7 Mind Blowing Ways to Lucid Dream
Who needs movies or games when you have this?!
Lucid Dreaming also known as Wake Induced Lucid Dream or WILD is one of the most amazing brain hacks I’ve experienced.
In its simplest form, a lucid dream is any experience in which you become aware that you’re dreaming during the REM stage of your sleep cycle.
We will be exploring techniques to create these Wake Induced Lucid Dreams (WILDs).
Dr. Stephen LaBerge, one of the first researchers to actively study this phenomenon, states, “at times a remarkable exception occurs, and we become conscious enough to realize that we are [in the midst of a dream].”
According to LaBerge, lucid dreamers can remember their identities, think clearly and act intentionally within the dream world. Sometimes this dream world is extremely vivid, even lifelike.
Within that world, a person — especially one who frequently experiences lucid dreams, or actively works to induce them — may attempt to take control of the dream and manipulate its outcome.
Neo: What are you trying to tell me? That I can dodge bullets?
Morpheus: No, Neo. I’m trying to tell you that when you’re ready, you won’t have to.
You can use the hypnagogic state to consciously slip into the dream state.
This is the state of between waking and dreaming. You can actually start dreaming before you’ve fallen fully asleep.
We will talk more about this later.
Before beginning your Lucid Dreaming practice, start a dream journal. Put it by your bed. Right when you wake up, write in your dream journal. If you don’t remember a dream, write that.
Just get into the habit of this. You will notice after a short while, you are remembering more dreams. You will gain great insight as well.
Try to notice any signs from your dreams…reoccurring symbols that are present in your dreams. There might be one or two dream signs that occur in all of your dreams. Write these down…notice any significance.
Here are 7 techniques I’ve found helpful in inducing Lucid Dreaming:
1. Check In With Reality
It is good to have a trigger to let you know when you are dreaming.
One of my favorite ways to do this is to develop a habit of looking at the back of your hand, during the day, while asking, “Am I awake or am I dreaming?”
After asking the question, turn your hand and look at the front of the hand while asking the question again.
You will do this regularly while you are awake. Then, you will introduce it in your dreams. In dreams, your hand may change while you are looking at it indicating you are within a dream.
Another way is to hold your nose and try to breathe. When you are dreaming you will be able to breathe. This will trigger you to know you are awake in a dream.
Then, you can start playing. Try not to get too excited and accidentally wake yourself up. I’ve done this a few times.
If you need to ground yourself in the dream, you can spin around really fast like The Taz or Wonder Woman. I know.
Just try it.
2. Interrupt Your Rhythm
We all go through sleep cycles at night. We go from normal waking to REM to Deeper Sleep in different levels.
Lucid dreaming occurs during REM. We will experience REM sleep several times throughout the night but the longest is usually within 6 hours of falling asleep.
An effective technique for WILD is to set an alarm for 6 hours after going to bed.
Stay awake for 10-30 minutes so you are fully awake. Then, go back to bed with the intention of being awake within your dream.
3. Start Your Mantra
It is effective to use a mantra when you are falling back to sleep.
Example:
“Anything I’m about to experience will be a dream and I will realize this right away.”
or
“I’m dreaming…I’m dreaming…I’m dreaming.”
I like to think it rather than say it out loud. This makes it easier to fall asleep.
During Hypnagogia, it is possible to experience sleep paralysis and hallucinations. Just keep using your mantra and try not to panic.
4. Change Your Frequency
According to research, our frontal lobe is active during Lucid Dreaming and vibrates with Gamma Waves.
Gamma Waves are associated with consciousness and alertness. Some people have experienced Lucid Dreaming by listening to
Gamma Wave binaural beats while falling asleep.
Try listening to this as you drift off to sleep.
5. Take a Nap
During naps we normally go straight into REM sleep, which is where most “storyline dreams” occur. It is not required to go through deep sleep in order to get into this REM state. We can use this to our advantage without setting an alarm.
6. Get a Gadget
Lucid dreaming devices are designed to induce lucid dreams by sending a signal to the dreamer while they are in the dream.
The most common device is a mask that detects REM sleep, then flashes lights that you can see through your eyelids.
Ideally, these lights are supposed to come through in your dreams.
This is similar to when an actual phone is ringing and you dream about a phone ringing in your dream scenario.
When you see the lights in your dreams it alerts you that you are dreaming.
7. Take Herbs
Herbs to induce or enhance lucid dreaming:
Mugwort, Valarian Root, Wild Asparagus Root, Galanatamine, Calea Zacatechichi is also known as the “African Dream Herb” and was used by African shamans to explore the dream world.
Lucid dreaming can be enlightening, revealing, healing, and is full of potential. I noticed by developing a consistent practice, it became easier and there was also something unexpected occurring.
My lucid dreams began overlaying my waking state as I realized I was also awake in this dream. I had creative potential in both. It opened my eyes in ways I did not expect.
I am excited to get back to my regular practice again and it was all inspired by a gruesome nightmare.
Thank you for reading. I hope this has been helpful.
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Great work!!! Thanks for sharing the information about Lucid Dream.Thanks.