Lucid dreams are one of the most fascinating things which you can experience. These are dreams which you can take control and decide what will happen. In lucid dreams, you know that you are dreaming, which is why you are in charge of the dream; and anything that you want to make part of your dream is yours to have.
You're in the driver's seat when you have lucid dreams and anything that you want to happen can and will. Think of it as being able to create your own movies where the events are not limited by budget or even by the laws of physics.
Lucid dreams are noticeably different than the dreams you're used to having while you sleep " these regular dreams are guided by their own sort of logic and drift along without your input. By contrast, lucid dreams are under your control and seem real, regardless of how far out the events may be.
You can usually tell a lucid dream apart from other dreams through this technique; try reading something in your dream. If the words keep changing or do not form intelligible language, then you're having a regular dream. If you can read and even dictate the contents of your reading material, then you are lucid dreaming.
When you're having lucid dreams, you can bring all of your dreams and fantasies to life. You can visit any place in the universe and speak with people from the past and present - if you can imagine it, you can make it happen!
Another thing which differentiates a lucid dream from ordinary ones is that if you want to change the outcome of an event in your dream, all you have to do is to think about it and it will happen! A lot of people find that lucid dreaming is beneficial to them in that they can think through things which have happened in their lives and think about the other ways the situation could have gone. This can help you come to terms with tragedy and misfortune.
Lucid dreams are something which anyone can learn to do. While your body needs to rest to take care of essential biological functions like cellular repair, you can do so while a part of your mind remains conscious and active. This is what occurs in lucid dreaming.
Lucid dreaming is a skill which needs to be learned through practice. Developing the ability to lucid dream at will takes time and you will need to be patient; but anyone can have lucid dreams.
Starting a dream diary is a good way to start learning to lucid dream. When you awake from a dream, write down everything you can remember. Keep your journal by your bedside so that it is quickly accessible to you upon waking. With time, you'll improve your ability to remember your dreams and this trains your mind to recognize when it is dreaming. When you acquire this skill, you'll be able to start making your dreams lucid ones.
There are some useful applications to lucid dreaming. Writers find that trying out their ideas in lucid dreams helps them to figure out characters, dialogue and plots for their work. It's a great medium for creative efforts.
When you get into the habit of remembering your dreams, you'll be able to return to your dreams when you go back to sleep and start controlling their course.
The best time to have lucid dreams is in the hour or two before you normally wake up. Often you may wake up at this time and go back to bed; while it might feel as if you've been lying awake thinking, you are usually lucid dreaming during this time.
With a little practice, you'll find that it's easy to bring yourself into the necessary mental state for lucid dreaming. Self hypnosis can help you get started by helping you to remember your dreams.
There is also a new audio technology which can help you to prepare: binaural beats. These are frequencies which help the hemispheres of your brain synchronize their brainwaves, putting you into the state of mind in which lucid dreaming comes naturally.