Have you ever had a dream where you are aware that you are dreaming? Lucid dreaming is exactly that. Sounds interesting, but it can become someone’s worst fear, especially when you are having a nightmare. This paper will discuss what lucid dreaming is, how this happens to some people, and why it can be so frightening.
What exactly is lucid dreaming? It’s basically when you are dreaming and you become aware of it while you are still sleeping. When you do this, you can “Explore your dreamworld with total clarity. Everything you see, hear, touch, taste, and smell can be authentic as reality; Fulfill any fantasy. Fly over mountains, have dream sex, go base jumping, shapeshifting, [and/or] time traveling; Overcome persona psychological issues; Tap into your inner creativity” (Turner). It truly is an experience worth trying, if not already doing it.
Lucid dreaming can be an interesting way to dream, but what happens when you have a nightmare? Lucid nightmares are when your dreams turn into nightmares and you are aware of this, but not so much in control. “In truth, the unconscious mind plays a very active role in lucid dreaming. And when the unconscious decides to air some anxieties, you have a nightmare” (Turner).
These lucid nightmares can be just as frightening, even more so than regular nightmares, because you are aware of what is going on in real time. However, it’s a good time to face your fears and possibly overcome them. To wake up from a possibly terrifying nightmare, you can shout to yourself “WAKE UP.” But Turner suggests to just let it play out.
How do you start lucid dreaming? “The best technique for becoming lucid is to actually become more aware and look and listen and pay attention to details, because when you see thing that don’t fit, that’s a clue that you’re dreaming” (Brogaard). It seems like it takes a very observant mind to start lucid dreaming. It’s recommended that you start with it during the day, to practice your environment and the details of everything around you. You can also make your chance of lucid dreaming higher by a verbal statement and getting enough sleep (Lite).
How does this happen though? You can become a lucid dreamer, but how do some people already know how to do it so young? It’s possible that they were just born with the ability to do this. However, it’s more of a possibility that they were very observant as a young child and were very imaginative with their dreams, that suddenly they became aware of them.
It’s an exciting and interesting topic. Ludic dreaming has been aware since the 60’s and it is becoming more popular every year. People want to be able to control, or just be aware of themselves dreaming to do ‘magical’ and ‘unstoppable’ actions during them. Maybe it’s a chance to face you fears or become something different for mental issues. I think it’s time we all start becoming more aware for these reasons alone.
References
Brogaard, B. (2012, December 04). Lucid Dreaming and Self-Realization. Retrieved June 30, 2017, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-superhuman-mind/201212/lucid-dreaming-and-self-realization
Lite, J. (n.d.). How Can You Control Your Dreams? Retrieved June 30, 2017, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-control-dreams/
Turner, R. (n.d.). Learn How to Control Your Dreams. Retrieved June 30, 2017, from http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/#whatisaluciddream
Turner, R. (n.d.). Lucid Nightmares: Can Lucid Dreams Become Nightmares? Retrieved June 30, 2017, from http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/lucid-nightmares.html
