Have you ever realized you are in a dream in the middle of your dream? This is called lucid dreaming, and almost everyone experiences it every once in a while. Lucid dreaming happens randomly, but you can use a few techniques to induce lucid dreaming.
1. Reality Tests
If you are asking how to induce lucid dreaming, reality check is the first answer. You should keep asking yourself whether you are dreaming or not throughout the day and make a habit of it.
2. Get More Sleep
To induce lucid dreaming, you must reach REM sleep. For this, you should work on your sleep hygiene and make sure you get enough sleep. Also, remember not to use alcohol or any other substances that might disturb your sleeping period before you go to bed.
3. Keep a dream journal.
Studies show that people who have greater memory of their dreams have higher lucid dreams. If you are not good with your memory of dreams, you should try to keep a dream journal, so you remember them after you wake up. You can check out Dreambook if you are looking for a digital dream journal. It’s one of the best journaling apps for all of your digital devices.
4. Analyze Your Dreams to See If They Have Any Recurring Themes or Characters
Studies argue that recurring dream characters or themes could be used to trigger lucid dreams (1). So, you should be careful about the details in your dreams to see if there are any recurring themes. For instance, you could tell yourself that if you see that theme or character, you will know you are in a dream and end up creating your lucid dream.
5. Take naps.
How to promote lucid dreaming? Taking a nap is another easy tip. Because naps are lighter than our sleep at night, we could practice lucidity with them. Try to keep your mind awake as you enter REM sleep as you are having a nap.
6. Try to Think Often About Your Previous Dreams
MILD or The Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams technique is a memory technique that’s used to induce lucid dreams. The MILD technique involves creating a prospective memory intention to remember that you are dreaming by repeating “next time I’m dreaming, I will remember I’m dreaming”.
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