As dreaming’s been coming up a lot recently in blogs I read, I thought it might be a good idea to teach you all how to lucid dream.
Lucid dreaming is when you know that you’re dreaming, and can control the dream. I seem to recall reading a few years back that the most popular things to do are
a) have sex
b) fly
Both of which are great fun, whether dreaming or awake.
If you’re prone to nightmares and don’t enjoy them, it’s also a good way to jump tracks, and dream about something more fun instead.
It’s actually quite easy to lucid dream, and just takes a few weeks to learn. The technique’s actually very simple: you just have to learn to be aware whether you’re asleep or awake.
The way you do this is by cueing yourself up to ask the question, until it becomes a force of habit. You can do it by time (once every three hours, say), or by stimulus (every time you see a door, or the sky, or any other common object).
It works like this:
You see a door.
You think to yourself: Ooh. It’s a door. Am I dreaming?
You think to yourself: No, I’m not.
So, there you have it: Door / Dreaming? / No
Just get into the habit of checking every time you see a door. After a couple of weeks of this, your subconscious will now be in the habit of checking whether you’re dreaming or not on a regular basis.
The next thing that will happen is this:
You see a door.
You think to yourself: Ooh. It’s a door. Am I dreaming?
You think to yourself: Bloody hell, I am!
That’s the first stage. Now you know you’re dreaming.
You might be able to influence the dream already at this point. In this case: Off you go. Have fun.
If you find you can’t influence the dream yet, not to worry. You just need to create a break in the dream – changing it from a dream you can’t influence, to one where you can. And the easiest way to do that is to just change the setting.
So walk through the door. You could use anything, really: a change of landscape, a change of time, the next time you meet someone or something in the dream, all you really need to do is decide that the next change will give you control of the dream.
But, given that you’ve got a door there anyway, just choose what you want to be on the other side, and step through.
At this point, you’ll be able to control what happens in the dream. Meet anyone you like, do anything you want, really.
I recommend flying, and sex.
13 responses to “Lucid Dreaming”
Very exciting. I’m reading a blog about lucid dreaming. Am I dreaming? Drat. Not sure.
I thought you had to put elastic bands on your wrists? That’s how a Navajo Indian told me to do it, anyway. If you can feel the pain while you’re asleep, you can connect to your conscious self.
I’m going to try the door thing but on the whole, I’m not sure if I’m ready to embrace the idea of controlling my dreams – I quite like the element of surprise.
How’s the play coming, btw? Do you want us there for press night?
And sex whilst flying? That would ensure really lucid dreams, surely?
Seriously though, lucid dreaming is easy to do once you’ve got the hang of it and it’s really exhilarating.
I got the hang of lucid dreaming when I was a child prone to nightmares. I discovered I could wake myself up by ensuring I repeated INXS lyrics. Weird I know, but necessary – especially as I am now an adult prone to nightmares. People often tell me they have fun dreams but I NEVER DO, even when I instruct myself to. Very disappointing. Occasionally I will have just weird dreams and have to make do. The best weird dream I ever had involved buying a box of milk tray, opening the box and finding lots of tiny kittens where the chocs were supposed to be. I was 16though, so it was quite a while ago. Most of my dreams involve tidal waves, underground creatures, lost children and schools with underground creatures in.
Ooh. Most instructive.
I like the idea of the kitten milk tray. One of the points about lucid dreaming is to be able to meet friends, solve problems. Maybe we should all head to Lucy’s house and try to find the lost children? I dare not go to Piers’s in case he’s flying or having sex. That would be quite inappropriate.
I can’t wait to try this out. eeee!
Helen – pls do come to my house and find the lost kids. Though please be aware that once when I found one, it was an impostor and full of acid. Be sure to wear gloves and eye-protectors.
Helen: elastic bands would work just fine.
The play’s now entering its final week of rehearsal. Haven’t decided which nights I’m going yet…
I’ve had two lucid dreams in my life, that I can remember.
In the first, I was being chased along a cliff edge, then realised I was dreaming and flew away. That showed ’em.
In the second, I was running across my high school’s playground, and smashed through a classroom window.
I’m going to give this ‘door’ business a try. Yes.
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I’ve been a lucid dreamer since about age 8. I’ve got it down to a science, now, and it’s a very effective tool in my work as a professional writer.
In some dreams, I’m in a place, talking to people, things are happening to me and around me, when suddenly I stop and say (in the dream): “This is boring. I want this character to go, I want that character to be wearing a black leather vest over a crisp white dress shirt, I want the set to have two flights of stairs and an elevator — and change that wall colour. How about deep purple? That would be better.”
Next thing you know, the character I was talking to just fades away, along with all the other suggested changes, and the scene continues.
It’s like being the writer, director, set decorator, wardrobe stylist and lead actress in my own very low-low budget film. My only regret is that no one (real) can watch the action along with me.
KJC
I had one as a child where I became a sort of extra character in the Dalek Invasion Earth 2150 AD film. And it was set in Cardiff.
I wouldn’t mind having that one again actually.
Off to look at doors now.
Helen: Press Night would be good!
The only one I can remember having involved me being in the backseat of a car with someone driving very fast and very recklessly in an underground carpark, then out on the roads. I was terrified! Then I found myself thinking “Waaaiiit a minute. This isn’t real, I’m dreaming!” I then proceeded to enjoy the experience! It was totally bizarre and I never thought about it again until now. Lucid dreaming… I’d never heard of that before… I’d certainly like to try the technique (Seth Lakeman tune your instrument ‘cos I’m on my way!) lol. I do agree with Helen, though…The element of surprise is definitely a good factor that I enjoy.