Triggers for Lucid Dreaming

[MannyAnalogue]

Hello, I was wondering if certain triggers worked differently for different people. I've heard about reading print and checking digital clocks to looking at your reflection in a mirror, but these things don't always work out in any given dream. Sometimes the environment doesn't come with much to work with as far as these triggers go. And something else, I have been able to read in past dreams and I'm pretty sure I've looked at digital clocks that gave me a solid time. Just wondering if there's any failsafe type triggers that you could share. Thanks. - Manny

[idgy]

Lucid dreaming can be a bit hit and miss. I’m a little unsure what you mean by looking at a digital clock. Do you mean before you go to sleep? From my experience there are a few things that you can do which may work. The first is for you to intend to remember that you are dreaming. Your intention to do is important. Keep telling yourself whilst you are awake that ‘it is only a dream’ Say it over and over like a mantra. Thoughts from during the day will generally filter through into your dream.

If you do find yourself in a dream and you think ‘this is a dream’, then look at your hand. By intending to do this, you may remember.

My trigger for lucid dreaming is fear. I always find myself realising that I am dreaming when I find myself in a nightmare. Just on the point of being really fearful, I realise that I have nothing to fear as it is only a dream, from then on I am lucid. I don’t know what your normal dreams are like, but maybe you could tell yourself that if you are being chased by something frightening, it is your trigger to realise it is only dream. Good luck and let me know if you have any success. Keep trying.

[MannyAnalogue]

Thanks for responding. About the digital clock, I was told that in dreams it's difficult to see solid numbers on them, so like instead of 3:37 it would be scrambled or have symbols instead of numbers. I have heard about waking exercises like you mentioned, but so far it doesn't seem to of helped me. Using fear as a trigger sounds like a good idea, I remember anger being a trigger for me in a past dream, but I can't remember ever being scared in a dream. I'll try and remember to look down at my hands though, I've never heard of that before. Thanks again Idgy. - Manny

[MannyAnalogue]

One more thing . . . Lately I've been struggling in my dreams trying to figure out whether or not I'm dreaming. I'll tell another dream character that I think I'm asleep and they laugh or just stare, so I try to levitate or use telekinesis, anything, then I start looking for clues, but for awhile now I've been getting stuck. First I'll feel confident that I'm dreaming, then as I try to prove it I start to question it more and more until I give up or wake up. That's what I meant when I asked about a "failsafe" trigger(if there even is something like that). Has anyone else had this type of experience?
- Manny

[SilentInocent]

Well actually i know when im dreaming alot but there are times when i don't.usually i can tell by the characters that usually are in my dreams.One thing to help you know that your dreaming is when some part of the place that your familiar with (such as your house) has at least one part of it that seems unfamiliar.Or when your dreaming to be thinking of something (that dosent involve power) that might happen along in the dream.For example looking at a door in your dreams and thinking that something is going to open it.It usually works when your dreaming.If a certain character in your dream dosent tell you your dreaming if you ask them.then u should allready know its a dream by then.But mostly the surrounding and what your thinking can tell you your dreaming.Ive began to reconize the charcters in my dreams alot that some of their actions seem realistic to me that i forget im dreaming lol.usually if you want to have a dream where you cant move or speak you sleep on your back or stomach.Which can lead to very uncomfortable and unpleasing dreams.So my advice is if you want to know your dreaming pay attention to your surroundings more. tell me how it goes.

[MannyAnalogue]

Thanks for responding SilentInocent, it was helpful. The other night I remembered some of the advice I got on this site and was lucid (lucid without waking myself up like I usually do.). If anyone is interested I can post the dream, if not that's fine too. Thanks again. - Manny

[idgy]

Dear Manny,
I would love to hear your experience in your dream. Did you managed to look at your hand? What happened? I was going to say about your earlier post that you should have no problems looking at your hand. If you are lucid enough to try to question someone in your dream about whether or not you are dreaming, you are already aware that you are dreaming. That is the hardest part. Also, it is really strange isn’t it, that just by knowing something during the day, you remember it in your dream.

[MannyAnalogue]

Alright, here's the dream. It's the way it was when I first wrote it down in the morning, so if anything is confusing or weird sounding sorry.Thanks again for all your advice. - Manny >>>

It was like a summer afternoon on the lake or sea or whatever it was. No land was in sight, but wooden walkways more than made up for it. The walkways led to small houses, shops, restaurants and other things all made of wood. The sky was a deep blue and only a few traces of cloud could be seen. I came to this little food spot and remembering someone recommending it earlier, I got in line. The place was packed. The first floor was open, just the counter and the grill, up the on the roof was a sitting area. Behind the counter, was a stocky middle aged Hispanic man with a thick black mustache."Are you here for the Gonzalez special?" he looked me over curiously. I told him that my uncle recommended it to me and after a short laugh he brought out a large piece of white fish wrapped in foil and a double deuce of Heineken. "We don't serve this usually" he said smiling. The fish was delicious and the beer ice cold. I thanked him and was on my way again, exploring the walkways. Across the way, I noticed a black cat stretching. When the cat's eyes met mine, I got suspicious that I might be dreaming. So remembering the advice I'd gotten earlier I stayed calm and looked down at my hands. The effect was strange, like a camera being dropped pulling the scenery with it, only my hands were in focus, the whole world seeming to melt behind them in a downward motion. I stood there for a minute, thinking over my situation, careful not to get too excited and wake myself up. I considered trying to fly, but thought better of it and decided to start walking again. I came to a small shack on the water, as I walked toward it the distance between it and everything behind me and the speed of time (day to night) increased rapidly. Inside was a simple square, cement room. The walls were a soft blue-gray and against one wall was a bed. It was completely night now and moonlight was the only light here, but it was more than enough to see. The beds white sheets caught the moon's glow turning them almost blue. I Imagined a woman on the bed, and there she was without a pause. Light olive skin, long black hair laying on her stomach, her face rested on crossed arms. She was asleep, she wore nothing. I stroked her cheek with the back of my index finger, and ran my fingers through her hair sitting on the bed next to her. I heard some kind of sound stretching seemingly across time, distorted and muffled. The woman's skin glowed a soft orange and patterns flickered across, tiger stripes were one that stood out. The patterns weren't like they were painted on or even naturally there, more like images overlapping. The noise I'd heard were noises in waking life, I got up and the dream ended at that.

[idgy]

Dear Manny,
You did well. It’s all quite strange when you look at your hand isn’t it? Everything just fades away. I’m glad that you remembered to do it. Thanks for sharing it with us. Let us know if you manage it again. I think once you have done it once, you will find that you do it more often.
Take care,
idgy

[MannyAnalogue]

Thanks Again.