Can't fully control lucid dreams...

[Tigerlily2011]

Hi,

I frequently have lucid dreams - I often confuse my waking life with my dream life (more so the other way around), and usually test myself by trying to fly, inhabit a kind of magical ability, etc.

But, although I am conscious of the fact I am dreaming, I can never fully control them.

If I want to see a person, it's always someone else, or they become this person for a split second, and they change. Silly things like trying to fly, but I am weighted like I am on the moon. I can bounce, but never fly.

I don't think I can fully experience a lucid dream, it's frustrating! Am I trying to force it too much, or is this something my conscious wont let me do?

Does anyone have any advice?

[idgy]

Hello Tigerlilly,
If you are conscious that you are dreaming, you are halfway there. One good thing to do while lucid is look at your hand in the dream. Everything else suddenly fades away with this. Just think this in your waking hours and you will hopefully remember to look at your hand when you find yourself lucid.

Try to relax as well. I found that I had problems trying to fly when I would flap my arms like an idiot. You don’t need to do anything else but think the flying in your mind. You are not in your physical body, so flapping arms won’t work (it took me ages to work that out). Fly from your mind. Same with seeing. Trying to look with your eyes does not work. You are using your inner eye, again the key is just to relax and not force anything with your physical body which is like a lead balloon when you are asleep.

What I have found is really interesting to do, is when you find yourself lucid to just stay where you are and feel where you are. Relax and try to stay in that space. Still your mind and try not to wake up (it seems that when you don’t want to wake up, you wake up really easily). I hope this may be of some help to you.

[Shirah]

Hello Tigerlily...

I have always had a very natural ability for lucid dreaming...for reasons I don't know. I don't always dream lucidly but I often do. I have found that I have more lucid dreams when I am not exhausted. I take one or two naps on the weekends and this is when I have more control of my dreams (probably because I do not have to work and don't have as much stress). My only suggestion is that when you are having a lucid dream, as idgy stated, try to relax. Sometimes the harder you try to do something in your dream the harder it becomes. Rather...just know it will happen and do it. If you want to fly...say to yourself..."I am dreaming and I can fly in my dream and I will do so now." Just take off and enjoy!

[phy]

I am a new member, and just learning about a lot of things from all of you veterans. Thanks!
I have lucid dreams, and found if I imagine that I have an address book with me, that I can picture different addresses or people's names from the book and all of a sudden, if totally relaxed, I am where I want to be or with the person I have selected from the book. It doesn't work all of the time, but I have had some excellent results.
I wish you peace and pleasant dreams, and a healthful rest.

[idgy]

Hello Phy,
That is brilliant and something I have never managed to do. There are times when I have wanted to go and visit someone when lucid, but I could never do it. I’ve had them in my mind, but have never been successful. Do you picture the address or do you picture in your mind an image of where they live? Just out of interest, does anyone that you have visited, remember you visiting them? You are very lucky.