Introduction to Lucid Dreaming

The term Lucid Dreaming seems to give some people the impression that it is something mystical and inextricably linked with dream interpretation, out of body experiences, transcendental meditation and spirituality. While many lucid dreamers may see the same connections the first point I would like to make clear is that lucid dreaming does not require any belief, or faith and it's existence is not something that is debated. The core principle is as simple as being aware that you are dreaming and therefore having control over that dream. That alone doesn't sound unbelievable or other worldly does it?

Most people have experienced dreams at some point that are as vivid as their perception of the real world. Despite the lifelike nature of the dream, a small number of people will have realised that they were dreaming and then steered the path of their dream. Without any training or effort those people are lucky enough to have had a lucid dream.

For most of us more effort is required and even for people that occasionally have a lucid dream, training can bring them more frequent and more vivid lucid dreams.

You will find many people talking about lucid dreaming on the web and it's easy to see why:

• You can live out lifelike fantasies in your dreams.
• You are benefiting from time that you have previously wasted on forgotten dreams.
• While nightmares may sour your mood for the day, lucid dreams can make you feel great.
• You can use lucid dreaming to stop nightmares.
• This incredible source of entertainment is completely free!!

Basic Training Principles

Everyone dreams, even if they never remember them and anyone can experience lucid dreams if they are willing to invest the effort.

Dream Recall

The first stage in becoming lucid in your dreams is simply to improve your dream recall. This can be achieved by taking the time to think about your dream before you jump out of bed and by keeping a journal of your dreams.

Dream Signs

After you have been keeping a journal for a while you may spot certain people, events, places, sounds or smells etc. that regularly occur in your dreams. These then become signs to you that you may be dreaming.

Reality Testing

Reality testing is the processes of proving to yourself whether you are currently asleep or wake. If you encounter a Dream Sign, you should immediately perform a reality test. If the test proves you are asleep, trust it and make the most of your lucid dream. You are also advised to perform reality tests regularly throughout the day. This serves two purposes; it keeps your mind focused on lucid dreaming so you are more likely to question strange occurrences that will lead you to recognise you are dreaming and secondly you are likely to conduct a periodic reality test while in a dream. The chance of you performing a periodic reality test while asleep will be greater if you can be given an audio or visual prompt while asleep.

Further Reading

This introduction has covered the basics of what lucid dreams are and how you can achieve them. The rest of our articles will include more in-depth tutorials and information. Together with the tools we are developing we hope these articles will help many more people to experience and enjoy lucid dreams. You should also consider becoming an active member of our forums to learn from other peoples experiences.

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