The Best Lucid Dreaming Techniques

Copyright (c) 2008 Steven Magill

Lucid dreaming is something that many people wish they could do. Often when they realize they are lucid dreaming they get so excited that they wake themselves up! Lucid dreaming, for those who don't yet know, is sort of like conscious dreaming. At some point during the dream you realize that you are dreaming. That is a lucid dream. Some people find that when they are lucid dreaming they can actually control what is happening during their dreams. So how do you induce a lucid dream? Here is a tutorial on step by step lucid dreaming.

The first step in step by step lucid dreaming is learning what time is the best time to have a lucid dream. Pay attention to your personal sleep schedule and how long it takes you to have a dream in the first place (this can be accomplished by noting the time when you wake up from a dream and comparing it to the time you fell asleep). Typically lucid dreams happen during REM sleep which is the sleep cycle you go through right before waking up. The easiest way to achieve a REM cycle is to wake up earlier than you normally would, stay awake for an hour to an hour and a half and then go back to sleep. Your brain should drop right into the REM cycle and you can have your lucid dream.

The second step in step by step lucid dreaming is deciding to have a lucid dream. This is often called the MILD technique (Mnemonic Induced Lucid Dreaming). While you are falling asleep make the decision to remember your dream and then concentrate only on that idea. Repeat to yourself "I will remember my next dream." This will tell your brain to pay attention to the next dream you have and chances are high that when the dream starts you will know that you are dreaming, which is what a lucid dream is.

The third step in our step by step lucid dreaming tutorial is to remember your dreams. Keep a dream journal and write down every detail that you remember from your dreams. By making yourself remember details from all of your dreams, you are telling your brain that your dreams are just as important to you as your waking life and it will start to stay more alert while you are dreaming. Keeping a record of all of your dreams can alert you to patterns in your dreaming and help you with the fourth and final step in our step by step lucid dreaming tutorial.

Perform regular reality checks. Intermittently throughout your day start asking yourself if you are awake or dreaming. Look around, take stock of your situation and consciously decide if you are awake or dreaming. Make sure to do this when you encounter any people, places or situations that are regular players in your dreams. Your brain will start to do this on its own and before you know it; your brain will tell you when you are dreaming!