Hello Lucid Dreamer's, Today I receive my ND and I very exited!I have a couple LD in past one year but,very short.I hope that the ND will much help.I will try it tonight.

P.S.Last night I have very interesting dream.I was dreaming that I looking right into my ND,but,now I think something.Why I dont say "What is this for?"(and normaly,recognize that I dreaming) No matter,I expect more success with ND!

regards to all Special thanks to Nathen Lockhart cale

Dear Aleksandar,

Good luck with your LDs and the ND.

I have a ND, I used it a few times, I see it signaling me in my dreams but I didn't put it in my head to do a RC on every light I see, so I don't get lucid with it. I have LDs but not form the ND. I am now doing the CILD (the course you get with the ND), I think thats the only solution for me to succeed with the ND.

Again, Good luck with your ND.

Hi to all, First I wish to thank you Guy for advice.I think that we have similar problem's.

I use my ND for two night's.First night I set my ND to medium sleep.Delay 80min. When I wake up I review the night and recall 4 dream's,then I check my ND and her say 16 cue's.Ok. Second night I decide to change setings to adjustable mode:Cue type 2;3 flashes per sec.;8 sec. cue;Intensity level 5.Delay 80min. I done sleep and review the night and I recall about 5 dream's.ND say 14 cue's.Ok All of this sound's fine for me,but,my bigest problem is: I don't see any cue from my ND in my dream's even is my dream recall is quite good(I think)! Second problem is when I try to recall my dream's I remember only sequences!

any advice wellcome thanks regards

Dear Aleksandar,

In the CILD (the course you get with the ND) There is a chapter about dream recall, it's with the Novadreamer, and I tried it. I remembered 7 dreams that night and some short parts of other dreams from that night. I wrote every thing even if it's fragments.

If you try it, I used the Intention/DreamAlarm way from the CILD.

I have good dream recall only if I want to remember my dreams. Some nights I am just to tired to do the course, if I have a test the nextday or something, (I tried one night to dream about the matirial I read for the test and I had a dream that I am doing the test and the next day I really did it and I knew every thing).

Good luck and Dream on :)

Guy.

Dear Aleksander,

The cues from the NovaDreamer can incorporate in countless and subtle ways, often blending in seamlessly with the dream scenario, so be sure to keep this in mind when examining your dream accounts. If you still don't find any evidence of incorporated cues, try either increasing the brightness or length of the cue.

To increase your ability to recall the links between dream sequences, the following daytime exercise might be helpful:

Set a device to alert you at some random time in the near future. (The PEST is quite helpful for this exercise). When the alarm goes off, note what you are thinking and try to recall how this thought may be related to the previous one, and that thought to the previous one, as far back as possible. When you get good at this, your friends will be amazed at how you can retrace a meandering conversation to it's very source.

Now where was I?

;-> Keelin

Hi Keelin,

Thank you for advice,I will try that exercise.I think that is very good. Last night I set my NovaDreamer on 4(deep sleeper mode).I do wrong thing.My ND was wake me up several times and when I woke up in the morning I don't remember anything.My dream recall was 0. (Last year,when I begin to work with LD's my dream recall was up to 9) I think that is best to back on medium sleep mode.

In the next period,I planing to work with your exercise and on my dream recall(explained in the CILD)

thank you again wish you sweet LD's

Hi,

I have a weird problem with the novadreamer in a lot of nights. I wake up and it isn't on me. I search for it and don't find it. I do reality testings but it's reality. then I look under my bed or under my pillow and I find it. It keeps falling in the nights, what should I do?

I just purchased my nova dreamer on oct 24 of this year, and i have used it about 10 times. THe first few times I used it I saw the cues, a few times (2) and did not become lucid. Since then, as I am on unit 4 of the course as well, I have not seen any of the 18 or 19 cues at all! I have it on the medium mode. I wonder if I should go to the deep sleeper mode? I am also afraid that the beeps will wake up my husband who has to get up very early in the am. I am also afraid that if I do and I still don't get the cues that I will be at the max and nowhere to go from here! I have a very strong mind, but it is very unruly, and can't get it to have another lucid experience! I had only 1 since I was a kid and that was after a rebirthing session 2 years ago. I am dying to have more lucid dreams and fly! Is there something I can do about this? I am very frustrated that I don't see any of the cues, and without seeing them have vry little shot at becoming lucid.

Dear Guy,

When you find the mask off, are both ends of the strap still connected by the velcro?

If not, it may be that a further length of velcro, which could be sewn onto the strap, would solve the problem. You want to make sure that the velcro has enough overlap for the ends to stay attached despite mid-sleep tossing and turning. The fit should be comfortably snug.

If they're still connected, a chin strap of soft stretchy material might solve the problem. This could be easily sewn onto the sides of the mask without any interference to its workings.

It might also just be that it just takes a little while to get accustomed to sleeping with a mask on. If you come up with a solution or suggestion you'd like to share with our fellow oneironauts, please post it here.

In the meantime, sweet dreams! Keelin

PS: When you find your NovaDreamer under the bed, do you hear any giggling? It is becoming evident in some cases that Dream Elves are drawn to the flashing light cues. If this is the case, the customary solution is to reverse any clothing you might be wearing when you anticipate their company. (That is, if you wish to avoid them.)

Hi Brookes!

The fact that you've seen the cues in your dreams (even only a few times) is actually an encouraging beginning when working with the NovaDreamer. From the details you've offered, it appears that you're getting a good number of cues delivered, so the thing to work on at this point is the recognition of them. As you've already discovered, seeing the cues will not automatically cause you to become lucid. While the NovaDreamer can be relied on to deliver a cue, it's up to the dreamer to recognize the meaning of the cue.

Training the mind to recognize the NovaDreamer cues is basically a matter of developing prospective memory skills. The Course has excellent daytime exercises to help with this and my advice would be to not rush through these. When a light catches your eye during the day, are you giving it your full attention? Do you follow through with a reality check and goal rehearsal?

The dream alarm can definitely be intrusive to a partner's sleep, so I would advise against it in this case. What you might want to experiment with are the settings for Mode 1. A longer cue length may be all you need to start seeing the cue incorporations again. In Mode 1, you can explore using different flashing rates, intensities or types of cue as well. Although it may take awhile to find the most effective combination of settings, once you start to see the cues again, you'll soon develop a sense of familiarity and positive expectation.

Since you've had the experience of a lucid dream, you don't have to prove that you can do it. You already have! What will help most at this point is to keep a positive and curious attitude. That way, every new discovery will be an encouraging step and the journey itself will be interesting and rewarding. Believing you "can't get lucid" can become a self-fulfilling prophecy! So when you're feeling overly frustrated, it may help to take a little break. What would happen if you put the course and the NovaDreamer aside for a few nights and tried the "Sleep Posture, Nasal Cycle and Naps" experiment? Chances are very likely that you'll have at least one lucid dream! And not only would you be helping with LI's research, you'd also have a chance to do that flying you mentioned.

If this sounds of interest, you can request a copy of the experiment via email by emailing files@lucidity.com with "send LR3060.pdf" in the subject field. (Without the quote marks, and nothing else.) The Subject line should look exactly like this:

Subject: send LR3060.pdf

Since they're still in need of more data, I expect the report deadline will once again be extended.

Best of dreams to you, Brookes! And thanks for sharing your questions here on the Forum. Doing so gives everyone the chance to be inspired and encouraged. So please let us all know when you have that flying dream!

Wishing you recognizable Qs in your Zs, Keelin

Hi all,

Regarding settings for the Novadreamer and noticing cues, I got my ND just over two months ago and have had to experiment with the settings considerably to find a setting on which I notice the cues.

I am unable so far to notice any cue using the 'both eyes simultaneously' setting without using intensity level 6 which just wakes me up, as does the audible alarm.

However, by using the setting of alternate eyes/2 cues per second/10 to 15 cues/intensity 4 or 5/sensitivity 7 I have succeeded in recognising cues with results and am getting the target 15 to 20 cues per night. I would like to ask if eye dominance has any effect on the best type of cue to use?

Best dreams all, Andrew

Hi Keelin, Thanks for responding. I don't think i'll will use a chin thingy. About the small dwarfs taking my mask, my parrot would of frightened them a long time ago :) I have a question: I am trying the counting way, I start counting and I say "1 I will have a lucid dream, 2 I will have a..." in some point I start to be confused so I try harder to count normaly but I break at some point and I fall asleep. I don't remember beeing in the dream saying "100 I will have a LD..." as it is written in the book. Yesterday (I think) remember that it happened to me. I was counting, and then I don't remember counting, then I was in a dream (beeing built) and I was counting but it in some reason disappeared.

I have a very busy schedual and I have a problem remembering and writing my dreams. I do remember them but less dreams a night, about 1 or 2. I think that this WILD way is best for me but I don't get to the hypnogogic part.

so if you have any tips that could help me, please send me.

Thanks, Dream on... :)

Guy.

Hi Andrew,

According to Dr. LaBerge, no research has been done yet on eye dominance in respect to the NovaDreamer cue, however he believes that there would not be any particular effect because the input of the stimulus is not contradictory.

;-> Keelin

Hi to all, The reason why I posting this message is because I have first success with my NovaDreamer!!! I use it for about 10 night's,working on the cue settings,and finally see the cue,and,immediately become lucid!!! I set my ND on cue type 5;1 flash per sec.;12 sec. cue;Intensity level 6.Delay 70min. I decide to try "Count yourself to sleep" tehnique,explained in the Dr.LaBerge book "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming",page 106.

In the middle of the night I was in a dark place,I see nothing.Then,my ND start flashing.My entire dream start red flashing.First I see that I'm in some kind of a tunel,but only when my ND give me a cue.I think in myself:"Yes,finally,this is my ND.I must find some switch to turn on the light until my ND stop fashing!!".I quick begin my search,looking on the walls."I need one litlle button to continue my adventure!"-I say.But my ND stop flashing and I stay in a dark.After 1-2sec.I wake up. Now I'm very happy for success,but,little disappointed for damn button. :-/ After all,I must say that is "Count yourself" tehnique very powerfull method to induce LD's. I recommend it to everyone who try to get LD!

regard's to all have a nice LD's

Hi Aleksandar,

Excellent! I congratulate you on your success with using the NovaDreamer. If in another lucid dream you find yourself in the dark, I suggest you try one of the following techniques. Studies have shown that turning on a light switch in a dream, is not usually a very effective method for making the dream scene light up; however, personally I have experienced minimal success with this technique.

Instead, I suggest looking for a dream door where you would normally find the entrance to your physical bedroom. Before opening the door, imagine that it is light on the other side. Then, open the door. I have found that this particular technique works quite well for lighting the dream scene.

Another good technique is to spin around watching for faint patches of light. When you find one, focus on it and keep spinning until you are in a lighted scene. Another variation is to stop spinning and dive into the patch of light. This patch can lead to a fully lit dream scene.

Is seems that a key to constructing one's desires in lucid dreams, is to initiate mental schemas that the mind regularly uses during waking life. Some waking schemas like turning on a light switch do not appear as easily replicable in dreams as other schemas. Eventually your mind will develop schemas that are unique to your lucid dreams. But this takes some time.

Giving your lucid-dream schemas some conscious direction will help lead to good results rather than bad ones. For example, if you find yourself often waking up during a particular experience, tell yourself, Next time when I find myself in this situation, I will do this or that, so that I remain in the dream and not wake up. Continue looking for ways to change the result to a good one until you are successful.

Good luck! Nathen

Hi Nathen, Thank you for detailed advice.For sure I will try all of that tehnique's.Just waithing for another LD. I hope that will be very soon. thank you again for all you do for me

have a nice dream's(lucid of course) cale

Thanks Keelin for the info. I have sent for the experiment, but I will have to wait for awhile to do it as we have a poinsettia nursery and are going crazy now! It is the only time of the year that I have to work, since it is a family nursery, and I have found that I have had to put aside the whole trip for awhile since I don't have time to do any of the exercises right now. When I do I will certainly try to get a longer cue length, but I am not exactly sure of how to get a longer cue length! Could you explain how? I have experimented with the adjustable control, and haven't had much success with it. However, I have been having many dreams each night, so that seems to be encouraging. I am also going to a rebirthing class soon, to try to duplicate the conditions that existed when I had the last lucid dream. The last one, when I became lucid, I woke right up, but now that I know the spinning technique i'm sure I can hold it if I can just get back there. I am trying to have the attitude that you suggest, and I know it will happen again, after all what else have I got to do when I'm sleeping!! I really appreciate your comments and if you can add anything at any time, please do!

Hi all,

I am doing the CILD ( as I wrote in earlyer messages) but in the meantime, I try some advanced technuqes like the Counting. I have some problems with it. I start counting and I get mixed up at some point. It's normal, I continue to count but I never get somewhere. I count and count and count then I don't remember anything and I wake up (in the morning) remembering less dreams then the usual (I don't know if it's form that). I set the ND for 1 very short flash level 1 in brightness so it would remind me to continue the counting.

Please help me, what should I do?

Thank you, Guy Wald.

Dear Guy,

The Counting technique is designed to keep your mind focused and your intention clear as your body relaxes and drifts into sleep. When you say "One, I'm dreaming..." you are essentially setting yourself up to recognize that the next experience you become aware of is in fact a dream. When you stop counting because you've fallen asleep, hopefully by that time, your mind is well-prepared to recall your intention to become aware within the unfolding scenario.

If you are having problems with dream recall, my suggestion would be to focus on the exercises in the Course that are specifically designed to help develop that skill first. Becoming familiar with your dreams is essential as it will help you know what to look for in order to become lucid.

Regarding the NovaDreamer, the flashes work best as incorporated cues within the dream that can alert/remind you that you are dreaming. If you set them as a reminder to keep counting, might they also be keeping you awake? Remember that you do want to fall asleep -- so that you can dream -- so that you can then become aware that you are dreaming. And if they are not keeping you awake, maybe they are also not bright enough to become incorporated in your dreams.

If you want to give the WILD technique a try, I'd strongly recommend doing the Nap Experiment. Personally, I've had the most success with WILDs using this technique (and I find WILDs the most exciting type of lucid dreaming!).

You can request a copy of the experiment via email by emailing files@lucidity.com with "send LR3060.pdf" in the subject field. (Without the quote marks, and nothing else.) The Subject line should look exactly like this:

Subject: send LR3060.pdf

We still need more data for this experiment and would be thrilled to have your participation!

Hoping these comments have been helpful and wishing you a wondrous lucid journey, Keelin

Dear Brooks,

To adjust the NovaDreamer's cue length, you'll need to work in Mode One. The operation manual explains how to do this in detail.

As a quick reminder:

Mode 1 = Adjustable Sleep* Mode 2 = Light Sleep Mode 3 = Medium Sleep Mode 4 = Deep Sleep

*For Mode 1 settings: the acronym "NIRTS" helps me remember the dial number/setting relationships:

N (#5 on the dial) = Number of cues I (#6) = Intensity R (#7) = Rate T (#8) = Type S (#9) = Sensitivity

It may take a bit of trial and error to determine the most effective personal settings, so be sure to take good notes along the way and give yourself a fair chance to work with each new adjustment.

Best of dream adventures to you -- and keep an eye out for flashing poinsettias! Keelin

yes I will keelin!!! I have a great setting to try that someone else used with sucess, so as soon as I have the next opportunity I will try it! The lucidity institute called me last night! I had left a message and they just got back to me...I told them that you were helping me too, and that you were so nice!!! This really is a very wonderful group of people you-all have here. I'll be back in touch as I work with my nova dreamer more. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Hi Keelin, Thank you very much for responding.

Tonight I will try to have a lucid dream with the counting technique. Also, I will use the intention technique for dream recall. I noticed that for dream recall it is the best.

Thank you, Guy Wald

Guy,

I was interested in your experience of the counting technique.

I also have experimented with the "counting yourself to sleep technique" described by Stephen LaBerge. I often have a nap in the late afternoon, 20-30 min. Since becoming interested in lucid dreaming, I have tried the technique at this time, really for fun because I know I will not enter REM sleep at this time. I have tried to count myself to sleep early in the morning, but it has not been successful. All I recall is my counting'.then I wake up. However in the afternoon I remember that I experience the mantra "one, I am dreaming, two I am dreaming'.' mutating in different ways, then it is replaced by active hypnagogic hallucinations before I fall asleep. The hallucinations are like very short dreams, and although I know I have been dreaming I only remember with difficulty the final details, if anything. I do not experience these scenes lucidly. However sometimes I do see very clearly and lucidly for 2-3 seconds a single static scene, usually a face.

I cannot call on anyone to wake me up while I am practicing this, so I recorded on casette my voice counting and also loud noises at intervals to wake me up so that I could start counting again. This was not too successful as I seemed to sleep through the noise. Recently I read of an experiment by an early sleep researcher who taped open subjects" eyes and shone in a bright flashing light. Apparently this kept subjects awake very effectively until'.suddenly they were asleep, despite the light.

This week I had an idea. I sit upright in an chair against the wall so that my head is inclined very very slightly backwards 1-2 inches away from the wall. When I fall asleep my head falls backwards without pain against the wall and wakes me up. I hold a talley counter and click each time I hit the wall. I find it necessary to concentrate to remember to do this. Anyway in this way I seem to fall asleep and wake up about every minute. So I get a lot of counting practice in 30 minutes. I suppose my aim is to see if I can learn to remain lucid into the hypnagogic dreamlets.

I cannot stomach trying this in the early hours of the morning, well I am practicing MILD. I think that if I did, my wife would have me committed as she already thinks I'm crazy with all this dreaming stuff.

I read also that when you wake up during an early morning REM period you are likely to return to REM sleep provided that you do fall asleep within 5 minutes or so. Otherwise with a much longer interval awake you will enter stage 1 or 2 sleep. Thus I assume that the counting method should work best (or only) if it is used immediately on waking from a REM period, and then only if it IS successful pretty quickly.

Just my thoughts.

Owen

Hi Owen,

I tried the counting technique another night. Yet again, I didn't get lucid. When I woke up in the morning, the novadreamer was under my bed, counting 41 cues. I think I will try a different approach. I will count, and when I start a little bit to get mixed, I will "yell" the counting in my heart so I would focus and then I will count normaly. Once I tried getting lucid with brainwaves, befor I got the novadreamer, and it is not that good. After a few times, the brainwaves don't have the same effect.

Well, good luck with your technique.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Guy Wald.

Dream on!

ok so i just got my novadreamer tonight, and I'm going to see how it works in light sleep mode, but from what i understand i need to put it on that setting and push the button on the front of the mask to set the delay (like 6 times) correct?

Alright, here is my first experience with my NovaDreamer...which is kind of odd. Maybe someone can tell me what actually took place. I set the novadreamer on Light Sleep mode, and then hit the button 6 times (an hour) I fell asleep about 30-40 minutes later and then I went into a dream state, what was odd is that it was completely black around me, and I heard a noise like a churp (like i hit the front of the novadreamer on my pillow and hit the button) I then said well I am dreaming, but I dont know what to dream about, and I got an eerie feeling, and then woke up. Then all of a sudden about 10 minutes later while i was laying in bed trying to get back to sleep, the mask went off (because of the delay). I had another dream, but it was not lucid. Any comments or suggestions would help Thanks

Hi all, I have a question about the WILD technique.

I know there is the counting technique. But how do I do the technique where I am "awake" all the way to the dream?? I just to lie down and think of ligical thoughts, like "5 * 5 = 25, 7 + 7 = 14..." and some counting. But I seem to be in the same state all the time. I close my eyes, get a little relaxed and sometimes feel that I am in a more relaxed mode. But I get "pulled" back from that mode to a less relaxed one. After sometime trying to get back in to that relaxed state, I get tired and fall asleep (After about 1 - 2 hours).

Any ideas how to get passed that state "block"? Ideas that can help me get in a much more relaxed mode? (I try to do meditation but I get "pulled" back.)

Thank you, Guy Wald, Dream on!

Dear Bryan,

You are correct. The reason for pressing the button on the front of the NovaDreamer mask before you go to sleep initially is to delay cue delivery. You'll want to allow an adequate amount of time to drift off to dreamland uninterrupted by the flashing lights. Since the first REM period typically occurs after about 90 minutes of sleep, you can set an even longer initial delay period if you so desire (for instance, if it takes you awhile to relax prior to falling asleep).

When you wake in the mid-night after a dream, you'll want to press the button again -- first as a reality test (very important!!), and second, to allow time to record your experience and return to sleep without interruption from the cue.

Sweet dream journeys with your new NovaDreamer, Keelin

Dear Guy

When I started whith the counting technique, I encountered similiar problems: I lay awake for a long time. I shifted from rather relaxed to rather "disappointed" modes.

I'd like to give you a report of a typical "counting session" of mine. Maybe you find some hints.

1. I make sure, that I won't be disturbed.

2. I lie down on my bed, on the back. It's either afternoon or late in the evening. NOTE: Chances for succeeding in WILD are best in the afternoon or after awaking from a dream in the early morning hours!

3. I take a deep breath and relax. I start the 61 - points exercise ( "A Course in Lucid Dreaming"). I imagine a cymbal on point one, I count "One", I imagine it being hit, I hear the sound and feel the sound spreading through this part of my body. While sound and vibration is spreading, this part of my body is getting warmer and more deeply relaxed. I'm very careful with relaxation of point one, sometimes it takes time to actual feel relaxation and warmth. It is very important to have a vivid sensation in the beginning of the exercise. Sometimes I hit the cymbal twice or three times, until I have a good sensation. But I don't get stuck on point one, after three hits I continue, even if I'm not satisfied with relaxation. NOTE: The cymbal is not a part of the original exercise. But I find it very helpful to focus my intention.

4. Point one is relaxed. Now I continue. I let relaxation and wormth flow from point one to point two. When it has reached point two, I imagine the cymbal, count and hit it. NOTE: Continious flow is not a part of original exercise, but I found out, that it leads to deeper relaxation. Sometimes it seems, that it is more effective to imagine the point (the cymbal) inside the body, not on the surface.

5. I proceed through all points. When I started this exercise, it took me about one hour. Now its 15 - 20 minutes. It is very important to deeply enjoy this exercise. Don't rush through it. During the exercise I often experience thoughts, hypnagogic imaginary and distortion of body sensation. I have learned to continue the way through the points and simultanously paying attention to these phenomens. This is a good training for the "awareness - muscle"

I have reached point 61. I'm rather relaxed and calm. This is a good time to recall or set intentions. NOTE: It may be helpful to practise pot - shaped breathing now. Although it disturbs relaxation you get more "attention - energy". I only do it, when I'm very tired. 6. I imagine a white dot on point 61 (see: white dot technique in CILD) 7. I start counting "One, I'm dreaming, two, ..." and continue visualisation of the white dot. NOTE: I don't think, that it is useful to have logical thoughts. I suspect, they keep the brain from entering dreamstate. The clou about "just" counting is to maintain a minimal attention by a minimal "action" of yourself and simultanously letting everything else happen on its own. If you are too active, you disturb deeper relaxation and the hypnagogic images. Lately I found out, that it is helpful to count more and more slowly. This leads me to deeper relaxation. I get much calmer, than I ever did. Counting slow seems to open "spaces" between the words, allowing images to enter and get more vivid. Small dream - scenes emerge. It takes some practice, to let them happen and to stay aware. This is a point, where subtle "actions" or thoughts have a great effect. I'm often "pulled" out of a dreamlet just by beiing aware, that I'm dreaming now and that I don't feel my body anymore. I'm still working on this point, which seems to be the most difficult one, i.e. to conciously being drawn into the dream and to let go of "control" of my physical body. I am very fascinated by tibetan yogis practice in countinious awareness through day and night. Exploring the world of conscience in this way is a great adventure. This is why I practise counting at bedtime, too. Although I know, that chances for a WILD are minimal, because I have to go through NREM - stages before entering first REM - period.

You may also refer to an earlier discussion, contained in the folder : The Lucidity Institute Forum: Post Your Lucid Dreams: Post Your Lucid Dreams Miscellaneous (May 15, 2000)

Dream on

Yours

Ralf

Dear Ralf,

Thank you very much. I will try what you wrote.

Thanks, Guy Wald.

Hi Ralf,

Thanks for your helpful suggestion of imagining a cymbal while using the counting technique. Counting usually relaxes me too quickly. Sometimes I make it to 3! The few times I've gotten a bit further, the phrase has become distorted -- 4:I'm driving, 5:I'm diving, and at 6:I'm dying and this startles me out of the relaxed state. The next time I try counting, I'll be sure to include your sound imagery!

Sweet resounding dreams to you, Keelin

Hi, I tried the 61-point today for the first time. I read that the first few times I should try to get only to point 31 because I can wander and 31 is a good enough. I tried to reach point 61 and I didn't wander all the way but... When I got to point 31, I felt I was spinning. Everything was White and Black and I felt paralized (I am not sure I was, but I didn't wan't to try to move anything). The sensation was all over most of my body, expet part of the legs. I didn't see any imagry expet my usual spinning purple vortex that I see when ever I am a bit relaxed. But the vortex dissappeared when I got to 12 or 7. I felt in my hands when I reached them, a sphere, moving in my hands according to the counting and where ever it was, the place was relaxed. When I was spinning very fast, I couldn't know what was where (my legs and hands) and I tried to move them, the spinning became realy fast now and everything was white. I felt I can leave my body, but I was afraid that I would move my real hands so I stoped moving. Then I continued the counting and the energy and vibrations I felt all over my upper body got fainter. I counted both the legs and when I was back in my chest area the sensation was back again but lighter and at point 61, I felt everything very faint like I just started the counting. I "woke up" form everything because at somepoint it was very weak and I felt almost nothing. As I woke up, I did a reality check, I read a book but every thing was normal and I was awake.

Why didn't I see any hypnogogic imagry or sounds? At point 31 I was very deep in that sensations and I was spinning very fast. Should I do anything in that point? The hour was about 20:40 ot 20:50 when I started. Should I do something to creat the dream scene? Is there something I didn't do? or do I need more practice?

Thank you, Guy Wald

Dear Guy!

First of all: Congratulations. I claim, that you have come far with your 61 - Point Exercise.

The Time: Remember, that WILDs are very unlikely in the late evening hours. Try this exercise in the morning or the afternoon.

Very weak after exercise: Concentration is a muscle. You have to do a lot of exercises until you learn to stay in power. When I practice "61" and counting in the afternoon, I am lying on my back for 90 minutes and longer. This takes training, too. If you are feeling exhausted after "61", try pot-shaped breathing to gain energy. (see "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming" p. 101).

"Why didn't I see any hypnogogic imagry or sounds?": Nibbana gave me the hint to focus on what you desire. If you desire "OBE", focus on sounds, not on body sensations. If you desire dreams, focus on images, not on the body. During counting I focus on the white dot. That helps me to forget the body. As I wrote in my last mail, I only pay little attention to distorted body sensations and continue going throught the points, because my aim is the deep relaxation. It is starteling to experiment with those body sensations. I've done it many times. But these days I concentrate on "only" one exercise, that is "61" and counting, because I think, that this leads me to more subtle points between dreaming and awakening. If you are interested in OBE, try LI - Forum: Aspects of the Dreamstate: The LD - OBE connection. This and keeping a dream - diary and doing the reflection - intention exercise is sometimes more than enough for one day - besides going to work and similiar neglectable activities (ggg). Pracise this exercise more often, and you will see hypnagogic images. My experience is, that after I have passed the first flow of "fast" images during 61 Points, I am able to go much deeper , later on, while counting, because the body needs this time to actually fall asleep and my mind needs time to calm down. The images are much more stable then, they are "slow", what seems to important for being drawn consciously into them.

"Should I do something to creat the dream scene?": Sometimes, but rarely, I have experienced, that creating a dream scene leads to short lucid dreams. But created dreams, vision quests are worthful in themselves. I have a great need to control such dream - scenes, maybe this keeps the scene from growing up into a fully blown up lucid dream. My lesson is learning to surrender, to let go off control and stay aware. Try and find out. Try the MILD exercise to enter a dream conciously, this is very similiar to a created dream, but seems to be more effective.

Count yourself a lucid lullaby

Yours

Ralf

Thank you Ralf.

I will try all of what you advised me.

I found a small problem. In weekdays, I have school, and I get up at 6:30(am) and I get back home only after 14:00 or 16:00. I remember only 1 or 2 dreams those mornings and if I went to sleep late that night I don't remember anything. At friday, I don't study, so I get back but I am soooo tired. I noticed that when I'm tired, or I had a busy week, and I have a lucid dream, I am very tired in my dream. I think I have dream paralasys. I can't move in my dream and when everything turns blury and fades, I can't bring it back and I fall asleep to non lucid sleep, (which I think is probably rest for my brain ).

I almost forgot to say, that on thursday I had 2 LDs, short ones, but not that short. On friday I had 4 LDs and on saturday I had 8 LDs in one night. Each time was a false awakaning and every time I did something else ( i didn't fly or anything), each time I woke in my dream bed, I tried another way to get out of the room. One of the ways was that I imagined that my fingers were like hot laser and I cut a line, in circle, through the wall and I puched the circle wall and got out.

I slept 5 hours and I woke up early in the morning. I tried the 61 point technique but it was very hard to count in that point and I didn't feel all the sensations I wrote in my previews letter, So I switched to regular counting. (The "1 i'm dreaming...") and "Walla" I was dreaming!

P.S. How do I do the pot breathing??, English is not my primary language and there are some few words I don't understand.

Thank you very much. Dream on! Guy Wald.

Dear Guy

Congratulations again!

I'm just sitting here and I'm laughing about you. About you stating to have a problem. Please excuse me, I don't want to insult you. But if I compare our effort and our success, I conclude that it's me, who has a problem. Please tell me, how you manage to have 8 (eight) lucid dreams in one night. These days I'm happy to perform three lucid dreams per month. There have been occasions to have three LD including a WILD in a night last year. I would be glad, if you advise me! I imagine that you take it much more easy, than I do. I tend to build up complicated situations and get stuck. I'm glad, that you profit by participating in the Forum.

Concerning pot - shaped breathing: I need more details to answer your question. In my experience the main point concerning this exercise is to focus your concentration and feel a point inside your belly. I feel this point in the center of my belly, below the solar plexus. This point goes "down" (towards the navel) during inhalation and up again during exhalation. While I imagine to breath into this point, the belly gets warm. When I have come this far, it is easy to spread the nourishing warm light - energy through the rest of the body. Even my dull brain gets lighter, concentration more easy. If you "allow your diaphragm and solar plexus to contribute more to the pot shaped phase", your belly/ abdomen is going to be roundly at the end of inhalation, like a ball (or a pot). The rounder it gets, the more energy flows into the center of your belly or into your lungs. You continue this sort of deep breathing, until you feel, you have enough energy. Now you may continue with the counting exercise.

Light up!

Yours

Ralf

Dear Ralf,

Thank you,

The only thing I did to have those dreams is to wake up after 5-6 and sometimes 8 hours of sleep (at week ends of course) and then I did the 61 points and some counting when I got tired. After I fall asleep I just know I am dreaming. Oh, and befor all that, I promis my self I would understand I am dreaming and I say I am going to sleep now so I will be dreaming.

In a website I have visited, first time I read this methode of waking up early, thinking about LDs and going to sleep using a techique. The address is:

http://hometown.aol.com/vandekeere/life1/index.htm

It's under the title "The best method". He/She has good results.

1 thing I did different is that instead of beeing awake an hour (like She/He says in the website) I was awake 10 minuets because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep.

Oh, I must say this again, I only had the LDs on the weekend, probably because I had more time to sleep.

Thanks, Good luck! Guy Wald.

Novadreamer query

I suppose I will be buying the Novadreamer soon. I downloaded the manual and read through it. It is interesting. I'm sure I saw somewhere on the forum (or in the manual) the answer to my question which is:

There are 6 settigns for volume/intensity for buzzer and light. Will one of these settings silence the buzzer completely? I don't want to wake my wife with it.

Owen

Hi Owen,

The NovaDreamer's alarm is completely optional. It's part of the "Type" of cue setting, which is a different setting than volume/intensity. The "Type" of cue options are:

Type 0 = No cues

Type 1 = Light only, flashing in both eyes simultaneously

Type 2 = Light only, alternating flashes in left and right eyes

Type 3 = Sound only

Type 4 = Light and sound, flashing in both eyes simultaneously

Type 5 = Light and sound, alternating flashes in left and right eyes

Sweet dreams! Keelin

Dear Guy,

In response to your question about creating a dream scene (a couple of postings back), I'd add the suggestion to have in mind (before going to sleep) a clear, pre-determined goal of what you would like to do in your lucid dream. This helps strengthen the intention to become lucid and encourages the desired imagery to blossom. It also provides a strong focus and direction for engagement once lucidity is reached.

One of my most frequent goals is a visit to the Sea, which can be a very sensory-engaging environment (and one can never have too many virtual vacations!). The vivid sensation of my toes in wet sand keeps me "grounded" before I get euphorically swept away.

Sweet dreams to all, Keelin

Keelin, thanks for that clarification.

Any possibility that you could give a couple of examples of the kinds of dreamsigns you might respond to on a typical day and how many times you do this. I don't mean necessarily the really weirdest ones, just a few examples of little things that you might exploit.

About every second day I see something that gives me a shock and I can really well generate the suspicion that I am dreaming. A couple of days ago I was driving my car thinking of the napping technique. At a junction I looked at the car facing me and the number plate said NAP, not a lettering that I particularly recall regularly. I was about to test my state when the car turned left and the car directly behind it had the same letters NAP. Well, this made me jump! At other times I try to use my imagination as best I can.

Regards,

Owen

Thanks Keelin,

I will try the beach.

I had a lucid dream this morning, I tried a new way to make the dream more stable, the commanding technique, I said firmly "Increase lucidity", I don't know why, but I said it in English, altho it's not my main language. The dream was very stable, I didn't have paralasys as I usualy did have in my early lucid dreams.

Then I took off to the air and I flew between wires in the air and it was very fun. When I woke up I was very relaxed.

Thanks for the advice, I will try tonight the beach.

Dream on! Guy Wald.

Hi Owen,

Thanks for sharing your synchronistic, double "NAP" reality check episode. I love it when that type of thing happens. And it seems the more I keep my awareness antenna up, the more often I'm rewarded with such waking life dreamlike episodes of coincidence and amusing bizarreness.

As for how many reality checks I perform on a daily basis, it's difficult to put an exact number to it. I don't set out to do a certain amount per day, nor do I do them at pre-timed intervals. What I try to do is keep a keen eye out for any occasion that snags my attention. The indicators of such snags may be mental (for example: a feeling of astonishment or curiosity), physical (a raise of the eyebrows, a tilt of the head), emotional (a sudden or overwhelming shift of heart), or verbal (a cry of "How odd!", followed by the essential inquiry "How odd?"). The occasions are often entertainingly weird.

Below, a couple of examples of recent reality check opportunities:

' Mid-flight from San Francisco to Portland, I doze off for awhile. When I open my eyes and glance out the window, a dark and stormy, white-capped Sea appears to lie only a couple of feet below the airplane. Stunningly beautiful, but "How odd!", I think, to be flying this route over the ocean and so very close to the water. Even odder now that I notice the frothy waves are completely still. My initial, sleepy interpretation: we must be flying over a photo of the Sea. Ah, that explains it. But since I've thought it odd initially, I must ask, "How odd?". In the next moment, the captain claims we are flying over the snow-dusted foothills of Mt. Shasta. Ah, now that really does make sense! However, the conveniently-timed, disembodied pilot's voice could be dream-manifested, so I do a sincere reality check. Alas, awake after all, but the momentary disorientation was sweet!

' Under a chair, the gleam of a quarter catches my eye. I reach for it with the toe of my shoe, drag it out to a retrievable area. When I remove my foot from on top of it, I'm surprised to find a nickel alongside the quarter. Now where did that come from? Immediately I'm suspicious, as this multiplication of coins is something I've encountered before in Dreamland. I do a reality check, knowing I'd easily trade the 30 cents for a priceless lucid dream. Unfortunately the stubborn coins refuse to morph.

Wishing sweet oddities to all, Keelin

Hi,

In my last lucid dreams, I don't recall a trigger for my lucidity. What makes me lucid if there is no trigger? Can I just become lucid from "nothing"?

I remember saying, "Hey, thats odd!" and it made me lucid, but when I looked at the scene, nothing was odd. Moreover, my dreams lately, rarly have a weird things in them. The weird things begin when I become lucid!

I remember only one thing that was odd:

I was comming back from school, I got down form the bus not at my usual bus station. I walked in a small pathway and there were a lot of Honey-birds. When I waled closer, most of them flew away expet one, I thought maybe she didn't see me. I got even closer and she was still in mid air very close to me, avout 10 cm (about 6 inches). I reached out my hand so, to see if she will land on it. But she flew away to the other birds. I did a reality check, unfortuantly it wasn't a dream, yet I felt really good, like waking up after a good and relaxing dream.

May the force be with you! Guy Wald.

Hi Guy,

Sure you can get lucid for no apparent reason, especially if you're making questioning your state of consciousness a regular habit. (Of course, sometimes it's just hard to remember what the reason was, too. You may remember later in the day, or even up to a few days later.) Sometimes the reasons why clarity/lucidity come to us are just as elusive as the reasons happiness or any other wonderful internal states come to us. I notice gratitude for such gifts can seem to help keep the good things coming, too. Keeping a good attitude and light-hearted optimism seem to serve us in so many aspects of life.

Pleasant Dreams, Nibbana

Keelin, thanks for the examples, I think I'm on the right track........and a strange coincidence.

I quite frequently find coins, my family tease me, they say I walk around looking at the ground. From time to time I dream that the floor is covered with coins or pins or needles and I pick them up. Early last week I found a two pence coin and then nearby a one pence coin, but no more! I did test my state.

I had not had a lucid dream for over two weeks. Thursday night I tried a nap. I had a tea and biscuit, did some 45 degree push ups and some spinning practice, up about 20 minutes....success! I had a couple of dreams in which I recognised strange things but did not become lucid or think to test my state. Then....I was looking at the floor near a cupboard searching for something. I became lucid. I was able to use spinning successfully twice in the dream when it started to break up.

Now I'm lazy with the napping, don't like getting out of a warm bed. Since 15 Nov I had three LDs each in a nap. I don't have a written record but think I did not do a nap on more than three or four other occasions during this period. So really it is just sinking in now that there may for me be a strong correlation. We'll see, I'll keep careful records from now on.

I appreciate that I would not have had these LDs without the state testing, reflection and intention, but it does suggest that my brain must also be in the right state that napping facilitates! This brings me to a Novadreamer question. I understand that the microprocessor has an algorith/program that distinguishes REM eye movement from waking eye movement to give the light cues. Do you know if the algorith is more discriminatory than this, targeting those particular active REM periods where prospects are best, taking acount of course the number of cues the wearer might request during REM periods?

Best wishes,

Owen

Dear Owen (and fellow oneironauts),

The NovaDreamer determines when to deliver cues based on input from the eye movement sensor (and the sensitivity setting). The sensor, however, doesn't exactly distinguish between waking and dreaming movement. Perhaps the following quote from the ND manual will help clarify.

"The greatest number of eye movements in sleep occur in REM sleep, when dreaming occurs. However, your eyes will also move around when you are lying awake in bed, and in the transition period between waking and sleep. To enable you to fall asleep without being aroused by cues triggered by your eye movements during sleep onset, the NovaDreamer is equipped with a 'delay' feature. Starting a delay prevents the NovaDreamer from giving cues for a period of time, so that you can fall asleep easily."

Perhaps what you're thinking of is the SuperNovaDreamer? With the SND, you can indeed specify an exact "Cue Period" in which cues will be delivered. In this way, you can zero in on the later (and longer) REM periods in which you're more likely to be involved in more elaborate dreaming. In the morning, you can download and view the night's data record on your home computer screen. The data will show the times the SND would have delivered a cue (when eye movement was sufficient, but fell outside the cue period window) as well as the times of actual cue delivery. The first time I saw evidence (the time noted on the report) of a cue delivered that matched with my journal recording it was a wondrous thrill!

Another benefit to defining a cue delivery window is that it helps prevent "cue habituation" (an overexposure to the stimulus that can eventually lead to simply sleeping through delivered cues). I should add here it took several years of working with the ND before I experienced cue habituation.

Sweet dreams! Keelin

Hello all,

I think my ND is broken. When I put it in a(ny) sleep mode, I can see the test-cue, I can set the sleep delay (with each press the reality test blink+beep go off) with other words, everything works just fine. Until after certain (I don't know exactly how long, I guess about ten/twenty inutes?) period of time, the device doesn't do anything anymore! Button presses, or changing the dial to another number, nothing happens, no cues, nothing. I have to take out the battery and put it in again to make the device work again. Until it has been in sleep mode for a certain period of time, then it stops again. I've replaced the batteries several times with new ones but it's no use. Does anyone know what is the matter? And otherwise I hope I still have guarantee on the device. Thanks for your help,

Owen Knoote

Dear Owen,

Since it appears your NovaDreamer is malfunctioning, it would be best to contact Lucidity Institute directly at 1.800.GO LUCID and speak with Keith or Nathen or Frank. Be sure to have your ND handy when you call, as they may be able to perform a few diagnostic tests over the phone.

Sweet dreams , Keelin

Hi everyone,

Just thought I'd introduce myself. I'm on about my third try in 4 years to cultivate lucid dreams. I usually get frustrated and quit, but this time I'm more determined than ever, and having more success. Since I started two months ago, I've had 5 LD's; 2 really good ones, the others were pretty marginal. Haven't had one in about 3 weeks, though, so the frustration is mounting.

However, I just bought the Nova Dreamer, used it last night and in an afternoon nap. Hoping for some success there. I had it set on the Deep Sleep mode at first, and the first time it went off it scared the bejesus out of me! I believe it catapulted me through one of the shortest lucid dreams in human history. It lasted exactly long enough for the 3 gallons of adrenaline that had just been dumped into my body to reach my brain (about as long as it takes to say the word "dream"). I couldn't get back to sleep for an hour and a half, I was so afraid it was going to go off again. I thought I'd leave it on deep sleep, thinking I'd get used to it, but had to turn it down a notch to comfort myself back to sleep.

Anyway, had 21 cues this morning. 3 or 4 of them woke me up, but one made it into a dream as a cue, a beautiful meteor shower that got closer and closer. No lucidity, but I have faith.

I'm going to make a post on the Frustration board, too, look for it there.

Nice to meet you all! I've enjoyed reading the message boards!

Mark

Mark,

Thanks for introducing yourself, and welcome to the board. I will look forward to hearing how the Nova Dreamer works for you.

Mary