Dream fades to darkness and can't move upon lucid! HELP!

I’m having trouble describing my situation. As of this date I’ve recorded at least 9 lucid dreams, or so I think they are lucid dreams. The problem is that, my experiences while being lucid differ completely from the usual reports from all the other descriptions I’ve read about. Usually, when someone describes attaining lucidity in a dream, there’s an increase in vividness, everything becomes more clear and, of course, there’s the opportunity to do whatever it is one desires before the time of lucidity expires. Although one’s experience with lucidity can vary between one person and another, it’s safe to say they’re bound to show similarities. To me, none of this happens. All my “lucid dreams” behave very weird. Everything turns dark, to the point where I can’t see a thing, just pure and utter darkness. On top of that, I can’t even move an inch, let alone do anything worth noting! It’s as if there’s an invisible force preventing me from moving, my body completely paralyzed as I remain in this state for a couple of minutes before finally waking up.

Last night was no different. I woke up early and stayed like this for about half an hour, reading some articles about lucid dreaming before returning to bed. I then attempted to WILD, and had an interesting experience though very similar to the rest. I tackled the practice with what I’ve learned from my meditating sessions and thirty minutes in I lost notion of the waking world although still conserving a small sense of awareness, so as not to fully drift myself to sleep. I was in a sort of hibernating state, but fully aware of what was going on around me. Anyway, some ten to fifteen minutes went by and I began perceiving snippets of images, which later turned into short dream scenes. It was then that I became conscious of myself, a short spike in awareness which helped me realize “Hey, I’m finally in the dream!” And just as I became aware of the situation I was in, the whole thing fade to darkness. For a couple of seconds I remained calm, this was nothing new to me. I attempted moving my arm to no avail, the invisible force was already at its work. Then, I became conscious of my actual body asleep in bed, while observing the blackness through my eyes. After that I felt a strong vibrational pulse around my body, and a couple of seconds after that I opened my eyes to reality.

I woke up not feeling entirely angry about the result of my attempt. As a matter of fact, I was actually glad to have another “lucid dream” as a very long amount of time had passed since my last “success.” However, I’m still baffled as to what I can do to progress further and really experience what it means to be lucid in a dream. I mean, I begin to wonder, have I actually become lucid in any of these dreams? Do they even count as dreams? It appears to me that I’m being kicked out of them as soon as I get lucid, and I don’t know why this is happening. I’ve thought about voicing my intentions, but I can’t move an inch of my body, and willing mentally doesn’t seem to do the trick. Likewise, when attempting to move it feels as if I’m trying to move my actual sleeping body instead of my dream body.

Any ideas as to what I could do to solve this? Any input from you dreamers will be greatly appreciated.

:smile: No worries Husky. I think part of the problem simply lies in expectation and comparison based on a very few accounts that you’ve read compared to all the lucid dream experiences out there that have been had, much less recorded/written down. Trust me…what you describe here of your experiences is not unique. I’ve had plenty of LD’s just as you describe here…or at least, very similar. And it’s perfectly natural to think that something is wrong or that you’re inextricably stuck. Been there. In my own experience, this state is likely a temporary one and letting go of the sense of frustration with the feeling of being stuck may very well be the ticket out of that state.

I wonder what would happen if you simply accept the state for what it is…enjoy the fact that you are indeed becoming lucid, even though the content of your lucidity seems lacking for the moment…and stay open to the possibility of experiencing something different?

Thanks for the input glypheye, very much appreciated.

I’m glad my issue isn’t bound to just myself and is indeed a part of the process of other dreamers’ journeys with lucidity. I’m curious about it though, how I’ve never been aware of such a common problem like this. Is it because of the short nature of it itself, perhaps, what prevents people from voicing out their concerns? Maybe it all turns out as you say and this is just a temporary state one normally goes through before fully diving into the actual lucid dreams.

And the solution you propose could very much be all I need to do. I’ve been trying the same things over and over again, that I might as well do something actually different, even if it means doing something as simple as letting go of the frustration and just observe the whole thing while I’m at it.

I’m definitely going to do as you’ve recommended next time I find myself lucid. Hopefully I can get around this once and for all.

Quick update, last night it happened again, yet very differently from what I had in mind. As usual I tried WILDing but somewhere along the way I drift off to sleep and had a dream. Towards the end, just before it ceased to exist, I became aware. Suddenly, instead of the usual darkness, the whole scenery slowly faded to a clear white color. Followed by this came the strong vibrations. First, a distinctive buzzing at my ears. Next, a tingling sensation all over my body. In a second, the intensity of it all increased and I swooped out of reality, ending up “elsewhere.” I decided at this point not to move, just observe what would happen next. Just then, I felt someone (or something) pulling me up, in a feeling I can describe as though I was being separated from my physical body. An incredible happiness invaded me. “I am finally going to make it!” or so I thought. I strove not to succumb to the overwhelming excitement, but it was too much for me to take in. I descended back to my physical body, the vibrations and the buzzing discontinued, and I quickly regained consciousness of waking physical reality as I opened my eyes to it.

So, I assume I’m getting close to actually getting it, but it’s a bummer when a powerful feeling overwhelms and interrupts you midway in your practice.

First I thought that you’re had sleep paralysis , but your latest experience was the sleep paralysis, I don’t know what is that dream paralysis you’ve been experiencing in your dreams. So an incredible force is holding you off? and when this happens what do you hear?

Last night, same issue, however I’m glad to add I’m getting more and more lucidly aware in my dreams, so the practice is starting to pay off. Last night marked the first time I’ve experienced two consecutive lucid dreams on the same night, boosting up my lucid count to thirteen. I’m still far from getting close to a “proper” lucid dream. I’m becoming aware, yes, but I’ve still got to see or do anything notable other than staring at nothingness and doing the same.

These latest two dreams posed a simpler challenge in the sense that the paralysis didn’t kick in. On the other hand, both ended abruptly as soon as I attained awareness. The first time, I awoke as soon as I found myself lucid, giving me no time to ready myself to act. In the second dream, once lucid again the dream fades away and I begin sensing the buzzing and vibrations. I observe both, but it’s difficult to tune in to them and ultimately end up waking up.

Yanshuf: I don’t know whether the moment sleep paralysis kicks in I’m still dreaming or not. The problem is that I can’t tell for sure what’s going on, as everything turns dark. I can feel my actual sleeping body, but I know I’m not fully awake either.

Nonetheless, there have been multiple instances were I’ve become paralyzed while lucid and there’s still dream imagery going on, though those account to be very rare occurrences. It does feel like an incredible force is pressing me to the ground, and I can’t seem to escape from it. What I know for sure is that whenever this phenomenon occurs, there’s an immediate sensation of a strong vibratory force around my body, and I can hear a very loud buzzing at my ears. If I manage to tune in to the sounds and vibrations, I feel as though I’m being pulled out of reality, most likely (I assume), back to the dream. The problem is that getting a hold of these emotions is a very tough challenge and more often than not I end up waking up.

I’ll keep observing whatever happens, the more lucidly aware I can become in my dreams, the more opportunities I have to surpass whatever is holding me off.

That’s what a LD drop out does… it will fade to darkness.

You are getting extremely close but not getting there with the LD as you are dropping out as soon as you gain awareness (the balance between the subconsciousness which causes the dream and the waking consciousness isn’t right). To not drop out you need to be more deeply asleep so the shock of the awareness hit isn’t suddenly waking you up as the sleep state too light. You could to do a LD via the wake and back to bed method (WBTB) in middle of night after some sleep, so you may fall into a deeper sleep state.

Second issue I think you are having is that you are more prone towards the OBE (astral projection) state rather then the LD state (I think most people lean more one way or the other to what is more natural for them in these things).

The two states are extremely close so close that some people end up thinking they are the same (and to confuse issues experiences can also overlap) but they aren’t quite the same. Your astral self is wanting to astral project in your relaxed state but you are wanting to LD (and you don’t know how to trigger off an OBE).

For a LD to occur, your mind needs to let go so that the subconsciousness starts creating things eg the dream, with OBE the kind of LD letting go isn’t needed as there isn’t necessarily any mind creations eg dream coming into it. It’s not the same letting go state as needed as to dream

In OBE (astral projection) the person is actually, their body energetically moving into another plane (note dreaming can come into this too though just like one can day dream while physical).

Both states though need the same degree of body relaxation to occur, it’s just the mental state which is slightly different, one letting go and hence letting the subconsciousness manifest and one not doing that (or otherwise it becomes a dream).

To aim for an astral projection (OBE), with the vibrations you may be able to intensify them. If you can intensify them or allow them to do so, you may end up being thrown out of body once they get strong enough (or you can try summersaulting out of body to free yourself from your physical body once you are vibrating strongly while in a paralysed state).

Buzzing or humming is the normal during OBEs…

nods and that is exactly what happens. when you focus on this, you help raise your energy which helps the energy/astral body get stronger and break free from the physical body. Tingling is also something which happens when the energy raises. (another thing which may happen is you may feel warmer as it raises).

Sleep paralyses is common both right before both LD and before OBEs, it just means your body is in a very deeply relaxed state, so relaxed that your consciousness though aware of it has disconnected from it some (hence its hard to move).

Our physical body naturally paralyses when we are falling into a sleep or fully body relaxed state so we don’t endanger ourselves while dreaming (otherwise we would be acting out physically our dreams), so that paralyses can be a very real sensation rather then a dream one.

The someone may of been real and in the astral plane. There can be helpers there who sometimes do help people get out of body. Someone maybe waiting for you.

You may of been feeling your auric field around your body at that point. Those doing astral projection are more sensitive to energy sensations then those doing LD.

You would find experiences closer to what you are experiencing yourself at astral projection websites of those trying to OBE.

To OBE successfully, you probably need to raise your energy more in some way (eg focus on those vibations) or once you are in the right state to project, move away from your physical body or focus to transfer yourself and energy elsewhere. Other wise you may end up being in the right state but nothing at all happening as unlike dreams, there may be nothing the subconsciousness creates!!! (this may be why you haven’t really been experiencing much)… so instead you need move away from your physical if not spontaneously getting out and then do as you wish once in right state).

(with LD a person doesn’t need to move away from their physical body to start having good experiences as the dream will just spontaneously create once they are in the right state, create a setting and things going on).

Be aware that if close to your physical your sight may be black and you may not be able to see (very common issue with OBE), so if that is the case, just move further way from your body and your sight will come in.

There are other very common OBE beginners issues so feel welcome to pm me if you have an experience you think may be an AP instead of a LD and have issues (as this is a LD website so Im not comfortable talking about AP/OBE in the public forum).

You could try this… leave a book open which with pictures which you haven’t looked at on the top of one of your cupboards. Once you go out of body go over to it and look at it and when you get out of the state, go and physically see if you correctly viewed it (this can help distinguish an OBE done in the real world plane from just a dream, I’ve often found out very real things I couldn’t have otherwise known through OBEs).