Dear Dreamers,

For those of you interested in sharpening your prospective memory skill (an essential ingredient of the MILD technique), below is a list, reminiscent of camp days:

Set your sincere intention to do a reality check the NEXT time you:

• Use a spoon
• yAWn
• Hear a melody
• Recognize someone

Anyone want to offer a list for next week?

I've been going through the Course tasks this week. I find that I only nail the targets when I'm already thinking of doing RTs. The target itself is not reminding me, which is bad. I try to visualize myself doing a RT in each situation, but no luck yet. Any advice?

Hi Mark!

My first suggestion is to examine the ways in which you are successful with prospective memory tasks. When you want to do something in the future that isn't habitual, exactly how do you plant this intention in your mind? What is the reward for remembering? What if the reason you really want to nail that prospective memory target is because, once you do the reality check, you will either realize you are dreaming or get to follow through with the fantasy of what you would do if it were in fact a dream? You may find yourself becoming increasingly alert if the ultimate reward is sufficiently enticing. Since dream camp '97, David Smith and I have been exchanging occassional prospective memory targets. Part of my incentive for succeeding with these has to do with the enjoyment of reporting back to him about the various occasions in which I've encounter the chosen targets.

Second suggestion: Along with visualization, maybe you could incorporate some other sensory aids as well. For example, if the target is "the next time you hear a dog barking", while you're setting your intention, you can add your own medley of woofs to help set up an auditory link. (You might want to do this when no one else is around ;->) Or let's say the target is a telephone ringing. Consider how you usually respond. Do you snap to attention with a startled look on your face, do you tilt your head wondering who's calling, or clear your throat? Imagine the phone is ringing and while setting your intention to notice it as a target, act out these somatic responses that may help remind you when the next target occassion arises.

Till NEXT time...

Hello,

I had today the longest lucid dream i've ever had, about 20 minuets. In the dream I was flying a lot. I wasn't 100% lucid, but I knew it was a dream, and I can controll things. But in reality, when I think of what will I do in my next LD, I don't think of flying. A goal for me is to, in a LD, stand still, look around, and say "This is a dream" and then look at my hands. Then I will say "What shall I now?"

I wan't to have this moment, because in my dream today, all I did is fly. I really wanted to try and solve math problems because I heard that I can answer complex questions faster. Try to talk to a dream character and ask her things, like if she knows this is a dream or questions about dream signs. I feel in most of my LDs that I am in a hurry, to do things, and I never get to do them. Any idea how to get to the point that I stand still and think???

Thank you.

Hi Guy,

A reminder device, such as the PEST or a watch alarm would help you to become more focused on what you want to do in your lucid dreams. You can set the PEST to go off randomly within a certain epoch throughout the day. Everytime the PEST goes off do a reading reality test. Then, imagine that you have become lucid. Ask yourself, What is it that I really want to do? Remember, and then do it. Make it a habit, immediately after becoming lucid, to ask yourself this same question. Then you will find yourself doing what you intend to do in your lucid dreams.

Nathen

Dear Guy,

Many seasoned oneironauts can attest to the fact that too much inactivity in a dream can lead to the dream's dissolving. So if part of your plan for your next lucid dream is to stand still and look at your hands while thinking about what to do next, I'd strongly advise incorporating the dream-prolonging technique of rubbing your hands while you focus on recalling your intended activity. You can easily incorporate this hand-rubbing action into the daytime rehearsals that Nathen has suggested.

Sometimes, it's fun to simply go with the flow of whatever dream scenario you find yourself in when lucidity dawns, but if you have something else in mind, you can always try to make where you are part of the journey, or try spinning with the intention of arriving in an environment more suitable to the accomplishment of your goal.

Congratulations on your long lucid flight! May your next one take you just where you want to go, Keelin

Thanks for the advices.

Dream on :)

Hi, I just joined the LI and this is my first message here. I had a lot of trouble hitting targets but doubled my success rate when I realized something that might help others. Normally the plan is to pick targets that you do or happen to you automatically without effort or thought, then hope that they prompt you to become aware of the situation and consciously test your state. That is quite a tricky proposition, which is why I at least could only remember to RT if I was already thinking about it rather than being reminded by the target. Instead you must intend to test in the same manner that you perform the targets- to do it automatically without thinking about it. For example if the target is when you next switch on the microwave- while preparing your food your mind might be wandering around without any concern for your intention to RT and you start to think about a recent conversation you had. When you do turn on the microwave you want to allow yourself to carry out the test within the scene you are imagining and that will prompt you to test in reality. This helps with another problem involved in testing when you are concentrating on another activity- the difficulty in dividing your attention while still carrying out each task sufficiently well. Instead you combine the two. So if you are on the phone, you might ask the other person telepathically if you are dreaming, as though it was part of the conversation. If they give any response at all it will be clear you are dreaming! I haven't explained very well but will try again when I have more time.

Dear Trevor

Did I get it right? You find it hard to catch a target, when you are not thinking of doing RT (RC). You suggest not to withdraw from the target situation for a RT You suggest to go directly /consciously into target situations.

"That is quite a tricky proposition, which is why I at least could only remember to RT if I was already thinking about it rather than being reminded by the target." In my first longer period of intense state - checking I have made the same experience in the beginning. But later on, with some training, the targets "reminded" me automatically. Sometimes it actually felt like a "hit". Like something pushed me to becoming aware of the target. You can trust in the effect of this prospective memory task - training. Prospective! That's what it is all about. It's very hard to carry continuos awareness into the nights dreams. The easier way is to learn to give yourself an automatic push in the presence of a dreamsign and get lucid.

I have to add, that the effect of state - checking for me rarely lead to the "classical" process: Dreamsign - Awareness - RC - lucidity. For me, there has been (and still is) some kind of increase of general awareness and getting lucid seemed to be more spontaneous. Others may have different experiences.

"This helps with another problem involved in testing when you are concentrating on another activity- the difficulty in dividing your attention while still carrying out each task sufficiently well." That is worth thinking about. It depends on the situation, how I check my state. While driving a car, I only do a simple, short RC and continue driving. But if I in any way have the chance to withdraw from (target) situation, I do it. And do a full RI. The withdrawal in itself is a training. I have to stop the rush of experiences (either awake or dreaming) and concentrate on my awareness. This strengthens my will and my independence. The problem is that in the run of a dream I often think, that something is odd. But then the next impression wipes out this thought. Or a dream - character or myself rationalises the situation and my awareness is decreasing again. Dividing attention is a training, too. I sometimes feel very strange, doing a state check while kissing my beloved girl. ?:- o And she feels strange, when she catches me, while doing it ~:- < I find it important to be able to retreat from emotional situations and take a closer look at myself and the situation. This serves well day and night. In general I think the key - word is: Automatic. There has got to be a routine in state checking automatically and immediately once an oddity appears. Day or night. Keelin has put it in the words: "How odd! How odd is it?"

I hope, that I have understood you and that you profit of my hints.

Yours Ralf

Prospective memory tests - my experience

I found this very difficult. In particular the method in Stephen LaBerge's book where there are 4 targets to hit the first time each day was impossible at first, I missed everything. This becomes depressing.

I began to make progress when trying to hit frequent targets, for example the target used at dream camp reported by Keelin......when passing through a door say "doors of perception". I also found useful saying "dreamtime" whenever I checked the time.

There is in fact one way never to miss a target. Suppose that your life actually did depend on hitting each one of Stephen LaBerge's four targets first time. Imagine it! Do you think that you would miss a target? Getting into the frame of mind requires some effort, one is perpetually jumpy and stressed, and it disrupts ones day. The task is always in mind. But never fails.

This aside, in my opinion the key to hitting the target is - and it is obvious that it should be -simply to practice hitting it, preferably in reality. Missing my dreamtime test was very frustrating but I found that if over a 30 min period I practiced hitting the target and saying "dreamtime" 20 times or so, then for the next hour or two I would hit the target, thereafter a decline. I believe that this practice is behind the success of the MILD technique. It corresponds with what is known about the value of repetitive practice.

Gradually over days and week my skill for targets improved. They improved, but I am still not as good as I wish to be, for example the slightest distraction defeats me so I still have a long way to go.

In fact I have failed completely after 8 months on one test, to say "dreamtalk" whenever I start a conversation. I find it difficult to practice this in everyday life. Then because I fail more often than I succeed, the net result is that I am practicing the failing, a bit like repeating the same mistake on a musical instrument.

I have experimented with another method. This is based on a method used with Alzheimer's sufferers. I am sitting now at the PC. I set myself a target within the next 30 seconds....when I next hit the keyboard................wow I got it...now I will be more ambitious....resolve to hit a target in about 2 minutes time....I'll have a coffee "switching the kettle on", it'll take me 2 min to get downstairs to do this...............................................................................................................can you believe it! on the way downstairs I went to the bathroom, got distracted...I switched the kettle on but then forgot to do the test!!

Now I go back to my 30 second target. The idea is that as one gradually improves the time can be extended, fail and the time is shortened again.

My overall preference is for the repetitious practice method.

Owen

Dear Trevor, Ralf, Owen (and Fellow Oneironauts),

When I first began working on prospective memory skills, I often felt very foolish. The short list du jour of assigned targets in Lucidity Institute's "Course in Lucid Dreaming" looked like a breeze. What a simple task.... What a surprise!

With determination, I did improve, but sometimes I'd spot a target, then realize that I'd actually missed an opportunity to catch it earlier in the day. (By the way, when this happens, it's better to feel good about finally getting it than to berate one's self for having missed it previously.)

Soon I found that when setting my intention to notice a target during the day, visualizing accomplishing the task (recognizing the target) was an important ingredient for success -- and much more effective than wishin' & hopin' & plannin' & schemin', I might add.

And as you've described, Ralf, eventually the targets began to almost jump out and grab my attention in a rather startling fashion and I'd feel the thrill of an inner unfolding of awareness -- very much like when catching an anomaly while dreaming and becoming lucid.

The notion of divided attention, which Trevor and Ralf have both mentioned, is a fascinating one. Personally, I like the feeling that comes with it, which, for me, feels like a kind of expanded awareness, more encompassing of whatever situation is at hand. And again, I would agree with Ralf's comment about the advantage of stepping back from on-going drama.

In Ralf's words: "I find it important to be able to retreat from emotional situations and take a closer look at myself and the situation. This serves well day and night."

I feel very strongly that one of the most precious gifts lucidity has to offer is the increased ability to see the variety of possibilities in every situation in waking life as well as in dreaming. In my personal experience, I've found that the awareness skills, developed through training to lucid dream, have profoundly enhanced my waking life, particularly in the areas of decision-making and subsequent behavior. When challenging situations arise, I feel better able to respond in a calm and intentional manner, rather than reacting in an habitual fashion. This is directly related to the experience of consciously observing how a dream unfolds in perfect accordance with my beliefs, expectations, fears and desires.

Having witnessed this unfolding time and again, I cannot help but take these dreaming experiences into account when viewing this waking "reality" as the manifestation of a bigger dream. And in doing so, I must also acknowledge my part in creating the mutual "reality" that is shared with those around me. Will I choose to respond in a way that expresses compassion and promotes serenity? Or will I add to disharmony and contribute to chaos? There is a profound underlying sense of personal empowerment here, encased in responsibility.

Thank you for sharing your thoughtful comments and suggestions here on the Forum. I look forward to reading further commentary on this subject from our dreamy cohorts.

Sweet dreams to all, Keelin

Beautifully put, Keelin. I still aspire.

An appropriate comment from neuroscience:

"What learning does is to change the strength of the synaptic connections in the brain, and this has held true for every form of learning so far analyzed. So, what genetic and developmental processes do is specify the cells that connect to each other, but what they do not specify is the exact strength of those connections. Environmental contingencies, such as learning, play a significant part in the strength of those connections."

Eric Kandel - Nobel prizewinning psychiatrist.

Dear Alan....regarding synaptic connections

Please could you comment on the following. There is a study showing that the more RCs you do a day the more LDs you will have. This seems logical to me.

However athletes or students generally are often advised to have rest periods. Is this when the body reinforces the synaptic connections?

My question. Does neurophysiology tell us anything about the optimal strategy for reality checks etc?

Is it optimal to do it all the time, many times a day? A few times a day but for longer? Have complete days/weeks/months total rest etc etc etc.

Sometimes I feel stale with the RCs. Is it better than to force myself to forge ahead regardless or would it pay to have a couple of days off.

Perhaps these are difficult questions but I would appreciate your opinion.

Best wishes,

Owen

Owen,

It would be wonderful if we could train our emotions to be permanently enthusiatic about a specific project, but sort of dangerous, too. The words 'conditioning' and 'fanaticism' come to mind.

Anything gets stale after a while, so I guess the only way to proceed with the project is to have a rest, and then find a new way of doing the same thing. Like.......Madonna? :-)

Best of luck

Lana Nudegrabit

PS: I hasten to add that I'm the last person to consult about disciplined application of any brand of regimen. I'm genetically predisposed to be a dilletante.

Frequency of Prospective Memory Tests

In his book Stephen LaBerge talks about 4 targets and aiming to hit them once only each day, the first time they are encountered.

I generally have 4 targets that I try to hit as many times as possible throughout the day. The reason for this was that in the beginning I always missed so decided to give myself further time to practice in the day. I read also that at dream camp you have targets that you continue to focus on throughout the day?

Thinking about MILD it occurs to me that the reason why it is appropriate to go for the target once during awakening is that it mimics what is happening when returning to sleep after MILD, that is there is only a limited time during the dream and therefore few opportunities to hit a target, thus it is crucially important on focusing on getting the first one or two.

Do any of you agree that this is the reason why Stephen proposes to try to hit the targets only once.

Owen

So, here we go back to the basics.

I focussed simply on the MILD exercise some month now, but did get back into prospectively planned reality checking the week before. In fact I did it three days. My routine is a personalised version of the prospective / RC /RI exercises according to Stephen: I write down dreams, look for dreamsigns, assess dream sign awareness, go back in the dream, imagine the dreamsign occurring and getting lucid. Imagine how I will feel then and what I will do. Then I choose target dreamsigns for the day. I pick eight signs, try to include dreamsigns from current dreams, if applicable. My goal is currently to hit seven of eight targets, perform RC then and reflection / intention exercise. Goal is to perform at least six reflection / intention exercises per day. My results were:

Date Hits RI 1710 6/8 6 1910 3/7 3 2010 5/6 5

Number of targets deviates, because some targets didn't appear, at least I didn't notice it...

Now, what may be new to you is this modification of the prospective exercise:

Before sleeping, I picked four target dreamsigns with the intention to perform RC, when they occur in my dreams. The idea behind that was to have specific goals, not only the general intention to get lucid, the next time I'm dreaming.

Targets were: 1. Being in an unknown place 2. something is embarrassing 3. I want to or do smoke 4. Something is dangerous I repeated targets and intention, while falling asleep.

This is a dream early in the night, I think that is why it is so fuzzy remembered and so scarcely cognitive clear. Nonetheless it made my day until now and I did really enjoy the funny situation and how I acted so chicken - hearted:

A male person forbids me to take the way I go, because it would lead to waking up. I'm firstly only irritated, then I fear I'll never wake up again. With all my power and intend I force myself to wake up. Feeling great relief that I evaded such a dangerous, insidious trap. I drift into sleep again. Satisfied.

On recalling the dream it only later dawned on me, that this has been a hit on one of the targets. And that is was of course a lucid dream. Nonetheless I wasn't pleased. Because I missed the chance to go on dreaming, like the indefinite man wanted me to. Then I tried to imagine the man. He must be laughing about me, I thought. I very well displayed ANTI - prolonging. Or maybe he says: OK. Next time...

But there is maybe more to learn for me: It seems that I unconsciously fear to not return from my (lucid) dream journeys. I see that dream as showing my unconscious resistance against being lucid. And this is my overall intention since a while: To learn in LDs how to better dream lucid.

Can't say, if my new pre sleep exercise will really pay off. But I count this as a success. Wouldn't be bad to hit one of four targets every night, eh?

Yours Ralf

P.S. Owen, it has been a year ago, your question. But I think it is very important to hit the target the FIRST time, it appears. I reason the effect on doing so is a much better training of prospective memory. Another point of view is, that if you hit the target all day, it simply gets a habit. That may be contra awareness.

Ralph, do you do any techniques to fall asleep? I don't do MILD because I have trouble falling back asleep once I wake up (can't dream if you don't fall asleep).

Joseph

Hi, Joseph

I practice relaxation using the 61 points exercise as adopted by Stephen in "Exploring ...". If I had not fallen asleep during that exercise, I repeat it, mostly trying to enter a dream directly or to have OBE like experiences. Sometimes I use that time to reinforce my intentions for the night. But mostly I sleep in while doing the exercise. Nonetheless it is a good preparation, a training for using it then in combination with MILD. As I wrote in the "Frustration support" thread, I can now relax rather deeply and keep mind awake. I think that is the main reason, why snoring occurs. You may call that thing with sleeping in the technique of paradox intention. You sleep in, while you try to stay awake.

Keep us updated on your sleeping experiences

Yours Ralf

Greetings Dear Ralf and Dream Explorers,

I, too, have found practicing prospective memory tasks to be a very effective method for improving lucid dreaming skills, especially for preparing the mind to recognize general categories such as those Ralf mentions like place and context.

What works best for me is to watch for emotional responses which often feel more highly charged in dream situations. Confusion and frustration are common favorites. Didn't I already graduate from high school? Why do I keep mis-dialing this telephone? :?! In the latter example, I might miss the obvious cue of a bizarre contraption I take for a phone, while the lingering emotion becomes the trigger for dream awareness.

And what I find particularly beneficial in developing the link between emotional reaction and lucidity (in both waking and dreaming) is that it offers practice in the art of shifting from habitual reaction to mindful, more compassionate response, which in turn leads to more satisfying results in either realm.

Good dreaming to all! Keelin

Ralf et al.

I do think that hitting the target first time is good. But I also think that to continue the exercise is also helpful, provided the target is hit. To get in more practice I sometimes divide the day into periods. So from 9-12am I will try to hit 3-4 targets, then perhaps a rest. Then have another go 4-5pm and say 9-11pm. During these periods I try to generate a very strong resolve to hit the target. Outside these periods I might try just to recognise odd things rather than the targets.

What I think is bad is to have the lukewarm resolve to hit the targets and then spend the day missing them.

Something else I have found useful is to ask myself often during the day, "Have I missed a dreamsign." I then cast my mind back to the last half hour or so and think what could have been a dreamsign. Looking in this way I find many things that I ought not to have missed. I resolve not to miss them in future but then if I have identified a missed dreamsign I then test my state with great care. This exercise has come through into my dreams. I think, yes that was a dreamsign a few minutes ago, test my state and I realise its a dream.

Following on from what Keelin just said I also now find it quite easy to hit those dreamsigns that involve some emotion, like getting in a muddle or losing something. I think it's useful then to cut through the frustration to contine searching for the lost car keys etc but stop and do a state test. It's quite difficult if someone's screaming that we're late and have to get off but its a good exercise.

Owen

Owen!!

Glad to see you here once again. Fine you still work on LD.

Your words on prospective memory tasks are interesting. Your focussing on certain periods is a good recipe. I find that sometimes I his 6 targets in one hour and then have "nothing to do" until I go to sleep. But especially before sleep it seems important to work on RCing. I think it is not good to stop with it hours before the night.

"Something else I have found useful is to ask myself often during the day, "Have I missed a dreamsign." "

I can approve that. That question comes to me frequently now. It may be good to see it retrospective, too. Above all it is important to reward myself and to turn misses into motivation, into stepping stones to lucidity. Your success with this kind of reality testing is interesting. It seems in any way important to get used to test state, diligently, how ever you do it.

Thanks for your funny physical waking example for RC target.

Keelin! I agree heartfelt. Emotional situations are always worth to be experienced lucidly. May it be hottest rage ore highest joy, lucid I can make the best of it, night or day.

Keep on doing the lucid thing!

Yours Ralf

Ralf, yes I'm still here! When I first began with LDing I did the prospective memory tasks nearly every day. It becomes boring I think and then one misses the targets. I feel it's good to regard it as would a keen musicician or sportsman about practice and training, if it isn't rigorous sincere practice you're probably better off not doing it.