If you are a regular reader of this site then you will already know the techniques you need to employ to enter a lucid dream. However, entering the state of dream lucidity and controlling that state once you are in it are two very different things and require different exercises.
Historically speaking the lucid dream experience in itself does not actually refer to controlled dreaming.
Originally the term lucid dreaming referred to vivid dreaming and being aware that you are dreaming and was a term that was first coined by Dutch author and psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden in his 1913 article “A Study of Dreams“.
The term lucid dreaming has come to mean something slightly different since that early 20th Century article.
Controlling the dream state once you have become lucid is the next stage of the lucid dreaming process as we understand it in the 21st Century.
It is the control part of lucid dreaming that allows you to live out your fantasies, solve life problems as well as offering a host of other positive advantages too numerous to list in this post but outlined throughout this website.
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Entering the Lucid Dream State
Learning how to enter the lucid dreaming state is by far the most difficult part of the entire process.
Luckily there are several tools available to make developing this skill much easier than it would be trying to teach yourself.
And the good news is that once you have learned how to enter a state of lucidity you are 90% on your way to being a fully skilled lucid dreamer.
With a little training controlling your lucid dream once you are in it is a fairly easy process.
The State of Lucidity
The first step in controlled dreaming is to recognize that you are dreaming.
As outlined in previous articles and tutorials on this website the very act of recognizing that you are dreaming is enough to make you fully conscious within the dream world.
There are several highly effective ways to do this that will have you entering the lucid dream state in just 7 days and being fully in control of your dreams within 60 days – which is a short time frame for developing a life-skill.
Once you have learned how to induce a lucid dream at will the next step in your mind training is dream control.
Learning how to control your dreams is much easier than the initial stage of recognizing that you are dreaming but this is where the fun of lucid dreaming really begins.
What Can You Expect from Controlled Dreaming?
Many people who become conscious during their dreams will allow the dream to unfold and play out in any way their subconscious mind sees fit to direct it.
This can be an extremely enjoyable experience as the element of surprise is always present.
However, most lucid dreamers develop the skill of dream control so that they can consciously direct their dreams and shape the dream world as they see fit rather than merely allowing a dream to unfold.
Lucid Dreaming Video
Watch the movie trailer of Inception below to get a feel for what is possible in the dream world.
In the movie Inception the dream worlds being created tend to be fairly standard along the lines of things you would see in the real world. With a twist of course.
The type of lucid dreaming experiences that you can have however are only limited by your imagination.
Truly anything you can think of can be accomplished, experienced or witnessed in the lucid dream world.
Is Lucid Dreaming Dangerous?
Many people ask if lucid dreaming is in any way dangerous. The short and simple answer is “no”!
Although novels and movies such as Inception promote the possibility of dreams being harmful, open to outside manipulation and even life-threatening these ideas are introduced by writers for dramatic effect and are in no way based in fact.
Although the subconscious mind and your brain cannot differentiate between what is imagined, what is dreamt and what is really happening, research has shown that in instances of dream death occurring during a dream (where the dreamer dreams that they die) the dreamer has awoken perfectly fine with no negative effects at all either mentally, physically or emotionally.
However, you are unlikely to get that far as dream death is extremely rare.
Because the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between what is imagined and what is really happening its instinct to survive will cause your mind to wake you from sleep should such an event seem eminent.
Other scientific studies have clearly demonstrated that lucid dreaming is not only safe but that it can be highly beneficial to both mind and body.
How to Control Your Dreams
When you learn how to lucid dream one of the first things you will likely want to experience is unassisted flight. This is one of the most popular and exhilarating experiences you can have. Unfortunately though it is also one of the most difficult to control.
Because a lucid dream feels just as real as the waking world does it can be difficult to master the art of flying simply because it is not a possibility in the real world.
Creating an opulent lifestyle complete with mansion, luxury cars and the perfect partner, or being a rich and famous celebrity, is extremely easy to do within a lucid dream because you can draw upon your own knowledge of real world events, people/lifestyles, situations and buildings.
Dreaming yourself as a pirate, Jedi knight, fairy princess or superwoman is equally as effortless because popular culture has given you a lot of references for these things to help your mind build up that world within your dream state.
Even creating alien planets or entire Universes is possible because you have references available from films like Stars Wars and E.T.
But, flying seems to be a complete anomaly among most lucid dreamers.
Flying can be difficult for your mind to master within a dream because you have no reference point to base your human flight on (except for superman).
Even aeronautic engineers, pilots and students of flight have found mastering lucid dream flight difficult unless they first dreamt themselves wings.
Now, this is not to say that you cannot do it. You can do anything within a lucid dream.
It is just advisable in the beginning of your lucid dreaming career that you start with normal everyday activities that are easy to master – such as being a famous actor, dating your favorite celebrity, saving the world or winning an Olympic medal.
The morale here is to start with the plausible and build up to the impossible.
How to Fly
When you come to a time when you want to fly don’t start by trying to fly straight off the bat.
Instead begin by jumping higher than normal.
Simply think that you want to be able to jump high and then jump.
Over time you will be able to increase the height and even suspend yourself in mid air.
The next step is to simply take off and go roaming in the skies.
How to Control the Scenarios
As I already outlined it is much better to start with more “realistic” scenarios.
But how do you enter a desired environment within the dream?
Simply taking a taxi ride to your destination is enough to kick start a fantasy dream. Simply walk to any street with the intention of hailing a cab.
Get in and tell the driver to bring you to your destination.
Before you know it he will have stopped his cab and you will be in the perfect place whether that be your new mansion, castle, film set or the dock that holds your pirate ship.
How to Morph the Environment
Once you start to live out your desires it then becomes much easier for your mind to accept the reality of your dream control.
At this point you can begin morphing the dream world around you into anything you want just for the mere thought of it.
Trying this in the initial stages of your lucid dreaming training can cause you to awaken from the dream state so be smart and take things slowly.
How to Meet Famous/Dead People
The ability to converse with and even have a relationship with another person is available to you within any lucid dream.
You can have an affair with Marilyn Monroe, dance with Fred Astaire or jam with Chuck Berry.
Anyone and everyone is available to you within your dream world.
Just be aware that the people you conjure up in your dream are not representative of the real person but are 100% replicas of the person as you think they would be.
If you were to have a long lasting dream induced friendship with a living person whom you have never met and later meet them in real life don’t be surprised if they are nothing at all like their dream counterpart.
All you have to do to meet the person or persons of your choosing is to have the intention and then travel to the place you want them to be at using your dream taxi or other mode of transport.
Be aware that the travel time can be instantaneous: just “will” it to be.
How to Be Someone Else
This can be another tricky skill to employ.
Being another person can be difficult for you mind to accept even in a lucid dream because we are so invested in the persona we have created for ourselves.
We see ourselves as being our name, the person who has specific physical features, the person with specific likes and dislikes, who has certain strengths and weaknesses etc.
So attempting to shed all those traits to become someone completely different, who may even be the polar opposite of your own self image, can be difficult for the mind to accept.
Oftentimes when you first try this your mind will wake you up.
The easiest way get around this problem is to begin with your own body using the morphing technique.
Start by looking at your own dream hand and make it, through intention and will, change into the hand of a much younger you. Go back 10 years, then 20 and finally 30 years.
Each time transforming your own hand into its younger version.
Then step by step do the same with the rest of your dream body.
Then imagine what you were actually like as a person at that age. Odds are strong that many of your tastes and outlooks have changed since then.
Once you have a clear image of the younger you morph into that younger you.
If you find this difficult then instead build a replica of the younger you and have that doppelganger stand in front of you lifeless, with their back facing you.
Then simply walk into them and “put them on” like you would put on a coat and allow yourself to animate that body.
With practice this gets easier and once you can become a younger version of you it is fairly easy to go one step further and become a different person entirely using the same techniques.
Imagine what it would feel like to be a member of the opposite sex for a day and see things from that perspective! Do you think it would help you connect better with your partner or friends?
How to Use Your Lucid Dreams To Solve Problems
This aspect of lucid dreaming is a much under utilized aspect of the controlled dream world.
There are a ton ways to solve problems within a lucid dream. You can simply repeat the problematic scenario and test out different actions and reactions to see which one comes out best.
My personal favorite method to deal with problems is to enlist the help of an expert within a lucid dream.
No matter what problem you face you can be sure that someone at some time has faced the same problem.
There is someone, somewhere that has experienced it in a similar circumstances with identical variables at work as you do and they have solved that problem.
In the waking state find a story of such a person and build up an image of what you think they would be like so you can recreate that when you enter a lucid dream.
In a similar manner you can find an expert, or create one yourself, who has the skills to easily help you resolve this problem and create a positive outcome.
Get a clear image in your mind of how that person would interact with you if they were sympathetic to your situation and wanted to help you if you were to meet them in the real world.
When you dream simply travel to a prearranged place where you can meet them and ask them for advice.
This is a great way to access deeper levels of your subconscious mind where there exists the answer to any and every problem you could possibly imagine.
How to Live Out Your Fantasies
Lucid dreaming is an excellent way to overcome fears & phobias, develop new skills that can be carried-over into the waking world, solve problems and to develop yourself on a personal level as well as for a myriad of other self improvement applications outlined throughout this website.
But don’t get too caught up in personal development however.
Do use it to better yourself mentally, physically and strengthen yourself emotionally but don’t make your dream time too heavy all the time.
When you learn how to control your dreams be sure to have some play time.
While you are awake make some plans to use your dreams to experience your desires and live out scenarios and have life experiences that would otherwise seem impossible for you. Have fun!