"A lucid dream is a dream during which the dreamer is aware of dreaming. During lucid dreaming, the dreamer may be able to exert some degree of control over the dream characters, narrative, and environment"
Once considered a myth lucid dreaming has now been scientifically verified and studied to the point where recently Dr Denholm Aspy of the University of Adelaide found a method to successfully lucid dream with a success rate of over 50% of the participants in the study.
One method of lucid dreaming is called reality testing where participants get into the habit of regularly checking whether they are really awake while another is named Mnemonic induction of lucid dreams (MILD) has participants set alarms to wake them after five hours and recite “The next time I am dreaming, I will remember that I'm dreaming” before going back to sleep.
Dr Aspy reports those who tried the combination of reality testing and MILD, 53 percent had a lucid dream during the trial period, with 17 percent successful each night. 53% is an impressive number.
Most lucid dreamers initially wake up rather quickly but with practice and training it is possible to extend the duration of a lucid dream for up to an hour.
what constitutes a lucid dream?
Awareness of the dream state (orientation)
Awareness of the capacity to make decisions
Awareness of memory functions
Awareness of self
Awareness of the dream environment
Awareness of the meaning of the dream
Awareness of concentration and focus (the subjective clarity of that state).
(Paul Tholeys seven different conditions of clarity that a dream must fulfill in order to be defined as a lucid dream)
So how to lucid dream?
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There are a few ways to lucid dream but with the new research these work best in conjunction with each other.
Write down at least one dream in your dream journal each morning
Perform at least 10 reality checks throughout the waking day
Do at least 10 minutes of mindful meditation, day or night
Another system for lucid dreaming is to write something on your hand, say a short word or a picture of a star. Consistently look at this picture throughout the day and continue this for a few days. Once you're asleep and in a dream state you will hopefully have trained your mind to look at your hand and if you do so whilst asleep the word should of dissapeared, you will then be aware that you are in fact not awake but dreaming.
For a more in depth step by step guide check out this site http://howtolucid.com/how-to-lucid-dream-tonight/
Controlling Lucid dreams takes time and effort, continued practice of the steps involved and patience.
While over 50% of people will have a lucid dream in their life it is fairly rare occurrence and a much lower percentage will ever master the ability to control it.
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The dangers of lucid dreaming.
Seems a little silly right? what danger can you be in while you sleep?
Well if you're mentally stable or well of there is usually no risk involved, however when you first start to lucid dream it is very difficult to control and your mind may bring up painful memories or even dead loved ones. This cannot physically harm you but it can have an effect on your mental well-being. It is not easy to face those things, especially in a dream state where almost anything can happen.
There is also evidence to suggest lucid dreaming can affect people with borderline personality disorder or any other mental disorder where you find it difficult to determine reality from fantasy, it may exacerbate the condition.
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Lucid dreaming has been used to treat nightmares in some patients, psychotherapists have used lucid dreaming in patients who suffer from recurrent nightmares, though it is not determined whether this is due to the lucidity of the dream itself or the ability to enter ones own dreams.
Holzinger, Klösch, and Saletu managed a psychotherapy study under the working name of ‘Cognition during dreaming – a therapeutic intervention in nightmares’ where lucid dreaming was involved and by the end of the study the subjects reported the diminishment of their nightmare prevalence from 2–3 times a week to 2–3 times per month.
The ability to control ones dreams is an incredible thing, I personally have never experienced it though i have tried and shall continue to do so.
Just imagine being able to do anything you want in your dream, experience intense feelings of happiness and pleasure and control the outcome of what happens.
There are many websites dedicated to helping you learn to lucid dream so if you are interested you should check them out and if anyone is successful they should let me know. Also if anyone who reads this is capable of lucid dreaming you should let me know in the comments how/what worked for you so i can try your method.
Remember if you like what i post to upvote, follow and even resteem.
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Resources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream
https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2017/06/the-benefits-and-risks-of-lucid-dreaming/
http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/
http://www.iflscience.com/brain/a-technique-to-control-your-dreams-has-been-verified-for-the-first-time/