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.

What is lucid dreaming? Is it scientifically proven? Can anyone learn to lucid dream on demand? How long does it take? What else can I use dream control for?

I'm sure you have plenty of questions about lucid dreaming and this article aims to answer them all... Welcome to my quick start guide to lucid dreams!

Lucid dreaming is the ability to consciously direct and control your dreams. It transforms your inner dream world into a living alternate reality - where everything you see, hear, feel, taste and even smell is as authentic as real life.

Lucidity occurs during altered states of consciousness when you realize you are dreaming - and your brain switches into waking mode inside the dream. In normal dreams, your self awareness is shut down. That's why they often feel fuzzy and distant. But when lucid, the conscious brain wakes up during sleep!

This is a safe and natural state. It is not a literal out of body experience - because you are always asleep in bed. And if you want to, you can wake yourself up. When you become lucid, your senses become alive. You can explore the inner workings of your subconscious mind with total freedom.

Tibetan Monks have used dream control for more than a thousand years, in a philosophy called Dream Yoga. It is certainly not a new phenomena. However, the modern term "lucid dreaming" was not coined until the 20th century by the Dutch psychiatrist, Frederik van Eeden, meaning mental clarity in dreams.

The concept of lucid dreams became popularized by Celia Green in the 1960s, who pointed out the scientific potential of self awareness in dreams. She was the first to make the link with both REM sleep and false awakenings.

The first scientific evidence of lucid dreaming was produced by the British parapsychologist Keith Hearne. He did it by catching eye movement signals from his volunteer, Alan Worsley, in a lucid dream state in laboratory conditions.

But Hearne's research slipped under the radar of the mainstream science journals, and it was Dr Stephen LaBerge at Stanford University who became famous for replicating this experiment and formally publishing his findings.

A prolific lucid dreamer himself, Stephen LaBerge founded The Lucidity Institute in 1987 to explore the question: what is lucid dreaming? His mission is to research the nature and potential of consciousness in dreams... A riddle that may one day offer considerable advances in our understanding of the human mind.

Yes, I believe so. We all have dreams (whether we remember them or not) and so I think we all have the capacity to become conscious within them. Children have reported lucid dreams. And certain medications for degenerative conditions like Parkinson's Disease can cause lucid dreams. Age is certainly not a factor.

Having a lucid dream is not actually all that hard, once you tap into the right mechanism. Research shows that everyone will have at least one lucid dream in their lives, just by accident. And to have lucid dreams on demand, all you have to do is get into the habit of recognizing the dreamstate.

There are many ways you can achieve this subconscious recognition, such as:

meditationself hypnosisbrainwave entrainmentvisualizationsreality checksdream herbsdream journalingYou can practice one or all of these methods during the waking day or just before you fall asleep, in order to plant the seed of lucidity. It is up to your subconscious mind to trigger you during sleep. This subconscious programming gets easier over time.

In fact, many people are able to have their first lucid dream between three days and three weeks. With practice you will be able to induce lucid dreams on demand - and it gets easier the more you do it.

At first, many people are drawn to the idea of lucid dreaming for the escapism it offers. In your virtual reality dream world, you can realistically fly over cities, meet your favorite celebrity in the flesh, or become a ninja assassin. It is way more realistic than day dreaming or playing your favorite video game.

But once you get over the novelty value, you'll understand that lucid dreaming has many personal development applications, such as:

creative problem solvingincreasing your creativityfacing your fearsimproving your confidencepracticing new skillsdeveloping your sense of selfexploring your own subconscious

Robert Waggoner details this subject in his book, Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self. He introduces new ways to interact with your lucid dreams and how to use dream figures for communicating with your inner self.

If all that isn't appealing to personal development enthusiasts, I don't know what is! Lucid dreaming is a powerful psychological tool and enlightening experience. As a beginner, intermediate or expert oneironaut, I hope you find this website and its complete guide to lucid dreams useful in your own personal quest for self awareness in the unconscious dream world...

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.