Lucid Dreaming: What am I Doing Wrong?

Discussion about out-of-body experiences (astral travel), lucid dreaming, and other sleep related phenomenon such as night terrors and sleep paralysis.
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Ethereal Moon Rose
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Lucid Dreaming: What am I Doing Wrong?

Post by Ethereal Moon Rose »

For the past 4 months (I have been hoping to just do it without trying for a lottt longer) I've been actively trying to have lucid dreams and/or astral travel and I am so frustrated I still haven't managed to do it.

Last week I tried mugwort tea again before bed three nights in a row. It didn't help. Infact- I didn't remember any of my dreams for those three nights! I have also been doing the reality checks and filling out a dream journal. I meditate. I then decided to make a sleep pouch. I filled it with mugwort, clear quartz, lapis lazuli and charoite. I've been sleeping with it under my pillow for a week and still nothing :( although last night I remember becoming aware that I was dreaming, I thought to myself "I'm dreaming!" and then I woke up. So frustrating. I have tried all of the tips and I'm still not succeeding.

Anyone have any insight/thoughts/advice?

Thanks in advance :)
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SpiritTalker
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Re: What am I doing wrong?

Post by SpiritTalker »

I've had luck with a tiny herkemer diamond and moldavite chip in a pouch with chamomile & lavender. And I talk to my little-self, my dream mind or unconscious mind and ask for it's suggestions and cooperation. This chat can be done during meditation or in the hypnagogia state. Moldavite used to be horribly costly, and now I see it on amazon cheap. If I didn't already have a huge supply I'd snap it all up.

It does come slowly. You said you at last knew you were dreaming. That's progress so keep at it.
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Ethereal Moon Rose
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Re: What am I doing wrong?

Post by Ethereal Moon Rose »

I have heard of moldavite but I don't own a piece yet so I'll definitely look into it :) and I will try your other suggestions too. Thanks!
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corvidus
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Re: What am I doing wrong?

Post by corvidus »

Ethereal Moon Rose wrote:although last night I remember becoming aware that I was dreaming, I thought to myself "I'm dreaming!" and then I woke up. So frustrating. I have tried all of the tips and I'm still not succeeding.
But you are succeeding, if you had the realization that you're dreaming!

'Dream-yoga' and astral projection take years to master, it's not something that happens within a few weeks. The barrier between conscious and subconscious is very difficult to break down. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. Frustration also gets in the way, so just accept the fact that it's a life-long pursuit and relax!

Keep practicing!
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Ethereal Moon Rose
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Re: What am I doing wrong?

Post by Ethereal Moon Rose »

Hehe, yes! I know it's silly to get frustrated about it but It's because I used to be able to do it without even trying.

I will keep practicing :)
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Kassandra
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Re: Lucid Dreaming: What am I Doing Wrong?

Post by Kassandra »

.


It's like exercising a muscle.



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Wandering Warlock
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Re: Lucid Dreaming: What am I Doing Wrong?

Post by Wandering Warlock »

Something that helped me was sleeping somewhere I don't normally sleep. Can't really pin point why this makes a difference. I guess the feeling of being somewhere else helps clue me in to the fact that I'm dreaming. I get kind of a surprised, "Oh, I fell asleep..." feeling while I'm in the dream, and there it is.
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Re: Lucid Dreaming: What am I Doing Wrong?

Post by Kassandra »

.

Like a boy falling asleep among a pack of wolves, a Boy Among Wolves. Something like that. :wink:




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Ethereal Moon Rose
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Re: Lucid Dreaming: What am I Doing Wrong?

Post by Ethereal Moon Rose »

Wow almost two whole years since I posted this and I still haven't managed to lucid dream, haven't even come close.

I've put it down to my anti depressants (paroxetine) messing with my brain chemicals. Sigh.
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missbelladonna
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Re: Lucid Dreaming: What am I Doing Wrong?

Post by missbelladonna »

There was one three month period of my life where I had frequent lucid dreams and was able to astral project, but when my sleep schedule changed and I got stressed out, it went away. It took me a years, and all of a sudden the timing was just right and it would happen.

I used to do the astral projection meditations by Susannah Is This a Dream a lot: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLXoDk ... XOyP2elXBA

They're all really beautiful meditations, but the astral projection ones helped me feel OBE sensations. Some of them are also suppose to guide you into a lucid dream, but like the astral projection ones, they never really worked, but they helped me get into a hypnogogic state which is good practice.

I also recommend the book Are You Dreaming? by Daniel Love. He takes a really scientific approach on it, but even though he doesn't believe this could be a spiritual tool, I think he breaks down some methods really well. He also has a section where he talks about the sleep cycle which plays a really important role in when you're able to lucid dream. It really helps me to look at it this way where you have step by step instructions and you can try different things and tweak them yourself so you don't have to just fall asleep and hope for the best. He also has section on how to stay asleep when you're lucid and what you can do when you're lucid.

One of the methods I've learned in this book which was very helpful to getting me into lucid dreaming again was his journaling method. He says you not only need to write down your dreams, but you need to highlight and analyze dream signs. For example, one theme that always shows up in my dreams is calling 911 and no one answers. When I'm dreaming, and this happens, I always realize it's a dream. This is also when you do your reality checks. For example, if a common theme in my dreams is being late, I always do a reality check when I'm running late for something.

I hope this helps! Once again, I highly recommend the book. It really got the process going for me :)
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Re: Lucid Dreaming: What am I Doing Wrong?

Post by SnowCat »

I was on paroxetine briefly, some years ago. I had sci-fi reality dreams the entire time. Pretty much anything that affects your serotonin levels, will affect your dreams. I can't take tramadol, because it affects serotonin levels, and gives me horrible nightmares.
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Ethereal Moon Rose
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Re: Lucid Dreaming: What am I Doing Wrong?

Post by Ethereal Moon Rose »

Only just saw these two posts.

MBD- thanks they are great tips. I will definitely look into the meditations and book :)

SnowCat- yeah, it's kind of a double edged sword. Don't want to stop taking the paroxetine as my anxiety is crippling, but I really want to be able to lucid dream and astral project :(
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