Uh I use the rubbing hands method because it involves the least risk. You have to experiment to find the best for you, but you should try rubbing your hands and calming yourself down first.
Rowan - the important thing is that you remember as much details as you can. If writing them down helps you, do it, but you can try to remember everything and do only a short note in your DD, so you won’t forget the dream.
Rowan
I try to write down as much detail as I can. For long complicated dreams I even give them a title. I also will write down any dream fragments I may remember.
Sometimes when I wake in the middle of the night I will just write a sentence or 2 about the dream to jar my memory in the morning. Over a short time I did not even have to do that and was able to recall an average of 2-3 dreams per night. Don’t worry if your dream recall is not good now it will improve in time.
As mentioned above, rubbing your hands is a good way to increase lucidity. Some other ideas:
- grab a hold of something in a dream.
- Flying- This works great for me.
- Put your hand through a wall- Just walk up to any wall. Touch it then gently push your hand through the wall.
- Spinning- This is a great one but there is a danger of having a false awakening. While spinning keep saying “the next thing I see will be a dream”.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that you should have a plan for your lucid dream in advance. So before you go to sleep plan what you want to do if you become lucid. The reason for this is that the best way to maintain the dream state is to stay engaged with it. If you have to much down time where you are trying to figure out what you want to do you may wake up or the dream may loose its realness. If that happens use any of the techniques above to stabilize and intensify the dream.
I hope this was helpful.
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Those techniques aren’t meant to increase lucidity.
Lucidity is how much you aware that you are in a dream.
Those techniques (except number 3) are meant to increase the vividness of the dream and make it last longer.
Wahey, my first post back!
r3m0t
I have found that those techniques work well for booth situations. I am of course speaking from my own experience and since these things worked very well for me under booth situations I thought I would share them.
You know, it’s funny, I’ve always been pretty good at Dream Recall. Lucidity is harder, though. Considerably.
Don’t worry it will get easier in time. Try not to think of lucidity as something that is hard to do. This is important because, I believe that thinking it is hard makes it hard. Believe it or not, lucidity is not as hard as you think.
Happy dreaming
I just recently got a large and annoying blister on my hand. Does that help in RC’s?
Is it possible to fall out of practice? Because I remember back in mid '03 I had dream memorizing skills (like, one a week on average), but then I stopped. I JUST got back into trying for lucid dreaming (because I’ve been told it’s a good bridge between Astral Projection), and not only is it nearly impossible to go lucid, but I can’t remember my dreams either.
Also, I find that the method where you wake up, then go back to sleep (forgot the acronym) doesn’t work if your 2 year-old nephew is up and about screaming right around when you get up; hard to get back to sleep. Ugh.
Get ear plugs !!! they are a big help.
Also you do not have to use the WBTB method. When I use WBTB I do not stay up very long. Just a few minutes at most.
It sounds like you should work on your dream recall first. To where you can remember at least one dream per night. Also, I suggest you start doing regular reality checks in your waking life and of corse keep a dream journal. Practice some sort of progressive relaxation technique at bed time.
Once you can remember roughly one dream per night:
place yourself in a state of relaxation then use MILD, WILD or what ever technique you prefer.
Happy dreaming
Lionheart, unfortunately everybody can fall out of practice, and some quicker than others.
I’ve had a lot of trouble with fake lucid dreams. This might sound like a stupid question, but in general, how do you tell if you are having a real lucid dream or a fake one? I know the definitions and understand them, but consciously, it’s difficult to tell. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Speaking from my own experience. I would say that if you have a lucid dream there will be little doubt in your mind about it. So, in short, if you have to ask, “was this a lucid dream”? The answer is most likely, “no”.
If you know you are dreaming and understand what that means (you can control it) then I would say you are lucid.
That’s what’s strange! In my most recent “lucid dream,” for example, I flew around and felt elated. I remember asking myself if I was dreaming, but I don’t remember verifying it.
I still don’t know if I dreamt that I controlled the dream, or if I did control it.
At any rate, if the dream WAS falsely lucid, at least I know I’m close…
Well I can not say for sure but, that would appear to be a ND. The good news is that you are getting close. You are starting to question your dreams but, you are just not answering your self. Just before going to sleep firmly tell yourself that the next time you ask yourself “is this a dream” you will realize you are dreaming. Then let go of the thought and follow your regular routine.
The reason I think it is a normal dream is that you did not fully understand “why” you could do things like fly. I have many normal dreams where I have amazing dream powers but don’t understand why.
Keep practicing because you are getting very close !!!
Just remember the next time you ask your self, “am I dreaming”? Answer the question. 
Good luck and happy dreaming 
That was a really good and helpful response! Thank you so much! 
Hey im new here and at lucid dreaming i just tryed it a couple days ago and i have aq couple ?s i wanted to ask. 1st should i record dreams that are not lucid or just the ones that are PLEASE explain. 2nd I have a clock a constant running fan and my dream journal and pen in my room can all of those be dream signs. and 3rd off can u people give me any tips to help me lucid dream. Thanx Much[/b]
When starting out with lucid dreaming, you’ll want to write down all your dreams, lucid or not. The whole point of writing down the non-lucid dreams is to get better dream recall. Better dream recall will in turn help you remember more dreams, and will make you more ‘in touch’ with your dreamworld. If you already feel that you have enough dream recall, you may choose to only write down LDs. Up to you.
The clock would be the most obvious one. I’m not sure ‘dream sign’ would be the most appropriate word for it, but you can use it for RCing. Just look at the time, look away and look back again. Did it change, or is it all rubbish? Your dream journal can also be used as an RC just by trying to read it. Read something in it, look away and read it again. Did the words change? I have no idea about the fan, though. I believe some people use outside noises (like a fan) when doing WILD, don’t ask me how or why though.
We get this question a lot by new people, and it would be very akward to give advice one on one to every new person we get. Just learn the basics on the main page, read the board a lot and do a google search for “lucid dreaming” for more material. The best and simplest advice I can give is that you keep trying and stay motivated. That is what matters most.
Dreamwonder
=> keep practicing and no mater what happens do not give up.
=> Keep a dream journal. ( very important)
=> Do lots of RC ‘s ( do them seriously )
=> Don’t think of lucid dreaming as hard. It is easier than you think.
=> Practice MILD, WILD or other induction techniques.
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Last night I tried to have an ld for the first time, I tried Wild. After a few minutes I entered the sleep paralasis thing and after that something felt like it washed over me, the i lost concentration, after i regained concentration my arm just jerked, completely waking me up. After that i just went to sleep normaly saying to myself “you will have a lucicid dream”
it did not work, I had combined theese methodes with PILD so I forced myself to take a Really hot shower this morning followed by cold water. Do you have anny hints for me and does TILD or PILD work?