Hello, I began researching and experimenting with Lucid Dreaming 11 years ago. I have read more books than I can remember on the topic over the years. I have also at times isolated and experimented with all types of techniques to include WILD, MILD, DILD, WBTB etc. I have also engaged in long term dream journals, dream sign identification, lucidity tests regularly. I have 11 years of active engagement on the matter; resulting in 2 false awakenings (one of them, sleep paralysis with an appearance of a mysterious stranger) 9 years ago and 1 momentary moment of lucidity in a dream about 6 years ago. YES, THAT IS MY TRACK RECORD after 11 years of active engagement. I am not sure what I am doing wrong as I have read nearly everything published out there on the matter and more. I am also not sure who would even be able to begin to offer me any insight on this epic state of constant perplexity. I feel very alone but I continue on because I am drawn to the esoteric nature of lucidity. I have grown tired now after over a decade with no success. I am…perplexed. You name the book, I have read it. You name the techniques, I have committed to them already. I am not getting younger, wink. Any advice?
Hi Ryan,
I appreciate your persistence.
In my online workshops, I have worked with people who have never had lucid dreams — and then they report having a lucid dream. However, not everyone does, and here you can see a long list of why they do not:
- Poor dream recall. Or a personal history of nightmares (so who wants to become lucid in a realm of nightmares).
- A fear (known or unknown) of lucid dreaming or some aspect of it (e.g., sleep paralysis, OBEs, etc.). Sometimes people with strong egos ‘fear’ the subconscious and unconscious mind — and do their best to ignore it!
- A philosophical belief that dreams should not be tampered with
- Poorly conceived lucid dream induction practices (which take a long, long time to become fruitful)
- Lack of goals (You ask them, “What would you do if you became lucid tonight?” and they stare at you blankly…. If a person has no goals or has no direction, then they seem likely to achieve nothing and go nowhere. They have no ‘reason’ to lucid dream….)
- They’ve picked up limiting and non-helpful beliefs (e.g., too hard, only lasts ten seconds) — and their lucid dreams (or dreaming) reflects those limiting and non-helpful beliefs back to them
- No sense of “play” — when it becomes ‘work’, it seems three times harder. A child will take the induction ideas and play with them, and in a few days report a lucid dream of talking to a dolphin. A serious person will take the same ideas, and evaluate them, analyze them, and more (and often remove all the joy and adventure from it).
- It might not be your path. Or you have a habit that gets in the way (smoking before sleep, drinking before sleep, etc.)
So there you have it.
What I see from my online workshops — Some people ‘pick up’ the emotional energy of the group, and then have a lucid dream! Yay!
Others get competitive, and can’t do it — then the workshop ends and they write me to tell me, “I just had a lucid dream!” which suggests that their competitive spirit made them try to hard and that got in the way. When they ‘relaxed’, it happened.
I recall one woman complained about not having lucid dreams, and I asked her, “Tell me your pre-sleep ritual?” She responded that she took off her make-up, used the toilet and then took her sleeping pills. I said, “You’re taking sleeping pills!??” Following her doctor’s advice, she got off of sleeping pills and became a good lucid dreamer.
Lucid wishes on your journey of awareness!