Meaning of a Dream

There's no question that your first lucid dream will be the hardest to achieve. But that's not exactly helpful is it - hardest compared to what?

Until you start lucid dreaming, you have zero basis for comparison. And that's why, it seems, a lot of beginners flounder in this realm for a few weeks or months before deciding that lucidity is an impossible dream, and they give up.

I'm writing this article to help you over the brink from vague fuzzy dreams, to the heady world of lucid dreaming. I'm going to give you some specific advice and equip you with some advanced knowledge - so the next time you are on the verge of a lucid dream, you are automatically prepared to jump right in...

First, commit yourself to learning this incredible new skill. You'll be very lucky to start lucid dreaming the first day you hear about it (although it happens, thanks to the subconscious incubation technique). But most people will need to start with some background reading and mentally prepare themselves - this website is a good start. The most popular section of which is lucid dreaming techniques.

To summarize those links in a nutshell, you should be:

Writing at least one regular dream per night in your dream journal Performing at least 10 reality checks throughout the waking day Doing at least 20 minutes of meditation per day

Those are the bare minimum requirements to start lucid dreaming, in my mind. The links above also explain how to perform the famous MILD and WILD techniques, plus how to identify and manipulate your ideal REM periods for lucid dreaming. If you do all that and still don't have your first lucid dream, read on.

Lucid dreams are exceptionally vivid. When someone reports a vague lucid dream, where they sort-of knew they were dreaming, or sort-of had control, it is a form of subconscious lucidity, or semi-lucidity. These types of dreams can be quite disappointing because they undermine the brilliance of true lucid dreaming.

For beginners, we want to artificially stimulate that feeling of lucidity in a subconscious dream; to catch a glimpse of a realistic dream world where you will understand the power of the subconscious mind to create tangible landscapes - where everything you touch is real. The best way to do this is with dream herbs.

My favorite dream herb to date is Calea Zacatechichi. This is safe and natural herb discovered by Mexican shamans to induce vivid and meaningful dreams. These dreams may not be lucid (it takes conscious recognition to realize that you're dreaming) but they are leagues apart from regular dreams.

In my Calea Z dreams, I've lived alien lives that seemed to last for years, and followed complex and dramatic plots involving many characters. The dreams can be completely normal or out-of-this-world... and they are always exceptionally vivid. They may lead you to your first lucid dream; but if they don't, they will certainly give you a taste of what a meaningful dream is like.

Another excellent way to start lucid dreaming if you are on the brink is to increase your consciousness within a regular dream. The most famous method is called reality checking. But there are other ways to increase the clarity and focus of your dream so that is develops into a true lucid dream.

First of all, the opportunity must present itself within a regular dream. If you're reading lots about lucid dreaming during the day (and especially before sleep) then you're already putting your subconscious mind in the optimum state. When you have that vague inkling that you're dreaming, or you begin to will things to happen in the dream (but they just don't work), seize the moment by:

Quickly looking at the palms of your hands and studying the detailRubbing your hands together and feeling the frictionShout out "I'm lucid!" or "Clarity now!" to the dreamscapeSpin around and feel the sensation of movement

There is a method to this madness... Each of these techniques stir the higher conscious brain in one way or another. And that is the switch that will turn your regular-but-vaguely-lucid dream into a vivid lucid dream.

Once you have stabilized yourself within your conscious dream, stay calm and explore your environment. Don't try to do anything too fancy too soon, like teleport to the moon.

Initially just walk or float around, touching nearby objects, and soaking up the atmosphere. Relish the fact that your fuzzy internal dream has just been transformed into a living, tangible reality.

This will help you stay in your first lucid dream for as long as possible. For many people who start lucid dreaming, the early ones only last a few seconds - usually because they get too overwhelmed or excited, and jolt themselves awake. You now have the benefit of knowing that you must consciously make your first lucid dream last longer. Remember this - and build your lucid experience slowly.

For step-by-step tutorials in lucidity, check out The Lucid Dreaming Fast Track, my digital course that shows beginners the fastest way to lucid dreams.

Here are my top 5 lucid dream challenges for beginners. Everyone has their own agenda when it comes to conscious guided dreams - but here are some cool tricks that I hope will inspire you and develop your dream control skills...

Everyone loves to have flying dreams - it provides us with the ultimate freedom from our real-world physical limitations. Learning how to fly in a lucid dream comes completely naturally for some people. For others, it takes a little practice.

I came in the latter group. When I first learned lucid dreaming, I found it difficult to fly because my logical brain kept holding me back. I would often get 10 or 15 feet in the air then falter and fall to the ground. Whatever the cause, this became a learned behavior, so eventually I had to consciously "unlearn" it in my dreams.

First I began by bouncing over the landscape, knowing each time I would bounce gently off the ground, light as a feather, then return safely with no harm done. This made me feel in control of my flying dreams and gave me more confidence of my ability to be weightless.

Soon, bouncing turned to hovering and floating everywhere around the dreamscape at a reasonably safe height, and as I had more flying experiences, I got rapidly better. Within a few lucid dreams I was able to fly up around the tops of sky scrapers, above the clouds, into space and around the moon. Like everything in my lucid dreams, it was a steep learning curve. I then went into hyperspace mode, flying through the universe at impossible speeds, watching the stars whoosh by. Flying dreams are the best!

Like flying dreams, here is another exhilarating lucid dream challenge for beginners. Walking or pushing your body through the wall is not only a great reality check - it's also a great learning experience. By passing your body through physical objects, you will quickly write a new rule book for the unreality of the dreamworld. It will rapidly improve your ability to take control of your guided dreams and get exactly what you want, without any futile mucking around.

First, gently push your hand against the wall and imagine it going right through. Don't think of the wall as a solid object. Focus on how your hand might feel if it simply pushed right through. Your expectation is key.

Once you get the hang of this, it will become easier and easier. The next step is to walk your entire body through a wall or other solid object. Think of yourself as a ghost passing through matter from another dimension. If you keep your eyes open you should be able to see the wall interior.

Sometimes, I find that moving at the wall too slowly causes me to overthink it and I bounce off it in disbelief. So it pays to be bold and go for it: run directly at a wall really fast, thinking about how great it will feel when you pass through the other side. You definitely aren't going to smack into it at that speed. Ok?

Once in a lucid dream, I was running through walls in an apartment building on the top floor of a skyscraper. I knew I was near the exterior wall and just as I thought about it I flew out into the night sky, the ground falling away at my feet. Of course, I was the architect of that moment and it was my expectation that caused me to run right out of the building in mid-air. Equally, it was my confidence in my new abilities that enabled me to fly off into the night, rather than fall to the ground with a splat. So always remember that having confidence and bold expectations will enable you to achieve anything you want in your lucid dreams.

Sometimes it pays to simply explore your dreamscape in its natural form - something I call following the subconscious thread, or passive lucid dreaming. While maintaining your lucidity (or self-awareness) in the dream, you give up your active control of the dream to your subconscious mind. You are now an observer in your virtual reality world, but not a controller.

Look around your dreamscape and explore the scenery. Pick up souvenirs and talk to dream characters, without consciously influencing any outcomes. Allow your subconscious inner self the opportunity to show you whatever it wants and engage in some live dream interpretation.

I like to find an observation platform - perhaps a cloud or a tall building - and observe a busy cityscape below. It is quite breathtaking to observe this complex scene knowing it is all taking place effortlessly inside your own head.

Another neat trick suggested by Robert Waggoner in his book, Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self, is to ask your lucid dream a question. Start by saying "Show me something really amazing!" and wait to see what happens. Your subconscious will react to your request and present a new twist in the dream. Robert's method of connecting with the inner self is an excellent one and I highly recommend his book if you are a beginner lucid dreamer and want to know where to go next.

I stumbled onto this lucid dream challenge purely by accident but it was a great visual experience. It's better for beginners who feel more confident about manipulating the dreamscape so wait until you're feeling highly lucid in the dream before trying this. Also remember that your expectation is key.

Probably the easiest way to turn a day-time scene into a night-time scene is to turn around or look away from the main attraction and visualize how the new night sky will look before you turn back. This visualization creates an expectation in your mind, and your dreaming subconscious (who ultimately creates all the scenery) will see to the rest. You are merely giving your subconscious the idea.

Another way to approach this challenge is to paint the sky with the sweep of your hand, or literally breathe color into the atmosphere. Find a creative method that works for you, and be rewarded with a new guided dream scene in seconds. Turning day to night also gives you the perfect opportunity to gaze up into the night sky and get lost in the stars - or zoom up there in an instant. It can be a magnificent experience and I have had numerous star-gazing dreams that I will never forget.

Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy! I love to eat food in lucid dreams... It has the potential to be the best gastronomic experience of your life :)

Lucid dream food is very realistic and very delicious. The reason it's often better than real life because it's as perfect as you can imagine it to be. And your dream taste buds don't become accustomed to the flavor - so each bite can be more mouthwateringly delicious than the last. There is also the nice bonus that dream calories don't add fat to your physical body, so you can eat all you want.

Once you become lucid, seek out a place that you would expect to find food in the real world: restaurants, cafes and kitchens. In the right location, you should have no problem finding some really delicious food.

Alternatively, manifest food from out of nowhere - just follow the expectation rule. For instance, you might expect to find a large Black Forest cake hiding behind the next rock in the forest. Feel free to throw logic out the window and work with the dream scene, rather than against it. As a beginner I always found it easier to discover new objects behind something already there, rather than making it materialize from nowhere.

As you become accustomed to using the power of expectation, try this: grab a pen and draw your desired food in the air in front of you, however crudely. Then imagine it popping into life and becoming 3-dimensional so that you can pick it up and eat it. You'll soon see that when it comes to the dreaming mind, there are no limitations and no logical outcomes. Use that principle to your advantage!

I hope you enjoy these lucid dream challenges; for me they represent the beginning of a very exciting journey into the subconscious dreamscape. There are many more challenges to try out and I always recommend setting a lucid dream intention before you settle down to sleep. Try these challenges tonight and develop your own twists as you explore your personal lucid dream world...

This article looks at some easy lucid dreaming techniques, helping most people have their first lucid dream between 3 days and 3 weeks.

I have packed as much information into this beginner's article as I can, so don't worry if you feel overwhelmed. Just take it slow.

First, my name is Rebecca. I've been lucid dreaming since I was 14 years old. Over the last 12 years I have researched a lot about dream control. I have practiced many different lucid dream exercises and developed my own ways to become lucid and stay conscious in the dream state for longer, enabling me to have many fantastic lucid dreams at will. The following is my "big picture" take on easy lucid dreaming for beginners. It combines the most popular lucid dreaming techniques and the best value dream control products to leapfrog you to success.

You should improve your dream recall so that you remember at least one dream every night (and preferably more). The easy way to do this is to tell yourself regularly, "I will remember my dreams", especially just before you go to sleep. This plants the intention in your subconscious.

Also keep a dream journal by the bedside so you can write down your dreams when you wake up. Discuss your dreams with friends whenever you can, to really hit home the message that dreams are important to you and must be remembered. Your subconscious will attend to it.

A very easy lucid dreaming exercise, reality checking is the secret weapon of those who tend towards Dream Initiated Lucid Dreams (DILDs). By performing reality checks regularly throughout your waking day, you will enhance your awareness of the waking state and be much more likely to recognize the dreamstate. Soon you will spontaneously perform a reality check in a dream, exposing the nature of the dream reality and giving you instant dream control.

Meditation is the exploration of the subconscious mind. When you meditate deeply, you can experience some fascinating phenomena, including hallucinations, feelings of euphoria and sudden insights. Meditation tunes you in to your waking reality on new levels, and helps you feel more at peace in your daily life.

Research has linked meditation with easy lucid dreaming for several reasons. First, it trains you to enter altered states of awareness on demand. Second, it bridges the gap between your conscious and unconscious brain. And third, it makes you more self-aware, helping you to recognize the unreality of the dream world and become lucid more often.

Start by introducing a simple 10-minute meditation into your daily routine, such as an easy breathing exercise. To access deeper meditative states, I like to listen to brainwave entrainment. I find it deeply soothing and it gives me the opportunity to improve my visualization skills for my next Wake Induced Lucid Dream.

If you are serious about having regular lucid dreams, you do need to do a little research. It can help you latch on to the best induction methods for you, and learn easy ways to control and explore your conscious dream world. If you don't know the ropes, the whole process takes a lot longer to learn.

This part is easy. Lucid dreaming is becoming increasingly popular with books, websites, forums and even TV and movie coverage. You will find more than 100 free lucid dreaming articles on this website. And the more you think about lucid dreams during the day, the more likely you are to become conscious in your dreams at night. The more you understand about this amazing mind phenomenon, the sooner you will take to it.

If you are looking for a great introductory book on lucidity, read Exploring The World of Lucid Dreaming by Dr Stephen LaBerge and Howard Rheingold. It's a truly comprehensive and practical workbook for beginners and experts alike. Once you nail the easy lucid dreaming techniques, like dream journaling and reality checking, it's time to begin more involved methods. Get ready for some acronyms (the bane of any beginner's guide to lucid dreams).

So far, I have only offered methods for Dream Induced Lucid Dreams (where you start dreaming normally and become lucid from within the dreamstate). The most popular type of DILD is called Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD), created by Stephen LaBerge. I recommend starting out on this route, because DILDs often give way to spontaneous lucid dreams.

There is also a whole other category known as Wake Induced Lucid Dreams (WILDs). These were originally developed by Tibetan Buddhists in the form of Dream Yoga, which involves training yourself to go directly from waking to a lucid dream state. It involves falling asleep consciously and induces some strange phenomena linked with the out of body experience (OBE).

So there it is - easy lucid dreaming for beginners. Of course, a beginner's guide is only the start. Once you have found some effective ways to become lucid, you will have more questions about controlling and working with the alternate reality of lucid dreams. But that is another article altogether...