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How To Be A Lucid Dreamer
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 lie down to go to sleep, your eyes close and hopefully you go to sleep. When
you wake up you remember dreaming something or you don’t remember anything at all.
Kind of strange when you think about it.
Normal sleep is just a method of refreshing ourselves for the busyness of the next day.
However, it could be a lot more interesting if you could control the period of time in
which you're dreaming.
What if you could be an active instead of passive participant in your dreams? What if you
could take control of your dream instead of being controlled by it? Someone who has
managed to become a lucid dreamer can do all of this – they are not bound by anything
except for their imagination.
All well and good, but how exactly do you become a lucid dreamer? There are two ways
of accomplishing this goal. The first method is to have a dream-initiated lucid dream, or
DLID. This is where the dreamer becomes aware that they are in fact dreaming and
begins to take control over the dream.
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?
Dream Recall
You will need to learn how to remember your dreams if you want to be able to have lucid
dreams. It is referred to as dream recall, the ability to remember your dreams. If you can
remember your dreams you are more likely to realize when you are dreaming because
many of the dreams you have will be the same or almost the same.
A dream journal is perhaps the best way to learn this skill. Use this to write down every
detail of your dream that you can remember immediately after you wake. If you wait., it
will become increasingly difficult to recall.
Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD)
One of the leading scientists who studies lucid dreaming is Dr Stephen LaBerge. He
developed the MILD system. Keep telling yourself you will remember your dreams.
Think of something in the dream and resolve to remember it. When you see this in your
dream it will remind you that you are dreaming.
Wake-Back-to-Bed (WBTB)
Go to sleep as usual but only for five or six hours, set your alarm if need be. When you
wake up from this, don’t go back to bed; instead occupy yourself with something to keep
you awake. Think about lucid dreaming or watch some TV. After about an hour go back
to sleep
The creator of this, Stephen LaBerge believes it has a success rate of sixty percent
because you awoke during REM sleep which is the time when you are dreaming. It is like
informing your brain that you want to be aware of your dreaming, to have lucid dreams.
Cycle Adjustment Technique
This invention of Daniel Love is another way to have lucid dreams. This involves getting
up earlier. Get up an hour and a half earlier until you get used to it. After that switch back
to your regular time to get up. Keep switching back and forth. This way when you sleep
the later time period, you will be likely to lucid dream as your brain is used to awakening
earlier.
Wake-initiation of Lucid Dreams (WILD)
As described earlier wake initiated lucid dreams are matter of keeping your mind
conscious as you fall asleep. This may be the most fun way to achieve lucid dream state.
Imagine if you will that, your dreams are like a movie you are planning to watch. You get
comfortable, turn on the television set, (sleep), first you have a dark screen (eyes closed)
and now it is a matter of getting through the previews to the movie.
You can also use this technique with tactics like counting, chanting or imagining yourself
climbing stairs as you go to sleep. This method of achieving lucid dreaming is best done
in the afternoon or other times when you are not terribly tired.
In recent years, the advance of technology has brought us new devices to help us dream
lucidly. These include strobe lights, dreaming masks, and other gadgets thought to assist
with lucid dreaming.
However, the most reliable method of all is to listen to binaural sound frequencies (also
called binaural beats) on headphones.
These sounds naturally change your brainwaves and cause you to go into REM sleep
quickly and easily. You will also still be aware so it will be a lucid dream.
With a combination of self affirmations, self hypnosis and binaural sounds, being a lucid
dreamer is something anyone can do successfully.
Lucid Dreams: Techniques and Tips on how to Induce Them |
