Sometimes when I wake up from a dream I can vividly remember what I dreamed and why I dreamed it. For example, if I ran into an old friend that day then had a dream about hanging out with them, I know what caused the dream. Other times I don't remember what I dreamed. Dreams normally reflect real life, but they are sometimes completely random and can sometimes be controlled. This is called lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming is when you know that you are dreaming and can do anything you want. When lucid dreaming you're as limited as your imagination, so anything is possible. Here are 11 tips for Lucid dreaming!

1. Think about it when going to sleep.

You are way more likely to lucid dream if the last thing you think about when going to bed is lucid dreaming because everything about dreams is psychological. This means that thinking about lucid dreaming may make your brain more aware of your surroundings even when asleep.

2. If something seems off it probably is.

If you look at a clock and it says 3, then you look back a second later and it says 10 you're probably dreaming. Time doesn't go by that fast unless you're asleep, so one of the easiest ways to tell you're dreaming is looking for a clock. Another way to tell you're sleeping is by counting your fingers. I've gotten into the habit of counting my fingers periodically throughout the day and this habit carries over into my dreams. If you have less or more than five fingers or some are distorted you are most likely asleep.

3. Don't wake up.

Sometimes the excitement of lucid dreaming can cause you to wake up. This is frustrating, but you can usually tell if you're about to wake up. If you feel yourself gaining consciousness calm down and rub your hands slowly. There is no reason to why this works, but it usually does. Another weird way to make yourself stay asleep is to turn in a circle and fall to the ground.

4. It's all in your head.

If you are in your room and a shark suddenly leaps through your window and starts attacking you, you're most likely not in real life. Things like this sometimes happen in dreams, but if you know your dreaming you can easily imagine the shark away. Even if you're in a nightmare, if you know you're dreaming you can always turn it around because dreams are all in your head and have no physicality whatsoever.

5. Have fun.

Like I said before when dreaming you are as limited as your imagination. Anything is possible if you're lucid dreaming so do what you want. If you have always wanted to fly and you have a lucid dream, you can jump and take off like a bird. If you want to be a mermaid, you can give yourself a tail and the ability to breath underwater just by thinking it.

6. Dreams are not real life.

If you die in your dream. you don't die in real life. This is a common misconception when it comes to lucid dreaming, but it is false. Many people use this as a way to wake up while lucid dreaming because sometimes you have to. If you need to go to the bathroom in real life this is reflected in your dream, but if you eat in your dream this doesn't actually fill you up. This may seem really obvious, but you will be surprised by how many people believe that.

7. Just because you don't remember doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Like I already said, sometimes you don't remember dreams. Lucid dreams are no exception to this because it's the same as a normal dream, you just know you're dreaming so you might not always remember them.

8. Keep a dream journal.

If you keep a dream journal and start seeing habits form in your dream patterns, it might be easier to tell if you're dreaming. If you always have dreams about being in a car or being with a specific person and it happens, you may realize your dreaming.

9. Question reality.

If you want to lucid dream more often, a good thing to do is randomly question reality. This can be done by looking at your feet or the sky. Your brain can't comprehend the idea of your feet touching the ground, so you will most likely be hovering if you are dreaming. Your brain also can't comprehend the complexity of the sky, so when you look at the sky it will look like a painting.

10. "Pinch me."

When you get bored of dreaming and want to wake up, one of the ways to do this is by pinching yourself. Any sort of startling can shock you into consciousness.

11. Be careful.

One of the side effects of lucid dreaming is sleep paralysis. This is when your mind wakes up before your body, so your mind is awake but not your body. If this happens, don't panic because that could just make it worse. One of the things you can do is just fall back asleep. This is probably the easiest because your body is already sleeping. Another thing is to try to wake yourself up by starting with your toes and slowly try to wiggle them. When this happens, move to your feet then your legs and you will soon be completely awake.