| What are Lucid Dreams? | | | | |
| | | | Once you get your dream journal going and are |
| Lucid dreaming means dreaming while you know | | | | able to recall at least two dreams a night |
| that you are dreaming, and when you know you | | | | then you can start the steps to having a |
| are dreaming within a dream you can also | | | | lucid dream. There are many ways to key |
| alter the dream course, with practice you can | | | | yourself to the fact that you are dreaming |
| also develop full control over your dreams. | | | | but I will discuss a couple of the easiest |
| You will be able to create anything the mind | | | | for beginners. First there is Reality Testing |
| can imagine, change the environment even | | | | (RT). How reality testing is done, is you ask |
| change your own appearance, have a chat with | | | | yourself "Am I dreaming?" Finding that out in |
| Abraham Lincoln or fly to the Grand Canyon. | | | | a dream is not always the easiest thing to |
| | | | do, but is usually quite obvious if you are |
| The earliest recorded lucid dreams date back | | | | dreaming or not. If you find yourself in an |
| to the fifth century, the record came from a | | | | unfamiliar place, or doing something or |
| written letter by St. Augustine in 415 A.D. | | | | seeing something that will not likely happen |
| Another well-known recorded example of lucid | | | | in reality, you will know that you are |
| dreaming came from eight century Tibetan | | | | dreaming. Now if you are in your bed or in |
| Buddhists in the Tibetan Book of the Dead. | | | | your own house, then you can try looking at |
| The Buddhists wrote of a form of yoga | | | | something like a clock or reading a book or |
| designed to maintain full waking | | | | something, look away, then look back and see |
| consciousness while in the dream state. This | | | | if the time is the same or the words you read |
| ancient documentation of dreams is said to be | | | | are the same. Try changing the color of |
| more advanced than the knowledge we posses | | | | something just by thinking about it. Ask |
| today. | | | | yourself this question "Am I dreaming?" |
| | | | several times during the day, then you will |
| People have been having lucid dreams for as | | | | be more apt to ask yourself this in a dream. |
| long as the human mind has been dreaming. The | | | | |
| first known use of the actual term "lucid | | | | The second way to realize that you are |
| dreaming" was by Frederik van Eeden in his | | | | dreaming in a dream is to recognize a |
| work "A Study of Dreams" which was published | | | | Dreamsign. When your recognize this dreamsign |
| in the Proceedings of the Society for | | | | you will realize that you are dreaming. (ie. |
| Psychical Research in 1913. (Van Eeden also | | | | A pink elephant, meeting deceased people, or |
| wrote the novel The Bride of Dreams). Since | | | | magically flying.) By keeping a dream journal |
| then the term has become part of our | | | | and going back and finding things that are |
| mainstream. | | | | common in your dreams, you can choose a |
| | | | dreamsign that is unique to you. So when you |
| Steps to Lucid Dreaming | | | | see your dreamsign you will realize your |
| | | | experience as a dream, and can then further |
| "I don't dream", have you ever heard someone | | | | the experiments or work you would like to do |
| say this? Or have you even said this | | | | in your dream. |
| yourself? It is not a true statement, | | | | |
| everybody dreams nightly, but some people do | | | | Upon becoming Lucid |
| not remember their dreams. The first step in | | | | |
| learning to have lucid dreams, like in my | | | | The biggest problem upon becoming lucid for |
| Intuition article, is have the desire to want | | | | newbies is that once they realize they are |
| to remember your dreams. Now before going to | | | | dreaming, they get so excited that it wakes |
| bed, have a clear mind, tell yourself that "I | | | | them from their dream. Actually experienced |
| will remember my dream when I wake up". This | | | | lucid dreamers can have this problem also. |
| is a proven and effective way to help dream | | | | There are different ways to extend your |
| recall. Having a cluttered mind or worries | | | | dreams, if your dream shows signs of ending |
| can distract you from remembering your dream | | | | some people have claimed success by spinning |
| in the morning. | | | | to help the dream come back, in other words |
| | | | making their dream self start to spin like an |
| Have a regular sleep schedule, try and get a | | | | ice skater, and remind yourself the next |
| routine going with a consistent bedtime and | | | | scene will be a dream, to ensure you are |
| wake up time, this will also aid you in your | | | | still dreaming do a RT. Sometimes just |
| dream recollection. Avoid alcohol consumption | | | | running, or jumping can prolong your dream. |
| or taking medication before going to bed. | | | | Once you become proficient in achieving a |
| These things may hinder you from remembering | | | | Lucid Dream state, and are able to maintain |
| your dreams. Diet also plays a big part in | | | | this state to some degree, the next step will |
| dream recall, fatty foods or just eating | | | | be controlling your dreams. |
| right before you go to bed will task your | | | | |
| body with digesting food instead of getting | | | | Controlling your Dream |
| the rest your body needs and will divert your | | | | |
| bodily resources from the brain. | | | | Now the fun part! Once you are lucid dreaming |
| | | | the world is yours, anything you can imagine |
| The most important step in recalling your | | | | can happen in your dream. Have you ever |
| dreams is to keep a dream journal. Keep a | | | | wanted to be a superhero? Be able to turn |
| pencil and a notebook or tape recorder next | | | | invisible, to live as a millionaire, to sail |
| to your bed so that it will be within reach | | | | around the world. The thing that I personally |
| as soon as you wake up. You want to make the | | | | have had experience with is flying in my |
| task of recording your dreams as easy as | | | | dream, the first time you accomplish flight |
| possible. Having a small lamp by your bed | | | | in your dream you will have the most amazing |
| will help if you wake up from a dream in the | | | | sense of freedom that you have ever felt. |
| middle of the night and need to record it. | | | | Just think about it, if you could fly like a |
| | | | bird, the wind in your hair, the freedom to |
| Do not get out of bed immediately when you | | | | go anywhere, well you get the picture. People |
| wake up, lay there in your bed keeping your | | | | have used the experiences in their lucid |
| eyes closed and move as little as possible. | | | | dreams to improve their waking lives also, |
| Wake up slowly and stay relaxed, hold on to | | | | for instance, playing the piano better, |
| your feelings you have and let your mind | | | | improving at ice skating, or business |
| wander to the images of what you have just | | | | success, some people even claim to have |
| dreamed, write down as many details as | | | | religious experiences. |
| possible about your dream, do not judge the | | | | |
| content, just record it, so later you can go | | | | Science has only just begun to examine the |
| back and evaluate it when you are more aware. | | | | process of lucid dreaming. Some researchers |
| Talking to people about your dreams to | | | | view it as an evolutionary development of |
| friends or participating in some on-line | | | | mankind and our consciousness expanding. |
| forums will also help dream recall. | | | | Whether we are evolving or have always had |
| | | | this ability, we certainly are not taking |
| How to Have a Lucid Dream | | | | advantage of all it has to offer. |