How to Lucid Dream – Yes, even you can do it

 How I experienced my first Lucid dream, and yes you can do it too!

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Back when I was 18, a of mine friend kept insisting I watch Waking Life, a film by Richard Linklate. Thank the universe she did because it immediately became one of my favorite movies. Waking Life introduced me to the concept of lucid dreaming.

I have always been consumed with my dreams. They have been immensely vivid since I was a toddler. It’s been both a blessing and a curse.  While many are fascinating, many more have been terrifying.  I’ve gone through this cycle since I can remember. A few months of good dreams and then a few months of nightmares.  As I’ve gotten older they have only intensified.  Most days I wake up exhausted from my dreams.  Sometimes it will take me hours to come back to complete reality. Naturally, because they have been such a prominent part of my life, I’ve been curious about what they are, how they work, and how they translate into my waking life.

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 Admittedly, at first I was a little weary. It definitely seemed too good to be true.  I thought that kind of experience existed only in my day dreams, and if it was actually possible, I would never be able to do it. If I’m going to fully know and believe in something, I have to experience it for myself. Through practice and consistency I did achieve my first Lucid dream and have had many more since.

Lucid dreaming is a scientifically proven phenomenon when the dreamer becomes aware they are dreaming, allowing you to go anywhere and do anything. It’s a wonderful tool for exploring the subconscious and it’s also fucking awesome.

Here are the two simple methods that I have personally used and have worked for me.

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I was already in the habit of doing this long before trying to have a lucid dream. It’s incredibly fascinating how if you record a dream right when you wake up, you can go back years later, read about the dream, and remember it like you just woke up from it.  This is crucial. Especially if you have a hard time remembering your dreams to begin with.

• Keep a journal or pad of paper and a pen by your bed and right down what you remember right when you wake up. Don’t wait. You will begin to forget details rapidly and the dream will become vague and hard to recollect.
• Write down what you saw, what you felt, who was there, what you were doing….write down everything.  This will help you understand your dream patterns, and ultimately help you recognize your dream state from your waking state.

 

Whatever we do consistently during the day will arise in our dreams. But if we actively question our experience consistently during the day, we will question our experience at night.

• Throughout your day ask yourself, “Am I dreaming?”

• Look at your hands and ask yourself if theres anything peculiar about them

• Close your mouth and pinch your nostrils. Then try to breath. When you’re awake you will not be able to breathe since your mouth and nostrils are blocked. However, in a dream state you will still be able to breathe.

• Try to turn on a light switch. If it doesn’t turn on, it could very well be a dream.

• Look at any text or writing, look away then look back again. If it has changed or is shifting then you are dreaming.

• Look at a nearby clock and read the time. Look away and then back again. Is the time the same?

 

• Many people find that naps are a great way to have lucid dreams. I had my first Lucid dream while taking a nap

• Practice…Patience….Practice…Patience. Don’t give up and don’t slack. It will happen if you continue to practice and have patience. Don’t get discouraged!

• Believe you can do it! Even if you’re doubtful, tell yourself you can and will become lucid

• Make a plan in your waking state. Decide what you will do first when you become lucid. Like most people, I decided I would fly.  It’s much easier when you become lucid when you already know what you want to do.

• Try Binary Beats to help you go deeper into a trance-like state of meditation when you lay down for bed. Here’s a link to one if you are unfamiliar

Here’s a video clip from waking life where two dream characters discuss Lucid Dreaming

Good Luck!

Ali Kiddo