5 Easy Steps to Lucid Dreaming

5 Easy Steps to Lucid Dreaming

by Brother Gary

By simply reading and following the 5 easy steps outlined below, you will
attain the useful skill of Lucid Dreaming. You can read this entire paper at
first; however, it is important that you finish each step before you go into
the practice of the next. Follow each step completely and in order, and you
are on your way to becoming a master of the Dream World. Some people have
reported having a lucid dream the very same night after they read this
article.

1. Know What Lucid Dreaming is and its Uses.

In normal dreams, we are "players" in a play. We don't know the plot or the
outcome until it happens. Things happen "to us." It can be scary, confusing,
dull, stressful, and frustrating at times. We are not in control. In lucid
dreams, we are in control. We can do anything we want. We can change the
scene at will - just wish that the monster chasing you was a beautiful woman
(or man) and POOF! Or better yet, stop and ask the monster why he's chasing
you. The benefits of lucid dreaming are endless. The wonderful thing about
lucid dreaming is that it's as real as "real life." Can you imagine a place
exactly like this world, except for the fact that you have magical powers,
can do absolutely anything you want, and where wishes come true instantly?
The only difference is that in the Lucid Dream World, you know that you are
dreaming, but that doesn't decrease the realness of it. And because you know
you are dreaming, you can do anything you want, without "screwing up"
anything in your real life. You can even fly, go to the bottom of the sea,
walk through walls, and satisfy your wildest fantasies. Our normal dreams
are so real that we usually have no idea that we are dreaming. Likewise, in
Lucid Dreams, our experience, our senses, and everything is the same, or
even MORE vivid and brilliant, than our waking hours. Lucid dreaming can
even be used as a form of therapy because you can live through experiences
that are not possible in the physical world, but when you wake up, your body
and mind feel as if you really did those things.

A lucid dream is very different from a normal dream. Normally you will start
in a "normal" and then (by following these steps) turn it into a lucid
dream. The instant a normal dream becomes a lucid dream, everything changes,
and it's a very exciting moment because you then have the power to do
literally anything.

So how do you have a lucid dream? Are you ready for the big secret? Here it
is. The key to lucid dreaming is simply to be aware that you are dreaming.
The door then opens to infinite possibilities of learning, adventure,
healing, fantasy, and awe. You see, in normal dreams we don't realize we're
dreaming. If you can figure out how to realize you're dreaming, you're half
way there. The rest is mainly about choosing what to do, not waking up, and
having fun! Let's get started.

2. Remember Your Dreams.

Many people report that they don't remember any of their dreams. If you are
one of these people, don't fret. Here's a recipe sure to help: First, keep a
notepad or journal right next to your bed. Right as you go to sleep, remind
yourself that you're going to write in the journal as soon as you wake up.
When you wake up each morning (or in the middle of the night), before you
move a muscle, and before you open your eyes, ask yourself, "What was I
dreaming?" Write it down right away. Studies show that most people can
report what they were dreaming about right after they awaken, but many
people forget by the time they get out of bed. This is because the mind is
in a unique state right when you wake up and it isn't good at remembering
things, until "the engine is warmed up." Keeping a notepad next to you will
change all that. If you're like most people, it will only take a day or two
until you start writing. And a few days after that you might be able to
ditch the notepad because you'll find you just got "used to" remembering
your dreams better. When you are remembering your dreams, you are ready for
step 3.

3. Check-in Often.

Again, the key to door of the Lucid Dream World is the knowledge that you
are dreaming. In regular dreams, we usually don't realize we're dreaming,
even though odd things happen. A completely illogical thing might be
happening, but we usually just say to ourselves "hmm, that's odd," and
continue in the dream, unsuspecting. Because everything is so real, we "fall
for it" and think it's our normal waking life. Sometimes we do wonder, "hey,
I could be dreaming," without using this valuable suspicion to our
advantage, and we just continue on.

Since our goal is to realize we're dreaming, we need a way to determine if
we're dreaming or not and we need to "check-in" often. By this, I mean to
get in the habit of asking yourself, "Am I dreaming right now?", even when
you're awake. You must have a simple and consistent way of checking to see
if you are awake or dreaming. People think of the classic test "pinch me, I
want to see if I'm dreaming." Do NOT use pinching as a check-in test, as it
tends to make you wake up, which is the last thing you want to do if you
want to have a lucid dream.

One way is to look at some words, on a sign or paper, which shouldn't be
hard to find. If you are dreaming, the words will usually be illegible,
funny looking, the letters might be all jumbled, upside down, or they might
just not make any sense. If you look at a paper and see crazy mixed up words
like that, you're probably dreaming. Another way is to look at the palm of
your hand. If you are dreaming and you look at your hand to check in, you
will know "this ain't Kansas" as soon as you look at your hand.

Choose a check-in method that works best for you and use it at least 6 times
per day, while you are awake. The best time to check is when anything seems
just a little weird. Here's an example. You're on your way to work, you
notice your pen isn't in your pocket. "Hmm, I thought I took the pen with
me," you say to yourself. You take this opportunity to check-in and look at
the palm of your hand. Everything's normal, and your pen was just in a
different pocket. It may seem silly at first, but it only takes a second,
and you need to do it if you want to have lucid dreams. By doing this often,
you create a habit of doing it, which stays with you even when you're
dreaming. One day soon you will check-in when you ARE dreaming, just out of
habit. You'll ask yourself, "Am I dreaming?", you'll do your check-in, and
you'll find the answer is YES. This is a sacred moment and Step 4 will make
sure you're ready for it.


4. Have A Solid Plan For What To Do When You Realize You're Dreaming.

Yeah, I know I said don't start any of the steps until you complete the
previous one completely. But this step you should actually start to do along
with step 3, as you are practicing your check-ins.

If you aren't prepared for the special moment when you realize you're
dreaming, you won't be able to use it. It would be as if someone handed you
a $100 bill and you just looked at it, and walked away.

People often suspect they are dreaming, or even know they are dreaming, but
they just go on with their dream, still being a player in the play. That is
not a lucid dream. Just to know you're dreaming is not enough; you have to
do something with that knowledge. For one thing, if you know you are
dreaming, you know don't have to worry about getting hurt, and you don't
have to worry about that monster chasing you. But just knowing you can't get
hurt isn't enough. You need a Plan.

It's best at first to keep your plan very simple. A simple plan is to fly.
If you realize you're dreaming, all you have to do is take off! If you want
to, you can take a running start and leap into the air. Think to yourself,
"I am going to fly now." Many of us have wished we could fly. Well now is
your opportunity! You can really fly! An alternative plan is to manipulate
your surroundings. Change an object into something else. If there is another
person there, you can "will" him or her to do anything, without saying a
word. Just say to yourself, "I want that person to jump up and down" and
watch it happen.

Whatever you choose for your plan, be consistent. Stick with that one plan
until you realize you're dreaming and you enact the plan successfully. Start
with a very simple plan, and as you have more lucid dreams you will develop
your plans. If you do not have a concrete and simple plan, especially as you're
getting started with lucid dreaming, you may wake up out of confusion. To
avoid waking up like this, set your plan firmly in your mind while you are
awake. Tell yourself, "when I realize I'm dreaming, I will stay in my dream
and start to ...". Like checking-in, remind yourself of the plan a few times
a day.

NOW, before you go to bed every night, the very last thing, remind yourself
of everything. Remind yourself about remembering your dreams, how to
check-in, and that you do it often. Remind yourself of your Plan.

At this point you will have your first lucid dream. For some people, their
first lucid dream will come the night after reading this article for the
first time. For others, it may take longer to start remembering your dreams
and to go through the steps but you will get there!

5. Consider Your Dreams While Awake.

Now that you've succeeded in having a lucid dream, think how you can use
lucid dreams. Flying is very fun and you may want to stick with that for a
while but eventually you may want to start contemplating your dreams more.
Think about how you can learn from them, or gain some insight. It's
literally like the "holodeck" on Start Trek. If you've ever seen that show,
remember how useful it was for them to have a place to go where they could
experience things, try out different scenarios, and never have to worry
about getting hurt or hurting others. Think up some fantasies that you would
like to live out. Are you frustrated at work and want to tell your boss
something, but afraid to risk your position? Do it in a lucid dream, and you
may find that you wake up feeling as if you released the tension you were
holding towards your boss, and it was good enough it was good enough to do
it in a dream because the feelings are so real. Or you may have an increased
feeling of confidence and be ready to talk to her from a more calm and
rational viewpoint. Have you been carrying some kind of burden, or bad
thoughts about something, or wondered about why or how an event could have
happened or did happen. The Lucid Dream world offers a place to find out,
and to release these burdens.

The best thing about lucid dreams is that your mind will feel as if you have
actually done these things when you awaken. So, if you always wanted to swim
with dolphins, go for it! Do it in a lucid dream and you will be fulfilled!

While you're awake, think about all the uses of lucid dreaming, and make
your plans for the next time it happens. Set the plan firmly in your mind.
Each time you do your check-in, remind yourself of what the plan is. The
possibilities are endless. Just a few examples:

· Flying and space travel, and underwater exploration
· Being with your favorite celebrity
· Performing in front of a live audience
· Sexual fantasies
· Go to a concert for your favorite band, even if they don't play anymore
· Asking questions and receiving guidance in real life issues
· Going to sacred places
· Confronting situations, telling people what you think, releasing stress

One other great thing about lucid dreaming is that your senses are
heightened if you simply focus on them. Scenes are more vivid, sounds are
more intense, smells are more pungent, etc... If you take a moment, you can
really feel the beauty. Just stop, look around, and notice how amazing
everything is. This is the best time to "stop and smell the roses!"


Experiment!

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NOTES:
This is an introduction to Lucid Dreaming. If you follow the steps you will
succeed but there is much more to mastering the art. For a more complete
discussion - I highly recommend the book, Lucid Dreaming, by Stephen
LaBerge, PhD. It is filled with more uses of lucid dreams and other ways to
develop the skill of having lucid
dreams. Best of all, this is not just something to read about - you can
experience it yourself!

If you find that you were having lucid dreams but they are becoming less
frequent, or they stopped, go back and make sure you are checking in and
making your plans. Just because you had a lucid dream doesn't mean you can
stop those things. You have to continue steps 2-4 as long as you want to
keep having lucid dreams.

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by Gary Beckwith, Certified Hypnotherapist

uc 1991 This material is UNcopyrighted.
The more you share it, the more lucid dreams you will have!

published by:
The Harmony Institute
http://theharmonyinstitute.org


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