Lucid dreaming exercises. How to learn to lucid dream? "Am I really dreaming?"

I’ll note right away that this is a serious practice and before using it, it’s better to read the materials from the “My Dreams” section. The methods given below can give much more than simple control of dreams and the formation of your own reality in them. To have some idea about the possible consequences of such a hobby, read my description of the meeting with, and then decide whether you are ready to plunge into this transcendental world. As for me, I have always been interested in the mystical or transcendental side of the issue and it is from this that I will start. You can watch these videos and you will understand what I mean:

I'll tell you about my experience of lucid dreams. If you have anything to add, don't hesitate. In order to enter a lucid dream, I use several combined techniques.

First technique is extremely important and will bring awareness not only to your dreams, but probably to life in general. You should do one simple exercise throughout the day. So here it is:

Do you remember how you ended up here?

When you find yourself in a new room, in a new room, in any new place, mentally say who you are and how you got here. For example: “I am Pavel (your name), a dreamer. I came into the room from the hall. I am Pavel and came into the hall from the corridor. I'm Pavel, I came to the store from the street. To the street from the store and so on whenever you move. Remember the last 3-4 places you visited.

This is an extremely effective technique. If you do it day after day, you will easily fall into lucid dreams, even if you are not immediately successful with the second technique. In a dream, you will automatically remember who you are and where you came from! This way you will gain awareness. But be patient and don't expect too quick results. In addition, considering how much time a person usually spends on all sorts of stupid thoughts and watching television programs, everyone can find half an hour of physical and half an hour of mental training a day.

This exercise will also bring a little awareness into your daily life (I don’t say real, since there are very convincing arguments about the relativity of the real). For example, here’s a test of awareness: has it ever happened that a light bulb in your room burned out and you, knowing full well that it was burned out and there was no light, after a while you went in there and tried to flip the switch? If this happens, then, unfortunately, your life is unconscious. Your actions are like reflexes and you are simply used to doing the same thing. Therefore, it is necessary to train. Then in your dreams you will remember who you are and where you came from, and you will become more focused in life.

How to enter a lucid dream using Tensegrity

There is a very good exercise called “Tensegrity” and described by Carlos Castaneda in his books. This practice allows you to control the energy flows in the body in such a way that, by moving the assemblage point or attention, induce a state of consciousness that will facilitate entering a lucid dream or astral plane. It is best to perform the exercise in an open space or standing by a window in order to more clearly imagine how you “throw” your attention into the distance. You can repeat the series several times and not only before bed.

The next thing we need to learn to do is master one of the basic yoga poses.

It's called Sivasana - Corpse Pose

Don’t be afraid of such a scary name; this pose is intended for rest and relaxation. But it is not easy and requires training. In general, the ancients correctly said that in a healthy body, a healthy mind. If you want to engage in spiritual practices, first take care of the strength and health of your body. Train every day, do squats, push-ups, run. There is also such a very useful thing as a jump rope. In a strong and healthy body, the spirit will grow stronger. This is quite enough.

If you maintain physical fitness, then you can take up spiritual fitness, but I do not recommend using my practices to people who deliberately bring aggression and ignorance into this world. Such people will have corresponding dreams and will only lead them to madness. Remember that our dreams, including conscious ones, are formed by the subconscious and before delving into it, put things in order.

Let's get back to yoga. Sivasana is actually very beneficial in all respects and does not require you to be flexible or physically strong. In addition, it serves as a basis for other techniques such as access to the astral plane, lucid dreams, rapid restoration of the body and recovery. By itself, it allows you to restore the body not in 8 hours of sleep, but in 5, if done correctly. Moreover, if you suffer from insomnia, this technique is ideal for you. It can also be used to quickly get rid of minor illnesses.

How to do Sivasana?

Lie down on the bed or any other comfortable place so that nothing disturbs you. Lying on your back, extend your arms along your body, a short distance from your hips, and spread your legs slightly to the sides. Completely relax all your muscles and carefully listen to the sensations of your body: is it comfortable for you and is nothing bothering you? If something is in the way, adjust your position so that you can no longer move.

Now let's move on to complete muscle relaxation.

Focus on your little toes and completely relax them, then the next toe and so on, move up, feel every muscle, even the smallest one. Slowly relaxing your body centimeter by centimeter, reach your shoulders and relax your arms to your little fingers, then your neck, every muscle of your face, and so on to the top of your head.

Attention: turning point in the exercise

You should not move, not even a little bit, if you move you will lose the fight with the body! It is not stupid and will understand that you want to deceive it and will check you. Your nose will suddenly itch, so much so that you will forget about the exercise. If you scratch it, that’s it, you’ve lost for today. The eye or elbow may become extremely itchy.

Why does your nose or eye itch before bed?

The body is cunning and before falling into sleep, it checks whether the consciousness is asleep. Rather, it is such a concern for you. This is the most important point of practice. The brain checks that if the body and consciousness are asleep, then no one will care that the eye itches. The second pitfall is swallowing saliva. You will probably be distracted by this. Wouldn't it be a loss to swallow saliva? It will be a loss if you pay attention to this. You can swallow saliva, but you need to let it happen automatically. How?

Just don't think about it, directing your attention in the right direction. Proceed to the next stage (proceed to it after relaxing all the muscles). Breathing should be deep and calm, like that of a sleeping person, and as soon as you set your breathing to an even rhythm, calm your heart. Listen to the sensations in your chest and try to put him to sleep.

And now the most interesting thing: here you have a choice of what to translate shivasana into. Into a lucid dream, into the astral plane, or into the technique of rapid body recovery

To Enter a lucid dream Focus all your attention at the back of your head and try to fix it there. After some time, you will no longer feel your body. It will fall asleep. That is, it will literally be paralyzed. Only the mind will remain. You will find yourself in darkness, which you can turn into any world, while experiencing completely real sensations.

For those who have difficulties with shivasana in the first couple of days, I recorded this video material, which is designed to make the task easier for you.

There is one more point here: before creating your personal world, you can open your eyes by physical effort, then you will see your room in addition to the dream that has already come. You may see a scary monster or a naked woman there, each to their own. In medical practice, this is called “night demon syndrome.” Some people open their eyes randomly in their sleep and suffer from it.

Lucid dreams are the first step to entering the astral plane. Without mastering these techniques, you most likely will not be able to enter the astral plane - these are very similar techniques. If you have any additional questions, I will answer them in the comments below.

Sooner or later, dreamers may encounter so-called astral predators and other inhabitants of these spheres of the universe in their travels. If this happens, and you have strong concerns about this, I can offer a very powerful protective practice called “”

Another important point: people often have interesting dreams, but they forget them very quickly. All dreams must be written down in a dream diary, for example on my Forum in the section of the same name. The mind then begins to perceive dreams as something important and you will remember subsequent ones better. The main thing is not to be lazy and write down your dream immediately after waking up.

How to enter a lucid dream? Practice and methods
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It is believed that the ability to lucid dream is manifested in every second person. But others can also learn to travel during night sleep - this requires special training. What is this condition and how is it beneficial? How can you achieve lucid dreaming?

What are lucid dreams?

There are several points of view on the nature of lucid dreams:

• Complete denial - dreams of this type do not exist. This is either outright nonsense, or a hoax created for the purpose of money laundering.
• A lucid dream is a journey into parallel worlds. From this point of view, lucid dreaming represents a shamanic journey into other universes. The human spirit leaves the body and wanders through different worlds and eras.
• The concept of reflection of the unconscious. During a lucid dream, a person has the opportunity to study in detail the features of his psyche.
• The concept of the collective unconscious. According to this idea, the practice of lucid dreams allows you to connect to a certain “higher mind” and travel in the collective “psychological Internet.”

Where does the soul actually go during a lucid dream? But this depends on the personal attitudes of the person himself, his thoughts while falling asleep. In this regard, young children have a much greater chance of “visiting an alien civilization” than adults. And the final destination during a lucid dream depends on where the person would like to go.

What are the benefits of lucid dreaming?

Firstly, for fun. So far, no modern technology can provide such entertainment.

Secondly, many serious scientific discoveries were made in a dream - and this is not only the periodic table. In a dream, Niels Bohr saw a model of an atom, and Kekkule saw the structure of a benzene molecule. Frederick Banting discovered insulin in a dream.

Thirdly, this is an opportunity for personal growth and working through psychological conflicts. In this case, it is better to first consult with a psychologist so as not to “break the woods.”

Check - start! How can you tell if you are in a dream?

During sleep, everything happens very realistically. At the same time, logic completely fails, and it is so easy to believe in all the fairy tales that happen to you. That is why, in order to achieve lucid dreaming, it is necessary to test all dreams for reality.

It’s easy to do this – to start, just ask yourself the question while you’re awake: “Am I dreaming or not?”. Or maybe you are still sleeping? Take your eyes off this article and look around. If the text has changed, it means you are in a dream.

Continue to test the surrounding reality. Touch the surface of the wall. If it doesn’t fail, it means everything is happening in reality. Try to take off against the force of gravity. Happened? Go back and read the useful information.

Remember what happened before this story began. If you can recreate a clear chain of events, it means you are not dreaming.

To wake up one day in a dream and realize that you are dreaming, get into the habit of checking from time to time whether you are dreaming. And then one day you will be able to find yourself in a lucid dream.

A lucid dream can be a real healer and friend, an inexhaustible source of creative ideas. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare for it with due responsibility. With the help of regular reality testing and the use of other techniques, you will certainly be able to experience this unusual state!

Somewhere below, in the middle of endless green fields, a river meandered like a blue ribbon. It was as if she was playing with him. Who will be the first to reach the hill on which the city stands? He floated silently under the clouds, enjoying every moment. It's hard to describe. A desire simply arises in the heart, and every cell of the body responds to this wonderful call. And now it was calling forward. To his own city. With a magnificent palace in the center and a beautiful garden behind it. There was a stunning gazebo among the trees where he loved to sit alone, enjoying the birdsong.

A quiet rustling sound was heard nearby. Looking around, he saw a pair of young dragons. My heart began to flutter. But not from fear, but from joy. It was like meeting old friends. They sailed majestically across the sky, like two huge ships. The golden scales shimmered in the sun with all the colors of the rainbow. At the sight of such a spectacle, he wanted to scream with all his might, but the dragons got ahead of him. They let out a long, joyful cry, soared up and disappeared into the clouds.

And he flew and thought how the doors of his city would open before him, how his friends would greet him. The birds will sit on his hands and sing their songs for him. After all, this is his city. This is his world...

Do you think this is a fairy tale? Fiction? You guessed wrong. The world described above is quite real. This is the world of lucid dreaming, and everyone is as capable or better. Of course, you can say that this is all fiction, unreal, and so on. The fact is that reality is not so simple either. Our brain doesn’t care at all whether it takes a picture from dusty memory archives (perhaps even from an old movie) or receives it from an external source. You won't even notice the change. To a simple question: “Are you sure you’re not sleeping right now?” - most people won't even be able to answer. How to have lucid dreams? This is what we will learn today.

What are lucid dreams?

How to enter a lucid dream? Before getting an answer to this question, you need to find out what it even is? Essentially, the answer follows from the title. A person sees a dream, realizing that he is sleeping. This is the very first, main and most difficult step towards building your own world in your dreams. The problem is that most people on the planet are not only unable to control their dreams, but are not even able to understand that they are in a dream. And at the same time, we are still trying to talk about what is real in this world and what is not!

There are different types of people. Some people have vivid, beautiful (or scary) unforgettable dreams. Others have absolutely no memory of what they saw in their dreams after waking up. There are also people who are given the gift of self-awareness in dreams from birth, without any training or exercise.

There is no need to think that this is some kind of modern invention. The first mentions date back to the distant 8th century AD. Even then, people thought about traveling in their dreams. Serious scientific research began to be carried out much later, in the 20th century by S. Laberge, and later by other scientists.

Why is this necessary?

Before we start talking about how to enter a lucid dream, you need to find out why it is even necessary? Let's forget for a moment about such things as the hidden reserves of our body, inexhaustible sources of new knowledge, additional sources of energy, and so on. Let's turn to dry and banal mathematics. For hundreds of thousands of years, people have been looking for a way to extend their relatively short life by at least a couple of days. Whatever is being done for this purpose: new medicines are invented, diets and exercises are invented. People go to great lengths to stay in this world for a little while. But very few people think about the fact that every day we delete from our lives as much as 8 hours allocated for sleep (some less or more). It doesn’t seem like much, one third of a day. Okay, we lose 10 days out of a month. More interesting now, right? Over 30 years of life, lost time is gained by 10 years! But we can’t stay awake, you say. That's right, we can't. But we have the power to fill this emptiness with meaning! Imagine having the opportunity to add years to your life, this is no joke! Time in a lucid dream is full of surprises. It seems that I slept for several hours, and the needle only moved by fifteen minutes. Moreover, there are cases where a person lived in a dream for several days, weeks and even months. And in the real world, as if nothing had happened, he woke up 8 hours later in the morning. Should we neglect the opportunity to increase our life expectancy by an order of magnitude?

There are many “supernatural” possibilities that open up to us in such dreams. This is unexpected knowledge and talents that a person had not noticed before. There are more interesting “revelations”, but it is better to leave them behind the curtain, since every traveler in the world of dreams must discover them for himself.

Psychologically, this is a great way to relax and give vent to your emotions. After all, this is your world! Everything here lives according to your laws, although it will not be possible to fully understand this right away. If you want to fly, fly, swim underwater, please. If you want to relax on the beach in Crimea every day - good luck! Your brain can create amazing landscapes and panoramas if you make it work for you. We'll talk about how to do this later.

Is it possible?

How to get into a lucid dream? Is it possible? Many people, after several unsuccessful attempts, become disappointed and come to the conclusion that either they were deceived and these are all fairy tales, or they do not have the ability to do this. Both of these are fundamentally wrong. First of all, everything written here is true! Secondly, there are no people who are unable to become aware of themselves in a dream. Some people succeed right away, others take weeks or even months, but in the end they are still successful. Maybe you won’t be able to build beautiful castles and raise golden dragons right away; it’s quite difficult. Everything will come in time if you don’t stop and go to the end! First you need to step over the main barrier - awareness. What are we going to do now? Are you willing to go down the rabbit hole? Ready? Then go ahead! We master the entrance to a lucid dream (LS).

Preparation

How to get into a lucid dream? Don't try to call OS when you're tired. If you have a hard job, go to bed early, set an alarm, and after you wake up, try to log into the OS.

Do not drink before bed, the urge to go to the toilet will ruin any

Prepare a notebook and pen for journaling.

Diary

Always keep a pen and notebook near your bed. After waking up, dreams are erased very quickly, you need to have time to write everything down. Record everything you can remember: the area, people, animals, tastes, sensations. Try drawing a map of your movements. Over time, you will notice some patterns. Something like locations will be drawn, like in computer games. Transition locations will appear. You probably remember how in a dream you are suddenly transported from one place to another. When you start keeping a diary, you will understand that such places are also natural. Remember them. Constantly re-read your diary, analyze and make a plan for your next dream. Even if you can’t control yourself yet, make a plan over and over again: go there, explore such and such a place, try to fly... One day everything will work out.

Changing consciousness

Everyone calls this exercise differently - “critical thinking” or “reality check” - but the essence remains the same: force yourself to doubt the reality of the world around you. It sounds pretty fantastic, but there's nothing wrong with that. Constantly ask yourself, “Am I dreaming?” - and find convincing evidence. For example, look at the same sign or object twice. In the dream they will change. Or try to fly. However, the most effective way is the first option. Over time, this habit will take hold and begin to manifest itself even in sleep.

Self-tuning

It will be nice if throughout the day you constantly tune yourself in for a positive result. Repeat to yourself: “Today I will succeed” or “Today in my dreams I will fly.” This should not sound like a cry of despair. You must believe unconditionally in your success. If you didn’t succeed and you just fell asleep, when you wake up, tell yourself: “It’s okay, I’ll try again.” Sooner or later this fortress will collapse, and victory will be yours. Just don't give up!

Calm

One of the main criteria for success in our event. Increased arousal is a disaster both when trying to enter a dream and when you are already there (instant departure). Meditation can be a good help in this case. If you learn to control your thoughts and feelings, this will be a big step towards success.

Fixing attention

A fairly complex but effective technique for lucid dreaming from a waking state. As mentioned above, you should not try to enter a lucid dream when you are tired, otherwise you will simply pass out. Either go into a lucid dream during the day, or set an alarm, wake up, and do it at night.

So. Lie down on your back (it’s better to choose a harder pillow) and close your eyes. Relax and calm your breathing. Mentally walk through your body, all muscles should be relaxed. Now it is important to free yourself from thoughts. This is quite difficult (this is where meditation practice will help), but it is necessary. You will feel like you are falling into some viscous substance (like resin). Don't be alarmed, this point is very important. It only lasts a few seconds. The main thing is not to let your consciousness turn off at this moment. A few seconds - and you are on the other side! You are in a lucid dream! This method is extremely complex and simple at the same time. Difficult because it can be difficult to relax, concentrate and not let your consciousness turn off while passing through the “tar” layer. Simple because it is the shortest path to the world of lucid dreaming. This technique has several undoubted advantages. If something goes wrong, you can stop, calm down and continue rather than wait until the next day. No additional exercises, attitudes, devices or substances are needed. If performed correctly, the transition to lucid sleep is guaranteed. Many people recommend using daytime for such exercises. The advantages of this choice are obvious, especially at the beginning of the journey. You're less likely to simply switch off. When everything starts to work out, you will be less dependent on fatigue, the state of your body and the time of day.

Health

Maybe some banal phrases will follow, but it’s still worth reminding about this for the common good. The technique of lucid dreaming should not be mastered by an unhealthy body. Therefore, if you have a fever or headache, reschedule your classes. Also, do not do this with a full stomach, drunk or hungover. Believe me, our consciousness is a fragile, precious instrument. Handle it with care!

What's next?

Let's say everything worked out for you, and this will certainly happen if you have desire and perseverance. What happens next? How will your first lucid journey in a dream begin? First of all, you want to look at your hands. No one knows exactly why, but most often this is where it starts. Later, if you feel that the dream is starting to fade (you wake up), take a special look at your hands. This will allow the situation to deepen somewhat. An amazing sensation is the second most popular action performed in lucid dreams. At the beginning of the article such a flight is described; it is difficult to describe the physical sensations experienced during it. After such dreams, the feeling remains that our laws of the universe are not as unshakable as we were told about them from childhood.

Will

Even in a lucid dream, you often have to remind yourself who is boss. Our consciousness can be compared to a large garbage dump. What and who is not here! You can meet both beautiful and terrible creatures. Until you have learned to control and create something in your dreams, you remain just an observer. The main thing is not to be scared! It is important to remember that this is your world and you are the master here. Whoever you meet, you can command him or make him disappear. For this you need one condition - self-confidence! People, animals, things, buildings will appear in front of you. You can remove or adjust them, but always remind yourself that everything here is subordinate only to you.

Creation

You don’t need to think that the lucid dream technique requires you to draw every twig or leaf. Your brain remembers perfectly well what a forest, river or dog is, but if you want to correct something, the matter is limited only by your imagination. Write down everything you do in your sleep and mark it on a map. Write what you are going to do. Chances are good that one day you will return to the house or castle you built last night. Or get yourself a golden dragon that will meet you and protect you in every dream. You can create multiple locations and move between them using the transitions described above.

Knowledge

Many people use the state of lucid dreaming to get answers to questions that interest them. Hidden talents and opportunities are revealed. Perhaps this is due to the fact that in a dream our consciousness does not have the usual limitations. People often create a secret room, a magic ball or a magic box in their dreams, which they use to get answers to their questions. And, oddly enough, it works; a person really often receives information that is inaccessible to him in the real world.

Conclusion

Now you know what the lucid dream technique is. There are the most contradictory reviews about it. There are people who say that spending a long time in the OS worsens a person’s connection with the real world. Someone says that a person can go into a lucid dream and not return from there. Some people think you can go crazy there. As a rule, these are people who have either never had such dreams, or have made a couple of unsuccessful attempts and abandoned this activity.

There are others too. Those for whom the practice of conscious sleep has helped get rid of various complexes. Some learned to write poetry, music, made discoveries, and learned a foreign language. And some simply found a place to relax and retire. The practice of lucid dreaming is a vast, unexplored field, containing so many wonders and possibilities that we cannot even imagine. But all you need is a little desire, patience and self-confidence!

A lucid dream is a special atypical state of consciousness in which a person understands that he is dreaming, and can also partially control the dream, shaping the details, events and actions of the dream at his own discretion. How to induce this state yourself and learn to control it, prolonging the unusual sensations as much as possible? You will learn about this and much more below.

What is a lucid dream and how does it manifest itself?

For the first time, the theory of lucid dreaming was put forward by Frederick Var Eden at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. He described in detail the characteristics of this condition and also tried to explain it.

By the end of the 20th century, this theory began to be tested from a scientific point of view - Japanese scientists advanced the furthest here, thanks to numerous tests, they identified the phenomenon and recorded it with hardware.

Lucid dreams, in which a person understands that he is sleeping and also partially or completely controls it, creating his own images, actions, and shaping events, occur during a smooth transition from wakefulness to the REM sleep phase and vice versa. This process is not mandatory - in most cases, a person simply falls asleep and does not go into a borderline state.

Physiologically, there is a gradual relaxation of all muscle groups and an increase in active brain activity. His alpha rhythms increase significantly and increase in frequency, while beta and components practically disappear, gamma rhythms lengthen the amplitude. The dorsolateral portion of the prefrontal cortex of the brain is activated, which does not manifest itself in any way during normal sleep.

It is known for certain that it is almost always possible to get into lucid dreams in people who have experienced sleep paralysis - muscle atonia before falling asleep or immediately after waking up. Dreams in this case are very vivid, but often disturbing, sometimes with attacks of fear and nightmares.

Where is lucid dreaming used?

Lucid dreaming is a unique tool for simulating a wide variety of situations in the long term. Undoubtedly, it can be used in the future as an application in a number of situations:

• Psychotherapy. A promising set of psychotherapy sessions using lucid dreaming may be useful for people suffering from a wide variety of phobias and fears. Flying in a dream, building self-confidence in any situation, and other stories can become a powerful motivator for recovery and healing;
• Gaming aspect. Controlled dreams in the medium term may become the mainstay of full virtual reality, where there are no restrictions;
• Brain research. Certain theories and hypotheses directly point to the hypothetical prospect of expanding the possibilities of using the human brain. A lucid dream can become the “key” to controlling extrasensory abilities, increasing the analytical and memory functions of the brain exponentially, and providing other, previously unknown knowledge and skills.

Learning to lucid dream

Official science and medicine do not have at their disposal reliable methods for controlling lucid sleep and methods for guaranteeing immersion in such a borderline state.

Nevertheless, for many decades, active searches have been conducted in this aspect. A number of independent researchers are using practical means to achieve a significant increase in the frequency of lucid dreams.

The duration of training varies over a very wide range and depends both on the specific methodology and on the personal data, qualities and knowledge of a particular person.

The furthest person to date in understanding the mechanisms of adaptation of the body to the independent invocation of lucid dreams is Stephen LaBerge - his “ Institute of Lucid Dreaming"offers people both free recommendations and paid individual or group courses with a personal trainer.

This article is often read with:

There are many ways to get into a lucid dream. The most promising areas are considered:

• Special concentration. Reading relevant literature, concentrating on certain abstract images;
• Taking psychoactive substances. Herbal and synthetic-based drugs can contribute to the appearance of a borderline state during the process of falling asleep;
• Rituals. Certain sequential actions repeated constantly;
• Stimulation of sensations. Potentiation of tactile and vestibular images with an emphasis on the process of falling asleep;
• Hypnosis. The most pragmatic tool, which is partially used for the practice of inducing lucid dreams even now.

After a person has been able to consciously induce a borderline state several times, it is necessary to consolidate the effect, keep a diary of the dreams you form, come up with promising scenarios for future dreams with clear sequential actions that make them easier to control and increase their duration.

Basic ways to enter a lucid dream

Below are well-known lucid dreaming practices that help a person be more likely to learn this process. However, you should understand that you most likely will not be able to enter a lucid dream the first time, and you will have to train for a long time.

Association principle

Its basis is the development of habits, a clear associative series that allows you to check reality and understand whether you are in the waking or sleeping stage. During the night period, when you are conditionally awake, ask yourself whether you are sleeping or not.

Follow the details– during a lucid dream, any changes in virtual space-time are possible. Thus, the clock on the wall may move jerkily, and some physical laws are not observed at all.

Try to compare reality and dreams. Remember the sensations when entering a lucid dream - this will help you build an associative series and immediately concentrate on the process. Look at your hands, try to cover your nose and mouth and try to breathe - if there is no shortage of air, then you are in a dream.

An alternative option for an associative series is the use of a background voice. The phrases “You are dreaming” and “This is a lucid dream” can be repeated either by the live voice of a third party or by a pre-recorded audio stream in the form of a file. The volume should not be too loud to make the process of falling asleep easier.

Self-tuning

Self-tuning or mnemonic method involves the use of memorized and memorized phrases and actions that are memorized to the point of automaticity, which are tied to the inclusion of awareness during sleep and contribute to the development of this habit.

Phrases or rituals can be anything. For example, “I will be aware that this is a dream” and at the same time mentally program myself for a certain action. Self-tuning can be conveniently and functionally supplemented with the technique of associations with reality testing.

Having honed a phrase or a short phrase to the point of automatism, looping it in the subconscious, use this “anchor” to induce a borderline state every time before falling asleep.

Savasana – corpse pose

Shavasana in the general understanding is the classic end of practical yoga classes, a period of relaxation and rest. Under certain circumstances, this practice can effectively induce lucid dreaming.

According to experts in this field, Shavasana can be performed without prior preparation and performance of other asanas, which greatly simplifies the technique and reduces it to a basic set of actions.

In specialized literature, Shavasana can also be called dead body pose or mritasana. It is not recommended to use it by pregnant women and people with musculoskeletal disorders.

The technique of performing the procedure includes a number of actions:

1. Creating an atmosphere. It is necessary to provide dim light, complete silence, spread a blanket on the floor and lie on it with your back;
2. Position. Your forehead should be in line with your chin (place a small flat pillow under your neck to make the process easier). The lower back is in full contact with the horizontal surface;
3. Relaxation. Close your eyes tightly and start breathing through your nose. The tongue is as relaxed as possible, and so is the body (as if spreading over a horizontal surface, no tension or resistance). Inhalations and exhalations are light and weak. The chest rises and falls smoothly. Feel your body as much as possible; if there are tense areas, relax, imagining that your breath is passing through them;
4. Detachment. Stop concentrating on your breathing, just watch it as if from the outside, and do the same with any thoughts that arise in your head. Do not try to suppress emotions (if any arise), but simply do not notice them;
5. Dive. Imagine that your whole body with thoughts and emotions is immersed in water and finds the calm of the ocean. Thoughts are like surf waves, easily rolling onto the shore; there is no fear of the elements, a person merges with the water world.

Above, the main stages of entering the dead man's pose are presented. In classical Shavasana, the last stages are a gradual exit from the state, with the process of concentrating on breathing, but this is not necessary to enter a lucid dream.

Continue the practice of absorption and detachment for as long as possible, remain alone with the subconscious and consciousness, after which you let the latter go “free floating” - it will go into a borderline state and a lucid dream will arise.

Mask for lucid dreams

Modern research in the field of sleep control has led several private companies to the need to create a gadget that helps a person enter a lucid dream. This kind of device, technologically complex, is a kind of simulator that combines methods of self-control and associations.

The mask for lucid dreams looks like a wide blind bandage on the face that completely covers the eyes. Inside it is a set of LEDs, microspeakers, boards and sensors. How does it all work??

During the transition from wakefulness to the REM sleep phase, a person's eyeballs begin to involuntarily move quickly under closed eyelids - this is a side process of their relaxation. Motion sensors installed in the mask record this process, after which they transmit a signal to LEDs or microspeakers.

Accordingly, during the initial phase of REM sleep, a regular soft light or sound signal is sent to the retina of the eye or to the ears. The brain that receives these peculiar “hints” associates them with a dream.. Thus, without seeing the source of sound or light, but perceiving them, a person can understand that he is not in reality, but in the process of sleep, and control it accordingly.

As practice shows, you won’t be able to enter a lucid dream the first time using this gadget—it takes some practice and time. But after the first sessions, people see more memorable and colorful dreams and sleep better.

When the owner of the device gets used to the device and connects the additional methods described above, he will be able to see lucid dreams every night.

Other methods

• Mental planning. Make the most detailed plan for your future sleep, full of emotions and actions. Try to learn it, not only verbally, but also at the subconscious level. In the process of falling asleep, imagines oneself at the starting point of the future dream (with the designation of a specific location);
• Working with pseudo-real images. As you fall asleep, try to imagine a variety of abstract figures, concentrating on their details. Mentally rotate them around the longitudinal axis. At the same time, listen to the “white noise” in your head (it arises during the process of falling asleep as a pseudo-stimulus at the border of sensory perception) and amplify it as much as possible, try to mentally move the selected part of your body without muscle tension with increasing amplitude;

• Mental representation of a real thing. Before entering the borderline state with your eyes closed, try to imagine hands in front of you, in one of which the real thing is manifested (you should use it very often). The simplest example is a mobile phone. Try to sense and feel its reality, pressing keys or tapping on the screen;
• Electromagnetic stimulation. The innovative method has a direct effect on brain waves. During the REM sleep phase, the frequency and intensity of alpha rhythms increases significantly; the human brain begins to be stimulated by electromagnetic waves of a frequency of 30-40 Hz, which correspond to gamma rhythms, essentially the process of wakefulness. In most cases, the dream becomes lucid, and the person enters the pre-awakening phase.

Which technique is the fastest?

There is no definite answer to this question - the speed of entering the borderline state and the time period for maintaining lucid sleep depend on the person’s abilities and his training.

The best option for mastering the lucid dream technique as quickly as possible is to use two or more techniques simultaneously. The most popular combinations of lucid dreaming techniques among beginners usually include association and self-control, as well as working with pseudo-real images and electrical stimulation.

It is wise to try a variety of options - for example, a combination of individual yoga exercises (Savasana) and the use of a special mask when going to bed.

Study of Lucid Dreaming

Lucid dreams began to be studied from a psychological and scientific point of view at the end of the 19th century, but a qualitative leap occurred only in the early 2000s - it was then that large-scale experiments were carried out to identify all the features of the borderline state.

It has been scientifically proven that in a certain time period of the REM sleep phase, the human brain works atypically: the dorsolateral portion of the prefrontal cortex, usually responsible for consciousness, is quickly activated, its alpha rhythms are partially combined with the gamma component - the patient sees a lucid dream and can control it . This process usually lasts from a few seconds to 15 minutes.

The modern leader in the study of the processes of such dreams is Stephen Laberge, as well as a number of followers (Allan Hobson, the Max Planck Society, Patricia Garfield, etc.), under the auspices of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. In Russia, only a few enthusiasts are involved in the issue - for example, Mikhail Raduga.

Thanks to modern equipment, scientists have accurately identified the signs of a lucid dream and even learned to communicate with the dreamer. The next promising step is awareness of the underlying causes of the borderline state and the development of a universal, reliable method for controlling entry into a lucid dream.

Are there differences between lucid dreams and out-of-body experiences?

In the modern interpretation, there is no difference between these states - they are all formed in the REM sleep phase, potentiated by the same methods, and are associated with a partial cessation of information entering the brain through classical sensory channels.

The difference is noticeable only for a person experiencing such borderline states - if a lucid dream, as a rule, brings pleasure and delight, then the illusion of leaving the body is often frightening and occurs against the background of sleep paralysis. Despite this, out-of-body experiences are still considered a variation of lucid dreaming.

Lucid dreaming is the most impressive“life hack” that I came across. Firstly, this skill allowed me to gain a very interesting experience. Secondly, it turned out to be really useful. Thirdly, it challenges the philistine view of the world. And finally, lucid dreaming is an absolutely real skill that you can learn on your own.

Are you ready to hack the matrix of the universe and erase stereotypes of thinking? See how deep the rabbit hole is? Then you can start with lucid dreams!

What is a lucid dream

A lucid dream is a dream in which a person clearly, 100% understands that he is actually sleeping in a bed, and the whole world around him is built in his imagination. By the way, this is an absolutely real world, sometimes it seems even more real than “real” reality. When a person finds himself in a lucid dream, he can stop the game based on the plot of the dream (stop to react on the plot) and start a new game that interests him (start acting proactively). For example - to fly.

Most people have never experienced lucid dreams and have no idea what they are capable of. For some people, on the contrary, it is absolutely natural to dream with the understanding that it is a dream, but they do not use this knowledge in any way. And only a small proportion of people who intentionally train this skill are able to experience lucid dreaming to the fullest extent.

To date, the earliest mention of lucid dreams is in the 8th century Tibetan manuscript “The Yoga of the Dream State.” And the works of Carlos Castaneda gave lucid dreams wide popularity.

Until recently, only philosophy, religion and mysticism dealt with lucid dreaming. But in the 20th century science came to this area. And here's what science has been able to find out:

They exist

Stephen Laberge, the scientific “discoverer” of lucid dreams, conducted a very interesting experiment to prove that they exist.

It turns out that during sleep, most of the muscles in a person are blocked in order to avoid the dangers of “sleepwalking.” In a dream, a person walks in a “mental” body, but the physical body remains motionless. Except for one important muscle group: the eyes continue to move.

During the experiment, it was agreed with the subject: when he finds himself in a lucid dream, he will stop and do a special exercise with his eyes: several movements up and down, left and right, around, etc.

While the person was sleeping and the brain sensors recorded the state of sleep, the eye movement sensors recorded exactly the movements that the subject should have made. When he woke up, he confirmed that he had experienced a lucid dream and completed the required exercise.

After the experiment was repeated several times in different variations, there was no doubt left: a person in a dream can be aware of himself and show free will. Lucid dreams exist.

Why do we need an OS?

My main motivation for lucid dreaming was to have an interesting experience, although I have since discovered much more exciting benefits.

• Flying. The first thing I do when I find myself in a lucid dream is I walk through the nearest wall and fly upward. Yes, I love to fly. And although I cannot do this in our world, my experience of flying in lucid dreams is no different from reality. This is an absolutely real flight in an absolutely real world. Indescribable feelings! So my childhood dream came true: I learned to fly, and I can do it almost every night.
• Sex. Even though not everyone will approve of this paragraph, I can’t help but say something about sex. And although I like sex in real life much more, I can absolutely frankly say: sex in lucid dreams exists. All it takes is intention and a little imagination.
• A game. The secret of lucid dreams is that all thoughts materialize. Instantly. This means that I can play any game if I want to. Move an object with your mind. Create a different landscape. Teleport. Call an interesting person and talk to him. Write a poem. It all depends on my imagination.

Physical training in lucid dreams gives equivalent results to real training. The impulses sent by the brain during lucid dreams allow you to train muscle strength, as well as mechanical memory: for example, driving a car or juggling balls.

The most important thing that the skill of lucid dreaming gave me was that I saw the real power of beliefs. I repeat - in lucid dreams thoughts materialize instantly. These beliefs can become both a source of development and anchors that hold our consciousness in a sea of ​​stereotypes.

In one of my lucid dreams, I taught my wife how to fly in her sleep. At the same time, if I had simply made the decision “she can fly,” we would have enjoyed flying together. Unfortunately, I only realized this after I woke up. My “knowing” that she had not previously flown in lucid dreams shaped my view of the world and limited my reality. Although I could easily leave this unnecessary “baggage of knowledge” and create another reality where everyone can fly. How often such “knowledge” prevents us from moving forward in the real world. (Hint: that's what there is for)

Stephen Laberge gives a great example. One woman practiced lucid dreaming and in her notes confirmed the experiment conducted on herself and her students. If you look in the mirror during a lucid dream and say your name, the dream ends instantly. Stephen treated this information with a grain of salt, and when he looked in the mirror in a dream and called his name, nothing happened. From this he concludes: the reality of dreams reflects our beliefs. What you believe in is what you get.

As Henry Ford said “ If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.“. However, he was talking about our reality. And honestly, I trust this man. And also my experience. Lucid dreams make it possible to deeply feel the power of beliefs in “your own skin.”

After I've had enough of lucid dreams, I begin to ask myself the question: what useful things can I do for my consciousness? Improve the reality that I created with the power of my imagination? Solve any problems? Learn something useful?

And although I (still) wake up to such questions, they have already appeared. This time.

Second, I felt a huge difference between reactive and proactive consciousness. Self-awareness in a dream provides a very clear contrast between two states of consciousness: in the first I am a participant, in the second I am a creator. Of course, we live in /this/ world, but it is worth experiencing a lucid dream once to feel how limitless our possibilities for proactive behavior are. And use this awareness as a powerful source of motivation and a compass pointing the direction of development.

Finally, lucid dreaming allows for a powerful leap in the level of consciousness in the mental world. Just seeing a dream or “waking up” in a dream and becoming its creator. Just live, or become an active creator in this world.

To summarize the use of lucid dreams, I can say that it is:

A source of unforgettable impressions;

A testing ground for developing skills and solving creative problems;

One big, fat clue about how it works this world.

How to learn to lucid dream

Learning to lucid dream is fairly easy, although it does take some time. Learning this skill took me about a month of not very hard training.

The most important thing for lucid dreaming is to hold the intention to learn lucid dreams for several weeks. In other words, think about lucid dreams as much as possible. To do this, you can intentionally create an environment or rituals that will bring you back to the idea of ​​lucid dreams. For example, read books about operating systems every day.

The second thing you should pay close attention to is remembering and recording your dreams. I propose to solve the problem: if a person dreams 5% of lucid dreams, and he can remember 0% of his dreams, then how many lucid dreams can he remember? Answer: 0. Therefore, it is extremely important to develop the skill of remembering dreams. To do this, just put a notepad and pen next to your bed and every night write down all the dreams that you can remember.

The third and final thing to consider is to develop critical thinking to periodically ask yourself whether this is a dream or reality. Problem: if a person asked himself in reality 0 times during the course of a month whether he was sleeping or not, then what is the probability that he will ask himself this question during sleep? Almost zero. In fact, there are special exercises for this (for example, in the book “The World of Lucid Dreaming”).

So, to learn to lucid dream, you need to:

– Think a lot about lucid dreams;

– Write down your dreams;

– Do reality testing exercises.

This article contains less than 10% of the information for mastering the skill of lucid dreaming (although I hope the most important 10%). Therefore, I can advise you to collect information from all sources in order to be sure to learn this skill.

How I learned to lucid dream:

I spent about an hour a day reading books about lucid dreaming and studying websites dedicated to the subject.

The notepad next to my bed made me think about lucid dreams every night as I fell asleep.

I began a 30-day experiment of recording my dreams daily. On average, I was able to remember 1.5 dreams per day. In addition to recording the plot of the dream, I sketched a map of the area where they took place. It turns out that many dreams take place in the same territory, but that's a completely different story :-).

I did some reality testing exercises from Stephen Laberge's books. My favorite sleep test is to read the same text twice in a row. In a dream, there is a rule that seems to work for everyone: it is impossible to read the same text twice: the letters and numbers begin to jump.

I also analyzed the recorded dreams and found several personal patterns that often occur in dreams, but never in reality.

My first lucid dream ended within a couple of seconds of being “lucid,” but I soon learned to be in lucid dreams for several minutes.

Criticism of lucid dreams

Here are a couple of common reviews from people who have never experienced OS.

1) “A person can stop being interested in real life and start living in his dream world“. In fact, you can just as easily become addicted to food and become a glutton and glutton. But this doesn’t mean never trying pamello, ostrich egg omelette or Paraguayan lapacho? Although if you don’t trust yourself, it’s better not to try. Some people don’t trust themselves to get behind the wheel of a car - and that’s okay, they live :) So if you have a head on your shoulders, decide for yourself. I have not observed such a dependence either in myself (ok, I don’t count :) or in friends who have learned to lucid dream.

2) I have two friends who are very afraid of sleep-related experiments. “ This can disrupt the functioning of the subconscious“. “In sleep, the brain should rest, but you force it to work”, etc. However, I am used to trusting facts and my experience, and not unfounded fears. For example, during the REM phase, the brain works independently of my awareness, and after a lucid dream I always feel alert, rested and full of energy.

Therefore, if you feel that lucid dreams can be beneficial, trust your intuition. If you have doubts, do not be lazy to turn on logic 100% and sort them out in order to understand what they are based on: facts or stereotypes.

Finally, I propose to answer the question: “can I do anything more useful in my sleep?”

Helpful information:

Morning

There are two main stages of sleep. During the “deep sleep” phase, a person sleeps deeply and does not dream, the “clock frequency” of the brain is very low, 1-4 Hz (see). (If a person is woken up at this time, he will be inadequate for some time and will not immediately realize where he is). During the REM sleep phase, the frequency of the brain increases and a person dreams. Externally, this phase is easy to determine by the movement of the eyes of a sleeping person. During the night, a person enters the REM sleep phase more than five times (which means he dreams more than 5 dreams), and as the morning approaches, the REM sleep phases become longer. Lucid dreams most often appear closer to the morning, provided that the person has already had enough sleep.

Caffeine

Caffeine typically prolongs deep sleep and shortens REM sleep, which means it reduces the likelihood of lucid dreams. For me this is true, however, I have also met opposite reviews. Therefore, I will focus on the statement: caffeine can influence the likelihood of lucid dreams in one direction or another.

“Focus 10”

The Monroe Institute patented HemiSync technology, based on, and recorded a special music track called “Focus 10”. Focus 10 allows you to use sounds to adjust your brain to a frequency that corresponds to lucid dreams (the body is asleep, the brain is awake). This significantly increases the likelihood of experiencing a lucid dream, especially for those who have never experienced them before. Optimal use of “Focus-10”: go to bed early, get up early, stay up for about an hour, lie down again, put on headphones, fall asleep and listen. Let me remind you that HemiSync only works with headphones.

False awakening

Most lucid dreams can be caught during what is called a “false awakening.” A false awakening is a dream in which a person wakes up and gets out of bed. Therefore, if you do a dream/reality check while waking up, you can find yourself in a lucid dream. For me, this is especially true when using binaural beats: if I take off my headphones with hemisink, then the probability that this is a dream is 50%.