Sign in Subscribe

Lucid Dreaming: My First Steps Into Conscious Dreams

Last updated on 
Lucid Dreaming: My First Steps Into Conscious Dreams
Photo by Johannes Plenio / Unsplash

Have you ever suddenly realized you were dreaming, only to have that magical moment slip away in seconds? That's exactly what happened during my first lucid dream, and it sparked a fascinating journey that I'm excited to share with you today.

What is Lucid Dreaming?

Lucid dreaming is a remarkable phenomenon where you become aware that you're dreaming while still in the dream state. Unlike regular dreams where we passively experience events, lucid dreams offer a unique state of consciousness where we can potentially observe, interact with, and even influence our dream environment (LaBerge & DeGracia, 2000).

The scientific community has extensively studied lucid dreaming, with researchers like Stephen LaBerge from Stanford University conducting groundbreaking studies that confirmed its existence through measurable physical signals from lucid dreamers during sleep studies. During lucid dreams, brain scans show increased activity in the frontal regions associated with self-awareness and executive function, while maintaining the distinct patterns of REM sleep (Voss et al., 2009).

My Brief but Eye-Opening Experience

As a newcomer to lucid dreaming, my experiences have been limited but incredibly intriguing. I've managed to achieve lucidity only twice so far, and both times followed a similar pattern: the moment of realization was incredibly exciting, but that same excitement quickly pulled me out of the dream state.

In my most memorable attempt, I found myself trying to fly (apparently a common first instinct for many lucid dreamers!), but the sheer thrill of knowing I was dreaming caused the dreamscape to dissolve almost immediately. It was like trying to hold onto a handful of sand – the tighter I tried to grasp the experience, the quicker it slipped away.

The Science Behind the Challenge

My experience of waking up due to excitement is actually quite common among beginners. This happens because emotional arousal can disrupt the delicate balance of brain activity needed to maintain the dream state while being conscious within it. Research suggests that experienced lucid dreamers learn to modulate this excitement, allowing them to stay in the dream state longer (Dresler et al., 2012).

Techniques I'm Currently Exploring

  1. Reality Checks
    • Throughout the day, I regularly check whether I'm dreaming by looking at my hands or trying to read text twice (text often changes in dreams)
    • The goal is to make this habit so natural that it carries over into dreams
  2. Dream Journaling
    • I keep a notebook by my bed to record dreams immediately upon waking
    • This practice has already helped improve my dream recall significantly
  3. The Wake Back to Bed Method (WBTB)
    • Setting an alarm for 5 hours after going to sleep
    • Staying awake briefly before returning to sleep
    • This technique takes advantage of our natural REM sleep cycles (Stumbrys et al., 2012)

What Research Says About Success Rates

Studies suggest that with consistent practice, most people can experience their first lucid dream within 3-4 weeks of dedicated practice (Aspy et al., 2017). However, achieving regularity and control takes considerably longer. This gives me hope as I continue my practice, knowing that my initial experiences are just the beginning.

Looking Forward

While I'm still at the beginning of this journey, I'm committed to exploring deeper into the world of lucid dreaming. In future posts, I'll be sharing:

  • My ongoing experiences and breakthroughs
  • Detailed breakdowns of different techniques
  • Scientific research about the benefits of lucid dreaming
  • Common challenges and how to overcome them

Join the Journey

I'd love to hear about your experiences with lucid dreaming. Are you just starting out like me? Have you had any successful lucid dreams? What techniques are you trying? Share your stories in the comments below – we're all learning together!

References

  1. LaBerge, S., & DeGracia, D. J. (2000). Varieties of lucid dreaming experience. In R. G. Kunzendorf & B. Wallace, Individual differences in conscious experience (pp. 269–307). John Benjamins Publishing Company. https://doi.org/10.1075/aicr.20.14lab
  2. Stumbrys, T., Erlacher, D., Schädlich, M., & Schredl, M. (2012). Induction of lucid dreams: A systematic review of evidence. Consciousness and Cognition: An International Journal, 21(3), 1456–1475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2012.07.003
  3. Voss, U., Holzmann, R., Tuin, I., & Hobson, J. A. (2009). Lucid dreaming: a state of consciousness with features of both waking and non-lucid dreaming. Sleep, 32(9), 1191–1200. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/32.9.1191
  4. Dresler, M., Wehrle, R., Spoormaker, V. I., Koch, S. P., Holsboer, F., Steiger, A., Obrig, H., Sämann, P. G., & Czisch, M. (2012). Neural correlates of dream lucidity obtained from contrasting lucid versus non-lucid REM sleep: a combined EEG/fMRI case study. Sleep, 35(7), 1017–1020. https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.1974
  5. Adventure-Heart, D. J., Delfabbro, P., Proeve, M., & Mohr, P. (2017). Reality testing and the mnemonic induction of lucid dreams: Findings from the national Australian lucid dream induction study. Dreaming, 27(3), 206–231. https://doi.org/10.1037/drm0000059