Lucid dreams
Lucid dreams are dreams that you can have at any time where you are aware that you are dreaming. A lucid dream is truly a mind-opening experience that can broaden your perspective on life and yourself.
The world of lucid dreaming is very bizarre and emotional. Most of the time, the dreams seem so real that it is like you are living a fantasy in a reality-like state. Once you experience a lucid dream for yourself, you will want to have them over and over again. Lucid dreams and what type of dreams they are and how to interpret them depends solely on you. And the best part is: anybody can do it. All you need are a few lucid dreaming techniques to get you started.
How to have lucid dreams
1. Consistent sleep
You need a good night's sleep to be able to concentrate. Because lucid dream requires focus and not lackadaisical thoughts. Lucid dreams require the ability to differentiate between a dream and reality.
2. Dream journal
Keep a dream journal of all your thoughts overnight. The more details you are able to remember, the better chance you have of having the same dream over again. And this time, you will be able to control the dream better.
3. Gentle wake-up
Wake up gently and your brain will be better able to remember the dream you were just having before your alarm clock goes off. Being woken up suddenly is a traumatizing experience for the brain.
4. Reality checks
Throughout the day, you need to make sure that you are not in a dream. So that when you are in a dream, you will be able to tell the difference.
5. Interrupt dream
One lucid dream technique is to interrupt your dream in the middle so that you will be able to recall what happened. Set your alarm clock a little bit earlier than usual and see what happens.
6. Daydreaming
Lucid dreams can happen in the day, too. Imagination helps when trying to conjure up storylines in your dreams. Practice daydreaming and that will carry over into the night.
7. Remain passive
Let your dreams happen and try to focus your mind on not doing anything. Stay idle and observe the dream instead of trying to be the participant. This is difficult for a non-lucid dreamer.
Lucid Dreams are a Surreal Experience that You Have to Experience for Yourself at Least Once in Your Life
Lucid dreams are such a wonderful experience that the emotional rush after your first lucid dream can last for days or more.
1. Get regular sleep consistently
Go to bed and wake up at the same time, and dream a different lucid dream
Lucid dreaming occurs when your mind is alert enough to pick up the fact that you are having a dream; thus you are able to control your dreams. Being a lucid dreamer is simple if you remember to get plenty of sleep at night. Go to bed early at the same night every night, and set your alarm clock to wake up at the same time every morning. Being in a consistent routine puts your mind at ease and unguarded against your dreams for the following day or not. People who are well-rested are the most common occurrence of lucid dreamers. Becoming an experienced lucid dreamer won't happen overnight mdash; pun intended. It will take some time for you to be able to be the master of your own dreams.
2. Keep a dream journal
Give your memory some training. You should keep a journal by your bed to record all of the dreams that you remember. It should take you only a couple of minutes every morning. This is a key step for having the best lucid dream. Your dreams all have patterns that are difficult to decode if you constantly forget certain aspects of them. With a dream journal you can connect specific dreams with each other and figure out hidden meanings. With this new information at your disposal, you are better able to have lucid dreams and be controlling dreams every night. Dreams are complex, so to be able to remember every detail you can will give you the best chance possible of being a lucid dreamer.
Pay attention to detail
Wake up from the middle of your dream and write down what you remember; every little detail. This dream journal will serve most important in remembering your lucid dreams from your sleep cycle into your day. Being conscious of the details is as important as the dream itself. Understanding the details of your dreams means you get an inside look at your subconscious mind and all of the secrets lurking around your mind that you aren't aware of.
3. Wake up gently
Instead of waking up violently to your alarm clock, wake up to some nice music or to the sound of birds chirping. Your mind after waking up gently will be better able to remember your previous dreams. Practice waking up slowly. Open your eyes slowly, and slowly move out of bed. Do this every morning, and your mind will associate waking up with a relaxed state, making the lucid dream a possibility for the future.
Slow movements are best
Have you noticed how slowly people move when they are doing yoga? There is a good reason for this. Slow movements in and out of power poses is like the body's meditation for waking up. You want to use your morning routine for slowly waking up and getting those sleep cobwebs out from your body. You are opening your eyes and slowly adjusting to the light, and getting used to your surroundings. You don't just want to wake up violently to the sound of a loud alarm clock and quickly scarf down food and rush out the door. This isn't good for your natural sleep and waking cycle and further perpetuates your unhealthy habits.
4. Give yourself constant reality checks
Keep pinching yourself throughout the day to make sure you're awake — just joking. But be sure to keep reminding yourself that you are awake so you don't forget. It will make it easier to distinguish whether or not you are in a reality or dream. This is important to give yourself reality checks because lucid dreamers have mastered the art of concentration. They are able to control their dreams by quickly recognizing and distinguishing the difference between a dream and reality. And with enough practice, someone can make their good dreams as realistic as possible.
5. Set your alarm clock early
Here's a little lesser-known trick about the lucid dreamer community. Set your alarm clock to wake you up about 5 hours after you have fallen asleep. This is when your REM cycles start to kick in and you start having the most vivid dreams of your sleep cycle. This is one of the lucid dreaming techniques to try at least once because if you wake up during a dream you are more likely to remember it. Try this when you are trying to have your lucid dream. It's not good to always try this every day as it will leave you restless from having woken up every night during your REM sleep cycle.
Better for your health
Set your alarm clock early to get used to waking up at a better time for your health. It's healthier to wake up 30 minutes earlier than you're accustomed to and use that extra time for drinking hot tea or a nice relaxing activity before you start your regular routine. I can't stress enough how much better it is to have extra time to prepare rather than being rushed out the door every morning. It's a lot easier to forget things than if you just had woken up earlier.
6. Become a daydreamer
Your mother always told you that you had your head in the clouds and your daydreams distracted you from your schoolwork. Well now you can practice being the lazy dreamer we all aspire to be. Use your imagination more like when you were a kid. You can dream anywhere, about anything. The more you use the creative side of your mind, the easier that lucid dreams could become a possibility. Keep yourself always grounded as well and understand when you are bringing yourself to a daydream. Daydreams aren't powerful enough to activate sleep hormones, but you are giving yourself a sample of what's to come during the night. The more dreams you have during the day, the more they connect with each other. It becomes a fantasy story that is to be continued at each and every time you daydream.
Overactive imagination
Daydreaming is meant to serve as your break from reality. Being a constant daydreamer isn't necessarily a bad thing; it just means you have an overactive imagination which can also be good. Many would say that you are using your time unconstructively, but you are actually doing a lot of good with your dreaming lucid. With your daydreaming you are problem-solving, reflecting on your day, and doing proactive planning for the days ahead. Lucid daydreaming is a necessary activity that should be kept in moderation lest it takes over your life.
7. When you start dreaming: stand back and observe
The best lucid dreams occur when you observe your dreams passively. When you get to the point of true lucid dream mastery: you are not even participating in the dream itself, you are merely along for the ride. Your dreams and their meanings can be vague and not easily understood to the untrained eye. But through ignoring all of your own usual intentions like it is reality, you are acknowledging that it is indeed a dream. So be idle and take things as they come. The dreams will be much more rewarding.
Interrupting your sleep cycle
The key to remembering your dreams is to be conscious in the process of the REM cycle of your sleep. The ability to wake up in the middle of your dream and be aware of what you're dreaming is a skill that takes practice to master. There are strategies in order to do this regularly every night. You would think that waking up in the middle of your kinds of dreams would be bad for your natural sleep cycle, but nothing could be further from the truth. You are gaining valuable insight into dream lucid cycles, which is a lot more important than a few minutes of sleep. Besides, you will usually be able to fall right back asleep immediately after writing down your dream notes.
What are the advantages of having lucid dreams?
The advantages of lucid sleep are that you have the ability of controlling dreams and making them fit your reality as you see fit. It is like a virtual reality-type utopia invention of the future, except it is real and people have been doing it since the beginning of time. Imagine a fantasy world where you can decide what happens, as opposed to regular sleep where your dreams can often result in you getting hurt or worse. Lucid nightmares are rare, because if you have the ability to control your dreams then why would you make them turn out bad?
