Have you ever had a dream where something happened that made you realize you were dreaming? Maybe it was seeing a person you had not seen in years, taking a turn in your home and finding yourself looking at a room you had never seen before, or maybe it was something as simple as flipping a light switch and nothing happening. Whatever it was, it clued you in. Suddenly, you questioned reality and found that you were not in reality at all. A light bulb went off in your head and you realized you were dreaming.
That is the entire core of what a lucid dream is. Lucid dreams are, as the name implies, dreams where you are aware that you are dreaming. They may be brief, lasting only a few instants, or they may last the entire night depending on how well you are able to hold onto your lucidity.
Lucid dreaming is often connected with New Age beliefs or other pseudo-spiritual teachings. Do not be fooled. While things like astral projection and out of body experiences are often associated with lucid dreaming, lucid dreaming at its core is simply a dreaming phenomenon. Being interested in lucid dreaming is not inherently getting into any sort of pseudo-spiritual or psychological hocus-pocus.
The majority of lucid dreamers experience some level of control over what happens in the dream world, which is the main lure towards lucid dreaming. Who hasn’t wanted to decide what they dream? Through dream control a dreamer is able to create his or her own desired dream world playground to entertain them until morning comes.
However, control over dreams is not the only benefit to lucid dreaming. Lucid dreamers often have dreams that are far more vivid than everyday ordinary dreams. The heightened awareness that comes with lucidity allows lucid dreamers to experience and remember dreams in greater detail.
Learning how to lucid dream is also recommended as a treatment for recurring nightmares. When someone recognizes that they are dreaming during a nightmare then they may be able to force themselves to wake, or alternatively they could take control over the nightmare and effectively banish whatever demons ail them.
Achieving lucidity is something anyone can learn to do. Whatever your reason is for exploring the world of lucid dreaming, the steps and simple tips to waking up in the dream world remain the same. The first thing you must do is realize that you are dreaming.
