Lucid Dreams: What is the difference between a regular dream and a lucid dream? The name says it all – lucidity comes from the Latin word for light or clarity. A lucid dream implies one with a greater degree of awareness and control, which means a lucid life during dreams, but also a more lucid life during the regular waking state.

During a lucid dream, you are conscious enough to realize, without a doubt, that you are actually dreaming.  In these moments of awareness, of expanded consciousness, you can control your actions and decide what to do or where to go within your dream. You can even decide to wake up if you want. It is a very interesting and pleasant state of the mind. This ability is not exclusive to only avid spiritual seekers, soul searchers or esoteric enthusiasts. It is very common and it happens to all sorts of people spontaneously. If you are interested in the subject, you too can become a lucid dreamer! There isn’t much mysticism or mystery to this because it all boils down to lucidity aka awareness or consciousness.

Typically, when you dream, you are not in control. Even if the dream is very vivid and you remember every detail in the morning, the fact remains that you had no say at all. It’s as if you were being dreamt and instead of being a protagonist, you were a mere spectator to everything that took place. You had little awareness and therefore, no control on any level. Conclusion, if you want more lucid dreams, the way is to increase your level of awareness.

Increasing Awareness

The following is one of the many approaches or techniques to increase awareness. It is a self-observation technique. Creating the habit of observing yourself objectively is crucial when it comes to self-development, and also helps with lucid dreams.

It is always best to have an initial indicator at the beginning of any self-improvement practice.  In this case, your first question can be: how aware am I currently?

On a scale from 1 to 10, how aware/present am I on a daily basis?

When starting this technique to have more lucid dreams, you do not need to modify or change anything, go on about your daily life and just observe yourself. If possible, notice your thought patterns and mental tendencies, from the time you wake up until you go to sleep. Do this for the first couple of days and take notes if you’d like.

What are your first thoughts in the morning? Are these thoughts helping you stay present or do they take you elsewhere?  Throughout the day, how easily are you distracted? Do you get lost in the rabbit hole of social media for hours on end? Is there too much mental rumination? Can you focus on daily tasks or does your mind wander?  Are you present in your interactions or are you mentally displaced in time and space?  How long can you be continuously conscious of yourself and the environment without falling back to the “automaton mode”? Ask yourself: “Am I dreaming or am I awake?”

Emotions are part of all this as well – notice them as objectively as possible. Are they in the background or the foreground throughout your day, what role do they play? As you are getting ready for bed, can you remember details from your day?  Do an objective run-through of your day before you go to sleep. This will help you achieve your goal of having a lucid dream next time you try.

This scale is an objective and productive evaluation of yourself navigating life. There is no right or wrong number, it is what it is, and you don’t want to judge or be harsh on yourself. Begin adjusting your levels at your own rhythm and timing. Perfect your scale and its parameters. Use your will to remain as present as you can. Be patient and creative when working on yourself. With time, intention and practice your awareness will improve. It is all up to you.

Also, throughout the day, if it is possible and safe, look at your hands as you ponder about the suggestions above. Every night, before falling asleep, think that you are going to look at your hands during your dreams. When you find your dream hands you will realize that you are dreaming and turn it into a lucid dream.

As your awareness improves during your daily life, by default it will also improve during your dreaming time as well. Spiritual awareness and life awareness are one in the same. Why limit your lucidity to only your dreams when you can apply it to your everyday life! You will start to have more lucid dreams.

You can learn more techniques to help you with lucid dreams, and out-of-body experiences, and more, by participating in our award-winning Consciousness Development Program today and also watching our videos in our YouTube Channel.