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Beginner’s Guide to Lucid Dreaming

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Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together

Lucid dreaming is not something that most people experience without trying. Lucid dreaming, or the ability to aware that you are dreaming during a dream state, is usually something that takes time, practice, and effort. It is possible to practice, and train your mind so that you can achieve this awareness state during dreaming.

Lucid dreaming is not something you jump right into. Just like training for an athletic event, or learning a musical instrument – there are beginning steps you have to take. The first step is to become aware when you are dreaming and when you are awake. While this may seem obvious, you dream when you are asleep and don’t dream when you are awake; training your mind to recognize the difference is the first step in learning how to have lucid dreams.

Reality checks will help in this training. A reality check is when you actively check to see if you are awake or if you are dreaming. There are different reality checks you can perform throughout the day. One of the easiest is to read something or check the time. A digital watch comes in hand for this. When you are awake, the words or numbers will remain the same. If you are in a dream state, those words or numbers will either be nonsense or change when you check a second time.

By performing this task several times a day, you train your mind to do these reality checks even when you are dreaming. Another excellent way to become aware of your dreams is to record them. Start keeping a dream journal upon awakening. This can either be a written journal or if it is easier, keep a small recording device next to your bed and record your thoughts and memories of the dream. By learning to recognize recurring themes or objects from your dreams can help you realize when you are dreaming.

Studying your sleep and dream patterns are another step in how to get a lucid dream. Note, either in your journal, or a mental note, when most of the dreams you remember occur. Studies have shown that dream cycles, which occur during REM sleep, run in 60-minute cycles. Setting a quiet alarm during the middle of your normal sleep cycle can often time bring you to enough wakefulness to recall your dream, allowing you to remember and record your dreams better. You don’t want to come fully awake, as it may disrupt your whole sleep cycle, or cause you to forget your dream.

By practicing these steps, and becoming aware of your wakeful state compared to your dream state, you will set yourself on the path to learning how to have lucid dreams. It can be frustrating at first, and you may feel silly doing reality checks to see if you are awake or dreaming. But with patience and practice, you can train your mind to do recognize the difference. This is the main key on how to get a lucid dream.