There are two basic ways to become lucid while you are dreaming; you can realize you are dreaming while already within a dream which is called dream-initiated lucid dream (DILD) or you can enter the dream state from a waking state with no lapse of consciousness which is called wake-initiated lucid dream (WILD). I have had both experiences but the majority of my lucid dreams have been dream-initiated.
I’ve personally found it pretty difficult to initiate lucid dreams, even though I have been actively trying to increase their frequency for about 5 years now. I’ve dramatically improved my dream recall and dream clarity by keeping a dream journal and thinking about my dreams throughout the day. There are several well researched ways to initiate a lucid dream while already in the dream state. The most common are called reality tests, which need to be done both while awake and asleep. The theory is that if you test yourself while you are awake you will occasional test yourself while dreaming as well. In dreams, test and numbers are often jumbled and unreadable, so checking your watch or trying to read a sign and asking yourself “am I dreaming?” is an example of a reality test. Other things that don’t seem to work normally in the dream world are light switches, reflections in a mirror, the ability to breath when you shouldn’t be able to, pain response, the solidity of objects like a wall, the appearance of your hands and gravity. One of the most fun things about having a lucid dream is the ability to defy gravity and fly or float in the air.
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I’d like to describe both a DILD and WILD lucid dream that I have had as a couple of examples. They both had varying levels of dream control and I found both incredibly interesting. The dream-initiated lucid dream was interesting because I had absolutely no control over the dream at first. I was sitting in my parent’s yard but realized it wasn’t really my parent’s yard and the people there were unfamiliar to me. I glanced at my hands and noticed they looked distorted and decided that I must be dreaming. As soon as the thought entered my head everything around me began to crumble and break apart. A force came up behind me and threw me through the environment as if it was a brick wall and everything disappeared, revealing only a bright white “background.” There was no sky, nothing to stand on and no objects. The force began to battle with me but it was playful and fun. We were both without bodies but we could materialize objects and create things out of nothing. I wasn’t able to maintain lucidity for more than a couple of minutes, but it was interesting how much of a lack of control I had. It felt as if I was a student and the force I described was a teacher.
I have only had one wake-initiated lucid dream and it was incredibly strange. If I had not read about the process before hand I would have been incredibly frightened and probably would have been unable to enter the dream world without a lapse in consciousness. I was having trouble falling asleep that night and I would start feeling this dizzy buzzing in my whole body. It was like I was shaking at a really high vibration and I would suddenly snap back into being fully awake. I realized I was in a deep hypnagogic state, moving back and forth between being awake and on the very edge of sleep. I decided to initiate my dream programming and started a countdown to sleep. I keep feeling the buzzing and started hearing a ripping sound like saran wrap or tin foil. The top half of my dream body pushed its way out of my physical body and the tearing sound got louder. My physical body was in sleep paralysis and my dream body was partially stuck. I was afraid if I moved any farther I would wake myself up but decided to go for it and ripped myself out of my physical body. My eyes were still closed and I didn’t want to open them incase I opened my real eyes but when I did open them I looked down and say myself lying in bed. I knew at that point that I had successfully entered the dream world from a waking state without any lapse in consciousness.
I decided to test myself anyway and fly up in the air and then back down to the bedroom. I was in my apartment but it was different than my real apartment and I went around to explore it. There was some incredible artwork on the wall that I knew was mine. I then slowly started to fade back into a waking state even though I tried to remain lucid. I just couldn’t stay asleep and woke up pretty excited. I fell asleep again about an hour later but did not have another lucid dream. It was quite an amazing experience, unlike any other, that I have yet to be able to repeat. If you want to know more about lucid dreaming techniques there is plenty of information online. I’ve found it difficult to learn but other people seem to find it very easy. It’s an incredibly exciting experience that I wish everyone could have on a regular basis.
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