Hi, Thea. I wonder if your good attitude - finding the episode amusing - helped in your becoming lucid once you went back to sleep? One thing I've just started doing is saying multiply lucidity x 1,000 while in the waking state to make things more vivid around me (which is just my making my perception better, as in when I try to live in the moment) That way I get in the habit of saying it to myself so the habit will hopefully carry over into the nonlucid dreaming state. Also I hope it will make me more likely to become aware of something out of place in the "waking world," in case I turn out to be dreaming after all. And I am also now looking for anything out of place in my environment. I've started really listening to what passing people are saying, in case they are actually dream characters. I also asked a crow if I could be dreaming. It didn't answer me. But they are so bold, staying there til the last minute and looking right at you, and looking like they could be shapeshifters or figures from some myth, that they always seem like potential dream characters to me. Good luck and hope to hear more lucid misses and/or sucesses. Regards, Kate

Kate, that particular dream was so darned amusing, there was nothing to do but laugh. I went through the whole "am I dreaming" process, checked and rechecked my environment, concluded I was not dreaming--and promptly woke up. I mean, that's just too freakin' funny. Hehehehehe. By the way, I'm off to guide dog school tomorrow, to get my first guide dog. If I ever get the funds to attend another dream camp, I hope to attend with my furry partner. Thea

Anyone on psychiatric meds notive that your sleeping and dreaming patterns aren't quite as under your control as you'd like them to be? I noticed that with Effexor. Thea

Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum. I've known about LD for over two years now but I've only been actively trying to achieve it for one. I have a bit of trouble I'd like to ask advice on.

When I first started LD I was super motivated and though I didn't have as many LDs as I liked I kept at it. At one point, I finally realized the optimum sleep rearrangement schedule and I was on a role having 3 LD nights in a row. However, personal issues became big in life at that time and I took my attention away for a few weeks. When I tried to get back into LD I not only had difficulties having them, but they were nowhere as vivid and exciting as before.

Part of this was I had frustration with both prolonging and control. I can have a lucid dream and I know of all the good prolonging means (flying is best for me), however, I keep trying to be able to control where I go in my LD but fail. I always seem confined to my house or nearby. I then give up and slip into a non-lucid LD. This problem has been going on for 18 months now and I've tried everything from taking breaks for a month at a time to changing induction techniques.

To be brief (though this post wasn't) I think if I could find a way to transition dream scenes, I would be reinvigorated. Spinning hasn't really worked well for me and flying never seems to get me there. Any tips?

hi superflash, in my experience, spinning has been very good to me. too bad you haven't enjoyed much success with that. i think that a good way to keep the invigoration going is to have pre-planned experiments or experiences in mind before hand, along the lines of dream incubation. for instance, most everyone wants to become a proficent flyer. i tried out various flying styles until i found the one that works the best for me. more recently, i wanted to preactice psychokenesis-moving objects by thought-and practiced this while lucid. then there is moving bodyparts or your whole body through 'solid' objects, the tibetan practices of transforming one thing into its opposite/compliment-like making big things small and small big. i've heard people mention before that they felt they have actually run out of ideas and were losing enthusiasm. well, sometimes after a breakthrough, if we dont have a new goal immediately set-up, there can be a post-success depression, i've felt that. but it's hard to believe that anyone could tap-out new ideas or places to explore. as for transitioning, have you tried opening up a door(s) and walking through, or crawling out a window, or going through the wall or some other bizarre escape/entrance? i hope there is some usefullness here for you.

Superflash:

First, welcome to the forum!

Now, in addition to Derek's excellent suggestions, you should also keep in mind (especially at bedtime) that LD'ing is all about preparation and expectation. And remember also that expectations work in both directions. Not only will a good solid mindset, fueled with expectations (aka intentions) of exactly what you want to do when lucid, help you achieve your goals, negative expectations will nullify potential LD explorations.

In other words, if you are worried that you won't be able to fly out of your room when lucid, you most likely won't be able to fly out of your room.

I know this sounds simplistic, but it's true: a positive attitude, coupled with a detailed plan of where you want your LD to take you, should expand the boundaries of your dream travel to exactly the limits of your own imagination.

I know it isn't easy to remain positive, and keep those expectations high, but try to stick with it. The reward of boundless lucid dreaming is well worth the effort.

Best of Dreams,

Peter

Thanks. Those tips are what I need to hear. Should I try for incremental steps to improve lucid dreams i.e. leaving the house or should I try for any dreamscape I desire?

I'd go for incremental. Better to nudge your dreaming mind along than trying to slap a whole new reality upon it at once.