by Adrienne Blaine
Graphic Designer
Humans spend as much as half of their lives asleep. Refusing to let their lives be cut in half, a small percent of the population has found a way to make use of the hours they spend sleeping. These remarkable multitaskers facilitate lucid dreams in order to remain conscious even during their slumber. As Tibetan Buddhist Tarthang Tulku said, “When we make good use of the dream state, it is almost as if our lives [are] doubled…”
A lucid or conscious dream is a dream in which a person is aware they are dreaming while the dream is in progress. These oneironauts, or explorers of the dream world, become active participants in their dreams. Many explore the dream environment or learn to manipulate the imaginary experience to face their fears, gain insight into their subconscious emotions or indulge their impulses. Matthew P. Walker, the director of the Sleep Neuroimaging Laboratory at UC Berkeley described lucid dreaming as “hallucinogenic.”
Lucid dreaming has been associated with mystical and religious experiences throughout history. Philosophers, theologians, physicians and scientists have noted its existence as early as 415 AD. Tibetan Buddhists have also recognized lucid dreaming as an important tool of meditation since the eighth century. However, the scientific community did not acknowledge lucid dreaming as a legitimate phenomenon until the late 1980’s.
Dr. Stephen LaBerge, founder of the Lucidity Institute at Stanford University has been at the forefront of lucid dream research since 1987. He hopes to “apply the results of this research to the enhancement of human health and well-being.” In his book, Exploring The World of Lucid Dreaming, LaBerge outlines some basic steps that anyone can take to induce lucid dreams. Most of these techniques are based on recalling the dreams one had the night before and asking the fundamental question, “Am I dreaming right now?”
When a person questions their consciousness while awake it increases the likelihood that they will recognize their consciousness within the dream state. LaBerge recommends keeping a dream journal to understand the recurring themes of each individual’s dream environment. It has been shown that people who are good at recalling their dreams have different brain wave patterns and more flexible styles of thinking than those who tend to forget their dreams.
The real key to lucid dreaming, however, is getting more sleep. The more sleep you get, the more REM (rapid eye movement) cycles or dreams you induce. The more dreams you have, the more opportunities you have to increase your awareness. If you are intrigued by the idea of lucid dreaming but have never had one before, there is good news; many people experience their first lucid dream shortly after reading or hearing about lucid dreaming for the first time.
(Sources: The New York Times; The Lucidity Institute; International Association for the Study of Dreams; Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge, Ph.D. and Howard Rheingold)