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Lucid Dreams For All!
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 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.
You go to bed and sleep, and then you wake up. Maybe you remember fragments of a
dream or an entire dream; maybe you don’t remember dreaming at all. This adds up to a
pretty boring experience.
Average sleep has a purpose it prepares our minds and bodies to carry out the duties of
the next day. However, consider the idea of managing your dreams consciously.
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.
The other method is by having a wake initiated lucid dream (or WILD) this is where the
dreamer transitions from a state of wakefulness to lucid dreaming without a sensation of
falling asleep. The dreamer simply goes straight from being awake to lucid dreaming.
So how are these types of lucid dreaming induced?
Dream Recall
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 (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 or 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.
Dr, LaBerge says that his method has a 60% rate of success. Why is this? Basically, you
wake in the middle of an REM cycle, so when you return to sleep, you will have a better
chance of lucid dreaming.
Cycle Adjustment Technique
Developed by Daniel Love, this involves setting your alarm to wake about 90 minutes
earlier than usual; once you acclimate to this, set your alarm to wake you up alternately
early and at the time you used to get up. At those times when you wake up at the usual
time, you'll be accustomed to waking early. This means that you are more likely to lucid
dream during this last hour and a half.
Wake-initiation of Lucid Dreams (WILD)
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How Do Lucid Dreamers Control Their Dreams? |
