| Lucid dreaming is the ability to remain consciously | | | | in the dream state has a profound effect on our |
| aware while dreaming. It was not until the late 20th | | | | waking level of anxiety. |
| century that mainstream psychology acknowledged | | | | Adventure and Fantasy |
| that this apparent contradiction was in fact possible. | | | | Obviously, if you can choose what's going to happen in |
| While a few lucky people have a natural gift for lucid | | | | your dreams, the sky's the limit. Want to soar above |
| dreaming, for most of us this is a skill that must be | | | | Pandora with the characters of Avatar? Want to go |
| acquired over time. Let's take a look at some of the | | | | on the perfect date with the man or woman of your |
| great reasons why it's well worth the effort to learn | | | | dreams? Want to be President Lincoln during the Civil |
| how to lucid dream. | | | | War? We spend almost one third of our lives asleep; |
| Overcome Nightmares | | | | why not have something exciting to look forward to? |
| The limitless creativity of the human mind in the | | | | Creativity and Problem-Solving |
| dreaming state exposes us to the risk that our | | | | Creative geniuses like Thomas Edison and William |
| greatest fears can be played out in excruciatingly vivid | | | | Wordsworth reaped the benefits of the creative |
| detail. It is no wonder that we wake up screaming in | | | | potential of the dream state. Edison deliberately took |
| terror, drenched in cold sweat when our dreaming self | | | | naps and wrote down the ideas that came to him. The |
| is utterly convinced that the malevolent being that has | | | | dreaming mind has vast resources at its disposal; |
| been chasing us through the woods has finally caught | | | | imagine being able to tap into them any time you |
| us; that the black widow spider in our closet really is | | | | needed guidance on the solution to a problem. Learning |
| three-feet across; that our parents have been plotting | | | | to lucid dream is the gateway to this treasure trove of |
| to kill us for years. Whatever it is that lurks in the | | | | ideas. |
| darkest recesses of your psyche, you know you're | | | | Mental Rehearsal |
| going to have to meet it head on several nights a year. | | | | Top athletes and performers know that mentally |
| But what if you were no longer just a passenger in | | | | practicing a perfect performance increases their |
| your dreams? What if you could actually change | | | | chances for a successful outcome. In the dream state |
| course? | | | | this exercise is enormously powerful, for the |
| Lucid dreaming gives you an opportunity to confront | | | | neurological pathways required for actual performance |
| those fears head on, safe in the knowledge that you | | | | are all working just as they would in waking life. Lucid |
| are only dreaming and that no harm can come to you. | | | | dreaming is the ultimate way to program yourself to |
| Non-Western cultures like the Australian Aborigines | | | | succeed. |
| and the Senoi of Malaysia have long attached great | | | | Out-of-Body Experiences |
| importance to resolving personal issues in the | | | | Although we are now flirting with the paranormal |
| dreamworld. Modern psychologists differ on the | | | | phenomena of astral projection and remote viewing, |
| approaches you can take here. Some advocate | | | | out-of-body experiences (OBEs) are well-documented. |
| outright conflict with your demons, noting that monsters | | | | They are perhaps the most profound experiences we |
| often change into harmless creatures when you stand | | | | can have as human beings. And the research is |
| up to them. Others prefer a conciliatory approach, a | | | | conclusive that lucid dreamers are far more likely to |
| kind of "dream diplomacy." Either way, eliminating fears | | | | have OBEs. |