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Lucid Dreaming

  • Writer: Samantha Thompson
    Samantha Thompson
  • Nov 6, 2020
  • 3 min read

Dreams are often completely ridiculous. We may be in strange places with people we have never seen before, but we never think to question things until we wake up. While we dream, we tend to just accept everything that’s going on around us. However, through a process called lucid dreaming, it is possible to influence and control your dreams.


When I was younger, I was able to lucid dream without even realizing it. One night, I had a dream that I was being chased by a giant until at some point I realized there was absolutely no way this was really happening. Once I figured out I was in a dream, I willed the giant to disappear and went off to do something else. From then on, I was able to control my dreams at random points.


My initial experiences with lucid dreaming were completely by chance, but there are many ways to cause it to happen for those who may be interested.


One method relies heavily on the power of suggestion. Our waking mind has a great deal of influence over our dreams, and one way to help lucid dreaming is to simply say that you’re going to do it. When you’re falling asleep, repeat a phrase in your mind like, “When I fall asleep tonight, I want to know that I’m dreaming.” This greatly increases your chances of having a lucid dream that night.


You can also use this method to influence the content of your dreams. Before you fall asleep, think about a subject that you want to dream about. Hold an image of the thing in your mind or repeat a phrase. For example, if you’d like to fly, visualize wings or yourself soaring. Although you may not be lucid within these dreams, it can still give you a measure of control over them.


A reliable way of knowing whether you’re dreaming or not is reality testing. This means checking in on your surroundings throughout the day to ensure that you really are aware of what’s going on around you. It has a concept similar to the “pinch me, I think I’m dreaming” cliche. Some ways to reality test include:

  • Looking into mirrors- in a dream, your reflection will often be strangely distorted

  • Looking closely at text- while dreaming, words are often fuzzy and hard to read

  • Check the time- if you’re asleep, the time on clocks will change randomly, while in real life it will remain consistent

  • Notice your body’s reactions- in a dream, if you pinch your nose, you’ll still be able to breathe, and it’s much harder to injure yourself

  • Test the solidity of objects- touch an object like a desk or the palm of your hand and visualize your hand going straight through it. In a dream, it will do so, while in reality it obviously will not.


Reality checks must be done throughout the day so that they become a habit. Your brain will then continue to do so while you are asleep, alerting you that you’re dreaming.


A final method is the Wake Back to Bed (WBTB) method. To complete this, set an alarm for 5-6 hours and then go to bed. When you wake up, get out of bed do a quiet activity that requires you to be fairly aware, such as reading a book. Then, fall back asleep. You should be able to lucid dream, as your conscious mind will be more active.


Once you become aware that you’re dreaming through these methods, you can take control of the dream by focusing and visualizing what you would like to happen. They require a bit of work, but they aren’t ridiculously time-consuming. So, for anyone who’s curious, I hope that these methods will be successful for you. Good luck!




6 Comments


evazhao
Nov 24, 2020

This blog is very interesting. I did not know that we can control what we dream about and become aware that we are dreaming while in a dream. It was really interesting to read about your experience in lucid dreaming and the many tips that can help others lucid dream as well. I might try it out for myself some time.

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Alejandro Alvarez
Alejandro Alvarez
Nov 24, 2020

This topic is very familiar to me, I have been able to do this for years. Every since I was in 5th grade, I have had complete control over my dreams except for a few instances. It is a great experience to decide what you are going to dream about that night, and then remember most of it the next day. I really like how the author went to talk about how to recognize it is a dream. For me the best way to recognize it is a dream is that my sensations are always dulled. I don't feel the wind on my skin despite it blowing. I don't feel the clothes that are constantly on my person. There is…

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Anjali Yedavalli
Anjali Yedavalli
Nov 16, 2020

I love your blog. Your writing style is so academic and interesting at the same time and makes me want to learn more! Obviously, lucid dreaming is a concept many people are familiar with, but I love how you go into detail and give tips on how to better understanding the ways in which we dream. I really do want to try out the tips you gave (but I'm a tiny bit afraid to, I don't know what'll happen!). It seems super fun, I may try it at least once.

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Shikha Barla
Shikha Barla
Nov 11, 2020

This blog post was extremely informative and interesting to read. I thought that your personal experience with lucid dreaming was really cool to learn about. Before learning about lucid dreaming, I had no idea to what extent one could control their dreams, if any. I think the tips you included about what to look for when lucid dreaming were pretty interesting to read and I might try them myself. Overall, great blog post and I'll definitely be back to learn more in the future!

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Grace Gustafson
Grace Gustafson
Nov 11, 2020

Wow, this blog was very interesting. I am very intrigued by sleep and dreaming. I have lucid dreamed once and it was a cool experience. I want to try out some of the tips you shared. It really amazes me how much power we have when we are even sleeping. I didn't know much of what you were discussing but I found it all very entertaining and I will definitely read more of your blogs.

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