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Important Things A Lucid Dreamer Needs To Understand.
You have decided you want to be a lucid dreamer, otherwise known as a conscious
dreamer. Knowing what you would like to do is good, the question remains on how do
you accomplish this?
You need to know why it is that you want to be a lucid dreamer. Are there benefits to be
gained through lucid dreaming? There are, but to understand them we should first start by
examining normal 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.
The sleep we normally have fulfills the purpose of allowing us to rest up for the next day.
However, what would it be like if you were able to control your dreams?
Instead of being a spectator to your dreams, what if you could be an active participant?
What if there was a way to become a full participant in your dreams? Lead them in the
manner in which you alone determine consciously? That my friend is basically what a
lucid dreamer does. They control all aspects of their dreams, going where they will and
doing whatever they want in the confines of the dream state.
How does a person train themselves to be a lucid dreamer? A dream initiated lucid dream
or DILD is when the dreamer realizes he or she is dreaming. When you are having a
dream and know you are dreaming, you are having a lucid 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 how are these types of lucid dreaming induced?
Dream Recall
Remembering your dreams is the first step; this is known as dream recall. It will help you
to realize when you are in a dream because we often have the same dreams and see the
same or similar objects in our dreams. This is one of the best ways to learn the art of lucid
dreaming.
Keeping a dream journal is the best way to learn this skill. A dream journal is for writing
down anything which you can remember about your dreams for future reference. You
should do this immediately after waking up; the longer you wait, the harder it will be to
recall.
MILD refers to Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams
Dr Steven LaBerge is a leading scientist who studies lucid dreaming. He was the founder
of MILD. This method involves telling yourself you will remember your dreams or
perhaps an object in the dream. When you see the object while dreaming it will trigger
your mind into knowing you are in a dream.
Wake-Back-to-Bed (WBTB)
The way you do this one is, only plan on sleeping for a few hours like five or six. Set
your alarm if you need to so you will wake up. After you have slept the few hours and
wake up, stay up. Find something to do to stay awake. Do a little house work; Think
about what you might like to do in your lucid dreams. Return to bed in an hour.
According to research, this technique has about a 60% success rate. What has happened is
you were awakened during an intense time of REM sleep. Your brain will not be
completely aware that you are awake. Many times since REM stages tend to be longer,
the episodes of lucid dreaming will be as well.
Cycle Adjustment Technique
Developed by Daniel Love, in this technique you first acclimate yourself to waking 90
minutes earlier than usual. Then alternate waking early with waking at your usual time.
When you wake up at the later (regular) time, your body will begin to stir 90 minutes
earlier, giving you a much better chance at achieving a state of lucid dreaming, at least
during this 90 minutes.
WILD refers to Wake Initiation of Lucid Dreams
This technique involves maintaining mental alertness even as your body shuts down for
sleep. Think of it as if you are in a movies theater, with the film soon to begin; your
closed eyelids are like the black screen just before the movie starts.
There are several different ways to hold onto awareness, including imagining going up or
down a flight of stairs, chanting, counting numbers, breaths, or anything else, breathing
control, and muscle relaxation. These and other self-hypnosis methods will give you
something to concentrate on, but don't do this when you're tired, or you may lose
consciousness.
Like many other areas of our life, technology has made its mark. Today you can find
several electronic devices that can aid you in inducing lucid dreams. There are masks that
can detect when you enter REM sleep then use a vibration, sound or small lights to
induce lucidity.
Possibly the best method of all is to play binaural sound frequencies on headphones.
These binaural sounds induce lucid dreaming by causing the hemispheres of your brain to
synchronize, making your brainwaves reach the state required for lucid dreaming.
Combined with self affirmations and sessions of self hypnosis, these methods make it
easy to become a lucid dreamer. You just need the practice and determination.
Lucid Dreams Explained |
