![img](https://picload.org/image/rdldrrda/luciddreamcover0.jpg) ## What is Lucid Dreaming? Lucid Dreaming means that you are totally aware of being in a dream. You "live" consciously in your dream world and can **manipulate** what happens in your dream! You can do whatever you want - fly, breathe under water, alter the law of physics or meet other people. ### It's a world without limits! Maybe you have experienced this before (by accident, positively or not). I personally have had lucid dreams multiple times and enjoy the unique experience. Lucid Dreaming enables you to see mesmerizing colors and patterns - much more vividly than any colors of the real world! When meditating on a regular basis, preferably during the same time, you can get used to this deeper state of consciousness and lucid dream much more often. ## What are the benefits of Lucid Dreaming? Lucid Dreaming isn't just for fun, you have a direct connection to your **subconsciousness** so you can actually use it to improve, deal with problems, or learn new things about yourself. While Lucid Dreams have been present in shamanism and buddhism for thousands of years, researchers of the western world have only started scientific studies around 150 years ago. So there is still a lot more to be discovered! ![](https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-9021dc0d9a365a89bb32396630129d0b-c?convert_to_webp=true) ## Can you *trigger* Lucid Dreaming? Yes - at least partly. There are definitely some factors and techniques that can make a lucid dream much more likely to happen. ### 1) Enough Sleep Lucid Dreams happen primarily in the **REM phases** of sleep (deep phases of sleep). If you don't get enough sleep, you get less of these deep sleep phases, which will make it less likely for you to have a lucid dream. ### 2) Check for certain signs There are certain indicators that can let you know if you're in a dream or not. If you pay attention to them while dreaming, you might notice that you're actually in a dream, and then begin your lucid dream experience. Here are some **signs** you should pay attention to: - actions that don't make **sense** / are against physical laws (like breathing under water, flying etc) - familiar things having a strange shape or color - normal things not being in the right **context** - for example snow in the desert ![](http://tenfact.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Lucid-Dreaming-talk-people.jpg) ### 3) Reality Checks This is connected to the point above - these reality checks will help you analyze if you are dreaming or not. By asking ourselves these questions during the day we get used to it, and will ask the same in the dream. Once you have spotted one of these factors, you will realize you are in a dream and go **lucid**. **Some examples for reality checks:** - **Memory** - Can you remember how you got to this place, or what happened 10 minutes earlier? - **Body** - can you feel touch? Is your body in its normal condition? - **Objects** - do the things around you look the way they normally do? Can you touch them? - **Time** - look for a clock. Does the time of the day make sense? Does the time change when you look at it multiple times? ### Extra tip: Keep a dream journal! As corny as this sounds, a dream journal can actually be very helpful. We forget most details of our dream when we wake up, so it can be very smart to keep a **notebook** on your bedside table and write down what you experienced in your dream when you wake up. ![](http://i0.wp.com/24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5otdaPvFi1rxrgs4o1_500.gif?resize=500%2C356) There are many different ways to initiate lucid dreaming. You can search the internet and will find many different methods - but in the end, everyone is different. What works for somebody else might not work for you. Since I haven't tested all the methods I don't want to give any instructions here. Everyone has to decide for themselves what works best!

Images: [1](http://www.neonnettle.com/feed/100-6-tips-to-help-you-start-lucid-dreaming-tonight) , [2](https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-9021dc0d9a365a89bb32396630129d0b-c?convert_to_webp=true) , [3](http://tenfact.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Lucid-Dreaming-talk-people.jpg) , [4](http://i0.wp.com/24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5otdaPvFi1rxrgs4o1_500.gif?resize=500%2C356)

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