How To Lucid Dream

{{fa}} Lucid dreaming is awareness of the fact that you are dreaming. This awareness can range from very faint recognition of the fact to something as momentous as a broadening of awareness beyond what has ever been experienced even in waking life. Lucid dreams usually occur while a person is in the middle of a regular dream and suddenly realizes that they are dreaming. Once you realize this, you have the ability to control your dreams, which is pretty much the most essential part of lucid dreaming. [[Category:Dreams]] == Steps == # During the day, repeatedly ask "Am I dreaming?" and perform some reality checks whenever you remember. With practice, if it happens enough, you will automatically remember it during your dreams and do it.{{largeimage|Lucid Dream Step 1.jpg}} #Keep a [[Write a Journal Entry|dream journal]]. This is perhaps the most important step towards lucid dreaming. Keep it close by your bed at night, and [[Write|write]] in it immediately after waking. Or you can keep a recording device if you find it easier to repeat your dream out loud. This helps you recognize your common dream elements (people from your past, specific places, etc.), and also tells your brain that you are serious about [[Remember Dreams|remembering your dreams]]! It will also help you to recognize things that are unique to your dreams. You will be able to recognize your own "dream signs." These will be recurring things or events that you may notice in your dreams.{{largeimage|Lucid Dream Step 2.jpg}} #Learn the best time to have a lucid dream. By being aware of your personal [[Fall Asleep|sleep]] schedule, you can arrange your sleep pattern to help induce lucid dreams.

#*Studies strongly suggest that a [[Nap|nap]] a few hours after [[Wake up Early|waking]] in the [[Be a Morning Person|morning]] is the most common time to have a lucid dream. #*Lucid dreams are strongly associated with REM sleep. REM sleep is more abundant just before the final awakening. This means they most commonly occur right before [[Wake Up On Time|waking up]]. (Sleep-onset REM is a symptom of narcolepsy. If you have lucid dreams right after falling asleep, you may wish to consider seeking medical advice from a sleep medicine specialist. However, there are studies which show people can recall dreams after being awakened during non-REM sleep). #*Dreams usually run in 60-minute (Weiten Psych book 2004) cycles during sleep. If you are working on dream recall, it may be helpful to try waking yourself up during one of these cycles (interrupted dreams are often the ones we remember). # Try Stephen Laberge's mnemonic induction of lucid dreaming (MILD) technique.{{largeimage|Lucid Dream Step 4.jpg}} #*Set your [[Set the Alarm Clock on a Motorola RAZR Phone|alarm clock]] to wake you up 4 1/2, 6, or 7 1/2 hours after falling asleep. #*When you are awakened by your [[Set an Analog Clock|alarm clock]], try to [[Remember Dreams|remember the dream]] as much as possible. #*When you think you have remembered as much as you can, return to your place of rest, imagining that you are in your previous dream, and becoming aware that you are dreaming. Say to yourself, "I will be aware that I'm dreaming," or something similar. Do this until you think that it has "sunk in." Then [[Fall Asleep|go to sleep]]. #*If random [[Avoid Thoughts Hampering Your Daily Activities|thoughts]] pop up when you are trying to [[Fall Asleep|fall asleep]], repeat the imagining, self-suggestion part, and try again. Don't worry if you think it's taking a long time. The longer it takes, the more likely it will 'sink in,' and the more likely you will have a lucid dream. #Attempt the WBTB (Wake Back To Bed) Technique. This is the most successful technique. #*Set your [[Set an Analog Clock|alarm clock]] to 5 hours after you fall asleep. #*Fall asleep. #*After you wake up, stay up for an hour with your mind focused on lucidity and lucidity only. #*Go back to sleep using the MILD technique. #Try attempting the WILD (wake initiated lucid dream) technique. Basically what it means is that when you fall asleep you carry your awareness from when you were awake directly into REM sleep and you start out as a lucid dream.

#*Try to meditate into a calm but focused state. You can try counting breaths, imaging ascending/descending stairs, dropping through the solar system, being in a quiet soundproof area, etc. #*An easy way to get your body to the brink of sleep is by lying in your bed and focusing your awareness onto the back of your head where it touches the pillow. Wait until your inner-voice shuts off then you can imagine sinking into your pillow until your body is just about asleep. Now shift your awareness out of your body while trying to hold onto your awareness as tightly as possible. This will mean your body falls asleep and you will pass lucidly into the dream world. #*Listening to Theta binaural beats for an amount of time will easily put you into a REM sleep. #*See the warnings at the bottom, as these are very important. #Another technique for overall "dream awareness" is the Diamond Method of meditation, which can shortcut the overall learning curve, of Lucid Dreaming.

#*When you meditate, try to visualize your life, both awake and dream-life as facets on a diamond. Some choose to call this "diamond" the Universe, others God, and even "your Spirit." The point here is to begin to recognize that life is happening all at once. It is only our "Perception" that arranges our dramas into linear or "timed" order. So just as a diamond is, each facet if viewed as an individual experience, still is going on at the same time the "Dream Body" experiences as well. This method is also known by Remote Viewers. Remember it is just a slight shift in awareness that this exercise calls for. #Try marking an "A" (which stands for "awake") on your palm. Every time you notice the "A" during your waking hours challenge whether you are awake or asleep. Eventually you may see the "A" in your sleep and become lucid.{{largeimage|Lucid Dream Step 8.jpg}} #Get into the habit of doing reality checks. Do at least three reality checks every time something seems out of the ordinary, strongly frustrating, or nonsensical, and that habit will carry on into your dreams. In a dream, these will tell you that you are sleeping, allowing you to become lucid. In order to remember to do reality checks in dreams, you need to establish a habit of doing reality checks in real life. One way to do a reality check is to look for "dream signs" (elements that frequently occur during your dreams, look for these in your dream journal), or things that would not normally exist in real life, and then conduct the reality checks. When these actions become habit, a person will begin to do them in her or his dreams, and can come to the conclusion that he/she is dreaming. Frequently doing reality checks can stabilize dreams. This is also known as DILD (Dream Induced Lucid Dreams). Some tactics include: #*Looking at a digital [[Read a Binary Clock|clock]] to see if it stays constant; #*Looking at a body of text, looking away, and then looking back to see if it has changed; #*Flipping a [[Turn off a Light Switch From the Other Side of the Room|light switch]]; #*Looking in a [[Make a Mirror|mirror]] (your image will most often appear blurry or not appear at all in a dream). However, your figure can be horribly disfigured in a mirror, frightening you into nightmare or a dream. #*Pinching your nose closed and trying to [[Breathe|breathe]]; #*Glancing at your hands, and asking yourself, "am I dreaming?" (when dreaming, you will most often see greater or fewer than five fingers on your hand); #*[[Jump|Jumping]] in the air; you are usually able to fly during dreams #*Poking yourself; when dreaming, your "flesh" might be more elastic than in real life; a common reality check is pushing your finger through the palm of your hand; #*Try leaning against a wall. In dreams, you will often fall through walls. #Prolong lucid dreams by spinning your body or falling backwards in the dream (suspected of prolonging REM), and rubbing your hands (prevents you from feeling the sensation of lying in bed). Take care while spinning. Remind yourself even as you spin or fall that you are dreaming, as you will [[Find Yourself|find yourself]] in a completely different location when you stop spinning or hit the ground and may lose lucidity otherwise. If you feel a dream 'shakes' or is about to fade out, look down to the ground and visualize your surroundings, reminding yourself you are dreaming. # Look through previous dreams in your Dream Journal. If you start to notice patterns in your dreams, you will notice dream-signs, or certain things that continue to reappear in your dreams. This may be as basic as all dreams are in your backyard, or all your dreams have fans in them. Get into the habit of doing dream checks every time you see your dream sign, and eventually you'll see your dream sign IN a dream, do a check and realize you're dreaming.{{largeimage|Lucid Dream Step 11.jpg}} === Modified Look at Hand Method === A Modified Version of Gritz's "Looking At Your Hands" #As you prepare for sleep each night, sit in your bed and take a minute to [[Relax|relax]]. look at the palms of your hands for 30 minutes, and repeat to yourself, "I will dream about", "your own dream."{{largeimage|Lucid Dream Step 12.jpg}} # Continue to repeat this phrase, "I will dream about", "your own dream" as you look at your hands. # After the thirty minutes, or whenever you get tired turn off the light and go to sleep. # When you wake during the night, Look at your hand, and say the same phrase. If you did not see your hands, remind yourself of your intent to see your hands in the next dream. # With consistent practice of this phrase each night before sleep, you will suddenly see your hands pop up in front of you when dreaming, and consciously realize, "My hands!" Oh my gosh! This is a dream.{{largeimage|Lucid Dream Step 16.jpg}} == Video == {{Video:Lucid Dream|Watch this great video on 'How To Lucid Dream'.}} == Tips == *When recalling a dream upon waking, try not to move. Activating your muscle neurons can make it more difficult to access the parts of your brain that allow you to recall your dream. * Remember that it's a dream and some things that happen in it may never happen again. So even if it is just your dream, if you found a good friend or someone you love just tell them what you think because you may never get that chance again. * Creativity and imagination are key for having more dreams and dreaming about the things you want to. *There can be special cues to '''lucid dreams''' to find. For example, you may find colors or walls shifting and changing in unnatural ways, try to pick up these changes and you may realize you are lucid dreaming. *When you are aware you are dreaming, make sure you know it is a dream at all times. Remember, there are no social consequences, everything, even the characters are just part of your imagination, you cannot get hurt, you need make to keep your dream stable, and you have total control of everything, including your actions, other characters actions, the environment, even physics with a few thoughts. Remember that and you will have total control over dreams at all times. *Lucid dreaming may be helpful for people who frequently experience [[Cope With Nightmares|nightmares]], as it gives them a chance to take control of their dreams. *It is also cool to teleport. Close your eyes, spin your dream body, and envision a brand new landscape and open your eyes. *It is fun to fly in lucid dreams. To start flying try bouncing higher and higher after each step (while "walking" in the dream.) Some find that they need to train themselves, while others can just think that they want to fly, and therefore lift off the ground, and start to hover. You can also try walking on walls or the ceiling, as flying for the first time can be intimidating if you are not totally convinced that you are dreaming. Many people experience flying as being very natural and very exhilarating. *You can try visualizing something in your hand, or in your pocket. Trying to feel its weight, shape, and texture may help. In case of a nightmare, or other frightening dream, if practiced, this can become a self-defense system against any of those perils. Of course, they will not really harm you, but it IS fun to blast a horribly disfigured monster at point-blank with a rocket-launcher of some sort. *Do not drink any fluids for one hour prior to sleeping. The last thing you want is to wake up from successfully lucid dreaming just because you had to use the bathroom. *Get your own reality check and use it a couple times a day. You could use a coin that you spin on the table. If the coin stops spinning, you know that everything around you is reality. If you make this your daily routine and do this a couple times a day, you'll have a good chance that you will do this in your dream. You'll notice that the coin won't stop, and gain full control because you know you're dreaming. * While sleeping if your body starts to tingle then your muscles are beginning to relax and you on your way to dreaming, this is the time to tell yourself I am about to dream. *If you notice something happening that is impossible in real life, such as being able to [[Breathe|breathe]] underwater, this can act as a reality check to alert you to the fact that you are dreaming. *To end [[Cope with Sleep Paralysis|sleep paralysis]] (which is not dangerous) try wiggling your toes or swallowing. When you are in [[Cope with Sleep Paralysis|sleep paralysis]], your brain is sending a signal to the rest of your body to immobilize your muscles so you don't thrash around while you sleep. The larger muscles are usually more affected than the smaller ones. So trying to wiggle your toes tends to wake you up during a state of sleep paralysis. *Pre-determine what you want to achieve in a lucid dream while you are awake. When you become lucid in a dream, you will already know what you want to do. *You can also try shape-shifting. It is hard to do it on command, but you can also make an 'excuse' to transform by making a transformation machine or a magic assistant that can change you into an animal. * Keeping a dream journal is important; it not only helps you spot abnormalities, but it also helps dream recollection, thus a more enjoyable and memorable experience. *It is a good idea to purposely wake a few minutes after becoming lucid, once you have experienced what you wanted to experience. This way, you can wake up with the dream very fresh in your mind, and have excellent recall. If you do not wake up, the dream may simply fade away into the night, and could be forgotten. * Another good reality check can be constantly having something in your pocket. If you look at your pocket and something's not in there, you will realize you are dreaming. *If you find the dream is not going how you want it to, "close your eyes" for a bit and then open very forcefully. It might not work the first time but you will eventually end up actually opening them. *If you cannot remember the dream, focus on the feelings that you felt. Trying too hard to remember the dream will only take your mind away from it. Chances are your mind will think of everything but the dream. *If you have trouble remembering your dreams, then whenever you wake up, lie back on your pillow, close your eyes, and try to remember backwards what happened in the dream. *Write down what you remember when you remember it. Most people remember dreams from nights before. If you write down whatever you remember, your brain will get used to remembering instances from your dreams. * Though frightening, sleep paralysis is completely harmless, and will wear off once your body realizes that it's no longer asleep. *What a dreamer does with lucidity reflects personal tendencies and levels of skill attained usually through experience and practice. Although a lucid dreamer can influence the dream's structure, characters, course, etc., it is not a given that a lucid dream is about what the dreamer wants it to be about. Seasoned lucid dreamers who are more often lucid than not will continue to encounter psychological and developmental challenges in the dream scape. The agreeable and the distressing, the easy and difficult, beautiful and horrifying, are all occasioned much as they are in regular dreaming. But whereas a regular dream is filled with the convoluted subtleties of the subconscious mind enumerating its issues before a largely unconscious dreamer, a lucid dreamer has the opportunity to consciously explore at any level. *Performing reality checks upon awakening can help you to detect "false awakenings" within dreams, wherein you dream that you have woken up, and thus lose lucidity. * To help control specific things in your dream practice those things while you're awake. For example to help yourself become a lucid dreamer try turning on and off a light switch slowly multiple times throughout the day then try doing the same action (turning on or off the lights) in your dream. * Keep a dream journal next to your bed to record your dreams. * Listen to Binaural Beats. Binaural Beats are often used to induce lucid dreams, and many assure this method dramatically improves success rate. Theoretically, listening to Binaural Beats lowers brain frequencies, triggering different effects such as relaxation and dream induction. Look for Theta bin-aural beats, as they use the same brainwave frequency used in dreams. You may also want to listen to Alpha and Delta binaural beats as they help you relax and fall into non-REM sleep. *Some medications can affect dreams and their frequency as a side effect. == Warnings == *If you lucid dream, remember to make it a great experience, and do not be disappointed when you wake up. *Remember if you get very excited during your lucid dream, it might cause you to wake up suddenly. At this point, focus on your dream, rub your hands, or spin around and concentrate. == Related wikiHows == *[[Remember Dreams|How to Remember Dreams]] *[[Interpret Your Dreams|How to Interpret Your Dreams]] *[[Adopt a Polyphasic Sleep Schedule|How to Adopt a Polyphasic Sleep Schedule]] *[[Cope with Sleep Paralysis|How to Cope with Sleep Paralysis]] *[[Sleep Better|How to Sleep Better]] *[[Make a Dream Board|How to Make a Dream Board]] *[[Fly in Your Dreams|How to Fly in Your Dreams]] *[[Get People to Dream About You|How to Get People to Dream About You]] *[[Start the Dream & Thoughts Journal|How to Start the Dream & Thoughts Journal]] *[[Sleep in Zen Relax|How to Sleep in Zen Relax]] == Sources and Citations == *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream Wikipedia entry on '''lucid dream'''] *Research and studies on lucid dreaming:

**[http://www.lucidity.com/slbbs/index.html Lucid dreaming: Evidence and methodology.] Behavioral and Brain Sciences 23(6), 962-3 **[http://www.lucidity.com/SleepAndCognition.html Lucid Dreaming: Psycho physiological Studies of Consciousness during REM Sleep] In Bootzen, R. R., Kihlstrom, J.F. & Schacter, D.L., (Eds.) Sleep and Cognition. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 1990 (pp. 109-126) *Robert Waggoner, Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self, ( Needham, MA: Moment Point Press ) pg. 269-270 [[pt:Ter Sonhos Lúcidos]] [[es:tener sueños lucidos]] [[de:Wie-man-einen-Klartraum-bekommt]] [[fr:faire des rêves lucides]] [[ru:видеть осознанные сны]] [[zh:做清醒梦]] [[nl:Zo kun je lucide dromen.]]

Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Lucid-Dream

Is Lucid Dreaming Dangerous?