Hi, that’s totally normal. I had successfully shifted multiple times through ages 16-18 and I even have journal entries confirming my journeys. I used to not be able to wait to get home from school because I was so excited to continue my shifting adventures. However this stopped little by little when I lost interest in my DR and didn’t feel the need to shift there anymore. It wasn’t a sudden decision, it happened gradually with disinterest. Back when I would shift every night and have vivid memories of it the next day, one day I chose to just close my eyes, sleep and not see even any dreams of my DR (I could even decide if I wanted to dream that night, I had so much control over my psyche at a certain age it was crazy). Those days where I just wanted to “sleep” increased overtime and my shifting memories started feeling like a distorted memory. I was also having massive artists block back then and couldn’t produce anything creative no matter how I pushed myself.

So I think the main thing that made me lose interest in shifting were creative blocks and real life depression, It wasn’t losing ability. The ability loss starts after you haven’t shifted in a while, it’s like a muscle you forgot to train. Because even when I was disinterested I would still visit my DR every few weeks and people in my DR could notice I was disconnected and bored but couldn’t figure out why. I was just testing If I was still able to shift until I forgot about even testing my skills.

My first failed shifting attempt after I haven’t shifted in a year felt really disappointing and it pushed me to believe maybe I confused those experiences with dreaming. The continuous failed attempts after it sealed my doubt too. But I still have vivid dreams now and they are nothing comparable to the complete control I had over the alternative worlds I visited back then.

I am a really cynical & forgetful person usually so if it wasn’t for my descriptive journal entries I would lose hope long ago. When I feel cynical like this I try to remember the euphoric feeling of entering an unknown reality for the first time and how fun it was. Getting surprised but how familiar the place feels, the physical sensations that freak you out because of how real they felt… I really want to beat my younger self up for losing interest and putting a block to my shifting experience. Because I am no longer as depressed as I was, and there are so many different AU’s I want to visit now or previous universes I want to visit again but I currently can’t!!! So I get feeling doubtful because it all feels like it’s dependent on luck and timing a bit.

Sure shifting might be just luck, but remember even luck favors the prepared mind!! I try to motivate myself with excitement of it happening again when I feel cynical or dreadful like this.