Lucid dreams: 4 secrets to learning to control them

Dreaming is a complex and fascinating field. In general, it is intriguing because the scenarios that are built in our mind are suggested by the unconscious. Images, characters and situations come to us without us having a say. However, there is another type of dream, lucid dreaming. Tristan Moir, psychoanalyst and specialist in the language of dreams, defines it as follows: “it is the act of becoming aware of one’s dream. The dreamer takes a step back, and does not lose his critical sense.”

Lucid dreaming appears during paradoxical sleep, the last stage of the cycle and therefore close to waking up. During this phase, the difference between dream and reality can become disturbing. “The end of the cycle is the most important phase of the dream, those that we remember best come from this moment” explains the psychoanalyst.

Most of the time, lucid dreaming manifests itself spontaneously but varies depending on the person. For Tiphaine, 20, a communications student, it’s an innate ability: “I’ve been having lucid dreams since childhood, I didn’t know what it was at the time then I understood later in doing research.” Fanny, 22, a law student, has also always had the ability to know that she was dreaming. In his case, it is his mental state at the moment which influences his way of dreaming: “I noticed that this often happened to me in times of stress because my sleep is very light in these moments”.

How do these dreamers realize that they are not in reality but in a dream? According to Tristan Moir, it is the “content of the dream” or “its recurrence, if it is anxiety-provoking”, which alerts them. Camille, a 22-year-old journalism student, notices this when the contrast between her waking life and her dream is too great: “If my personal situation – awake – is distressing but everything is perfectly fine in my dream, I find that it’s is too good to be true. » As a result, she realizes that it is a dream.

The person’s critical sense is preserved during a lucid dream. Tiphaine understands that she is dreaming by observing her environment: “I notice that the way I see the people and the images around me seems false. » As a child, a method made her realize that she was dreaming: “When I was little, I pinched myself but I didn’t feel anything, that’s when I understood that I was in a lucid dream. »

While it occurs naturally for most dreamers, it can be induced by using techniques like “induction” before sleep. A notion mentioned in the work of Carlos CastanedaThe Art of Dreaming: The Four Doors to Perceiving the Universewhich consists of suggesting images to our brain. If you want to dream of a particular person, it is better to “think of their face rather than associating it with their first name” explains Tristan Moir. This method can be practiced for one to two weeks for it to be effective. It is best to add “deep breaths to relax your mind” before sleeping.

In addition, it is possible to switch to lucid dreaming “after a return to paradoxical sleep following a brief awakening” according to the analysis of Stephen LaBerge, founder of the Lucidity Institute, a sleep research center at Stanford University. – relayed by the Lyon neuroscience research center. Simply, it would be enough to wake us up, using an alarm, and suddenly go back to sleep in order to voluntarily plunge back into paradoxical sleep.

“Memorizing an object before going to bed in order to find it in the dream” or “looking at your hands” once immersed in the dream are also possible techniques. And it works! Many people use it to fuel their fantasies… of all kinds: erotic or even professional. Tristan Moir confirms this: lucid dreaming is currently “trendy” but it is above all a kind of “escape from reality”…

If the individual is aware that he is in a dream, he remains more or less passive in the face of the situation. He can, in a certain case, observe the images unfolding without trying to intervene. Esther, 21, explains: “If I like what is happening, then I let things happen. » In another case, the notion of “control” of the dream comes into play. The young woman adds: “If the dream becomes disturbing, I rework it in my own way by rewinding the scenes. »

For these lucid dreamers, controlling your dream is natural. It’s not about thinking, it’s innate. Camille says: “When I want something very badly, it happens. I understand that I have power over myself and I do what I want. » She qualifies: “If I happen to be able to read thoughts in a lucid dream, I can only very rarely create an unrealistic situation, they must be achievable acts”.

4. Provoke introspection

The feeling of being able to accomplish what you want without worry seems to be the reason why dreamers appreciate this lucidity of sleep. During her childhood, Tiphaine was the perfect student, wise, never going beyond the limits. The lucid dream then allowed him to free himself from orders: “I remember this dream where I was in primary school; I got up, left the class, I made a fuss because I didn’t fear punishment, while remaining aware that in reality I was sleeping.

Innate or induced by training, lucid dreaming is accessible to everyone and can take us through the situations we want. It can also allow us to learn more about ourselves. Dreams, in general, allow a certain introspection if we analyze them using a dream dictionary. So, are you ready to daydream?

References:

Tristan Moir, psychoanalyst and dream language specialist

Carlos Castaneda, The art of dreaming: the four doors to the perception of the universe (Editions du Rocher)

The art of directing your dreams, Stephen LaBerge Science and Future Special Edition Le Rêve Dec. 96