How to Lucid Dream

by Amy Campion December 3, 2013

Have you ever had a lucid dream? One of those amazing dreams where you become aware you are dreaming while still in the dream? These amazing experiences can happen spontaneously, and may even be so surprising that they wake you up!

For many, their first lucid dream comes as the result of a nightmare, where you may say to your self “I don’t want this to be happening, it must be a dream, I want to wake up” or something along those lines. But it may surprise you to learn that lucid dreaming is something you can learn to do at will, and can use to influence the way your dreams play out in an unlimited variety of exciting ways.

If lucid dreaming is something you would like to learn to do, there are a few well-practiced tricks and methods that may help you:
1.    Tell yourself that you plan to have a lucid dream. Remind yourself as often as you can throughout the day, and especially before you go to sleep. This will help program your subconscious.
2.    Perform “reality checks” at random times when you are awake, by asking yourself if you are dreaming, and how you know whether you are awake or not. As this becomes habit, it may also occur when you actually are asleep and dreaming. One day you will look around and notice that something is strange, and you are, in fact dreaming.
3.    If you are not sure if you are dreaming or not, try reading something or looking at a digital watch. If the words or numbers swim and move when you look at them, this may trigger you to realise that you are dreaming.

There are many other approaches to use to achieve lucidity in dreams. Notably the Tibetans have a yoga of sleep and dreams that aims to achieve a state of mindfulness, or “constant lucidity” through all stages of consciousness, waking, sleeping or anywhere in between. Such approaches remind us that achieving lucidity is not simply an interesting and possibly fun experience, but actually be a sacred quest that yields profound personal and spiritual changes.

If you would like to learn more about how to achieve lucid dreams, and the more sacred aspects of dreaming, please have a look at the Dream Well’s online course: “The Mysteries of Dreaming Well: Sacred Dream Initiation”