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Lucid Dreams and Nightmares
I read an article recently suggesting that lucid dreaming can help someone suffering from nightmares cope. Is there anything you can do to encourage lucid dreaming in yourself? I had a nightmare about a week ago in which I realized what was happening couldn't be happening, and then the dream took a sudden turn for the better. Does that sound like a lucid dream?
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I am a lucid dreamer. I've never read a book about lucid dreaming... But I can tell you what I've learned from experience.
When I was a child... Before lucid dreaming... Whenever I had a nightmare I was always, always running. Running away from whatever villian my subconcious had created... Either toward the door or toward the car. I would wake while I was either trying to unlock the car door, or right before I managed run out of my house.
Then... When I was a teenager... I was having a nightmare one day, during the afternoon... And I realized that I was asleep. I woke myself somehow. After that... Whenever I had a nightmare, I would just wake myself up.
So... 1.) If you want to lucid dream, try taking a nap or sleeping at an hour when usually you would be awake. I can't promise that it will work for you... But I've noticed that most of my lucid dreaming occurs when I'm well rested but still sleeping. Usually between the hours of 1-3 pm.
Also... I would like to mention that, because I was avoiding my own subconcious... I started to have nightmares on a more frequent basis. The nightmares only decreased when I started to make life changes.
2.) Your subconcious is your friend. Pay attention to what you're trying to tell yourself. Keep a pen and piece of paper by your bed to record your dreams. When you wake up, lay in the bed for a minute and think about the dream. Most people forget their dreams within the first 10 seconds of waking. But if you try to commit it to memory first, you have a better chance at being able to write it down. Then... Analyze. What are you trying to tell yourself?
3.) If you're trying to cope with nightmares... The most effective steps could be taken while you're awake. If you know the issue behind the nightmare and start taking the proper steps toward dealing with that issue... Most likely your nightmares will either become less frequent or stop altogether.
Upon reaching adulthood... One morning I dreamt that a member of my family was in danger. During this dream... I realized that I was asleep but did not attempt to wake myself. Instead... I fought the villian. And the nightmare didn't end until I was victorious. Since then... I very rarely have nightmares anymore.
During the past few years... Lucid dreams have been really, really infrequent. At first... I sort of missed it. Then I realized that the reason I didn't have lucid dreams too often anymore is because I didn't need to.
Lucid dreaming is over-rated, in my opinion. Fun. But over-rated. The reason I say that... Dreams and nightmares serve a purpose. Just as emotions, such as fear and anger. And, just as it's important for us to pay attention to our emotions, I think it's important for us to pay attention to our dreams. Including the bad ones. And sometimes... When we try to control something, we end up ingnoring it completely...
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Hey there.
The answer below is good. I just wanted to add a few things since this is something that used to interest me in the past.
When I was a kid I would lucid dream all the time. It was almost more normal for me than normal dreaming (at least the dreams I remembered). Then suddenly it stopped. I think I was in my teens. Some years back I began looking into how I might get it back.
Anyway, apart from the things mentioned below there are a few other techniques:
- You can develop reality checks which you perform throughout the day. It can be anything that usually manifests itself differently while dreaming. Flicking a light switch, waving your hand in front of your face, pinching yourself, etc. But you have to program yourself to do this regularly throughout the day for the purpose of determining if you are dreaming (even though you know full well you are awake). The idea is that you will remember to do it while dreaming and suddenly realise whats going on.
- You can also set your alarm clock to wake you up every few hours. Then you stay awake trying to focus on having a lucid dream and then go back to sleep.
Ok, I was going to add some more, then I realised that there must be something on this online written better than what I can reproduce off memory...
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
The wiki article is very comprehensive, just scroll down to induction methods.
Oh one thing though. As far as I remember many people say that it can help with nightmares. However, for me it didn't always work that way. When I was a kid and I realised I was dreaming, I would often start imagining bad things and they would start happening. Not always, but I definitely induced a few nightmares in my time...
Anyway, hope it helps you.
Good luck.
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it possibly sounds like it.
i'm taking psychology this year and the steps i learned to catch or lucid dream are:
1. remind yourself throughout the day that you're going to catc/lucid dream.
2. remind yourself again before you go to bed
3. keep a pen/paper beside you and when you wake up write down your dream.
just keep doing this and soon enough you'll be able to control your dreams pretty much all of the time, it worked on me :)
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