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Night Time Thoughts Of 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 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.
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.
Would you like to stop just being a passive observer and make sure your dreams are
whatever you want them to be? That's what being a lucid dreamer is all about. You're
totally in control of your dreams, and able to explore new worlds that aren't bound to the
real world's laws.
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.
Method number two is a wake initiated lucid dream, or WILD. This is when the dreamer
begins awake, then goes to being asleep, but without losing consciousness. The dreamer
enters their dream as though via a door, instead of waking up inside a dream he or she is
already having.
So how are these types of lucid dreaming induced?
Dream Recall
The easiest place to begin your lucid dream search is in dreams you have already had.
When you can remember your dreams, you will be able to recognize when you have that
dream again. Many times, we will have the same dream or part of a dream over and over.
The best way to practice dream recall is through keeping a dream journal. This is a tool
in which you write down whatever you can remember about your dream so you can recall
it in the future. Do this right after you wake up - dreams are harder to remember the
longer you wait.
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
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)
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.
Some of the methods which can keep you mentally alert are chanting, being aware of
your breathing, counting, and picturing yourself climbing up or down stairs and focusing
on relaxing your body from head to toe. All of these techniques fall under the umbrella of
self hypnosis. The best time to use this technique is when you are not physically tired,
especially in the afternoon.
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.
Possibly the best method of all is to play binaural sound frequencies on headphones.
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.
How useful is a Dream Dictionary really? |
