How to have lucid dreams?

We all dream. Who has not ever told someone excited about a dream that they had so lucid that they lived it as if it were very real? Because, of course, these types of dreams are lived very consciously and, sometimes, as if you had really lived them.

But what is dreaming, why do we do it, and what are lucid dreams? According to the RAE, dreaming is representing images or events in your fantasy while you sleep or a fantastical thought, and taking for certain and certain what is not.

However, when we talk about lucid dreaming, we mean being aware that we are dreaming, and thus having the control and ability to remain in it until, even, change its story, the content and move through the dream as we want.

Sleep and the stages of sleep

When we go to bed, the body experiences several phases until reaching deep rest; a state of relaxation that occurs once we are completely asleep.

As explained from the Sleep Foundationthe phases of sleep are divided into five phases: the first is the drowsiness stage, which consists of the first ten minutes before going to sleep, phase two or light sleep, is the phase in which we disconnect from everything. outside, from the environment, and our breathing and heart rate slow down.

Phase three or the so-called transition stage lasts just three minutes and is what brings us closer to deep sleep. In phase four we enter the deep or delta stage of sleep and is determined by the quality of rest and, finally, phase five is the so-called REM (rapid eye movement) sleep due to rapid and constant movement of the eyeball; It is the stage of paradoxical dreaming and where lucid dreams occur.

The history of lucid dreams

In the last 20 years, Psychophysiologist Dr. Stephen LaBerge has become a pioneer in the field of research into lucid dreams, not only because he invented one of the most popular vivid dream techniques, as he explains in his best seller Exploring the world of Lucid Dreaming , but because he has also directed many scientific studies on the subject.

LaBerge’s work has even helped discover the therapeutic benefits of lucid dreaming., such as in the treatment of post-traumatic stress, recurring nightmares and anxiety. For the expert, lucid dreams usually occur spontaneously, but it is possible to learn to have lucid dreams through various methods, so, without further ado, let’s get into the matter.

How to have lucid dreams?

Lucid dreaming techniques are intended to train your mind to notice your own consciousness and be able to identify that you are in a dream.

1. The reality test

This is the question we ask ourselves when we are not sure if we are dreaming or not. I am dreaming? This practice of just consciousness that has to do with questioning whether we are in a state of wakefulness or sleep is what involves a higher cognitive process.

This is indicated by research carried out by neuroscientists and published in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in which they concluded that one’s level of metacognition or “self-knowledge of knowledge” is similar to the states of wakefulness and sleep, so this leads to greater awareness while we dream.

2. Wake up and go back to bed Wake back to bed (WBTB)

This is a technique that consists of Set the alarm five hours after going to bed. Thus, you go to sleep and when the alarm rings, you stay awake for 30 minutes, do any activity during this time, such as reading, for example, and you fall asleep again.

In this way, and as reflected in another report, also published in the (NIH)the possibilities of having lucid dreams increase when choosing an activity that requires you to be completely alert during the process.

3. Mnemonic induction of lucid dreams

In 1980, LaBerge created a technique called Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD). It was one of the first methods scientific research used to induce vivid dreams. MILD is based on a behavior called prospective memory, which involves Set the intention to do something later.

How to use the MILD technique? While you sleep, try to identify a “dream signal” or something that is irregular in the dream. An example of this is that you are flying in the dream, so recognize this signal as distinctive, and associate it with the fact that this only happens because you are dreaming and repeat in your mind: “next time I dream, I want to remember that I am dreaming.”

It is also recommended to use this technique if you wake up in the middle of your dream and write it down, because then the dream will be fresher in your mind.

4. Keep a dream diary

If you are really interested in the topic, write down the dreams you remember daily It is an effective and popular method to achieve lucid dreams. Because when you write them down, you are forced to remember what happens during each dream. In this way, it helps you recognize the dream signals in your mind and, therefore, improve your awareness of your dreams.

And if you want to get better results, write down what you remember about your dreams As soon as you wake up, and read your dreams frequently, you will be able to manage your dreams and why not make some come true!

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