Hi Robert,
I have been having a repeating thing that happens when I try to have lucid dreams. In the dream state I seem to get confused about the goal of becoming lucid. I often end up hooked on an idea that my aim is to follow out some obscure and odd task and this will get me lucid. For instance I just dreamt last night that I have to find some wood and paint it and that this will get me lucid. And then later the same night I dreamt I had to hit a water melon with a shot-put in the dark whilst using a laser sight?! And to give another example I dreamt that there was a hole like a letter box and to get lucid I had to find something the right size to put through it.
When I have these sorts of dreams (I’ve been having them a lot, 9 times in the last month) I rarely shake off the confusion and actually get lucid, I just try very hard to carry out the odd task not realising how odd it is. I can see that there are some positives to them in that I am remembering that I want to get lucid but what this means is getting quite distorted once I am in the dream state.
These dreams seem to be mostly when I use the wake back-to-bed technique. The routine I follow is to get up at 5am and meditate for 20 mins on the breath and then I goto sleep also following the breath, with the intention of recognising the dream state.
Can you suggest anything I might try to help get the aim of lucidity through to the dream state in a clearer way? I seem to have got stuck in a bit of a rut with this type of experience and it seems to happen again and again. I need some sort of nudge to help shift the pattern.
Thanks from
Arthabandhu
Ledbury, England
Hi Arthabandhu,
Thanks for sharing your experience! I want to assure you that you are very close.
But an adjustment seems necessary.
In dreams and lucid dreams (and even the dream of life), we see that the environment reflects the mind. A person with many inner conflicts will have dreams which reflect conflicts. A person who focuses on X will have dreams which reflect X. Simply stated, the dream environment reflects the mind (and its beliefs, expectations, focus, intent, etc.).
In your case, it appears the ‘technique’ has become the ‘goal’. 😉
You have done a wonderful job of focusing on lucid dreaming ‘technique’ — and what gets reflected in your dreams (?) — a further refinement of ‘technique’! If only you find some wood and paint, then (and only then) will you become lucid.
So here you have a few choices on how to approach this (all of which involve changing the mind).
If you wish, you can begin to focus more on ‘experiencing lucid awareness’ (than on the technique to try and get to lucidity). How do you do that? Use your focus. Ignore the part about ‘how to get lucid’ — and just begin to focus on the aware part of lucidity (e.g., ‘Wow, look at this lucid dreamer and how he flew, or jumped, or talked or realized or changed or transformed! Wow!’). By focusing on the lucidity, you move your focus and your mental energy there.
Then since the dream environment ‘reflects the mind’ — you will naturally find yourself there (ie., where you focus), lucidly aware.
To do this, you can read our free online magazine, Lucid Dreaming Experience, at www.DreamingLucid.com The final 15 pages include reader submitted lucid dreams. Focus on the ‘lucid part’. As you put your focus and energy there, then you will find yourself easily getting there.
Learning to use the mind helps us to Live Lucidly. Your experience already shows a wonderful inner teacher helps you. Lucid wishes!
That’s great. Thanks for your time Robert! 🙂