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Unpopular opinion: trying to control a dream with a 'trigger object' is a bad idea
Everyone says to keep something by your bed to help you know you're dreaming, like a rock or a special coin. I tried it with a specific blue marble for two weeks straight. The rule in my dream became that if I saw the marble, I had to immediately solve a math problem to stay asleep. Last Tuesday, I 'found' it in a dream library and then spent what felt like hours trying to figure out 17 times 34 on a chalkboard that kept melting. I woke up more tired than when I went to bed. I learned that forcing a real world rule into a dream just makes the dream logic fight back in a worse way. It added stress instead of giving control. Has anyone else had a simple trick totally backfire and make the dream rules even weirder?
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emma_flores1d ago
Totally get that. I tried a wristwatch trick and my dream self just kept getting lost in a maze of melting clock towers.
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gracec161d ago
The melting clock thing is a classic sign you're trying too hard. Lucid dreaming works better when you're relaxed, not forcing checks. Those reality tests need to be subtle habits, not a big event you're waiting for. If you make a big deal of it, your dream just turns it into more dream stuff. Try just glancing at your hands a few times during the day without any pressure.
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