What are lucid dreams? Lucid dreams are dreams in which you realize that you are, in fact, dreaming. Many people relish lucid dreams because they both enjoy the sense of control they have over their dream world and they like being able to analyze the situations and symbols of their dreams from a mostly lucid state. If you are interested in dream symbolism, here is a lucid dreaming guide to help you decipher the situations and symbols you might encounter in your dream world.
How Do You Know You Are Dreaming?
In dreams, it is common for switches and buttons to malfunction. One way to figure out if you are dreaming is to try out the light switches in the room you are standing in. If they do not work, there is a chance you could be dreaming.
Often, lettering has a way of “swimming.” While you might still be able to read whatever it is you are reading, the words or letters might be wavering slightly or moving around a little bit—sometimes they appear to be swaying a little bit.
Signs tend to change. If you walk past a street sign, it might say “Broadway” but if you look at the sign a second time, it might say “Maple.” Signs or posters that change for no reason are a good sign that you are dreaming.
Try something physical. A simple jump, but try jumping really high. If you fly up into the air, you are probably dreaming. Being physically capable of things you are not normally physically capable of is a sure sign that you are dreaming.
What are some major dream symbols and situations to look for and what do they mean?
Angels are often guides. If you encounter an angel in your dream, particularly if you are lucid, follow the angel. You might learn something about yourself that you did not know, or—if you are having trouble making a decision, the path might suddenly be made clear to you.
Dying can symbolize a lot of different things and is not always prophetic. Often when you dream of a loved one or someone dying it means that you need a big change in your relationship with that person… the person and the circumstances surrounding the death are very important because those will probably mirror a situation in your waking life that your subconscious is trying to deal with.
Missing items usually signify that your waking life is lacking an important piece of information to help you make a decision. Missing appointments usually symbolize an opportunity you feel you have missed out on or that you might want to do some organizing of your waking life.
The best thing about lucid dreams is that you have the opportunity to pay attention to what is happening and analyze it in accordance with your waking life. This is just a small lucid dreaming guide, but it gives you an idea of what to look for in your future lucid dreams.
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.
