What are lucid dreams?

Let's start with the basics: a lucid dream is that elusive phenomenon where consciousness and dreams intertwine, taking us on a journey into the realm of our nighttime thoughts. Imagine no longer being just a passive spectator in the theater of your dreams but the director of the entire production, or whatever you can imagine. It's a bit like winning the chance, for one night, to see all your wishes come true: you have the power to shape and control the plot of your dream and fulfill every desire without any repercussions. Have you ever wondered what you would do if you had a night without limits? According to statistical studies, 55% of people claim to have had one or more lucid dream experiences in their lifetime, and this often happens spontaneously, without expectation or preparation. Today, I want to teach you how to make lucid dreaming a conscious experience through some methods.

How to Have Lucid Dreams? A Beginner's Guide:

1. Enter the Dream Awake:

Let's begin with what I consider the most challenging method: entering the dream through hypnagogic hallucinations (those strange images that appear just before falling asleep). To succeed in this method, you must already be familiar with what I'm talking about from previous experiences with other techniques. Entering the dream awake, despite seeming easy, requires real training, often a lengthy one. The procedure involves lying down, relaxing, and patiently waiting for the arrival of hypnagogic hallucinations, using them to consciously enter sleep while maintaining awareness and control. What are the advantages of entering a lucid dream from the beginning and not from an ongoing dream? The freedom in creating the dream, from A to Z.

2. Reality Check:

This exercise is your ticket to the lucid dream club. Make it a part of your daily life, train your mind to always notice consciousness, even during sleep. To do a reality check, follow these steps several times a day (you can set an alarm every 2 or 3 hours). Simply ask yourself if you are dreaming. Often. And then check your environment to confirm your initial impression. Some reality checks are straightforward. For example, you can check in a mirror. If your reflection looks normal, it means you are not dreaming. Also, push your hand against a wall or table and see if it passes through, or look at your hands. Keep track of time: if you are dreaming, the time on the clock will constantly change. Focus on your breathing: pinch your nose and see if you can breathe; if you can still do it, you are dreaming.

3. Wake up and Go Back to Bed:

This method leverages the various sleep phases and consciousness alterations that characterize them. Here's how it works: set an alarm 5 hours after the time you usually go to bed, and then go to sleep as usual. When the alarm goes off, stay awake for 30 minutes. Engage in a quiet activity that requires your full attention (such as reading or listening to music, no scrolling). Go back to sleep. When you go back to sleep, you are more likely to have lucid dreams. This method is based on the belief that lucid dreams are connected to the attention exerted just before going to sleep.

4. Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams:

This was one of the first methodologies discovered to induce lucid dreams. It is based on a behavior called prospective memory, which involves intending to perform a future action or goal. Here's how to use the technique: as you are about to fall asleep, think about a recent dream. Identify a "dream sign" or something irregular or strange in the dream. An example is the ability to fly. Think about returning to the dream. You will realize that dream signs only happen while you are dreaming. Remind yourself that the next time you dream, you want to remember that you are dreaming. Repeat this phrase in your mind.

5. Keep a Dream Journal:

When you write down your dreams, you are forced to remember what happens in each of them. Keeping track of your dream experiences helps recognize the structure of dreams and enhances your awareness of being in them. For best results, record your dreams as soon as you wake up. It is also recommended to reread the dream journal frequently.

What's the Purpose of Having Lucid Dreams?

Lucid dreaming is not just a night of dreamy fun but can also be a powerful therapy. It can help you confront anxieties, manage recurring nightmares, and even improve your motor skills. For years, it has been used as cognitive-behavioral therapy in cases of post-traumatic stress and motor disabilities. And for everyone else, wouldn't it be nice to bend reality to our will, even just for one night?