Stephen: That's pretty much what I have been doing to train myself to remember tasks. I don't do reality checks, so I had to make it a whole new habit. It was challenging in the beginning. I started asking myself throughout the day if I had any lucid tasks. I then thought of the task I had set. I did this for a few weeks until my anxiety took over my life about three weeks ago. I stopped doing this, however, I remembered tasks every night for a while, without trying. I also took a MILD approach, thinking of the task as I was falling asleep after going to bed, especially once I recognised the hypnagogic state. The visualisation suggestion is interesting, I will have to try that.

Arby: You should join in on our quest to find similarities with our lucidity and what makes us lucid.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but the member "Gothlark" on DV wrote a tutorial describing how to use dream feeling to induce LDs:

QuoteConfidence and Dream Feeling Induced Lucid Dream

This method isn&#39t very difficult at all. The only prerequisite is to know that dream feeling. That hazy feeling when you&#39re dreaming. Even when the dreams are vivid, the feeling is still there.

The steps are as follows:

1. Lay down in bed and relax. Simulate that feeling of dreaming. If you&#39ve been lucid and can tell the difference between a lucid dream feeling and a non-lucid dream feeling, use the lucid feeling.

2. Think to yourself that LDing is the easiest thing in the world and it&#39s just a given that you have one that night. If you know how to think an idea without using internal dialogue, that would probably be the best way to do this. Your subconscious can understand internal dialogue more easily and it also takes less time.

3. It may help to add details such as full recall, complete control, and real-life realism. I find that the details you request are given to you as well. Even, if you want, give an idea of how many LDs you want. Like in the previous step, this would best be done in wordless thought if possible.

4. Fall asleep while still simulating the dream feeling.

I know that it sounds pretty simple, and that&#39s because it is. You require the mentality that lucid dreaming is simple in order for this technique to work at it's full potential. I&#39ve found it to work practically 100% of the time, though I cannot guarantee that for everyone. It should take about one minute or less. It&#39s basically part confidence, part using a simulated dream sensation to make your memory carry over to dreams more easily, and part suggestion. It really does help if you can realize that you and your subconscious are the same mind. I hope it works for others as well as it does me.

~ Gothlark sounds interesting, I think I'll use it tonight.

Quote from: Arby on April 27, 2008, 11:37:34 AMHow often do you say "this is a dream" or do you just know? I checked out your thread. To answer, let's say a typical night for me I might have:

0-2 semi lucid 60% -- I'm sort of lucid but the dream is very short, unstable and nonsensical so I don't usually bother doing anything in it. I may fly, but even though I'm doing a lot of dream control I get caught up in the dream itself. I know that it's a dream on some level, but for example last night I was supposed to be helping Guts (from Berserk) and the Autobots defeat the Decepticons (lol) and so I was using my dream control to do that because I got so caught up in the dream plot.

On the other hand it's hard to say, since even in my fully lucid dreams I kind of go with the flow, just for fun. If there's no plot or nothing going on I always explore and/or find something to do.

1-3 full lucids  between 94 and 98% -- I can do pretty much anything I want to save for a few exceptions like controlling my dream guide. Control of myself and my environment is very strong.

So usually, I only bother recording fully lucid dreams, and when I say I have 1-2 LDs nightly I'm talking about fully lucid dreams.

To answer your question, the last week or so I've been experimenting with making an effort to say "This is a dream, so..." or "I am dreaming" to kind of prove to myself that I'm not just semi-lucid. Typically, whenever I fly in a dream it's a full-blown lucid dream, because flying takes a very conscious effort in my case (because I suck at it).

However, I still have a lot of other kinds of control in semi-lucids, like Luminous. It's hard to explain--I don't have to tell myself on a conscious level that I'm dreaming. When I experimented in doing that, I found that saying "This is a dream" really didn't make me any more lucid, so I concluded that my level of lucidity was already the same before I made the statement.

I believe that this is a key to why I'm able to say "I'm pretty much always lucid."

(This of course does not count dreams where I was not lucid and become lucid in a sudden realization.)

Quote from: three and four on April 27, 2008, 09:04:38 AMSo, my hypothesis is this: maybe a big step towards more lucidity in my dreams could come about if I develop a fundamentally new frame of mind during the day: less auto-pilot & constant flows of though, more (in fact constant) observation of what&#39s around me and greater awareness of what&#39s actually happening (could it even be called &#8220one long reality check&#8221?). I think that's exactly a big part of it. In fact I said almost the same thing to my adoptee the other day. Instead of always remembering to do random RCs, what if you practiced a constant awareness of your conscious state and reality? That, I think, is a part of what I do now.

Quote from: Luminous on April 27, 2008, 01:16:11 PMI do think and hope that Naiya and me can point you in the right direction. I need to catch Naiya in DV chat...

Yes Normally I'm around before I got to bed...so about 11pm-1am PT.

I also take a couple of weeks to do the tasks...remembering them is always the hardest part!

:( I know what you guys mean about trying to change a habit that is the default sort of habit. For example at the moment I am trying to improve my posture, and after a few months have slowly built up an awareness.

For example at first I would maybe think about it once a day and then make a concious effort (which would last maybe 15minutes) and then would just forget about it.

Now, for about half of the day I`ll be aware (just by occasionally reminding myself and having it in the back of my mind) of it.&#160At least, when I was trying to improve my posture I asked my family to keep reminding me. It got to the point where as soon as I saw my sister or Dad or Mum it would be enough to straighten up.

Back to LDing..

Maybe you can get a RL dream buddy? Or maybe an object that you look at often (a watch) that reminds you to put yourself off auto pilot (although the problem is that I look at my watch on auto pilot)? This really borders on RCing but I think if we work together we can develop a tech/plan of sorts.

QuoteI had an idea in there, where whenever you do reality checks in real life, instead of just saying, "Is this a dream?", say, "Is this a dream?  What did I want to do in a dream?  Oh yeah, I wanted to go skydiving!"

Also, sometime during the day, visualize yourself getting lucid, followed by taking time to think about tasks.

Yup I agree with this

Quote from: Luminous on April 27, 2008, 01:39:59 PMArby: A little bit of both. When "semi"-lucid, I usually go with the dream, or simply get carried away with the dream, conveniently manipulating the dream if I'm not content with the way it's going. When I then manipulate something, it's my awake self taking over. Also, my level of lucidity can change throughout the dream, that often happens with the first dream(s) during the night.

And I didn't know you were a natural. How often do you have lucid dreams? love the topic, lumi, and all who have contributed!  i am by far not a "natural" (at least not in the way some are in this topic!)...

concerning the above statement / terminology, i have these dreams too, and prefer to call them "situationally-lucid" as for me there is nothing "semi" about it.  i am fully aware that it is a dream (hence lucid), and i don't need to RC for it.  it is just my desire to "go with the universe i am in" like it is a 3D VR movie playing which i am interacting with, and can exert control if i want (but usually i don't, since the constructs of the subconscious mind for me are teeming with cool stuff!).  these dreams usually happen when i WILD successfully.  they are usually the best lucids IMO and always my longest.

of course, i have the god-like (or some people have called them "sandbox" lucids) where you can just alter your reality at whim and usually do!  but these, to me, turn into more like playground experiments.  i usually RC often in these and try to test my world.  at times, these can be the most joyous, if i can learn a new talent or power.

lumi... had a question... do you eat healthy, or stay away from alcohol, etc?  either way it is, i'd love to know if your abilities change with respect to these items...

2Fruits: That's a good idea!

analyst: I don't even touch alcohol. I also eat pretty healthy, though I'm a bit underweight. Gaining weight is so hard...

Quote from: Luminous on April 29, 2008, 10:44:47 AMI don't even touch alcohol.

You must be the only person in the whole of Norway. Watch out, they'll take away your passport...

Quote from: three and four on April 29, 2008, 11:15:27 AMQuote from: Luminous on April 29, 2008, 10:44:47 AMI don't even touch alcohol.

You must be the only person in the whole of Norway. Watch out, they'll take away your passport...

I know. My passport has expired, though.

After skillful thought and visualisation I've come to realise the fact and importance of being an introvert when it comes to Lucid Dreaming. Being "in your own mind" - that is, making your own considerations and not letting things you see and hear become what you are. That layer is fundamental to LDing itself, and much more naturally LDing.

And I don't doubt that, with the right mind exercises, you can be trained enough to have much more frequent DILDs. After that, it goes downhill

Quote from: Kromoh on May 02, 2008, 07:51:35 PMAfter skillful thought and visualisation I've come to realise the fact and importance of being an introvert when it comes to Lucid Dreaming. Being "in your own mind" - that is, making your own considerations and not letting things you see and hear become what you are. That layer is fundamental to LDing itself, and much more naturally LDing.

And I don't doubt that, with the right mind exercises, you can be trained enough to have much more frequent DILDs. After that, it goes downhill

Wholehearted agreement from me. Thats part of why i'm not just a media mirror as well....

Perhaps this is a way to spot lucid dreamers? People who don't take things they see to heart like that are often noticeable and it could be a very good cause of lucidity =O

To introduce a slight twist on this topic...

I've been talking a lot with a couple of different natural lucid dreamers. I have found a seemingly signifigant similarity (sss  ). Apathy. A lack of interest in life, in comparison to dream. A want to escape physical reality.

Throughout my talks with these people, it has become somewhat apparent that the more intense this attitude is, the more vivid and frequent lucid dreams are had.

Seeing as this is only three people (myself included), I thought I'd search for this in others and see if it is a factor.

When I say apathy, I don't necessarily mean it to such an extent of not caring. For example, I maintain an interesting perspective that life is a dream as part of a meditation I take in whilst I am awake.

Doing this for a while, I have found that it has dramatically affected my dreams vividity, over a period of several months.

A friend of mine, has been 'depressed' throughout life for a length of time now. His lucid dreams have started becoming natural, and less forced as such. Another has a view on existence, that is very objective and seems to lead to dreams where he watches with awareness. He has confirmed with me, that his perspective has definately influenced his dream lucidity.

QuoteApathy. A lack of interest in life, in comparison to dream. Hmm I am not sure how true this is for the natural lucid dreamers, they'll have to answer this one. But I think you've hit the nail on the head with the in comparison to dream. Dreaming to us is a high priority and as someone mentioned earlier, we spend a lot more time trying to dream than actually bein lucid.

I was doing a bit of thinking last night (whilst taking my ofuro (bath)) and realised that I do and now know when I am in that really critical thinking, separated from reality state. Whenever I call home or webcam/skype home, I find myself feeling strangely calm, and really disassociated from reality. It's strange and I don't know if its just an emotional defence mechanism but I think if I can try to use that feeling and really critically it will help getting lucids and my lucids. When I feel like this in a dream, I am fully lucid. Once I get to this stage I find that I don't slip into a normal state because I am alert because in no way am I on auto-pilot.

For me it got to a point that I appreciated the randomness of the waking world. Playing at being "God" wears thin after a few decades.    There is great beauty in the surprises that life puts upon our doorstep and in the associated challenges.

Quote from: Pantomime on May 07, 2008, 09:27:30 AMTo introduce a slight twist on this topic...

I've been talking a lot with a couple of different natural lucid dreamers. I have found a seemingly signifigant similarity (sss  ). Apathy. A lack of interest in life, in comparison to dream. A want to escape physical reality.

Throughout my talks with these people, it has become somewhat apparent that the more intense this attitude is, the more vivid and frequent lucid dreams are had.

I have been naturally going OBE and Lucid since I can remember.  I have never had a lack of interest in life nor have I wanted or needed to escape this reality.  I do have a bit of an obsession with my dream world.  My frequency of LD's/OBE's goes from once a month to 5-10 times a night.  This depends on a number of factors but my interst in life seems to stay about the same.

I will say that there are "places" over there that I go that I don't want to leave and when I am "there" I would gladly sacrifice this great life I have here for that experience to continue.  These "places" are way beyond the LD state.  I still consider LD to be part of this reality.  And then once I get back here I am fine to stay here and complete whatever it is I am here to do.

I have dreams that are life like; they are clear, distinct, and possess all the trappings of real time and that too of reality; they are vivid and easily recalled, but, they are not lucid.

The distinctive feature between vivid dreams and lucid dreams is one of awareness, of knowing that one is dreaming even when one populates one's dreamscape. Terms like being semi-lucid, fuzzy, or dreamy, do not fit into my experience.

Lucid dreams are like stories being told by a narrator (in graphic form) in which one is the passive observer; it is not a omniscient viewpoint but more like the 'over the shoulder' one. Equally, when one populates one's own dream and is seeing it from the first person singular viewpoint one then has this omniscient observer's view as one seems almost aware of the intentions and feelings of the others who populate the dream, so consciousness or awareness is part of lucidity but there is a paradox, and the paradox is this; that the dream is so life-like that it cannot be distinguished from reality. It resembles reality in that one is also consciously aware (accept when doing repetitive tasks) of what is occurring around one.

To recognise that one is dreaming then decide to awake only to discover that one is still dreaming then, to again make the effort to awaken to once more finding that one continues to dream (and ad nuaseum) then when one does eventually awake, it is not surprising to keep going about one's daily business continuing to wonder if one is really awake! Lucidity is so close to reality that, even though one is aware of dreaming, that it is actually difficult to distinguish the difference and it can be scary!

Beautiful dreamscapes do also occur when one is saddened whenever they conclude when they often leave in their wake this happy feeling when one is also sad at having to return to this real life of ours, of trouble and strife.

The paradox of realness and awareness is probably what distinguishes lucidity from other forms of dreaming but I am speaking solely from personal experience and observation. I wonder, occasionally, when reference is being made to LD that we are all talking about the same phenomenon.

I am a natural and although I dont have this "apathy to life" attitude, my night time is very special to me. I have had a fascination with my dreams from a very young age and have always talked about them to anyone who would listen. I have always glad when its time to come to bed. I always make sure that I am comfortable in my sleep. The bed has to be nice and comfy, the bedding has to be clean and new and of good quality. The room has to be of the right temperature. I relish the time I spend sleeping and dreaming.

Many people take the awake time to be all there is and consider sleeping and dreaming to be a waste of time. Therefore they dont focus on sleeping and dreaming and as the result becoming "tuned out" from it.

Just look at the general concensus about sleeping and dreaming. In our society anyone sleeping too much is considered lazy, anyone dreaming too much is considered not " all there ". " Oh its just a dream " implies one shouldnt take dreams seriously. Most people avoid going to bed, they learn from a young age to stay up watching TV or doing work. People who sleep very little is considered to be productive. The industrial age created night shifts which meant sleeping and dreaming are considered something not disposable, not something to be cherished and valued.

While we are awake, reality is created FOR us. Especially in this day and age, when reality is SHOVED into our faces by the media. They shape what our world is like. Only in our dreams that we can create our own reality according to what we like and value. Yet we consider it to be a waste of time.

No wonder most people dont LD.

QuoteThe paradox of realness and awareness is probably what distinguishes lucidity from other forms of dreaming but I am speaking solely from personal experience and observation. I wonder, occasionally, when reference is being made to LD that we are all talking about the same phenomenon. Jennings,

You make a good point.

For me I talk of LD when I am in a dream, know that I am in a dream and have full control over my self and I have the memory set of this waking reality.

I have many vivid dreams that are still first person but I don't remember that I am in a dream.  I have very few third person dreams where I am watching as if a story is being told.  I remember them from long ago. Just not any more.

I have others that I am completely Lucid, know that I am in a dream, have full control over my self but have a different memory set than I do in this waking reality. A few in between.

I consider myself OB when I am very similar to the above but I am in the energy scape that we are in here in this waking reality. I can see my bedroom and my sleeping body or if I am at someone else's house I see their energies what energies they have collected around them in this reality. When I awaken there is some agreement on the things that I have "witnessed".  I say "witnessed" because there is always some interpretation that my brain does as it translates the energies into brain pictures.  People are in the "places" that I saw them in and said the things that I heard them say, etc. Note: and usually I have a "sense" of having a "body" similar to the one I have in this waking reality.

Then there are the times I am outside all this above mentioned and I still tend to call that OB even though it really doesn't fit even by my own definition.  I often don't have a "body" as we think of a "body" here in this reality. That where I find my soul center resides and that is where I don't want to leave. I am beyond body and perspective and duality.  It feels like home beyond any sense of home here in this reality (I include the dream scape).  The beautiful dream scapes are enjoyable (breath taking at times) but there is plenty of beauty here also.  Those of you who have been to where I am referring will understand. Those who have not ventured into those realms I invite you to travel there.

With one exception where I had an OOBE of a very short duration which allows me to accept your experiences 'dallyup' I am otherwise, almost, but not quite, envious! The state you are able to achieve is one that I too desire so, may be, just, may be, one day, then, eureka! I keep trying!

Quote from: dallyup52 on May 30, 2008, 07:13:22 PMThen there are the times I am outside all this above mentioned and I still tend to call that OB even though it really doesn't fit even by my own definition.  I often don't have a "body" as we think of a "body" here in this reality. That where I find my soul center resides and that is where I don't want to leave. I am beyond body and perspective and duality.  It feels like home beyond any sense of home here in this reality (I include the dream scape).  The beautiful dream scapes are enjoyable (breath taking at times) but there is plenty of beauty here also.  Those of you who have been to where I am referring will understand. Those who have not ventured into those realms I invite you to travel there.

What you described made me wonder whether I had been there once. I had always thought of it as a dream but maybe it wasnt.

About 5 years after my father passed away I had a dream where I went someplace else. It didnt feel like a dream which was unusual for me as I always knew when I was dreaming. I didnt feel "heavy" within myself like I normally did in other dreams either. Normally in my dreams, I am aware of my physical body and I need to use some energy to move my body. Then I just "felt" myself moving along. First I was floating along this tunnel which was not dark but not very light either and it was rather roomy. Then I got to a path with green grass and flowers. Then I went into something like a elongated large room which had a door at one end. However, the door was very high up, near the ceiling, not on the floor. I felt a deep sense of peace and belonging there which made my body feel very light and I started to float into the air. I floated up to the door just as it opened and I saw some very bright light and music coming from behind it. I wanted to go through the door but then my father appeared at the door and he told me to go back, that my mother needed me. I didnt want to listen initially and tried to push my way through. He reached out with his hand and pushed me gently and I fell backwards and floated back through the garden and the tunnels. As I "fell" backwards I went faster and faster until I woke up. I felt very sorrow full when I did because I didnt want to leave, I really wanted to go through that door and to stay. Strangely too I recognised my father but I was not excited or surprised or anything. He might as well be any other person and I wouldnt know the difference. That was odd considering how much I missed him.

Would it be a spontaneous OBE ?

QuoteI felt very sorrow full when I did because I didnt want to leave, Sounds like my reaction to some of these "places" that I sense are outside of "this" reality.  Might be meaningful to revisit places like this.  It is meaningful to me when I experience these "places"

Any other memories of this experience that can't be put into words.  These unworded memories might help lead you back there.

Quote from: Pantomime on May 07, 2008, 09:27:30 AMI've been talking a lot with a couple of different natural lucid dreamers. I have found a seemingly signifigant similarity (sss  ). Apathy. A lack of interest in life, in comparison to dream. A want to escape physical reality.

Throughout my talks with these people, it has become somewhat apparent that the more intense this attitude is, the more vivid and frequent lucid dreams are had. You make a good point Pantomime, and this seems to apply to me as well although I am far from being a natural lucid dreamer.

Once a person experiences the things that are available to them in the other dimension, the other dimension can become so much more exciting than the physical realm at times, that it can boost interest in the other dimension, and cause more lucid dreams.

When I came back from an obe where I was half way around the world viewing sites from high in the air, it left me with a feeling that I had just returned from a 2 week vacation when I woke up, and got me hooked on obes.  As this is so much more convenient than waiting in airports for flights that are often delayed, and having to wait in long lines to see things, I would have to say that it is my preferred way to vacation.

Posted by: iadr QuoteI would have to say that it is my preferred way to vacation. Now we can all be on vacation all the time.  I sometimes wonder why I travel at all in the physical reality.