How to Lucid Dream: Proven Tips and Tricks for Everyone
Anyone can learn how to lucid dream. While it is a difficult skill to learn, it is entirely possible. Learning to lucid dreaming is rare, but with commitment, curiosity, and the right techniques, you can start having frequent lucid dreams.
Once lucid, the dream world becomes even more vivid and detailed. With time, you can control your dreams by shifting the scenery, manifesting characters, and performing dream actions like flying, wish fulfillment, and high-performance skill training. As soon as you start your journey you will begin to unlock the benefits of lucid dreaming.
In this guide, you will find clear and practical steps to help you begin your lucid dreaming journey–from simple habits like keeping a dream journal to proven techniques like MILD and WBTB. These practices have helped countless dreamers achieve lucidity. Note that learning to lucid dream is easiest when approached with genuine curiosity, a playful mindset, and patience.
Let's dive in and get ready to wake up within your dreams.
How to Have Lucid Dreams
Here are effective techniques to help you start having lucid dreams.
Keep a Dream Journal
Keeping a dream journal to improve dream recall is a foundational technique of lucid dreaming. Everyone dreams every night, but often we don't remember our dreams. Writing down dreams allows us to hold the memory and build a familiarity with the dream world.
It is almost impossible to learn to lucid dream without developing intimate familiarity with the dream world. For many people, this step is all it takes to have a lucid dream. Consistent dream journaling and performing reality checks led me to have early success with lucid dreaming. Once we know what our dreams look like, it becomes easier to recognize the dream world when we see it.
Taking this step further, consider keeping a record of personal dream signs. These are recurring characters, events, or patterns serving as a signal to realize that you are dreaming.
Perform State Tests and Reality Checks
Another key practice to help you achieve lucidity while dreaming is forming the habit of questioning reality by performing state tests. A state test (also referred to as a “reality check”) is a simple, convenient, and reliable way to find out if you are dreaming.
One good example of a reality check is looking at a symbol twice and seeing if it changes.
Look at the symbol, look away, imagine a new symbol replacing what was once there, and then look back at the symbol to see if it has changed. If the symbol changes, you are almost certainly dreaming. You can use a clock, the time on your phone, a physical sign, or even just a shape on the wall. Another effective state test is to try to fly or levitate. If you start flying, then you are almost certainly dreaming.
State tests and reality checks need to be sincere. A common pitfall for beginning lucid dreamers is to feel uncomfortable performing the state test and give up early. You are training yourself to perform these tests while in the dream world, so you want to truly follow through. When you perform a state test, genuinely ask yourself, could this be a dream?
Reality checks should be convenient so that you perform them often. They should also be reliable so that you clearly know whether or not you are in a dream. Design your own state tests, or try one of our recommendations from the Shape app.
Use a Technique for Inducing Lucid Dreams
To increase your chances of having a lucid dream, combine dream recall and reality checks with a lucid dreaming technique.
Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD)
Research shows that MILD is one of the most effective methods for inducing lucid dreams. It was developed by Stephen LaBerge, a pioneer in lucid dreaming research.
Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams is a prospective memory technique for forming an intention to remember that you are dreaming. You then follow through with this intention in the dream state. Just as someone reminds themselves to do a chore or be somewhere at a certain time, MILD can help lucid dreamers realize that they are dreaming and perform targeted dream actions.
The first step in performing the MILD technique is to create an intention. Intentions should be concise and simple, clearly stating an outcome. For example, “I will realize that I am dreaming," is a classic MILD intention.
To build upon the intention, visualize and rehearse it. Use your imagination to create a dream scene in which you are lucid. Refine the details to include not just visuals but also sounds and smells. Increasing the detail of the imagined scene and events further strengthens the mnemonic effect.
Practice the MILD technique before going to bed and upon awakening between sleep cycles. Keep repeating your intention and visualization until you fall asleep. It should be the last thing on your mind.
MILD is compatible with other lucid dreaming techniques, including Wake-Back-to-Bed.
Wake-Back-to-Bed (WBTB)
Wake-Back-to-Bed is another reliable technique to trigger a lucid dream.
Set an alarm to go off between sleep cycles, stay awake for 20-30 minutes to become fully conscious, and then go back to sleep with the strong intention of having a lucid dream. The ideal time for the WBTB alarm will vary from one person to another. Try setting it to go off two hours before your usual wake-up time or use a sleep tracker or dream analysis tool to detect peak dream time.
Stay awake for at least 20 minutes. Read from your dream journal, examine your dream signs, and meditate. As you fall asleep, commit to realizing that you are dreaming.
By staying awake for 20 minutes or longer, you are activating the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for rational decision-making, conscientious thought, and regulating experience. When this part of the brain lights up, it becomes increasingly likely to have a lucid dream.
Consider Herbs and Substances to Induce Lucid Dreams
Being consistent in the tips discussed so far is enough to lucid dream. It may take longer so be patient before considering this next option. If you are still not having any luck, some herbs can induce lucid dreams. These substances include Alzheimer’s drugs such as galantamine and huperzine A. Galantamine has proven to improve dream recall and cognitive clarity.
Melatonin supplements can also promote vivid dreams and better dream recall which can help with lucid dreaming; however we advise being extremely cautious when taking any drug that interferes with your normal sleep.
Be sure to talk to your first before taking anything to induce lucid dreams, especially if you have an underlying condition. Lean toward caution.
Tips and Tricks to Have a Lucid Dream Easily
Practice becoming lucid while falling asleep: as you go to bed each night, prime your mind for lucidity by reading about lucid dreams, listening to Shape's audio guides, or just contemplating lucid dreaming. This makes it more likely that you will recognize the dream state later that night.
Make meditation a habit: Meditating dramatically improves the self-reflection and self-control necessary to recognize the dream world and then actively participate in it.
Sleep more: By sleeping longer each night, you are increasing your time spent in REM, thus increasing your exposure to lucid dreaming.
Seek novel experiences: Taking a different path on your daily commute, trying out a new sport or activity, attending a dance class, talking to new people, and other novel experiences boosts neuroplasticity and aids the brain as it forms new connections, making it easier to recognize dreams and react to our dreams in new ways.
Be consistent and patient: We have seen people ask, “How can I lucid dream right now” or “How to lucid dream tonight”. While the enthusiasm is admirable and oftentimes helpful, it is important to understand that lucid dreaming is a technique you need to learn with dedicated time and effort. It may not happen as soon as you want it to but with commitment you will make progress.
Overcoming Common Challenges When Trying to Lucid Dream
As you learn how to lucid dream, you may encounter several challenges. Here is how to overcome the most common ones.
Difficulty Having Your First Lucid Dream
Some people can start to lucid dream immediately while it may take others longer to finally master the practice. Do not give up. Instead of being frustrated, enjoy the experience. The early phases of learning to lucid dream can be some of the most fruitful, even before a lucid dream even occurs. For example, most lucid dreamers go through a period of wildly increasing open-mindedness. Savor this part of the journey!
As you practice dream recall, be curious about the dreams you can remember, read your dream journal often, and identify patterns. Keep familiarizing yourself with your dreams.
You could also try tweaking the techniques to better suit you. For instance, some beginners have tweaked WILD, an advanced but powerful technique, to quickly trigger lucid dreams.
Fear of Sleep Paralysis
Many lucid dreaming beginners are afraid of sleep paralysis. You may experience it while trying to get a lucid dream, especially using WILD. It may be unpleasant but it is normal and completely harmless. Breathe and relax through it. You can also wiggle your toes to wake up if you find it too uncomfortable.
Dealing with False Awakenings
A false awakening is when you believe you are awake but you are still sleeping. You may see yourself get up, do a chore or something you normally do while awake, and then you actually wake up and realize it was a dream.
Lucid dreamers are more likely to have false awakenings compared to non-lucid dreamers. New lucid dreamers can get too excited when they enter a lucid dream which may trigger a false awakening. Always perform reality checks to confirm whether or not you are dreaming.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Lucid Dream
How Can I Guarantee a Lucid Dream?
Practice dream recall and perform reality checks, then combine that with a powerful lucid dreaming technique like MILD. If you are consistent you will eventually trigger a lucid dream. A useful perspective is observing the likelihood of having a lucid dream: while lucid dreaming on command is very advanced, there are a lot of easy ways to dramatically increase the chances of becoming lucid, and since you sleep and dream overnight these improved odds result in more and more lucid dreams.
What Gives You Lucid Dreams?
While some people naturally experience lucid dreams, most people need to develop the technique by boosting dream recall, performing state tests, and performing dream induction techniques like MILD, WILD, or WBTB.
How Do I Lucid Dream?
You can practice the techniques discussed above in any order to start lucid dreaming. However, we recommend starting with keeping a dream journal, practicing state tests, and listening to Shape's audio guides. Later on you can try WBTB as your enthusiasm grows. By starting with the dream journal, you will expand your chances of becoming lucid simply by increasing exposure to the dream world. It's like getting more swings at bat or adding extra fishing lines in the water at once.
As with learning anything, let your enthusiasm guide you. Lucid dreaming can be difficult to learn–so be patient with yourself and have fun. Even when weeks and months go by without a lucid dream, it is still possible to make progress by enhancing dream recall and making your state tests more sincere. If you are dedicated in your efforts and follow the right guidance, you are certain to succeed in your lucid dreaming journey.
