Did you know… if you have one lucid dream per month, you are considered a frequent lucid dreamer? That equals out to be less than 1% of your total dreams!
For those of you who aren’t familiar with lucid dreaming, it is a type of dream in which you become aware you are dreaming. A common misconception about lucid dreaming is that we are controlling our dreams but that’s not entirely the case. Lucid dreaming is a collaboration of two states of consciousness where you’re relating to the dream with a heightened awareness, and therefore, you are able to influence aspects of the dream's narrative. This can result in both positive and negative experiences for the dreamer, which is why lucid dreaming is a skill that requires patience and practice. The tricky part is to develop the skill required to achieve this level of awareness. For some people, this state of awareness comes naturally but for others, they need to maintain a practice.
One of the most common and effective practices to induce a lucid dream is through reality checks. A reality check is almost as simple as it sounds… stop for a moment and check in with your surroundings; is this reality? Or are you dreaming?
The simple act of periodically asking yourself the question, “am I dreaming?” throughout your day will inevitably motivate your dream ego to do the same. When this happens, you will likely be able to recognize that you’re in a dream, and this my friends is the first stage of lucid dreaming!
One way and perhaps the most popular way to do a reality check is by using your hand as a symbol. Ask yourself if you are dreaming while simultaneously observing your hand. Then, take it a step further and do a physical test. Can you pass your finger through your hand? No? Okay, you’re not dreaming.
While using your hand as a symbol is a tried and tested method for some, I prefer to take a different approach. I choose symbols I frequently dream of and begin to introduce them into my reality checks. For example, my cell phone is a reoccurring symbol in my dreams but more specifically, using the camera on my cell phone to capture a beautiful image, is a reoccurring action in my dreams. I take advantage of this action and in waking life, when I pick up my phone to take a picture, I pause to do a reality check.
There are endless ways to do reality checks, whether that be through signs, symbols, or bizarre sights you see throughout your day, but the key is to find what works best for you.
Tip: In order to see the best results you should perform your reality checks around 15-20 times a day. If you have trouble remembering to do this, set reminders for yourself. Be sure to answer your reality checks aloud and with confidence.
Lucid dreaming can be a great tool to explore and experiment with your dreams on a much deeper level. Also, it’s really fun and refreshing! After a night of lucid dreaming, I wake-up feeling reinvigorated and glowing. It truly is an amazing experience that simply cannot be described, only felt by the dreamer.
Now that you know how to become lucid you may be wondering what’s next. Click here to find out about the second stage in lucid dreaming!
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