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The Science Of Being A Lucid Dreamer
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.
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?
Instead of being helplessly caught up in whatever dreams your subconscious mind
decides to hand you, how about you controlling the action? A lucid dreamer can do this.
It is a new and fun world, a lot like being inside your own video game where you can fly
or wish for something and have it.
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 second method is to have a wake initiated lucid dream, or WILD. In these situations,
the dreamer goes from awake to lucid dream with no change in consciousness. The
dreamer simply begins dreaming without having the sensation of falling asleep.
So, what methods can you use to induce these kinds of lucid dreaming states?
Remember your dreams.
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)
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
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)
Keep your mind aware and let your body sleep is the theory in this technique. Prepare to
go to sleep but imagine you are staring at a blank screen waiting for the movie to appear,
perhaps even daydream about something you like. Soon your dreams will begin to play
out and you will be aware enough to have a part in what happens there.
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.
They now have tools you can use to make it even easier to induce lucid dreams. You can
get dreaming masks and devices with strobe lights to help you get into the right state of
dreaming.
Listen to binaural beats with headphones; this is a very effective way to achieve a lucid
dream.
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.
Put all or many of these techniques together and you are ready to begin your journey into
the wonderful world of lucid dreaming. It is a simple process that anyone can do.
What you always wanted to know about dreams and their meanings |
