Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit atop the world's tallest mountain? Or better yet to have the ability to fly? Imagine conducting a world-class symphony or having a couple of drinks with your favorite celebrity. What if you could do all this and more without leaving the comforts of your bed?

It is entirely possible to consciously manipulate your dream environment and to serve almost any purpose. This process is called lucid dreaming. Many famous artists, inventors, composers, and historical figures have used lucid dreaming to make groundbreaking achievements. Many of the scientific and mathematical breakthroughs in history were achieved in this dream state. Nobel Peace Prizes have been awarded, wars have been won, diseases cured, all with the powers granted by lucid dreaming.

Lucid dreaming is the ability to enter the sleeping dream state while maintaining consciousness. Dreams take place during a stage of sleep known as REM. At this time the body is an ultimate relaxation, and it is paralyzed to restrict us from acting out whatever it is we are doing.

In our dreams, your first round of REM sleep each night is typically short, but later rounds grow longer and longer. On an average, you will enter REM sleep four or five times in a full night's sleep. At the last round, on rare occasions, you may enter REM sleep while being fully conscious and aware that you are dreaming.

How could you achieve lucid dreaming

First off, it's constructive to start a dream journal. Write down your dreams every night in as much detail as you can, and then look for reoccurring themes or situations to help you realize that you are dreaming. These are known as dream signs.

You are also going to want to do reality checks to test whether or not you are dreaming of counting your fingers. Checking the time periodically while awake will help you realize when you are dreaming in a dream. These things will sometimes act unnaturally tipping you off that you're in a dream state and allowing you to become lucid.

Another good reality check is to backtrack to see how you got where you are, sometimes in dreams, you can find yourself in your room one minute then somewhere else in the world without actually traveling the distance. This is a good clue that you were in a dream.

It's essential to do these reality checks when you're awake and not just when you suspect that you might be dreaming. This betters your chances of becoming lucid because it conditions the mind to become more aware of itself. It is important to note that a particular technique will work better for some and not so well for others. The trick is to find out what works best for you.

Technique 1: DILD

If you want to learn how to lucid dream, there are various levels of difficulty in lucid dream techniques. The easiest to achieve is known as the DILD or dream-initiated lucid dream. These take place when you are already dreaming, and something about the dream makes you realize that you are dreaming. This can be something like bizarre or impossible occurrences dream signs or just getting used to doing reality checks.

Once you become lucid, you can explore your dreamscape as long as you don't get too excited and wake yourself up.

Technique 2: MILD

The second and most reliable technique is the MILD or mnemonic induced a lucid dream. A mnemonic is a trick you use to remember something. An essential part of the MILD technique is verbally telling yourself tonight I am going to lucid dream' to the point where you believe it. This technique is the most reliable because you initiate it yourself other than relying on your dream to tip you off.

Once you realize you're dreaming, you can do a reality check to make sure, which is always a good idea.

Technique 3: WILD

The last and most difficult technique to achieve is the WILD, or wake-initiated lucid dream. This is when you go from waking into the dream state without losing consciousness. You can trick your mind into thinking that your body's asleep setting your mind into dream mode. With WILD :

1. You want to lay in your bed or wherever you're most comfortable
2. Focus on your breathing deeply.
3. Comfortably relax every muscle in your body.

Your brain will perform several tests to see if your body is still awake, but it's important to ignore them first. You will feel the urge to roll over or feel aging sensation making you uncomfortable. Both of these will go away in time.

You may find it hard to keep a still mind while this is happening, one way to overcome this is by utilizing visualization techniques. There are many to choose from, but basically, you pick your focus until lights and images begin to flood into your mind. It's important not to hold on to these images but to let them happen on their own and keep your focus on your visualization. The moment when you are no longer trying to focus on the images but merely see them is when you've crossed over into the dream.

Conclusion

Remember finding the technique that works best for you is crucial. Use your imagination. Not everyone thinks the same way and utilizing your visualization techniques, or reality checks could be highly effective in achieving a lucid dream state. The mysterious powers of lucid dreaming are both attractive and frightening. Perhaps you will go home tonight and create your adventure or gain insight into a problem you've been having.
The possibilities are endless either way you now have a set of tools to begin your journey into dreaming have fun and stay lucid you.

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