Your mind is like the unexplored world; it is stuffed with memories, fantasies, and ideas. No one knows where the limits are, why certain things trigger a response in the brain, and why it operates as it does. Scientists have been performing dream studies for many years but still can’t understand why our mind stays active during the night, and why we see dreams.
One theory says that dreams reflect our emotions. Some researchers believe that factors such as health conditions, foods, and daily activities can also influence our dreams. However, no theory can explain why certain people can see prophetic dreams, and others have lucid dreams.
Sometimes we see and feel pretty weird things while sleeping. However, we can’t always remember in the morning what we were dreaming about last night. Also, during the night we can’t realize what’s happening, we just unconsciously see certain pictures in color.
Wouldn’t it be great to be able to understand that you are sleeping and create the environment of your dreams by yourself? A lot of people have been doing it for ages. Some had this ability by nature; others learned how to do it by using specific strategies.
You can also have lucid dreams and be able to use your fantasy and create any situation you want while you are asleep.
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The history of lucid dreaming
The concept of lucid dreaming is older than all of us. The first time it was described by Aristotle in the treatise called On Dreams. It was also described in the scriptures of Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
It is essential to mention that the practice of lucid dreaming was forbidden in the Middle Ages since people believed that some dreams and the ability to control them came from demons.
The term ‘lucid dream’ first time appeared in 1913 in the article of psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden. However, this phenomenon wasn’t recognized until 1978.
The neurology behind lucid dreaming was examined only in 1985 by doctor Stephen LaBerge. His study revealed that lucid dreaming is as real as waking life.
How can you lucid dream tonight?
Some people can see lucid dreams whenever they want, while others need to learn how to do it. If you want to dream consciously, start practicing meditation since it is the fastest way to get in touch with your body and inner self. Find some time in the morning or during the day to sit in a comfortable place, close your eyes and think of nothing. If you have never tried meditating before, you can put on some relaxing music, or drink a cup of tea with red bali kratom to get yourself into the mood. You can also join a group in order to be guided during meditation.
Also, you can use mnemonic induction to lucid dreaming (MILD), which means using an object that can help you remember yourself while you are asleep. For instance, you can look closely at your hands and tell yourself that the next time you see them, you will be dreaming. It will help to program your mind before going to sleep.
If you are an extreme dreamer and want to get the results faster, set up an alarm to wake yourself up every 90 minutes. Lucid dreams occur during REM sleep that you can experience every two hours after falling asleep. Waking up several times during the night can increase the odds of remembering your dreams. Also, you can program your mind at night using MILD practice. If you don’t want to ruin your sleep schedule, set up an alarm three hours before you usually wake up and then go to sleep again.
Should you try lucid dreaming?
For some people, lucid dreaming can be a frightening experience. First of all, sometimes, it is difficult to understand the line between reality and fantasy. You can understand that you are sleeping but not be able to control the directions of your dreams. So, there is a chance you might see and feel something you are afraid of in real life. This phenomenon is called ‘dream claustrophobia.’ Psychologists say that it can be a traumatic experience for people with mental disorders. Also, research participants reported being extremely tired after being conscious in their dreams.
On the other side, the practice of lucid dreaming can help to reduce the number of nightmares. Some people can fully control what they see, so every time dreamers have a nightmare, they can just ‘switch the channel.’
Also, lucid dreams can connect your subconscious and conscious mind. You might have brilliant ideas while sleeping and lucid dreaming allows you to take them into reality since you will remember everything. For instance, J.K. Rowling created the whole Harry-Potter-concept while sleeping on the train to Manchester. Maybe you’ve had a lot of ideas worth millions, and you just can’t remember them now.
Also, lucid dreaming can be a lot of fun since you can turn the sleeping world into your playground and do whatever you want. Some people state that they could meet up in their sleep with other lucid dreamers. However, there is no scientific data that can prove these statements.
Lucid dreaming is a skill that everyone can gain. All you need to do it to program your mind so that you can be conscious while sleeping. Some people believe that lucid dreaming is the way to communicate with yourself and get in touch with your spirituality.
