Normally, when we dream during sleep, we’re not aware that what we’re experiencing is actually not real. It doesn’t matter how outlandish or bizarre the dream is, we believe it. It’s only when we wake up that we notice how unrealistic the dream was. However, about 40% of us experience “lucid dreaming” at least once in our lives. This is when we become aware, while dreaming, that our dream is actually a dream.
Often, when we suddenly realize that we’re dreaming, the shock forces us into wakefulness. But for those of us who can remain asleep, this realization can give us control over our dreams! Imagine being able to turn your nightmare into a great adventure, one where you can fly, be invisible, have super strength, or live out any other fantasy you’ve ever had. Well, skilled lucid dreamers can do just that. The idea of lucid dreaming became incredibly popular after it inspired the 2010 film Inception, but the earliest record of it was made by Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle during the 4th century B.C.
But can we train ourselves to lucid dream, or is simply an in-born talent that certain people have? For most, lucid dreaming is just a spontaneous occurrence, where they suddenly find themselves able to control aspects, or indeed the entire narrative or setting of their dream, but the last decade has seen a rise in the number of people who are ‘training’ themselves to lucid dream. Many experienced lucid dreamers and trainers claim that it has a multitude of benefits, from allowing people to overcome phobias by encountering them in the dream state, to boosting their own creativity. For others, it’s simply a way of seeking adventure and escape from their own lives, like a kind of virtual reality game.
