Lucid dreams: what they are and how to have them

If you would like to experience "Inception," Christopher Nolan's hugely popular film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, find out what lucid dreams are and how to try to have one.

In a lucid dream, the dreamer realizes that he or she is dreaming. We all think that dreams are uncontrollable and that one cannot decide on command what to dream and when. However, there are dreams that are called "lucid dreams." But what are they?

Lucid dreams: what are they?

Let's start from the beginning: what are dreams. Dreams are images, thoughts, sounds and sensations that we experience the moment we fall asleep. Dreams may include people we know or strangers, places that are familiar to us or completely unknown but that represent the background to the events of the dream. In some cases, dreams may include our deepest fears or reveal unconscious situations we haven’t realized yet.

For Sigmund Freud, dreams are a window into our deepest unconscious. Precisely because of their predominantly unconscious component, for a long time it was thought that "governing" a dream might be impossible. But this is not so, as it is possible to dream lucidly. To have a lucid dream is to enter a fantasy world in which you are able to have awareness of what is happening. 

During lucid dreams it is also possible to maneuver space and objects around the dreamer, defying all laws of physics and simply relying on one's imagination.

The dream world is almost unknown and is an area of psychology and medicine that is constantly being updated. Not much is yet known about the processes that operate as we enter the dream world. We know that all people dream but that only some can remember the dreams they have when they wake up.The same thing happens in the case of lucid dreams.We can all have lucid dreams but only some can realize that they are dreaming and move into the dream with awareness.

How to have a lucid dream?

So, it is possible to have a lucid dream. But how?

There is no recipe or formula for everyone to follow in order to have lucid dreams. One can however, create a mental status that succeeds in predisposing the dreamer to lucid dreaming.

The guide to having lucid dreams

Of course, as we have already anticipated, there is no precise guide to succeed in lucid dreams. One can only be in the best psychological condition to have peaceful dreams.

1.Go to bed early: our body needs at least 8 hours of sleep to recover all the energy spent during the day. Having a good sleep-wake rhythm will help your body to avoid experiencing stressful situations that could give you scary nightmares during the night.Fundamental to resting well is having the right mattress and pillow that fits your body.

2.Drink a relaxing herbal tea: preparing our bodies for relaxation is the first step to sleeping well (and dreaming well).Green light, then, to a relaxing herbal tea before bed! 
Choose the one you prefer: the best ones to get a good night's sleep are chamomile or passion flower based.

3. Avoid stress: try to avoid, as much as possible, stressful situations during the day. If this is not possible, look for a way that can distract you from worries right before bedtime. Releasing stress and relaxing will help you have good dreams during the night. To send your worries away you can read a good book, watch an episode of a TV series, or practice some Yoga asanas. Relaxation in this way is assured.

4. Prepare yourself psychologically: this point may seem very strange, but it should not be underestimated. If you want to succeed in being the protagonist of dreams, it is very important to prepare yourself psychologically for the practice of lucid dreaming. It will be enough to repeat "I want to remember dreams" or " I want to do what I desire during the dream."In this way, you will accustom your brain to having "awake" receptors even while you are sleeping, thus being able to remember the content of dreams and maybe even decide on their content.The important thing is to be patient.Indeed, it takes time to be able to accustom the brain to lucid dreams.

5. Use essential oils on the pillow: the sense of smell can play an important role in creating lucid dreams.It can also help us remember dreams and have good dreams by warding off nightmares.The best essential oil for being able to have peaceful dreams is rose oil.

6 .Jot down your dreams when you wake up: the first thing you should do as soon as you wake up is to jot down your dreams of the night just ended.This is a very important step, allowing you to remember the dreamed places, people and objects that appeared in your dream.It is also essential to note down dreams in order to memorize the emotions experienced and the exchanges had during sleep.This step is very useful to better interpret dreams during the day, with a clear mind.

7. Doing "reality checks": reality tests or "reality checks" help you realize whether you are in a dream or a waking state.

Often, during dreams, hands are shapeless and do not correspond to real limbs.To reality test, you can begin by becoming aware of certain bodily details during wakefulness, and then hopefully activate the reality check process during the dream as well, making you aware that you are dreaming and allowing you to modify the events of the dream.

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