There are many skeptics concerning lucid dreaming. At first, the idea of controlling your dreams might seem a little silly. However, there are many people in the world who admit to being able to control their dreams. I am one of them. Since I was a kid, I have found myself unintentionally lucid dreaming every week. I can recognize when I am dreaming, control my dreams, and even wake myself up from a nightmare. I am apart of the 51% of people who have experienced lucid dreaming. Recently, more people have been practicing the art of lucid dreaming and have been successful. Below are some fun facts about lucid dreaming and if you're interested, how you can attempt to lucid dream yourself!
1. What exactly is lucid dreaming?
Lucid dreaming is the ability to consciously observe and/or control your dreams - where everything you see, hear, feel, taste and even smell is as authentic as real life. Basically, lucid dreaming is when you know you are dreaming. You are able to manipulate (to some degree) all aspects of your dream.
2. Lucid dreaming happens during the REM sleep stage
REM (Rapid Eye Movement) is when your brain is in the most active and when most dreaming occurs. During REM, your muscles are "paralyzed," however your eyes move rapidly as you respond to images.
3. Has lucid dreaming been scientifically proven?
YES. Lucid dreaming has been scientifically proven, many times!
During this study, Dr. Ursula Voss found heightened activity in both the frontal and frontolateral areas of the brain. These are the areas where mental functions associated with self-awareness is home to.
4. Meditation is linked to lucid dreaming
Lucid dreaming relates directly to the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness is improving an individual`s ability to maintain and be aware of the present moment. Studies have shown that increased mindfulness can result in lucid dreaming.
5. Vitamin B6 can increase the intensity of your dreams and your ability to recall them
This vitamin enhances your dream vividness and color. You can take dream supplements that will do this, or you can find these vitamins in your regular foods. For example, sunflower seeds, bananas, avocados, and much more!
6. Is lucid dreaming good for you?
There are many benefits to lucid dreaming! Many people who practice lucid dreaming practice it to escape the real world. You really can't climb walls with your bare hands like Spiderman or fly across Hawaii like Superman in real life. Also, it boosts your creativity levels since you can do almost anything you can dream of.
7. You can decide what to dream about before going to sleep
This is my personal favorite. Many times you might begin to lucid dream randomly during a dream. You suddenly realize that you are dreaming and then you begin to alter it. However, planning out a dream is the overall idea. You can envision a happy place, with familiar smells and people. I usually do this just to help myself fall asleep, unintentionally falling into a lucid dream.
8. How to start lucid dreaming
If you want to learn how to start lucid dreaming, there are many techniques that you can learn. Many of these have even been proven to work. A really helpful website that I found when conducting this article is The World of Lucid Dreaming. On there are various tips for beginners to start from!
9. Keeping a dream journal
Waking up and immediately writing down your dreams might seem tedious. Still, the benefits are worth it. Keeping a dream journal will increase your ability to recall your dreams. You might start off only remembering little snip bits of your dreams, however, with practice you will start to remember more and more.
I certainly hope this article has answered a few of your questions about lucid dreaming and has made you want to learn more about it, or even try it yourself! If anything, it will bring creativity into your life save you from many nightmares.
