Lucid dreaming is the ability to be aware of your dreams and actively participate in them. In lucid dreams you are not subject to the normal boundaries of human existence and can experience a whole new amazing plane of existence – imagine being able to fly, to see in vivid detail, to interact with anyone or anything you desire. There are no limits in this version of your reality.
Scientific studies have proven the existence of lucid dreams and have shown that there are effective techniques available to enable almost anyone to access this incredible experience.
1. Remember your dreams
Mastering the ability to remember your dreams is an essential step to being able to dream lucidly. You will need a journal to keep by your bed. Anytime that you wake through the night or in the morning first ask yourself if you have been dreaming? Write down anything that comes to mind – write quickly, without worrying about grammar or spelling. By doing this you will help your mind stay in a deeper level of consciousness which will enable you to remember the dream more clearly.
Dreams are elusive creatures but by writing your dreams down you will help to cement the memories. You may also discover hidden patterns in your dreams or even the existence of a whole dream landscape. Many people find, to their surprise that they visit the same ‘places’ over and over again in their dream life. As you develop the ability to control the actions in your dreams you can exert more control over this world.
Writing down your dreams and actively trying to recall them also teaches your mind that dreams are important and that your conscious mind should pay attention. This is an important first step in learning how to have lucid dreams.
2. Reality checks
This may seem a little odd at first but it is a really important component for most people in learning how to be lucid in their dreams. Frequently throughout the day, get into the habit of challenging whether you are awake or asleep. In dreams the experience of the physical world is less rigid, meaning that normal rules of physics and materials do not apply. Some people perform challenges as they do certain routine activities throughout the day. For example, whilst walking through a doorway you could ask yourself “Am I awake or asleep? Does the door appear solid to the touch of my hand?” The theory is that if you entrench the habit of challenging your waking state enough then eventually you will encounter a trigger for the challenge during a dream and the challenge will tell you that you are actually asleep. This is the beginning of lucidity in your dream.
3. Meditate
For some people, the surprise of beginning lucid whilst in a dream can be enough to wake them up. For this reason, and others, meditation is an essential tool to use whilst both learning how to start and of becoming proficient at lucid dreaming. Meditation straddles the boundaries between the conscious and unconscious and enables you to become familiar with the experience of different levels of brainwave patterns which can be similar to those experienced during sleep and dream states.
As you become proficient at meditation you may even find you are able to transition directly to a state of lucid dreaming without first being asleep. This is a highly developed skill that can lead to a feeling of immense freedom as well as euphoria and oneness with the universe.
4. Incubation
This is the process of setting your mind up for the possibility of having a lucid dream. Simply say to yourself as you are falling asleep and after anytime you awaken during the night “I will have a lucid dream tonight”. Another method of incubation is to daydream or meditate on a wish or particular scenario you would like to experience as a lucid dream. Make sure you visualize it as richly as possible. If you do revisit this scenario in a dream, the recognition of the details you have previously imagined may be enough to bring you into a plane of lucidity.
Learning how to start lucid dreaming can be challenging and requires persistence: following these 4 simple steps will ensure that you are on the way to a truly rewarding and life-changing experience.
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