Dean, I've started the thread I mentioned. Here's the link.

The Automatization Technique thread

I'm looking forward to seeing how this goes.

Daniel:

I couldn't stick with just the chorus you gave us. No lucidity yet, but my dream retention is markedly better. I hear the heavy kick drum as I mentally sing myself to sleep.

The rhymes are lame, I know. Perhaps others could tweak them or add more lyrics.

================================

[To the tune of Yellow Submarine]

In the town where I was born lived a man who fell asleep when he woke he told us of lucid dreams that we could keep

We all want to have a lucid dream Have a lucid dream Have a lucid dream We all want to have a lucid dream Have a lucid dream Have a lucid dream

As we lay beneath the sheets Everyone of us walks lucid streets Checking the real is our regime As we try to lucid dream

We all want to have a lucid dream Have a lucid dream Have a lucid dream We all want to have a lucid dream Have a lucid dream Have a lucid dream

Top stuff Paul! I like it.

Perhaps using my original line "we're all going to have a lucid dream" may be a little more positive and help the suggestion to be more easily accepted by the mind? maybe?

Just remember to reality test when the song pops into your head! - i know it's obvious but quite often find myself randomly humming along to the tune and completely forgeting to do just that... Isn't it amazing how often we run on auto-pilot?

I include in my 1st verse a reminder to reality test, to avoid this:

"At the time i hear this song, I'll be aware and all switched on, I'll not forget to check this scene, And ask myself 'is this a dream?'

We're all going to have a lucid dream, Hacve a lucid dream etc...."

Daniel

You can now buy all sorts of Reality Testing products at:

http://www.dreamexplorer.co.uk

I've been having a problem with reality testing lately. Sometimes, I will feel as though I have woken up out of a lucid dream and am lying in my bed. However, I am not always certain that I am truly awake. I am often tempted to open my eyes and do a reality check (with, for example, my digital clock). However, I have also found--as is mentioned in EWLD--that if I remain motionless upon waking from a lucid dream, I can fall right back into another lucid dream quite easily. Therefore, I often lie motionless and forego the reality check, only to then wake up "for real" and discover that I had only been dreaming of lying in bed motionless. In other words, I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't. Which leads to my question: Is there a way to do a reality check without moving or opening one's eyes? If so, this would solve my dilemma.

Thanks,

Damian

I have the same problem sometimes. The way I reality test in these situations is attempting to will myself to levitate or to attempt to generate music just by thinking. But by far the most effective method for me is to will my arms to move, not in the same way that i would actually move my arm but just imagine the sensation of moving - I find that if im on the borders of sleep or already dreaming the thought itself is enought to move the arm - it also helps if you will it to move in an impssible direction - such as through the bed itself.

Hope this makes sense.

Daniel.

Daniel,

This makes a lot of sense. Thanks a lot.

Damian

I don't know if this is the proper location for this question, but I have a minor problem - my course did not come with the "reality probe" mentioned in the course book; it is described as a business-size card with the words "Is this a dream?" printed on one side, and the other side is blank. My question is, can I just make one for myself? I assume using easy-to-read block text for the message is a good idea, and I can use business-card paper...Thanks for any tips.

Shaun

Hi Shaun,

Sorry to hear your Reality Probe's gone missing. Indeed, you can make up your very own, personalized version -- or -- email your snail mail address to me (just click on my name at top of this message) and I'll pop an official one into the post for you. Then again, there's always the tattoo approach. No chance of it ever disappearing again -- or is there? ;)

By the way, welcome to the Forum! And may you find many a moment worthy of probing, Keelin

Hi everyone,

I'm quite new to Lucid Dreaming, but have been at it for about three months now and am trying to find the optimal technique as a novice LDer. I've been trying to come up with the best way to use reality testing as a cue to become lucid and Gordon's "Automatization" technique seems to be inline with how I've been using reality checks...It just feels right, and I think simply "believing" in a method is a good step.

I've picked the dreamsigns I find to be the most common and general as possible in order to try an encompass as many dreamsigns into a few categories...for instance I quite often dream of my dogs, and dogs in general, but there are many occasions where I dream of other animals, so instead of focusing on my dogs specifically..I do a reality check every time I see any animal, and it's pretty much becoming Automizationatized (there's a new one for you), I also dream of my wife, X's and random girls (don't tell my wife that)..so I simply do a check when I see any attractive woman. The idea is to cover as much ground with as few categories as possible so that I can focus on them easier. So, if I get you right Gordon, does this seems pretty close to what you were describing, eh?

Anyway, this causes me to do checks quite frequently..my only concern is that I over-check, if that is at all possible. I wonder if it is feasible to become desensitized to the checks if they are too general and too frequent. Any thoughts on that idea?

-Stefan

PS. I know it's been a while since this thread has been active, but I'd be curious to see how it's been coming along Gordon, if your still out there