Lucid Dreams

Sometimes lucid dreams happen spontaneously and you don’t have to work towards it. But if you want to consciously make it work for you then there are certain techniques to follow:

• Reality testing
• Dream diary
• Wake-back-to-bed
• Mnemonic induction of lucid dreams (MILD)

This is when you pause at different times of the day to see whether you’re dreaming.

You can try to do something impossible, like push your finger through your palm or inhale through a closed mouth. Or you can do something that's usually hard to do in a dream, like read a page in a book.

When you write down your dreams, you’re forced to remember what happens during each dream. It’s said to help you recognize dreamsigns and enhance awareness of your dreams.

Log your dreams as soon as you wake up. It’s also recommended to read your dream journal often.

Wake back to bed (WBTB) involves entering REM sleep while you’re still conscious.

To WBTB:

1. Set an alarm for five hours after your bedtime.
2. Go to sleep as usual.
3. When the alarm goes off, stay up for 30 minutes. Enjoy a quiet activity like reading.
4. Fall back asleep.

To use the MILD technique:

1. As you fall asleep, think of a recent dream.
2. Identify a “dreamsign,” or something that’s irregular or strange in the dream. An example is the ability to fly.
3. Think about returning to the dream. Acknowledge that the dreamsign only happens when you dream.
4. Tell yourself, "The next time I dream, I want to remember that I am dreaming." Recite the phrase in your head.

• Less anxiety. When you’re aware that you’re in a dream, you can shape the story and the ending. That might serve as therapy for people who have nightmares, teaching them how to control their dreams.
• Better motor skills. Visualizing physical movements in lucid dream can increase the actual ability to do them.
• Improved problem-solving. Lucid dreams can help people solve problems that deal with creativity.
• More creativity. Some people taking part in lucid dream studies were able to come up with new ideas or insights, sometimes with the help of characters in their dreams.