I suppose the first thing I should do is explain exactly what lucid dreaming is for those who may not know.
In a nutshell, lucid dreaming occurs when the dreamer becomes aware that he/she is dreaming. If you are just now learning about lucid dreaming this may not mean much to you.
Think about your dreams. Usually you exist in your dreams as a fairly passive participant. You go along with the plot and don't really think about the strangeness of what's going on. You just accept it as normal.
Now imagine coming to the realization that you are dreaming when you notice that something doesn't make sense in your dream. You are sitting in your old high school classroom even though you're 40 years old or you realize that you are talking to a friend who is deceased. All of a sudden you become consciously aware and the dream environment is practically as real as if you were awake. You can feel the air on your skin. You can choose to take a bite of a cookie. You can ask people in your dreams questions you prepared while awake.
Think of how you feel right now. You're probably sitting at a computer and everything around you is clear. You can feel the weight of your laptop on your legs. You may be sipping on a drink. You are aware enough to do anything you want to do. You can have the same feeling in a lucid dream.
Not so fast, though. Achieving lucidity can be a feat in itself and there are many techniques out there for aspiring lucid dreamers to try. With future posts I'll cover the methods I know of but they are also available at any lucid dreaming forum. For many it takes constant practice and trial and error to enter a lucid dream or even maintain it for more than a few seconds. As I mentioned in my previous post, some people are still trying to get lucid after months and years of attempts.
My very first lucid dream was quite short. I found myself in a street where people were walking all around me. For whatever reason, I realized I was dreaming and I became present in the dream. It was amazing. I did a reality check, poking my finger through my hand, and I became lucidly aware of what was going on. Immediately I could feel my clothes on my skin and I consciously looked around at my environment. I remember this dream being kind of foggy and "mushy"---looking back, things didn't feel so sharp--however, since then I've had a few lucid dreams that were very vivid and clear.
So, do you think you want to be a lucid dreamer?
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