I apologize if this was already asked, I was having difficulty phrasing my question in a manner that returned the appropriate result. That aside and to give some background, I am soon to be 32 years old. When I was in my teenage years up until my mid 20’s I often had quite regular lucid dreams and I felt very connected with that “world” for lack of a better word. I am not sure what has happened since then, I have had a few (partial) lucid dreams but never ones with the same breadth and intensity as before. I recall one lucid dreaming when I was in my early 20’s where I was floating in infinity of white where I then decided time to create: so I created a mountains, valleys, animals, rivers.. A whole world really. Flying up into space to enjoy the sight of my creation and zooming back down into my world and seeing a beautiful city next to a stunning body of water perfectly timed at sunset. As I was flying around I noticed one building was more prominent than the rest with a huge terrace overlooking the water and the city. I flew down and landed and looked around. No one was there. It felt somewhat lonely. So I began to fly again until I woke up. So vivid, the next morning when I walked into the family kitchen (home for summer from college) the first thing I said was “I am beginning to question reality given the dream I just had.” I could go on with many other lucid dream experiences that were truly awe inspiring and created a swell of emotion in me that made me think anything is possible, that I have an important purpose here and that I am truly connected to my mind-body. But I’ll cut to the chase, nowadays I will have many vivid dreams, of which I keep a log to remember them by, yet I often find that I will know I am dreaming but not be able to go lucid the way I could before. It feels like I am trapped or paralyzed from inducing lucidity despite knowing I am dreaming. A few times I have achieved partial lucidity, but I think this was a trick as it was usually at the sight of a beautiful woman beckoning me. Wherein I would gain partial lucidity and right as I am about to embrace her I wake up. I am practicing the different techniques that you mention, but alas I am still “paralyzed” from doing them when I realize I am dreaming. My last lucid dream was about a year ago when I was told what to name my son. Apart from that it’s been years.
On another note, I have a theory: how people fly in their dreams is dependent upon their astrological sign (primarily their Mars or mercury). For example, I have an air sign and I fly on the thermals of the wind like a condor or big bird. Other people I have asked this to include a fire sign who said he looks where he wants to be and he shots himself there like a propulsion rocket. Another is a water sign who interestingly enough flies by making the swimming motion through the air. And lastly, my best friend who has an earth sign and as he described it being like Kirby and he will run and get floating a little bit but the earth will pull him down with a thud. Just wondered your thoughts on that as well.
cheers
Hi James,
Congrats on your success with lucid dreaming! Even though things seem difficult or different now, you will likely find that you get back on ‘the path’ at some point.
At workshops, I often mention why many people begin having difficulty with lucid dreaming (who had previously been wonderful lucid dreamers):
- If they go back to their last ‘significant’ lucid dream (before the difficulties began), they often discover a lucid dream which challenged them, made them fearful or made the ego want to block lucid dreaming (as too powerful or knowledgeable),
- If they go back to their last ‘significant’ lucid dream (before the difficulties began), they often discover that their life has changed — they fell into a funk or depression — they lost motivation — or they had some significant life event (a break-up, a divorce, got a 80 hour a week job, or something)
- If they go back to their last ‘significant’ lucid dream (before the difficulties began), they often discover that they have begun to take some medication prescribed by a doctor (or they have started to self meditate by smoking/drinking).
Now sometimes people take a number of months or years to “Work out” the issue (for example, the ego may forgive the larger awareness, see how the ego connects with the larger awareness and now allows incredible lucid dreams again). Or the person may work out the “fear” that was literally or symbolically shown in the last significant lucid dream. In other words, the person made the inner change or inner resolution of the issue — and their regular lucid dreaming returns.
Does any of this make sense?
If you sit down and think about it, is there some ‘fear’ (which may even be philosophical ) that is keeping you literally and symbolically “partially paralyzed”?
Lucid wishes!