A lucid dream is usually defined as a dream in which one is aware that one is dreaming. Once a person becomes aware that he or she is dreaming, he or she can do anything imaginable. Uses of lucid dreaming include confronting fears, problem-solving, and having fun. Some people have lucid dreams without any effort, particularly during childhood. For most adults and adolescents, however, some active participation is required in order to experience lucid dreams with any regularity.
Induction Techniques[]
See full article: http://lucid.wikia.com/wiki/Induction_techniques
Several techniques have been developed by the dreaming community. They can belong to two different categories: the wake initiated and the dream initiated. Finally, there are the aid techniques, which are combined with others for best results.
Wake Initiated[]
These techniques will lead to a lucid dream directly from the waking state. They mostly consists of staying conscious until the dream starts. They are harder to master, but worth it, as you can then induce a lucid dream at will.
The most known techniques on this section are:
- Wake Initiated Lucid Dream (WILD)
- Visually Incubated Lucid Dream (VILD)
- Senses Initiated Lucid Dream (SSILD)
- Finger Induced Lucid Dream (FILD, also known as Hargart's Induction of Lucid Dreams or HILD)
- Hypnagogic Imagery Technique (HIT)
- Dream chaining (also known as Dream Exit Initiated Lucid Dream, or DEILD)
Dream Initiated[]
These techniques are only applicable for becoming lucid when you are already dreaming. They mostly consists of recognising the dream state by questioning reality.
The most known techniques on this section are:
- Dream Initiated Lucid Dream (DILD)
- Light Initiated Lucid Dream (LILD)
- Lucid Induced Lucid Dream (also abbreviated to LILD)
Spontaneous lucidity also falls under this category.
Aid techniques[]
These techniques do not belong to any particular section, and work only as an "aid" for other techniques. they can be combined with other techniques for better results, or just performed alone.
The most known techniques on this section are:
- Hypnosis Induced Lucid Dream (HILD)
- Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD)
- Wake Back To Bed technique (WBTB)
Lucid dreams in popular culture[]
There are few movies, television shows, and documentaries that involve lucid dreaming. A few movies that have lucid dream-like content are: The Matrix, Inception, Mirror Mask, What dream may come, and Waking Life. Out of those movies, only Waking Life uses the words lucid dreaming (although reality checks are featured in Inception). The only documentary on lucid dreaming is called Explorers of the Lucid Dream World [http://luciddreamexplorers.com]. Despite that lucid dreaming is a profound state of consciousness, and is a metaphor for enlightenment, it does not hold much of a presence in popular culture.