Ever wonder what it would be like to sing on stage with your favourite band? Maybe you want to fly over the Eiffel Tower. Perhaps you just want to know what it would feel like to sip a cappuccino in the mountains of Switzerland.
It’s easy to sit and daydream about these, and many more things, but what would it be like to actually feel it? Experience it? Enter lucid dreaming.
Lucid dreaming is being in a dream state and aware that you are actually sleeping and dreaming. Depending on what level of lucidity you have reached, you may even have the ability to control and alter your dream. Imagine the possibilities.
Before we share some tips on how to have lucid dreams we should look first at what the benefits are. These include, but are not limited to:
- Feeling more self confidence
- Facing fear
- Experiencing exhilarating moments
- Control nightmares
We spend, or should be spending, 6 to 8 hours of our day sleeping. According to research, we dream 4-6 times throughout the night and our dreams can last up to 30 minutes or slightly more. With that much time spent in bed, sleeping and dreaming, wouldn’t it be nice to have some sort of control over what we are dreaming about? I think so too.
Can you actually practice, or learn, how to have lucid dreams? You bet. I’ve outlined 5 simple steps for you to do just that. Be warned though, it won’t happen overnight, no pun intended. With committed practice, you should be able to have lucid dreams in as early as 3 days but it may take up to 3 weeks.
Here's How to Have Lucid Dreams
1. Make a wish list.
Just before you close your eyes for the night, take a few minutes to jot down what you would love to see in your dreams. Want to fly around the world? Write it down in full detail. Stick to the same one each night until you actually have achieved it. You will have a clear vision of it which will make it easier to manifest.
2. See it, feel it, have it.
We all know how visualization works. You want something, you think it and feel it into existence. Same rule applies for lucid dreaming. After you make your wish list, close your eyes and imagine what it would feel like right down to the last minute detail
. How does it feel to fly? Is it cold or warm up there? Are you happy or scared? Feel everything about it.
3. Dream herbs.
And I don’t mean marijuana, mind you, I’m sure you will have some pretty wild dreams, but I’m talking about an actual herb used specifically for dreaming. Take some time to do a little research here.
For thousands of years, people have been using herbs for dream clarity. Calea Z looks to be the number 1 herb of choice and is completely harmless. You can take dream herbs in a few ways; pill form, tincture or smoke them. With that said, you should always check with your health practitioner before taking anything, natural or not.
4. Bedtime meditations.
Meditating is very beneficial for countless reasons but did you know that meditating at bedtime is powerful in helping us achieve lucid dream state?
Most of us meditate throughout the day to recharge our batteries or even calm us down during an upset moment but why not try doing it at bedtime too? When you relax your mind enough, and free it from the day’s stresses, you open it up to allow for more pleasant experiences while you sleep.
5. Affirmations.
I’m a huge fan of affirmations. Driven and determined people use them faithfully to reach their goals in life. They are also fantastic for those of us who just need daily pep talks to get us through each day. Whatever you use affirmations for, they are powerful and they work.
Try using them before you drift to sleep. Your affirmations can be anything from “Tonight my dreams will be crystal clear and beautiful” to “I will know I am dreaming and I will be in control”. Select an affirmation that resonates with you and repeat it nightly with conviction.
These are just a few tips that will get you to a fantastic lucid dream state.
After doing my own personal research, I came across a couple of sites that suggest setting an alarm and waking yourself up throughout the night. I’m not a big fan of this method but some of you may be open to try it. In any case, the benefits of lucid dreaming alone might be worth achieving this state.
If you have no success inducing lucid dreams, if you can't stay lucid in your dreams for long or if you're not consistent in achieving a lucid state during your nights rest, try our lucid dreaming guided meditation that will help you enjoy lucid dreaming on a nightly basis.
Are you able to succesfully induce lucid dreams? What's your secret? Or are you on your way to have a first lucid dream? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
