Unlocking Lucid Dreams: Mastering Rem Sleep

Lucid dreaming is when you are aware that you are dreaming while you are asleep. During a lucid dream, you are conscious and may even be able to control the dream's storyline and environment. This phenomenon usually occurs during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a period of deep sleep marked by eye motion, faster breathing, and high brain activity. While lucid dreaming can be a positive experience for some, it may also have negative consequences, including disrupted sleep and mental health issues. Researchers have found various techniques and devices that may help induce lucid dreaming, but more studies are needed to fully understand its benefits and risks.

Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD)

MILD is based on the concept of prospective memory, which involves setting an intention to do something later. In this case, the intention is to remember that you're dreaming.

Step 1: Rescript

When you wake up from a dream, think of a recent dream and identify a "dreamsign", something irregular or strange that only happens in dreams, such as the ability to fly. Then, rescript the dream by deciding how you would change the sequence of events to include becoming lucid. Choose a point in the dream where you recognize a dreamsign and say to yourself, "This is a dream."

Step 2: Rehearse

Imagine yourself back in the dream, but this time, visualize the new, rescripted version where you become lucid. See yourself becoming lucid and visualize what the rest of the lucid dream would be like. Repeat this visualization as many times as needed to clearly see yourself becoming lucid in the dream.

Step 3: Remind

Set a mental reminder that when you return to sleep and start dreaming, you will remember that you are dreaming. Tell yourself, "The next time I dream, I will remember that I am dreaming." You can create your own phrase or use the one suggested by LaBerge: "The next time I'm dreaming, I will remember that I'm dreaming." Focus on this intention right before you fall back asleep.

You can also practice MILD during the daytime. Simply remind yourself of your intention to lucid dream and rescript and rehearse your recent dreams or waking experiences as if they were lucid dreams. Repeat this process until you feel your intention is firmly set.

When applying MILD at night, you might find it helpful to prop yourself up in bed for a few moments to prevent falling asleep too quickly before completing the steps. If you can't remember a dream, you can use a different recent dream that you recall well.

It's important to note that the dream you have after practicing MILD may not be the same as the one you rescripted and rehearsed. The purpose of MILD is to use your own dream imagery as a training ground to strengthen your ability to recognize dreamsigns and set the intention to become lucid.

Be meticulous in your practice of the three Rs (rescript, rehearse, remind). Repeat them several times, visualizing all aspects of the dream as vividly as possible, including your thoughts and feelings. Thoroughly revise the dream, not just by incorporating the view that you know you are dreaming, but also by shifting your thinking to remember that you are dreaming. The more clearly you can imagine becoming lucid, the more agile and effective you will become at attaining lucidity in future dreams.

You can also use alternative methods to rehearse becoming lucid, such as writing down the rescripted versions of your dreams in a journal or verbally describing the new narrative that includes lucidity.

Practicing MILD during nocturnal awakenings may not always lead to lucidity in the next dream, but it is still valuable as it strengthens your mental set for recognizing dreamsigns. Be persistent and consistent in your practice of MILD, and you will improve your skills over time.

MILD can be practiced multiple times in the same night, especially if you want to focus on becoming lucid. However, it's not necessary to apply MILD every time you wake up or every night. You can take a relaxed approach and apply it only when you feel motivated.

Before Bed:

• Set up dream recall: Intend to notice when you wake up during the night and remember your dreams.
• Apply the three Rs: Rescript and rehearse one of your recent dreams as if it was lucid. Remind yourself to remember that you're dreaming as you fall asleep.

During Nocturnal Awakenings:

• Notice that you have woken up and memorize your dream. Record the details in a dream journal.
• Apply the three Rs again: Rescript and rehearse the dream as if it were lucid. If you don't recall the dream, use a different recent dream. Remind yourself to remember that you're dreaming when you return to sleep.
• Recall your dreams and write them down.
• Apply the three Rs once more: Rescript and rehearse the last dream you remember as if it were lucid. Remind yourself to remember that you're dreaming the next time you go to sleep.

Wake Back to Bed (WBTB)

The Wake Back to Bed (WBTB) technique is a popular method for lucid dream induction. It involves waking up during the night, staying awake for a short period, and then returning to sleep. The aim is to disrupt and later return to REM sleep, increasing the likelihood of a lucid dream.

• Set an alarm: Set an alarm to wake you up during the night, ideally at least five hours after going to bed. This timing aims to interrupt your sleep cycle just before entering REM sleep, when dreaming is most prevalent. Experiment with different timings to find your optimal REM sleep window, which is usually between three to five hours after falling asleep.
• Wake up and stay alert: When the alarm goes off, get out of bed and engage in activities that require full alertness for 15 to 90 minutes. Keep your mind awake and active without making it impossible to fall back asleep. Research suggests that the level of alertness during this period is more critical than the specific activity chosen.
• Return to bed: Go back to bed with the intention to recognize that you are dreaming. Allow yourself to relax and fall back asleep. Some sources recommend combining WBTB with other techniques, such as the Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD) technique or the Wake-Initiated Lucid Dreaming (WILD) technique, to enhance the likelihood of lucid dreaming.

It is important to note that WBTB is not a scientifically verified technique and can disrupt the sleep cycle, leading to potential detrimental psychological and physical outcomes. Therefore, it should be used sparingly and not as a regular practice.

Senses Initiated Lucid Dreams (SSILD)

SSILD is designed to be simple and "idiot-proof". It does not require advanced techniques such as relaxation and visualisation, and stays away from delicate, non-measurable mental exercises. The core component of SSILD is called a "Cycle", which consists of three steps:

• Focus on Sight: Close your eyes and pay attention to the darkness behind your eyelids. Do not strain your eye muscles. Your eyeballs should be resting and totally relaxed. If you don't see anything, that's normal. Do not attempt to spot visuals by moving your eyes around.
• Focus on Hearing: Further relax your eyes and shift your attention to your ears. If the room is quiet, you might be able to hear sounds inside your head, like your heartbeat. It's okay to listen to external sounds too.
• Focus on Somesthetic Senses (Touch): Direct your attention to your body. Feel it and see if you spot any unusual sensations like tingling, heaviness, or spinning sensations. If you can't feel anything unusual, try to feel the weight of your blanket, your heartbeat, or the temperature of the air.

To practice the SSILD technique, set your alarm to wake up after 4-5 hours of sleep. Get out of bed and stay awake for 5-10 minutes. Then, return to bed and lie down in a comfortable position, preferably different from the one you usually sleep in. This is to prevent you from falling asleep prematurely. Perform the "Cycle" quickly, repeating it 4-6 times. Then, perform the "Cycle" slowly, repeating it 3-4 times. This is the most important step. Take extra time during each step. You should find it easier to focus on your senses at this point. Finally, return to a comfortable position and allow yourself to fall asleep as quickly as possible. Do not worry about whether it will work. The quicker you fall asleep, the more likely it is to work.

SSILD is a hybrid technique, so it is important to be familiar with all possible scenarios to maximise your chances of success. One possible scenario is hypnagogia, where you encounter unusual sensations like falling, floating, or seeing lights and images. SSILD is known to cause hypnagogia during the Cycles, although this effect should not be sought after. Another possible scenario is a false awakening, which SSILD is known to cause frequently. Therefore, it is important to perform a reality check each time you wake up after doing SSILD. A third possible scenario is a dream-initiated lucid dream (DILD), where you enter your dreams with heightened awareness and may be able to spot oddities in dreams, becoming lucid. Finally, you may experience a real awakening. If this happens, try to stay still and relax your head, allowing the back of it to sink into the pillow. Then, perform a few extra medium-paced SSILD cycles.

Reality Testing

To try reality testing, follow these steps several times a day:

• Ask yourself, "Am I dreaming?"
• Check your environment to confirm whether you're dreaming.
• Notice your own consciousness and how you're engaging with your surroundings.
• Mirrors: Check your reflection to see if it looks normal.
• Solid objects: Push your hand against a wall or table and see if it goes through. Alternatively, push your fingers into your opposite palm.
• Hands: Look at your hands. Do they look normal, or are they oddly shaped or wrongly proportioned?
• Time: If you're dreaming, the time on a clock will constantly change. If you're awake, the time will barely change.
• Breathing: Pinch your nose and see if you can breathe. If you can still breathe, you're dreaming.
• Light switches: Light switches often malfunction in dreams. Press a light switch—if the light doesn't turn on (or off), either you're dreaming or the light switch is broken.
• Reading: In dreams, it's often difficult to read characters or numbers as they tend to change or morph in peculiar ways.

Dream Journals

It is also beneficial to write in the present tense as if you are still in the dream, as this will help you remember more. You can also highlight important parts of your dream entries, such as key events, places, people, and emotions. This makes it easier to look back on old dreams and identify dream signs.

In addition to improving your chances of lucid dreaming, dream journals offer other benefits. They can help you wake up with something to do and enable you to keep a logbook of your dreaming progress. They also increase your dream recall, making your lucid dreams more vivid. After a week or so of journaling, you can start looking for dream signs and decoding dream symbols.

Some people also use dream journals in combination with other lucid dreaming techniques, such as Wake Back to Bed (WBTB) and Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD).

Frequently asked questions