Lucid dreaming means you are aware you are in a dream, so you can take full control of it.
“In a lucid dream the dreamer is aware of the dream state and can carry out actions deliberately. Lucid dream practice (LDP) is the rehearsal of movements during lucid dreams and constitutes a specific form of mental practice. Previous studies demonstrated that LDP can enhance physical performance. To gain deeper insight into LDP on a qualitative level, sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with lucid dreamers from different countries. Inductive content analysis revealed that many different sports and movements can be practiced in lucid dreams. LDP experiences were very realistic, including kinesthetic perception. Required equipment or sparring partners usually were available or could be created and adjusted by the athletes. Thirteen interviewees (81.3%) reported positive effects of LDP. In particular, 10 participants reported to have improved their physical performance through LDP, confirming findings of previous studies. Other positive effects were, for example, strengthened confidence, insights for physical practice (PP), improved flexibility, and positive emotions. “
– Melanie Schädlich, Lucid Dream Researcher, Doctor of Philosophy
– Daniel Erlacher, Sport Psychologist
What does this mean? It means that if you want to train with Connor McGregor, you can definitely do so within a lucid dream. This experience will be just as real as if the training session is physically taking place. Actually training within a lucid dream comes with a few bonuses . You wake up safe and sound having obtained the improved skills. The efficiency of the training within a lucid dream is actually much better than in waking life. The ability to gain the new skills is not only limited to sports or martial arts.
Simply, a lucid dream is a dream in which you know you are dreaming, as the dream is occurring. In the lucid dream state, we are in direct contact with our subconscious mind, which controls 95% of our brain. Science has shown this is a very similar state to hypnosis. This means we have the ability to reprogram our brain in a lucid dream to erase fears, negative habits, destructive thought patterns, anxieties, nightmares and so much more.
Perhaps you want to master the Shirshasana (headstand) but you don’t feel ready to start practicing in real (waking) life? Then practice it in a lucid dream. This way you don’t need to worry about falling, and the training will give you a head start in real life yoga.
You can also comfortably practice public speaking without worrying what others think about your performance. This is because the “public” in a lucid dream are people created by your own subconscious mind, so it is a kind of training you cannot fail. Are you looking for a beginner’s guide to Lucid Dreaming? Check this one out!
As already mentioned, learning in a lucid dream is several times more efficient than in waking life. This is because you are working directly with your subconscious mind. We sleep for 1/3 of our lives; which is roughly 30 years spent sleeping. What would you do if you could get that 30% of your life back? What would you want to create? Through lucid dreaming, your possibilities are limitless!
Lucid dreaming can help heal and let go of various issues, even psychological. In one case, a lady kept hearing voices in her head. She was quite annoyed with them, so she went into a lucid dream and called on these voices. They appeared as dream characters and she asked them to stop bothering her. They agreed to leave if she promised to follow a healthier diet. After she made necessary healthy changes to her diet, the voices never came back again.
Dream Journal
Do you remember your dreams? Remembering your dreams is essential in order to learn lucid dreaming. Normally we should be able to recall 5-7 dreams per seven hours of sleep. Whether you are planning to learn lucid dreaming or not, dream recall can be very beneficial. You may get a lot of insight from your subconscious about many aspects of your life.
Consider getting yourself a dream journal to help you recall your dreams. Every morning, preferably before getting out of bed, write down what you can recall of your dreams. Do this in the position that you normally are in while sleeping. If this doesn’t work, move around a bit. Dreams are easier to recall in the sleeping position they were experienced in. Once you remember, write down the description of the dream and the date. It is better to create a title for your dream, so when you read it later you will remember the whole dream. If you can’t remember anything, then write down the date and “I didn’t recall any dreams”. Whether you remembered any dreams or not, it is important that something is written down. It is almost guaranteed that within 1-3 weeks you will be able to remember clearly at least one dream per night. This is the minimal amount to start lucid dreaming training.
The ability to recall your dreams can be very beneficial, even if they are not lucid. Oftentimes our subconscious mind wants to send us an important message. The easiest way for it to do this is through dreams, given that there is less resistance. For example, say that you are about to sign an important document. If your subconscious mind knows that you might be missing something, it may act upon it the next time you are dreaming. It may send you a dream character that looks like a person you know and trust. They will deliver the message for you to correct the situation.
There are many techniques out there to induce lucid dreaming. Some of them suggest waking up after 5-6 hours of sleep and then going back to sleep shortly afterwards. However it is very possible to begin lucid dreaming spontaneously, without using any specific induction method.
Lucid Dreaming Through Critical Thinking
The most important prerequisite of lucid dreaming is to realize that you are dreaming. While inside the dream, a person should be able to recognize they are in a dream, and possibly take control over it. In order to do so it is crucial to develop critical thinking. This process can be boiled down to one question: “Am I dreaming?”. To build such critical awareness in a dream, it is necessary to develop it in waking life first. Once this is achieved, you will know when you are actually dreaming. It is important to remember that not everything you experience during sleep is necessarily a dream. For example, when you communicate to other people in a dream using words, like you normally do in waking life, then it is most likely a dream. If you are able to communicate without opening your mouth, you are most likely having an interdimensional experience. Astral projection is one of the examples of shifting the point of awareness to another dimension. Communicating telepathically usually means sending and receiving ideas, experiences and other information without a need to put them into words. Then when you wake up you know exactly what you said and were told, but you don’t remember the exact wording. In a dream, on the contrary, words are the first things you perceive, afterwards you get the meaning out of them. If a person you know comes up in a dream, most likely they are a product of your own subconscious. If they appear during an interdimensional experience, then they are the projections of their own selves. There are a few simple rules that will help you easily identify a dream. Things don’t appear the same when you look at them for the second time. For example, you look at the clock and take note of the time. Then, a second later, you look back again. If this is a dream, almost for certain the time on the clock will be markedly different. The same goes for any written text. This is especially true when you try to read a reasonably long text. In a dream the lines will literally “run away” and get blurry. You may also notice that various elements of the surroundings change. The wallpaper pattern, the number of vases on the shelf, the color of the tiles, all will be different when you look at them again. This happens because during a dream the subconscious mind has difficulty reproducing the exact details multiple times.
Reality Checks
Reality checks come in handy while training yourself to figure out whether you are dreaming or not. They are crucial for building critical thinking in waking life and maintaining it in a dream. The key question for a reality check is: “How do I know I am not dreaming right now?” Do reality checks several times a day for at least 21 days to build a habit. Examples of reality checks are:
- Flick a light switch several times, make sure the light goes on and off. Light switches don’t normally work in a dream.
- Check the time. You can do this on your phone. Then look away and check again. If you see a significant difference in numbers, you are in a dream.
- Once in a while grab a book and read a few sentences, or read any text online, etc. Then look away and read the same thing again. If the text is different or becomes blurry or inconsistent, you are in a dream.
Lucid Dreaming Supplements
Whether you want to enhance the lucid dreaming experience or just make “regular” dreams more vivid and fun, then there are several supplements on the market to try. Remember that not every supplement works the same for everyone. Study possible side effects and consult your doctor before you start taking any of them.
Claridream PRO can be a good choice to improve clarity and vividness of the dream.
Galantamine, which is another lucid dreaming supplement to try, has nootropic properties and makes it easier to remember dreams.
Mugwort or Artemisia Annua was used for ages as a beer flavoring. Now it is widely used to enhance lucid dreaming. The easiest and most convenient way for many people to take it is in a capsule form. Mugwort can also come as a tincture. Red wine with a few drops of mugwort tincture tastes like a sort of gluhwine (mulled wine). It could be something fun to try before bed!
Additionally, B-6 vitamin may significantly improve dream recall. Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate is the most bioavailable version of this vitamin.
Looking for some advanced techniques? Try this!
Do you prefer a video course over an e-book? Then check this out!
Happy Lucid Dreaming!
