How to Lucid Dream? What is a lucid dream? A beginners guide

The Mystery of Lucid Dreams: A Beginner's Guide

Ever woken up from an exhilarating dream and wished you could go back and relive every moment? If so - let me introduce you to the world of lucid dreaming ... where not only is this possible, but this is norm. Not only can you go back to old dreams, you can consciously create new ones - because in lucid dreaming, you are the master of your destiny - and here’s? how to do it.?

First though… what is lucid dreaming?

Lucid dreaming is a style of dreaming under your conscious control - you are the orchestrator, the director, the visionary, the commander. While this in itself is incredible, the benefits are far more extensive - and have real world value, as fans like Albert Einstein, blockbuster film director James Cameron and novelist Stephen King know.?

What benefits can lucid dreaming deliver?

With you the governor of these dreams, this means that you can go to bed, stuck on a problem, unable to find a solution; and find it within your lucid dream.?

While this sounds too good to be true, it is in fact, true: whilst in REM (dream) sleep, the brain’s frontal lobe is partially ‘switched off’ - inhibiting logical and rational decision making.?

Instead, your mind is open, flexible and fluid; able to contemplate alternative options, innovative strategies and think-outside-of-the-box concepts - exactly why forward thinking thought leaders have been so intrigued by them.. eager to expand their mind.?

So, looping back to the before-bed problem with (previously) no solution, with lucid dreaming and your conscious manipulation of the dream, you can achieve specific outcomes - such as solving your problem.?

How to Cultivate Lucid Dreaming: A Step-by-Step Plan

1. Use Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD)

Of all techniques to induce lucid dreaming, MILD is king - a 2022 meta analytic academic report comparing strategies found it was the most effective, the most researched, and the most consistent - 6 of 8 clinical trials exclusively using it demonstrated an increase in lucid dream frequency; with one of the scientific papers finding a three times greater likelihood in lucid dreaming -? from 3.7% to 13%.?

Based on the premise of intention setting, the MILD process is:?

1. In bed, when falling asleep - or when you wake through the night - think of a recent dream
2. Recall a ‘dream-sign’ (aka sign of dreaming - a superpower, time travel or similar not-quite-right scenario)
3. Remind yourself that the dream sign only exists your dreams?
4. Repeat your intention to return to that specific dream, and experience that specific dream-sign, as you are drifting to sleep?

2. Practice the ‘Wake back to bed’ (WBTB) method

Especially for those waking through the night, this will be very appealing - the Wake Back to Bed method helps 40% of newbies to lucid dream after only 2 nights, as verified by a dream-sign, as noted in a 2020 clinical trial.

This process involves:

1. Setting an alarm to wake after 4.5 hours of sleep
2. Engaging in a mindful, calming activity like reading or meditation for 20 minutes when woken
3. Return to sleep - ideally using the MILD technique above.

As dream sleep dominates between 3-6am; by waking in this period, quieting your mind and setting your intention accordingly, you’re much more likely to lucid dream… 40% more likely!?

3. Start a dream journal?

Not to be overlooked as too simplistic, a dream journal is a powerful technique - and when combined with MILD, can increase lucid dream frequency by 45% in just 4 weeks - as in a 2017 scientific study.

Rather than recall and write your entire dream, specifically document your dream signs - and do so each morning. Regardless if you recall dreaming or not, before getting up, take a moment to pause, reflect and question: “did I lucid dream last night? What dream-signs that emerged? What signals show I was dreaming??

In doing so, you train your conscious mind to become more aware of your dreams, dream-signs and the fact you were dreaming - helping you achieve this conscious awareness through the night too.?

Final thoughts

With lucid dreaming dependent upon awareness and consciousness; these evening practices, combined with morning ones of mindfulness and meditation, form the ideal lucid dream elixir. To increase your likelihood even more, steer clear of consciousness-limiting substances such as alcohol and drugs - and look forward to the night of your dreams… literally.