Hey everyone! So I've managed to achieve 5 lucid dreams so far since beginning this streaming & learning journey nearly a month ago now, which I am pretty excited about. However, during these periods of lucidity, I still had some residual "dream logic". I was definitely lucid and knew I was dreaming, but sometimes I would think things that didn't make much sense. For example, I would think some dream characters were real, like my family members were somehow in the dream with me. "Hey guys, this is a dream!" Or I would accept strange conditions or physics as they were, and not realize the true potential of the dream world.
During some of these dreams I had slightly more lucidity, and also more control, than others. Sometimes after becoming lucid, I just became aware but did absolutely nothing with that knowledge, I would still go along with the "plot" of the dream, whilst knowing I was dreaming (while still not realizing that I could just leave the scene and attempt other things) if that makes sense. Other times I did realize this, for example in my most recent lucid dream I immediately started flying around for about 30 seconds, but became distracted by a dream character (who I also thought was real) and we just kind of wandered and frolicked around, and occasionally I would have to re-convince myself I was dreaming to solidify the dream and my lucidity.
So I feel like during these particular cases I was not as "lucid as I COULD HAVE been", or was not as clear-minded as I am when I'm focused and in the moment in waking life. (I have been "more lucid" in dreams yeeeaars ago, but life got busy and I took a LD break, but am now starting this journey again!) Any tips for raising my "level of lucidity" for lack of a better term, be that during the dream itself, or in preparation in waking life? (I know "levels" or "layers" are arbitrary, and I like how Daniel described it in the stream the other day as more of a mish-mash as opposed to levels, or even opposed to a spectrum. This was just how I thought I'd articulate it). Thanks!
I've found its helpful to have a routine for when you become lucid. I like to first do a RC and stabilize the dream by engaging my senses. Usually examining my dream body and clothes in detail helps.
Then, I sit down and calmly observe my surroundings and ask myself what I can see, hear, feel, etc. I might even ask the dream for more clarity. Then I quiz myself about some basic things (my name, phone number, address, etc) to try to test my lucidity.
Then, I try to remember my dream goals and think about how I can achieve that goal and then calmly stand up and begin my adventure. Sometimes I will try to find my dream guide for some help. I have a deep seeded belief, based on my own experiences, that people will help you if you ask nicely, so I will typically find a dream character and politely ask for their help with what I am trying to do and that usually works.
If I don't do these things, my primal instincts kick in and I don't behave the way I normally do. I basically act like I'm drunk and waste the dream.
I'd love to see Daniel's wisdom on this. You addressed some of your own questions in your last paragraph. My thoughts are to take a two pronged approach
Work on mindfulness during the day.
Make your initial goal for what to do in coming lucid dreams: to remind yourself you are dreaming throughout the dream (perhaps in song like Daniel mentioned) or saying it perhaps while rubbing your hands. Think about this goal and other goals during the day and get excited about achieving those goals.
Also check Daniel's new answer to a RC question: https://www.thelucidguide.com/forum/dreamstate/enjoying-rc-and-making-them-more-effective
You could use that to get excited and think about your goals right after the RCs.