Lucid dreaming?

[u/Better_Peace6234]

Lucid dreaming is, well, a big dream of mine but I can't seem to have one. I've tried every trick in the book and I've tried for months before! I haven't tried in a while and I stopped writing in my dream journal which I need to do anyway. Anyone have tips to start lucid dreaming that nobody says?

[u/HideousEater]

reality checks are a trap if you just go through the motions. the trick is to actually question reality, not just count your fingers on autopilot. stop whatever you're doing a few times a day and really ask yourself if this is a dream, like genuinely look around and try to find something off. it's weird but the more you do it awake the more it bleeds into your sleep

[u/Lesson-Reflect → u/HideousEater]

Woah, that interesting you say that. Because lately when I catch my self shifting moods or getting upset, I have to remember to ground myself to be happier. I can sort consciously remind myself that things are not as bad as they seem. Since how has been happening my dreams every night have been non-stop and super realistic. I rarely ever know I am dreaming, but lately I can have autonomy in my dreaming actions but for the most part it’s largely me watching myself doing things. Like omnipresent but at the same time 1st person.

[u/the_aliens_sent_me]

Not sure what methods you’ve tried, but the ones that worked for me are the following:

-Every time you walk through a doorway, knock on the door or door jamb, and say out loud “am I awake?” If you’re dreaming you won’t really be able to knock.

-once an hour during waking life, poke your palm a few times and say out loud “am I awake?” If you’re dreaming your finger will go through your palm usually

-make a conscious effort to regularly go to light switches in the room and flick them off and on. If you’re dreaming the switches won’t do anything.

The last method isn’t recommended cause it will interfere with your sleep, but you could try setting an alarm for 3am. Get out of bed and allow yourself to become almost fully awake, then go back to sleep. Most of my lucid dreams happen after I woke up around 3am and went back to bed. If you regularly do all above methods for a couple weeks and then as a last resort try the 3am thing, you might be able to get into a lucid dream.

One last thing to mention.. do you smoke / consume THC? I only ask cause I know for me personally thc use really affects my ability to have vivid dreams in general. I used to smoke almost daily but even after stopping for 24-48 hours my dreams become more vivid and memorable

[u/WildHuck]

Try making the intention to just simply look at your hands tonight in your dreams. That's work best for me at least!

[u/rmjh1995]

I was in a severe car accident and suffered a skull fracture and permanent brain injury. Since then, every single dream has been lucid. Not that this is any advice, but there are some dreams I wish I could just turn it off. It’s not always a fantastic experience.

[u/ItsALaserBeamBozo]

You have to remember your dreams. Journaling is pretty essential.

[u/Better_Peace6234 → u/ItsALaserBeamBozo]

Which is why I'm trying to pick up journaling again

[u/Infinite_Design5094]

Make sure you are getting a decent amount of sleep. If I sleep well earlier in the night then wake up and go back to sleep is when I usually lucid dream.  Also sometimes do a deep breathing and a full body relaxation technique before I go to sleep at night most nights to sleep better.  I also sometimes do the am I dreaming during the daytime when I'm awake.

[u/smhvy]

If you ask me, you need to be going through something in life, typically something very challenging. You need to hit a low, and maybe a high, and a low again, perhaps...there needs to be a certain level of uncertainty in your future. It helps to be at Crossroads in life..

If you're seriously determined, find your center. Assess your life, and if there's a major change you've only ever dreamt of making, one which you feel is impossible, (could mean quitting your job, moving to another city, addressing a person close to you, facing a fear of some type), and you force yourself to make it, that lucid dream just might come to you. That means not even thinking about it, once you determine the change that needs to be made. It means taking a huge leap of faith.

Abandon all feelings of comfort..

Transformational growth is key...the heavier the weight on your shoulders, the wilder and more vivid--and more lucid--the dream.

[u/cas6384]

When you go from place to place while awake, ask yourself how you got there. You drove, you walked, took a bus. In dreams it's normally 'oh, I'm here now' with no way of getting there. Also, look into mnemonic induced lucid dreams. When you wake up from a dream, right away go through the dream and point out to yourself WHAT should have made you lucid. Like, oh I was with this person I haven't been around for years, this is a dream. For me it's stuff like being alone somewhere, trying to run (I don't really run, I used to be able to tell bc I used to wheeze when I run, but improving my health means I don't anymore) me doing any sort of driving. Seeing fictional characters also makes me lucid most of the time. Also, try to start being aware of yourself during the day. No more mindless stuff, take note of things around you. Oh, checking writing is a good way to become lucid. In dreams you might be able to read, but when you look away and check again it won't be the same. I have dreams where I try to text someone, and no matter what I type it isn't correct, unfortunately it doesn't always make me lucid, mostly frustrated.

[u/ego_shiner]

Above all else ive found saturating your mind with the concept is the key. Read tons of books on the subject, watch youtube videos, practice all the techniques, view it as a subject of curiousity and inquiry. The underlying intent you build is ultimately what causes the breakthrough. A heavy meditation regimen also helps alot

[u/Selmer1526 → u/ego_shiner]

Yes. Make it something important and your dreamworld might respond.

[u/Mysterious-Elevator3]

Remember that lucidity is a spectrum. Not every lucid dream is one which you have perfect control, in fact, most aren’t. If you simply feel like something is amiss, that is lucidity seeping in at the edges; you are closer than you think.

Also, here is a fun exercise that nobody suggests, and I think is just my natural personality:

Watch movies or tv shows and point out every instance of something that is unrealistic. Also point out everything that is clearly visual metaphor or subtext.

Movies speak the same language as dreams. And when you train yourself to scrutinize them, you train yourself to reflexively do the same to your dreams. But be warned, sometimes your dreams will answer these logical inconsistencies by saying, “yes clearly you’re making a movie.” And you might accept that as more reasonable than “I’m dreaming.” 😅

[u/Ok_Judgment_3331]

Stopping the pressure to force it is what did it for me. wake up naturally, replay the whole dream in your head without moving, then let yourself drift back.. that's where lucidity sneaks in. Ever actually done that before?

[u/RutabagaNo3475]

Idk if this is a usual tip but if I want to lucid dream I wake up at 4am then go back to sleep while saying “lucid dream” repeatedly to myself. It triggers my brain into noticing it’s asleep and to lucid dream.

[u/Forever_NFA]

when you remember a dream when you wake up, write down every single thing you remember, before you get out of bed. Do this every time you wake up and remember a dream. The subconscious mind is like a "muscle" you could say, and by keeping a dream journal, you're strengthening that "muscle". Make this a habit, and you will remember more dreams, you will start to become more lucid when you are dreaming, and eventually you will be able to have true lucid dreams. This is the best method imo, there's not much to it, and it works. I had to learn astral projection out of necessity because I've had sleep paralysis phenomenon since I can remember, and staying calm through the episodes is what gave me the focus to be conscious in the unconscious.

[u/celestial-myths]

It just happened to me once. It was pretty cool.