Lucid, but Can't Control Dreams

[Eris]

I've never had trouble becoming aware of the fact that I was dreaming while I was dreaming. It has happened to me spontaneously many times: very frequently during childhood and occasionally as I've gotten older. Sometimes when I'm lucid, the environments and scenes will be incredibly vivid and beautiful, almost more "real" than reality. I would like to be able to enjoy these experiences more fully by manipulating or exerting control over them in some way, but every time I've tried, I've been unable to do anything more than stand there demanding that something happen (with no result) or eventually wake myself up (by closing my eyes in the dream, oddly enough). I think I may have some kind of mental block preventing me from controling them, as I never seem to get my way even in "normal" dreams. I am wondering if anyone else has experience with or insights into this problem.

I'm also curious as to whether this inability to control my dreams would prevent me from being able to travel astrally, or at least hinder my ability to interact with the astral.

[CFTraveler]

Dreams are a message from your subconscious (or at least some of us believe this) therefore before you try to control what your own mind is showing you, perhaps you should strive to understand the meaning of those messages before you try to control them. A few things I'd like to ask you:

I never seem to get my way even in "normal" dreams. I don't understand this-if you don't know you're dreaming, how did you want to get your way? And,
Have you tried cultivating lucidity (like WILDs)? It seems to me that awareness /lucidity is the most important ability to master before getting into control.
ps.
Controlling dreams does not affect OBEs one way or the other- lucidity however, is another story.
Conscious OBE will automatically be lucid, but OBE from the dreaming state may be affected adversely by the lack of lucidity.

[Eris]

I'm honestly not sure that the lucid, vivid dreams I have are necessarily more pregnant with meaning than normal ones. The lucid parts of my dreams nowadays have no plot, really. Mostly they are very short and I find myself enraptured by the surreal, aesthetic beauty of my surroundings. Perhaps that's the problem, though; I'm only lucid for part of my dreams and can't really induce it reliably.

I think some dreams are definitely more easily interpreted as messages from the subconscious, or as providing insight, than others. I've definitely had some of those, but most dreams, in my experience, are random nonsense.

I suppose I was a little unclear when I said "I never get my way in normal dreams". What I meant is that dreams, for me, never serve as a sort of wish fulfillment for what I want to achieve in real life. My dreams have frequently consisted of me seeking out what I desire most and being unable to obtain it. I am not lucid in these dreams, but they still reflect my waking desires. This is why I think I might have some kind of mental block when it comes to controlling the content of my lucid dreams.

I am still working on practicing trance states and still find myself unable to start seeing the hypnagogia which is a precursor to entering a WILD or OBE while remaining focused and fully awake mentally. I think I would probably rather focus on WILDs for now, though, if I'm able, because the concept doesn't strike me as being as potentially frightening as an OBE.

[Kali's Child]

Hi Eris. I think doubt may be your enemy here. If your desire for something to happen is served up with a side dish of 'this probably isn't going to work' it probably won't. At least that's the way it works for me.

[CFTraveler]

My dreams have frequently consisted of me seeking out what I desire most and being unable to obtain it. I am not lucid in these dreams, but they still reflect my waking desires. This is why I think I might have some kind of mental block when it comes to controlling the content of my lucid dreams. Yet I see a lot of message in this right here. :)
If I were going to interpret this I'd say this reflects an idea in your life that you might want to look at. One of the things I would start with when you get lucid, is to ask the environment or the dream character exactly what do they represent, or what they are trying to tell you. You may be surprised on what comes out of that. Or maybe not. ;)
I do think that if you continue on this line of thinking (looking introspectively at how your mind works) you may be able to work past this block and get this control, and maybe even more.