How to Stay Lucid in a Dream

Make Lucid Dreams Last Longer!

© Rebecca Turner

Feb 19, 2008
How To Stay Lucid in a Dream, Photos.com
Having mastered the ability to have conscious dreams, the biggest problem people face is waking up too soon. Here are some tips on how to stay lucid in a dream.

Learning how to stay lucid in a dream is incredibly easy. It is a matter of knowing what to do. Learning how to have lucid dreams in the first place -- that is the hardest part. If you are new to lucid dreaming, learn about popular lucid dreaming techniques and have conscious dreams first.

What Are Lucid Dreams?

Lucid dreams begin when a person "wakes up" within a dream. This means becoming consciously aware of the fact that it is a dream. Instead of physically waking up, their mental awareness is stirred and the mind begins an inner journey in the vast landscape of the dreamworld. It is an exciting proposition, which is why people work so hard on lucid dreaming techniques.

In conscious dreams, anything can happen. The senses become heightened making the experience as rich as real life – if not more so. The laws of physics are suspended as dreamers take to the skies, travel anywhere in the universe and fulfil their wildest dreams. Literally.

The problem is, most people get so excited about their first lucid dreams, they accidentally wake up! This can be very disappointing having achieved a conscious dream state. But don't panic - because here are some great techniques for making lucid dreams last longer.

How to Stay Lucid in a Dream

There are a number of signs that a conscious dream is about to end, i.e. the dreamer is about to suffer a premature awakening, or all lucidity will be lost and a normal dreamstate will return. The senses will fade away; starting with vision and finishing with touch. This can happen in a matter of seconds, so the dreamer must act fast to stay lucid in a dream.

Spin Around -- Experts agree that tuning in to touch and physical sensations are the best ways to stay lucid in a dream. In his doctoral dissertation on lucid dreaming, lucidity expert Stephen LaBerge discovered that spinning was highly effective in 97% of cases. It also frequently resulted in new dream scenes emerging.

Create Movement -- A similar technique involves rubbing the hands together rapidly, to create friction and stimulate physical sensation. This brings a heightened awareness to the dream. By spinning around, falling backwards, or rubbing the hands together in lucid dreams, Stephen LaBerge reasoned that the sensation of movement is what draws focus to the conscious mind and prevents early awakening.

Apply Logic -- It is recommended to repeat phrases like “I am dreaming”, “this is a lucid dream”, or “the next scene will be a dream”. Make a few easy calculations to bring the left brain into the equation. For instance, ask "what is 5 + 10?" Also try demanding "clarity now!" to make the lucid dream clearer and more vivid; the conscious brain will immediately act on this instruction.

These simple techniques are highly effective, take only a few seconds to perform, and will help anyone stay lucid in a dream for longer.

By making lucid dreams last longer, dreamers have the world at their fingertips. And it is a very realistic world at that. They can soar like an eagle, run like a cheetah, travel through time, create music, meet famous people, visit far away places. Anything is possible in the world of lucid dreaming.

If you found How to Stay Lucid in a Dream interesting, you may also like:

Performing Reality Checks

Lucid Dreaming FAQ


The copyright of the article How to Stay Lucid in a Dream in Paranormal is owned by Rebecca Turner. Permission to republish How to Stay Lucid in a Dream in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


How To Stay Lucid in a Dream, Photos.com
       


Post this Article to facebook Add this Article to del.icio.us! Digg this Article furl this Article Add this Article to Reddit Add this Article to Technorati Add this Article to Newsvine Add this Article to Windows Live Add this Article to Yahoo Add this Article to StumbleUpon Add this Article to BlinkLists Add this Article to Spurl Add this Article to Google Add this Article to Ask Add this Article to Squidoo