If you have ever wondered “how can I control my dreams” you have probably spent some time looking into lucid dreaming and everything that it involves. Here is a little secret: there are a lot of people out there who are also wondering “how can I control my dreams?” Dreams fascinate most of us because we don't know what they are. We know that when we dream our brain is active, but that doesn't explain what makes dreams different from a flight of the imagination that we have while we are awake (also known as daydreaming).
If you have been wondering “how can I control my dreams?” you should probably ask yourself why you want to control your dreams at all. Being alert and conscious of the fact that you are dreaming is one thing. Being able to control the actions of your dreams, while certainly possible, is another.
There are many reasons a person would want to control what happens in a dream. Perhaps there is a situation happening in the person's waking life that they are having trouble dealing with. Confronting the situation in a dream is a wonderful way to try different methods of dealing with the situation without having to deal with any sort of aftermath and consequences the way you would in the waking world. Another reason you might be wondering “how can I control my dreams?” is that you have lost someone close to you or you find yourself missing a person you have lost touch with. A dream is a great way to see that person again, to spend time with them and to have a conversation with them. Of course, waking up from that kind of a dream is always a little bit disappointing, but the dream itself can be very therapeutic. Then, of course, if you can control your dreams you have a great way to release your stress and unwind. Dreams are a great place to do all of the things you cannot do while you are awake (like fly). If you can control your dreams you can have some fantastic adventures.
The best way to control your dreams is to learn how to have lucid dreams. Once you have lucid dreams you can move onto a technique of inducing lucid dreaming called Wake Initiation of Lucid Dreams (or WILD). This technique involves consciously entering the dream state and, often, choosing what it is that you want to dream about. When you enter a dream using the WILD technique you have greater control over the actions and the scenery of the dream than you do if you use any of the other techniques.
Understanding why you are asking “how can I control my dreams” is the first step to learning how to control them. Once you understand what why it is that you want to control your dreams, you will better be able to choose the method by which you induce your lucid dreams. Some techniques work better than others, depending on the end result you are hoping for.
Lucid Dreaming Tip #1
Lucid Dreams can be very addictive. Once you realize you are dreaming, especially if you have developed the ability to control the actions taking place in your dreams, you are going to want to have more dreams just like that. There is a lot of information that will tell you how to induce lucid dreams and how to make them a regular part of your sleep cycle.
Lucid Dreaming Tip #2
Nobody is sure exactly how dreams happen. Scientists know that during REM sleep the brain's activity is almost like the activity of a brain of a person who is awake, but nobody is sure why this is or how it happens. Scientists don't know if the brain generates dreams or if the body forces the brain to be active during REM sleep.
Lucid Dreaming Tip #3
Analyzing dreams is one of the most popular areas of psychology. There are lots of resources for people who are trying to figure out the symbolism of their dreams. There are online dream dictionaries and dream encyclopedias for sale at bookstores. Analyzing the individual symbols of a person's dream can help that person deal with areas of their waking life and this is why it is such a popular subject.
