The lucid dreaming method is a process that enables us to control aspects of the dream. It offers a fascinating way to expand awareness and explore consciousness. Almost everyone can learn how to control lucid dreams. Sound interesting? Come and learn how simple it is to increase the capabilities of your mind.
The key to this process is following the steps. It begins with learning effective reality checks for lucid dreaming. It also includes journaling and reviewing your journal. Reviewing your journal sparks your memory and helps you find patterns.
Being more aware during the dream state helps you understand the symbolism of your dreams. We will walk you through the essentials of the process, as well as the potential risks of lucid dreaming.
Learning How to Control Lucid Dreams
To be lucid while dreaming means being aware that you are dreaming. Being aware during the dream state enables you to control aspects of your dream world. With more control, you can fly, talk to dream characters, explore, and change the landscape.
It is an inner work tool that expands our awareness. It presents us with a reality in which we can confront our fears in typologies and symbols. However, to do this intentionally, you need a systematic approach. Let’s start with a bit of background knowledge on this practice.
What Scientific Research Shows
The US National Laboratory of Medicine has conducted extensive tests on lucid dreaming. They found that the practice of this method improves brainwave coherence and creativity. But it might affect your sleep quality. You may find yourself wanting to have fun and take control of your dreams more often. [1]
Most people surveyed have experienced this phenomenon at least once; they just don’t know how to recreate it. Now, you can learn lucid dreaming tonight.
Many people think it is a different state from normal dreaming. This is because it blends traits from other parts of consciousness. Let me explain.
Partitions of Consciousness
Three Default States
We are born with three default states of consciousness [2] :
1. The Waking State involves being fully alert. You perceive your senses, think logically, and interact with the world around you.
2. The Sleeping State is a time when awareness is low or missing. During this state, the mind is non-conscious. There is also little to no sensory input or active thinking in deep sleep stages.
3. The Dream State is a mental experience occurring during sleep, most vividly during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. It involves a mix of thoughts, images, emotions, and sensations that can feel real despite lacking external input. Dreams often reflect subconscious thoughts, memories, and desires
Higher States of Consciousness
Beyond the three default states are higher levels of consciousness [3] :
4. Transcendental Consciousness. The fourth state of consciousness underlies everything. Many teachers refer to this partition as pure, transcendental, or even bliss consciousness. It is a state of meditation where the mind is calm and alert, absent from the internal chatter of the ego.
5. Shamanic State of Consciousness (SSC). We reach this partition using rhythm and creative visualization. These tools are the essence of the Shamanic Journey.
6. Witnessing Awareness. The sixth state of consciousness combines the fourth state with the waking state. It is known as cosmic consciousness. Many Eastern teachers call it “witnessing” because we experience reality from two viewpoints. We are aware of being in our bodies and simultaneously observe or see from a separate perspective. It is a mind state similar to the self-awareness one achieves during the lucid dream state.
7. The Lucid Dream State. We’ve finally reached the seventh state, which is a subset of the dreaming partition where we are aware. It has several unique properties. The lucid dreaming method provides a quantum expansion of awareness. [4]
Being lucid during dreams shows how we can open our minds to see different realities at the same time. When you dream, you’re asleep and in the REM state. But usually, you don’t realize you are dreaming. However, when you use this process, you are both aware and in control.
When you are engaged in this process, you are actually experiencing four dimensions of awareness at once. You are asleep and dreaming, and since you are aware, you are also engaging in the waking state. Plus, you control an imaginary landscape similar to the Shamanic State of Consciousness. Therefore, some think it should be the 7th state of consciousness.
Many Eastern traditions use this lucid dreaming method as a doorway to explore spirituality. Practicing this method exercises and expands your awareness. It makes it easier to use more advanced methods later.
All techniques for inducing this state involve expanding awareness and developing intention. Most methods use scripts, and some use mantras or affirmations.
The lucid dream, located as it is at a crossroads between worlds and states of consciousness, places the magician in a unique position to influence the delicate balance of consciousness and the interplay it has on matter in the waking state and is thus an opportunity to test one’s ability in the art of adjusting the mutable fabric of Maya.― Zeena Schreck
Understanding this background clarifies the relationship between the various partitions of awareness. Now, we can explore the process of controlling dreams.
The Lucid Dreaming Method
The method we recommend is a blend of modern research and ancient traditions. It gradually increases control of the dream state. In turn, it increases the bandwidth of awareness while you are sleeping. Practicing this method expands our experience of other meditative processes.
Risks of Lucid Dreaming
Learning how to control lucid dreams is a structured, practical approach. However, this practice is not for everyone. People who have a history of mental illness need to be cautious. Those with a history of psychotic episodes or delusions need to use caution when using this method. Tools like this can blur the line between reality and imagination. So, it could trigger a psychotic event.
These methods may exacerbate underlying mental health conditions. If you’ve been hospitalized for mental health issues, talk to a professional before trying this method. Clinical supervision ensures safety and helps prevent potential harm. [5]
1. Practice Visualization During the Day
During the day, close your eyes and imagine what you want to dream about. Picture yourself flying or talking to someone in a dream. The more clearly you can see it in your mind, the easier it will be to make it happen in your sleep.
Practice creative visualization for a few minutes every day. Pretend that you’re already in the dream and practice what you’ll do.
Better yet, try the Shamanic Journey. While in SCC, practice the skill you want to use in your lucid dreams. It is one of the best ways to pre-program your intention.
2. Effective Reality Checks for Lucid Dreaming
Preparation is the key to learning how to control lucid dreams. Performing checks multiple times a day trains your mind to question whether you’re awake or dreaming. Eventually, you’ll start doing them in your dreams, leading to lucidity. Set a reminder on your phone or use sticky notes. Do these checks 5–10 times daily and always ask yourself: “Am I dreaming?” Reality checking is key to the process. It helps to establish control of awareness.
The most effective reality checks for lucid dreaming include:
- Nose Pinch Test: Pinch your nose and try to breathe through it. If you can, you’re dreaming.
- Hand Check: Look at your hands. In dreams, they often appear distorted or change shape.
- Text or Digital Clock Check: Look at text or a clock, then look away and back again. If it changes, you’re dreaming.
- Finger Through Palm: Try to push a finger through the opposite hand. In a dream, it may pass through.
3. Keep a Dream Journal
The lucid dreaming method leverages the power of a dream journal. You use it to set your intention before you go to sleep and record your dream sessions. Writing your intent to be aware of and control your dreams is a critical step. Many experienced dreamers say that keeping a dream journal is vital.
Then, as soon as you wake up, write down everything you remember from your dreams. Don’t overlook the fragments. Later, when you review your journal, you may find that you can recall more.
The more you practice lucid dreaming, the stronger your intention will become. As a result, you’ll remember more of your normal dreams. You’ll also be able to put the previous dream fragments together and decipher more messages from the subconscious.
Again, when you wake up, write down your dreams or fragments of dreams. Later the same day, review your notes. You will soon find that you can recover these bits and pieces. Eventually, you will recall even more of the dream. Those who have been practicing this technique for a few months find that it leads to other dreamscapes. They find that these dreams connect to others they hadn’t remembered.
Dreams and fragments will often contain patterns. Recurring elements, people, and situations are clues for further inner work. Documenting your dreams improves your dream recall. Writing helps identify recurring patterns that reveal typologies of our dreams. We can use this information to assist in deciphering the hidden messages of our subconscious.
Tips for effective journaling:
- Keep it next to your bed.
- Record dreams in the present tense (“I’m walking through a forest…”).
- Include emotions, colors, people, and strange occurrences.
- Use it to set your intention just before you go to bed.
4. Set Your Intention
A few minutes before bedtime, sit down and quietly write in your dream journal. Write something like: I will be aware in my dreams. I will remember my dreams. These words are powerful. They tell your brain what you want to do while you’re sleeping.
When you write and say these phrases, it’s like giving your brain a mission. Think about what it would feel like to know you’re dreaming while you’re dreaming. Imagine what you might see or do. The more clearly you set this goal, the more likely your mind will remember it during the night. Setting your intention prior to going to bed is simple but essential.
5. Use the MILD Technique
MILD stands for Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams. That’s just a fancy way of saying you remind yourself to become aware while dreaming.
Here’s how to do it:
- As you’re lying in bed and getting sleepy, repeat the phrase in your mind: I will be aware in my dreams. I will remember my dreams. Say it slowly and with meaning, like you believe it.
- Then, imagine a dream you had before. Picture yourself inside it, but this time you realize it’s a dream. Visualize yourself saying, “I’m dreaming!”
- Keep thinking about this as you drift off to sleep. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your goal.
The MILD technique trains your brain to “wake up” inside the dream.
6. Try Wake Back to Bed (WBTB)
The WBTB tactic helps you get back into dreaming at just the right time.
Here’s what to do:
- Set an alarm to wake up about 5 to 6 hours after you fall asleep.
- When the alarm goes off, get out of bed and stay awake for 10 to 30 minutes. Use this time to read about lucid dreaming or look over your dream journal. It wakes up your thinking brain.
- Then go back to bed. As you fall asleep again, use the MILD technique or picture yourself becoming aware in a dream.
It works well because you’re going back to sleep when dreams are strongest, and your mind is alert enough to notice them.
7. Use Effective Reality Checks for Lucid Dreaming
Testing or checking awareness and control is called a reality check. It seems like a small thing, but it is an important step. When you do this, you establish a pattern that enables us to confirm whether we are in the dream state or not.
The conscious action acts as a bookmark, which will help you direct your actions in future dreams and remember the dream. It is also one of the most effective reality checks for lucid dreaming.
Here are some easy ones:
- Look at your hand.
- Try to push your finger through your palm—if it goes through, you’re dreaming.
- Pinch your nose and try to breathe through it—if you can still breathe, you’re in a dream.
- Look at a clock or some text, then look away and look back—if the numbers or words change, it’s a dream.
Doing these checks during the day helps your brain learn to ask, “Am I dreaming?” Then, when you’re in a dream, you might do the check automatically and become lucid.
If you already know you’re dreaming and want to wake up, you can say, “I will now awaken.” It can help you leave your dream.
For example, when you consciously turn over your hand and look at it, this becomes your way of increasing control. Anytime you feel you are losing control, turn over your hand and look at your palm. Sometimes, your subconscious will play tricks on you. You may find you have a glove on. If so, take it off. If your hand is “missing,” look at your other hand. If both hands are “missing,” close your eyes. It is the failsafe to regain control.
8. Learning How to Control Lucid Dreams
Once you know you’re dreaming, you can start learning how to control what happens. It takes practice, but it gets easier over time.
Start by adding more to your bedtime script. For example:
- I will be aware in my dreams. I will remember my dreams. I will be able to float in the air.
You can change this to anything you want to do in your dream—fly, visit a magical place, or talk to a favorite character. The important thing is to believe it’s possible and imagine yourself doing it.
At first, it might be tricky, but just keep practicing. Over time, your dreams will feel clearer, and you’ll be able to explore them the way you want.
9. Use Grounding Tricks to Stay in the Dream
Sometimes, dreams start to fade or feel blurry after you become lucid. That’s where grounding tricks help:
- Rub your hands together in the dream. It helps keep your mind focused and your dream stable.
- Spin your body slowly in the dream. It tells your brain you are still inside the dream world.
- Touch objects around you. Feel the texture of a wall or the grass under your feet. These small actions make the dream feel more real and help you stay longer.
- Closing your eyes while in a lucid dream is like hitting a reset switch: you either wake up or you can open your eyes.
If your lucid dream control slips and you begin to have a nightmare, you can regain control by closing your eyes. It is one of the lucid dreaming tips and tricks that can help change the trajectory of your dream. Closing your eyes enables you to wake up or look at your hand, reestablishing control.
The best way to gain more control is to start small. Don’t try flying the first time you realize you are dreaming. Try something small, like turning around or picking up objects. Then, progress to directing the direction of your movement. Eventually, you can fly around.
10. Lucid Dreaming Tips and Tricks
Use Voice Commands in the dream. In a lucid dream, your voice is powerful. You can say things like, Make this place brighter! I want to meet my dream guide! Let me fly now! Saying it out loud in the dream often makes it happen. Just speak clearly and believe it.
Control the Environment. Change the landscape scenery, like turning mountains into a desert. Make clouds appear. Get trees to grow.
Practice regularly. Learning how to control lucid dreams is based on expanding awareness incrementally. Practicing on a regular basis builds a foundation for success. Use your calendar to schedule the practice of visualization throughout the day, even if you aren’t going to practice the method that night. Keep your dream journal by your bed.
Stay calm when you realize you’re dreaming. When you suddenly notice you’re dreaming, it can feel amazing! But getting too excited can actually wake you up. Try to stay calm. Take a deep breath in your dream and say to yourself, I’m dreaming, and it’s okay. Stay relaxed so the dream doesn’t slip away. If you’re just getting started, learning these lucid dreaming tips and tricks can make a big difference in your progress.
Keep a positive attitude. Sometimes, lucid dreams won’t happen right away, and that’s okay. Be patient with yourself. The more you practice, the better you’ll get. Stay curious, keep trying new things, and have fun with the process.
11. Review Your Journal and Delve
It’s important to go back and read your dream journal every few days. Set a time during the week—maybe on a weekend morning or right after school—when you can sit quietly and look over what you’ve written. Try to notice any dreams that seem similar or have the same people, places, or feelings in them.
Even the small pieces of dreams—called fragments—are important. These are bits you remember, like a face, a strange place, or a feeling you had. Please don’t ignore them. Sometimes, they are clues to bigger dreams your brain didn’t fully remember.
Ask yourself questions like:
- Did I dream about the same person more than once?
- Are there any repeating places, like a school, a forest, or an unknown house?
- Was there a color or object that kept showing up?
Finding these patterns can help you realize you’re dreaming next time. For example, if you always dream about being in a weird school, the next time it happens, you might suddenly think, Wait, I’m dreaming!
Also, the more you practice remembering your dreams during the day, the better your memory becomes. It’s like training your brain. When you review your dreams while awake, it helps you remember more dreams in the future. You’re teaching your mind to hold on to those night-time stories longer and more clearly.
Think of your dream journal like a treasure map. The more you study it, the closer you get to discovering the magic of controlling dreams.
Final Thoughts
Mastering the control of the dream state takes time. You can be successful if you use the process above. The key is practicing effective reality checks for lucid dreaming. Once this process becomes second-nature, you will progress rapidly.
Learning how to control lucid dreams provides amazing experiences. It will increase the bandwidth of your awareness. In turn, this will boost creativity, aid healing, and support self-discovery. Beware of the risks of lucid dreaming if you have a history of delusional episodes.
Ready to start your journey? Begin tonight by setting your intention, keeping a dream journal by your bed, and performing your first reality check.
Practicing this method has some exciting benefits. You train your awareness to be more observant when you use the method. This ability will “spill” over into your waking consciousness. You exercise your intention by placing your goals in your mind just before you go to sleep. It results in general memory improvement. You will replace negative self-talk with positive self-talk. Learn how to control lucid dreams tonight, and you will reap the benefits tomorrow.
References
- Lucid Dreaming: A State of Consciousness with Features of Both Waking and Non-Lucid Dreaming. US National Library of Medicine.
- Theories and measures of consciousness: An extended framework. National Library of Medicine.
- The Sources of Higher States of Consciousness, ResearchGate.
- The clinical neuroscience of lucid dreaming. National Library of Medicine.
- Is Lucid Dreaming Dangerous? Sleep Foundation.