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Dreams And Lucid Dreaming
Do you want to dream lucidly? Knowing what you want to do is a good start, but it's not
all you'll need to do. There are several different methods you can use.
You'll need to think about why you want to be a lucid dreamer, as well as the benefits of
it. First, we'll take a look at normal sleeping.
When you go to sleep, you normally get into bed, close your eyes for a length of time,
and then you either dream or aren't conscious of anything for a while before waking up.
Normal sleep isn't very interesting!
We need normal sleep to refresh our minds and bodies, keeping us healthy mentally and
physically. What would happen if you could control the time when you are dreaming?
Instead of being helplessly caught up in whatever dreams your subconscious mind
decides to hand you, how about you controlling the action? A lucid dreamer can do this.
It is a new and fun world, a lot like being inside your own video game where you can fly
or wish for something and have it.
This sounds great the only thing left is the how. You can accomplish lucid dream state in
one of two ways. One, you can have a dream initiated lucid dream (DILD); this is where
while dreaming you become aware of the fact that you are dreaming. In this way, you
bring a level of consciousness into the dream.
The second method is to have a wake initiated lucid dream, or WILD. In these situations,
the dreamer goes from awake to lucid dream with no change in consciousness. The
dreamer simply begins dreaming without having the sensation of falling asleep.
So how are these types of lucid dreaming induced?
Recall your dreams
One of the best ways to begin learning to become a lucid dreamer is by practicing dream
recall. This is simply the ability to remember your dreams. When you remember your
dreams and learn more about the commonalities which can be observed in your dreams, it
is easier to recognize a dream and start to take control over the direction of it.
Keep a record of your dreams. You may not remember much at first but write down any
details regardless of how trivial. You will begin to remember more and more as time goes
on. Do this as soon as you wake up when your dreams are still fresh in your mind,
otherwise you will forget as the day goes by.
Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD)
Developed by renowned lucid dream researcher Dr. Stephen LaBerge, this technique
works by telling yourself to recognize a certain object or situation when you see it in your
dreams. When you see this object, it triggers the realization that you are in a dreaming,
allowing you to begin lucid dreaming.
Wake-Back-to-Bed (WBTB)
This simple process has you taking no action except to set an alarm that will waken you
in less time than you normally sleep. For most of us about five or six hours will do it.
After the alarm awakens you do not try to fall back to sleep. For about an hour you
should read, watch TV or concentrate on lucid dreaming then go back to sleep.
This technique of learning to lucid dream has a sixty percent success rate according to
Stephen LaBerge. You have waked up during the dream cycle of your sleep which is
referred to as REM. This is like a trigger telling your mind that you want to be aware
when you are dreaming.
Cycle Adjustment Technique
Daniel Love came up with this way to accomplish lucid dreaming. Start getting up an
hour and a half earlier. After you get used to this, go back to getting up at your usual
time. Since you are used to getting up earlier but don’t have to now, your mind is still
thinking you are awake, therefore you will be more likely to be aware in your dream.
Wake-initiation of Lucid Dreams (WILD)
Let's get back to this method which is described above. To achieve lucid dreaming, the
technique is to try to keep mentally aware even as your body relaxes into a sleep state.
Think of it this way – you are getting ready to watch a movie; your closed eyelids are like
the black screen before the movie begins and you are waiting for the trailers to roll.
There are any number of ways to keep your mind alert, count, controlled breathing
techniques or concentrated relaxation are all great ways to keep the mind alert. It is a bit
like hypnotizing your self. This works best if you are not exhausted, try it during an
afternoon nap.
Try some of the new aids available for inducing lucid dreaming. Dreaming masks, strobe
lights and many other things will help to induce a lucid dream.
Listen to binaural beats with headphones; this is a very effective way to achieve a lucid
dream.
The purpose is to synchronize both sides of the brain to create the REM frequency that is
required for lucid dreaming.
With a combination of self affirmations, self hypnosis and binaural sounds, being a lucid
dreamer is something anyone can do successfully.
Lucid Dreamer Highlights |
