Lisa Tran

UWRT 1102
Professor Morgan
April 2015
Lucid Dreams:
Why and How to Lucid dream?
What would your dreams be about if you had the ability to control them? Lucid
dreaming is when you are aware that you are dreaming. When lucid dreaming it is
possible to have control of your dreams, meaning you get to choose what happens and
where. It plays a significant part in our lives, we dream every time we sleep. Dreaming is
like watching a movie of you with having no control of what is happening. What if I tell
you there is a way to become the director of your dreams and help yourself at the same
time?
Frederik van Eeden, a Dutch scientist, came up with the term lucid dreams, lucid
meaning clarity. Lucid dreaming has been practiced for thousands of years. The Ancient
Egyptians were the first to record their lucid dreams more than 5,000 years ago. Lucid
dreams are realistic and vivid. When lucid dreaming you are able to alter the course of
your dreams and have some sort of control of your dream. Lucid dreamers can set up the
plot of their dreams, even before they go to sleep. Just like reading and writing, lucid
dreaming is a skill that anyone can learn to do, all you need is practice.
Lucid dreams (LDs) are believe to occur during the final phase of the sleep cycle,
rapid eye movement sleep, also known as REM. REM sleep is closely related to dreams
and wakefulness. During REM your eyes are not paralyzed, unlike the rest of your body.
Your eyes move from left to right when in REM sleep, just as they do in real life (Wen).
During lucidity, parts of our brain works together more intensely than in any other dream
phases. The frontal lobe and regions of the cerebral cortex plays a major role in lucid

dreaming. Recent studies shows that the brain's activity during lucid dreaming is similar
to the waking consciousness (Voss).
The essentials aspects to learning lucid dreaming are motivation and effort. It does
not happen right away. Most of the time lucid dreaming is a spontaneous event for most
people, some have an innate talent for achieving lucidity. The ability to remember your
dreams is a key factor to success for lucid dreaming. It increases your chance of being
able to lucid dream (Lucidity institute). Being able to recall your dreams helps you
become familiar with features and patterns of your dreams, and being able to do that it
makes you aware that you are dreaming.
There are various ways and techniques for lucid dreaming. The two most common
strategies are recording your dreams and reality testing. Many people spend weeks
recording their dreams in a dream journal. The trick is having your journal right next to
your bed so that as soon as you wake up, you can write down your dream so you will not
forget it. By keeping a journal it assists in helping you remember your dreams and
recognize dream signs or the weird things (Harrar). It also helps identify themes of
your dreams.
Reality testing is constantly asking yourself whether you are awake or dreaming.
Eventually, you will ask if you are awake or dreaming in your sleep. There are many
ways to check if you are dreaming, such as becoming aware of your dream signs.
Checking the time is a common reality check because clocks and watches are often
inaccurate or impossible for you to read. If you are able to read the time, look away and
look back, if something changed, it would indicate you are dreaming, Other ways people
check whether or not they are dreaming are checking for their wedding rings and

counting their fingers. (Wen) Everyone has his or her own indications; it depends on the
individual.
The speed of learning how to LD depends on many individual factors. Some
people acquire the skill faster than others. There are various ways to help or assist you in
achieving lucidity, such as napping and mobile applications. Stephen LaBerge, a leader in
the scientific study of lucid dreaming noticed that lucidity came easier during afternoon
naps. A study showed that those who practiced the nap technique increased the chance of
having a LD 15 to 20 percent than those who did not practice any technique (Lucidity
Institute). Another way to help you LD is mobile applications, now there are multiple
apps on your smartphone to help you track and aid in lucid dreaming. One app called
Dreamz is specifically designed for lucid dreaming. It tracks your movement to
determine your sleep cycle and plays and audio cue to serve as a dream sign.
Why should you Lucid dream? Many People said that their first lucid dream was
the most wonderful experience of their lives. When dreaming you have endless
possibilities and are not restricted by anything. During lucidity you are aware that you
have freedom to do whatever you please and there will not be any consequences for your
actions.
The most common reason why most people LD is for adventure and fantasy. You
are able to dream of anything you want such as meeting celebrities, doing something you
have always wanted to do or having superpowers, the possibilities are endless. Did you
know that the two most common LDs are flying and sex? Surprising? It shouldnt be
considering human nature.
Everyone should experience lucid dreaming at least once in his or her lifetime.
Most LDs are positive, rewarding experiences and are not dangerous. During lucidity,

nightmares can turn fear into a conscious courage. By being aware that you are dreaming,
it can help you feel better since you are aware that it is not really happening. LDs are not
dangerous in any way and you cannot become addicted to dreaming because we have
limited REM sleep.
Until recently most scientist thought of lucid dreaming as a curiosity or a way to
fulfill ones fantasies. However, recent studies showed that there are practical uses for
LDs. It can be used as a form of therapy for chronic nightmares sufferers and post
traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD.
Have nightmares? During lucidity you are able to have some control of your
dreams. Chronic nightmare sufferers often find that LD treatment is the only source of
relief. Being aware that they are having a nightmare gives them a sense of relief because
they are aware they are dreaming and are able to have some control of their nightmares. A
study in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics in October 2006 found that those who
acquired the skill to increase their frequency of lucid dreams reported fewer nightmares
afterward (Voss). Scientist believes that being aware that you are dreaming, allow you to
distance yourself emotionally from the dream's content.
Its estimated that approximately 8 percent of adults suffer from nightmares
(Wen). Lucid dreaming may also treat other various problems that are connected to
nightmares such as depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder. Nightmare is a
common symptom for these problems. LDs are currently gaining grounds for the
treatment of PTSD.
There are numerous types of treatment for PTSD such as yoga, acupuncture, and
even prescribed medical marijuana. Lucid dreaming is a unique method that is recently
gaining popularity. PTSD treated by LDs involves sourcing associated nightmares, and

facing them in a couple of different ways. By approaching your problem while you dream
it furthers your comprehension of yourself and sources deeply embedded problems that
can be otherwise unexplainable. Others take a milder approach with dream therapy and
believe that letting nightmares naturally surface and alleviate themselves is more
appropriate. (Parmer) Even though lucid dreaming is a complex treatment and it takes
time for someone to learn it, it is still a promising treatment.
There is still much more to learn about lucid dreaming. LDs potential for
therapy, problem solving or pure entertainment could be limitless (Voss).
Experience lucid dreaming. Become the director of your dreams and take control
of your nightmares.

Work Cited
Harrar, Sari. "Lucid Dreaming for Beginners." Preventiom 55.7 (2003). Print.
LaBerge, S. & Levitan, L. (2015). Lucid Dreaming FAQ. Version 3, January 2015
Parmer, Robert. "The Mind Unleashed." The Mind Unleashed. 1 Mar. 2015. Web. 1 Apr.
2015
Voss, Ursula. "Unlocking the Lucid Dream." Scientific American Mind 22.5 (2011): 33
35. Print.
Wen, Tiffanie. "The Ways to Control Dreaming." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company,
10 Apr. 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2015