i get symptoms, hit hypnagogia, wait for shift to happen... BUT NOTHING HAPPENS
1- When your body goes numb and you start affirmations, doesn't a voice secretly whisper inside "omg, numbness has started… Ok, im doing affirmations now… am i shifting now? Will the lights flash? When will i transition?" That's exactly when the left brain (logic and analysis) kicks in. The moment you start controlling the process, analyzing "is it happening? is it working?", your brain receives the signal, "i must stay awake, we're performing a task!!!!" Therefore, you can neither enter the complete release phase necessary for shifting nore allow your brain to fall asleep. You remain locked in limbo.
2- If you repeat affirmations one after another automatically, like reciting a memorized lesson, your mind will eventually get bored but continue to stay awake. The important thing isn't to parrot the words, but to capture the feeling and energy those words create. Shifting is triggered not by the words themselves, but by the emotional state behind them. (thus not the intention but expectation)
3- When you reach the numbness stage, you might only focus on affirmations and remain focused on the physical world (that you're lying in this room, that your body is numb). The moment symptoms begin, you need to completely "forget" your body in this room. Your focus should not be on your numb body, but on your five senses in the place you want to go: where will you wake up there? What does the room smell like? What is the texture of the sheets? (i talked about this in various other posts)
4- If you experience this blockage while trying awake methods, switch to sleep methods. The goal shouldn't be to shift, but to start with the mindset of, "im going to do my affirmations and then completely fall asleep." When you set the intention to fall asleep and let your mind relax, the left brain lets go of its inhibitions, and the transition becomes much easier.
5- When the numbness comes say "ok everything's great so far, im leaving the rest to my mind," and slowly reduce the affirmations, focusing only on the feeling of where you want to go, that peace. The moment you catch yourself forcing things, take a deep breath and relax.
Remember, even catching that numbness is a huge achievement meditatively. You just need to loosen that desire to achieve and control a little. Go with the flow... lucid dreamers, you probably have a certain level of mental comfort now regarding LD. You think "since i can do it, i'll just go with the flow," you remove your left brain from the equation, and you instantly enter that phase. Our brain is a very protective organ, programmed for survival. It knows the limits of LD very well, that its safe, and that you'll eventually wake up in your own bed. That's why it allows you to go. However, since shifting is theoretically "going to a completely different reality, an entirely different place and body," no matter how much you want to, deep down in your subconscious, that primitive brain (amygdala) might be applying a slight defense. Especially if you have fears of great emptiness and loss of control (like megalophobia and thalassophobia) your brain might be keeping your left brain constantly awake to prevent you from taking that unknown final step in order to protect you. i yapped a lot anywayzz bye
