The ability to have lucid dreams may be within the reach of most human beings. Research on individual differences has not turned up any factors of personality or cognitive ability that substantially predict lucid dreaming frequency. So far, the only strong predictor of frequent lucid dreaming is high dream recall. This is good news for would-be lucid dreamers, because it is fairly easy to increase dream recall
How long does it take? The answer, or course, is that it varies depending on the individual. How well does the person recall dreams? How much time is available for practicing mental exercises? Does the person use a lucid dream induction device? Does the person practice diligently? Is the person's critical thinking well developed? And so on. Case histories may provide a more tangible picture of the process of learning lucid dreaming. Dr. LaBerge increased his frequency of lucid dreaming from about one per month to up to four a night (at which point he could have lucid dreams on demand) over the course of three years. He was studying lucid dreaming for his doctoral dissertation and therefore needed to learn to have them on demand as quickly as possible. On the other hand, he had to invent techniques for improving lucid dreaming skills. Thus, people starting now, although they may not be as strongly motivated as LaBerge, have the advantage of well-developed techniques, complete training programs, and electronic biofeedback aids that have been created in the 16 years since LaBerge began his studies.
Lynne Levitan, staff writer for NightLight, describes her experiences with learning lucid dreaming as follows: "I first heard of lucid dreaming in April of 1982, when I took a course from Dr. LaBerge at Stanford University. I had had the experience many years before and was very interested to learn to do it again, as well as to get involved in the research. First I had to develop my dream recall, because at the time I only remembered two or three dreams per week. In a couple of months I was recalling 3 to 4 or more per night, and in July (about three months after starting) I had my first lucid dream since adolescence. I worked at it on and off for the next four years (not sleeping much as a student) and reached the level of 3 to 4 lucid dreams per week. Along the way, I tested several prototypes of the DreamLight lucid dream induction device and it clearly helped me become more proficient at realizing when I was dreaming. In the first two years we were developing the DreamLight, I had lucid dreams on half of the nights I used one of these devices, compared to once a week or less without. In considering how long it took me to get really good at lucid dreaming, note that I did not have the benefit of the thoroughly studied and explained techniques now available either, because the research had not yet been done nor the material written. Therefore, people now should be able to accomplish the same learning in far less time, of course, given sufficient motivation."
Developing Dream Recall
As mentioned above, the most important prerequisite for learning lucid dreaming is excellent dream recall. There are probably two reasons for this. One is that if you do not remember your dreams, you are unable to study them to discover what about them could help you realize that you are not awake. Another is that you might have lucid dreams without knowing it, because you do not remember them.
The procedure for improving your dream recall is fully detailed in EWLD, and A Course in Lucid Dreaming (see below) as well as many other books on dreams. The core exercise is keeping a dream journal, and writing down everything you recall about your dreams, no matter how fragmentary. You must not wait until morning to take notes on dreams recalled in the middle of the night because, no matter how clear they are at the time, they are apt to disappear entirely from your memory by the time you get up in the morning. You also should write them down first thing in the morning, before you even think about anything else. In A Course in Lucid Dreaming we advise that people build their dream recall to at least one per night before proceeding onto lucid dream induction techniques.
Another dream-recall related exercise introduced in EWLD, and further developed in A Course in Lucid Dreaming is identifying "dreamsigns." This is a word coined by LaBerge referring to elements of dreams that indicate that you are dreaming. (Examples: miraculous flight, purple cats, malfunctioning devices, and meeting deceased people.) By studying your dreams you can become familiar with your own personal dreamsigns and set your mind to recognize them and become lucid in future dreams. The course also provides exercises for practicing noticing dreamsigns while you are awake, so that the skill carries over into your dreams. This exercise also relates to lucid dream induction devices, which give sensory cues--special, artificially-produced dreamsigns--while you are dreaming. To succeed at recognizing these cues, you need to practice looking for them and recognizing them while you are awake
Learn Lucid Dreaming
|