So I have controll.. now what?

[xxsicknessxx]

I have gained controll a few times.. but I never seem to do anything worthwhile... either that or I just play out the rest of the dream knowing im dreaming but not doing anything fun or cool.. why is this? Its anoying.. what can I do? beside question reality?

[Ben K]

so you are lucid but you let the dream continue? hm...sounds like your level of awareness isnt high enough. maybe try repeating "i am lucid" while trying to focus on stuff. find some ways to get your awareness up

[xxsicknessxx]

told my self all night you will have a lucid dream and remember it ... notta

[Selski]

When you get lucid, as soon as you realise it - you need to "lock" it into place.  It's darned hard.  Clapping your hands, telling yourself you are now totally aware is a good one.  Then you have to remember to keep clapping your hands on a regular basis.

I've found retaining total lucidity quite an achievement - you can almost feel yourself slipping back into that dreamlike environment.  I'm currently in the process of learning this - I've had various full lucid dreams where I've experimented with various items and struggled with my mind to retain awareness.  

It really isn't easy - and I plan to master it because there ain't anything quite like lucid dreams - even my OBEs pale into insignificance compared to them.  OK, I exaggerate - I want my OBEs and full lucid dreams - I want to have my cake and eat it too.  

Sarah

[GeKKo]

You should just do the same you do in reality, walk around, (fly around), do stuff, being lucid just means you are now independent of the storyline.
You can follow it if you want, but you don't have to.
If you ever wanted to change the outcome, now you can.
All you have to do is try it (if you are really lucid, it wont be a problem).

[Ben K]

Selski:

Could you explain to me the difference between your OBEs and LDs?

[Selski]

Hi Ben

Sure thing.  It might be long!

OBEs (Sarah's experiences)

The majority of my OBEs have happened as I am just waking up, either from an afternoon nap, or first thing in the morning.  My mind seems to wake up a few minutes before my body and the first thing it does is say to me, "hey, here we are again, let's get going before your time is up."  I have full conscious awareness, in that I know where I am (at home in my recliner chair, for instance), I know I don't have long, I know I'm in the RTZ.

Normally, I don't have sight.  This sometimes appears at some point during the experience, sometimes not.  

I get to spend a few minutes at most exploring the RTZ.  Which basically means getting out of my physical body and wandering around, either pushing myself through walls, or trying to create some sort of doorway to go through, to get me into a different environment from the RTZ.  Sometimes it works, mostly it doesn't.  

I tend to be on my own, although I have sensed presences, rather than seen them.

My level of awareness is as conscious as you are now reading this, for approximately 85% of my experiences.  I've had dim experiences, which are hard to separate from dreams.

The times when I've successfully left the RTZ are probably half a dozen at most.  I've got there by going through pictures on the wall, or going through a door and finding myself elsewhere, that sort of thing.  The environment becomes dreamier because it's less familiar and you really haven't a clue where you are.  Obviously, retaining clarity is key.  These experiences are more like lucid dreams.

Lucid Dreams (Sarah's experiences)

For some reason, I become aware during a dream that I'm dreaming.  I haven't a clue what triggers it, but the more I dwell on my dreams and so on, the more times it has happened.  Over time, I've learned not to get too excited and wake up.  At first, I'd jump on the first male I could find and...ahem... well, you know.  But I've progressed, shall we say, from being so shallow!  

These days, I tend to follow the dream, stay with it, see where it's going, but I tell the dream characters that I'm dreaming and note their reactions.  I tend to try and find "someone" who I can talk to about my lucidity.  I don't start flying around and shooting people with fireballs, or whatever they're called.  I have begun trying to learn from the dream, by being observant.  The dream characters appear to exist outside of me, if that makes sense.  

The environment is unfamiliar, but there are normally other people around who I can interact with.  It's full of life.

Summing Up

My OBEs can be very dull (not all the time).  

My lucid dreams are fascinating, interesting and I find I learn more from them.  

Hope that's succinct.  Feel free to ask any questions!

Sarah

[Ben K]

Thanks for the Re: it actually cleared alot up for me about the difference.

but why dont you just practice phasing instead of the traditional RTZ projection? then you could have the same experiences as a lucid dream, only no sight or awareness problems. Is there any advantage to stricly RTZ projection?

[Selski]

but why dont you just practice phasing instead of the traditional RTZ projection?

Don't you worry, I am concentrating on phasing.  

The RTZ projections simply keep happening to me, without me doing anything about it.  So long as they happen, I'll continue trying to find a way to get beyond the RTZ.

There isn't an advantage to RTZ projections in my opinion.  Although I can see why some people who have never projected before want to project to the RTZ, because it feels more "real".    You can see your wardrobe, leave your house and walk up your road, in what appears to be a second body.  It's quite bizarre to do, and I'm very glad I've had them.  But the novelty does wear off after a while.

Sarah