What is Lucid Dreaming ?
The word lucid is defined as something that’s expressed clearly and easily understood. Most of the time, we dream without the knowledge that we are dreaming. Becoming lucid in a dream is the realization that what’s happening isn’t real.
About 20% of the population experience lucid dreams every month, however these usually happen accidentally. Some people take it upon themselves to practice for months (or even years) to become able to lucid dream on command. With the Lucid Dreamer, this is not necessary.
Facts About Lucid Dreaming
Once you become conscious of your dream, it is possible to take control of your dreamworld and do anything you want! Everyone’s initial dream control ability is different however – some people will have a harder time with control than others. Continuing to practice through several lucid dreaming sessions will gradually increase your control and dream duration.
Favorite activities of lucid dreamers include flying, meeting people they’d never meet in real life, solving problems, practicing skills, gaining creative inspiration, talking to their subconscious through lifelike ‘dream people’ and exploring/warping their dream landscape.
Not surprisingly, another common lucid dreaming activity is…you guessed it… sexual experiences (There really are no limits in the dream world!).
Lucid dreaming can also be used to control nightmares or help face your fears.
Studies have proven that practicing skills in your dreams can have an impact on your performance during waking life.
Lucid Dreaming Tips For Better Control
- The most common mistake that people make when realizing that they are dreaming, is becoming too excited and waking themselves up. This might take a bit of practice! When you realize you’ve become lucid, take a moment to relax and ground yourself. Grab onto something nearby, feel it. Observe the world around you and focus on details.
- There are many ways to make a dream clearer or stop your dream from “fading out”. Some of these include; spinning with your arms out (the sensation of the spinning motion helps to ground you within the dream), rubbing your hands together, concentrating on a command (tell your brain what to do – “Dream Intensify!” or anything you choose) and trying to fall backwards into another dream.
- My favorite method for making a lucid dream clearer is to reach out and “grab” the dream in front of you, pulling it apart like it’s a sheet of plastic, and attempting to “step through” it into a clearer, more vivid version. Try it – your results may vary!
- A lot of people attempt to have sexual experiences in their lucid dreams, but find that they wake up as soon as things get rolling – or the object of their desire turns into an ugly monster. Some people speculate that this is because your subconscious actually desires more than just sex – but rather a real connection. Many people have found success in first trying to connect emotionally to their dream partner instead of just jumping into it.
- If you’re having problems flying, try a different tactic. Hold out your fist and try to take off like Superman or imagine you’ve grown wings. For some people, taking a running start helps. Other people find that jumping from a height and gliding is the easiest way to take off.