Lucid dreaming is sort of like dreaming in a conscious state. You know that you are dreaming when you have a lucid dream. Sometimes when a person is having a lucid dream he finds that he can control the environment and the people and that he can perform feats that would otherwise be impossible. People who have lucid dreams describe the dreams as being incredibly vivid and real.
Lucid dreaming can begin in two different ways. The first way is with a dream-initiated lucid dream, or DILD. The dream starts out as a normal dream and at some point in the dream; the dreamer realizes that he is dreaming. The second way is the wake-initiated lucid dream, or WILD. This is when the dreamer goes directly from being awake immediately into a dream state without any lapses in consciousness.
Much scientific research has been done on lucid dreaming and it is well known that lucid dreaming is, in fact, a state of consciousness. Allan Hobson is one such scientist and he took a neurophysiologic approach to the research of dreams. He has done a great deal to help people understand lucid dreaming in a factual way and not in a speculative way. Another notable scientist who studied lucid dreams was Celia Green. She analyzed the major characteristics of lucid dreams and was the person who realized that lucid dreams are very different from “regular” dreams. She is also the first scientist to link lucid dreams to false awakenings. She also linked lucid dreams to REM sleep. Keith Hearne was the first scientist to produce evidence that eye movement was a signal of lucidity and recorded the movements on a polysomnograph. Now the study of lucid dreaming is well enough respected that there is even a center of study for it: The Lucidity Institute.
Most people have experienced lucid dreaming at some point in their lives, and most people remember these experiences as happening during childhood. Evidence shows that children are better able to dream lucidly than adults. Many people perceive the ability to achieve lucid dreams regularly as a skill. This skill is not common and can be very difficult to cultivate.
While almost all of the research on lucid dreaming has been done well within the last fifty years, lucid dreaming itself has a vast and colorful cultural history. The earliest example of lucid dreaming is recorded in a letter written by St. Augustine of Hippo in the fifth century. Tibetan Buddhists started practicing a form of yoga which was supposed to invoke lucid dreaming in the eighth century. Sir Thomas Browne, recorded a lucid dream in the seventeenth century and in 1867 Marquis d'Hervey de Saint-Denys published a book with documentation on more than twenty years of dream research.
Everybody has had the dream in which they realize that they are dreaming. Lucid dreaming is very common and being able to achieve lucid dreams on purpose is considered by many to be a feat of immeasurable skill.
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.
