Lucid Dreaming: Be a Superhero While You Sleep

Reduced anxiety, improved motor skills, and enhanced creativity. Those are just a few of the benefits of becoming aware during a dream.

It’s a dream I have had many times. I am being chased by an unseen predator. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s coming. My legs turn to lead, and when I try to run, I find it’s an effort to even get my feet off of the ground.

I grow increasingly panicked as the danger closes in.

But one night, the dream changed. Suddenly, I became aware that I was in a dream.

And once I knew nothing was real, I decided I had enough of this particular dream. I flew up and away into the sky and landed on a sunny beach. The danger was gone, and I enjoyed watching the waves roll in.

What is lucid dreaming really?

Lucid means clear, and a lucid dream is when a sleeper becomes aware they are asleep and in a dream state. But awareness is only the first step. The next goal lucid dreamers have is to control the dream itself.

And though my ability to end my nightmare one night seemed like a breakthrough, I can’t do it with every dream. It’s rare for me to have that much awareness and control as I dream.

But what if there was a way to increase the chance of a lucid dream? And are there other benefits to being in this heightened state while you sleep? The answers are yes to both questions.

And that, my friends, is a lucid dream.

Benefits of lucid dreams

While a lucid dream is simply being aware that you are dreaming, seasoned lucid dreamers can manipulate their dreams in some pretty extraordinary ways.

For starters, if you’re in the middle of a nightmare and you realize it’s just a dream, you can either change what’s happening or wake yourself up.

And beyond controlling nightmares, some dreamers have superpowers in their dreams. They can fly, travel to the moon, visit ancient Egypt, change their surroundings, jump off cliffs, and even taste fire. (Fire tastes salty, according to lucid dream researcher Beverly D’Urso.)

Beverly told Psychology Today, “You can use it [lucid dreaming] to explore the boundaries of your own agency and the limits of the universe.”

Yet, there is more to it than being able to do cool things in your sleep.

What are some practical benefits of lucid dreaming?

• Help with nightmares. While everyone gets the occasional scary dream, when they become recurrent, it can affect your quality of life. Lucid dreaming allows you to control your dreams and gives you the ability to end your nightmares.
• Reduce anxiety. You can play out situations in your dreams that are causing you stress in real-life. Role-playing helps reduce anxiety and improve performance in the real world.
• Improve creativity. When you lucid dream, you get to practice working on your imagination in your dreams.
• Better motor skills. It may sound crazy, but scientists have shown when you visualize a physical ability in your dreams, you improve your performance in the real world.
• Higher levels of awareness. Learning to live in the present and being aware of your surroundings is a key skill for lucid dreaming. Research has shown people who are often aware in their dreams had higher activity in the parts of their brains that control working memory, attention, self-consciousness, and planning.

How to trigger a lucid dream

I stumbled onto my lucid dream without trying. But to be able to do this regularly could take some work.

Everyone is different, and what works for me may not work for you. Here some things people have successfully done to get themselves into an aware dream state.

1. Reality testing. You do this while you are awake. A few times during your day, remember to notice your surroundings. Ask yourself, “how do I know that I am awake?”

Place your hand on a solid surface and reflect on how it feels. Look for differences in your environment to tell you if you are awake or in a dream.

The idea is, if you turn these actions into habits, they will burrow into your subconscious mind. Then, when you’re dreaming, you’ll remember them, and they will help you realize that you are asleep.

The more you’re aware of your surroundings in real life, the more you will think of them in your dreams.

2. Suggestion. When you lie down to fall asleep, tell yourself you want to have a lucid dream. Do this while you’re in a relaxed state and just about to fall asleep.

3. Intention. Before bed, while you are close to sleep, imagine that you are experiencing a lucid dream. If you have recurrent nightmares, imagine yourself in that bad dream and what you would do if you could control it.

4. Keep a dream journal by your bed. As soon as you wake up, write your dreams down in full detail in your journal. Our memories of dreaming tend to fade as we go through our day. Writing them down helps preserve the memory.

People who tend to lucid dream are good at recalling their dreams. Training yourself to have awareness of your dreams is another way you can train yourself into an aware-state during sleep.

5. Wake up and go back to sleep. Try this one with caution, as it could disturb your sleep. Some people have had luck with lucid dreaming when they set an alarm for the early morning hours. Then they stay awake for 30 minutes to two hours before falling back to sleep.

The idea for this is that once you go back to sleep you should fall right into REM sleep and begin dreaming. And hopefully, you will be aware enough inside your dream that you can control it.

6. Meditation. There is some evidence that people who can meditate are also good at lucid dreaming. The mindfulness of meditation helps to train your brain to become more aware of your surroundings, which you bring with you when you sleep.

7. Mneumonic induction of lucid dreams (MILD). When you wake, remember your dream, and visualize yourself being lucid during it. Tell yourself next time you will be aware you are dreaming.

Give it a try

Lucid dreaming lets your conscious mind steer you through your dreams. It can be uplifting and fun to let your imagination soar.

In your dreams, you have superpowers. And you can tackle real-world problems and put an end to nightmares. It may take some time, but with a little effort, you may find yourself flying through your dreams.

Note: A previous version of this story appears on Medium.