Welcome to this solid guide to help you lucid dream. Before we embark on these simple to follow lucid dreaming tips let’s have a look at what lucid dreaming actually is.
Contents
What is Lucid Dreaming?
A lucid dream is one where you know that you are dreaming.
It is more of a state of mind which lies in the middle of being fully awake and fully asleep. Here I will give you my best lucid dreaming tips to help you experience this exhilarating wide-awake sleep state.
While part of the exciting world of dreams, where the laws of physics do not apply and time and space fall away, lucid dreamers can actually control what happens in their dreams.
They can fly, practice magic, talk to animals, breathe under water, talk to fictional characters, and literally experience whatever they want.
Fun aside, lucid dreams offer profound benefits to people as they allow them to reach a higher state of self-awareness while activating all their senses.
Since the times of Aristotle, whose writings are the first records of lucid dreaming, lucidity in a dream has further enabled dreamers to:
● Gain access to his or her autobiographical memory
● Retain the ability to reason logically
● Differentiate between what is real and what is unreal
● Identify and react to what another character in the dream is feeling
Aside from what Eastern and Western philosophy and spiritual traditions dictate, scientific studies have shown that your prefrontal networks are activated during lucid dreaming.
In a recent study, MRIs showed that the lucid dreamer’s brain is more active in the dream state as compared to regular non-lucid REM-stage. Further studies may help scientists tap into this power to better understand the human mind and its function.
If you have recently started learning about this state of mind, the following lines offers the best technique for beginners as well as tips on lucid dreaming that can help you master it.
So, get ready to delve into your subconscious after you are done with the following few sections.
Beginner Technique: Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD)
One of the easiest techniques for the novice, Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD) was developed by Dr. Stephen LaBerge of The Lucidity Institute.
It is centered around affirmations.
As you are in bed and getting ready to sleep, tell yourself that you are going to become lucid when you dream.
You then start visualizing yourself becoming lucid in the dream; keep repeating this until you fall asleep.
MILD is easier to master than other induction techniques, which is why it is the preferred technique of researchers who study lucid dreaming.
To successfully induce lucid dreaming through this technique, follow these three basic steps.
You can start the first two simultaneously if you want.
Once you have developed the habit of recording one or two dreams in your journal every day and have discovered some definite dream-signs, you can move onto the third step.
1. Start a Dream Journal
Start writing your dreams. Every time you wake up, be it morning or night, record what you dreamed about. If you wake up in the middle of the night, jot down a sentence or two.
This will help jog our memory when you make a detailed entry in the morning.
If you notice patterns, and you most probably will, write them down as these are your dream-signs.
2. Start Doing Reality Checks
A reality check is an action that will yield predictable results in real life, but present different results bizarrely in a dream.
The world of dreams contains inherent inconsistencies as compared to the real world. Lucid dreams are so realistic that the dreamer often forgets whether they are dreaming or awake.
Practicing reality checks while awake will allow you to gain awareness in dreams. Consistently doing them when you are awake (about 30 times in a day) will make it a deeply-ingrained habit.
As a result, your subconscious mind will be able to remember the action in your dream as well.
Below are some common reality checks:
● Block your nose and try to breathe.
● Try to push your finger through your palm.
● Try to add up two numbers and get the correct answer.
● Count your fingers, but focus on one hand only.
● Try to read a sentence or text you see twice (text always changes in dreams).
● Look at your reflection in a mirror (dreams do not have accurate reflections).
● Switch on or off light switches as these do not work properly in dreams.
● Try to jump. If you float down slowly or take more time coming back onto the ground, you are dreaming.
● Check if any dream-signs appear.
3. Practice MILD
The first two steps are basic lucid dreaming tips for beginners. Now, it is time for you to begin this method. Basically, there are two steps which you need to follow to induce lucid dreams through this method.
(a) Set Up Dream Recall
Tell yourself that you are going to remember that you are in a dream when you start dreaming.
Repeat an affirmation such as: “The next time I dream, I will remember I am dreaming”.
(b) Recall a dream
You will have to repeat the following routine every time you wake up during the night.
● Recall a dream you just had or any other dream you have recorded in your journal (preferably pick one in which your dream sign appears).
● Repeat your affirmation again.
● Visualize yourself in the dream you chose. Make sure to note the dream-sign.
● Carry out your chosen reality check.
● Imagine yourself becoming lucid.
● See yourself doing what you plan to do once you become lucid (for example, fly).
● Continue to do this daily until you actually experience lucidity in dreams, i.e. you will become aware and gain lucidity.
Lucid Dreaming Tips and Advice for Beginners
As a novice practitioner, it may take you time to get the hang of the method let alone master it.
Luckily, you can start inducing these dreams the right way using the following tips for lucid dreaming.
Keep these in mind at all times as they are useful for advanced techniques as well.
● Practice the technique daily. Be patient and consistent.
● Start out with one technique, then add one more every day.
● Whichever technique you decide to follow, do not skip any of the steps
● Create a peaceful sleeping environment. Nothing should disturb or distract you.
● Minimize noise and interruptions.
● Try to maintain a healthy sleep pattern and eat right
● If you are a deep sleeper, try to induce lucid dreams while sleeping in an upright position. If you can, try sleeping in a comfortable reclining chair.
● Stay away from alcohol, caffeine, and sugar.
● There are a lot of great lucid dreaming apps out there. They make it easier for you to stick to the daily practice of techniques. Check out Lucidity, Sleep as Android, and Lucid Dreamer.
Mastering MILD
Be forewarned – mastering this technique will be tough. Do not worry; beginners normally experience difficulties while following its steps.
Therefore, it will need discipline, dedication, patience and effort on your part.
Also take one step at a time, learn as much as you can, and stick to your routine.
Moreover, you will need to remember and follow the lucid dreaming tips described here.
Once you have mastered the beginner’s technique you can move onto the advanced ones.
Being able to lucidly experience and eventually control the realm of dreams is worth all the effort.
Meditation is great at helping you improve your focus, a skill that is especially useful when trying to practice the MILD technique.
After all, the affirmation stage requires you to focus intensely.
The more clearly you define your intentions, the more successful your efforts will be.
Advanced Techniques to Look Forward To
The lucid dreaming tips and technique mentioned here is just one of many that will help you expand and explore your consciousness.
If you master it, you will not need more extreme methods to induce lucid dreams, such as zapping the brain with specific frequencies to induce dream-awareness.
If you are excited about what is to come, here is a sneak peek at the techniques you can try once you have mastered MILD.
1. Wake-Initiated Techniques
These techniques will help you directly transition from a state of wakefulness to a lucid dream.
You have to remain conscious and aware until the dream begins, a feat that requires a lot of practice.
That is why they are tough to master if you are a beginner.
By using wake-initiated techniques, the dreamer moves from wakefulness to REM-stage sleep with unbroken awareness.
1) Wake Initiated Lucid Dream
2) Visually Incubated Lucid Dream
3) Senses Initiated Lucid Dream
4) Finger Induced Lucid Dream
5) Hypnagogic Imagery Technique
6) Dream Exit Initiated Lucid Dream
2. Dream-Initiated Techniques
Dream-initiated techniques can only be used when you are actually dreaming a normal dream.
They involve questioning reality and learning to recognize the dream state.
The lucid dream induced with these techniques starts out as a regular dream.
The dreamer will gain awareness and conclude that they are in fact dreaming.
Clarity of thought and the fact that you know you are dreaming will allow you to guide the dream according to your will.
1) Dream Initiated Lucid Dream
2) Light Initiated Lucid Dream
3) Lucid Induced Lucid Dream
Aside from the nine methods in these categories, there are numerous techniques that have remained uncategorized because they incorporate elements of both categories.
While they can be used on their own, the following can be used as an aid to any of the dream-initiated or wake-initiated techniques.
1) Hypnosis Induced Lucid Dream
2) Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams
3) Wake Back to Bed technique
Work your way towards these using the MILD method and the tips to lucid dream you learned from this post. Sweet dreams till the next post.
