Is it really possible to go to sleep and become in control of what we dream? This is possible in the exciting and stimulating world of lucid dreaming which can become a reality with some practice and persistence.We sleep for roughly a third of our lives and lucid dreaming enables us to start making some creative use of the time asleep.

What is lucid dreaming

You are having a lucid dream when you are consciously aware that you are dreaming whilst it is occurring.The dream will be vivid and almost like being in the waking state, and more imaginative. If you can imagine your world being unrestricted by the normal physical constraints, completely under your control and where you can create your wildest fantasy and fulfill your wildest dreams literally, then welcome to the world of lucid dreaming! Mere words can't do full justice to the feelings and images of a lucid dreams.

Why bother lucid dreaming?

Apart from the exciting and adventurous aspect of lucid dreaming there are some very deep beneficial subconscious affects.

Because the subconscious dream world has been recognized for a while now as important for self development and discovery,lucid dreaming is becoming recognized as an important technique for dealing with psychological problems by going within

Areas that have been identified as useful are :

• • Developing creativity
• • Treating those who suffer from nightmares
• • Spiritual and personal growth & development
• • Solving psychological problems
• • Dealing with phobias
• • Alternative healing
• • Improving social skills and confidence
• • Expanding your horizons
• • Creative problem solving

There are benefits only limited by your own imagination!

Questions that are often asked about lucid dreaming

Can anyone have a lucid dream?

Just like some people remember their dreams better than others, similarly some people are more naturally able to lucid dream, but everyone has the capacity to have a lucid dream.

Is Lucid Dreaming just in people's imagination?

Although lucid dreaming has not been in everyone's awareness and understanding, there are a growing number of case studies and investigations into the lucid dreaming state which have added validity to the lucid dreaming experience.

How long does lucid dreaming take to learn?

This depends on initially how naturally susceptible you are to becoming consciously aware and how persistent you are to achieve a lucid dream, and reap the benefits.

Is lucid dreaming dangerous?

No! There are absolutely no dangerous aspects to lucid dreaming either psychologically or physically.

How To Lucid Dream

So how do you get into this magical lucid dreaming state?

1. If you don't already recall your dreams you will need to start keeping a dream diary.This needs to be kept near your bedside so that the first thing you do after waking is to record your previous night's dreams. This needs to be done consistently and without fail so that you are becoming more attuned to your dreams.Once you start doing this you will find it easier to recognize when you are dreaming much more easily.

2. Keep yourself attuned to your intention that you want to lucid dream. By keeping the idea of lucid dreaming in your consciousness you will develop the idea of it happening and you will develop a subconscious inclination to check on your dreams and you will be more likely to realize when you are having a lucid dream.You need to tell yourself you intend to have a lucid dream before you go to sleep and this will encourage you to notice when you are in the lucid dreaming state.

3.Try to become more consciously aware when you are in the waking state, so that you will be more susceptible to conscious awareness when you are asleep. In waking hours we often find we've drifted into a state of doing things subconsciously, such as when we dash back to check if we locked the door, to find we did it, or when we can't recall which way we drove home, because we were preoccupied with the day's events. If we can't consciously recall our waking events we're not going to consciously recognize whether we are in a dream or not!

4.During the daytime you should try performing some reality checks, which are checks that you are not in fact dreaming at the present time. This sounds bizarre, but by doing this, when you are asleep and dreaming you will be induced into making the same reality checks and this is a brilliant trigger to verify that you are aware of your dream.

These checks can take the form of :

• Check any switches - Very often in dreams there are switches and appliances that don't work correctly.
• Time - Double check your watch or clock. By looking away and then re-checking you may find there is a different time shown verifying that you are in a dream.You can also set your watch to beep every hour and keep it in the vicinity of your bed at night so that you may check it when it beeps.
• If you test your breathing by covering your mouth and nose you will know .
• Count the fingers on your hand, or even whether you can penetrate your hand with your finger, to make sure you are awake.
• Check your environment looks normal and that everything is acting normally around you.Check that the grass is green and the sky is a natural color.

Each of these checks, bizarre as they sound, are to validate that you are not dreaming at that time. You will instill the habit of checking whether you are dreaming or not and if you are you will then be consciously aware that you are. It may sound silly to do these checks when you are awake but if you do them consciously you will not only increase your natural waking perception and awareness but also make it possible to do so when dreaming. By carrying out the checks regularly you will find that when they fail you are consciously dreaming and you have experienced your first lucid dream.

Wake Back to Bed Method (WBTB)

There is a method devised which involves setting your alarm for 6 hours into your sleep and then getting up and doing a conscious activity involving using your brain, reading or such like, for about a half hour, after which you should return to bed for at least another hour. By doing this you will return into REM sleep following a period of activity and will be more aware and alert when you return to sleep.

This technique does not have to be performed every single day and can be done whenever you want to try and have a lucid dream. The first step is to set your alarm and wake up after 6 hours of sleeping. Once you wake up you want to get out of bed and do something that keeps your brain active. You can check your emails, read a book, write in your dream journal or anything as long as your thought process is working. I would recommend that you don't watch TV or perform any actions that a zombie could do. After you have been awake for about 30 minutes you want to go back to bed for at least another hour. This causes you to enter REM sleep after being in a fully conscious state making you more aware and alert in your following dreams.

Following the above methods will encourage you to be more consciously aware of your dreaming condition and lead you into a possible lucid dreaming state, the next step being taking conscious control of your dreams and directing them to achieve a particular purpose.

Whichever method you use, with the help of brainwave entrainment, including binaural beats, the lucid dreaming state can be accelerated by making the brain more perceptible to being consciously aware. You can try out the lucid dreaming kit at no risk at The Unexplainable Store