Have you ever been dreaming knowing that you are indeed inside a dream? Have you felt powerful by being able to take the course of your dream, consciously interfering in its history? More and more people answer in the affirmative to these questions, feeling amazed at being able to decide the end of one of their best dreams. If it has happened to you too, congratulations: You have lived a lucid dream.
Lucid dreams do not occur frequently, however, when they do appear they are very rewarding. If you want to know what they are about, why they happen and what we can do to experience them, keep reading this article. In it we will talk about everything you need to know about these dreams and why they are so special. Don’t resist you!
Lucid dreams. What are they?
Science calls lucid dreams those types of dreams in which the dreamer has absolute control over what happens in them. Namely; You can modify what happens in the dream at will. In these dreams, the person knows that she is dreaming, and therefore, she is not afraid to do everything that she would not dare to do when she is awake.
These dreams allow us to fly, drive without knowing how to drive and even dive for an unlimited time. In addition, in them we are the ones who control the speed, height and/or other characteristics of our actions, feeling powerful for having that ability. Most of the lucid dreams that are experienced have to do with these fanciful actions.
Even science has been interested in these curious dreams, carrying out different investigations on them. The results of these investigations allow us to know some scientific data capable of attracting our attention.
The first investigations about them occurred at the beginning of the 20th century. It is then that there was already evidence of these mental occurrences. Since then, many have been interested in this type of dream. One of them, an American psychoanalyst considered to be one of the most important researchers today. This researcher not only affirms when these types of dreams occur, but also how we can cause them.
When and how do lucid dreams occur?
Our sleep seems like a very simple state. However, the truth is that it is a very complex period. When we sleep, our sleep moves around 5 sleep phases, which will determine the quality of our rest. Each of these phases has its own defining characteristics. The REM phase is one of the most important, because it is the one that best repairs our brain, or in other words, the one that allows us to rest better. It is in this phase that most of our dreams occur, including lucid dreams.
We can identify our lucid dreams by following these simple tips:
1-Recognize the signs that a lucid dream is taking place
Sometimes, we can doubt whether an experience we have dreamed or has happened in reality. When this happens, we may be remembering a lucid dream so real that it makes us doubt.
We will be facing a lucid dream if we are aware that some fanciful detail is occurring or that it does not fully correspond to reality. This can offer us some clue that we are obviously living a dream and that we can do whatever we want while it lasts.
When we experience these dreams, we tend to be more restless than usual, more uninhibited, and more content. In addition, the colors look brighter, and we have a better perception of everything that happens around us. These are also signs that can make us understand that what we are experiencing is not really happening, and that we are obviously in a dream.
2-Attempting to consciously create a lucid dream
If you want to live a lucid dream, there are some actions that can create it:
1-Repeat the phrase “I want to control my sleep” before falling asleep
Our brain collects the last thoughts we have had before sleeping, and takes them into account when dreaming. That is why repeating this phrase before surrendering to sleep can determine the type of dream to experience.
2-Wake up during the night
Experts say that people who wake up during the night tend to remember their dreams more. If we wake up in the REM phase, in addition, we can have greater control when it comes to going back to sleep. This can generate the appearance of lucid dreams. A good way to wake yourself up is to drink water before bed, or set your alarm about 90 minutes after bedtime, which is about when REM sleep begins.
3-Write down all dreams
Creating a kind of dream record can be very interesting to find out how your dreams are and make it easier to identify them over time. Writing down what you remember about your dreams every morning can help you hunt them down and prevent you from not remembering some aspects of them later. Of course, write them down as soon as you wake up!
Dreams reveal aspects of our life that we do not know. For this reason, they are so interesting processes for us. Knowing its meaning can give us information about ourselves that we cannot obtain in any other way. Lucid dreams do not occur in all people: only 60% will have a lucid dream sometime in their life. However, it is worth being aware of it and even trying to make it happen. With these tips we will be able to be part of one and experience the almost real sensation that this fantasy state created by our mind offers us.