Lucid Dream Glossary

This page lists definitions of terms associated with lucid dreams and the practise of lucid dreaming. Feel free to add your own contributions to this page. Please keep it ordered alphabetically.

DEILD
Dream Exit Initiated Lucid Dreams are dreams that are chained together, i.e. you exit one dream and use the technique to drop back in to another. See DreamExitInitiatedLucidDreams for more details.

DILD
A Dream Initiated Lucid Dream is where the dreamer becomes lucid from within a dream. This is the most common way to become lucid and is often the result of the dreamer performing a reality test and proving to themselves that they are dreaming. See DreamInitiatedLucidDreams for more details.

Dream Journal
A dream journal is one of the main tools used by lucid dreamers. On first waking you should think about the dream you have just experienced, walking backwards through the dream from the most recent memory to recall as much as you can. Then make notes about the dream in a journal. This process helps to improve dream recall. You can also analyse your dream journal for "Dream Signs". See TheDreamJournal for more details.

Dream Signs
Dream signs are occurrences in dreams that help to identify you are dreaming. For example you may find that you chat to a deceased relative or live in your childhood home, or have a certain ability. You can use your dream journal to identify reoccurring dream signs and condition yourself to perform reality checks you encounter these signs. If you perform a reality check in your dream you should be able to become lucid. See DreamSigns for more details.

False Awakening
A false awakeing is a common occurrence for lucid dreamers. They occur when you believe that you have just woken from a dream, but you are still asleep and dreaming. You are likely to continue with your normal routine unaware that the opportunity to have a lucid dream is being wasted. False awakenings can be avoided by performing a reality check when you get out of bed.

Lucid Dreaming
Becoming lucid during a dream allows you to take control of events and do whatever you like. A side effect of becoming lucid is that the dream becomes much more lifelike than your usual dreams. These two aspects (control & realism) can lead to some fantastic experiences. See IntroductionToLucidDreaming for more details.

MILD
The Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams is a method of initiating lucid dreams by setting an intention in your mind that you will a) wake after each dream to record it, and b) remember that you are dreaming. See MnemonicInductionOfLucidDreams for more details.

Reality Checks
A reality check or reality test is a way to determine is you are experiencing real life or a dream. If you perform a reality check in a dream and prove that you are dreaming, you will have control over that dream. See RealityChecking for more details. Example reality tests are:
1) Read some text from a book, or a poster (or anything else), look away then read it again. In a dream the text will change.
2) Look at you hands. In a dream you will often find you have more or less fingers.

REM
Rapid Eye Movement is observed in people who are asleep while they are actively dreaming. The eye movement is thought to correspond to where the subject is looking in their dream. The brain suppresses other body movement while we sleep, but the eyes are not so restricted.

Sleep Paralysis
When we go to sleep at night, our bodies enter "Sleep Paralysis". This happens to all of us every night!! It stops you from physically acting out your dreams, which could harm you. Some lucid dreamers attempt to remain lucid while they pass through Sleep Paralysis, therefore entering directly in to a lucid dream (see WILD).

WILD
A Wake Initiated Lucid Dream is one of the hardest methods of entering a lucid dream. The idea is to remain lucid as your body falls to sleep. You should then find yourself immediately in a lucid dream. To perform a WILD you need to pass through the stage of "Sleep Paralysis", this stage often suprises people and they force themselves to wake up. Although this can be a strange experience, it is not dangerous and should not be feared.

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