So you’ve heard about all the cool things that you can do in a lucid dream and want to learn this exciting skill. You’re fired up, determined and ready to get started. So, how long does it take to learn lucid dreaming?
As a general rule it takes 30 days to learn lucid dreaming induction techniques. Some people will experience their first lucid dream much quicker while it may take others longer. After you learn how to induce lucid dreams it can then take several months to become proficient at controlling your lucid dreams. But by following a strategic approach everyone can learn how to lucid dream and how to control them in no more than 3 months.
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How long does it take to lucid dream?
Before we look at the average time it takes to become a proficient lucid dreamer we should address the question of whether or not everyone is capable of lucid dreaming.
Although every person is different and everyone of us has different learning needs and approaches, it has been shown that everyone can lucid dream.
Lucid dreaming is not some mythical, esoteric skill that only a small percentage of the population are born with.
Anyone can learn how to lucid dream. In fact, 55% of the population will experience at least 1 lucid dream at some point making it much more common than most people think it is.
However, to have consistent regular lucid dreams, and to be able to control them, it takes training and a certain degree of dedication and patience on your part.
For example, with so many lucid dreaming induction techniques available, with each one designed for a specific use and specific type of person, it can take time to find the one that works for you.
To find an induction technique that will consistently induce lucidity for you it is sometimes necessary to use each technique systematically.
Try a new one for a one week period, moving on to the next after 7 days if you have not had a lucid dream, until you will find one that works for you.
Obviously this can take several weeks for some people.
You may be lucky and find an induction technique that works best for you on your first try. But, if you are like the average would-be lucid dreamer then it will usually take about 30 days before you find that golden technique and experience your first lucid dream.
You see you need to try each lucid dreaming induction technique for at least 7 days consecutively before you can say categorically that this particular technique will not work for you.
You must then move on to the next technique which you need to use consecutively for 7 days.
Although taking this approach can be time-consuming, and sometimes frustrating, failing to follow that simple plan can increase the length of time it takes you to learn how to induce lucid dreams.
For example, only trying each technique for a few days, or stagnating your attempts over several weeks instead of 7 days consecutively, you can go through each technique without success.
Then when you go back to the 7-day plan I outlined you will find a technique that you previously tried actually works for you on that later attempt. So, follow my advice and try each technique for at least 7 days before trying a new one.
Now, of course there are those individuals who have been born with the ability to experience lucid dreams naturally but for most lucid dreamers this skill had to be acquired through effort.
So we’ve seen that , on average, it will take about 30 days to learn how to induce lucid dreams.
Although this is by far the most challenging part of learning lucid dreaming it is not the only part.
Learning lucid dreaming requires a binary approach.
There are 2 steps to becoming a proficient lucid dreamer. The first step to learning how to induce lucidity in your dreams.
Step 1: Learning to induce lucid dreams takes about 30 days
The first thing you need to do in order to experience lucid dreams is identify which lucid dreaming induction techniques work for you.
There are multiple induction techniques.
You will find that one or more will work for you while the others will not work or will be inappropriate for your lifestyle (WBTB is a perfect example as it requires you to wake yourself after 4 hours of sleep which can disrupt your rest).
So how long does it take before you find an induction technique that will work for you?
It takes on average 30 days to have your first lucid dream.
However, there is a caveat to this!
Although you will be able to induce a lucid dream, where you become conscious and aware within the dream, within a 30 day period, it is unlikely you will be able to control that lucid dream.
As I pointed out in the article why can’t I control my lucid dreams there are 2 types of lucid dream:
- The controlled lucid dream.
- The uncontrolled lucid dream.
Controlled lucid dreams are exactly how they sound – you have full and total control over the dreamworld and everything it.
This means you can live out your fantasies and you can do anything you want with anyone you want at any point in history you want to do it in.
You are limited only by your own imagination. This is what most people believe lucid dreams are when they think of lucid dreaming.
However, uncontrolled lucid dreams are much more common, especially among untrained lucid dreamers who enter dream lucidity without trying.
In an uncontrolled lucid dream you will wake up within the dream and become fully conscious and aware just as you would in a controlled lucid dream.
But, although the dreamworld will feel very real and you will be able to interact with everything in it in the same way you do while awake in the everyday normal world, you will have very limited control.
In an uncontrolled lucid dream the only control you have is over your own actions and reactions.
Unlike a controlled lucid dream you cannot change the dream in any way.
In my early attempts at lucid dreaming I had an uncontrolled lucid dream where I was in a locked room. Because I had no key or way out I was stuck there for the entire dream.
Since then I have learned advanced dream control techniques that allow me to change an uncontrolled lucid dream into a controlled one but back then I was powerless to make any changes to the dream.
So, although you can usually learn how to induce a lucid dream in about 30 days you must continue to train so that you can learn how to control your lucid dreams.
I know this sounds like a lot of effort but honestly, trust me, it is worth the effort it takes!
Unfortunately, most free training online for lucid dreaming only gives us half the story – lucid dream induction.
These free resources fail to teach dream-control techniques and never even address the existence of uncontrolled lucid dreams.
So, learning how to induce lucidity within a dream is only the first step to learning how to lucid dream.
You also need to learn dream-control techniques.
Step 2: Learning to control lucid dreams can take several months
If you only learn how to induce lucid dreams and do not continue your training so you can learn how to control those lucid dreams then you will just have acquired a cool trick where you can become consciously aware in your dreams.
You won’t be able to control them and they will merely be something interesting that you can explore at night (when the dream surroundings let you … remember my locked room dream).
Obviously anyone who wants to learn how to lucid dream is aiming to have controlled lucid dreams.
Uncontrolled lucid dreams are interesting but they are far from satisfying – at least in the way that controlled lucid dreams are.
To take advantage of the many benefits that lucid dreaming offers, from better study, improved sports performance and even help with manifestation, you need to be able to control your lucid dreams.
Learning to control your lucid dreams requires a different training approach to learning how to induce lucid dreams and it usually takes a longer period of time to perfect your dream-control skills.
However, I should state clearly that once you can consistently induce lucidity in your dreams you are well on your way to being an expert lucid dreamer.
The most difficult part of learning lucid dreaming is learning to become lucid in a dream. But, as you have seen there is still an important part of learning lucid dreaming that you are missing.
You must now learn how to control those lucid dreams as this skill seldom comes naturally.
It can take several months to learn how to fully control your lucid dreams.
Although it can take several months to become an expert lucid dreamer you should not be dismayed by the length of this period.
You will not have to wait several months to be able to control your dreams. It just takes several months to become an expert at doing it.
The good news is that, although it can take several months to complete your dream-control training, this part of the learning process is much easier than the first stage (inducing lucid dreams).
And, you will begin being able to control different aspects of your lucid dreams from the outset.
It just takes a few months to master total omnipotent dream powers.
So how do you do this?
Well, I am sure you are already aware that it is possible to learn lucid dreaming induction techniques from videos and forum posts.
In fact, even I have a post showing you the top 5 induction techniques here. But it can be very difficult to find quality advice on how to take control of a lucid dream once you wake up in one.
As this website grows I plan to include advanced dream-control techniques and if you surf through the existing posts you will come across some real gems that I have already shared.
But sharing dream-control techniques and guiding new lucid dreamers from novice to the state of experienced omnipotent dreamer is no light task.
I will get the information up on the site as quickly as I can but it is just such a huge time-consuming task that it will take awhile to complete.
For this reason, and all the other reasons I covered above, I suggest anyone who wants to learn how to lucid dream invests the small amount needed to get professional training. This course follows a proven strategy for teaching you how to both induce lucid dreams and also how to control them.