Repetition is the Mother of All Skill

I have heard it said that repetition is the mother of all skill, and in general I believe this to be true.

One technique for induction, which I first read about in Stephen LaBerge's "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming", is one in which the dreamer counts to 100 while repeating "I am dreaming" after each number. I tried this eagerly but found that initially I could not keep focus on the counting itself, and would soon lose my train of thought.

Obviously the purpose of this exercise was to be able to strengthen the focus required to maintain the counting, and along with the affirmation "I am dreaming" carry that over into the dream state. Eventually I was able to count up to 100, but I found that I was completely awake at the end of it and that I could never fall asleep while doing it.

After a few weeks of trying with no results, I gave up the technique.

Recently I decided to give it another go, only this time I would only repeat "I am dreaming" over and over as I fell into sleep.

At first I usually start with a very strict "I am dreaming...I am dreaming...I am dreaming", while keeping all other thoughts from coming to the surface. Eventually my mind begins to wander and I start following various threads of thought; when I realize that I am lost in a "dream", I will again repeat "I am dreaming" several times to root my mind in that idea.

I have yet to attain any immediate lucid dreams from this technique, but I have noticed an increase in the quality of my dreams as well as my own consciousness sort of hovering within the dream, seemingly just steps away from full awakening and lucidity.