By Bruce N. Gelerter | The Mind Unleashed
Lucid dreaming doesn’t work for everyone, but those that do find themselves able to induce lucid dreams largely rely on a few popular methods. While most of these lucid dreaming tips rely only on mental preparation and self-coaching to induce lucid dreams, there are lucid dream gadgets, such as the lucid dreaming mask, that also assist in controlling your dreams. Read on to learn more:
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1. Reality Check
One of the fundamentals of learning to lucid dream is the reality check. While a successful reality check may induce lucid dreaming on its own, it is also an integral part of many other lucid dreaming techniques. Thus, it is a good place to begin when first attempting to enter a lucid dream.
The idea behind the reality check is that by noticing discrepancies between the reality in your waking life and that in a dream, you will be able to become aware that you are dreaming and thus take control.
Here are a few popular reality check methods for inducing a lucid dream:
Draw a large dot or symbol on your hand. Look down at it periodically throughout the day, each time asking yourself: “Am I awake or dreaming?” Make this a habit. Eventually, this question will pop up within a dream, allowing you to become aware and enter a lucid dream. Plug your nose and close your mouth. Can you still breath? Perhaps you are dreaming. Look at a clock. Are the numbers garbled (if digital)? Does the passage of time seem out of whack? These are good indicators of being in a dream. Try to run. Being unable to run, or finding that you run at a sluggish pace, or as if you are wading through water is a classic sign of dreaming. Try poking your finger through your wrist. If you find that you can pass parts of your body through yourself, this may be a good cue to begin lucid dreaming.
Set yourself a timer or simply remember to do one or more of these reality checks throughout the day, even when it seems that you are awake. Once these become ingrained in your normal, routine behavior, you’ll learn to run these reality checks while you are dreaming, thus making it easier for you induce lucid dreams.
2. Recognize Dream Signs
Dream signs, like reality checks, are good indicators that you are dreaming and help “snap” you into a lucid dream. Universal dream signs include:
Failing electronics. Light switches, lamps, small kitchen appliances and other electronic items rarely function properly in dreams. Lighting discrepancies. Is it dark but, for some reason, you can see brightly colored objects anyway? This is a good sign that you are dreaming. Deformations. Morphing shapes or oddly shaped or sized items are indicators that you are dreaming. Recurring dreams. While not a specific item, many people have recurring dreams (i.e. teeth falling out, being chased). Encountering a situation like this is a good cue to attempt to enter a lucid dream.
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Dream signs and reality checks are the meat and potatoes of lucid dream induction. Use them in conjunction with the methods below:
3. Mnemonic Induced Lucid Dreaming (MILD)
As you fall asleep, repeat to yourself, “I will wake up after each dream period and remember my dream.”
Now, each time you wake up during the night, write down everything you can recall from your dream. If you can’t remember the specific content of your dream, simply write down how you feel.
Go back to sleep. As you drift off to sleep again, keep your previous dream in mind. Try to visualize yourself back inside the dream, picking up where you left off (or where you’d like it to go).
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Repeat this process throughout the night until you enter a lucid dream.
