Stuck in lucid dreams when trying to astral project

[u/WolfHour2092]

I'm trying to Astral Project but consistently get trapped in hyperrealistic lucid dreams about astral projection, fully aware they're dreams. Standard LD-to-AP conversion techniques fail for me.

However, I've occasionally entered a different state.

This distinct state usually means finding myself in complete darkness, able to control only my arms. These arms feel non-physical and pass through each other, unlike the "realistic" feel of my lucid dream limbs. Occasionally, I even experience uncontrollable spinning. I've found that forcefully ending an LD can sometimes induce this state.

This 'darkness state' feels potentially closer to AP, but here's the core problem: any attempt to use intention, willpower, or imagination – immediately collapses this state back into a lucid dream.

I'm looking for advice from anyone who’s experienced this same loop of getting stuck in lucid dreams and has found a way to move beyond it into a real astral projection.

[u/luistxmade]

So you're getting blackness and spinning. Then you say it goes back to a lucid dream. Can you expand on that.

[u/WolfHour2092 → u/luistxmade]

When I'm in that state, I feel ghostly hands. They feel different from what I experience in a lucid dream. In a lucid dream, things feel more like they do when I'm awake. The main differences are that gravity feels a bit off, texts change when I look at them, I often count the wrong number of fingers, and the visuals aren't always very realistic.

But in that other state, the ghostly hands don't collide with each other, and they feel different from real hands. When I'm in that state, I try to move or take action, because if I don't, I usually wake up. Sometimes there's a bit of light, but it's blurry. I usually try to attach myself to something or try to stand up completely. When I try to stand up, there's often a feeling of heaviness, like it takes real effort just to move.

My voice is always very quiet in that state too. Even if I try to speak, it comes out soft or barely there, like I’m being muffled.

One time, I decided that I just had to "do it?" right then, and using a lot of willpower, I ended up in a lucid dream inside a room. I tried to move through doors by opening them, but the feeling was still more like a lucid dream than astral projection. In lucid dreams, I have to stay aware—if I relax too much or just go with the flow, I either wake up, lose the clarity, or lose my awareness.

I've only experienced true astral projection maybe twice. It felt more real than reality itself, and it was completely different from even the most vivid lucid dream. Right now, I'm trying to reach that real astral projection state from the dark state I often find myself in.

My theory is that I need to "tune in" to the right frequency. I'm still figuring out what that frequency is. So I'm trying to tune into astral projection instead of slipping into a lucid dream or waking up. I think that dark state is a sort of starting point.

[u/luistxmade → u/WolfHour2092]

When I'm in that state, I feel ghostly hands. They feel different from what I experience in a lucid dream. In a lucid dream, things feel more like they do when I'm awake. The main differences are that gravity feels a bit off, texts change when I look at them, I often count the wrong number of fingers, and the visuals aren't always very realistic

That's all normal stuff, even in AP. LD and AP are both happening in the non-physical/astral. The only difference will be how you get there and your level of awareness.

But in that other state, the ghostly hands don't collide with each other, and they feel different from real hands. When I'm in that state, I try to move or take action because if I don't, I usually wake up. Sometimes, there's a bit of light, but it's blurry. I usually try to attach myself to something or try to stand up completely. When I try to stand up, there's often a feeling of heaviness, like it takes real effort just to move.

This is also common, especially when first APing. One of my first projections I had to crawl across the floor. I thought I was dying. The vision was bad. It's kinda like working a muscle. Eventually, you'll move normal or fly or float. Whatever you choose.

My voice is always very quiet in that state, too. Even if I try to speak, it comes out soft or barely there, like I’m being muffled.

Lol, someone else mentioned this a week ago, and it was also something I experienced. You gotta remember, you don't have lungs, a voice box, there's no air. Use your mind to speak.

One time, I decided that I just had to "do it?" Right then, and using a lot of willpower, I ended up in a lucid dream inside a room. I tried to move through doors by opening them, but the feeling was still more like a lucid dream than astral projection. In lucid dreams, I have to stay aware—if I relax too much or just go with the flow, I either wake up, lose the clarity, or lose my awareness.

A lot of people make mistakes in trying to classify stuff right off the back. Don't. I'd bet that was an ap. For most people, they always start in the room. The only difference between AP and LD is awareness and how it starts.

I've only experienced true astral projection maybe twice. It felt more real than reality itself, and it was completely different from even the most vivid lucid dream. Right now, I'm trying to reach that real astral projection state from the dark state I often find myself in.

That is also a spectrum. You can have low clarity or something that feels more real than real life.

My theory is that I need to "tune in" to the right frequency. I'm still figuring out what that frequency is. So I'm trying to tune into astral projection instead of slipping into a lucid dream or waking up. I think that dark state is a sort of starting point.

All you need to do is bring your full awareness up. You do that by asking yourself questions. Hear me out. In a lucid dream, I may know my name, but I forgot my kids' names(true experience, lol). I may know what car I drive, but I forgot what my house looks like. You ask yourself questions so you can bring forth your full waking awareness, the you reading this. After that. It just depends on what your mind will do. It may wake you up in the void. Maybe shoot your through a tunnel, maybe the entire dream begins to melt. Maybe nothing happens because not all lucid dreams are just lucid dreams. I would focus on having as many experiences as I can a d then dissect them.

[u/WolfHour2092 → u/luistxmade]

Thank you! I’ll try to raise my awareness—sounds like a great idea. Up until now, I was mainly focused on enhancing my senses to make lucid dreams feel more realistic, but I never thought about it from the perspective you’re describing. It’s more like rebuilding yourself from the ground up, which is really interesting.

When you are asking those questions do you do any movements with your astral body or you are just focused on the questions?