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Hello Cailin, welcome to the board.
I think lucid dreaming is a skill anyone can master, and this is obviously the week for discussion on the subject because I have been talking about it all week with another member of the board. I PM'd them some advice which I am going to basically repeat here, I hope they don't mind.
Here:
My advice for would-be dreamers is easy. Practice, practice, practice and then practice some more. First practice dream recall - keep a journal and write in it the minute you wake up. Even if it's 3.43am. even if you can only remember fragments. if you can't remember anything at all STOP SMOKING GEAR, it fucks up your recall completely. Truly, it does. (One of the few sad things about being a lucid dreamer.) And if you really, really can't remember anything, write down the things that do come into your head. If you're doing it immediately on waking chances are they'll be things related to your dream anyway. Try really hard not to move before you begin writing, lie in exactly the same position as you were in when you woke, just reach for your journal. For some reason movement damages recall.
Once you are regularly writing dreams, begin checking all the time if you are dreaming in your waking life. Ask yourself am I dreaming? ALL THE TIME. You could write it on your hand to remind you. Dreams contain habits, and if you have a habit IRL to do something it will transfer to your dream.
Some people find setting a signifier helps, for example everytime you see a window, ask yourself, 'am I dreaming?' (More on this in a minute.)
Memory is crucial to any kind of dream skill. You have to learn to:
Remember your dreams.
Remember to carry out your intentions.
Remember that you are dreaming.
These are important things to be able to do in lucid dreaming, and whilst they take a bit of time to learn, a well-practiced memory adds significantly to your ability to do them.
Prospective Memory Training is a valuable exercise developed by a man called Dr. Stephen LaBerge who is an expert/God on dreaming. You need to do it over a week. Each day, you have a list of specific things to notice which are everyday occurrences, like seeing your pet. At the beginning of the day, memorize the day's things. (The list of things is below.) The point of the exercise is to recognize the situation when it occurs and perform a sort of test. You do this test simply by asking yourself 'Am I dreaming?' Look around for dreamsigns, (clocks that change time when you look and then look back for example) think about it, and answer the question logically. If you remember to ask yourself this question when the event occurs, you have made a 'hit'. If you forget to ask yourself this question when the event occurs, it is a 'miss'. Keep track of how many you hit during the day, and how many you missed. and keep doing the exercise until you have improved your ability to hit these targets.
Daily Things to notice:
SUNDAY:
The next time I see a pet or animal.
The next time I look at my face in the mirror.
The next time I turn on a light.
MONDAY:
The next time I write anything down.
The next time I feel pain.
The next time I hear my name spoken.
TUESDAY:
The next time I see a traffic light.
The next time I laugh.
The next time I hear music.
WEDNESDAY:
The next time I eat a vegetable.
The next time I see a red car.
The next time I turn on a television.
THURSDAY:
The next time I hear a phone ring.
The next time I check the time.
The next time I read something other than this list.
FRIDAY:
The next time I see the stars.
The next time I use a toilet after noon.
The next time I open a closed door.
SATURDAY:
The next time I watch a commercial.
The next time I run.
The next time I unlock something.
Another thing I found that helped when I was learning is to know 'why' you want to lucid dream. is it to learn more about yourself? Is it because you want to push boundaries? is it simply because you want to shag a film star and remember? ;-) it doesn't matter what your reason is as long as it's clear in your own head. Having a goal seems to make the practice seem simpler and lucidity comes more quickly.
Once you can do it, don't be disappointed if when you are in dream and you realise you are dreaming, that you snap out of the dream instantly and wake up. Suprising your mind by being aware in the subconsious sends the brain VERY confusing signals which to begin with, it can't deal with. Don't worry, you'll stay in the dreaming longer and longer the more you do it.
So I hope this example of how to prepare for Lucid dreaming helps a bit, it's is a wonderful experience, and I can't recommend it highly enough. I'll be interested to know how you get on. |
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