Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Lucid dreams, dreams in which you know that you are dreaming

A lot of people do not know that you can change your dreams (and especially your nightmares). It is even possible to go a step further than the Senoi (I will tell more about this later). At Stanford University in 1981 Stephen LaBerge clearly proved that people can be awake and conscious during their dreams (these are called: 'conscious dreams' or 'lucid dreams'). In this kind of dream you realize that you are dreaming. And you are capable of directing the dream.


This way of dreaming can be learned. Indeed, it is a fact that about ten percent of all people occasionally have conscious dreams. This group has a 'natural' talent for this kind of dream. But they can also further develop it.

On having lucid dreams

I think that is useful to explain the nature of lucid dreams a bit further (and make you experience such a dream a little).

Everybody knows how realistic dreams can be. Usually you only realize that 'it was all a dream' after you have woken up.

Look around in the room in which you find youself. Look at the objects, feel the clothes you are wearing, listen to all the sounds around you. Perhaps you can smell or taste something. Now imagine that you realize (in one way or the other) that this is a dream. Initially this would be something of a shock, because you thought that it was reality. But soon this feeling changes into
one of excitement. 'This is a dream,' you realize, 'and I can do anything I like!' At such moments people often experience feelings of freedom and power (but don't let these become too strong, or you may wake up).

Inspect your surroundings or change them. Travel through time to exotic places. Meet your ideal dream-love. Make experiments in this dream-world!


Note that this goes a step further than what the Senoi did. They usually had only a couple of seconds of lucidity. Enough to change a nightmare or to start something enjoyable. But if you are having a lucid dream you stay conscious of the fact that you are dreaming.

Methodes to have conscious dreams

Fear

Fear can lead to lucidity. My daughter Lisa for instance had a dream in which she was chased by a "creepy guy". She ran through abandoned streets and heard him coming nearer. I had told her: "You know it is weird, but if you are afraid in your dream you can know that you are dreaming. When you know this you can change the dream".

While the "creepy guy" came nearer and nearer and almost grabbed Lisa, she suddenly realized that it was a dream. This is a very surprising experience, especially the first time. Lisa turned around, looked the villain straight in his eyes and shouted: "Go away!". Our dog "Ralf" sat beside her and growled at the creep, after which the man ran away scared.

Lisa was justly very proud when she awoke. It is important as a parent to make some time to praise your child. This increases the chance that other nightmares will also end well.

Peculiarities

Dreams are often odd. Also when you realize this you can know that you are dreaming. Everything that is by day impossible, can be the reason that you know that you are dreaming. Extreme things, like monsters and flying furniture. But it can also be more subtle things.

I dreamt once that I was back in my parental home. I looked a bit in closets, visited the kitchen and the attic. I believed that it was all real (which we always do in our dreams). Suddenly I realized that in reality my parental home was demolished. This could not be that place, so I had to be dreaming.


If you know this, you can really undertake all sorts of things. You can for instance change your surroundings in an old seagoing ship, a hot-air balloon, or anything you could think of.

It is really important to stay calm, because extreme emotions can cause you to wake up. The first time I had a lucid dream, I became so enthusiastic that I immediately awoke.

The next time becoming aware that you are dreaming

It might be that there was something frightening of strange in your dream, but you did not realized that you were dreaming. Then say to yourself that you will know that you are dreaming the next time you have that frightening or strange experience.

This is usually very effective.

Spurious awakening

One of the extraordinary things that lucid dreamers (and common dreamers as well) may experience is 'spurious awakening'. One imagines waking up in bed, goes about one's daily duties, but afterwards one still happens to be dreaming. Lucid dreamers experience this phenomenon rather more often than others.

LaBerge found a way in which one realizes at such a moment as well that it is a dream. If you have had such a experience, expect the next time you wake up after a dream that this is still a dream as well.

So, if you wake up after a dream, you immediately check whether you are still dreaming. The most common way to do this is by trying to fly a short distance. If you succeed, you can be certain that you are dreaming.

When will I have my first lucid dream?

A very important condition (and perhaps the most important one) for experiencing a lucid dream is 'motivation'. If you merely think: 'I wouldn't mind dreaming like this,', you are not really motivated. But if you decide: 'I want to have a conscious dream, and I shall have it!', you have a much bigger chance that it will happen soon.

How soon and how often one will experience this, differs from person to person. But the same rule applies to learning to have lucid dreams as learning other skills: there is no progress without practice. With a reasonable amount of motivation and practice most people will succeed in having lucid dreams several times a month.

It is also important to remember and write down your dreams. Also read my article about that.

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