You went to sleep. Now you wake up. You’re conscious and aware. Your mind is telling your body to move. But you can’t move. You can’t speak. You are frozen. You are experiencing sleep paralysis. It will probably last for a few minutes. From an outsider’s perspective this isn’t very long, but for you it is an excruciating eternity.
If you’re having trouble breathing, it’s because sleep paralysis is panic-inducing. And sometimes it catalyzes hallucinations. These hallucinations often take the form of demonic presences at the foot of your bed, in the corner of your room, or on top of you. Accounts of demons sitting on people’s chests and preventing them from moving are commonplace throughout many folkloric traditions. The pandafeche of Italy, the bakhtak of Persia, and the dab tsog of South-East Asia are all explanations for sleep paralysis.
The few minutes have passed. Your sleep paralysis is over. You probably have a lot of questions about what you just experienced. Firstly, why did it happen? Sleep deprivation and irregular sleeping patterns are the most common causes of sleep paralysis. Other causes include stress, anxiety, trauma, and things that incite recurrent awakenings, including substance abuse/withdrawals, nightmares, and chronic pain.
Your next question is probably something along the lines of “Should I be worried?” and “Can sleep paralysis hurt me?” Well, according to Aneesa Das, MD, isolated occurrences of sleep paralysis are not harmful to you. However, recurring incidents of sleep paralysis can be connected to damaging sleep disorders, like narcolepsy. If sleep paralysis is a regular event for you, you should consult your doctor. But if it’s more of a rarity, there really isn’t anything to worry about. In fact, sleep paralysis is proof that your body is functioning exactly as it should.
Using a neurotransmitter known as glycine, your brain temporarily paralyzes your voluntary muscles during REM sleep to prevent you from moving wildly while dreaming. This protects you and/or your bedfellows from injury. The frozen state of sleep paralysis is just your body doing its job. Because you were abruptly awoken from your REM sleep, your body needs a few minutes to register what’s going on before it releases your muscles.
With any luck this brief explanation helped you understand the mechanics of sleep paralysis and made it less scary for you. Sleep paralysis doesn’t have to be a fearful experience, and there are some people who actually find it to be a very helpful one.
In an article on the website Seize the Night, Neil Brown provides a tutorial for using sleep paralysis as a gateway to lucid dreaming. Brown says that if you want to trigger a lucid dream while you’re in a state of sleep paralysis there are two steps to follow:
Brown also soothes readers’ concerns about phantoms they might feel and figures they might see during sleep paralysis. Brown assures us that these are just hallucinations that cannot physically harm us. He reminds us that these hallucinations stem from the same neurological roots that dreams do. It should bring you peace that sleep paralysis hallucinations share a similar origin with the dreams that you welcome and enjoy. Dreams don’t last forever. Dreams end and so too will the hallucinations.
If you’re intrigued by lucid dreaming, do yourself a favor and read the deeply fascinating essay “The Terror and the Bliss of Sleep Paralysis” by Karen Emslie. In this essay Emslie shares her experiences with sleep paralysis, lucid dreaming, and out of body experiences (OBEs). Like Brown, Emslie discusses harnessing the power of sleep paralysis and using it as a stepping stone to lucid dreaming. Waking and dreaming overlap in both sleep paralysis and lucid dreaming, and that’s what makes them so similar and connected. Psychologist James Cheyne says that they are inverses of each other. When you lucid dream, the awareness that comes with being awake enters the dream space. When you experience sleep paralysis, the imagery of the dream space enters the awareness of wakefulness.
By utilizing sleep paralysis as a portal to lucid dreaming, Emslie has created a world that she revisits and adds to every time she lucid dreams. Her world is filled with neighborhoods, transportation systems, and recreational centers, and she is constantly expanding it. These lucid dreams are exhilarating for her. And sometimes she takes the thrills beyond dreaming.
Emslie doesn’t explicitly label her OBEs as astral projections, but the fact that her OBEs are intentional makes them astral projections by definition. During astral projection, Emslie separates from her physical body, leaving it behind on the bed while she floats up to the ceiling and moves through solid walls and closed doors. She twirls and flies with the freedom of dreams and the consciousness of waking.
The same freedom and joy that Emslie has is available to you too. You might not ever experience sleep paralysis, and that’s okay. It’s really not something you should seek out. You should never intentionally deprive yourself of sleep or purposefully stress yourself out in an attempt to experience sleep paralysis. That is not healthy.
It’s important to remember that you don’t have to endure sleep paralysis in order to lucid dream. Pursuing lucid dreaming on it’s own is a much more innocuous process. Visualization exercises, sleep masks, and herbal supplements such as Dream Leaf are all safe ways to make yourself lucid dream. But for those of you who have encountered or will encounter sleep paralysis, hopefully the information here brings you knowledge and comfort.
If you are looking for a way to support your lucid dreaming goals you might be interested in the Dream Leaf supplement. Two capsules, a red and a blue, prepare your body and mind at night to lucid dream. If you are interested in taking your sleep to the next level, visit Dream Leaf at luciddreamleaf.com.
If you would like to read Karen Emslie's article go here.
For more on Neil Brown, find him @Neil_Brown
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Visualizing Astral Projection
In Marvel’s Doctor Strange (2016) the titular character journeys to Kathmandu in search of a cure for his ruined hands. He encounters a spiritual leader known as The Ancient One who teaches him how to astral project, although the term is never used in the film. Strange uses this newfound ability to read and study while his body is asleep and to fight other astral entities that seek to harm his physical self. Even though this film is a work of fiction, its imagery helps visualize and concretize the concept of astral projection. Strange’s astral self looks identical to his body except for the golden haze around it that differentiates it from his physical form. This image is in agreement with ancient illustrations and written descriptions of astral projection found in Chinese, Hindu, and Japanese traditions. These pictures and words suggest that the body and the soul look like one another because they are two halves of the same whole. And yet, one half is significantly more powerful than the other. Your body is limited to this plane of existence. But your soul doesn’t have to be. According to believers and practitioners of astral projection, your soul can travel to different dimensions if you untether it.
How can I Astral Project?
If what you’ve read so far has piqued your interest and you’d like to dabble in astral projection, here are a few steps from the International Institute of Projectiology and Conscientiology to get you started:
If that doesn’t cut it for you, super chill YouTuber Joshua Tongol shares several ways to cause astral projection. In his video How to Astral Project, he advises viewers to visualize their soul leaving their body, listen to meditation recordings, and enter the hypnogogic state (the in-between, dreamlike state right before you fall asleep). Tongol says it’s crucial to remain calm once you’re in the hypnogogic state, otherwise you’ll snap out of it and ruin your opportunity for astral projection. The way that he personally astral projects is through the use of the Target Technique, in which he picks a person, object, or place that is far away and meaningful to him. He becomes so focused on the thing that he is unaware of his physical form and able to slip into the astral plane.
Why Astral Project?
There are many reasons why people choose to astral project. Some, like Joshua Tongol, do it recreationally to clear their minds and have a good time. Others have loftier goals; they astral project to increase their spirituality and learn more about the universe, hoping for glimpses that will reveal more about the afterlife and/or other planes of existence. Some individuals are less interested in other worlds than they are in the one they currently inhabit. Astral projectors have reported traveling to different cities and countries in spirit form while their physical body remained in their home. For people who aren’t able to physically travel, astral projection can be an escape and a way to see the world. Understandably, there was a surge in interest in astral projection when COVID-19 first struck and lockdowns were instituted. What do all of these motivations for astral projection have in common? A desire to take a break from reality. And speaking of reality…
Is there Scientific Evidence that Astral Projection is Real?
Honestly? No. Science is not kind to astral projection. Official studies and unofficial opinions from respected scientists and psychologists all say essentially the same thing—the recorded experiences of individuals who have astral projected are nothing more than dreams, delusions, and drug trips. But fear not! If you’re still yearning for astral projection and the freedom and adventure that come with it, there is something you can do. Something that creates similar sensations and has been scientifically proven to be real.
Astral Projection and Lucid Dreaming
Ever heard of a lucid dream? During a lucid dream you tell yourself where to go and what to do. Awareness of current or potential surroundings, as well as control of thoughts and actions, are crucial to successful lucid dreaming. Sound familiar? Like astral projection, lucid dreaming allows you to go where you’ve never gone before and revisit places you can’t presently return to. It helps you process trauma. It frees your mind and opens the door to all kinds of possibilities. Unlike astral projection, lucid dreaming is backed by scientific research. Multiple studies have shown that lucid dreaming is an actual phenomenon that differs greatly from normal dreaming. Things that you thought could only happen in mythical astral projection are actually possible through lucid dreaming. Supplements such as Lucid Dream Leaf can help you in your attempts to lucid dream. So it seems that, at least for now, unless you’re a comic book sorcerer, a member of the International Institute of Projectiology and Conscientiology, or a laidback YouTuber, the closest you’ll get to astral projection is lucid dreaming.
Dreaming products you might be interested in:
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There are two main neurotransmitters involved in all types of depression and we can learn which one we are more than likely to be experiencing based on the way we dream. And the cool thing is that once we understand which type of neurological imbalance we have, there is potential to eliminate the need for pharmaceuticals and find a healthier and safer alternative by naturally providing the brain and body with the appropriate precursors necessary to function properly while in a dream state and ultimately lead to a happier and healthier life.
The way this works is important to understand because due to the subjective nature of dreams, the scientific community struggles to analyze the topic objectively due to the fact that dreaming is such a subjective experience. Yet our dreams carry meaning beyond the realm of spiritual premonitions. They also tells us a lot about our bodies and brains.
Once you understand how this works, the only thing you'll need to figure out which type of depression you are most prone to - is a dream journal. Once you understand the way the dreaming brain behaves in this respect under the influence of these two neurotransmitters, it becomes very apparent which part of your brain chemistry is struggling to keep up… because the patterns in your dream content indicates which of these neurotransmitters are likely to be out of balance.
The first one is serotonin and the second is dopamine. And what’s important to realize about these two neurotransmitters is that they have a reciprocal relationship with one another while in a dream state. The reason why is because the levels of these neurotransmitters actually determine which stage of sleep we are in. As we move through each sleep stage in our cycle, these neurotransmitters are constantly adjusting up and down.
And they tend to teeter totter in order to regulate our need for both deep sleep and REM sleep. High dopamine levels usually act as an indication of lower than usual serotonin levels.
Serotonin is a chemical that nerve cells produce. It sends signals between your nerve cells. It is found mostly in the digestive system, although it's also in blood platelets and throughout the central nervous system. Serotonin is made from the essential amino acid tryptophan.
Serotonin in the brain is thought to regulate anxiety, happiness, and mood. Low levels of the chemical have been associated with depression, and increased serotonin levels brought on by medication are thought to decrease arousal.
Neurons which produce serotonin originate in the brain stem in several areas which make up the raphe nuclei. These neurons extend along many different pathways that can be categorized as ascending or descending
Ascending pathways project to higher brain regions, such as the cortex, limbic system, and hypothalamus. They regulate perception, cognition, memory, and mood.
Descending pathways project to the brain stem, cerebellum, and spinal cord. They regulate movement, body temperature, and pain.
The emotional symptoms of low levels of serotonin is most often - feelings of panic and anxiety. Because serotonin is a stabilizing neurotransmitter when it comes to regulating your mood.
This is why the chillest person most people know is often a pot smoker. Am I right or am I right or am I right? That’s cannabis actually increases the activation of serotonin. That’s why cannabis can be highly useful to people who deal with anxiety and certain types of depression.
The effects of cannabis is also why the chillest person you know is often less easily excited. Because it corresponds with lower dopamine and dopamine is what gives you pizzaz!
Since serotonin and dopamine have a reciprocal effect on one another and also since we know how these two neurotransmitters affect our brain, we can learn a lot about the types of imbalances we have from our dreams.
There are strong links between the serotonin and dopamine systems, both structurally and in function. In some cases, serotonin appears to inhibit dopamine production , which means that low levels of serotonin can lead to an overproduction of dopamine
Here is a list of foods that increase serotonin, which might be helpful for you to add if you and that your dreams are overly boring and less lively.
Foods that help with low serotonin:
If your dreams are often frightening and you feel low desire and very little motivation then it’s possible your dopamine levels are a little too high and your serotonin is a little low. If that’s the case you can try taking small amounts of 5 HTP. 5 HTP also crosses the blood to brain barrier and is a precursor to serotonin.
Dopamine (DA, a contraction of 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine) is an organic chemical of the catecholamine and phenethylamine families. It functions both as a hormone and a neurotransmitter, and plays several important roles in the brain and body.
Dopamine is often seen as the main chemical of pleasure, but the current opinion in pharmacology is that dopamine instead confers motivational salience.
Motivational salience is a cognitive process and a form of attention that motivates or propels an individual's behavior towards or away from a particular object, perceived event or outcome. Motivational salience regulates the intensity of behaviors that facilitate the attainment of a particular goal, the amount of time and energy that an individual is willing to expend to attain a particular goal, and the amount of risk that an individual is willing to accept while working to attain a particular goal.
So here’s how you figure out which type of imbalance you have (if any). If you pay attention to the nature of your dreams you can better adjust your diet and supplementation to find balance and emotional well-being.
Simply put, high dopamine results in highly excited dreams - often involving a lot of action. If your dopamine levels are too high you’ll even experience nightmares. If this is a regular occurrence it is more than likely that this means that your dopamine levels are high.
High dopamine dreams, although intense, are some of my favorite dreams because you often wake up from them feeling like you just accomplished something amazing. This results in feeling alive and like you can tackle the world. It’s like the morning after great sex.
The problem is that neither high serotonin nor dopamine demonstrates better dream recall so if you are sure whether your dreams are indicating high dopamine (highly intense and action oriented dreams) or serotonin dreams (peaceful dreams that feel very light and pleasant) then you might need some help strengthening your dream recall.
If you do not remember your dreams, the first and best thing to do is start dream journaling. Exercising your dream retention first thing in the morning is like building a muscle so the more you practice the more you will begin to remember.
Some people need dietary in order to remember their dreams so if for whatever reason the function of your dreams is not operating correctly it’s possible that you have some deficiencies in your diet.
For that reason, I actually created a dietary supplement called dream leaf that helps to accelerate dream sleep and improve dream recall. It even promotes lucid dreaming so you can have those flying dreams we all love. Check it out here!
Mucana pruriens
If your dreams are dull and boring, Mucana pruriens can be taken to naturally increase dopamine activity. This is the most immediate precursor to dopamine that you can ingest naturally through diet. It actually is one of the few dietary aids you can take for this that successfully cross the blood to brain barrier.
Herbs that help with low serotonin:
If your dreams are often frightening and you feel low desire and very little motivation then it’s possible your dopamine levels are a little too high and your serotonin is a little low. If that’s the case you can try taking small amounts of 5 HTP. 5 HTP also crosses the blood to brain barrier and is a precursor to serotonin.
“An experimental study of normal volunteers showed that, although SSRI treatment decreased dream recall frequency, several subject-rated dream-intensity measures were greater during steady-state drug administration compared with pre-drug baseline and early drug treatment. Additionally, such subject-rated dream intensity as well as dream report length and judge-rated bizarreness were greater during acute discontinuation than during pre-drug baseline and drug administration periods.”
“The bulk of pharmacological evidence suggests that drugs that enhance serotonergic neurotransmission lighten sleep.”
If you're interested in diving deeper into the subconscious mind through lucid dreaming, be sure to check out Dream Leaf -An Advanced Lucid Dreaming Supplement.
Citation:
Pace-Schott E.F. (2008) Serotonin and dreaming. In: Monti J.M., Pandi-Perumal S.R., Jacobs B.L., Nutt D.J. (eds) Serotonin and Sleep: Molecular, Functional and Clinical Aspects. Birkhäuser Basel
]]>The amazing thing is that we now have access to a multitude of powerful dream herbs that couldn't be accessed by any one geographic location prior to the development of our global economy. What I find particularly interesting is that it appears is as if every land and culture contributes some herbal remedy to the mix of lucid dream herbs, each of which provide powerful results when it comes to dream discovery. Today, many of these herbs can even be found at your local health food store, sometimes even in your back yard.
I have used these mystical herbs to achieve lucid dreams and have had some incredible experiences. I've had some profound experiences that have honestly changed the way I see life. So I can personally attest that these mystical herbs truly can and do work to deepen dream awareness and even induce lucid dreams.
I've read about and written extensively on this subject for several years now because I find it so fascinating. And btw, since people often get confused about this... I should probably point out that each of these herbs are perfect safe to use (legal too) so don't worry. We're definitely not discussing drugs here. That's an entirely different subject.
Lastly, don’t just take my word for it on these herbs; try them, read about them too. There are actually quite a few studies that have been conducted on the subject of lucid dream herb (particularly galantamine) and other supplements too in this regard. If you're interested in going a little deeper, here's a little eBook that describes more about a wide variety of lucid dream herbs and goes into a little more depth with each.
Click here to get a free copy.
Creatives love this one. It is truly a remarkable herb and it's possible you might even have some in your backyard. Mugwort is a must for those who take dreaming seriously because it not only makes your dreams very vivid but it also improves recall and provides the dreamer with experiences many describe as 'divine visions’. You actually don't even have to ingest it either. Many find that just by placing a little under their pillow they can even promote powerful dreaming experiences.
First time users often report having lucid dreams after ingesting mugwort in in supplement or tea form but I highly recommend trying a more concentrated version in capsule form so long as it's organic (see link below). I personally find that the mugwort concentrate heightens lucidity greatly and also makes my dreams highly creative and interesting to consider in the morning.
**** If you drink it as a tea I would just recommend adding a little honey too the mix. Tastes great ****
Galantamine has become one of the popular herbs used by lucid dreamers and with good reason. It’s effects truly attain mystical status for a variety of reasons. This natural supplement has been used for centuries in China as a memory enhancer. A variation of galantamine was even noted by the ancient Greeks for its powerful effects on the mind. But now we actually know why galantamine has these effects and it can be used to promote lucid dreaming.
Galantamine acts as what’s called an acetylcholine esterase inhibitor. This basically means that it blocks the enzyme that typically breaks down acetylcholine. And the breakdown of Acetylecholine is actually what causes you to become unconscious while you dream. Soooo.... when you take galantamine before entering into sleep your ACh levels stay higher than normal and increase conscious thought processes during dream sleep.
This herb performs a similar function to Galantamine because it successfully delays the breakdown of acetylcholine and results in higher levels of conscious awareness while dreaming. It’s by far one of the most effective herbs for lucid dream induction and a lot of people even find it to be more effective than galantamine. It really comes down to your body type.
I find that huperzine-a is a little more forgiving and less jarring mentally. I sleep a little better on it too and my dreams tend to be more peaceful in nature. Absolutely love huperzine!
This herb has been harvested and consumed in Africa for centuries. It's difficult to determine how far back it has been ingested but it's clear that it's been circulating African communities for divination purposes. It was known to help those who consume it to experience visions of their ancient ancestors. It was commonly used for solely for this purpose.
Personally, I have found this mystical herb to cause for a particularly interesting dreaming experience. But I will warn you - it tastes gross so you might want to mix it with something less bitter to take the edge off. Honey helps but you might need to add a lot to balance out the taste... just saying
Dream Leaf combines several mystical herbs into a two part supplement that has helped thousands of people experience their first lucid dream. The ingredients maximize the effectiveness of each herb by working synergistically . It improves dream recall, dream creativity, and promotes lucid dreaming.
For 20% off use the following coupon code for 20% off your entire order: lucid20
I always love hearing about other people's lucid dreaming experiences to feel free to reach out if you feel like sharing. Also, don't hesitate to email in if you have any questions.
alex@luciddreamleaf.com
In the meantime, sweet dreams.
First off, what is Mugwort?
Mugwort, also known as artemesia annua, is one of the most mysterious herbs in the botanical world because of its seemingly supernatural properties. But it’s also sweet to the taste, which makes it a wonderful tea sip down when you're winding down for the day.
The history of Mugwort weaves through the realm of the mystical but has also proven its versatile benefits for human health in general, such as its capacity to aid digestion, reduce anxiety, and promote relaxation. Way back in the day, Roman soldiers would actually place Mugwort below their feet before walking long distances. This prevented their feet from getting tired and kept them feeling fresh. Popularly too, John the Baptist is believed to have worn Mugwort on his girdle while traveling in the wilderness. Why John would do this? - I have no idea. But does it make Mugwort even more cool? - Absolutely!
Dreams and Lucid Dreaming:
Perhaps the most interesting property of Mugwort is its affect on the dreaming mind. Dreaming can often reach incredible heights if Mugwort is taken shortly before bed. Were you to do a quick Google search on this unique herb, its likely you’d come across all kinds of interesting stories, relating bizarre dreaming experiences that people report after having consumed Mugwort.
Lucid dreaming, improved dream recall, and enhanced dream creativity are just a few of its known side effects but I’m going to share with you a very simple and effective way to get the most out of your Mugwort experience. Like I mentioned earlier, some of my most fascinating dreaming experiences have taken place after ingesting this herb.
When to take it and how much?
You can drink Mugwort as a tea, or you can now purchase it in capsule form. Either way, it’s usually best to consume it about 30 – 60 minutes before bed, if you want to have the best results.
A standard dosage is going to range between about 100 – 400 mg. Just make sure that you’ve stayed hydrated before taking Mugwort or else you can potentially get a slight stomachache due to the fact that this herb requires a bit more water than some in order to move through your digestive system.
Mugwort with Honey:
Another great way to increase dream vividness and increase your dream recall is to take 1 – 2 tablespoons of honey along with Mugwort shortly before going to bed. Combining these two together is sure to enhance your dreaming experience to a whole new level. On night's that you try this, please just take this one piece of advice - BUCKLE UP.
When I’ve experimented with this, I've reached high level lucid dreams with insane dream control. I find that my dreams take on an interesting eccentricity too, where my imagination seems to go unbridled.
Purchasing Mugwort:
Finding high quality Mugwort is important and not all sources are created equal. Below is a high quality source of organic Mugwort that's also vegan friendly and in capsule form for easy use. You can also find Mugwort in a tea form at certain herb shops, or perhaps even find the plant growing near small body of water in your vicinity. Keep in mind that the tea form of Mugwort is just a little less potent but it really does have a great taste and goes great with honey.
Other Supplements that can be combined with Mugwort:
There are a variety of other supplements that can greatly increase the effects of Mugwort. For instance, when 5 HTP (known to increase serotonin levels) is combined with Mugwort, your dream cycle in the morning hours especially can be greatly enhanced. The lucid dreaming supplement Dream Leaf works in the way it does, partly because it contains Mugwort but it adds a second batch of supplements, which can increase conscious awareness in a variety of ways. More on that can be found here.
In the meantime, sweet dreams! Feel free to reach out with any questions or even just to tell me about your experience.
]]>As our tired heads lay on our downy pillows, the characters we call "I" and "me" are transported through the tunnels of our conscious minds and are tossed into a sphere of perfect memory within our individual minds and we engage with the meticulous documentation of life's heterogeneous events within the realm of the subconscious mind.
Although dreams can be perplexing and even frightening at times, they are vital for our emotional health as human beings. In fact, interestingly enough, one of the most common comparables that people suffering with depression share in common is insomnia. And why might this be?... well, because dream sleep is essential for dealing with life's emotions.
We need to dream. And if we do not experience quality dream sleep for extended periods of time, we suffer. The function of dreaming is literally embedded into our DNA (along with virtually every other living organism on Earth) and there is incredible purpose behind why you and I will spend about 32 years of our lives sawing logs.
It’s important to realize that dreams are much more than strange expressions of the imagination though; there are many things happening at different levels below our dreams. They literally help us heal emotionally and psychologically, rejuvenate, and improve our ability to deal with life’s stresses and activities.
A lot of people don't know this but with the proper skills and tools you can greatly enhance the dreaming experience to help you heal your life. This article is going to focus on some recent research that has been done on dreaming, but also introduces you to the ways in which lucid dreaming can help you experience incredible moments of healing and emotional resolution.
What are dreams?
Dreams are metaphorical representations of what's going on internally. The metaphors that we dream in use things that we are familiar with as forms of expression, such as what we've seen, heard, felt, smelt, and tasted in life. But our dreams rearrange these experiences into interesting pronouncements of our internal needs and desires. You could say that dreams are metaphors of what's going on physically, spiritually, and emotionally, which is why emotional health counselors often take an interest in their patient's dreams as a form of psychotherapy. You truly can learn things about yourself, your past, and your emotional health from your dreams - things that we sometimes repress in waking life, but are desperately seeking our attention.
As odd as our dreams may appear, science has shown that dreams are powerful resources for emotional resolution, and that they help us prepare for life's stresses, and fulfilling our need for rest.
Perhaps one of the most fascinating things about dreams though is that, in them, we escape the restrictions of time and space and are allowed to venture into the deepest layers of our identity. And without these limitations we are permitted to enter the darkest caverns of our hearts and can thereby access memory to an extent far beyond that of the conscious mind. How amazing is that?!
The eccentric perspective of our emotions and inner selves that dreaming allows us to see has caused many people to believe that lucid dreaming can help us tap into the limitless power of the subconscious mind, and that we can consciously guide the dreaming experience to our benefit.
As a lucid dreaming practitioner of over 10 years, I can tell you from experience that this is all a reality. You truly can make remarkable progress internally and heal things in your life you never thought possible through the power of lucid dreaming. And the coolest part about it all is that anyone can learn how to do it. I'm walking and talking evidence of this.
Anyway, moving on...
The science of lucid dreaming (for the skeptic):
For many years, members of the scientific community remained incredulous to the claims of lucid dreamers and the proposed ability to consciously control the mind while dreaming. Many people (even very educated people) used to believe that lucid dreaming was hokie pokie nonsense. But things have shifted, due to the vast attention and research that’s been directed on the subject of lucid dreaming.
"Lucid dreaming has considerable potential for promoting personal growth and self-development, enhancing self-confidence, improving mental and physical health, facilitating creative problem solving and helping you to progress on the path to self-mastery."
-Stephen LaBerge, PhD
Last year, at the Max Planck institute of Germany, lucid dreaming was verified (yet again) as a scientific fact and was demonstrated to be both testable and reproducible. In the study that was performed, researchers asked well-practiced lucid dreamers to undergo some basic brain scans while performing basic activities as an attempt to verify that these individuals could attain consciousness within the dreamscape.
Prior to the lucid dreamers going to sleep, the researchers had each participant perform the basic task of alternating their fist clenching from left to right. Then they asked the dreamers to communicate back to them from their beds as soon as soon as they had successfully initiated a lucid dream and had them to perform the same basic exercise of clenching their fists from left to right. Fascinatingly, the dreamers successfully activated the same parts of the brain when they clenched their fists from left to right during REM sleep as they did while awake.
Pretty cool, right? So what can be done with lucid dreaming and how can it be used for emotional health?
What happens in our dreams doesn't necessarily have to stay in our dreams:
You can look at the subconscious mind, which governs the mechanism of dreaming, as a library, containing volumes of information about you, such as what your true emotions are, who is a threat to you emotionally, etc. Although many of these secrets have been buried deep below the territory of the conscious mind, they echo like a familiar voice to our ears when we dream, so much so, that we often believe that our dreams are real when we are in them. Even beyond our dreams, we (and maybe you've probably even experienced this yourself) - we sometimes wake up with powerful emotions that carry a residual affect into our waking lives. Have you ever experienced this? It can have an undeniable affect on your day.
Most people know that the subconscious mind operates through patterns. We can see this because it governs pretty much everything within the human psyche that requires automatic repetition, such as our heartbeat, catching us when we trip, or even how we react to situations and people within our lives. And the fabric in which many of these patterns are weaved deep within us is through the mechanism of dreaming.
How can lucid dreaming help me heal emotionally?
Lucid dreaming can assist with emotional healing by helping you correct some of the subconscious patterns that have been knotted in your mind and heart and life.
A good example of this is how people use lucid dreaming to overcome recurring dreams and nightmares. Interestingly, research has shown that there is a direct correlation between people who have recurring nightmares and those who suffer with OCD, anxiety, and even PTSD. But research has also shown that lucid dreaming can often help people combat these disorders and end recurring dreams by changing the dream experience through conscious guidance.
One documented instance of this was broadcast on radio lab a few years ago. A gentleman shared his fascinating story about a repeated nightmare he'd been traumatized by for over 10 years. But he finally ended it once and for all after he confronted the terrifying character of his dream while in a state of lucidity. I highly recommend listening to this when you have a chance. It demonstrates some of the very facts we are discussing.
In summary, as you consciously guide the outcome of your dreams so that they play out how your conscious mind directs rather than by default - you can heal wounds that have repeatedly affected you over and over through out your life. This is possible through the practice of lucid dreaming. It takes a little practice, and even a little know how, but in reality, anyone can learn it. Like I said earlier, I'm walking and talking evidence of this.
How can I start having lucid dreams?
If you are interested in exploring your internal world a bit through lucid dreaming, I want you to know that you can learn how to do this. There are all kinds of lucid dreaming techniques out there; some work, while others are truly a waste of time. Trust me on this. Below I'll share a link to some techniques that have helped me develop my lucid dreaming capacity.
For me, the two best methods I've discovered to start having successful lucid dreams is through the aid of natural supplements like Dream Leaf and through dream journaling.
It's important to understand that the types of things we put into our bodes have a direct impact on the dreaming experience. Interestingly, several natural herbs have been shown to heighten dream awareness and have even been proven to promote lucid dreaming. Dream Leaf is unique in the fact that it combines 5 of the most effective lucid dreaming supplements into a single blend that harmonizes naturally with your sleep cycle. I recommend this supplement to beginners especially because thousands of people have experienced their first lucid dreams through the use of Dream Leaf. The dreaming experiences I've had with it myself have truly been amazing and I can confidently endorse its effectiveness.
Dream Leaf: An Advanced Lucid Dreaming Supplement
Other resources to consider:
If you're interested getting serious about digging deeper into your dreams through the power of lucid dreaming, it can also be incredibly healing to journal your dreams. Journaling in general has all kinds of proven therapeutic benefits, but dream journaling especially can truly open a reservoir of fascinating emotional metaphors that you can undoubtedly learn from. Interestingly too, did you know that the average person begins to experiencing lucid dreams after just 2 weeks of dream journaling? I'm actually walking and talking evidence of this. In fact, that's how I first started to have lucid dreams. I must say though that some dream journaling methods are more effective than others.
]]>Everyday, life throws numerous hurdles at us and most days we can overcome these hurdles and move on. But sometimes, the trials we face seem insurmountable, and these become our physical and emotional traumas. Dealing with trauma is a normal part of life. And one of the most important things our mind does to deal with traumatic exposure is dream. It may seem crazy to imagine that we deal with trauma overnight, but the science behind dreaming makes it clear that dreams are essential to our emotional health. There are many types of trauma that we can face throughout our lives, and here are a few that the practice of lucid dreaming can help us combat.
One of the greatest benefits of lucid dreaming is that it allows us to get to know ourselves better, and this grants us huge freedom that is unavailable through other methods. As we come to know ourselves more fully, we can become more familiar with our fears, hopes and dreams. With this knowledge comes the ability to work past our fears and work towards the things we truly want to accomplish. Through lucid dreaming, we can gain further control of our unconscious and conscious lives and use our dreams for personal healing.
In an effort to avoid getting tangled up in complicated explanations of ancient Tibetan philosophy and very long Sanskrit words, I will simplify everything as best I can. At its core, dream yoga is the practice of breaking down the barrier between waking and dreaming, while attaining heightened awareness in both states. The ideas that make up this philosophy are predicated on one assumption: that reality is just as fleeting and illusory as we view dreams to be.
The Buddhist faith has a principle called "interdependence", which posits that nothing in our physical world is really here in a true sense. While we can see and touch things in front of us, those things are nothing more than a physical representation of a collection of history, development, and perceptions that we have collectively agreed to mean one thing. To clarify, there is nothing inherently pencil-y about a pencil. Our history of writing utensils, the different materials that make up the pencil, and how we have come to use and think about the pencil is what makes it such. To bring this idea into a more metaphysical realm, there is nothing in you as a person that is inherently you. Your body or brain cannot be pointed to as the tangible center of yourself; the idea of a person is something that is neither inextricably linked to the physical body nor entirely separate from it. To get a better sense of interdependence, do a quick search on the term and browse around a bit.
The bottom line...
is that once we start to question what constitutes "reality", the line that divides our daily lives and our dream worlds becomes very fluid. This is where the word "yoga" comes into play; just as Lycra-clad LA yoga aims to join breath with movement, dream yoga seeks to join the waking world with the dreaming one.
As it applies to modern dreamers, dream yoga is actually very similar to lucid dreaming. In fact, what we think of as lucid dreaming today is merely the second half of dream yoga, which can theoretically be practiced 24 hours a day. The daytime practice of dream yoga works toward becoming highly conscious of the connections between the "real" world and the dream world and breaking down notions of absolute reality. The nighttime portion is where lucid dreaming comes in, working the process in reverse and pulling reality into the dream.
There are two simple ways to incorporate dream yoga practice into your waking life:
1 - Pay close attention to the sensations of being awake and alert during the day and take notice of how it feels to be conscious. Having a firm grasp on this feeling while awake will help you to achieve it in your lucid dreams.
2 - Take time during your day to look around, take an inventory of the things you are seeing and experiencing, and tell yourself firmly that none of it is truly real. This may seem difficult to tell yourself, much less believe, but it's really very similar to performing state checks during a lucid dream. This exercise will help you continue to loosen your grip on absolute reality.
Working in tandem with regular lucid dreaming practice, dream yoga can transform your daily life into a constant, subtle form of meditation. Blurring that line between waking and dreaming can kickstart your consciousness and change the way you see life in general. If you're curious, there are plenty of books and websites that go into this practice in great detail, but in the meantime, start experimenting! You might just find yourself enlightened.
Dream Leaf is a natural dietary supplement that promotes
dreaming, and more particularly - lucid dreaming.
]]>Many lucid dreaming experts recommend waking up in the night and then going back to bed. This is a method known as WBTB (Wake Back To Bed) and it can be extremely effective. Waking up in the night also provides an opportune time to take a dream supplement. Unlike before bed, you do NOT want to increase serotonin at this point. Instead, you would like to take something that will boost ACh levels, dopamine levels, or even norepinephrine levels in the brain. Here are some herbs that you can take that will help you accomplish this:
The lucid dreaming technique to help you control your dreams immediately is not only to use supplements, but to break them up into 2 distinct parts. This is a slightly smarter lucid dreaming technique because there are 2 separate parts of sleep, which require entirely different nutrients to fuel the neurotransmitters involved in each stage. Also, by separating which nutrients you receive in the beginning of the night, with those prior to your lucid dream window (after roughly 4 hours of sleep) you can greatly increase your level of consciousness as you drift off to sleep.
This means that you take a few ingredients upon going to bed, and then a few more 4 hours later. Yes, you literally set an alarm to wake you up after 4 hours of sleep, but don’t worry, it really isn’t as annoying as you might think.
Interestingly, waking up in the middle of your sleep cycle is also very effective at promoting lucidity. In fact, a lot of lucid dreamers actually practice a lucid dreaming technique commonly referred to as WBTB, which stands for “wake, back to bed.” This approach alone is commonly known to help people to have lucid dreams because it helps thin the line between consciousness and unconsciousness.
Now, you might be wondering, “Why 4 hours later?” The reason is that in order to have a healthy night’s rest, we typically need about 4 hours of REM sleep, and 4 hours of deep sleep. And, the supplements that promote REM sleep typically conflict (or interact) with the supplements that promote deep sleep, and vice versa. That means that it’s best taking certain ingredients at bedtime to promote deep sleep, and then taking REM-boosting ingredients in the morning hours, after 4 hours of sleep.
I can assure you that if you are not sensitive to both stages of sleep and attempt to use only supplements that promote REM sleep, you will slow yourself down significantly. With this lucid dreaming technique (the two-part supplement approach) I can promise that you will sleep better and lucid dream better. Keep in mind though that there are all kind of other lucid dreaming techniques out there, which can also assist in your lucid dreaming attempts.
Best supplements to take when going to bed:
5-HTP
5-HTP prolongs the Deep Sleep cycle and also boosts serotonin levels, causing the “REM Rebound Effect.” This effect lengthens the REM Sleep cycle during the second half of the night, providing a much larger window for lucid dreaming.
Mugwort
Mugwort helps calm the nerves so you can fall asleep quickly. It is a popular dream herb for many lucid dream enthusiasts because it also causes your dreams to be highly creative and much more vivid. Mugwort also enhances dream recollection.
Best Supplements to take after 4 hours of sleep:
Huperzine-A
Huperzine-A slows the breakdown of ACh, helping you maintain access to your reality memories and maintain a degree of consciousness and lucidity while you dream. Huperzine-A helps you to have lucid dreams.
Choline Bitartrate
Choline Bitartrate not only assists Huperzine-A in maintaining high Acetylcholine (ACh) levels, but it is also the single most effective supplement for enhancing dream recall. Since memory and lucid dreaming are interconnected, Choline is essential for an amazing lucid dreaming experience.
Alpha GPC
Alpha GPC promotes rational thinking during REM Sleep and functions as an incredible catalyst for inducing lucid dreams.
Dream Leaf has synergized the amounts of these supplements for you, so you can start taking the correct lucid dreaming supplements in the right quantity, in order to accelerate your progress towards conscious dreaming :)
Visit here to purchase the Dream Leaf lucid dreaming supplement.
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This is one of my favorite techniques for achieving lucidity. WBTB involves the dreamer waking up in the night, ideally after 4-5 hours of sleep and then staying awake for a few minutes before going back to bed. As you are laying in bed, you want to think about the thing that you want to dream about as you drift off to sleep. This technique takes advantage of your sleep cycle to help in having a lucid dream and can be very effective. The benefits of WBTB can be dramatically enhanced by taking the right lucid dream supplements.
Dream supplements may at first sound like a strange concept but actually they are a part of an emerging nutrition science known as nootropics.
What are nootropics?
Nootropics are substances that enhance the functioning of the human brain, in particular the functions related to memory, motivation, and attention, all of which can affect general intelligence. Nootropics can include classic vitamins as well as enzymes, herbs and plant extracts synthesized from these extracts, and even animal products. Undeniably, the most famous nootropic is the stimulant caffeine, naturally occurring in coffee, tea and cocoa, and injected mercilessly into a stunning array of beverages and over-the-counter medications. It’s easy to overdo it, but in fact recent studies have suggested that caffeine improves focus and memory in the short term, and may improve memory and general mental performance in the long term. Just as caffeine—in moderation—is good for the waking brain, certain herbs and supplements are good for the sleeping brain. After all, sleeping is hard work; contrary to popular belief the brain during sleep is not resting but can be more active than it is in waking life, especially in REM sleep.
Enter the Dream
And that’s where sleep and dream supplements come in. Some supplements, such as melatonin and 5HTP, aid in falling asleep and can even reduce awakenings. Others, such as the B vitamins, appear to directly promote the bizarre and creative attributes of dreams. Some of these effects are understood more than others, and the research really beginning to take off after years of stagnation. A holistic approach to dream studies has to include these benefits, as dreaming is the product of a healthy mind and body. After all, we are not just brains in jars. That said, supplements alone are not a healthy way to promote sleep and enhance your dream life. No dream pill will do the work for you—particularly if you are interested in lucid dreaming and some of the more advanced topics in dream studies, such as out-of-body experiences and mystical experiences. Daily activities, motivation, and physical health are crucial to a healthy dream life. For example, many people assume that the best way to train or “work out” the brain is solely through mental exercises, such as the newspaper crossword puzzle. However, the greatest boost to brain health is cardiovascular exercise. Take a look at the brain scan image below of what a 20 minute walk does to brain activity.
Setting the Space Integrated with a healthy diet (especially full of leafy greens high in the B vitamins), a regular physical practice, and targeted cognitive techniques, dream supplements can provide a welcome boost to dream power. This requires some preparation and a strong motivation to go deeper into the dreamworld. That’s simply why popping a dream pill after zoning out from a Netflix horror movie marathon won’t do the trick. When done with focus, the ritual of taking dream supplements creates a strong behavioral signal that we are entering an intentional space where we are invited to slow down, focus, and rather than check out, we check in. Dream supplements are no placebo, however. Dream supplements enhance the brain’s functioning while you sleep regardless. The evidence for 5HTP, for example, strongly suggests that, in small doses and taken at the right time, can promote NREM sleep in the first part of the night, and indirectly lead to consolidated REM (dreaming) sleep in the morning. However, when intentionality and motivation is added to the sleep-optimized brain, a strong platform for intentional dreaming is created. Although the science behind nootropics is brand new and sorely in need of more research, dream supplements are clearly beneficial when integrated with other practices that support mindful living. Don’t go to bed to fall sleep, but to wake up to your full potential.
]]>Are you ready to start lucid dreaming? Here are some tips to help you have a lucid dream within the next 24 hours.
While herbal/ dietary lucid dreaming supplements will open the door to your lucid dreams, you still need to step inside. The following pointers can greatly enhance your lucid dreaming experience. I feel confident when I say that you can start lucid dreaming in 24 hours if you use the Dream Leaf formula, and consider these additional insights.
First off...
Here are a few things you want to AVOID to enhance your lucid dreaming experience:
-Don’t watch TV before bed, or even throughout the day
-Don’t look at LCD screens before bed (this has a very negative impact on your REM cycle and weakens your conscious awareness during dream sleep.)
-Don’t drink caffeine throughout the day
-Avoid any alcohol and marijuana use
-Avoid all narcotics in general
A few things you can DO to greatly enhance your lucid dreaming experience:
-Take the right nutritional supplements (It’s usually best to take supplements, such as Dream Leaf on a fairly but not totally empty stomach)
-Read throughout the day, and especially right before you go to bed
-Do occasional reality checks throughout the day. Remind yourself (as ridiculous as it may sound) to consider whether you could possibly be dreaming or not. This trains your mind to occasionally ask this question on impulse.
-Think about your dreams through out the day and try to remember some of your past dreams in as much detail as possible
-Record last night's dreams in a dream journal in as much detail as possible
-Perhaps most importantly, decide that you want to lucid dream early on in the day, and then be sure to remake this decision right before you go to bed. Don’t psych yourself out or anything, or else you won’t be able to fall asleep, but definitely help yourself realize that tonight is the night you're going to have a lucid dream.
The Supplement Formula for Lucid Dreaming:
There are all kinds of different lucid dreaming techniques that work fairly well, but for the purpose of this blog post (to help you lucid dream in the next 24 hours) we are focusing on the most effective approaches to lucid dreaming, which is through herbal supplements. Here are the exact details that you will need in order to start having lucid dreams right away:
The 2 best herbs to take at night are 5HTP and Mugwort - right before going to bed. These promote restful deep sleep, and cause accelerated REM sleep later in the night. They also help provide you with longer, more vivid, and more creative dreams.
The 3 best herbs to take in the middle of your sleep cycle (after 4 hours of sleep) are Choline Bitartrate, Huperzine A, and DHEA. Collectively, these will slow the breakdown of acetylcholine, fuel memory-boosting neurotransmitters, and promote higher levels of consciousness and control during your dreams.
Dream Leaf combines these ingredients specifically for people who want to start lucid dreaming the smart way. It is composed of a blue pill and a red pill, which colors have been used to symbolize the concept of illusion (blue) and reality (red).
The blue pill, taken at bedtime, combines the optimal amounts of 5HTP and Mugwort to promote deep sleep, vivid dreaming, and the REM rebound effect.
The red pill, taken after 4 hours of sleep, combines Huperzine A, Choline Bitartrate, and DHEA. It promotes memory, consciousness, focus, dream recall, and dream control.
Together, these two pills will show you how to start lucid dreaming in 24 hours.
To learn more, visit luciddreamleaf.com
Thank you!
]]>Lucid dreams are an amazing tool and can be a lot of fun. But are you really harnessing the true power of lucid dreams? We spend a lot of time talking about the benefits of lucid dreaming. But sometimes it is a good idea to experiment. If you are looking to have a little more fun in your dreams, this is the list for you. Here are ten amazing things you should try next time you are in a lucid dream!
If your childhood was anything like mine, you probably noticed that a sugar binge before bed usually makes for some pretty wild dreams. As fun as those dreams might have been, though, sugar highs aren't super conducive to a night of restful sleep. The good news is that dreaming and a healthy night's sleep are not mutually exclusive! There are plenty of foods that can give you the best of both worlds, leading you into a steady sleep cycle while promoting vivid and memorable dreams. I should state here that serious sleep problems like chronic insomnia should be treated with a heavier hand, but if you're looking to sleep a little deeper and dream a little better, these everyday foods might give you that little extra nudge!
BANANAS
You've probably been told a few times to eat a banana when you have sore muscles or after a workout, but have you ever been told to eat a banana before bed? Bananas are a great source of both magnesium and potassium, which help to relax your muscles and regulate your heartbeat, both integral steps in the process of falling asleep. Bananas have been linked to dreaming by many different people, and the reason for that seems to boil down to serotonin. Serotonin plays a role in helping the brain remain somewhat alert during the REM stage of the sleep cycle, which leads to greater dream intensity and recall. Bananas contain the B6 vitamin, which converts tryptophan into serotonin.
CHERRIES
In addition to being great for pit-spitting competitions in the summers (...just my family? no?), cherries are actually a decent natural source of melatonin, a sleep hormone that occurs naturally in our brain chemistry. Contrary to popular belief, melatonin does not induce sleep. What it does do is help to regulate the circadian rhythm (sleep cycle) by signaling the body to start shutting down when it's dark outside and to wake up when it's light again. Serious sleep problems are typically not caused by melatonin deficiencies, but eating foods rich in the hormone before bed on a regular basis can help to get the cycle back on track. One of melatonin's other jobs is to regulate serotonin levels, so it helps to make sure that everything in your brain chemistry is working as it should to bring about a great dreaming experience.
ALMONDS
Like bananas, almonds contain magnesium, which has been shown to combat both insomnia and restless leg syndrome. They also contain tryptophan, that all-important precursor to the serotonin that makes our dreams bright and exciting!
OATS
These babies are full of our good friend melatonin, and the complex carbohydrates in oats (as well as other grains) cause a spike in insulin, which tends to cause drowsiness. This insulin-induced energy crash is also what causes your holiday food comas, incidentally. By eating more oats you will find that your sleep quality is improved in general, but especially your REM stage.
VALERIAN ROOT
This one may sound like a mythical herb straight out of Game of Thrones, but it's actually a common flowering plant that is widely available as a tea as well as an herbal supplement. Valerian has been used for generations for its sedative properties, both to promote sleep and to treat anxiety. This one doesn't have any apparent relationship to dreaming, but pair it with any of the above and you're ready to go. A cup of tea and a bowl of warm oatmeal with a few sliced cherries, bananas, and almonds sounds a lot like breakfast, but science and experience tell us that this balanced breakfast as an evening snack might actually lead to a great night's sleep and some memorable dreams. Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!
]]>With the tools listed above, you should be much more prepared to use your dreams to improve your spirituality. Your dreams offer you a great insight into your consciousness and your unconscious, and this can be the key to your spirituality. If learning more about yourself and the parts of yourself that you do not often see is important to you, then your dreams are the key to finding those truths. Now is the time to start paying close attention to your dreams and tapping into their spiritual power.
Dream Leaf is an natural dietary supplement that promotes dreaming, and more particularly - lucid dreaming.
]]>Over years of research and experimenting, I’ve learned that lucid dreaming supplements are the smartest way to lucid dream… and here’s why.
Diet and consciousness are connected, just like consciousness and lucid dreaming are connected. This may sound like a bold claim to some, but if you think about it, it makes perfect sense.
Our brains require certain nutrients in order to function properly. It has even been proven that variations in our diets, such as taking certain vitamins and other nutritional supplements, can greatly improve our mental state, including memory and focus during waking hours.
If nutritional supplements can improve mental function when we’re awake, why couldn’t they do the same thing when we’re asleep?
Interestingly, consciousness is deeply connected to memory and focus; in fact, consciousness is a cognitive function itself within the human brain. A large part of the reason we lose access to our conscious mind while we are dreaming is because we FORGET that we are only imagining things. Unconscious dreaming is greatly connected to our loss of memory, which will be explained in more detail later on. Because natural supplements can help improve memory and focus, the right supplementation at the right time leads to lucid dreams you can control and remember.
But perhaps one of the best things about using lucid dreaming supplements for lucid dreaming is that they can make your lucid dreams incredibly long too, allowing you to have more exceptional dream experiences. Instead of your dreams feeling like a fragile bubble that could pop at the slightest spike in consciousness, with the right lucid dreaming supplements your lucid dreams become much more durable, more like a rugby ball than a bubble.
Dream Leaf:
Dream Leaf contains lucid dreaming supplements that help people to experience lucid dreaming immediately. It is a synergistic combination of the most effective lucid dreaming supplements on the market today. To learn more, check out here.
:)
]]>Lucid dreaming comes easy to some but for most people, it is a learned behavior. Here are 5 things every avid lucid dreamer knows.
This may come as a surprise, but like most things that are rewarding, lucid dreaming requires some practice. Very few people are able to lucid dream regularly without a lot of practice - so don't give up if you don't have a lucid dream the first time you try. Take some time to learn how to lucid dream and then work at it for a little bit. Believe me, it is more than worth the effort.
Before the internet, lucid dreaming was much more difficult to do because information on lucid dreaming techniques was hard to come by. In the last 30 years or so, a lot or research has been done on lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming is no longer as mysterious as it once was and, because of the internet, it is easier than ever to find and share information on how to do it. So, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, you may want to first find out what techniques have already been proven to work.
So don't get discouraged if you try something once and it doesn't work. If something doesn't work the first time, it doesn't mean that it never will. Remember #1 on this list...practice!
Lucid dreaming is more amazing than you think it is. In fact, in terms of the uniqueness of the experience, the creativity, excitement, and sheer wonder, there are few things in life that can compare. Our level of creativity is so exceptionally high while we dream that we are often inspired, afraid, or in some way dramatically affected by our dreams. Being able to recall with perfect clarity (yes, this is possible) and even fully control these dreams can open a whole new world of possibilities.
Yes, they do work - and there is a lot of research that has been done that proves it. For centuries, people have noticed that certain herbs, foods, and nutrients will impact dreams in unique ways but they didn't really understand why or how they work. Now, scientists have learned enough about the brain chemistry involved in lucid dreaming to be able to understand how and why these herbs affect dreams and how to use them synergistically to dramatically enhance to lucid dream experience and dream recall.
To learn more about how Dream Leaf works, take a look at our How It Works page. Happy dreaming!
]]>The most consistent element of dream interpretation or analysis is that everyone will disagree. This applies to researchers and psychologists as well as the general public; if you describe your most recent dream to four different people and ask for their opinions, it's very likely that you will get four wildly different interpretations. That being said, there are a few common symbols in our dreams that have been mostly agreed to carry a particular significance, whether through psychological analysis or general public consensus. You could spend days combing through the myriad "dream dictionary" websites out there and figure out which symbols have any degree of consistency in their meanings, but it's your lucky day! I've already done it for you! So if any of these symbols have turned up in your dreams lately, here's a quick run-down of what they probably mean:
FALLING
If you dream that you are in a free-fall or falling from a high place, you're probably feeling some loss of control or lack of support. This could apply to a job, a personal relationship, family life, or anything else that makes sense to you.
From a physiological standpoint, dreaming of falling can also be a reflection of your physical state at that time. Have you ever been half-asleep, within seconds of falling asleep completely, and then suddenly felt like you had missed a step going down the stairs or stepped into a deep hole you hadn't noticed? When your body is preparing for sleep, it gradually disengages each of your muscles until you are completely relaxed. Often when this happens, your body feels totally unsupported (regardless of the bed underneath you), in free fall, and quickly tenses up either to stabilize or to brace for some kind of impact. (This is also known as a "myoclonic jerk", which is a cool phrase you can throw around to sound smart.)
NAKED
Dreams of nakedness are famously common. Dreaming that you are naked in front of a group of coworkers, friends, classmates, family, etc. most likely signifies a fear or a sense of being exposed. This coincidentally lines up well with the phrase "naked truth"; it might mean that you are hiding something that you are afraid will be uncovered.
PREGNANT
Something is growing in your life; it could be a new idea or project, a new relationship, or something you're thinking about starting. This typically has positive associations, as you might be excited or pleasantly anxious about this new element of your life.
MIRRORS
As you might expect, the presence of a mirror deals with thoughts of how others see you or how you see yourself. There is no end of variations to this symbol, and the specificity of the interpretation depends mostly on what appears in the reflection. If you look into a mirror in a dream and see that you have no reflection, it could point to a struggle with personal identity. Because mirrors have a long mythological association with truth, you might see a reflection of your "true self" or "true nature", whatever that means to you.
SEX
At the risk of getting a little risqué, sex dreams are so common that I just can't leave them out. Like mirrors, the particulars of interpretation depend pretty heavily on the particulars of the dream. Generally speaking, these dreams say more about your personality than your sex drive. The two most important things to notice are 1) who the other person is, and 2) the nature of the sex. Both/either of these things will likely point out a quality that you either have noticed and enjoyed in yourself or feel that you would like to express more of. For example, if the sex was patient and gentle, you might be appreciating your own capacity for patience and gentleness, or you might feel that you need to practice more of those qualities in your daily life. If your partner in the dream is someone you have admired for their spontaneity and freedom, that might reflect a desire to become more like them. Conversely, it could simply reflect a base-level sexual desire, or it might point out a desire for a particular sexual relationship that you are not consciously aware of.
As a side note, many of these dreams and symbols can be taken literally as well. Falling could result from a fear of heights, pregnancy could appear in a dream while you are trying to get pregnant, and, of course, a sex dream might just be a sex dream.
THE BOTTOM LINE... is that dream interpretation is nowhere near an exact science. Many very intelligent and well-respected people have spent time studying the mystery of dreams, and most of them have come up with very different and conflicting ideas. What keeps us trying, though, is our own curiosity. If we can decode some of the clearer elements of our dreams, we may have a shot at gaining a better view of our subconscious mind and what our dreams are trying to tell us.
]]>Lucid dreaming can be the driving force behind some amazing and memorable experiences. The downside is that it’s not the easiest thing to learn how to do. It takes practice, a little know-how, and even a little luck.
One thing that advanced lucid dreamers turn to is lucid dreaming supplements. Scientific research has successfully uncovered that by adding certain vitamins, minerals, and herbs to your diet, it can drastically increase your odds of having lucid dreams. Here is a list of the most effective ones that you will want to try. Keep in mind that these supplements need to be taken at the right time and in the correct dosage.
Huperzine-A
This is probably the most incredible lucid dream herb I’ve come across. Although this herb has been used for hundreds of years in Asia, it has only recently come to light here in the US as an aid for lucid dreaming. It functions as an acetylcholine esterase inhibitor and is extremely effective at helping you to remain in contact with your memory bank during dream sleep. Research has shown that the more memory you access while you dream, the more likely you will be to have lucid dreams.
DHEA
This supplement is designed to make your lucid dreams a lot more controllable by accelerating mental stimulation while in the dreamscape. DHEA can also help you fall back to sleep. This supplement can sometimes cause lucid dreams by itself, but it definitely works best when taken with choline and Huperzine-A.
Choline
It is incredibly effective at aiding dream recall. A lucid dream doesn’t help you much if you can’t remember it, right? For this reason, choline is a must-have for lucid dream enthusiasts who are seeking to improve their dream recall, as well as raise conscious awareness while dreaming.
5-HTP
It boosts your serotonin levels at night, causing your deep sleep cycles to be lengthened. This in turn can accelerate your REM cycle (or dream sleep) later in the night. 5-HTP makes your lucid dreams very vivid and highly conscious. Although it will rarely cause lucid dreams by itself, if combined with some of these other herbs (particularly Mugwort) it can take your dreams to a whole new level.
A Few Important Things to Keep in Mind:
There are a myriad of other lucid dreaming supplements out there. Some of them are effective but many of them are worthless. This list is kind of the "Dream Team" of lucid dream herbs.
The thing that gets a little tricky about taking these supplements is that they each need to be taken at the right time and in the right quantity, otherwise they will only counteract each other. Please do not make the mistake that many people do by assuming that you can combine any random collection of these dream herbs together to have amazing lucid dreams. Unfortunately, this just isn't the case.
Dream Leaf is a combination of each of these lucid dream herbs and has carefully been synergized into one effective lucid dreaming supplement. There is a red pill and a blue pill, which work together harmoniously to help you get the most out of each of these ingredients we've discussed. This lucid dreaming supplement aids in activating conscious dreaming and has helped thousands of people to have lucid dreams.
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We, thus, turn our attention to Ashwagandha's amazing and abundant health benefits: it's been used for thousands of years in India, Arabia, and Africa to treat numerous ailments such as anxiety, acute stress, hormone imbalances, insomnia, arthritis/inflammation, memory loss, liver diseases, menopause, cancer, and much more. Ashwagandha for medicinal treatments in the United States is beginning to gain significant fame, but Western medicine and science hasn't thoroughly research the root enough yet to fully understand the complexities of it's workings with various treatments. Where Western and ancient medicine are in agreement on Ashwagandha is how it impacts the brain to promote much needed healing throughout the body.
Ashwagandha (if you're new to the name) is also known as Indian ginseng or withnia somnifera, and it's been a traditional Ayurveda staple for medical usage in India and parts of Africa and Arabia for over three thousand years. The medicinal root/herb has finally caught the attention of Western scientists and pharmaceutical companies for its many positive health benefits, and interested researchers continue to test and understand its properties in a multitude of health treatments.
Thus far, the most conclusive data that's been found by scientists is Ashwagandha's positive impact on the brain which, in turn, regulates nearly every aspect of health and wellness in the body. Neuroscience today (via biochemistry) explains Ashwagandha's relationship to the brain in terms of assistance in guiding and regulating essential hormones, chemicals, and synapses that contribute to a healthy, invigorating life.
On a chemical level, one of our greatest adversaries to our health is stress. Even when consciously ignored, stress continues to negatively impact the body, and its effects are potent and systemic. Take cortisol for example: it's a hormone that's released into the body when you're mentally or physically stressed. Cortisol creates all sorts of havoc in the body. It's well known for producing lethargy with irresistible urges to binge eat comfort foods when you feel down and out. This, of course, leads to weight gain, muscle loss, fatigue, depression, and cognitive impairment, and when this becomes the norm in one's life, more detrimental health problems can arise such as acid reflux, insomnia, gut imbalances, increased blood pressure, slower tissue regeneration, and a suppressed immune system for fighting external threats to our bodies. Let's face it: when we're not stressed out, we can quickly fall apart. That's why it's essential to manage and control stress, and this has been Ashwagandha's primary use for thousands of years. [1] In a recent study measuring the increase and decrease of cortisol levels in patients, Ashwaganda and placebos were administered during the experiment and 64 individuals were observed as testing positive from the benefits of the herb for stress reduction. [2] Additional research has found Ashwagandha to have comparable benefits to the major anti-anxiety drug Lorazepam, but without having unwanted side effects like sleep apnea, Ataxi, and allergy hypersensitivity.
In relationship to stress reduction, there is the opportunity for the body to rest and heal itself properly. Ashwagandha's positive contribution to hormone regulations and stress reduction has been shown to reduce insomnia, anxiety, and other sleep prohibitors. By getting complete, uninterrupted sleep cycles at night, the body can heal and rejuvenate itself, as well as be fortified against physical and mental stressors we come into contact with daily. When rest is consistent, our minds have the time to contemplate what's actually happening and react properly to the world around it. This means better decisions and outcomes. Emotionally, one's mood is at peace and more resilient to frustration and distraction. In our fast paced world, who couldn't benefit from being more rested, healthy, and responsive?
Arthritis and Inflammation
Inflammation and arthritis is unfortunately something the majority of us experience at some point in our lives, whether it's from aging, injuries, or debilitating disorders. For hundreds of years, Ashwagandha has been used to treat inflammation, and now scientists are verifying its effectiveness. In 2015, a study was conducted on 86 patients suffering from intense joint pain [3]. Subjects were administered Ashwagandha supplements for a brief 3 week period, and results showed a conclusive reduction in pain and swelling reduction. While more studies need to be carried out on the herb's use for treating inflammation, Ashwagandha is looking to be effective in managing swelling and joint pain. The use of Ashwagandha is so broad due in part to its' composition, which includes iron, antioxidants, potassium, nitrate, alkaloids and fatty acids, all of which work together to lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and adjust the immune system. What's currently not known by scientists at this time is if there are any negative side-effects from using the treatment long term.
Current research by Japanese scientists have discovered that Ashwagandha is helping to regenerate nerve cells in the brain that were previously damaged [4]. Additional research demonstrates that the treatment is proving to reconstruct brain synapses that promote cellular communications that were formerly lost. While Ashwagandha hasn't been directly used yet to treat Alzheimer's and dementia patients, scientific interest in the root's healing properties are steadily increasing. The ancient medicine may be used in the near future to repair many brain trauma related injuries.
Ancient medicine has traditionally prescribed Ashwagandha for treating fertility and sexual dysfunctions in both men and women. The root has been long used as an aphrodisiac, and has been scientifically proven to rebalance and revitalize testosterone production [8][9].
Menopause is an extremely challenging time in a woman's life due to the extreme hormonal changes going on within the body. These changes bring on a great deal of stress, physiological implications (i.e., hot flashes, insomnia, anxiety, etc.), and discomfort that, according to modern medicine, must simply run its course. With women, however, Ashwagandha treatments can positively impact the endocrine system, and thus, balance hormones much better. [10][11] In a 2012 study involving 51 menopausal women, Ashwagandha supplements were administered and there was a sizable reduction in their symptoms such as anxiety, hot flashes, and mood.
At this point in time, Ashwagandha hasn't been thoroughly studied by Western science to determine any potential long-term side effects from using the herb for various treatments. Be advised that if you have any of the three following health circumstances, you should not take Ashwagandha due to the negative side effects:
It is also not recommended for those with autoimmune diseases; those prone to ulcers; those with diabetes; iron deficiencies; or those about to have surgery. Those with thyroid concerns should also consider the combination of this supplement with their regulatory medications.
The manner in which you take Ashwagandha is dependent on your doctor or Ayurvedic practitioner's recommendations, along with your direct reason for taking the medicine, and any other health concerns you have. Therefore, there is no one particular dosage or methodology. However, several sources have recommendations to take before bed, to aid in sleep. Many people will mix in approximately three grams of Ashwagandha powder in warm milk. The average daily intake is between one and six grams. Some people do report intense nightmares with this medicine, when the dosage taken is too high for their system.
It is important to purchase your supplements from a trusted source, as there are reports that many drugs have higher the daily recommended levels of lead, arsenic, and mercury. The FDA has therefore placed particular regulations on such medicines as Ashwagandha.
*Note, this is considered to be a very potent plant, and can have harmful side effects when taken incorrectly or by those with certain health conditions, and therefore is recommended for use as detailed by a doctor and/or Ayurvedic practitioner. Before taking any supplement you should always talk to a doctor first and list all the medicines and supplements you are currently prescribed as this list isn't entirely comprehensive, and medicinal supplements should be chosen based on individual need and care.
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-Morpheus
Lucid dreaming is by far one of the most undervalued abilities that we have as human beings. It does take a little practice, as well as a little know how, in order to start achieving success but it really doesn’t take long to learn and these experiences can honestly be remarkable. I can confidently promise that pretty much anyone out there can start having lucid dreams within just a couple weeks, and with the techniques I’m about to show you, even just a few days.
First off, what is lucid dreaming?
Lucid dreaming is the act of becoming conscious while you dream, or awake while in a state of dreaming. In these dreams, you enter into a kind of simulation experience that is guided solely by your own mind and imagination so the sky is the limit.
In my own lucid dreams, I've learned to control the dreamscape, fly on command, converse with older versions of myself (weird, I know) and manipulate my dreams in ways that have been truly unforgettable. I’ve learned fascinating things about my mind and how deeply complex our human psychology actually is.
Since lucid dreaming has contributed such drastic changes in my perception of life and who I am as a person, I can’t help but feel this anxious excitement to help others journey deeper into the world of their dreams, and lucid dreaming honestly is the best vehicle to take you there. It is not just an entertaining thing to try; it can offer physical, emotional and spiritual benefits that are absolutely mind-blowing. I promise you that.
What it’s like to lucid dream:
What a lot of people don’t realize about lucid dreaming is that all five of your senses cooperate in these dreams to create a perception of reality that is just as convincing as what you experience in your waking life, making such dreams as real to you as reality itself…. I mean besides the fact that there are no limits ; )
I personally have had several lucid dreams where I had to remind myself more than just once that the dream was just a dream because it felt so real. I’ve conversed with friends who were so accurately represented by my subconscious mind that I’ve literally stopped and wondered, is this really him or her?
There is a feeling of realness that lucid dreaming allows you to access within your imagination, which is unlike anything you will experience elsewhere. Your internal imagination becomes the captain of your reality and your own creativity is the only limit. You can fly, visit a country of your choice, or even talk to a loved one who has passed away. Personally, I think lucid dreaming is best practiced for meaningful engagement. Yes, it’s entertaining… but you may as well bring back a meaningful experience.
(For the skeptic…) Yes, lucid dreaming is a real verifiable practice:
A couple years ago, at the Max Planck institute in Germany, the veracity of lucid dreaming was proven (yet again) as a scientific fact and demonstrated to be both reproducible and testable. In this study, researchers asked well-practiced lucid dreamers to undergo some specialized brain scans as an attempt to verify that these individuals could actually attain consciousness while sleeping/ dreaming.
Prior to the lucid dreamers going to sleep, the researchers had their participants perform the basic task of alternating their fist clenching from left to right. They analyzed and documented the regions that these basic exercises elicited on their brain scans and then asked the dreamers to communicate back to them from their beds as soon as soon as they had successfully initiated a lucid dream during sleep. To verify, they were asked to perform the same basic exercise of clenching their fists from left to right while dreaming. Fascinatingly the dreamers successfully activated the exact same regions of the brain when they clenched from left hand to right during dream sleep as they did while awake.
Anyway, moving on…
So, how do I have lucid dreams?
There are all kinds of methods that people use in order to have lucid dreams but I’ve found that certain techniques circulating on the Internet are honestly a waste of time… yet other techniques offer much quicker and better results. Everyone sleeps/ dreams a bit differently but there are a few strategies that are universally more effective than others.
From what I’ve observed and experienced, the quickest results tend to come from lucid dreaming supplements, so I’m going to focus more on that topic than the other techniques in this particular entry, but just keep in mind that other techniques may be helpful to practice collectively in order to achieve optimal results.
Anyway, here are a few tips I’d like to share as someone who has been actively lucid dreaming for over 10 years now. These are the techniques that have worked best for me as well as for the community of lucid dreamers I’ve been able to engage with over the last several years. First I share a bit about dream journaling and then I explain a bit about lucid dreaming supplements and something called Dream Leaf in particular.
Dream Journaling for lucid dreams
This is by far one of the most important things you need to do if you are seeking success with lucid dream induction, and the reason why is because it thins the line between your conscious awareness and your dreams. Just by engaging with your dreams, you become more familiar with the territory of the dreamscape and increase your likelihood to achieve lucidity. What’s most important is that you engage deeply with your dreams. Sometimes just thinking about your dreams more can promote lucid dreaming experiences, as simple as that might sound. I cannot even count how many times I’ve introduced people to the idea of lucid dreaming and then had them tell me days later how they just happened to have their first lucid dream.
But, I also think dream journaling is really important because it can be so valuable to go back and read about the dreams you have had in the past. You’d be surprised how quickly the memories of your dreams can escape your mind… so writing them down is vital if you want to keep those experiences in your conscious memory. Trust me on this. I’ve lost access to some very special dreams that I never thought I’d let slip from my mind. It’s always worth the effort to record your dreams.
(*Side note about dream journaling)
I personally have found that many of my dreams become more meaningful to me as I read them years later. In a very odd and unusual way, dreams tend to offer you intuitive messages that often stem from what’s going on internally. As I’ve developed more familiarity with the way my dreams speak to me personally, I’ve honestly found it amazing how accurately my dreaming intuition has been with respect to important topics in my own life.
Just remember that dreams do not speak with the same language as we are used to using in waking life. They do not express themselves directly. They are metaphorical expressions of what’s going on internally. In order to gather meaning, read back on your dreams like a piece of fiction… fiction with a subtext, and an underlying narrative that the author (your subconscious mind) is trying to bring to your conscious attention. Look at the themes, identify the symbols and pull out their meaning to you personally.
Oh, and please throw away your dream dictionaries… I’m a big believer that meaning in dreams is entirely subjective to each dreamer. A fish to you probably doesn’t mean the same thing as it does to me. Yes, from time to time, there are some archetype symbols that may appear in dreams but it is better to practice looking at each aspect of your dream as the author rather than allowing some external influence to tell you what a certain symbol means to you.
The Dream Atlas is a great resource for engaging more deeply with your dreams. It successfully funded on Kickstarter last year and helps dreamers journal their dreams as well as analyze and interpret them. If you're interested. Check it out.
Lucid dreaming supplements
Even many of the more advanced lucid dreamers don’t know about this but there are actually quite a few natural supplements that can help you have lucid dreams… and quickly. For many people, the supplement approach can cause lucid experiences within 24 – 48 hours. This is often but not always the case. Supplements will open the door to lucidity, but you still need to turn the knob and walk in if that makes sense.
It’s important to realize that the neuro-environment within your brain needs to be ideal in order to lucid dream. Putting the wrong things in your body can greatly disrupt your lucid dreaming ability (sorry cannabis/ alcohol users, but YES – marijuana and alcohol do not mesh well with the practice of lucid dreaming). But on the other hand, putting the right things in your body AT THE RIGHT TIME especially can greatly increase your likelihood of success.
Dream Leaf
Dream Leaf is a blend of dietary supplements that helps awaken conscious thought processes during dream sleep. This supplement promotes lucid dreaming both directly and indirectly and comes in two parts for this very reason. There is a blue pill and a red pill, each contain totally different ingredients, and have entirely separate functions in the brain for lucid dream induction. But when combined together and used properly, Dream Leaf can take your dreams to an entirely new level.
Some of my very favorite lucid dreams have occurred while using Dream Leaf. I find that it provides an extra layer of control within my lucid dreams, where I’m able to get a lot more creative and manipulate the dreamscape in ways that might typically wake me up.
A few other firsthand experiences with the Dream Leaf effect
Below are legitimate reviews from other users of Dream Leaf, many of which were successfully able to experience their first lucid dream ever. More reviews can be found on Amazon here. Other's can be found on the Dream Leaf product page as well.
Robert
"During the nights that I've taken Dream Leaf, I've found that my dreams become weirdly realistic. I've had 4 - 5 flying dreams that were totally self-induced and completely lucid."
Caitlin
"I’ve tried Dream Leaf about 10 times now and have honestly had surprising results... several lucid dreams, which are very rare for me to experience."
Juan
"The lucid dreams I've had with Dream Leaf have been amazing ... I have total control, just desire and the world turns ... I've flown, visited many places, created islands of fantasy… piloted a plane, and this with my first bottle."
J Miller
"I bought a bottle about 6 months ago and never tried it until last night. I followed the instructions on the bottle, took the blue pill at 11 and the red pill at 3. I honestly didn't think it'd work the first time because lucidity is quite rare for me, plus who knows if this stuff is really good at doing what it says anyway. I was prepared to be disappointed. but I wasn't (disappointed, that is)."
"I became aware that I was dreaming at around 5 am. I know this because after a few moments of taking in the realization that I was aware in my dream I awoke as I always do when achieving lucidity. However, I was able to stay longer than I have in years. I'll definitely be trying this again, probably every weekend. Definitely worth giving a bottle a try."
How the blue pill works
The blue pill functions kind of like a bow and arrow. It’s like pulling the arrow back, and by creating tension it propels your dreams toward to your target – lucidity.
The blue pill contains ingredients that fuel deep sleep for the first 4 hours of the night and simultaneously inhibits your REM sleep. And although our deep sleep has little to do with lucid dreaming (because lucid dreams tend to take place during REM) promoting lengthened deep sleep early in the night causes your body to accelerate its REM cycle in order to balance out the REM to deep sleep ratio during the morning hours, which is when lucid dreaming is most likely to occur. Doing this tends to make your dreams vivid and realistic, often adding a heightened level of conscious awareness in your dreams and triggering a sense of lucidity.
How the red pill works
The red pill functions more like a rocket, fueled by the neurotransmitters involved in your conscious thought processes. By increasing the level of certain neurotransmitters, you can greatly increase your success with lucid dreaming. This pill also promotes an accelerated REM cycle to piggyback on the effects of the blue pill.
It's important to note that one of the most significant roles for lucid dreaming supplementation is to increase your acetylcholine levels while you dream. And the reason why is because acetylcholine is what connects your thoughts to your memories of reality. Because as soon as we fall asleep, our ACh levels tend to breakdown rapidly which is what causes us to become unconscious in our dreams.
Higher acetylcholine = the better your chances of having a lucid dream.
Dream Leaf successfully increases your level of the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine in two ways; one is by blocking the enzyme that typically causes ACh to breakdown and the other is by promoting the production of ACh directly.
For more information on this just visit the How it works page.
As I mentioned earlier, some of my most incredible lucid dreaming experiences have occurred while using Dream Leaf. Yet there are a variety of other ways to have lucid dreams. I’ve found that supplements provide you with a quick and easy opportunity to experience lucid dreaming more quickly, and it definitely adds a level of control that enhances the lucid dreaming experience as well. But you may as well experiment on yourself with what techniques work best for you. From what I’ve been able to observe, lucid dreaming supplements and dream journaling are the two most effective ways to have lucid dreams in a short amount of time.
A couple other lucid dreaming techniques:
Below are 2 other lucid dreaming techniques that I personally can endorse as well. Linked to these are a couple of other articles that explain how to use and have success with each:
Oh, and if you want to know what it’s like…
If you haven’t yet had a lucid dream, I hope you’re excited. If your journey ends up being as meaningful as mine has been, you have a lot to look forward to. Below is a little write up I put together on my very first lucid dream just to give you a little taste. I pulled this out of an old dream journal of mine and did my best to describe this particular dream as accurately as possible.
]]>As far as I can remember, I was the first kid I knew to be diagnosed with ADHD. This was back in the 90’s before it became commonplace. At that time Adderall was, for most people, unheard of. It has since become one of the most abused drugs on the market and although I stopped taking it years ago, I wanted to share my personal experience with it and offer a few suggestions for natural supplementation.
When I first starting taking Adderall, I immediately noticed that it made it much easier to function in a class setting. I felt very dialed in - like I could sit down and read the Bible cover to cover in one sitting. For a rambunctious 8th grader, it was a godsend. Except for one thing. I hated it.
The problem is that I liked being the way I was and I felt like my medication was make me a little less me. Actually, it made me a lot less me. It was a trade off though, because I definitely performed better in school.
After some time, I decided to stop taking Adderall. This was a unilateral decision. I didn’t even tell my parents. I would just pretend to take my pill every morning before school and then throw it into the bushes on my way to the bus stop. I probably threw thousands of my parents’ dollars worth of medicine into those bushes over the years. What’s funny is, looking back, I’m sure they would have been fine with me not taking it if I told them I didn’t like it. I probably should have handled that differently.
Now, as an adult, I have learned to deal with ADHD in a different way. I still don’t like to take Adderall, even though there are clear benefits to taking it. I’ve found natural dietary supplements, like Fox Thoughts, that help me to focus without some of the negative side effects that come along with ADHD medications.
I’ve also found that a lot of people are taking Adderall now. A lot. And many of those people don't even really have ADHD. They just want to be able to study longer. Some people use them to cram for tests while others use them just to get work done. And sources say that as many as 20-30 percent of all college students are currently using Adderall.
Do you want to hear something funny about using Adderall to study for a test? It doesn’t work. That’s right, it doesn’t work. People who use it to study for a test don’t actually perform better on the test than those who don’t. But, when asked how they think they did, those who took Adderall feel more confident about their results than those who didn’t, even though their results aren’t any different.
As a kid, I stopped taking Adderall because it made me feel less like myself and more like a robot. I honestly wasn’t interested in the actual documented side effects at that point because I was invincible back then. But the negative effects are just too pronounced to ignore. Things like headaches, trouble sleeping, loss of interest in sex, and diarrhea can occur, just to name a few of the funnier ones. Some of the more serious side effects include seizures, hallucinations or delusions, uncontrollable behavior, uncontrolled movements or sounds, and swelling of the face, among others.
Those things sound scary - and I’ve experienced a few of them myself - but the scariest part for me are the long term side effects. There is evidence that long term Adderall use may damage short term memory and lead to chronic depression, hostility, paranoia, premature aging, and chronic sleeping problems. Actually, the full list of long and short term side effects almost looks like a joke with how long it is and how horrible some of the line items are.
Side effects of Adderall include:
source: http://www.rxlist.com/adderall-side-effects-drug-...
One study found that 8 out of 10 students think that Adderall was either completely safe or had a very low risk. In reality, it is a Schedule II drug, which is in the same category as morphine, oxycodone, and cocaine. It was classified this way because it has a high risk of abuse and it can cause severe psychological and physical dependence. Your doctor might not tell you that part though. I don’t know, maybe he will but mine didn’t. And now I’m a hostile, paranoid jerk with a swollen face. ;)
For those of us who, despite our ADHD, function just fine without medication (or maybe even enjoy the person we are when not on Adderall), there are other great options out there. Healthy eating is a good first step. Supplements like Ginkgo Biloba, Vinpocetine, and L-Tyrosine can be very helpful and healthy options, as well. Or, like I mentioned above, supplements like Fox Thoughts that combine various vitamins, minerals, and herbs that have been show to help with focus and mental stamina.
At this point, I should probably disclose something that is probably obvious to you already - I’m not a doctor. I’m not qualified to give you medical advice of any kind. I’m just an regular adult with ADHD - average height, not really attractive or unattractive, probably a 5 out of 10 on a good hair day, mostly bald, though, so good hair days are less and less common; and I love being the best version of me I can be.
]]>My First OBE Experience:
I had my first OBE a few years ago. I was sleeping on my bed when I suddenly opened my eyes but was completely paralyzed and unable to control my breathing. I was experiencing sleep paralysis - something that I have suffered from since I was 18. If you have not experienced sleep paralysis, consider yourself lucky. It can be terrifying and extremely uncomfortable. But the strange thing about sleep paralysis is that it is by far the most common segue into an OBE.
As I was struggling for breath, and trying desperately to wake myself up, I suddenly sat up. I looked back at the bed and saw myself laying there asleep. The surprise and confusion I felt are hard to describe but I was so relieved at not having to struggle for breath that it took the edge off the fear that I may otherwise have felt. I decided to stand up and see how far from my body I could go. I thought I would go out of my bedroom and find something that was out of place or unusual in another room, take note of it, and then check in the morning to verify that I had actually left my body and was not just in a dream.
As I stood up, I found that leaving the room was not going to be as easy as I first thought. You know that feeling you get when you stand on the edge of a steep drop-off or a tall building? You feel fear of falling mixed with the strange curiosity of what would happen if you just jumped. I felt that same type of feeling. That very unsafe, unstable, but exhilarating feeling - like something horrible might happen if I wasn’t really careful, but I was also very curious and excited.
In the end, I walked a few feet from the bed and then was overcome with a feeling of dread, so I went back, laid down into my body, and immediately woke up.
I was left to wonder whether what I had just experienced was something real, and some part of myself, my spirit or my consciousness, left my physical body and moved around independently, or if this was just a strange dream.
I've since had several of these experiences and they have each left me wondering what truly is happening with the mind, or perhaps the soul. It's also made me wonder at times, what is consciousness? - can my consciousness actually exit my body? - or can this somehow be explained psychologically?
Perspectives on OBE's:
You can find many first-hand accounts from people who have had similar experiences. As you read a few, you may begin to notice some strangely symmetrical themes between accounts, which adds perplexity to the topic. People often begin in paralysis, experience feelings of vibration, for whatever reason, many people report seeing a silver chord that reaches into their back.
People even claim to have proved to themselves that they had really left their body by doing what I had planned on doing - finding something out of place and then going back to check if it was really out of place.
And some people have Out of Body Experiences regularly and say that the feeling of dread (which trust me, can be a feeling of dread) goes away the more accustomed you become to it. I recently met someone who said that he routinely goes to other people’s houses when this happens - pretty creepy. He was actually telling me how he once went to a friend’s house and noticed that he had new carpet. Later he called his friend in the morning and who confirmed that he had, in fact, just replaced his carpet... and it was the exact color described!
While I’ve heard many explanations for why this phenomenon occurs, and many of them are very interesting, at the end of the day, no one really knows for sure what is going on. Everyone that experiences an OBE tries to fit the experience into their current belief system of spirituality, rationality, etc. but the mystery remains.
Out of Body Experiences Vs. Near Death Experiences:
The connection between Out of Body Experiences during sleep and Near Death Experiences (NDE’s) is pretty crazy, too. People leaving their body and seeing themselves from an outside perspective is something that many people who have been on the brink of death or even clinically dead have reported. One key difference between sleep induced OBE’s and Near Death Experiences is that NDE’s are often associated with seeing a tunnel, speaking to deceased relatives and seeing beings of light, whereas OBE’s are typically not.
How to have OBE's:
Extreme fatigue, dehydration, emotional stress, can sometimes promote OBE’s but with practice you can actually experience them intentionally. They can be induced through very similar methods as lucid dreaming. One key difference is that in order to exit your body, you typically have to enter into a state of sleep paralysis first. Once this has been achieved, it's usually just a matter of letting your "spirit" exit your body. Sleep paralysis can be achieved through proper relaxation strategies but there are all kinds of strategies for this. OBE’s can also be initiated through the use of Binaural Beats. Check it out if you haven’t heard of them. It’s pretty cool.
Are OBE's Real?
Whether they are real or not, you have to admit, no matter what your religious beliefs are, the topic is fascinating. Psychology experts would likely believe that this is a purely psychological phenomenon and that nothing is actually occurring outside of the mind while others believe that this experience is as real and literal as waking life. There is no denying that the feeling of an OBE is creepily real.
Lucid dreaming was once in a similar realm of uncertainty, but starting in the 1970’s scientists began researching the subject successfully and ultimately proved that it is a real phenomenon. It will be interesting to see if OBE’s become a topic of research at some point in the future. Perhaps one day we will know what is actually going on and whether OBE's are actually real or just extremely powerful projections from the subconscious mind, but for now we are all left to wonder.
]]>Every moment of life is experienced either consciously or unconsciously. And in a very real way, we can choose to live either with our eyes open or closed. In the book Alice in Wonderland, Alice finds herself confused by a fork in the road that requires her to ask a mysterious Cheshire cat she finds nearby which path she should take. After doing so, the cat asks where she’s going to which she admits that she doesn’t even know. It then says smartly, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road’ll take you there.”
And so it is with life. If you aren’t making conscious decisions regarding the life you want to live and the things you want to accomplish, directions are meaningless because your desires are unconscious to you. The road you take will not matter if you don’t know where you intend to arrive. With this being the case, it truly is vital for our development to consciously determine what we want in life, where we wish to arrive, and what we think is worth our conscious attention.
After all, the person that each of us develops into has everything to do with the behavior we choose to include in the scope of our conscious awareness. For instance, let's say you set a goal to run a marathon but you never confront the difficulty of consciously pushing past the point of being tired. Were this the case, it’s unlikely you would ever achieve a goal as lofty yet realistic as that. But, were you to take the time to learn how to consciously navigate your actions, even a goal like running a marathon suddenly becomes accessible.
And so it is with everything in life. This is why I think it’s important to understand the relationship between the conscious and subconscious mind because every success in life is contingent on the way we enter into a conscious state of mind. The more territory you are able to add in the conscious realm, the more likely you are to navigate the type of life you want.
It’s also important to keep in mind that anything the conscious mind doesn’t steer, the subconscious mind will govern by default. So, by not guiding your conscious attention toward the things that you truly value, those things will enter into the realm of the subconscious mind, which is risky because it’s guided by instincts rather than self-awareness. You want to live a life you want not a life that feels comfortable or one that you unconsciously fall into.
I’ve learned from lucid dreaming as well as a few other passions I’ve practiced in life that the relationship you establish between your conscious and subconscious mind is a powerful one and that the conscious mind can adopt any necessary responsibilities that you want under its control, even in the subconscious territory of dreams. It always takes work to make a subconscious thing conscious but it truly is necessary for anyone seeking success.
So, how do we make a subconscious thing conscious? I believe that three things need to happen in order to do this on any level.
1 - Observe the thing or behavior you want to make conscious:
The simple act of observing is the seed you plant before making an unconscious thing conscious. It is merely the act of opening your eyes that allows this process to begin. In alcoholics anonymous, for instance, addicts, first learn to identify their unconscious actions by admitting that they truly are addicted. And why? Because change is not possible if you do not recognize the fact that a change needs to be made. So observe those changes that you want in your life but be realistic with yourself. Dig deep inside to identify what you honestly are happy with and what you truly need to change in order to be happy. Oftentimes, you’ll be surprised by the transformational changes the simple act of observing can inspire.
2 - Determine the way you want to handle that behavior:
Once you’ve identified the thing you want to change, get idealistic for a minute. Carefully consider what the ideal way of living your life would be. Do you want to travel? Do you want to fall in love? It’s sometimes tempting to lie to ourselves about this kind of stuff because it suggests that work needs to be done and certain changes will need to be made and that can be scary, but just remember, you can’t let your unconscious fears determine your future. Once these realizations have been made, consider the types of actions that are necessary to get you to where you want to be. If you want to run a marathon, start planning how much you need to run each day.
3 - Practice consciously behaving that way:
After reflecting on things for a while, it should become a lot more obvious what you've been doing to keep you in the situation you're in. But once you've become conscious of the type of behavior that will lead you toward your destination, you need to put in in practice. For instance, if you were to realize that you were unhappy with your social life and that a change needed to be made there in order for you to begin developing a healthy circle of friends, you then need to start behaving in a way that is conducive to that type of result. If you want friends, but you’re constantly staying home watching Netflix, sadly, you probably won’t ever achieve the social life you want. Continuing on with this example, if you want friends, reach out to other people, talk to strangers, rekindle past friendships.
As you start behaving consciously, you will slowly start to see that your behavior is creating the reality you want. This is the power of conscious living. The relationship you develop with your subconscious mind truly is one of the most important things to be aware of as you strive to develop as a human being.
You might be wondering what this has to do with lucid dreaming. In a lot of ways, you can look at life through the same lens as you might your dreams. Your dreams are unconsciously driven by default but how much cooler are dreams when we take conscious control of them. I really think it's the same principle in life. You can live a lucid life, or you can live your life unconsciously. It all comes down to the relationship you develop between your conscious and subconscious mind.
]]>At some point in our lives, we’ve all experienced the effects of sleep deprivation. When it happens, you just know it. We feel less quick with our thinking and our words just won’t quite roll off the tongue when we are experiencing the effects of a missed R.E.M. cycle or two.
So, why do our minds’ struggle when we don’t dream?
The answer is simply that dreaming (on a biological level) literally cleanses the brain and helps organisms maintain mental clarity. A special cleansing agent is released called cerebral spinal fluid as soon as we enter into a state of dreaming. And this fluid discards the toxins that the brain has accumulated since your last sleep cycle.
There’s a lot more to the function of dreaming that deserves deeper consideration as far as human health is concerned, such as the role of dreaming in helping us consolidate our memories, restore our emotions, and restore our sex hormones.
For this reason, I’ve done quite a bit of research on this topic and would like to share with you several known habits that optimize the dreaming experience. Here are 5 effective methods to do just that.
1 –Eat Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts:
By eating fruits and vegetables, we keep the brain clean by burning off quality nutrients through out the day. These foods are known to perform much better as fuel for the brain… much better than low quality meats, and processed foods.
Sadly, as delicious as fast food can be, it’s just not good for the dreaming brain and quality dream sleep is often compromised by eating foods that are difficult to break down, not to mention that they are incredibly bad for your body.
Nuts especially come into play because they are clean sources of energy. In fact, they provide the brain with one of its favorite resources for energy production during sleep – healthy fat. Since the dreaming brain is doing some work, it’s good to have a nice amount of potential fuel for the brain to access during the night and fats are perfect for this because they digest slowly and tend to be the main resource that our brains seeks out for energy production during sleep.
Natural supplements can also be a great way to avoid any deficiencies from your diet that might be conflicting with your sleep cycle. Just be sure that the sleep supplement you choose is natural. Prescription medications are not only dangerous but can often lead to life long dependency.
If you’re looking for a high quality sleep supplement, I personally recommend trying the Twilune formula. But truly there are thousands of isolated herbs, and other blends than might be great for you.
Other diet tips for better dreaming:
-Work off your carbs before going to bed
-Don’t eat for the last 3 hours of the night
-Drink lots of water through out the day (water is also a cleansing agent that will help keep your body and mind clean)
2 – Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule:
The subconscious mind (which is responsible for the dreaming function) is constantly seeking to automate patterns in our lives. And this can be a blessing or a curse depending on how you operate. But it’s important to realize that two parts of the mind operate this way to reduce the amount of attention necessary for the conscious mind to process. So, when the subconscious mind is trying to automate a sleep cycle for our wellbeing but we are constantly shifting our sleep schedule from night to night, it becomes highly unlikely that it will be able to predict, with any degree of accuracy, when it is time to sleep. So, in order to combat this, it’s best to train your subconscious mind through conscious habits that introduce a consistent routine.
Other quick tips for a better sleep schedule:
-Go to sleep at roughly the same time every night.
-Consistently go through the same nightly routine before going to sleep
-Spend time outside
3 – Avoid LCD screens at night:
People greatly underestimate the importance of this tip whenever it comes up. So LCD screens mess with your sleep cycle. The reason they are so bad for your brain is because they interfere with the release of sleep hormones before you go to bed. When it starts getting dark, your body will naturally release melatonin and other chemicals into the brain, which cause sleep. So, if you’re ever staring at your phone late at night and begin to wonder why you can’t fall asleep, just remember that your brain is being told (BY YOU) not to shut off. So, put aside your phone for at least a good 30 – 60 minutes before you plan on being asleep.
4 – READ BEFORE BED
This tip is anecdotal but I would swear by its effectiveness. Here’s why. Reading is one of the best ways you can improve your focus and is also a great way to calm your brain from other external stimuli. Similar to the idea that “dog’s are happier when they learn obedience” there is an interesting truth about the relationship we share with our brain. In all actuality, the brain functions better with discipline. It operates better as we focus, and it actually get’s more exhausted when we don’t zone in on more precise mental performances, such as reading, writing, or anything else that requires focus.
Reading as a sleep optimization technique has repeatedly proved its effectiveness to me and many other people. I recommend reading something in page form that is meaningful to you because you’ll have an easier time focusing. As you do this more and more, you’ll find that you have an easier time relaxing right before you go to sleep. But just as importantly, you’ll be structuring your thoughts better and this often helps you accelerate the dreaming function.
Personally, I find that my dreams often involve the content that I’m reading before bed, which can be fun to watch especially if you have any interest in learning more about your dreams and the way they express metaphors from your daily life.
5 – Keep a dream journal
If you have an interesting dream, write it down. As you think about your dreams more, you’ll find more and more ways that they truly do enrich your life. And as you do this, you’ll train your mind to remember your dreams better, which can help you to make subjective decisions about the daily behavior in your personal life that is either increasing or decreasing your dreaming experience. You can then start making personal changes to your routine in order to optimize your R.E.M. sleep on a regular basis.
Keep in mind that while we all share common ground in things that help us to dream, we are each slightly different and require a unique understanding of ourselves in order to truly progress as a dreamer, or even just to get better R.E.M. sleep.
]]>In a lucid dream for instance, you have a unique opportunity to engage with your subconscious mind, which is already a pretty amazing thing to do just by itself. But there truly is an enormous world inside yourself that you have the opportunity to explore. As you specify the things you'd like to dream about, prior to falling asleep - your dreams can often take on a whole new level of amazing and you can often attract meaningful experiences.
Whether you wish to find answers to heartfelt questions, experience something totally new in a dream, or even just have a fun time, your lucid dreams can truly become transformational once you've decide what you'd like your lucid dreaming experiences to be like.
Before falling asleep, try to imagine the possibilities that you wish to explore within the dreamscape and then consciously identify a few activities you'd like to achieve as soon as you become lucid. Sometimes it is even smart to write them down on a notepad or even a dream journal if you have one. Just by identifying certain activities that you'd like to participate in, you can truly make meaningful things happen in your dreams rather than just letting opportunities go to waste.
When you don't establish a dreaming intent prior to falling asleep, your dreams can sometimes feel a little flat, which can be a huge bummer for anyone who looks forward to positive dreaming experiences.
Just remember that your conscious mind does in fact communicate with subconscious mind on some level when it comes to your dreams. Perhaps tonight before you fall asleep, you can give it a try and see if your intent has any impact on the dreams you end up having.
]]>Wow...So now what?
On the basic level, all you need to do is begin by writing down your dreams in as much detail as you can remember as soon as you wake up. Simple enough. This in itself is tremendously beneficial for getting you tuned in to the intuitive power of your dreaming mind.
However, if you're interested in diving deeper into that mysterious dimension, there are plenty of ways to add to your dream journaling practice and get even more out of the experience!
Draw Your Dreams
If your first thought upon reading the heading is "but I can't draw," fear not! The best thing I've ever drawn in my entire life was a cartoon snail back in the 6th grade; beyond that, stick figures are about as good as it gets for me.
But by drawing in your dream journal, whether through detailed sketches or crude cave drawings like mine, you can really unlock the visual memory of your dreams that a verbal description might not be capable of. And since dreams are primarily visual anyway, recording the visual impressions of a dream can add an important layer to your description and help to create a more complete record that you can return to. You might even notice something in your drawing that you didn't consciously notice in the dream!
After your next dream, try drawing the primary image of the dream. This can be an image that appeared frequently in the dream, the main character or feature, or simply the most vivid and striking image. Dream theorist Ernest Hartmann suggested in his Contemporary Theory of Dreaming that all dreams come down to a singular image that carries the emotional weight or significance of the dream.
If that doesn't quite work for you, try drawing an abstract picture of the energy or feeling of the dream or even just the physical place(s) where the dream took place. And if you're super ambitious, go for all three!
Interpret them
Dream interpretation has been a popular topic for centuries, and can often be the most fun part of dreaming. After you write and/or draw out your dreaming experience, take a few minutes to think about what the dream might mean to you.
Identify Symbols
This is where dream symbols become useful to identify. By jotting down a few of the primary symbols (objects, people, places... so, nouns, basically) you can find specific meaning/ origins of your dream that often have interesting correlations to your life, even if just on an emotional level. There are also plenty of dream symbol dictionaries on the Internet that can sometime help. You might be surprised how meaningful a strange or seemingly nonsensical dream can turn out to be.
Change Your Routine
Dream journaling is a practice like any other and requires self-discipline and time. Build it into your night and morning routines - spend a few minutes before you go to sleep setting an intention for your dreams each night, and then set your alarm ten or fifteen minutes early and dedicate the very first part of your day to journaling.
Your lifestyle during the day can also be altered slightly to enhance your dreaming; check out our article "5 Foods that Can Cause Dreaming and Improve REM Sleep".
For Lucid Dreaming
Dream journaling is generally accepted as one of the most important and time-tested techniques for lucid dream induction! And just FYI, in case you don't know what a lucid dream is - this is a dream in which you know that you are dreaming. These dreams are often sought after because you can take control of the dream and experience truly amazing things through the tremendous power of your imagination.
Through dream journaling, you can keep track of your progress through specific dreams, the degree of lucidity you experienced in each successive dream, and record your ideas for future dreaming actities you'd like to try. Perhaps you'd like to visit the moon! In fact, I better write that one down.
Really though, before your next lucid dream, try writing out a set of goals. The next morning, revisit that list and make a note of which goals you accomplished, which ones you didn't, and any new ideas or goals for the next dream.
Don't Overthink It!
While many dreams can be full of meaning and ripe for interpretation, everyone has super weird dreams that seem to mean absolutely nothing. However, in retrospect, you can often untangle amazing information from your dreams as you journey further from them through time. For this reason, it's useful to write down as many dreams as you can. Just don't worry if you can't figure one out right away! Our brains are complex and mysterious, and to be totally honestly, sometimes I dream things like that I'm bowling with George Washington and I truly don't think it has any significance to my life whatsoever. (He totally cheated, for the record.)
Ultimately, giving your dreams this kind of detailed attention will train your brain to have more vivid and detailed dreams, to recall them for longer periods of time, and to have even more active and involved lucid dreaming experiences. As you continue you explore your dreams more and more, I can promise you that you will soon be amazed by the incredible intuition of your subconscious mind, and will find all kinds of interesting applications to your daily life that come directly from dreams, which truly can change your life.
So dive in!
Oh, and this just in... The Dream Atlas just barely launched on Kickstarter and is off to a great start! This is the perfect tool for anyone who is seeking to engage with their dreams more deeply. Check it out! Early bird pricing is going on right now.
]]>Lucid dreaming has a seemingly endless list of benefits attached to it. It can help people who are struggling with emotional pain, end recurring dreams and nightmares, expand consciousness, and so on.
In addition to all of this, regular lucid dreaming practice can also be a useful tool to those in recovery (or moving toward recovery) from addictions.
The process of recovery is an incredibly difficult one and can sometimes seem nearly impossible. The absence of the addiction from day-to-day life can make long-term sobriety (I use “sobriety” as a blanket term here, referring from abstinence from whatever has formed the addiction) a daunting challenge. This is where lucid dreaming comes in.
A Safe Place
The recovery process can cause significant stress and anxiety for those going through it, and there are a lot of negative thoughts and emotions that can occur on an all-too-frequent basis. People in recovery often fear relapse and become anxious about facing relapse triggers, they find difficulty facing their new life without their addiction, they worry about the thoughts and opinions of friends and loved ones, and myriad other concerns specific to each individual.
Lucid dreaming provides a space for them to face all those thoughts and fears in a private and protected manner. Dreamers can have open conversations with those friends and loved ones, practice facing their various relapse triggers and learn how to respond to them in a healthy way, and start building a new life outside of their addiction.
As most of us know, the hours we spend in bed at night can be some of the most mentally and emotionally treacherous hours of our day. Lying in the dark with no busy work to provide distraction can easily lead to those sinister, self-defeating thoughts that we spend the daytime hours pushing away. Since those thoughts can be especially dangerous to those in recovery, using the night time to lucid dream instead is potentially a tremendous help.
Possible Dangers
As helpful as lucid dreaming can be to recovering addicts, there are a couple of risks that should be taken into account before beginning the practice.
Just as lucid dreams can provide a safe space to face the anxieties and fears that come with the recovery process, it can also become a relapse trigger in and of itself. If, in a lucid state, you are presented with a trigger and do not respond to it in a healthy way, that can be highly discouraging and make that trigger more difficult to face in waking life.
Because the lucid state is a safe space, a recovering addict may be tempted to indulge in their addiction in a lucid dream because it feels risk-free. The mind is a powerful thing, however, and a relapse in a dream state is likely to translate into an actual relapse.
Dream On (Wisely!)
What this all comes down to is self-awareness. While lucid dreaming can be fun and exciting, it is something that should be taken seriously and only practiced if the dreamer feels that he/she is prepared for it. If you are in recovery from an addiction, consider whether or not you are ready to face your fears, anxieties, and triggers. If you are, lucid dreaming could be a transformative tool for you. If not, you can just as easily wait until you are in a more stable place and feel comfortable trying it out.
If you do discover something less than positive in a lucid state (e.g. a bad reaction to a trigger or a fear that you weren’t ready for), take it for what it is. Dream journaling can be a useful tool here – have your dream journal at the ready in the morning and record what you experienced in your dream. If it was troubling or disturbing in any way, think about what you can learn from that experience and how it might help you face similar things in your waking life. At the very least, you can always reassure yourself that “it was only a dream.”
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