Hi! I just started delving more into the idea of lucid dreaming February 28th of this year. That exact day I read up on everything lucid dreaming related. I immediately set up a dream journal for myself and chose which methods I'd use for attempting to attain lucidity in dreams. I also began doing reality checks throughout the day (at that time I had chosen taking off my glasses to see if my vision was still blurry as my go to reality check, I'll explain why that was a horrible idea and why I don't do it anymore a bit further down XP)
I've never actually had a full on lucid dream. I've had excellent dream recall since childhood, and it's easy for me to recall 3 or 4 dreams had during the night, especially if woken up during or just after each period of REM sleep (which I've read is natural).
The closest I've ever come to a lucid dream has only been semi lucidity, and for some reason I would become semi lucid ONLY in nightmares. During these nightmares I suddenly get a sense of awareness and say to myself "wait, I'm dreaming!". It's then that I realize if I just let whatevers chasing me "get me", I'll wake up and won't have to deal with the nightmare anymore. So I'll stand still and face whatever person/creature I'm running from until it kind of runs into me or hits me with whatever weapon it's carrying, and my head will go black and I will wake up. I imagine I've had chances to go full lucid, but since I'm overcome with fear of the nightmare I use my semi lucidity to make the dream end as soon as possible. The last time I remember having any sort of control over a dream was during a semi-nightmare. I was being chased by a giant lizard/snake monster, and stopped to talk to someone who I think was trying to help me. I looked at them to talk and they had no pupils. I stopped and said "That's creepy, I'm not talking to you without pupils", so I shook my hand at them and they blinked, and opened their eyes this time with pupils. I said "that's better" and we continued talking. That was the extent of my lucidity haha.
Now, the last 2 days I have been trying to go to bed earlier, and I've been using MILD as I go to sleep (this is coupled with many reality checks throughout the day).
My first day of doing MILDS, I was able to get to the point where I was slipping off to sleep, while chanting my dream affirmations "I WILL have a lucid dream tonight" and "Tonight I will consult with my inner creativity". I finally fell asleep and my dream started, but it had nothing to do with my dream affirmation. I failed my first reality check right out of the gate (taking off my glasses) because I started my dream with no glasses! ARGH. So I never became lucid, and instead I am doing different reality checks. After I woke up I wrote down my dream and colour coded important objects, people, and feelings. I plan on keeping my dream journal and doing this for at least 2/3 weeks to try and find my dream sign.
My second day I had a really hard time getting to sleep because I sleep with my boyfriend and he stayed up very late on the computer, which not only made my MILD attempts very hard, but I was unable to practice my WBTS method as well. I ended up giving up on my MILDS and just trying to sleep at all. I managed to get to sleep. During the night I naturally awoke 3 times, each time I laid in bed for a minute until the dream I was having came rushing back. I then got up and typed it down along with the time in which I woke up, and went back to sleep (With MILD the firs time, without the last 2 times). So by the time I woke up for the day I had 1 fairly detailed dream along with 2 shorter dreams (because I ended up waking up much quicker the last 2 times). Still no lucidity, not even a hint that my dream affirmations made it into my subconscious XP
So it's been 2 days, I have 4 dreams in my dream journal right now, and so far my reoccurring dream signs have been my Grandmother, my 2 sisters, and my boyfriend. I'm not using these as actual dream signs JUST yet because I've had many dreams where they have not been present. My dreams are still pretty blurry and I never seem to have any idea that I may be dreaming, unless it is a nightmare.
My reality checks are now: STOP and say "Am I dreaming?". Imagine the letters appearing on a surface in front of me. I look around and start pointing out things like, "My vision is not blurry, everything is clear and vivid. I feel at ease, I can read text twice or more without it changing, everything seems in order." I then take a few natural breaths, and plug my nose during the start of a breath. Obviously if I'm not dreaming I can't breathe, but I believe that I will be able to breathe through my hand. Then I take two fingers and rub my palm, and press down. I try and believe that they will go through, and I imagine what it would feel like if they did.
I plan on continuing my MILDS and WBTS method each night, and today I'm trying some dream incubation throughout the day. I'm not using anything tricky or specific, just "I will have a lucid dream tonight" or "I will remember I am dreaming tonight."
I know one shouldn't be turned down by not gaining lucidity immediately! I'm trying to stay positive. I'm curious as to whether my methods sound right or not? (I know that after awhile people normally play with what works for them personally, but I'm talking strictly for beginners) Any help, advice or insight into my situations would be great!
Also I didn't write down the dreams I've had in case this post gets way longer than it should >< If anyone thinks having them up would help though, I definitely will add them in!
via Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views - Attaining Lucidity http://ift.tt/1eS0oEC
