When it comes to lucid dreams there are 2 definitions.
This post is focused mostly on the more popular definition of lucid dreams that refers to the controlled waking dream state.
It is designed to explain to you what lucid dreams are and then show you how you can enter into a lucid dream state and take control over the dream environment and manipulate the players within the dream.
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The Definition of a Lucid Dream
Many people wonder what is it called when you can control your dreams and the answer that is given is often “lucid dreaming”. However this is not entirely accurate.
According to Wikipedia a lucid dream is:
“… any dream in which one is aware that one is dreaming. In relation to this phenomenon, Greek philosopher Aristotle observed: “often when one is asleep, there is something in consciousness which declares that what then presents itself is but a dream.”
We can see from the above quoted explanation that lucid dreams are any dream in which the dreamer becomes conscious that they are dreaming.
This means you could experience a lucid dream but not be in control of it, merely watching as the dream unfolds.
Often when a person enters a lucid dream and fails to take control over it they will drift back into unconsciousness very quickly.
Although this is an accurate definition of a lucid dream it is not the popular definition nor is it the one we have adopted throughout this site.
The Popular Definition of Lucid Dreams
For our purposes we will refer to lucid dreams and the lucid dreaming state as meaning a dream in which you are not only fully conscious that you are dreaming and over which you also have complete and total control.
We therefore refer to lucid dreaming as:
A dream in which the dreamer is conscious of the fact that he/she is dreaming.
In this dream state the dreamer takes full conscious control over the entire dream state.
They are then able to manipulate the environment and the characters within the dream and change them in any way they see fit.
While in this unique dream state the dreamer experiences everything as though they were experiencing it through their normal five-senses.
In other words, the dream feels 100% real regardless of what fantastical experiences the dream conjures up.
The ability to lucid dream therefore gives a person the opportunity to create entire fantasy worlds inhabited by anything they can imagine.
As well as creating new worlds and new adventures the ability to experience lucid dreams at will gives the dreamer the ability to live out their more mundane fantasies.
Many lucid dreamers enjoy experiencing real life scenarios that would otherwise be extremely unlikely for them to experience in the real world.
This include things like dating a celebrity, being a famous celebrity themselves or even scoring the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl or scoring the opening goal in an FA Cup final.
It has also been demonstrated that training your body for physical activities or skills, such as sports, while in a lucid dream can carry over into the waking world.
Practicing skills in a lucid dream can not only help you gain mental acuity over a task but it can actually help to train your body to perform those skills in the real world as well.
Of course there are other advantages to having a lucid dream that go beyond mere fantasy fulfillment or goal achievement.
Truly a lucid dreamer is only limited by his or her imagination.
The Science Behind Lucid Dreams
The neuroscience of lucid dreams is still in its infancy and hence the lack of available studies on lucid dreaming.
However, it is known that there are specific brainwave states connected to lucid dreaming and that these states can be deliberately triggered by listening to professionally recorded tracks containing embedded binaural beats and isochronic tones.
Many people have used such brain entrainment technology audios as a quick route to mastering the skill of lucid dreaming.
If messing with your own brain activity is not something that you readily want to pursue then you will be happy to know that there are ways to train yourself to lucid dream without the aid of any type of 21st Century technology.
Tips for Lucid Dreaming
Learning is not as difficult as must people think.
There are specific steps that you can take to train your mind to become conscious during the sleep state.
In fact just three simple steps is often enough to trigger your first lucid dream experience.
- Record your dreams.
- Perform reality checks during the day.
- Intend to have a lucid dream before you go to bed.
You can get a more detailed explanation of these three steps in our free guide “how to lucid dream” or you can follow the steps outlines in this course designed to teach anyone how to lucid dream in 60 days or less.
By following the specific steps outlined in our guide or by using a professionally crafted course you are assured of developing the required skills needed to enter the wonderful world of lucid dreaming.