Lucid Dreaming - Day 12 - Prospective Memory
Prospective Memory Exercises
As I mentioned in my last post, prospective memory is essential to the MILD technique. During MILD we are setting an intention to remember something in the future (that we are dreaming). Stephen LaBerge, the one who coined the MILD technique, describes an exercise that can be done throughout the day that builds your prospective memory and doubles as a reality check.
The Exercise
Daily decide on four things that when you experience them you will do a reality check. This could be looking in the mirror, getting in a car, hearing a dog bark, etc. In the morning write down four times you will do a reality check. Then throughout the day note each time you remembered to check your reality. Before bed review how well you did throughout the day. Did you remember to always check all four, or did you miss some? Repeat this daily, but change what you are checking each day.
Example
Some of these are mine and some are from Stephen LaBerge. Notice how they engage multiple senses.
Monday:
- When I see a pet
- When I feel pain
- When I hear music
- When I drink something
Tuesday:
- When I look in the mirror
- When I see a traffic light
- When I flick a light switch
- When I hear a dog bark
Wednesday:
- When someone says my name
- When I see a clock
- When I open a door
- When I drink something
Thursday:
- When I eat something
- When I hear a phone ring
- When I use the bathroom
- When I see a cloud
Friday:
- When I eat a vegetable
- When I hear the wind blow
- When I see a butterfly
- When I change my clothes
Saturday:
- When I find myself day dreaming
- When I see an advertisement
- When I hear an airplane overhead
- When I see a red truck
Sunday:
- When I hear laughter
- When I see the starts
- When I touch a metal surface
- When I put on or off my shoes
Progress
Yesterday was very exciting. I remembered 4 dreams plus a few fragments! I also experienced some sleep paralysis but was unable to ride it out until sleeping. When I woke up early this morning remembering a dream I was unable to fall back asleep, so here I am writing an early morning post :)
I am trying to be able to lucid dream also. Thanks for the tips! I will be resteeming and following.
How long have you been trying? Have you had any success yet?
Not consistently but I sometimes feel like I can make more choices of outcomes in my dreams.
Nice! I've learned to look at a clock, look away, then look back -- often, it'll have changed to something dramatically different, sometimes, including letters!
Also, read something, look away, then read it again -- if dreaming, it generally changes.
I've had a handful of lucid dreams in my life, and most often I say "oh wow, I'm dreaming!" but the ending is drawn out and goes lower in tone, and I then wake up. The few times I've managed to remain asleep, the first thing I do? Jump off the ground, and stay off. Flying is so much fun!
Thanks for this post.
Yep. Usually it is best to look at a digital clock. Analog clocks tend to stay the same for some people. A digital clock, or like you said, some words are much more likely to become jumbled when you look back.
I have had two or three times where I realized that I was dreaming, but then woke up immediately :( Still trying for my first 'real' lucid dream.
Keep going for it! It's a blast. But, it's a huge amount of effort, for a fleeting reward. I've not put energy into this for many years. Thanks for the reminder, I think I will pursue it again! :)
I experienced sleep paralysis three times. First time I was scared shitless. On next occassions it was more rational experience as I kind of "knew" what I was going through.
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