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Lucid Dreaming

Presentation by Theo Hansel and Sarah Jae Leiber

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What is Lucid Dreaming?

  • Awareness that you are dreaming while inside a dream.
  • Reasons for lucidity vary. Sometimes noticed without a reason, sometimes because of a fantastic element.
    • flying
    • meeting dead

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Dream Control?

  • Not necessarily the same thing.
  • You can be aware of a dream without being able to control it.
  • Conversely, the two ARE related.
  • You need to be lucid in order to have control over your dreams.

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How Do You Start?*

  • Six basic steps.
    • Mental prep work.
    • Increase dream recall.
    • Keep a dream journal.
    • Become familiar with your dreams.
    • Add awareness to consciousness.
    • Link that awareness to dreams.

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*Please note that lucid dreaming can potentially be very dangerous.

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Mental Prep Work

  • Convince yourself of your ability to lucid dream.
  • Ask yourself questions.
    • Do you think you can do this?
    • Do you think dreams are important?
    • Do you really want to have lucid dreams?
    • Do you know what you will do when you become lucid?

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Increase Dream Recall

  • You must remember dreams to be able to become lucid.
  • Wake motionlessly.
  • Wake slowly.
  • Let your mind wander through the dream.
  • Think backwards.
  • Keep at it.

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Keep a Dream Journal

  • Crucial.
  • Write down every dream in as much detail as possible as soon as you wake.
    • What did you see?
    • What did you feel?
    • Write in present tense.
    • Include date, time, and title.
    • Even if you feel a detail is trivial, write it down.

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Become Familiar with Your Dreams

  • Notice recurrences.
    • Themes
    • People
    • Symbols

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Adding Awareness in Consciousness

  • Awareness level changes during the day.
  • Try not to "zone out."
  • Meditation.
  • Utilize "reality checks."
    • Ask yourself if you are dreaming.
    • Do it frequently; will happen in your dreams.
    • Write letters on your hands.
    • Try to look for letters in dreams.
    • If they change, you are dreaming.

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More "Reality Checks"

Common Sense Check

- Ask yourself if things make sense.

Reading Check

- Read something twice. If text changes, you are dreaming.

Flying or Levitating Check

- Can you fly?

Self Observation Check

- Examining self might induce lucidity.

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Link Awareness to Dreams

  • Merge reality checks with symbols found in dreams.
  • Keep up dream journal.

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Benefits of Lucid Dreaming

  • Adventure/fantasy
  • Nightmare treatment
    • PTSD
  • Creativity

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Lucid Dreaming and PTSD Treatment

  • Awareness that environment cannot harm you
  • Allows subject to face threat
  • Dreaming evolutionary protection
    • Keeps us alert to threats while awake
    • Not as necessary in modern day
    • Soldiers/sailors/Marines don't need same continuing alertness
  • Lucid dreaming can help PTSD vets heal themselves

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Potential Dangers

  • Addiction
  • Confusion between Reality and Fantasy
  • False Awakening
  • Less restful sleep

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References

http://www.consciousdreaming.com/lucid-dreaming/how-to-lucid-dream.htm

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http://www.lucidity.com/LucidDreamingFAQ2.html

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http://dreamstudies.org/2011/06/28/is-lucid-dreaming-dangerous/