Becoming lucid while you dream is actually the easy part, oneironauts.
Now were going to learn how to hold on to it and make our nightly adventures last.
Welcome to Week Four of ourLucid Dream Workshop.
For most people, the process goes a little like this:
Critical state test.
Wow, Im dreaming!
This usually happens because novice oneironauts get too excited when they realize theyve finally achieved lucidity.
Dont feel bad if that keeps happening to you.
Its hard not to be excited about it, after all.
Fortunately, getting past that barrier is easy to do as long as youre persistent.
But there are other helpful tricks you’ve got the option to do within your dream as well.
Try these three things in this order:
First, stay calm and look at your hands.
Stay focused on the fact that youre dreaming, but let yourself ease into it.
Dont immediately go flying into the air shouting Im dreaming!
Now, practice some inner speech while in your dream.
Once youve got your mantra going, perform some kinesthetic actions or movements to stimulate the brain.
Something as simple as rubbing your hands together like a dastardly villain is more than enough.
Make your actions subtle.
Practice those steps and you should have an easier time staying asleep and lucid.
If thats not enough, it’s possible for you to also try a technique called dream spinning.
But well go over that in the assignment section.
You should consider active engagement as a key player when trying to maintain lucidity.
More often than not, oneironauts lose their focus and wake up because they werent stimulating their brain enough.
The more you’re able to participate in your dream the better.
It helps to establish intention for the dreambeforeyou go to sleep.
That makes it easy to get right into it as soon as you realize youre dreaming.
If dreaming is like watching a movie, lucid dreaming is like starring in a movie.
you’re gonna wanna act, not gawk.
Losing your lucidity tends to be much easier than maintaining it, so dont fret.
Basically,get bored.
Stop doing whatever cool thing youre doing and let go.
As soon as youre not actively engaged, the dream will fade and youll probably wake up.
Or as Beverly Kedzierski, Ph.D. puts it, go to sleep to wake up.
Last but not least, you’re able to startle yourself awake.
Ive had success with trying to catch something in a dream or yelling out loud.
In the latter case, my real body actually made noise and it woke me up.
Before you try these methods, however, be aware that these techniques arenotideal for escaping nightmares.
Dont worry, though, well go over better ways to conquer your nightmares next week.
Enter dream spinning, which is exactly what it sounds like.
The trick was discovered by Stephen LaBerge, Ph.D., and is now widely used by oneironauts everywhere.
The first thing it’s crucial that you know how it feels when your lucid dreams begin to fade.
This process feels different for everyone, and can only be learned through experience.
This process can be performed repeatedly throughout your REM cycle to maintain your lucid dream state.
Remember, spin to win.
Okay, oneironauts: sleep tight and dream on.
