Dreams are one of the most mysterious occurrences of the human experience. While studies have shown that other species may dream as well, the difference with humans and other animals is that we are able to question and ponder what dreaming actually is.
We literally pretend to be sleeping until we fall asleep, go through multiple stages of sleep, have intensely random experiences that are so vivid that we cannot tell we are dreaming, then we wake up and (more often than not) forget the entire thing minutes later!
When we truly question the concept of dreams, we are left with many trippy questions about reality/consciousness and very few answers… But, can it get any trippier? Yes, it can! Things can always get more trippy!
I am going to teach you about something called lucid dreaming. Additionally, I will also teach you how you can learn to lucid dream yourself and truly explore the unknown depths of your subconscious mind.
Let’s dive into the abyss as I introduce you to the world of lucid dreaming.
Before we go any further, let me give you a brief on what lucid dreaming is. Essentially, lucid dreaming is when you are in the middle of a dream and you suddenly realise you are dreaming and ‘wake up’ without actually waking up in real life. When you start lucid dreaming, you are able to have more control over your dream. You can manipulate what is happening in the dream with little to no effort.
For example, you could wake up in a dream and decide you want to literally fly across the world and go to a place you’ve always dreamed (pun intended) of going to but haven’t yet. As far as I am aware, flying is one of the most common things that lucid dreamers decide to do once they wake up in the dreamworld.
I used to do this a lot when I started lucid dreaming and still do it from time to time. However, I find it more amusing to speak to dream characters these days as they will surprise you with their humour, wit and/or wisdom. Or, they may simply leave you with utter confusion running through your dream brain. Either way, this is your dream and you officially become in control when you become lucid. You can do pretty much whatever you want to do!
Before moving on, I think it is important to introduce you to two terms. When talking about dreams, we use the terms ‘dreamworld’ and ‘waking life’ to describe two different places.
Dreamworld: You guessed it… the dreamworld is the place you exist in during a dream, lucid or not! Essentially, this is the dreamscape.
Waking life: Again, you may have guessed this one. Waking life is the place you are in right now as you read this. This is used to describe the world you live in while you are awake.
Let’s move on and let me teach you an ‘easy’ way to lucid dream.
While there are many different methods for lucid dreaming, I am going to teach you my go-to technique that helped me have my first intentional lucid dream.
While there are many ways to go about the ‘hand method’, here is what I can suggest.
Throughout the day, put your hands in front of your face, stare at them and repeat the question ‘Am I dreaming?’ either in your head or out loud. For best results, set a timer on your phone for every hour and do this for a few minutes at a time. The more the better!
TIP: Instead of looking down at your hands, hold them up directly in front of your face.
Before you go to bed, do the same thing but for 5 or more minutes. Do this in your bed right before you are about to sleep. When you are done and ready to go to bed, repeat this statement ‘I am going to wake up in my dreams tonight’ in your head for as long as you can until you eventually drift off to sleep.
This is not a way to automatically lucid dream, so do not expect it to work immediately. Patience is key. It may take you a few weeks or even multiple months to have a lucid dream and everyone is different. That being said, this may not even be the most effective way for you to lucid dream. This is just the way that works for me and is a typical method used by lucid dreamers everywhere.
If this does work for you, one day you will find yourself in the dreamworld, completely oblivious that you are dreaming and your hands will randomly appear in front of your face/vision. You will likely realise what is happened and wake up in your dream!
When you wake up in a lucid dream, you experience deep sensations of bliss/excitement and will probably react by literally jumping for joy-but be careful! It is very common for people to become lucid in a dream and get so excited that it makes them awaken in the waking world. This is especially common for beginners.
It is also common to start lucid dreaming and then get sucked back into the dream, losing your lucidity. Dream characters can be sneaky. In my experience, they often try to distract me once they realise I’ve woken up and try to redirect my attention which can dissolve my lucidity. Just keep practising and you will get the hang of it to the point where your dream characters cannot trick you like this as easily.
Included below are a few of what I believe to be helpful tips for the beginner lucid dreamer.
Experiment: There appears to be countless ways to induce a lucid dream and each technique works differently on everyone. So do your research and try as many methods as possible because what works for someone else may not work for you.
Sleep quality: There are 4 main cycles of sleep; awake, light, deep, and rapid eye movement (REM). We dream during our last stage of sleep; REM. Someone who gets high-quality sleep each night gets enough REM sleep, which is roughly 90 minutes. If you focus on increasing your sleep quality, you will have more success lucid dreaming. Remember, with sleep (and many other things in life) quality comes above quantity!
Stay consistent: Do not give up! Lucid dreaming comes more naturally for some while others have to put in a lot more work. The more consistent you are, the better your results will be and it is definitely worth it in the end.
Dreamy plants: This is of course optional but doing a little bit of research and supplementing certain herbs/plants has been a game-changer for me! Here is a little list of herbs that can help you sleep better, dream more vividly and possibly induce lucid dreaming:
Of course, experiment with different plants and see with works best for you.
Dream tracking: Keep a dream journal beside your bed with a pen handy. Whether you wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning, make sure you try your best to immediately pick up your dream journal and write anything that you can recall any memories you are bringing back with you from the dreamworld.
Looking back at these entries helps you gain a clearer understanding of the way the dreamworld operates and helps you directly recall your dreams, helping you notice any patterns or recurrences. This isn’t 100% necessary to lucid dream but it is something that many lucid dreamers use as a tool to familiarize themselves with the nature of their own dreams.
The best advice I can give you is to take different approaches and think about dreaming as many times throughout the waking day as possible. As time goes by with consistent practice, lucid dreaming becomes more effortless.
When we dream, we enter a world that is entirely our own. This is where you become limitless and feel more alive and awake than ever before.
I wish you all the best on this journey and hope that this article will help you find yourself awake in the dreaming world. Happy travelling!
Another Stamets blog. Are you really that surprised? At Journey, we really cannot get enough of this walking legend! Public speaker, researcher, climate change activist,
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