I want to start lucid dreaming. Any good beginner methods?
I've read accounts online of people lucid dreaming and it always sounds so cool. I had a lucid dream once, years ago, but it was accidental and I have no idea what I did to make it happen, nor how to repeat it! Anybody have any good tips?
The key component of lucid dreaming is really being able to recognize that you're dreaming. We are designed to forget our dreams and not remember them, so trying to lucid dream is a bit like fighting your biology. You can do it, but it takes time and practice. The goal is to train yourself to recognize that you're dreaming. There is some element of waking yourself up a little bit during the dream so that you are awake enough to know that you're dreaming but not awake enough to end the dream.
People use all kinds of tricks. Look for print. Most people can’t read written things when they dream. Also, you can look for familiar objects. Those will help you realize you’re dreaming if you inspect them closely enough. There are also devices you can buy that shine gentle red light behind your eyes when they detect eye movement (which means you’re in a deep sleep), which may help bring you into partial consciousness. Good luck!
People use all kinds of tricks. Look for print. Most people can’t read written things when they dream. Also, you can look for familiar objects. Those will help you realize you’re dreaming if you inspect them closely enough. There are also devices you can buy that shine gentle red light behind your eyes when they detect eye movement (which means you’re in a deep sleep), which may help bring you into partial consciousness. Good luck!
If you train on it, which is not hard to do, and you practice, then you can turn any dream into a lucid dream. A really good way to do it is to set the alarm in the morning, a little bit earlier than you would normally wake up, and then get up and do something like go drink a glass of water or go to the bathroom or walk around a little bit, and then go back to sleep.
There are a bunch of different techniques you can try, and I've had success with two of them. The first is WILD, which stands for wake-induced lucid dream. Basically, you set an alarm clock to go off after 4-5 hours of sleep. You wake up but stay in bed or get up and sit down somewhere comfy. Don’t look at any screens and don’t do anything that involves any serious brain power. After 45-60 minutes, go back to sleep. Your dreams will be much more vivid and if you’re lucky, they’ll be lucid.
The other technique I’ve had a lot of success with is SILD, which I think stands for sense-initiated lucid dream? Something like that. Anyway, you set an alarm to wake up after 4-5 hours, just like WILD. You get out of bed for like 10 minutes after the alarm goes off, then you lie back down. Then, you perform 3 cycles: eyes, ears, touch. Close your eyes and focus on what you see in the darkness of your eyelids. Do that for a little bit and then focus on what you hear in the silence of the night. Then, do the same thing for touch—focus on the feeling of your sheets and the blanket. Keep doing this until you fall asleep and you may have a lucid dream.
The other technique I’ve had a lot of success with is SILD, which I think stands for sense-initiated lucid dream? Something like that. Anyway, you set an alarm to wake up after 4-5 hours, just like WILD. You get out of bed for like 10 minutes after the alarm goes off, then you lie back down. Then, you perform 3 cycles: eyes, ears, touch. Close your eyes and focus on what you see in the darkness of your eyelids. Do that for a little bit and then focus on what you hear in the silence of the night. Then, do the same thing for touch—focus on the feeling of your sheets and the blanket. Keep doing this until you fall asleep and you may have a lucid dream.
As you’re falling asleep, try to remind yourself that you’re going to investigate stuff in your dream. In your head go, “I’m going to look around. I will inspect books.” Stuff like that. When you finally fall asleep, your subconscious brain should hopefully pick up what you were putting down. Try to investigate once you’re asleep. Really look at stuff in detail. Some stuff that has worked for me is trying to read books (if I’m dreaming the words won’t look right), messing with lights (if I’m asleep I can’t turn lights on and off), and jumping. Something about jumping just really doesn’t feel right when you’re dreaming. It’s like…the heights are all wrong. There’s a YouTube channel I really like called Explore Lucid Dreaming that really helped me when I was starting out. You should check it out!
For me, lucid dreaming was basically impossible until I fixed my sleep hygiene. I was going to bed at random times, drinking before bed, and staring at my phone before falling asleep. I just wasn’t getting the kind of rest where lucid dreaming was possible. If you’re going to try lucid dreaming but you don’t have a healthy relationship with sleep yet, I’d fix that first.
The poster who was talking about investigating stuff is talking about something called reality testing. Reality testing is the process of investigating whether you’re dreaming or not by interacting with both your environment and your own consciousness to see if things line up. One thing I’d add to that post, though: do this while you’re awake before bed. The habit of checking to see if you’re dreaming when you know you’re awake will prep your subconscious to do the same thing once you’re asleep.
As a tip, anything you do before bed will often carry over into your sleep. So, if you spend the few hours before bed arguing online, for example, your initial dream might be about someone cyberstalking you. If you spend the last few hours of the day doing yard work, you might dream about digging a tunnel or growing a large tree. The point is, if you want to lucid dream it’s best to focus on how you want that to happen in the time leading up to bed. Regardless of the method you choose, you’ll want to engage in some related practice before it’s time to sleep.
As a tip, anything you do before bed will often carry over into your sleep. So, if you spend the few hours before bed arguing online, for example, your initial dream might be about someone cyberstalking you. If you spend the last few hours of the day doing yard work, you might dream about digging a tunnel or growing a large tree. The point is, if you want to lucid dream it’s best to focus on how you want that to happen in the time leading up to bed. Regardless of the method you choose, you’ll want to engage in some related practice before it’s time to sleep.
I have gotten very close attempts at lucid dreams, but whenever the thought "Is this a dream?" Goes into my mind, I wake up immediately! Are there any tips on how to stop this from happening?
Any suggestions for someone with ADHD who struggles with focus? My mind often wanders when I am trying to go to sleep and I have trouble focusing on specific thoughts, like remembering to try reality testing or events I want to have happen in my dreams.
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Reader Tips from How to Lucid Dream
Wake up on a day you can sleep a little longer. As you fall back asleep think of something that you wouldn't possibly do in reality. For me it was thinking of birds high up in a tree and imagining falling through the clouds with them. As I'm falling I realize I'm dreaming. To keep myself in dream state I give myself instructions like, "Show me something amazing." Then, my unconscious mind does the rest of the work.
Don't try too hard, just let it happen. Lucid dreaming is a natural trait for me. Definitely make a list of reoccurring dream signs, and try drawing or writing about what you see in your dreams (people, places, objects, etc.). This will help your brain remember what you saw, and make its appearance a habit.
Reader Tips from How to Lucid Dream in One Night
When you lucid dream, you can change a nightmare to a good dream. Slenderman changed to a fully gray base with the name Tom scribbled on his face for me. Tom was very concerned about my wellbeing and took me out of my dream. It didn't take that much effort for me, but be aware we are two different people.
A good way to check if you're in a dream or in reality is to try and push a finger through your other hand. If you are dreaming, it is highly likely your finger will pass straight through.
Sometimes trying to stay alseep and lucid dream with an alarm on your phone can cause sleep paralysis. Take caution.
Reader Tips from The Ultimate Guide to Having a Wake-Induced Lucid Dream (WILD)
If you get no results the first time, don't give up! Your mind may not be practiced enough, or maybe you were successful but don't have a memory of the dream.
Keep trying! It may not happen the first time, but that doesn't mean it will never happen.
It sometimes helps to repeat "I am dreaming" in lucid dreams.
