Not sure if I'm lucid dreaming?

I've known about Lucid dreaming for about 2 years or so.
When I first heard about it I tried the Wake Initiated Lucid Dream and it freaked me out so I haven't tried it since. But I've tried some of the other techniques such as telling yourself your going to dream before you go to sleep and I don't know if it's worked.
I wake up in the morning sometimes able to remember my dream quite vividly in some cases but nothing like real-life. Also, I usually can't remember them when I wake up I remember parts throughout the day. For example, if a black cat is in my dream and the next day I am out and see a black cat that part of my dream comes back to me. They say lucid dreaming feels really real, but I only remember key parts of my dream when I wake up and nothing inbetween going to sleep and waking up.

Also, can some of you post your experiences with lucid dreaming and what it's like?

It's fun once you learn how to fly

You need to start a dream journal. You say you don't remember your dreams, but every once in a while you will wake and remember enough to write down. Immediately write it down. You'll need to keep that journal somewhere nearby, on a nightstand or under your pillow. Keep in mind, the more you move your body, the more the dream will slip away. Also keep it fresh in your mind until you finish writing it down.

As your dream journal grows, eventually remembering dreams will be much easier, and then you will have your answer to whether or not you are lucid dreaming.

My guess is: you are not lucid dreaming. And if you are, it's irrelevant because you don't remember it.

reply to post by OrphenFire


Have you tried a wake initiated lucid dream? I've wanted to but the sleep-paralysis bit scares me.

reply to post by jNormal


Yes I've done WILD before. The sleep paralysis is normal, and in fact essential to the experience. You must get your mind in the right state to not be freaked out. Getting a little freaked out at the start is normal for a novice, but all you have to do is relax. Don't fight the SP or you will get more freaked out. Relax and calm your mind, and actually embrace the feeling of the SP. After a few brief moments, you will feel as if you begin to float outside of your body (your body being unable to move) and you'll be able to move your "astral" body. It's basically your mental image of your body that you use when dreaming. You then use that imaginary body to go back into a dream of your choosing.

So as you can see, the SP is normal. Don't fight it; embrace it. It won't hurt you.