by Jesse Hamric

Created on: October 18, 2009

Many people struggle with lucid dreaming. While it is a very unique and interesting skill to have, many people grow impatient because it seems that lucid dreams are so rare it isn't worth the work. This is not quite true however. Lucid dreams can be easily accomplished and by following some simple steps you can ensure that you increase the frequency of lucid dreams ten fold.

1. Dream Diary

I can not stress enough the importance of a dream diary. When we flow from one dream to the next, our brain is trained to erase the previous memories. In other words, you usually only remember the last dream you had, if even that. It may be that you are having many lucid dreams during the week, but you can not remember them. The best way to overcome this obstacle is to simply create a dream diary. Every morning you should attempt to remember your dreams, even if it means sitting in bed an extra ten minutes and thinking. Some people may find that even after the extra time thinking they still can not recall the dream. If this is the case, a simple idea is to wake up around five hours into your sleep. Often times if you wake up unexpectedly from your sleep, your chances of remembering the dream drastically improve. This is why people often remember a nightmare that they wake up during, in the middle of the night clearly, yet have trouble remembering dreams in the morning.

2. Reality Checks

You may or may not know about a reality check. A reality check is simply a way to test your mind in order to see if your dreaming. I myself have experimented with many different reality checks, and I find that the nose check works the best. To preform this, simply hold your nose shut and attempt to breath. If you are dreaming, you will find you can still breath while holding your nose. The next question you may ask is when are the best times to do this while awake? The best time to preform a reality check is anytime you spot something out of the ordinary. With that said, it can also be beneficial to preform checks even when strange things aren't happening. Eventually if you preform enough, your mind should get into a habit and it will happen while sleeping.

3. Remind Yourself

Another good tip for lucid dreaming is to remind yourself. By this I mean each night before bed, focus on lucid dreaming. Often times, thinking about it right before going to sleep greatly enhances chances of having a lucid dream. Just like people have nightmares more often after a scary movie, the same applies for lucid dreams.

4. Melatonin

I am normally not a fan of using drugs for lucid dreaming, but Melatonin is one thing I would highly suggest. Melatonin is a naturally occurring substance in your body. Many people buy it in vitamin form, as it helps to induce sleep. As a side of Melatonin, it is known to cause vivid dreams. I have also in my personal experience discovered that I am more likely to have a lucid dream after taking melatonin. Melatonin has two great benefits to any lucid dreamer. First of all, vivid dreams are important when dreaming because the chances of loosing lucidity and fading into the dream are lower. Second of all, it actually enhances chances of having a lucid dream in the first place.

In conclusion I assure you that by using the methods listed you will find you have many more lucid dreams. Happy dreaming, and good luck!

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