If you have ever had a lucid dream, then you are not alone. It is estimated that up to 50% of the population has experienced one at some point in their life. Lucid dreaming is an altered state of consciousness where you are aware that you are dreaming and can control what happens in your dream. The first time someone experiences a lucid dream it may be hard to tell if they’re awake or asleep, but eventually, people learn how to intentionally induce them by recalling previous dreams or through various techniques like meditation or reality checks. These days there is even more information on the internet about different ways of inducing lucidity, which means more people will start having these experiences every day! Read this article to find out how to control a lucid dream.
1. How To Recognize That You Are Dreaming
When you become lucid, it may take a little while to determine whether you are awake or still dreaming. This phenomenon is called ‘dream-lag’ and is completely normal for first-time lucid dreamers. A good way to know whether or not you’re dreaming is through reality checks. A reality check is any test you do in order to determine whether or not you are dreaming. This can be something simple like looking at your hands, which may appear blurry and different (a common experience in dreams) or reciting the alphabet backward. If you are lucid, your brain will let you do these things successfully. After a little practice with this technique, you’ll have no problem quickly performing reality checks in your dream and knowing immediately whether or not you’re dreaming.
2. How To Control The Dream
Once you become lucid in the dream, there are many things you can do in order to make your experience fun and exciting. Firstly, you can control the dream by imagining an object or scenery which will then appear right in front of you (some people call this ‘dream morphing’). For example, if you imagine a rainbow, one will suddenly appear before your eyes. If you’ve ever wondered how to have erotic dreams, just try to picture it and you’ll be experiencing one in no time. If you’re looking for a simple way to experience telekinesis (the ability to move things with your mind), then dream-flying is an excellent solution. If you can’t fly yet, don’t worry, you only need to focus on the idea of flying and your dream will do the rest! Once you get it down, it’s just like riding a bicycle.
3. How To Bring Someone With You
If there’s someone in your life you’d like to be within a lucid dream, say a husband/wife or a celebrity, then simply think intensely about that person before falling asleep. If you think about them long and hard enough, they will come to you in your lucid dream. It may take a few nights of dreaming about them before this becomes possible, but when this is done right, it will feel as if the person has actually traveled to your location in the dream and is now standing right in front of you. This technique can be difficult if the person is not someone you know well or have strong feelings for, but it’s still worth a try!
4. How To Wake Up Safely From A Dream
When you know how to lucid dream, there’s no need for an alarm clock to wake you up every morning. Instead, you can simply become aware of your surroundings in the dream and imagine yourself waking up slowly in your bed. This visualization technique will ensure that you are awake before you have time to get carried away with any exciting or scary parts of your dream. But, another thing is waking up from a dream when you cannot control it and it’s already in full swing. Sometimes there are nightmares where things get so intense that you cannot control what is happening and therefore cannot wake up, leading to a serious case of sleep paralysis. If this ever happens to you, try turning your head the other way to the right or left until you snap out of it!
Lucid dreams can be a fun and exciting experience, but it may take some time to learn how to control them. Once you know how to lucid dream, you can induce them at will and do anything you could ever want within your dream. It’s like entering a virtual reality world where all of the possibilities are infinite! We hope this article was helpful for you to get started with lucid dreams!
Other Lucid Dreaming Techniques
There are actually five different lucid dreaming induction techniques that one can try. They are as follows:
Wake back to bed
This method entails going to bed, waking up to an alarm after five hours, and then returning to bed after a brief period of awakeness. The intention is to immediately put a person into rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is a stage of sleep associated with dreaming. Theoretically, this should make it simpler for someone to have lucid dreams.
Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD)
This method also entails getting up after five hours of sleep. Nonetheless, those who use MILD should affirm that their goal is to go back to sleep knowing that they are dreaming. They could accomplish this by saying (or repeating) the following: “Next time I dream; I will remember I’m dreaming.”
Senses initiated lucid dream (SSILD)
The only difference is that the person using this technique concentrates on sights, sounds, and physical sensations after awakening after five hours. Before going back to sleep, they should give each of these stimuli their full 20 seconds of attention.
Wake-initiated Lucid Dreaming (WILD)
When you enter a dream straight from waking life, it is known as a wake-initiated lucid dream (WILD). WILD is supposed to keep your mind awake while your body sleeps. You’ll need to lay down and unwind until you have a hypnagogic hallucination, which is a hallucination that happens right before you nod off. WILD is easy to do using, but learning it is challenging. You’ll have a better probability of WILD if you use the other lucid dream induction methods.
Keeping a Dream Journal
A common way to start lucid dreaming is by keeping a dream journal or dream diary. You are compelled to recall the details of each dream when you record them. It is claimed to improve your awareness of your dreams and assist you in identifying “dream signs”. As soon as you wake up, record your dreams for the best results. It’s also advised to frequently read your dream notebook.
Benefits of Lucid Dreaming
There is some evidence that lucid dreaming has therapeutic benefits. Lucid dreaming may aid in overcoming nightmares, reducing anxiety, and enhancing motor skills. Below is further information:
Overcoming Nightmares
It’s normal to occasionally experience nightmares. Yet, persistent dreams may lead to tension and anxiety. They are frequently linked to substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep disorders like insomnia. By giving the dreamer influence over the dream, lucid dreaming may be beneficial. A dreamer can also realize that their nightmare is just a dream when they are aware of it.
Reducing Anxiety
The majority of academic study has been on PTSD and anxiety brought on by nightmares. Anecdotal research suggests that lucid dreaming can also reduce anxiety brought on by other factors. Some assert that having control over their dreams enables them to confront frightening situations.
Enhanced Motor Skills
Physical rehabilitation might benefit from lucid dreaming. A 2013 study by Mota-Rolim and Araujo made the claim that practicing motor abilities in the mind could make them easier to do physically. [1] This implies that those who have physical limitations may be able to practice their motor skills while lucid dreaming. The authors of the article claim that people without physical impairments might also benefit from lucid dreaming for the development of their motor skills.
Conclusion
If you’re conscious that you’re dreaming, you’re experiencing lucid dreaming. The plot and setting of your dreams are frequently under your control. Use the methods mentioned above if you want to lucid dream. These techniques can teach your mind to be aware of its own consciousness when you sleep. A terrific approach to explore activities you could never accomplish in real life, face and overcome anxieties, and discover more about your subconscious is to learn to control certain aspects of your dreams.
References:
[1] Mota-Rolim, S. & Araujo, J. (2013). Neurobiology and clinical implications of lucid dreaming. ScienceDirect.com. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2013.04.049 [Accessed February 17, 2023]
[2] Nunez, K. (2022). 5 Lucid Dreaming Techniques to Try. HealthLine.com. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/how-to-lucid-dream [Accessed February 17, 2023]
[3] Cohut, M. (2020). Lucid dreaming: Controlling the stories of sleep. MedicalNewsToday.com. Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323077 [Accessed February 17, 2023]