Reread your dream journal frequently. Check for “dream signs,” or repeated themes and objects in your dreams. Memorize the places, objects, characters, and situations that recur in your dreams. Write down your lucid dreams! If you manage to have a lucid dream, whether wake-initiated or dream-initiated, it is especially important to write it down.

Learning this habit will give you a tool you can use to affirm when you are dreaming.

“When I dream, I will remember my dream. " “I’m about to dream. " “I will be lucid in this dream. "

Try going back and forth between picturing your dreams and reciting your affirmation. Be prepared to do this many nights without obvious results. Your initial goal should just be remembering your dreams. Cultivating the habit of lucidity can take months, or longer if you do not normally remember your dreams. [8] X Research source

You need these extra 60 to 90 minutes to help relax your mind and aid in lucid dreaming.

Some people report reading, writing, or meditating of any sort is effective, while others might eat breakfast or snack and have an ordinary morning.

The corpse pose is where you lay on your back, your arms loosely at your sides and your feet shoulder-width apart. Try not to think too much about your pose when laying down. You can to be as comfortable as possible.

Alternatively, try counting yourself to sleep. Say to yourself “One, I’m dreaming, two, I’m dreaming, three…” Another method is to relax each part of your body systematically. Start with one hand or foot and slowly relax each muscle.

Don’t try to create or make up this imagery. Rather than forcing your mind to picture flashing lights, let whatever images your mind decides to create come naturally.

Keep your eyes lightly closed and continue to be attentive to images and sounds from within.

As you picture these details, the dream may feel more realistic. For example, you may feel the cool temperature of the water against your skin.

Lucid dreaming allows you to take control of your dream.
Turning a light on or off is a prime example, but you can also take control of things like physics (i.
e.
pushing your finger through a wall).

Feel for buzzing, numbness, heaviness, or the sensation of falling. A feeling of heaviness or numbness moving up or across your body can also signal the onset of sleep paralysis. Listen for unpleasant or repetitive buzzing or droning. This tinnitus-like auditory hallucination may mean you are falling asleep. [13] X Research source You may hear words, such as your own name, inside yourself or very nearby. Try not to be startled. [14] X Research source

Remind yourself that you are dreaming, nothing can hurt you, and you are in charge. If you are frightened, and embracing your dream isn’t working, try gently wiggling your fingers or toes. [16] X Research source

If there is a presence in the room, tell them you are dreaming and you want to be taken to the dream. [18] X Research source Expect that they will take you, and they will.

If you run into something frightening as you fall asleep or dream, remind yourself that you are a trained dreamer. Wake yourself up if you want. If you are in an out-of-control bad dream and your techniques aren’t working, wake yourself up. Similarly, if you are too frightened by sleep paralysis, wake yourself up. Wiggle your toes and fingers, and try coughing, blinking, and making small movements. [19] X Research source

If you pay attention to the hallucination, you will end up focusing too much on it and wake yourself up. Let whatever it is that you are sensing float towards the background.

If you have an itchy feeling early in your meditation, gently scratch it. As you progress, you will want to avoid waking yourself up with movements. To avoid scratching, detach from the feeling. Imagine it is something else. Visualize the itch as a plant rubbing you, for instance. Don’t open your eyes. You may be tempted to check your progress by looking at a clock or looking around the room. Keep your eyes closed. Your “dream eyes” will open on their own.

If you have been trying many methods, every day and night, try using just one, or none at all, for a few nights. You may be trying too hard.

If you find yourself doubting, waking up, or losing control, focus on the dream. The more you engage with the world you find yourself in, the more you can prolong your lucid dream.