Can I learn to lucid dream?
Imagine having a dream where you could choose your actions. It might take practice, but the ability to control our dreams is thought to be something we all have the potential to do.
Lucid dreaming, where the dreamer is aware they are dreaming, is not uncommon—it’s thought that around 20 percent of people have at least one lucid dream a month. In such a dream, you are asleep, but your mind believes you are conscious, so your prefrontal cortex—the part of your brain responsible for decision-making—is active in the same way it would be if you were awake. So dreamers have the potential to be able to actively shape their dream content and could feasibly use their dreams to hone skills, find a solution to a problem, or take control and bring a nightmare to an end.
MASTERING THE TECHNIQUE
This is a relatively new area of investigation in sleep research, but several studies have found that lucid dreamers are able to change the setting or deliberately wake themselves from a dream. Scientists have developed techniques to help dreamers recognize when they are dreaming, although results so far are inconsistent. The findings indicate that learning to lucid dream takes practice, and even then it isn’t possible for everyone.
To try it, start by telling yourself you are going to dream that night. Keep a dream journal by your bed and jot down any dreams as soon as you wake. By monitoring your dreams, you can work up to being aware of them and possibly even directing them. Make sure you get enough sleep; REM is where the majority of dreaming takes place, so being short on sleep means missed opportunities to lucid dream.
MIND AND BODY | Can I learn to lucid dream?
DREAM YOGA
Tibetan Buddhists have practiced lucid dreaming—they call it dream yoga—for more than 2,000 years. An advanced meditation technique, practitioners use it to gain insight into their emotional state, provide inner clarity of thought, and deepen spirituality.