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History
In the last 20 years, psychophysiologist Dr. Stephen LaBerge has become
the pioneer of lucid dreaming research. Not only did he invent one of the
most popular lucid dreaming techniques, but he has led many scientific
studies on the subject.
1. Reality testing
This may be related to the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which plays a role in
both reality testing and lucid dreaming. To enhance your metacognition,
you can do reality tests while you’re awake.
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You can set an alarm every two or three hours to remind yourself to do a
reality check.
Here are common reality checks that people use to lucid dream:
It’s recommended to pick one reality check and do it multiple times a day.
This will train your mind to repeat the reality checks while dreaming,
which can induce lucid dreaming.
Wake back to bed (WBTB) involves entering REM sleep while you’re still
conscious.
When you go back to sleep, you’ll be more likely to lucid dream. While
you’re awake, choose any activity that requires full alertness.
You can also practice MILD after waking up in the middle of dream. This is
usually recommended, as the dream will be fresher in your mind.
You can combine WBTB with MILD by setting alarm to wake up in five
hours. While you’re awake, practice MILD.
For best results, log your dreams as soon as you wake up. It’s also
recommended to read your dream journal often.
You’ll need to lay down and relax until you experience a hypnagogic
hallucination, or a hallucination that occurs when you’re just about to fall
asleep. WILD is simple, but it’s difficult to learn. Practicing the other lucid
dreaming induction techniques will increase your chances of WILD.
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How to wake up
Sometimes, you might want to wake up from a lucid dream. Lucid
dreamers use a few different techniques.
Benefits
There’s some evidence that lucid dreaming has therapeutic effects. Lucid
dreaming might help people:
Overcome nightmares
anxiety
stress
substance abuse
Lucid dreaming might help by letting the dreamer control the dream.
Additionally, when a dreamer knows they’re dreaming, they can
recognize that the nightmare isn’t real.
When used with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), IRT with lucid
dreaming induction can help increase dream control.
Relieve anxiety
People claim that controlling their dreams lets them face situations that
cause them anxiety.
This suggests that people with physical disabilities could practice motor
skills while lucid dreaming.
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Cautions
Generally, any dangers of lucid dreaming are caused by induction
techniques.
frequent nightmares
fear of sleeping
traumatic flashbacks
emotional changes
memory problems
trouble sleeping
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When used in therapy, lucid dreaming can help treat conditions like
recurring nightmares and PTSD. Researchers think it might also aid
physical rehabilitation.
If you’d like to lucid dream, try the techniques listed above. These
methods can train your mind to be conscious of your consciousness
during sleep. It’s best to see your doctor if you think you have a sleep
disorder, PTSD, or another mental health issue.
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Still can't sleep, even when you're dead tired? Here are some expert-
supported tips on how to get a restful night's sleep, no matter what.
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