I want to start lucid dreaming. Any good beginner methods?
I've read accounts online of people lucid dreaming and it always sounds so cool. I had a lucid dream once, years ago, but it was accidental and I have no idea what I did to make it happen, nor how to repeat it! Anybody have any good tips?
View hidden comment
There's actually a quick way to learn to lucid dream. Set your alarm 10 to 20 minutes earlier than you normally wake up. When the alarm wakes you up, hit snooze, and have it set to wake you back up at your regular time. Then you have this window where you're going to fall back asleep, but you're not going to go deep enough into delta sleep because delta erases dreams.
So, you are likely going to drift back into a dream-like state, but you're still going to have enough consciousness that you're going to be able to be aware: Oh, this is a dream.
If you start doing this little trick every morning, you're going to get a lucid dream at some point. Then when you get a lucid dream, what you want to do is ask a question.
First of all, explore the dream. Look around at your dreamscape because your subconscious will have created some kind of really cool dreamscape for you to exist in. Then if you see someone or a creature, whatever it is, ask a question.
I always recommend, "What do I need to know right now?" Or you can have fun with it. Say, "What's the meaning of life?"
The character in your dream will answer you. If there's no character in your dream, you can create a character or you can just ask the dream itself. You will get an answer.
View hidden comment
So, you are likely going to drift back into a dream-like state, but you're still going to have enough consciousness that you're going to be able to be aware: Oh, this is a dream.
If you start doing this little trick every morning, you're going to get a lucid dream at some point. Then when you get a lucid dream, what you want to do is ask a question.
First of all, explore the dream. Look around at your dreamscape because your subconscious will have created some kind of really cool dreamscape for you to exist in. Then if you see someone or a creature, whatever it is, ask a question.
I always recommend, "What do I need to know right now?" Or you can have fun with it. Say, "What's the meaning of life?"
The character in your dream will answer you. If there's no character in your dream, you can create a character or you can just ask the dream itself. You will get an answer.
There's a lot of great techniques to lucid dream that can work with different personality styles and dreaming styles.
First, figure out what your "dream personality" is . Some people are very vivid and visual dreamers Some people are very fantastical in the topics they dream about; think unicorns, fairies and the like. Other people are very literal, and dream about things like going to work.
Second, establish a baseline pattern in what you dream about and then notice changes from that pattern. If I've got a collection of dreams, and my dreams usually look this way, but then one dream looks different, that's clinically significant for me as a mental health counselor and a healthcare practitioner. If you get into a consistent habit of trying to remember your dreams and practicing lucidity, both in the dream space and throughout your day, that's going to be really important. It's all about consistency and intention.
Third, the most effective technique I've ever seen is what's called reality testing. Reality testing is getting your mind into the mindset of asking, “Am I in a dream right now?” There are a lot of ways to do this. Some people will close their mouth, hold their nose and try and breathe. And if I can breathe while my mouth is closed, my nose is closed, I'm dreaming, because you can't breathe while your mouth is closed, your nose is closed. I know other people who will press on walls with the full expectation that their hand will go through the wall. And if their hand doesn't go through the wall, then they can think “Well, I can be pretty certain that this is waking reality, not dream reality.” Testing reality and consistency with intention are the two most effective strategies.
View hidden comment
First, figure out what your "dream personality" is . Some people are very vivid and visual dreamers Some people are very fantastical in the topics they dream about; think unicorns, fairies and the like. Other people are very literal, and dream about things like going to work.
Second, establish a baseline pattern in what you dream about and then notice changes from that pattern. If I've got a collection of dreams, and my dreams usually look this way, but then one dream looks different, that's clinically significant for me as a mental health counselor and a healthcare practitioner. If you get into a consistent habit of trying to remember your dreams and practicing lucidity, both in the dream space and throughout your day, that's going to be really important. It's all about consistency and intention.
Third, the most effective technique I've ever seen is what's called reality testing. Reality testing is getting your mind into the mindset of asking, “Am I in a dream right now?” There are a lot of ways to do this. Some people will close their mouth, hold their nose and try and breathe. And if I can breathe while my mouth is closed, my nose is closed, I'm dreaming, because you can't breathe while your mouth is closed, your nose is closed. I know other people who will press on walls with the full expectation that their hand will go through the wall. And if their hand doesn't go through the wall, then they can think “Well, I can be pretty certain that this is waking reality, not dream reality.” Testing reality and consistency with intention are the two most effective strategies.
So first, I’d suggest picking a reality check
—a small behavior you perform several times a day. This becomes a habit. The idea is that eventually, you’ll perform this habit in a dream, and when it doesn’t produce the expected result, you’ll realize you’re dreaming.
A common reality check is looking at your hand and asking, “Am I dreaming?” In dreams, your hand might look see-through or distorted. That moment of recognition helps trigger lucidity. It’s important to choose something personal and meaningful to you. And again, you always pair the habit with the question, “Am I dreaming?”
Another method people use is watching themselves fall asleep, with the intention of staying conscious as they transition into a dream. You can do this by lying down with the intention to stay aware. You might visualize something—like a peaceful place—and keep imagining yourself there as you drift off. The goal is to stay aware enough to transition into a lucid dream.
Try meditating, clearing your mind, or imagining a peaceful, safe space. Walk around that space in your mind while falling asleep. The more detailed your imagined environment, the more it pulls you into a dream state.
You can also set an intention like, “Tonight, I will realize I’m dreaming,” or “When something absurd happens, I’ll know it’s a dream,” “I will know I’m dreaming when something strange happens.” Usually, it’s the absurdity of the dream that triggers lucidity.
View hidden comment
A common reality check is looking at your hand and asking, “Am I dreaming?” In dreams, your hand might look see-through or distorted. That moment of recognition helps trigger lucidity. It’s important to choose something personal and meaningful to you. And again, you always pair the habit with the question, “Am I dreaming?”
Another method people use is watching themselves fall asleep, with the intention of staying conscious as they transition into a dream. You can do this by lying down with the intention to stay aware. You might visualize something—like a peaceful place—and keep imagining yourself there as you drift off. The goal is to stay aware enough to transition into a lucid dream.
Try meditating, clearing your mind, or imagining a peaceful, safe space. Walk around that space in your mind while falling asleep. The more detailed your imagined environment, the more it pulls you into a dream state.
You can also set an intention like, “Tonight, I will realize I’m dreaming,” or “When something absurd happens, I’ll know it’s a dream,” “I will know I’m dreaming when something strange happens.” Usually, it’s the absurdity of the dream that triggers lucidity.
If you train on it, which is not hard to do, and you practice, then you can turn any dream into a lucid dream. A really good way to do it is to set the alarm in the morning, a little bit earlier than you would normally wake up, and then get up and do something like go drink a glass of water or go to the bathroom or walk around a little bit, and then go back to sleep.
View hidden comment
The key component of lucid dreaming is really being able to recognize that you're dreaming. We are designed to forget our dreams and not remember them, so trying to lucid dream is a bit like fighting your biology. You can do it, but it takes time and practice. The goal is to train yourself to recognize that you're dreaming. There is some element of waking yourself up a little bit during the dream so that you are awake enough to know that you're dreaming but not awake enough to end the dream.
People use all kinds of tricks. Look for print. Most people can’t read written things when they dream. Also, you can look for familiar objects. Those will help you realize you’re dreaming if you inspect them closely enough. There are also devices you can buy that shine gentle red light behind your eyes when they detect eye movement (which means you’re in a deep sleep), which may help bring you into partial consciousness. Good luck!
View hidden comment
People use all kinds of tricks. Look for print. Most people can’t read written things when they dream. Also, you can look for familiar objects. Those will help you realize you’re dreaming if you inspect them closely enough. There are also devices you can buy that shine gentle red light behind your eyes when they detect eye movement (which means you’re in a deep sleep), which may help bring you into partial consciousness. Good luck!
For me, lucid dreaming was basically impossible until I fixed my sleep hygiene. I was going to bed at random times, drinking before bed, and staring at my phone before falling asleep. I just wasn’t getting the kind of rest where lucid dreaming was possible. If you’re going to try lucid dreaming but you don’t have a healthy relationship with sleep yet, I’d fix that first.
View hidden comment
Any suggestions for someone with ADHD who struggles with focus? My mind often wanders when I am trying to go to sleep and I have trouble focusing on specific thoughts, like remembering to try reality testing or events I want to have happen in my dreams.
View hidden comment
It gets easier to remember to do reality tests if you get into the habit of doing them. You may find it helpful to tie your reality tests with things that happen frequently throughout the day. Here are some examples of when you could do a reality test:
- Every time you walk through a doorway
- Every hour (some alarms will beep on the hour) / every time you check the time
- Every time you get the urge to check your phone
- First thing in the morning when you wake up + right before you go to bed
View hidden comment
- Every time you walk through a doorway
- Every hour (some alarms will beep on the hour) / every time you check the time
- Every time you get the urge to check your phone
- First thing in the morning when you wake up + right before you go to bed
I have gotten very close attempts at lucid dreams, but whenever the thought "Is this a dream?" Goes into my mind, I wake up immediately! Are there any tips on how to stop this from happening?
View hidden comment
The poster who was talking about investigating stuff is talking about something called reality testing. Reality testing is the process of investigating whether you’re dreaming or not by interacting with both your environment and your own consciousness to see if things line up. One thing I’d add to that post, though: do this while you’re awake before bed. The habit of checking to see if you’re dreaming when you know you’re awake will prep your subconscious to do the same thing once you’re asleep.
As a tip, anything you do before bed will often carry over into your sleep. So, if you spend the few hours before bed arguing online, for example, your initial dream might be about someone cyberstalking you. If you spend the last few hours of the day doing yard work, you might dream about digging a tunnel or growing a large tree. The point is, if you want to lucid dream it’s best to focus on how you want that to happen in the time leading up to bed. Regardless of the method you choose, you’ll want to engage in some related practice before it’s time to sleep.
View hidden comment
As a tip, anything you do before bed will often carry over into your sleep. So, if you spend the few hours before bed arguing online, for example, your initial dream might be about someone cyberstalking you. If you spend the last few hours of the day doing yard work, you might dream about digging a tunnel or growing a large tree. The point is, if you want to lucid dream it’s best to focus on how you want that to happen in the time leading up to bed. Regardless of the method you choose, you’ll want to engage in some related practice before it’s time to sleep.
As you’re falling asleep, try to remind yourself that you’re going to investigate stuff in your dream. In your head go, “I’m going to look around. I will inspect books.” Stuff like that. When you finally fall asleep, your subconscious brain should hopefully pick up what you were putting down. Try to investigate once you’re asleep. Really look at stuff in detail. Some stuff that has worked for me is trying to read books (if I’m dreaming the words won’t look right), messing with lights (if I’m asleep I can’t turn lights on and off), and jumping. Something about jumping just really doesn’t feel right when you’re dreaming. It’s like…the heights are all wrong. There’s a YouTube channel I really like called Explore Lucid Dreaming that really helped me when I was starting out. You should check it out!
View hidden comment
There are a bunch of different techniques you can try, and I've had success with two of them. The first is WILD, which stands for wake-induced lucid dream. Basically, you set an alarm clock to go off after 4-5 hours of sleep. You wake up but stay in bed or get up and sit down somewhere comfy. Don’t look at any screens and don’t do anything that involves any serious brain power. After 45-60 minutes, go back to sleep. Your dreams will be much more vivid and if you’re lucky, they’ll be lucid.
The other technique I’ve had a lot of success with is SILD, which I think stands for sense-initiated lucid dream? Something like that. Anyway, you set an alarm to wake up after 4-5 hours, just like WILD. You get out of bed for like 10 minutes after the alarm goes off, then you lie back down. Then, you perform 3 cycles: eyes, ears, touch. Close your eyes and focus on what you see in the darkness of your eyelids. Do that for a little bit and then focus on what you hear in the silence of the night. Then, do the same thing for touch—focus on the feeling of your sheets and the blanket. Keep doing this until you fall asleep and you may have a lucid dream.
View hidden comment
The other technique I’ve had a lot of success with is SILD, which I think stands for sense-initiated lucid dream? Something like that. Anyway, you set an alarm to wake up after 4-5 hours, just like WILD. You get out of bed for like 10 minutes after the alarm goes off, then you lie back down. Then, you perform 3 cycles: eyes, ears, touch. Close your eyes and focus on what you see in the darkness of your eyelids. Do that for a little bit and then focus on what you hear in the silence of the night. Then, do the same thing for touch—focus on the feeling of your sheets and the blanket. Keep doing this until you fall asleep and you may have a lucid dream.
What’s on your mind? Ask anything.
Get advice and feedback from experts and wikiHow readers just like you.
Ask a Question
More Forum Discussions
What do other wikiHow readers have to say?
Other wikiHow readers have submitted their own tips on topics similar to this one.
Reader Tips from How to Have a Lucid Dream: Expert-Backed Methods
Wake up on a day you can sleep a little longer. As you fall back asleep think of something that you wouldn't possibly do in reality. For me it was thinking of birds high up in a tree and imagining falling through the clouds with them. As I'm falling I realize I'm dreaming. To keep myself in dream state I give myself instructions like, "Show me something amazing." Then, my unconscious mind does the rest of the work.
Don't try too hard, just let it happen. Lucid dreaming is a natural trait for me. Definitely make a list of reoccurring dream signs, and try drawing or writing about what you see in your dreams (people, places, objects, etc.). This will help your brain remember what you saw, and make its appearance a habit.
Reader Tips from How to Lucid Dream in One Night
When you lucid dream, you can change a nightmare to a good dream. Slenderman changed to a fully gray base with the name Tom scribbled on his face for me. Tom was very concerned about my wellbeing and took me out of my dream. It didn't take that much effort for me, but be aware we are two different people.
A good way to check if you're in a dream or in reality is to try and push a finger through your other hand. If you are dreaming, it is highly likely your finger will pass straight through.
Sometimes trying to stay alseep and lucid dream with an alarm on your phone can cause sleep paralysis. Take caution.
Reader Tips from The Ultimate Guide to Having a Wake-Induced Lucid Dream (WILD)
If you get no results the first time, don't give up! Your mind may not be practiced enough, or maybe you were successful but don't have a memory of the dream.
Keep trying! It may not happen the first time, but that doesn't mean it will never happen.
It sometimes helps to repeat "I am dreaming" in lucid dreams.
Ask a Question
Submit a Poll
Poll submissions coming soon!
Trending Discussions
What are some healthy habits?
What are some healthy habits or lifestyle choices?
Read More
Am I a psychopath??
Uuuh this quiz said I might be a psychopath...but I feel like I'm not? Anyone else get psychopath as their result and not agree with it?
Read More
Yes, I'm a highly sensitive person
This quiz was really validating for me. For a long time now I feel like I've felt things in ways that most people can't relate to. It makes sense that I'm a highly sensitive person! Are you?
Read More
