How to Have a Lucid Dream

By Contributor

February 25, 2011

lyndsylou222 wants to help you maximize your dream life. We assume there's a Gordon-Levitt guarantee. –Sparkitors

If you think that controlling your own dreams is only possible in Hollywood, think again. People frequently have lucid dreams, dreams where you realize you're dreaming and can control what happens. It's a skill that takes practice and commitment, but it's pretty easy once you know how to do it. So tonight is your lucky night, Sparklers! Here are a few keys to having a lucid dream.

Keep a Dream Journal. Keeping track of your dreams is muy importante. Just keep a pen and pad at your bedside and write everything you remember about your dreams from the night before. If you lay in bed for a little while after you wake up, you're more likely to remember some details. You might also find that things you see, hear, or smell later that day will trigger a sense of déja vu, helping you remember more. As you record things in your dream journal, your subconscious will pick up on patterns that will help you know what to look for when you're figuring out whether you're really in the middle of a dream.

Separate Dreams from Reality. You don't need a totem to know that this is reality, but there are small things that you can pay attention to in order to let your mind know that you are awake. Pay attention to mirrors, book titles, and your watch—these three things are always fuzzy or blurred in dreams. Looking at them while awake will increase their appearance in your dreams, and may help you know when you're dreaming. Also, pinching yourself really does work. While awake, your body will recognize the pain. But if you are dreaming, there will not be pain.

Tell Your Brain Who's Boss. Right before you drift off, simply tell yourself that you're going to have a lucid dream tonight. Studies show that this will increase your likelihood of doing so. When you're in your pre-sleep phase, you can get the attention of your subconscious.

Be an Early Bird. Sort of. Set your alarm clock an hour or so earlier than usual. Stay awake for at least half an hour, then go back to sleep. When your alarm goes off, you will most likely be in the REM sleep phase (the dreaming phase). You will wake up, acquaint your senses to real life, then go back to bed, and the REM phase will resume. This gives you a much higher chance of having a lucid dream.

Wait! Don't Go, Joseph Gordon-Levitt! If you're having an amazing dream, but the talons of reality are wrenching you away from the best roller-skating date of your life, try this tip: pretend like you're spinning in circles. This keeps the dream going 96% of the time.

So remember, my fellow dreamers, lucid dreaming takes focus, practice, and imagination. I started doing this not too long ago, and I've already succeeded in having a lucid dream. Unfortunately I just sat there and waited for the dream to be over—it's a work in progress! I hope you'll try my tips, because I think all Sparklers deserve not just a good night's sleep, but a good night's sleep drizzled with awesomesauce with bacon on the side.

Have you ever had a lucid dream?