Night 47. REM window confirmed around 3:20 AM based on app log. Cue issued at intensity level 4, two pulses.
I had been using focus-based stabilization — trying to hold the scene together by concentrating on a fixed point. This works for about 15 seconds before the dream starts losing coherence at the edges. I've logged this failure mode at least twelve times.
Tonight I tried something different. Instead of focusing on a visual anchor, I dropped to the floor and pressed both palms flat against the surface. I didn't try to see anything clearly. I just counted texture changes under my hands — smooth, rough, seam, rough again.
The scene stopped tearing almost immediately. I stayed for what felt like four minutes, though it logged as approximately ninety seconds. When I finally moved, the environment responded normally — no lag, no dissolution.
Hypothesis: focus creates tension. Contact creates presence. The difference matters more than I expected. I'll be running this for at least ten more nights before drawing conclusions, but the contrast with my focus-based attempts is stark enough to report now.
Device settings: intensity 4, pulse count 2, 600ms interval. Firmware v3.2.