lucid dreaming, am I doing it right?

Hey guys,

I've wanted to lucid dream for years, I've tried a lot of things such as keeping a dream journal, setting an alarm 2 hours before you wake up etc. Still nothing, something weird does happen though...

I can get to a sleep paralysis state just fine, where I feel like I'm floating, my fingers and hands feels like an electric current is going through them and the general 'empty' feeling, but then my stomach starts turning, like I'm swinging too high on a swing or on a roller coaster, it usually gets too intense forcing me to move and I've never gotten past this stage. Can someone tell me what this stage is and how I can overcome it?

Any advice or experience is welcome!

Thanks

a reply to: conz1992

I get that too. For me it is more visual horrors that force me to open my eyes. I think of it like that movie, "Brainstorm." Before the Christopher Walken character can see death, he must confront his greatest fears. I have no advice to offer because my lucid dreams have all come after the subconscious trip to the dream world. If you figure it out, let me know.

I read an old Omni magazine a few years back, and they suggested watching Gumby or other claymation movies just before bed (for about 30 min. over ten nights). The idea is that Claymation shows pliable, changeable, and mold-able three dimensional worlds where anything can happen.

a reply to: conz1992

Have you tried reality checks? Here are a few I use regularly:
When you check the time ask yourself if you're dreaming.
Try closing your mouth and nose if you can breathe you're dreaming.
Reality Checks Gateway to Lucid Dreaming

Also being extra aware in your day to day activities, paying attention the the small details.

The sleep paralysis stage gets easier the more it happens. I use to loose it there too, I tend to have Out of Body Experiences at that point, some consider that lucid dreaming but I believe it's much more than a dream. It's like anything in life, the more you practice the better you will get.

Good luck and keep dream journaling!

a reply to: Jennyfrenzy

i agree. i was actually going to say that what the OP is describing sounds more like the onset of an out of body experience or astral projection.

ive had some success with lucid dreaming and i found that in addition to a dream journal and practicing dream recall you should be performing daily reality checks like jennyfrenzy said. what i would do is, almost everytime i looked at a clock i would as myself "am i dreaming, is this a dream?". and with time that train of thought carries over into your dreams. so the goal is to be more aware while dreaming and when you see a clock or the time in a dream you ask yourself "am i dreaming, is this a dream" and you realize that you are in fact dreaming. at that point you can start altering you dream in whatever way you want. but, be careful not to get too excited when you realize you can control your dreams because you will wake up immediately. this happened to me a few times, i would become aware, start changing things, get so excited because it was working and i would wake up instantly. super frustrating, but you can get that under control.

I dont control how i luciddream, it happens sometimes when i becomes aware of my dreams. That i am dreaming.

Sleep Paralysis tho maybe a transition, it is not a must, and would like to avoid it as much as possibe.

My First Lucid dreaming is thru Sleep paralysis and i was traumatized that i had to call my mom to ask what the hell happened.

She told me some old folks tales my grandmother told her.


How it happens to me is.... when im dreaming, i wake up..(this is the split between going into Lucid Dream, Astral Projection and Sleep paralysis).. normally if i hear hums and thuds, i know its going to be Astral Projection/Luciddreaming. imo i think astral projection is a sub division of lucid dreaming.

If i don't hear those indicators, i try my best to wake up to avoid sleep paralysis.