Lucid dreaming in essence is when you are aware that you are asleep and in a dream. It is a state where you are asleep but you can make conscious decisions that effect the experience of your dream state. When you experience a lucid dream, you become immersed in a inner world where anything is possible and it can feel, ease, sound and look just as real as your waking life experiences.
What can you do once you are lucid?
- Fly like superman
- Walk through walls
- Travel back in time
- Make any objects appear
- You can do pretty much anything you can imagine because you are creating it with your own mind
So why would you want to lucid dream?
There are many benefits to lucid dreaming other than just having fun flying around or being a king of your own empire. Once you are able to have conscious control of your dream state, you can explore and communicate with deeper parts of your subconscious mind. You can literally have a conversation with your true inner self and discover some interesting things about yourself. Imagine asking what your ideal career is, or what is my purpose in life straight to your subconscious mind and getting and honest answer based on your truest deepest desires and beliefs. Your conscious mind can distort your true vision of yourself sometimes, so gaining this insight can be invaluable.
Another way to use lucid dreaming to your advantage is to live out your ideal life. While you are dreaming, you can take on any life you want. You can be courageous, confident, social, successful, or anything you want even if it is out of your waking life character. And, because it is all taking place in your own mind, you are in a safe and controlled environment leaving you in the perfect setting to conquer your fears, improve your confidence and social skills, reprogram your mind for success, improve your problem solving skills, or practice new skills. This could be one of the most profound tools for personal growth available, and it all takes place while you are sleeping!
How do I start lucid dreaming?
Here are my top 3 suggestions on getting started wit lucid reaming. To get a more detailed guide to lucid dreaming, click here.
1. Work on your dream recall
Some people can start lucid reaming very easily and it may only take a few tries. For those of you that have trouble even remembering your dreams, it may take up to a month of real dedication. If this is the case for you, you need to start a dream log. Simply start a notebook to keep track of your dreams. When you wake up, write down any part of a dream that you can remember. Once you start remembering your dreams, you can start working on being lucid.
2. Meditate
The altered consciousness that you can achieve during meditation is similar to the unconscious/conscious state of lucid dreaming. Because of this, people who mediate on a regular basis also have an easier time with lucid dreaming because they are usually more self aware and are able to recognize the unreality of the dream allowing them to become aware and lucid. If you are new to meditation, try meditating every day for 10 – 15 minutes. Practice by trying to clear your mind, closing your eyes, and simply focusing on breathing deeply. If you are having trouble getting your mind quiet, try listening to a brainwave entrainment mp3. It will slow your brainwaves down and get you into an altered state of consciousness in minutes. Check out Zen12 Meditation mp3s here.
3. Perform reality checks and anchoring
The best way to become aware that you are dreaming is to program reality checks into your daily routine so that they become a habit that shows up in your dream state. When you perform these actions often enough in your waking like, these habits will naturally show up in your dreams and will be a anchoring point that causes you to come to the realization that you are dreaming. There are several different kinds of reality checks. Here are some of the most common techniques:
- Look at a digital clock several times a day. Look at it closely. Watch the hands tick. Notice the placement of the numbers. If it is a digital clock, focus on the numbers and how they look. When you look at a clock in a dream, the numbers will not be consistent, or the hands may not move in a consistent fashion. That is when you know you are dreaming and you can consciously step into the dream.
- Look in a mirror. In a dream your image will look blurry, or not appear at all.
- Flip a light switch. In a dream, the light ay just stay on.
- Pinch your nose closed and try to breathe. In a dream, you my still be able to breathe. You may also be able to breathe under water.
These 3 basic steps, if followed diligently, may be enough to help you have your first lucid dream. If you want to get a more detailed guide on lucid dreaming, go to my other article, How to Lucid Dream Tonight, A Lucid Dreaming Guide.
Fast track guide to lucid dreaming
If you want a guide to get you on the fast track to lucid dreaming guaranteed, check out the Lucid Dreaming Academy created by lucid dreaming expert Rebecca Turner of World Of Lucid Dreaming dot com.
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