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Manifest your crush in a dream with expert-approved techniques
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Ever wished your crush would appear in your dreams? Well, seeing them is easier than you’d think. Dream control and lucid dreaming are 2 separate yet highly effective ways to manipulate your subconscious and live out your wildest fantasies while you’re asleep. All it takes is confidence, practice, and the right approach. Follow these simple steps for either technique (or try both!) and that special someone will be lighting up your hippocampus in no time.
Things You Should Know
- To control your dreams and make your crush appear, visualize them before bed. Say their name and look at a picture of them before you fall asleep.
- To lucid dream (know you’re dreaming and can control the events within), take note of common real-world occurrences. Then, use those as cues to test if you’re dreaming or not.
- Keep a dream journal to log your dreams. This will help clear your subconscious mind of these ideas and make more mental space to dream about your crush.
Steps
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Think about your crush throughout the day. Spend time thinking about your crush to affirm their presence in your mind. Daydream about the kind of scenario you'd like to dream about, such as a romantic walk on the beach or a fun date with dinner and a movie. Try meditating before bed to clear out other thoughts and conjure up a clear mental picture of them. Invite your crush into your brain, so to speak. [1] X Research source
- You can also create a vision board to organize your ideal dream and give your subconscious clearer, more realistic visual cues.
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Look at a picture of your crush right before bed. Once you've thought about them for a little while and laid out what you want to happen in the dream, solidify the entire routine by looking at a picture of your crush. This will give you an even more exact image of them in your head as you doze off. It’ll also give your mind something to focus on, which is proven to enhance your likelihood of controlling your dream. [2] X Research source
- Keeping a printed-out photo of your crush near your bed is a little intense. Try and find a picture of them on their Facebook or Instagram profile, your yearbook, or in your camera roll (it’ll be extra effective if you’re in this picture, too).
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Say your crush’s name aloud as you drift off. When you’re getting ready for bed, say your crush's name out loud, followed by a positive, affirming statement. This statement can be simple ("I will dream about Paul") or more specific, using phrases such as: "I want to dream about going on a date with Krupa." or "I will dream about walking on the beach with Daisy." Stating a firm intention increases your likelihood of dream control. [3] X Research source
- Repeat your affirming phrase a few times before you fully concentrate on sleeping. Repetition is a key principle of dreams. [4] X Research source
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Fall asleep with your crush's image fresh in your mind. With your dream intentions laid out, relax and let yourself snooze. Having all of these visual and verbal cues will firmly concentrate your crush in your subconscious mind. This encourages your hippocampus (the part of the brain that governs imagining and dreams) to recall your crush’s face and the scenario you laid out before you fell asleep. [5] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
- To fall asleep faster , try some progressive muscle relaxation exercises . Flex and release each of your muscle groups 1 at a time, starting with your ankles and working your way up to your neck. Inhale and tense your muscles for 5 seconds. Then, exhale and let the tension release so you’re nice and relaxed. [6] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
- You can also increase your likelihood of falling asleep quickly by taking some melatonin before bed. Not only does melatonin help control your sleep cycle, it makes your dreams more vivid. [7] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
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Keep practicing dream control. The task of dream control isn’t easy. You may not be able to get it right on the first or even twentieth try. Just keep at it, maintaining the following steps of visualizing, meditating, and verbally affirming before bed. It should eventually lead you to your ideal dream about your crush. [8] X Research source
- Practicing dream control has lots of other benefits, too. Many people have used it to stop nightmares, boost their creativity, and get more quality sleep. [9] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source
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Keep a dream journal. The first step to having a lucid dream , which is a dream where you know you’re dreaming and can control the events within, is to remember the dreams you typically have. Over the course of a few weeks, lay in bed every morning and replay your dreams. Then write down what you dreamed of the night before as soon as you get out of bed. This will help you recognize typical patterns in your dreams. [10] X Research source
- Also, make note of recurring themes or objects in your dreams. These can act as focal points in your dreams to help you become aware that you are dreaming. [11] X Research source
- Keep a notebook or journal right by your bed for the easiest access. This way, you won't have to go looking for somewhere to write your dreams down. The less distracted you are, the more you’ll remember. [12] X Research source
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Notice the world around you (in your dreams and in reality). Become hyper-aware of the conscious world, so it’s easy to tell when you’re dreaming. Ask yourself throughout the day if you are awake or not. Notice how all your senses respond to various things around you. Find elements in your everyday life that are detailed and in clear focus that you can use as comparisons for your dream landscape.
- Try looking at the details on the back of your hand. These details will be fuzzier in dreams, which can help you realize the distinction between dreams and reality.
- Try to do practical things, such as turning off the lights or speaking. Do these actions feel normal or weirder than usual? If they feel off, you’re probably dreaming.
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Eliminate distractions as you lapse into sleep. Before bed, make sure you’re in a comfortable environment where you won't be disturbed. Lay down with your eyes closed and relax your body, letting all the ambient sounds and smells fade away. Think about the fact that you are awake and attempting to fall asleep. This will help you hold on to your conscious mind, even when you lapse into sleep and start dreaming. [13] X Research source
- You may not have lucid dreams right away. Just keep looking for your dream signs and logging your dreams. Eventually, you’ll recognize when you’re dreaming and become lucid.
- You may be pulled out of your first couple of lucid dreams as soon as you become aware. If this is the case, try looking at your hands in your dreams or spinning around in a circle. These things can help focus your senses and help you stay lucid in your dreams longer.
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Conjure your crush in your dream. Once you've achieved lucid dreaming, you can manipulate the dream and bring your crush into the dream with you. While in your dream, visualize your crush right behind you or just around the corner. Once you've got a clear picture, turn around or go look around the bend to find them. You can also conjure a door and expect them to be behind the door. They should eventually be there when you open it. [14] X Research source
- If you do get your crush to show up, but they don't look quite right, you can manipulate the figure to change in your dream. Try saying something like: "This isn’t the version of Connell that I know. I am going to turn around and when I look back, you are going to be the best version of Connell that I can imagine."
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Tips
- Getting adequate sleep each night will help you control your dreams. Try to get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. This will help you stay rested and have more uninterrupted dream time. [15] X Research sourceThanks
- Lucid dreaming can also help provide you a safe space to work through traumas and understand psychological maladies like depression. [16] X Research sourceThanks
- Playing video games a few hours a week has also been proven to increase your likelihood of dream control. [17] X Research sourceThanks
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about controlling dreams, check out our in-depth interview with Jennifer McVey, Cht .
References
- ↑ https://health.cornell.edu/resources/health-topics/meditation
- ↑ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-control-dreams/
- ↑ https://www.adelaide.edu.au/news/news95682.html
- ↑ https://dreams.ucsc.edu/Library/domhoff_2000b.html
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7279884/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279320/
- ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/does-melatonin-cause-bad-dreams/
- ↑ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-control-dreams/
- ↑ https://hbr.org/2012/04/practicing-in-dreams-can-improve-your-performance
- ↑ https://dreamstudies.org/how-to-keep-a-dream-journal/
- ↑ https://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/how-to-control-your-dreams.html
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/20/magazine/dream-journal-recommendation.html
- ↑ https://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/first-lucid-dream.html
- ↑ https://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/how-to-create-dream-characters.html
- ↑ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-control-dreams/
- ↑ https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/probing-question-what-lucid-dream/
- ↑ https://www.livescience.com/6521-video-gamers-control-dreams-study-suggests.html
About This Article
Article Summary
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If you want to dream about your crush, follow a few simple visualization techniques to keep them in your head. For example, before you go to bed, spend time thinking about them. Try daydreaming about the scenario you’d like to dream about, like a romantic walk on the beach, and make it as clear in your mind as possible. While you get ready for bed, say “I will dream about my crush tonight” to set your intentions. Solidify their image in your mind by looking at their picture right before you close your eyes. If you don’t dream about them on the first try, don’t get discouraged. Controlling your dreams can take a while, so keep practicing this ritual every night before bed. Eventually, you'll get the hang of it! To learn how to have a lucid dream, keep reading!
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Reader Success Stories
- "It was nice and it worked, but it took many nights. While thinking about my crush, I kept thinking about other things in my subconscious, like spiders or things I hate. I found myself in a dream with my crush. Thank you for all the help!" ..." more
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"It was nice and it worked, but it took many nights. While thinking about my crush, I kept thinking about other things in my subconscious, like spiders or things I hate. I found myself in a dream with my crush. Thank you for all the help!"
..."
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"I once had I dream and I was half awake but my eyes weren't fully closed and I started lucid dreaming. I wanted to slam the door and I did.I'm going to do this again but dreaming about my crush!"
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"I have been dreaming a lot about my crush but in the last week or so I can't because he is a character and I finished the show so I am sad but happy. I had a few dreams."
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"It helped me a lot! It didn't work the first couple times, but after four days I think that's when it started to work. Now I can control my dreams! It's really cool!"
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"I have a huge crush on Ponyboy Curtis from the movie The Outsiders, and I wanted to dream about him. The methods in this article actually worked!"
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