moment. Notice details you haven't before. While you were reading these past few sentences, did you take your blinking for granted? Did you notice the air flowing through your windpipe? Or when you're walking, the muscles used in your legs? How your hands act as weights with your motion? Small details like this we overlook, because we're constantly in auto-pilot mode. The point of awareness is to get out of this state, and practice it daily.
This, like RC (Reality Checks) will overflow into your dreams, producing WILDS.

Now, after all this, implementing practice of common techniques, or just practicing different WILD techniques, or mainly experience with all, will identify what works best for you. You'll get better with time, as did Naiya.

Good Luck!

**gloriousbattle** · 05-19-2012 11:29 PM

Again, thanks for all the help, Jay. I am going to do one final topic today, perhaps somewhat more oddball than this. Hopefully, you'll chime in there too.