Chapter 3: Lucid dreaming

What is Lucid Dreaming?

A lucid dream is a dream during which one is aware that one is dreaming. During a lucid dream, one may gain some amount of control over the dream characters, narrative, and environment, however this is not necessary for a dream to be described as lucid.

How do i obtain a lucid dream?

Recognise your dreams

To do so, keep a dream journal and write in it as soon as you wake up, every little detail will help later! Some may say that they don't dream, but in fact humans dream up to 3-7 times in one night, usually they're too quick to remember what happens though. So if you do remember a dream, write it down!

Be aware, do a reality check.

In a dream, look at the sky. Does it look painted? This is because the sky is too complicated for our minds to comprehend, therefore it paints a picture of it instead. Look at the ground, are you floating? This is due too our minds again cannot comprehend our feet walking, so we seem to just hover above.

Say this phrase

Say this phrase "i will have a lucid dream tonight" its a technique called Mnemonically induced lucid dreams (MILD). AS you fall asleep the idea is too think of a recent dream, then imagine yourself becoming lucid. This way you're reinforcing the intention to realise you're dreaming within a current dream already. Repeat such phrase as you're falling asleep.

Be aware you're falling asleep

Finally, once you've had success with MILD, an advanced technique known as Wake Induced Lucid Dreams (WILD) may be attempted. The idea behind this is to keep your mind aware while your body falls asleep. The risk here is that you'll experience sleep paralysis — a completely normal phenomenon that prevents your body from moving during sleep — except you'll be awake, which can be somewhat frightening. The extra caveat with WILD is that, during sleep paralysis the brain can play tricks on you, inducing strong feelings of fear and causing hallucinations of dark and scary figures approaching you.

Danger of Lucid Dreaming

As stated above, during lucid dreaming, sleep paralysis can occur. However, it's not just that. During a lucid dream you can experience something called a night terror (chapter coming soon!). Many might say 'Oh, so a nightmare?' indeed not. A night terror is a 'nightmare' as such, but you're fully aware. Just like lucid dreaming, although it's the opposite. Since you're aware, if you get stabbed, you feel it physically. There's only one way to escape this, however. And this is to kill yourself... Its morbid as it sounds, but you wont feel it. If you jump, right as you hit the ground you'll wake up in a panic. Unfortunately it's the only way, but don't freak out because it isn't real. Just a dream