Dream 415

'Protein Shakes & Hash'

Dream date: 20 April 2015

I was in my nan's house, which appeared exactly as it does in real-life, except instead of the gas heater, there was an open fire, the way there was when I was growing up. The fire was fierce and roaring. PS and his whole immediate family lived in this house with my own family members (my mum and my nan). It was evening.

I saw that on the tiled hearth in front of the fire were a selection of vitamins and protein powders (in huge, plastic containers), which belonged to both MH (PS's elder brother and I) - in real-life we both used to use protein powders when I lived with PS in London. I left the room, and returned, keen to take some vitamins. I took some Vitamin B Complex. I then decided that I wanted to make a protein shake, but I should use MH's protein instead of my own. I knelt down by the hearth to find MH's protein, but could see that he had taken it away. I had to use my own strawberry flavoured protein powder, but noticed that the majority of it had been placed in a pint glass and mixed with spices (cumin, turmeric, chilli powder etc) by PS's mum, which annoyed me. I tried to tip out the spices and then drink the protein powder (dry, with no liquid) and it tasted disgusting. 

PS was sitting at the table, using a colouring book. His mum, and my family were seated on the chairs in the living-room. MH was standing by the TV, flexing his muscles. I realised that it was now morning. I said something about a Nintendo Gameboy, but I cannot recall what. I then realised that I had a digital personal organiser - like the ones which were used in the 1980s and 1990s. It was in a leather pouch, which had several pockets. I was sat in the armchair in the corner (between the airing/boiler cupboard and the kitche door), or I may have been sat on the floor beside the chair. I was looking at the organiser, and had the clear thought that the organiser itself would be made of hard plastic casing (containing the electronics), but was surprised to find that the buttons and screen were mounted on the leather itself and there was no solidity or electronic parts to the organiser. I looked in the pockets and found som cannabis (hash) wrapped in some clingfilm in one of them - this was in two separate wraps, but together, there was not enough for even one joint. I was disappointed, but when I looked in the last pocket, I found a large lump of hash (also in clingfilm). I had the clear memory that this hash had been stashed many years ago - when I used to smoke hash as a teenager. I was very happy to find it after such a long time. I showed it to PS by holding it up and calling out his name. He looked pleased as well. 

I walked the very short distance (2 - 3 steps) across the room to where PS was sitting at the table colouring. The door which leads into the hall was open and I could see that in the hall, in front of the front door and the coat hooks were two workmen/construction workers (wearing hardhats, white vests and jeans) were standing beside a sawhorse and looked like they were about to do some renovation/building work. I pointed them out to everyone because I had not expected to see them there. PS's mum then said: 'They aren't men!' - she sounded angry or in disbelief. I looked again and saw that the two 'men' were now elderly Romany Gypsy women, dressed in traditional outfits and holding big baskets. They were hairdressers and had arrived to style PS's mum's and my nan's hair.

TIME: 05:00 - 10:00 hours (I am not sure when this dream took place)

LUCIDITY: None

SPECIAL NOTES: None of note

Dreamsigns:

• The open fire - a memory (IA - Inner Awareness/F - Form)
• PS and his family lived in my nan's house (IA - Inner Awareness/C - Context)
• I definitely saw male construction workers at first and they somehow changed into female Romany Gypsys (IA - Inner Awareness/F - Form/C - Context)

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• My nan's living-room as a dream scene
• Cannabis

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• The day before I had this dream I had comtemplated buying some vitamins and supplements as a lucid dreaming experiment - Vitamin B6 is known to boost dreaming.
• I have some strawberry flavoured protein powder in my kitchen for when I weight-train in the gym. I had been considering returning to my weight-training in the days leading up to this dream.
• This dream happened on '420 Day' (International Cannabis Day.
• In the days leading up to this dream I had seen a TV advert promoting a show called My Big Fat Gypsy Grand National.
• PS contacted me the day after I had this dream.

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:
I enjoyed this dream, but cannot recall any specific waking thoughts/emotions worth noting.

* I think I recalled this dream in full.

Dream 414

'The Complex Dream Continuity One'

Dream date: 18 April 2015

This dream was not a lucid dream, but it represented a significant increase in my ability to 'hack' my dreams. 

• Original Dream:

I was a female character (so my 'dream ego' was that of a different person). I came from a middle-class family and all I know (because I did not look in a mirror during the dream) was that I was white and possibly only a teenager, or at least much younger than I am now. I had three friends - two male and one female dream character. We lived in a rural or suburban area in the UK, although I am not sure where it was. We lived in a row of neat, square houses (all pretty much identical from the exterior, it seemed) with some concrete at the front and grass behind. I think the houses were detached. The scene was very 'picture-perfect' and quaint. The colour of the sky was a vibrant blue. Across the road from the houses was a vividly green, grassy field. When I looked at the row of houses from the field, I was reminded of the mobile classrooms (green) which used to be positioned in a line in our high school playground. There were no gardens or anything else separating the houses from the roadside. I lived in one of the end houses. I have tried to find images online which remind me of the row of houses I saw in my dream.

There was an unseen, unarticulated horror casting a threat over my friends and I. I wasn't sure what it was when I woke up from the dream, but whilst in the dream, we seemed to understand the nature of the terror without actually discussing it. We walked down to the last house in the row and went inside. In this house (which was sparsely furnished, but looked like a normal, yet messy, family home with a dirty pink carpet), the female dream character friend was killed somehow - or met some other nasty end. We knew the house was intrinsically 'evil' in nature. It was a house of horrors. I knew that the house was occupied by a psychopath of some kind and that in order to avenge our fiend's demise, we had to kill him, although we could also just leave the house and avoid confronting him. Everything seemed confused and scary. The two males and I left.

I then went back to my own home and met my mother and younger sister. My mum (a dream character) was reprimanding me for being out without her permission and was trying to stop me having so much freedom, but I knew I had to go out again and try and kill the as-yet-unseen psychopath in the house at the other end of the street. My mum was serving us cake at a dining-table in a very nice, clean, middle-class kitchen. 

I re-joined my two male friends and we went back to the house on the end of the row. There were strange objects (I cannot recall what they were) littering the pink carpet in the lounge, which you entered directly via the front door (see diagram, below). A male entered the lounge by coming down the stairs. He looked like a normal young (white, light-brown/ginger-haired) male dream character (so a similar age to myself and my friends in the dream). I realised I had a knife with me, so we backed towards the front door, and as the male dream character (enemy) approached me, I lashed out at him, stabbing him forcefully in the neck. My two friends and I left the house in a hurry, aware the police would soon arrive. As soon as we got onto the grass across the road from the houses, I realised I had left my purse behind in the house and this had my ID in it. This was actually my real-life purse, which is a white and silver fake snakeskin design. I knew I had to go back into the house to get my purse, or I would be suspected for the murder. My two male friends were telling me that the enemy male we murdered was an evil person and deserved to die, so the police would not care.

I woke up in real-life, but I thought that I wanted to return to this dream.

• Dream Re-entry #1:

I found myself back in the dream. I was not lucid. I was in the kitchen scene again with my mum and sister. Instead of having a conversation with them, I left the house, and joined my two male friends. We went to the evil house on the end and repeated the knife scene. When we were back on the grassy field opposite the houses, I realised I had left my purse again and I knew that I should just go back and get it straightaway, but I woke up again.

While awake, I thought to myself, that if I am able to re-enter this dream for a second time, I need to make sure that I have my purse with me at all times. I fell back asleep.

I re-entered the dream in the house. I checked that my purse was in my pocket (I would never carry my purse in my pocket normally). I did the stabbing of the enemy dream character and then became aware that the greater (still unseen) evil was lurking in the house, ready to attack us, so I indicated to my two male friends that it was vital that we leave immediately before we were apprehended. We ran over to the grassy field and then I woke up again.

• Dream Re-entry #2:

I went back to sleep, and I re-entered the dream in a completely new (earlier) scene. I was in a public washroom/bathroom, which closely resembled that of Nando's in Norwich (in the dream), although the layout of the bathroom was completely different. There were sinks adjacent to the door/toilet cubicles, instead of opposite the toilets. The enemy male was in the bathroom with me, but I did not feel any fear towards him, as when he was not in the evil house, there was no threat. We started talking to each other by the sinks. I noticed he was wearing a white T-shirt. I started to like him very much - to the extent that I was really sorry that in the 'future' I would have to stab him in the neck and kill him. I realised that he wasn't evil, he just lived in an evil house with a threatening entity. While we were standing talking, one of my male friends came out of a toilet stall, shocked to see that I was conversing with our 'enemy'. I tried to tell my male friend that our 'enemy' was not actually evil and that we shouldn't kill him, but my friend told me that I was 'brainwashed' and left the bathroom in a bad mood with me. I promised the 'enemy male' that I would ensure his life was saved. I was starting to really feel attracted to him in a physical and mental way. I woke up.

• Dream Re-entry #3:

I went back into the dream and found myself and my two male friends standing outside the 'evil' house at the end of the row. We entered, and saw the same scene as previously described. The 'enemy' male entered the lounge and I found that I did have a knife, but didn't want to use it to stab him in the neck. Instead, I picked up a white, plastic object from the carpet (I am not sure what it was) - with the thought that this was the soul of our murdered female friend and if I managed to take it out of the house then she would be saved or vindicated in some way. I told my male friends that we had to leave the house. The male friend who had been in the bathroom with me (and the 'enemy' male) was screaming: 'Kill him! Kill him!' but I was resistant and demanded that we leave. At the doorway of the house, I embraced the 'enemy' male passionately, pleased that I had not killed him. I woke up.

• Dream Re-entry #4:

I re-entered the dream back in my own house, in the kitchen with my mum and sister. I left the house and went (alone) and stood on the grassy field opposite the 'evil' house. There was no sign of anyone around, and it was dusk as the light was dimming and a deep blue colour. I decided to go and find the 'enemy' male in the public bathroom. I woke up. 

TIME: 04:00 - 12:00 hours

LUCIDITY: Not proper lucidity - on some level I must have been somewhat lucid, as each time I re-entered this continuous dream, I made new choices. These choices were not made by me being conscously aware in the dream, but by my waking thoughts and responses being filtered into the dream narrative. I may have been pre-lucid

SPECIAL NOTES: 30 minutes of unsuccessful WILD Technique practice before sleep. I gave up because I could not get to the hypnagogia/sleep paralysis stage

Dreamsigns:

• I was a different person with a different set of family circumstances in the dream (IA - Inner Awareness/C - Context)
• The evil 'house of horrors' (C - Context)
• I had to kill someone (A - Action/C - Context)
• The entire concept of re-entering a situation at a different point in time to change the course of events is impossible (IA - Inner Awareness/A - Action/C - Context)

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• Trespassing in someone else's propertty
• Having a younger sister
• Public washrooms/toilets and bathrooms

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• A short while before this dream, I had been refused sale of alcohol in a local shop because I did not have any ID to prove I was old enough to buy it.
• A short while before this dream I had a conversation in which I mentioned my 'favourite' UK serial killers, Fred and Rosemary West who resided at 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester, known in the media as 'the House of Horrors'.

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:
I awoke from this dream feeling really positive, as this - although not a lucid dream - was a completely 'hacked' dream experience which represented my abilities to manipulate my dream content. Despite the feelings of terror and fear within this dream, I actually enjoyed the dream immensely and am excited to try this technique again, although I am slightly worried that it was just a chance occurrence as it happened out of the blue.

* I think I have recalled the majority - if not all - of this dream, which was very vivid.

Dream 413

'Saying Goodbye to Dogs'

Dream date: 17 April 2015

I was in a class-room environment, although it is not one which I recall specifically from real-life (see diagram, below). I entered from the door to the right and went over to the location marked on the disgram, sitting next to my housemate, BG. The room was very bright, with yellow lights. I looked across the aisle and say AP (wearing blue denim leggings) sitting across from me. I had the sense that this was my seat and she had taken it because she arrived in the classroom before me (I was late). The class had already undertaken a test and were in the process of marking it. I was given my test paper, which was blank, because I had arrived late. Everyone was discussing answers and asking me what I thought about the test (the room was filled with other dream characters, who I know in real-life, but cannot recall from the dream). I was asking everyone on my desk to give me the answers so I could write them on my empty answers sheet, but no-one was helping me, they were all too concerned with getting their tests marked.

Then, BG and I had to suddenly get the work duty phone from a locker. We were really worried, because we had forgotten to get the phone in time for one of us to start our shifts (I am not sure who was supposed to be working) and feared that our boss might find out. We went to a row of lockers which was in another part of the school which looked exactly like the old IT part of the technology block in my high school (although there were no lockers in the real-life technology block). We got the work duty phone out of the locker, as well as a radio - and found that the phone had been already switched on and had no missed calls, which put our minds at ease. 

I then found myself in an outside environment which was quite grey and overcast. I was standing with an older male dream character (who I knew in the dream) and everything around us was made of concrete (rather like my university campus). On the floor was a (life-size) chalk drawing of a large, shaggy dog called 'Mami'. The drawing looked quite child-like and basic. Apparently this drawing was an actual dog in the dream and had been re-homed and so would be leaving our care. I was sorry to lose Mami (who I loved very much in the dream), but the male dream character reminded me that we still had another dog, 'Ugandi' who would be staying with us. He started to groom the chalk drawing of the dog.

I was then in an environment which looked very much like my nan's living-room in Sheringham (with me facing the arm-chair by the kitchen, with the airing/boiler cupboard to my left). However, this was also a classroom. VW (a friend from high school and college) was seated in the arm-chair and was telling me about a class that we both had to undertake. VW was in a different group from me, and had already attended one of the classes. She told me what it was about, but I cannot recall, other than it involved calendars (there was a calendar on the wall) and farm animals. She told me the course/class was 'easy'. I looked at a timetable which was pinned to the airing cupboard door, which had a list of the classroom groups. I was 'Group 2' and my name was at the bottom of the list (of around 10 names). I did not see if my name was written properly (or in the strange way text often appears in dreams), but could see that my last name was double-barrelled and much longer than the other students' names (which is how it should/usually appears in real-life). Without specifically looking at the spelling of my name, it looked correct (although not clearly seen). I had some further conversation with VW.

TIME: 09:00 - 12:00 hours 

LUCIDITY: None

SPECIAL NOTES: None of note

Dreamsigns:

• Mami the living 'chalk' dog - this was completely impossible, as was grooming a chalk drawing (A - Action. F - Form/ C - Context)

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• Classroom/school/learning institution
• Dogs
• My nan's living-room

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• It transpired that the day after this dream, in real-life, there was confusion as to who had taken on a swapped duty shift at work. Our colleague texted BG and I to find out who the work phone was to be passed to and we could not work it out, although eventually I said it was probably me who had agreed to take on the shift verbally, so I should get the phone. 
• I saw VW post on Facebook the day before this dream. She works for a company called 'Group 4'.

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:

I didn't have any specific thoughts upon waking from this dream. It was quite boring. However, many hours later when BG and I were trying to find out who was on duty and needed to get hold of the work phone from our colleagues, the dream had an added significance.

Dream 412

'Victoria Wood's Boarding House & My Pro-Choice Protest!'

Dream date: 15 April 2015

I 'woke up' from a secondary dream while in my main dream (so a 'dream within a dream'). I tried really hard to remember my secondary dream, but it was completely confusing. All I could remember was that there was a big glacial wall of some kind - a huge, textured wall made of ice/snow. I cannot remember anything else. 

I was then in a dark hotel foyer with a young Asian female (dream character), a middle-aged white female doctor (dark hair, wearing glasses) and my mum. The Asian dream character was 9 weeks pregnant and hoping to arrange an abortion because she had been raped. However, the doctor was refusing to give permission for this, which was making me very angry, because it was clear the Asian female was desperate - she was crying and begging. The doctor said: 'You can only have an abortion if you prove to me that you have been consuming alcohol'. This outraged me, because I knew the Asian female was Muslim. I told the doctor that this was discrimination - the pregnant girl could not drink alcohol because of her religion, so to make it the condition for her abortion, she was putting pressure on her to go and drink the alcohol to secure the procedure out of desperation. Plus, the rule about alcohol was a form of unequal treatment. The doctor responded by saying the female was 'too far into the pregnancy' for an abortion, which I denied, because she was only 9 weeks pregnant, which is early. The doctor agreed to examine and assess the Asian female, which made her less anxious about her situation. 

I was then aware that it was New Years Eve, although I am not sure exactly where we were - it was an interior environment and quite dark. My friend, JD was visiting, but he was acting very strangely and I put this down to the fact that he has an autistic spectrum disorder. However, he was being very unreasonable towards me, screaming at me, making sexual gestures and trying to establish physical contact which I did not want. My stepdad was present at one point and he was defending JD - and told me to go out and enjoy myself and forget what was happening. I went to the The Crown pub, in Sheringham (which looks as it does in real-life). I joined a party there, but only for a short time as it was soon time to leave. I had to walk home in the early hours of the morning in the dark.

I then found myself in a strange boarding-house which was owned by Victoria Wood. I guess it was very similar to the premise of the TV show Rising Damp (1974 - 1978). This was a very institutional looking building, with white gloss-painted doors leading to each living-quarter. The decor was shabby and old-fashioned and the lighting was poor. It did feel familiar, however and was reminiscent of 1970s style furnishing. Many different families and individuals lived in the boarding house, and all seemed to know each other - I seemed to know them as well, although I am not sure if I lived there or not. I seemed to spend a large amount of time in one particular room which was also inhabited by a middle-aged man and woman. You had to climb three steps to get to this room from one of the main corridors. At some point, I went into the bathroom with a young female dream character. It turned out that this was her family's bathroom and her mum entered - surprised to see me in there.

I must have woken up, because - in real-life - I heard my cleaner, Tony, arrive to empty the bins, which he does on a daily basis. He does a full clean on a Monday, when he also vacuums the carpets. He is usually whistling or singing while he is doing his job. After Tony left, I must have fallen asleep again.

I woke up. This was a false awakening. I did not have sleep paralysis. I got out of bed and decided to vacuum the carpet of my bedroom and hallway just outside (I would never voluntarily vacuum my carpet!) The vacuum cleaner was different to the one we have in real-life, but I did not notice this. I then stopped and got back into bed and tried to go to sleep (even though I was already asleep and in a dream!) I heard the doorbell ring and my former cleaner Rachel was at the door. I then 'realised' (in my dream, not real-life, although I thought I was awake and experiencing reality) that Tony was still downstairs. Rachel told Tony that her vacuum cleaner had broken and she needed to borrow ours (which was now downstairs, without me having to return it). Tony said she could, and I heard them getting the vacuum cleaner and having a conversation, very clearly. I then heard Tony come upstairs again. He knocked on my door, saying: '[My real name], I'm checking to see if you are alright...' He then opened my bedroom door (he would never do this in real-life) and entered my room. I was facing the wall and could not see him. He pulled my duvet off me and I was naked (I was clothed in real-life, so this should have been an indication of a false awakening). He grabbed me violently and tried to pull me out of the bed, which scared me a lot. I did nothing to retaliate. He must have failed to pull me out of the bed and decided to leave. I turned around and saw my bedroom door was open (in real-life it was shut, as I had left it). I actually woke up shortly after this. 

TIME: 05:30 - 12:00 hours (I think the first part of the dream - before the false awakening - happened before 10:30 hours and the false awakening happened just after Tony left in real-life, so between 10:30 - 11:30 hours)

LUCIDITY: None - despite the fact I usually become lucid during false awakenings and had plenty of dreamsigns

SPECIAL NOTES: I had tried to meditate on having a lucid dream before I fell asleep

Dreamsigns

• The attitude/behaviour of the doctor and fact the consultation was taking place in a hotel foyer, publicly (IA - Inner Awareness/A - Action/C - Context)
• It was New Years Eve (IA - Inner Awareness/C - Context)
• Victoria Wood owned a boarding house (IA - Inner Awareness/C - Context)
• The entire false awakening scene was a dreamsign which I missed while in the dream (IA - Inner Awareness/A - Action/F - Form/ C - Context)

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• The Crown pub in Sherngham as a dream scene (i.e. Dream 375, Dream 399 & Dream 406, plus many more)
• Strange hotels/boarding houses and being in someone else's bathroom (Dream 391).

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• The day of this dream I read about abortion on the internet - I cannot recall the context.
• The day of this dream I had a discussion with an Australian male online and he informed me of the Halal Certification scandal and the fact that some alcohol companies had the certification on their label - which is completely ridiculous as all alcohol is haram and inappropriate for halal-only Islamic diets.
• The day of this dream I had made a comment about my only interest in cars being when it was the early hours of the morning and I need a ride home.
• DL and I were discussing 1970s-style furnishing after seeing a 1970s-style home on a 'history of food'-themed TV show where a family recreated the living conditions, cultures and diets of past decades.
• The day of this dream I had looked at an article showing pictures of people getting caught while in the process of taking 'selfies' in bathrooms. The influence here comes from the image of someone suddenly walking into a bathroom and taking you by surprise.

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:
I woke up feeling really confused by this dream. Firstly, the trying to recall the secondary dream within the primary dream was very odd and may have affected my overall logical understanding of the dream. The middle section of this dream was quite enjoyable. However, the false awakening was quite scary and I am not sure why I did not pick up on any dreamsigns and then do a reality check. I think it may be because I did not experience sleep paralysis during the false awakening, as it is usually this which acts as a trigger. Also, because the false awakening happened just after Tony had left my house in real-life - and involved me getting back into bed and trying to fall asleep again, it seemed realistic that he might in fact be downstairs, whereas some of my previous false awakenings have featured impossible nightmarish characters which cause me to question reality much sooner and successfully.

* I know I have forgotten some vital parts of this dream from the scenes prior to the false awakening (which is recalled in full detail). If I remember any of the forgotten aspects of this dream,  will record them below.

Dream 411

'The RBA Dream'

Dream date: 14 April 2015

I was in a large one-room flat with white walls and normal furniture that you might expect to see in an average (slightly untidy) bedsit - there was a double-bed and a large (blue) sofa amongst other things. I was in the flat with PS and RBA. There was a small, orange-brown dog in the room (which was not N the Dog). PS said to me that I had to choose between him and RBA, or he would leave. He had his arms around my neck. I said I would stay with RBA and PS left. The dog remained. RBA and I then had sex in the flat. The details of this scene are irrelevant here, but it was a pleasurable experience!

I was then in my nan's living-room with my nan, my mum and RBA. Suddenly, my aunt VF and my (estranged and mentally-unwell) cousin SAF2 entered the room. SAF2 grabbed my laptop and broke it, by pushing a square plastic object into the USB port, which was much larger than it normally would be. The laptop was completely dysfunctional now, and looked like it was breaking into small pieces. Both my nan and my mum became angry and told SAF2 that she must leave immediately, which she did, laughing. I started smoking some cannabis to calm my temper. 

There was a scene with some sunglasses, which I cannot recall.

I was in with RBA in a small cobble-stoned square in a little town. The square was surrounded by tall, ornate buildings and was very picturesque. RBA was wearing a green and yellow apron because he was going to work in a cafe. I stood at the doorway looking in, watching him start his shift. Although the little square was definitely not Sheringham, I got the impression that the cafe - which was also a bakery - was one which does exist in Sheringham (see image. below). Two girls from my high school, AW and HM (who were both quite quite and reserved) were standing outside, by the swing sign advertising the cafe/bakery. They were both dressed in the aprons indicating that they also worked there. They were watching RBA intently and I said: 'Yes, he's working here now...'. 

RBA then left the cafe/bakery and joined me outside, where my mum and nan were also standing. My mum was looking in her purse and she gave us some cash. I then saw (to our right) a small rut in the cobblestones, and some banknotes laying there. I went to pick them up and noticed that they were a strange new type of British currency. My mum said: 'Those belong to the old man', so I left them where I found them. 

TIME: 03:00 - 13:00 (I am not sure when this dream took place. but I woke up aware that I had experienced a sexual dream)

LUCIDITY: None

SPECIAL NOTES: None of note

Dreamsigns:

• My laptop had huge (several inches long) USB ports (F - Form)
• I would smoke cannabis in front of my family, but not in my nan's living-room (IA - Inner Awareness/A - Action/C - Context)
• The cafe/bakery made me think of Sheringham, but I knew we were not in Sheringham (IA - Inner Awareness/F - Form)
• The banknotes were British currency, but completely different from the ones in use (F - Form)

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• Dogs (i.e. Dream 401, Dream 402 & Dream 407)
• Broken laptop (i.e. Dream 382 & Dream 402)
• My nan's living-room in Sheringham as a dream scene location
• Cannabis (i.e. Dream 397, Dream 403, Dream 405, Dream 408 & Dream 410 - amongst many others)

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• Recent dreams (see Recurrent Dream Themes, above) have involved dogs; broken laptops; my nan's living-room; and cannabis, so may have influenced this dream.
• I may have seen RBA post something on Facebook.
• The day before this dream I had mentioned RBA in a conversation.
• The day before this dream I had completed an online quiz which determined your 'Scottish name'.

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:
I awoke from this dream feeling strange that it happened, but also keen to make contact with RBA as it has been ages since I last spoke with him and this was a very vivid/arousing dream in parts.

* I know I have forgotten some aspects of this dream. If I can recall them, I will record them below.

Dream 410

'Flesh Tunnel Snakes'

Dream date: 13 April 2015

I was in a festival environment - it was daytime and sunny. The festival was happening in a big field of grass, but there was a huge structure which was about three storeys high and had square glassless windows cut out, in which people could stand. It was almost like scaffolding. The atmosphere was really summery, bohemian and vibrant. 

There were two males - both were black or mixed-race and one was dressed in typical urban clothing and had short hair, while the other had a huge Afro hairstyle and was dressed very similar to the Dr Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (1957) - he was wearing a top hat and a red polka-dot bow-tie, which called this character to mind, but also a purple suit. It may be that he more closely resembled Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (specifically the Gene Wilder character in Willy Wonker and the Chocolate Factory (1971) movie adaptation). The two males were standing in the big structure and using megaphones to shout - I think they were making political statements, which I agreed with, but other members of the festival-going crowd (and there were hundreds of people there) were opposed to what was being said. My stepdad was one of them, but I persuaded him to listen and eventually he agreed that the males were talking sense. I cannot recall what was being said whatsoever. I then called the two males down from the structure, because we were being invited to join a band which was performing in a small enclosure a short distance away from the structure - near some brightly painted parked caravans. I could see RR - a girl from my school - was the guitarist in the band. I felt a sense of unity and togetherness.

Then, myself, the two males and some other dream characters (I am not sure who they were) decided to go for a walk. We ended up in the Premier Stores on Cromer Road, Sheringham (see Google Maps image, below). I decided to buy something, but I cannot recall what it was. I opened my purse to pay at the till and thought that I had lost my credit cards, but then saw they were still there. One of the dream characters was a tall, thin, white male in his 30s, who had the biggest flesh tunnel piercings in his ears - they reached down to his shoulders. The skin of his earlobes became part of an enormous, thin green snake which was looped all around his body - it looked really odd and freaky - I realised that the snake was part of his actual stretched ear lobes and must have been more than 10 metres long. He started smoking some cannabis in the doorway of the shop, and offered it to both me and the other male dream characters. We then heard police sirens, but I was aware the police were coming to arrest the dream characters for their political activism, not the possession of cannabis and I felt concerned for my 'friends'. 

TIME: 03:00 - 12:00 hours (I am not sure when this dream took place)

LUCIDITY: None

SPECIAL NOTES: None of note

Dreamsigns:

• The flesh tunnels/snake was completely impossible (F - Form)

Recurrent Dream Themes:

• Performance of a band
• Cannabis

Potential Day/Dream Residue:

• I have recently bought my ticket to a festival being held this summer.
• The Coachella Festival in California is currently taking place.
• The day of this dream I had watched an episode of Come Dine With Me in which one of the contestants described herself as 'Willy Wonka'.
• I have had recent dreams (Dream 407 & Dream 409) about being in a band or other persons being in a band - in real-life I am in the process of forming a band in my local area.
• Shortly before this dream, I had been watching a programme in which a cookery show contestant had large flesh tunnels. This prompted me to question how people with this fashion trend will deal with their stretched earlobes when they grow older and remove the jewellery. 
• I had recently been watching Peep Show in which one of the characters, Super Hans, often appears with a snake.

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:
I didn't have any particular thoughts or emotions when I woke up from this dream.

* I am not sure if I have recalled everything that I possible could about this dream, but if I remember anything further, I will record it below.

Common Lucid Dream Mistakes

• Focusing on the Wrong Induction Method

Many beginner lucid dreamers get swamped by the plethora of lucid dreaming induction techniques discussed on popular online forums and pages dedicated to lucid dreaming. There seems to be an 'ILD' (abbreviation for 'induced lucid dreaming') for absolutely everything (i.e. FILD - finger; SILD - sex; SSILD - senses; U- urination; T- thirst; O - object etc). There is an 'ILD' for just about every letter of the alphabet!

The problem is, if you focus on obscure and niche forms of lucid dream induction method, you are neglecting to recognise that most of them are simply variations of the MILD Technique (Memonic/Memory Induced Lucid Dreams) aiming to achieve a DILD (Dream Initiated/Induced Lucid Dream), the method devised by Dr Stephen LaBerge of the Lucidity Institute. Almost any induction method which involves entraining yourself to recognise a certain event or trigger in a dream and then performing a reality check is a part of programming your memory, which is the ethos behind the MILD Technique which is the single best method for learning how to train yourself to experience a DILD. 

Instead of learning the key principles and foundations of the MILD Technique, beginners often choose a favourite 'ILD' and concentrate exclusively on that. Many of these induction methods were created by non-expert lucid dream enthusiasts looking to differentiate themselves and gain status for coming up with something new, when all they are really doing is refining (but not improving the MILD Technique). My advice is to learn the basics of the MILD Technique from grass-roots (enhancing dream recall; performing reality checks; doing lucid dream affirmations; understanding the sleep cycle; and practising Wake-Back-to-Bed). Ignore all the other 'ILD' methods for DILDs - they simply limit your capability of recognising when you might be in a lucid dream.

Another common mistake beginners make is trying to perform WILD (Wake Initiated/Induced Lucid Dreams) before even learning the MILD Technique. WILD is the 'holy grail' of lucid dream induction, and as compelling as it sounds (the idea of transitioning directly from a waking state into a lucid dream), it is very difficult and requires you to learn superior meditation methods to induce the unnatural state of the Mind Awake/Body Asleep paradox, which involves waking sleep paralysis and dream visualisation skills. The WILD Technique is not a beginner technique and should be worked up to slowly once you have the basics mastered - you cannot build a skyscraper without first ensuring you have a solid foundation in place!

FILD (Finger Induced Lucid Dreaming) is a popular modern-day version of WILD (FILD was created by an online forum user, while WILD is part of ancient Tibetan Dream Yoga practice). FILD is no easier to achieve than WILD - and actually may be counter-intuitive as it involves movement of the fingers to keep the mind awake, which can disrupt that vital Mind Awake/Body Asleep balance. I would personally advise beginner lucid dreamers to completely ignore FILD. 

Using the wrong induction technique and trying to run before you can walk by attempting the WILD Technique before you can achieve DILDs via the MILD Technique can lead to you becoming very disheartened by the inevitable failure. Lucid dreaming is a journey, not a final destination and cannot be rushed. There are no short-cuts or quick fixes!

• Failure to Commit

In order to achieve successful lucid dreaming, you need to regularly train and dedicate yourself to your goal. Lucid dreaming is analogous to hacking your own brain - it's not an easy task to trick your brain into performing in a way contrary to how it has naturally evolved (i.e, to be consciously aware you are asleep and dreaming and to actively control your dreams). It is very common for beginner lucid dreamers to give up hope and decide to quit after an extremely short amount of practice. It has taken me years to be able to induce lucid dreams - and I am a natural lucid dreamer, who had a lot of failure still. Another common problem is that because many beginner lucid dreamers are seduced by the idea of controlling their dreams, they don't focus on the basic skill of remembering their non-lucid dreams and recognising their dreamsigns sufficiently.

One particular study found that with extensive daily training, it was possible for beginner lucid dreamers to have their first lucid dream within 3 - 21 days, but this varies greatly.

My advice is to learn the MILD Technique, effective reality checking and meditation and practice every single night. Record all dreams in a dream journal and focus your mind on reaching your goal - it will happen eventually.

• Trying Too Hard

This mistake is rather like choosing the wrong induction method - some beginner lucid dreamers are too enthusiastic and want quick results so try to combine everything at once. They attempt a variety of different methods, take lucid dreaming supplements, use binaural beats - all at the same time, without success. This is because they are not nailing the basics - lucid dreaming is not about a race to the finish line - it is about purposeful effort and motivation to learn and develop important skills. If you want to hit a target, it is best to aim accurately and carefully rather than haphazardly firing from every angle. 

Mindful practice is much better than trying to tick every single box. If you desperately try each and every method at the same time, this puts undue pressure on you and you are likely to end up frustrated and confused by what went wrong. Also, if by chance one of your variety of induction methods happened to work, how would you know which one it was and how to refine your technique in that area? That would be like ticking every single answer in a multiple choice exam - one of them is correct, but you don't actually know which one! You can't rush lucid dream entrainment - simplify your practice, take it slow and steady and note what works for you. You can always move on to another technique/method if you have no success, but give it a fair chance before you try something different.

• Poor Dream Recall

Since I advise all beginner lucid dreamers to start with DILDs (using MILD Technique), dream recall is absolutely vital. I am always surprised by how many beginner lucid dreamers admit they don't recall many of their normal non-lucid dreams. If you cannot recall your dreams, how can you hope to become lucid in a dream? If you do happen to become spontaneously lucid in a dream, the chances are that you will simply forget it and the opportunity to relish that experience will be completely lost.

In order to successfully lucid dream you need a decent standard of dream recall - at least one dream per night. These dreams should be recorded in a dream journal, which will also enable you to note recurrent themes and potential dreamsigns which can act as lucidity triggers in a future DILD. Establishing strong dream recall enhances the vividness and intensity of your dreams, which is a great advantage for your lucid dream practice. Keeping and reflecting on your dream journal entries has a secondary purpose (and benefit) of placing greater emphasis and focus on your dreams.

• Sleep Deprivation

If you are sleep deprived (i.e. not getting enough deep, restful, restorative sleep) then you will limit your REM sleep, which is when dreams occur. Sleep deprivation has a negative impact on brain function and general health and will inhibit both the amount and recall of your dreams which is detrimental to lucid dreaming.

The best time for lucid dreaming is the longest, most intense period of REM sleep which occurs after approximately 4 - 6 hours or deep sleep. This is why we often have the longest, most vivid dreams just before we wake up. Distractions and unnatural awakenings (by an alarm clock) are often the reason why we cannot recall dreams which occur during this period of REM sleep. If you need to wake early, there are several methods which can increase your chances of having a lucid dream. 

Firstly, go to bed earlier - you will have your necessary deep sleep earlier in the night and then experience your longest REM stage in good time before you are due to wake up. 

Secondly, if you can't get more than 4 - 6 hours sleep in a night, try and take an afternoon or early evening nap, which is another great time to experience a lucid dream. An afternoon nap means you can do some affirmations/meditation directly before you go to sleep, and hopefully (if you are fully rested from the night before) you will enter an REM sleep straight away, while those lucid dream induction methods are fresh in your mind. As a nap is a short sleep, you will also wake up from the REM dream sleep and your dream will be easier to remember!

Thirdly, if you cannot dedicate longer periods to sleeping during the week, or having afternoon naps, exploit your free time at weekends to having lie-ins. Get your full quota of deep sleep and then do a Wake-Back-to-Bed. The WBTB works on the same notion as an afternoon nap - you are fully rested after your 4 - 6 hours of deep sleep, then you awaken and practice some lucid dreaming induction methods (reality check, mindfulness, affirmations and meditation) for a brief period (say 10 - 30 minutes) and the  return to (REM) sleep while the intention to lucid dream is fresh in your mind. Hopefully, your WBTB will coincide with that long period of REM sleep and you will experience a lucid dream. 

Fourthly, there are many innovative technologies and devices aimed at improving your sleep cycles - and encouraging lucid dreaming. Some devices can help to re-programme your circadian rhythms which benefits your sleep cycle and chances of lucid dreaming. Other devices can be set to wake you up just after you are likely to have been in REM sleep, which helps you improve your dream recall. 

• Failure to Stabilise a Lucid Dream

Becoming lucid in a dream (DILD) is such an overwhelmingly exciting and exhilarating experience that it often causes dreamers to destabilise their dream and either lose lucidity or wake up. Lucid dreams are a very tenuous, unstable state - the dreamer is so close to wakefulness that anything can tip them over the brink. Often when I lose stability in a lucid dream I am aware of the dream fading before my eyes as I wake up. At other times I stay semi-lucid, but the lucid dream environment is vague and unclear meaning I cannot fully engage with it or explore it, rendering the experience unsatisfying and pointless.

The euphoria which accompanies a successful lucid dream is the most common reason for its premature ending!

The best way to prolong your lucid dream is to learn how to anchor yourself in the lucid dream environment and stabilise the dream sufficiently before you continue your adventure. My advice is to stand still and concentrate on something - either your hands (focusing on the palms of your hands is one of the most popular methods) or one single thing in the lucid dream world. You could try touching a wall or another object and not allowing anything else - especially dream characters - to distract you. Another method I like to do is to sit on the ground. The trick is to calm yourself down completely. 

To stabilise the dream, you can try rubbing your hands together, while saying to yourself: 'I'm dreaming' or 'This is a lucid dream', then performing a reality check, which I advise you do after every lucid dream stabilisation. If the dream is still somewhat unstable or unclear, you can say in a firm voice: 'Clarity!' and then engage all your senses - sight, sound, smell, touch, taste etc. 

• Forgetting you are Lucid

This seems like an odd mistake to make, but it does commonly happen to me. Often I become lucid in a dream and then 'forget' I am lucid and allow myself to slip back into a non-lucid dream. This is particularly likely to happen after lucid dream stabilisation. The key to overcoming this obstacle is to consistently perform reality checks to remind you that you are lucid and to exercise your conscious awareness and cognitive performance. 

• Bad Reality Checks

The key to a good reality check is to choose an action which has a very different outcome when you perform it in waking life to when you perform it in a dream. However, sometimes reality checks - even very good ones - can fail. It may be just misfortune, or it could be that your dreaming brain has taught itself to override the reality check.

Another bad reality check practice is not performing mindful reality checks. This means simply performing the physical reality check without engaging your conscious awareness. You need your conscious awareness to be strongly linked to the performance of the physical reality check.

Every single time you perform a waking reality check, stop whatever you are doing and focus on your conscious awareness. Ask yourself: 'Am I dreaming?' and instead of simply assuming the answer, focus your senses and use cues from your environment to give you an answer. Perform the reality check to confirm your answer was correct and then ask yourself again 'Am I dreaming?'

Regular, frequent and mindful reality checks are a core aspect of mentally entraining yourself to lucid dream.

Also make sure you are performing enough reality checks throughout your waking day. You need to establish a habit which will transition across into your dreams. This will not happen if your reality checks are inconsistent and irregular.

Research by LaBerge and Levitan suggest that 15 - 20 reality checks yield the best chances of becoming lucid via a DILD. Try to perform a reality check every time you do a particularly frequent waking action, such as walking through a doorway, looking at our phone, using the toilet etc.

• Expecting Too Much (Control) Too Soon

Many beginner lucid dreamers confuse lucid dreaming with dream control and treat them as synonymous. There are several levels of lucid dreaming, from pre-lucid through to super-lucid. Lucid dreaming - by definition - is simply the conscious awareness that you are dreaming. Controlling a dream - or further - dream architecture are additional elements of a lucid dream and have to be learned after you have some experience in lucid dreaming. 

When you first begin to lucid dream it is very common to have little to no control at all. You need to work on dream stabilisation before you can learn dream control. Even when you start learning how to successfully control your lucid dreams you may find that you are only able to control your own actions, and dream characters remain autonomous beings with their own self-determination and will. You may also find that the dream environment has been created for you and cannot be changed. 

Many beginner lucid dreamers want to jump in at the deep end and enjoy flying, sex or space exploration. If you attempt too much too soon you will end up limiting yourself significantly.

Before you become omnipotent and without boundaries you need to build confidence and self belief. You wouldn't attempt to run a marathon before you have discovered whether you have enough stamina to run to the end of your street, so use this approach in your lucid dreaming and take small steps and work your way onwards and upwards gradually. 

• Prioritising Sex as a Goal

Sex is the second main reason beginner lucid dreamers state they were motivated to learn how to lucid dream. Many of our dreams are driven by primal urges and it is unsurprising that dreamers seek the instant and risk-free gratification available in the dream world. However, due to the highly stimulating, intense nature of sex, it is common for beginner lucid dreamers to suffer from 'sensory-overload' and prematurely end their lucid dream by focusing on fulfilling their goal of engaging in lucid dream sex. Lucid dream sex requires a lot of skill and concentration - you need to be able to anchor yourself in the lucid dream; stabilise the dream; exercise some form of lucid dream visualisation and control and then remain calm and grounded as your excitement increases. 

Lucid dream sex can also be disappointing for other reasons - your conscious brain may be set on physical gratification, but your subconscious mind may have a completely different agenda and try to throw a spanner in the works. You may think you are wholly motivated by physical satisfaction and release of sexual energy, but your subconscious knows best - it may be that you are actually looking for a more intimate meaningful connection or relationship. This is one of the main reasons why sexual lucid dream encounters fail - either your dream character rejects you outright or morphs into something undesirable and repellent.

If you haven't had any real-life sexual experience it may be impossible for you to translate your desire for a realistic sexual experience into a lucid dream - after all, what are you actually basing your lucid encounter on? Most likely it will be the visual depiction of sex (i.e. sex scenes in movies or pornography) rather than the memory of actual physical sensations. Lucid dream sex - when it happens - can often feel more like masturbation.

Try not to make lucid dream sex your sole motivation for learning how to lucid dream - you will be short-changing yourself in the long-run and preventing yourself from fully enjoying the incredible range of experiences available in the lucid dream world. 

• Relying on Lucid Dream Supplements & Drugs

I would never advocate the use of recreational drugs on this Blog, and further, recommend that anyone seeking to take legal, natural supplements consult a medical professional before doing so.

Many beginner lucid dreamers think you can pop a pill and lucid dream. In fact many experienced lucid dreamers seem to advise using supplements - or illegal drugs - in place of learning and refining the core methods outlines above. 

Many lucid dreamers ask if cannabis can help you lucid dream. The answer is 'no' (THC suppresses REM sleep and encourages deeper, dreamless sleep), but quitting cannabis can cause REM Rebound which is characterised by intense, vivid dreams. Other lucid dreamers suggest LSD and psilocybin ('magic mushrooms') are great for lucid dreams, but what they seem to be actually saying is that psychedelic experiences are like being in a lucid dream state. If you are awake and hallucinating, you are not in a lucid dream. I have never taken LSD before, so I do not know what effect it has if you go to sleep while it is still in your system, but personally, I would steer clear from experimenting with illegal recreational drugs - psychedelic or otherwise. 

In terms of natural vitamins and supplements (and food sources known to boost lucid dreaming), these can be great for boosting REM sleep, enhancing the vividness and recall of dreams and encouraging lucidity, but should never be used to compensate for learning the basics of lucid dream induction and dedicating yourself to daily mental entrainment. Supplements should be used alongside - in addition  to - lucid dream induction methods such as the MILD Technique. Also, I would advise that you do not take a variety of different vitamins and supplements at the same time - some may counteract the effects of the others and as with trying too many different induction techniques at the same time, how will you know which ones work and which don't? Lucid dream supplements can be very expensive and sometimes a waste of money - especially if you rely on the hearsay of other lucid dreamers or the marketing material from the manufacturer of supplements branded as 'lucid dreaming supplements'. Many effective lucid dreaming supplements are not produced specifically because of their effect on dreaming - they have primary health benefits and coincidentally happen to also aid dreaming. 

I would suggest you learn the basics of the MILD Technique without any supplements and then slowly incorporate them into your routine, one-by-one, so that you can monitor the effects and any changes to your patterns of dreaming. 

Do not just try supplements because another lucid dreamer has given them a positive recommendation - different chemicals/substances will react differently from person to person, and there may be a whole host of reasons why this person is able to successfully lucid dream. Before you spend money on lucid dreaming, try the basic mental entrainment which is free and without risk to your health!

• Paying for Tuition from 'Experts'

Some lucid dreamers think that because a service costs money if must be tried/tested and effective. This is not necessarily true. Lucid dreaming is becoming increasingly popularised and as a result people will try to exploit a growing audience. It may not be fraudulent - these 'guides' or 'gurus' may have your best interests at heart, but this doesn't mean they are qualified to charge a fee for what they have to offer. The internet is awash with free tuition on how to lucid dream - and you can buy published books by experts such as LaBerge who certainly has the pedigree and expertise to offer advice and information on lucid dreaming. This Blog offers tuition on how to lucid dream, but it does so completely free of charge - my advice, tips and techniques are there for those who want them and cost nothing. Do your research and you will find that you are perfectly capable of getting all information online without spending a single penny.

• Putting Too Much Faith & Trust in Other Lucid Dreamer's Anecdotal Evidence/Experiences

I would advise that all beginner lucid dreamers converse with and listen to the advice of other more experienced lucid dreamers. However, you should always question how subjective their experiences actually are and how they can relate to your own lucid dreaming journey. 

As I have pointed out in earlier posts, I am a non-spiritual, non-religious humanist, who seeks scientific evidence or validation before I can put my belief or faith into anything. Therefore, when I discuss lucid dreaming with spiritualists, much of what they say is completely irrelevant to my own understanding and experience of lucid dreaming. I don't believe in astral projection, spirit guides, guardian angels, shared consciousness, universal life-forces etc. Therefore any advice which involves the belief in, or embracing of, these concepts will not be of any benefit to my lucid dreaming practice. Despite what many lucid dreamers think, you do not need to embrace spirituality to enjoy lucid dreaming. Many spiritualists are lucid dreamers, but not all lucid dreamers are spiritualists.

Putting your faith into something as esoteric as some of the spiritualist theories I have heard can prevent you from finding out what really works and the rational or scientific reasons for why. 

Be wary of taking advice or information without carefully checking credible sources which support it. 

Also, don't become dissuaded from your own ability or progress just because Person X says they have a lucid dream every single night without trying; or Person Y says they have a lucid dream just from listening to binaural beats in a dark room; or Person Z says eating cheese while wearing a dream mask is all it takes for them to experience hour-long lucid dreams where they visit alternative planes of existence. That's the thing about lucid dreaming - in the absence of a sleep laboratory, a dream expert/neuroscientist and an EEG machine, these wild and wonderful claims (usually made online) cannot be substantiated - or disproved. You shouldn't base your own lucid dream practice on the hearsay of anyone else - no matter how much they talk up their own skills and experience. 

Certainly listen to what they have to say, but do your own research to ascertain whether you have been given good advice and ask for their source material if they have some - any experienced lucid dreamer willing to help a beginner should be more than happy to recommend the books, websites or documentaries they are referencing or borrowing information from. Trust your instinct and intuition - if something sounds like a sham or a little less than believable, it may well be so. Many people use online forums to gain social status, feel self-important and blow their own trumpet, so concentrate on what works for you and take everything you are told with a pinch of salt unless it can be externally verified. And remember, you are a unique individual whose brain will never work exactly like Person X, Y or Z - so while some general basics will work for everyone, some things are very subjective and specific and won't translate across to your own practice. 

• Ignoring the Dream Self/Ego

One of the best things about lucid dreaming is that it enables the dreamer to engage in a dialogue with their inner-self - i.e. their subconscious. Instead of focusing solely on lucid dream control (which is regarded as some lucid dream experts as superficial gratification), beginner lucid dreamers should also consider the advantages of communicating with their subconscious and unlocking their psyche in a way which is not easily possible in waking reality.

Your subconscious mind is not the executor of your free-will - it is the silent observer and author of your dreams - part of a dual consciousness which operates on two separate, yet interconnected levels. Some people pay psychoanalysts huge sums of money to decode their subconscious minds - you can use your lucid dreams to do this yourself for free. Use your lucid dreams to question your dream ego and unlock the parts of your mind which are shielded from your waking life. 

Ignoring the dream self/ego is neglecting to engage with the richest aspect of dreaming and missing a precious opportunity to inspect the dark and hidden recesses of your own mind.

• Mistaking Dreaming of Lucid Dreaming for Lucid Dreaming

Many beginner lucid dreamers are unaware of what a lucid dream should feel like. As a result of the influence of 'day residue' and lucid dreaming being on their mind when they go to sleep, beginner lucid dreamers can often dream of lucid dreaming, resulting in confusion as to whether they actually experienced a true lucid dream. However, it is completely normal for something which takes up so much of our waking thoughts, hopes and desires to surface in dream form - even for experienced lucid dreamers. I often dream of lucid dreaming, without becoming lucid at all! I have tried to teach people how to lucid dream - and be taught lucid dreaming - in totally non-lucid dreams! 

References to lucid dreaming do not prompt me to reality check or question the nature and truth of my reality - because I haven't trained myself to use the words 'lucid dream' as a trigger for a reality check. If I did that, it would be incredibly hard for me to use Facebook or write this Blog! Instead I use my 'inner awareness' or another form of dreamsign as a cue. Lucid dreaming is triggered by a deep mental awareness that you are in a simulated environment or version of reality - it is a cognitive process, not a mere reference to lucidity. This is why a steady, dedicated and mindful practice is important rather than simply going through the motions and paying minimal attention to each aspect of lucid dreaming just to tick a box. 

Dreaming of lucid dreaming is not the same as lucid dreaming, but it is an indication that the concept and ideas of lucid dreaming are filtering through to your subconscious mind and entering into your dreams which is very positive. If thinking about and practising lucid dreaming can cause the theme of lucid dreaming to pop up in your non-lucid dreams, it is easy to imagine how all the methods you will be learning as part of the MILD Technique will make the same transition and eventually result in a successful DILD lucid dream.