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How Do You Become A Lucid Dreamer?
You've heard about lucid dreaming and you're sure that it is something you want to try.
However, you are at a loss as to how one becomes a lucid dreamer.
You may have heard that there are benefits to being a lucid dreamer. This is the case, but
to get a clearer picture of what these benefits are, you need to take a look at what usually
happens when you go to sleep.
Normally, you lay down and you're out for six to eight hours. Maybe you remember your
dreams, maybe not. The usual – not all that interesting, really.
This kind of sleep allows us to get the rest we need to go about our activities the
following day. Have you ever wondered, though, what it would be like if you could
actually take control of your dreams and dictate their events?
What if you could control your dream rather than the other way around? A lucid dreamer
is someone who can do exactly that; someone who is not a passenger but a driver of their
dreams.
If you want to become a lucid dreamer, how do you manage it? There are two main
ways. The first is what's called a dream initiated lucid dream, or DILD. That's when the
dreamer realizes they're dreaming in the middle of a dream, restoring their consciousness
without leaving the dreaming state itself.
WILD refers to a wake initiated lucid dream. You slip into a dream before you are fully
asleep. Instead of going to sleep before you dream you simply enter into the dream with
your mind still conscious.
So, what methods can you use to induce these kinds of lucid dreaming states?
Remember 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.
Writing down everything you can recall dreaming, this is called keeping a dream journal.
The more you do this the more likely you will be to remember your dreams. If possible
do this as soon as you wake up as this is the time when you will remember the most about
your dreams.
Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams or MILD
This technique was developed by Dr. Stephen LaBerge, one of the lead scientists in the
field of lucid dreaming. To use this method, just tell yourself about an object or element
that you will remember. When you dream, there's a good chance you'll see this element,
then realize that you're dreaming.
Wake-Back-to-Bed (WBTB)
To use this process, go to sleep with an alarm set to wake you up five to six hours later.
When you wake up, don't go right back to sleep. Instead, do something else, like think
about lucid dreaming or read a book, for about an hour. Then go back to bed.
According to Dr, LaBerge, this method has a 60% success rate. The idea here is to wake
yourself in the midst of a REM cycle so that upon returning to sleep, lucid dreaming will
be easy to achieve.
Cycle Adjustment Technique
Created by Daniel Love, this method involves setting an alarm to wake you one and a
half hours before your normal wake-up time. Once you get used to this early time,
alternate your alarm between a normal time and the early one. When your alarm is set to
wake you normally, you'll find your body's already ready to wake up early. That makes it
more likely that you'll wake up in your dream, and dream lucidly.
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.
There are also technological innovations which can help to induce lucid dreaming, among
them strobe lights and dreaming masks.
The best and easiest way to achieving the state of lucid dreaming is by using headphones.
You should listen to sounds that naturally alter your brainwaves, these are called binaural
beats.
The purpose is to synchronize both sides of the brain to create the REM frequency that is
required for lucid dreaming.
Keep telling yourself to remember your dreams and be aware when you are dreaming. Do
the self hypnosis technique often. Before long you will be experiencing lucid dreams.
Lucid Dreams For All! |
