Lucid dream
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A lucid dream is usually defined as a dream in which you are aware that you are dreaming. Once you become aware that you are dreaming, you can do anything imaginable. Uses of lucid dreaming include confronting fears, problem solving and just having fun.
Some people have lucid dreams without any effort. Most people have had them in their childhood. However for most adults some active participation is required in order to experience lucid dreams with any regularity.
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[edit] History
In early ages of history, lucid dreams were usually dealt with a lot of mysticism, and were usually associated with divine revelations. Actually, indian shamans would be recognised by them having a lucid dream, as it was associated with the spiritual world. Further on, Tibetan Buddhists were practising a form of yoga responsible for making a person stay conscious while dreaming. The first person to use the term "lucid dreaming" was the psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden, describing them as when someone would have the insight of being dreaming.
[edit] Induction methods
See full article: Induction techniques
Several techniques have been developed by the dreaming community. They can belong to two different categories: the wake initiated and the dream initiated. Finally, there are the aid techniques, which are combined with others for best results.
[edit] Wake Initiated
These techniques will lead to a lucid dream directly from the waking state. They mostly consists of staying conscious until the dream starts. They are harder to master, but worth it, as you can then induce a lucid dream at will.
The most known techniques on this section are:
- Wake Initiated Lucid Dream (WILD)
- Visually Incubated Lucid Dream (VILD)
- Finger Induced Lucid Dream (FILD, also known as Hargart's Induction of Lucid Dreams or HILD)
- Hypnagogic Imagery Technique (HIT)
- Dream chaining (also known as Dream Exit Initiated Lucid Dream, or DEILD)
[edit] Dream Initiated
These techniques are only applicable for becoming lucid when you are already dreaming. They mostly consists of recognising the dream state by questioning reality.
The most known techniques on this section are:
- Dream Initiated Lucid Dream (DILD)
- Light Initiated Lucid Dream (LILD)
Spontaneous lucidity also falls under this category.
[edit] Aid techniques
These techniques do not belong to any particular section, and work only as an "aid" for other techniques. they can be combined with other techniques for better results, or just performed alone.
The most known techniques on this section are:
- Hypnosis Induced Lucid Dream (HILD)
- Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD)
- Wake Back To Bed technique (WBTB)
[edit] Lucid dreams in popular culture
There are not a lot of movies, TV shows, or Documentaries that involve lucid dreaming. A few movies that have lucid dream like content are: The Matrix, Mirror Mask, What dream may come, and Waking Life. Out of those movies, only Waking Life uses the words lucid dreaming. The only documentary on lucid dreaming is called Explorers of the Lucid Dream World [1]. Despite the fact that lucid dreaming is a profound state of consciousness, and is a metaphor for enlightenment, or spiritual awakening, it does not hold much of a presences in popular culture.
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