Enjoying Your Dreams
Not many people believe they can control their dreams. But studies show lucid dreaming is real. A person who controls their dreams is in better control of their mental health. Much of our reactions to people and stimuli comes from our reactions in dreams.
Lucid dreaming is the ability to train the mind to be conscious that it is dreaming during the process of dreaming. No, this is not science fiction, it's scientifically proven by study after study.
Lucid dreams not only help people remember their dreams, but makes their dreams more pleasant. When a person is in control of their dreams, they have limitless possibilities. The benefits of lucid dreaming are abundant:
• Lucid dreaming helps people conquer their fears. A person wracked by nightmares can gain control of their dreams to overcome their fears. Additionally, a person can overcome a fear of heights by being bravely climbing a steep hill in their dreams that in their waking life they wouldn't have gone near.
• Being able to control a lucid dream makes dreaming more pleasurable. A trip to New York City in your dreams becomes a trip to your favorite Italian restaurant or to see your friend who moved away.
• Lucid dreams allow creative thinkers to explore their creative side in unfathomable ways.
• Lucid dreaming improves your health by teaching you to recognize and cope with stressors in your life.
Before lucid dreaming takes place, people must train their minds to recognize a lucid dream.
I ask you to keep an open mind before you read the rest of this article. It’s possible, even if it doesn’t seem plausible.
Step 1: Believe in your dreams
Make a conscious effort to acknowledge the difference between reality and dreaming. Do this by pinching yourself, jumping in place or just affirming to yourself that you are not dreaming during the day. This trains the mind to know the difference.
Step 2: Record your dreams
Whether it be dream diary or just a few scribbled notes, a record of your dreams is essential. A dream diary trains your mind to regularly remember even the most mundane dreams. This effort trains your brain to consciously remember your dreams, so the brain works harder during the dream process.
Step 3: Take in the world around you
To remember a dream, a person needs to focus on the details. Training the mind to focus can be an arduous task. However, dreams often reflect our daytime habits in some form or another. So focus in the daytime at the objects around and your mind will carry on the process during dreams.
Step 4: Take a nap
Napping during the day is the best time to experience a lucid dreams. Short power naps contain lucid dreams because the dreaming starts prior to the mind ceasing alertness.
Step 5: Stay calm
Lucid dreams tend to be chaotic, especially when a person is about to leave the dream state and wake. Therefore a person should practice being calm and focused during the dream so once they've achieved the lucid dream state, it can be maintained. This keeps them in the dream longer and eventually leads to sustained control.
