It was one of the first methods that used scientific research to induce lucid dreams. MILD is based on a behavior called prospective memory, which involves setting an intention to do something later. You can also practice MILD after waking up in the middle of dream. This is usually recommended, as the dream will be fresher in your mind. Keeping a dream journal, or dream diary, is a popular method for initiating lucid dreaming.
For best results, log your dreams as soon as you wake up. Practicing the other lucid dreaming induction techniques will increase your chances of WILD. Sometimes, you might want to wake up from a lucid dream. Lucid dreamers use a few different techniques. Lucid dreaming might help people:. About 50 to 85 percent of adults have occasional nightmares. Recurring nightmares , however, can cause stress and anxiety.
Lucid dreaming might help by letting the dreamer control the dream. Lucid dreaming is often used in imagery rehearsal therapy IRT. In IRT, a therapist helps you reimagine a recurring nightmare with a different, more pleasant storyline. A small study in Dreaming examined this effect. Most scientific research has focused on PTSD and nightmare-induced anxiety.
But according to anecdotal evidence, lucid dreaming can also ease anxiety caused by other reasons. Lucid dreaming could potentially benefit physical rehabilitation. An article in Medical Hypotheses shares that mentally performing motor skills can increase the physical ability to do them.
This suggests that people with physical disabilities could practice motor skills while lucid dreaming. The authors of the article speculate that people without physical disabilities could potentially use lucid dreaming to improve motor skills as well. These symptoms may indicate PTSD, a mental health issue, or a sleep disorder.
While this is an area where further research is needed, it may have some possible uses. Some potential benefits are listed below. Because lucid dreaming allows the dreamer to invent or create anything within the dream, it could be an exciting way to explore creatively and safely within the confines of a dream. Because the dreamer has some degree of control over the characters, scenery, and events of the dream, it could be a way to experience and explore things that a person might not be able to do in everyday life.
People who tend to lucid dream more also tend to rank higher on measures of creativity, but people also report feeling more creative and inspired by the experience itself. Some researchers believe that lucid dreaming might have some therapeutic effects, particularly for addressing nightmares. Bad dreams can interrupt sleep and can play a role in reducing the quantity and quality of sleep.
Lucid dreaming could allow people to take control of their dreams and either prevent nightmares from happening or redirect the events of the dream toward something more pleasant or relaxing.
Some suggest that lucid dreams might be useful for reducing symptoms of anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD. Such findings suggest that lucid dreaming may have a number of different uses. Further research is needed to explore whether people can learn to lucid dream and the possible effects that the dream state may actually have. Lucid dreaming can be difficult to study. Because it is uncommon, it is difficult to find participants who are able to experience this type of dreaming in a lab setting.
How exactly do researchers study lucid dreaming? During REM sleep, people who are experiencing a lucid dream maintain the same brain activity and muscle paralysis that are hallmarks of REM sleep. However, they are able to communicate their experience of lucid dreaming through predetermined eye movements that can be detected and monitored.
Research has shown, however, some ways that lucid dreaming may be unique from normal dreaming. One study found that people who are experiencing a lucid dream exhibit brain activity that seems to be a hybrid of both REM sleep and wakefulness. Other studies have found that certain areas of the prefrontal cortex appear to exhibit increased activity during lucid dreaming compared to standard REM sleep.
The research shows that the anterior prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain associated with higher levels of self-reflection, is larger in people who report having frequent lucid dreams. The researchers suggest that people who are more likely to engage in such self-reflection during normal waking life are also more readily able to take control of their dreams. There are a few things that you can do to help increase your chances of experiencing a lucid dream. Some strategies that can help include:.
There are a number of factors that can play a role in whether or not you experience lucid dreaming. While lucid dreaming may have some mental health benefits, there is some evidence to suggest that it may also have some downside. Some things to remember:. So while there are things that you can do that may help make it more likely that you will spontaneously experience a lucid dream, it is impossible to guarantee that you will be able to induce the experience. Ever wonder what your personality type means?
Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Lucid dreaming verified by volitional communication during REM sleep. Percept Mot Skills. LaBerge S. Lucid dreaming in Western literature. In: Gackenbach J. Springer, Boston, MA. Lucid dreaming incidence: A quality effects meta-analysis of 50years of research.
Conscious Cogn. Vallat R, Ruby PM. Is it a good idea to cultivate lucid dreaming? Front Psychol. Schredl M, Erlacher D. Engage in restful activities like unplugging from your electronics , taking a warm bath, or practicing aromatherapy or meditation. The first step to successful lucid dreaming is tuning in to your dreams. Keep a dream journal by your bed, and the moment you wake up, write down everything you remember from your dream.
If you think faster than you write, try recording your memories as a voice memo on your phone. In addition to letting you record your dreams, the value of these apps over traditional pen and paper is that they allow you to search your dream notes for recurring themes, symbols, and characters—which brings us to our next step.
Review your dream journal regularly and look for any patterns. Do certain themes or people show up again and again? These may provide insights into the types of issues your inner psyche is focused on.
Keep repeating it until you fall asleep. When you wake up from a dream, stay in bed as you write down anything you remember in your dream journal. Then, close your eyes and try to go back to sleep, focusing on the dream. Play the dream out in your mind, but this time, imagine that you were aware that you were dreaming. Keep focusing on this as you fall back asleep. Instead of 6, you might try this alternate method, known as Wake Induced Lucid Dreaming. When your alarm goes off, do your best to keep your eyes closed.
As you lie in bed with your eyes closed, keep your mind focused and aware, in order to increase your chances of experiencing a lucid dream. However, know that by keeping your mind awake while letting your body drift to sleep, you may experience a sensation known as sleep paralysis.
This can be very unsettling for some people as your body will feel unable to move as your body enters back into sleep. As it happens, just remind yourself that you are safe and that you are doing this so you can lucid dream. Many eminent thinkers and artists induced sleep paralysis to help them dream up their greatest work, including Benjamin Franklin, Salvador Dali, and Mary Shelley.
The Wake Back to Bed technique involves scheduling alarms to maximize your chances of waking up during REM sleep, so that when you fall back asleep you are more likely to reenter your dream.
Set an alarm to go off 4. Only choose one of those times. The 6 or 7 hour mark is more likely to catch you during a REM stage of sleep, since REM sleep lasts longer in the second portion of the night. When your alarm goes off, stay awake for 30 to 60 minutes. After writing your dream down in your journal, get out of bed and do something.
You want your brain to wake up while your body stays sleepy. Then, get back into bed, focus on your dream, and try to fall back asleep.
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