How To: Lucid Dreaming

Lucid dreaming is more than just a bit of fun, it is also a GREAT additional method for self development and spiritual healing and growth!

NOTE: Again, these are all based on my ways, method and experiences.

Introduction to Lucid Dreaming

Lucid Dreaming is the ability to retain or re-gain your conscious awareness self whilst still in the dream. To be aware that you are currently experiencing a dream in first person. Your awareness of the you currently asleep in bed, that self comes back to you and the you that you are awake.. awakens in the dream. This is not the same as simply being aware of the dream. Its the ‘conscious self’ you are aware of being in the dream.

Contrary to popular belief this is not the same as having control in the dream itself. This can often take longer to learn and can only be done WHEN lucid.

Otherwise you are still caught in the restriction of the dream upon your own conscious awareness of self. Even if you dream that you are lucid.. it often feels shallow even when you are aware in the dream.

Whats the Other Benefits?

When utilised it can be used for a variety of things!

• Uncovering sub conscious fear and patterns
• Energy Healing methods can be particularly more powerful
• Exploration of the consciousness to help expand the mind
• A chance to meet your guides and higher self
• A platform for astral projection and other forms of travel
• Facing your shadow self
• Meeting soul family, connections and divine partners
• Receiving guidance and insight
• ..and more!

These are all things I have come across myself and I am sure there is more available.

Preparation

Firstly is handy to realise that a ‘dream’.. isnt ‘just a dream’. It is a reality.  ‘Dream’ is more accurate when describing a person’s state of awareness. Hence when the person is lucid and not longer dreaming, everything changes….

It is a whole other reality just as real and tangible as this one. It may not share the same ‘linear space and time’ as this waking reality, but it is just real.

Before attempting to utilise lucid dreaming it is first important to learn the difference between a lucid dream and dreaming you are lucid. Above all FEEL it. You wont see or hear it. You feel it.. your awareness. (being self aware helps as well as energy sensitive).

That way, as you put it into practice, you will not be fooled and disillusioned by the distorted experience of dreaming you are lucid.

The things to look for isnt in the dream itself initially, but your awareness and perception of yourself. From there the awareness and perception of the reality around you.

At first spending a few weeks learning to recognise the following in dream will help you to get to know what your looking for. These may not always be evident for everyone but are some elements I have noticed.

When you are actually lucid:

1. What was your only life and reality become the dream your currently having
2. You become your waking self, aware your currently laying in bed, asleep, dreaming
3. You recall your waking life, who you are, what you do etc
4. Reality is pushed beyond the current (dream) reality to incorporate the ‘waking’ reality into entirety of your existence ‘as well as’
5. You seem to disconnect your attachment to the dream reality and its concept of self you were wearing
6. It feels very much like the saying ‘In the world yet not a part of it’
7. You obtain an observer like state no longer influenced by the dreams realities restrictions
8. Any ‘script’ you were following of the dream reality becomes lifted, you are no longer stuck acting out as the dream reality dictates

When you dreaming you are lucid:

1. The (dream) reality  remains the one and only reality and self your aware of
2. You remain your ‘asleep self’, you are actually unaware of ‘who else’ you actually are
3. You dont actually remember who are you, what you do when awake.. you just think/believe you do.. looking deeper and see if the actual awareness is underneath the belief
4. The reality remains that why, a reality, it is never becomes a dream even if if it ‘called’ that by your dream self. Reality remain confined to the dream.
5. The reality still dictates your awareness of who and what you are
6. ‘Part of the crew, part of the ship’ – you are still part of the dream and dreaming  reality
7. Any lucidity does not spread out to the entire reality. It remains as ‘thought’. The dream still goes on, you still play your part in it.
8. You follow and believe in the your ‘script’. As the dream is a play, so are you an actor playing a part and you still believe that is who and what you are…The restrictions of which deny you any knowledge of there being any reality ‘off stage’

Lucid Dreaming Methods

There are many different methods out there for lucid dreaming. I will cover the ones that I found worked for me and some examples I experience.

• Recalling Dreams in Detail

The most BASIC ability you need to foster is to be aware of the dreams WHILST they are happening. Not to only be aware once you wake up, then its too late.

Also to be able to retain dream memories in detail. This helps the mind not only to recall this seemingly fragile memories but become more attuned to them, thus aware. Best ways I found for this was dream journalling and run throughs.

Run throughs are done immediately on waking, even when I was aware during the dream, to help retain the details. I would immediately run through the dream in my mind, re playing it like a creative imagination exercise, though only sticking to what I could remember. I would do this 2-3 times. Then when I was awake and ‘out of bed’..

• Journalling.

At first I would write the dream out in its entirely. Much like telling a story. Everything I saw, heard felt, did, noticed. I would then note a few questions at the bottom, note the parts that seemed ‘odd’ and stand out from the general theme. Note every dream. I came to a point where I was writing 5-6 dreams in great detail and it would take me near two hours and I realised I had maybe taken it to far than I needed. LOL. If you get this far.. just note anything that REALY stands out as odd and that didnt seem to belong.

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• Lucid Testing

I tried many methods in my attempt to have lucid dreams.

They best involved doing ‘reality check’ throughout the waking day which, after a few weeks or months worked there way as a habit into the subconscious and would eventually manifest in the dreams. With the right awareness, they can trigger lucidity.

What time is it?

One thing dreams arnt good at is consistency. Its a film editors nightmare. This is especially true when looking at the time. Assuming the clock has numbers or even hands, it rarely shows the same time twice in succession.

Check the time then check it again. Is it the same as it was when you first checked not a few seconds ago? Does it even have numbers or hands?!  Be aware of the result and say it to yourself along with your conclusion.

Turn the light off/on

This was THE most effective for me. Electricity doesnt really exist in the same way in dreams, or even projections and chances are if you go to turn on a light (or in my case turn off an alarm) it is most like to remain on, off.. or the alarm will annoying continue to sound off in your ears not matter how hard the flick the ‘alarm off’ switch.  Like myself, you might lean over to do the test.. then realise that the lamp in front of you….you actually got rid off two years ago.. there is your evidence!

Through out the day try a light, a lamp be aware of what should happen and check it out.

(it only happened once or twice, but sometimes the light WOULD turn on and the check failed but in over 20 years, I think its an acceptable amount).

Stretchy Fingers

The dream world is just as pliable as putty and so can be the body. Give your fingers a tug and see what happens.

As you run through you check during the day, keep in mind that dreams are liable and your fingers are fully capable of being ultra stretchy.

It maybe be that you look down and dont even see a body!

The evidence that it is a dream is all around you. You just need to be aware that it isnt ‘normal’ to your waking reality. Look for the differences to help you disconnect from the restriction of the dream state and expand beyond it.

Above all, the biggest killer of lucid dreaming for me when the checks began to work was the excitement. I would become lucid and get so excited that I would find myself laying in bed awake. I would blink and wonder why I woke up, then kick myself when I realised why. Be patient and forgive yourself, its understandable to get excited.

So I recommend that after each check, you take a steady breath and tell yourself to remain calm. Breathe a few breathes and take a look around at your surroundings.

If you are looking for further information you may wish to check out: Dream vs Lucid vs Astral?