There is nothing inherently difficult to understand about the concept of lucid dreaming: lucid dreaming is simply dreaming while being aware you are dreaming.
You can think of lucid dreaming as being conscious while dreaming. If, by chance, during a dream it suddenly dawns on you that you are dreaming, then you have experienced a lucid dream, regardless of whether you have been able to attain control of your dream.
Lucid dreaming is usually induced by some sort of cue—something that indicates to the person that what he or she is experiencing is a dream, and not reality. Cues, however, are not necessary for becoming lucid: sometimes people spontaneously become lucid without noticing anything strange or typical of dreams. Lucid dreaming is a very simple concept but for most it will take patience and determination to achieve.
Many people seem ignorant of the distinction between having a lucid dream, and controlling a dream. Being able to freely control one’s dream does not directly follow becoming lucid: one can have a lucid dream without any control whatsoever. Controlling your dream is simply proceeding to the next level, by attempting to exert your will upon your surroundings.
Lucid dreaming was defined as becoming aware you are dreaming; the actual level of awareness varies, however. When the level of lucidity is high you are well aware that nothing you experience is real, and you realize that you have nothing to fear—you cannot be harmed by any situations that may seem precarious. With low-level lucidity, although partially aware you are dreaming, you are not aware enough to have a great impact on your dream—you may accept some aspects of your dream that you would not normally accept in the ordinary world (you may not find it at all strange that your dog flies around the living room, etc.) With low-level lucidity your realization may also quickly fade and you may accept the whole dream as reality.
Again, attaining lucidity does not immediately mean you’re in control of your dreams. A lot of practice is necessary in order to exert and maintain control. Obviously you have the best chance of controlling your dreams with a high-level of awareness, but even then it may not be possible to exert much control, at least, at first. Although experience plays a part in how well you can control your dreams, your own belief and confidence is key. If you lack confidence in your dreams, you may fail at controlling them—if you believe in a dream that you cannot do something, it is very likely that you won’t be able to.
Instead of changing the dream, however, you could merely control your own behaviour. This kind of dream control is most beneficial during nightmares. Rather than attempting to change the dream, you can change your own attitude. By realizing it is merely a dream and that you cannot sustain physical damage, you can allay your fear, which is the only real part of the nightmare. Changing your attitude in such a manner usually transforms the nightmare into something more peaceful as well. Defeating nightmares is only one of many reasons to attempt to have lucid dreams—... READ MORE ...
