Lucid dreaming is defined as a dream in which the dreamer is aware that they are dreaming. It is something most of us have experienced, but often lucid dreams happen less frequently as an adult, or not at all for some folks.
The good news is that there are techniques you can use to induce lucid dreams if you don't have them, have them more often if you do - and even control the setting of the dream. With practice, flying, visiting distant lands, or virtually anything you can imagine are within the realm of possibility.
Dream recall
Dream recall is the most important topic we will be covering in this guide. It is quite simply the ability to remember your dreams. By remembering dreams more often, you will increase the number of lucid dreams you remember as well. It's likely you have had them before and simply did not remember them, if you are under the impression you do not lucid dream.
There are many techniques you can use to improve your dream recall - the one that has worked best for me is as follows:
Keep a notebook and pen next to your bed.
As soon as you wake up, do not open your eyes. Try to remember as much as you can about your dreams. Then open them and record everything you can remember in the notebook. It is important to do this fairly quickly, as you'll forget more and more details of any dreams you did remember as time goes by.
Some people take this to an extreme and set an alarm to go off every hour and a half, or so. The hope here is that you wake during a dream and thus it is easier to remember. If you're the type that dosen't dream often, or have convinced yourself you don't dream (teaser: you definitely do) you may find this helpful.
You can also drink a large glass of water before bed ensuring you'll be forced to wake up at least once during the night.
Every few days, or whenever you feel like it, go through your "dream journal" and read what you've written. Try to mentally place yourself within the dreams you recorded earlier. You may find that you recall additional details while doing this. It can be helpful to record these as well.
With enough practice you should find that you are remembering more dreams, more details of those dreams, and hopefully with any luck more lucid dreams as well.
Waking during sleep
Often times while dreaming you may start to become aware that you are sleeping, but only to a certain degree, wondering if you are truly asleep or actually awake.
There are many techniques you can use to find out if you are truly asleep or awake. The one I prefer to use is as follows:
Make sure to wear a watch during the day. If you suspect you are dreaming, take a look at it. If you are, it should not look normal to you. The numbers may not be in the right place, if there are any at all, the dial may be in an odd configuration or in the wrong place. Simply put it will not look as it normally does. If this is the case you are dreaming.
As I said there are many ways to do this and if this one in particular isn't working for you try searching online for a different method and give that a try. There are several related articles at the end of this blog as well which may be helpful to you.
Controlling your dreams
If you've gotten to the point that you can have lucid dreams, the following technique should, with practice, allow you to change the dream into anything you desire.
As you are wandering around in dreamland, find a corner or building or something of that nature and say to yourself there will be a door around this corner. There should be a door there, with practice.
Once you arrive at the door, imagine whatever you desire behind it. If you are lucky, whatever you imagined to be there you will find.
There are many other ways to do this as well, this is a method I found works for me. It does not always work, but it does most of the time.
I hope you enjoyed reading this guide. Feel free to leave a comment below or come say hi in the PAL discord via the following link if you'd like to discuss further:
Helpful guides/articles on lucid dreaming:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-control-dreams/
https://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/04/the-ways-to-control-dreaming/360032/
https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/lucid-dreaming.htm
http://www.asapscience.com/blog/2018/6/11/science-of-lucid-dreaming
I wonder if we're going to have entire generation that thinks lucid dreams is just a song from some Juice Wrld guy...
I fear this may already be the case mr @clayboyn
i have had many experiences with my dreams ever since i was a child. for the most part they were night mares i was trying to escape from, but when i began to take control of my creams things changed immensely within that dream space.
Dreams are the subconscious mind speaking to the conscious mind, there is some science involved in this perspective, and trying to understand the meaning of what you are telling yourself can bring you closer to a congruent self. i found that when i deciphered the meaning of my nightmares, i never had them again.
Often when i speak to people who cant remember their dreams, i say "keep a notepad and pen by the bed", i also tell them that they dont have to use it, but even the action of having it there serves as a subliminal reminder to recall dreams. One person who said they had "never remembered a dream ever", started recalling dreams in only 2 weeks after setting up pad and pen by the bed.
The mind is a curious place.... we can take for granted the immense capabilities we can tap into... but in the dream space we are not only "in our own universe" but we can rule and command it with absolute power... in this space we are the true embodiment of a god ;)
I relate to much of what you said here. I too had nightmares as a child until i learned about the power of intention. Saying "i will not have bad dreams" repeatedly to myself and it was the case. Have not had a nightmare since. Ive had bad dreams of course but not like i used to.
Another topic that really interests me is astral projection. I feel like lucid dreams and AP are closely related, although i am no expert on the latter. You reminded me with your comment about how we are gods in our own minds.
Thanks for the thoughtful reply here as well as encouraging me to write this post. I really appreciate it!
i spent many a night praying to not have nightmares.... demanding it not happen.... knowing it was all in my mind... but ultimately, it as only when i actually understood "what i was trying to tell myself" by having these experiences in my dreams, that they went away and never returned.
Here is an old school story of mine where one such moment occured and i recognized the true meaning... Copes Nightmares - What Lies Within. let me know what you think :)
Will definitely take a look today when i have a few minutes. Thanks for posting this
coolio :P
I actually remember quite a lot of my dreams but they are not lucid dreams, I am playing out a fictional story that i'm a part of. Usually they are very strange. Really nice post!
I think what you just mentioned might be more interesting than this whole post. If you made a post on the story youre a part of i would definitely read it. Does it pick up where you left off when you fall back to sleep?
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