How to Make Your Dreams Feel Real by Having Lucid Dreams

Last week, we opened up the world of lucid dreaming, an ancient and scientifically measurable practice that gives a dreamer the power to manipulate their dreams. We took a candid, scientific look at this sci-fi-sounding concept. And it turns out that neuroscientists have not only been able to measure lucid dreaming in the brain but even to hold two-way communication with a lucid dreamer in real-time. In an astonishing study published just this year, one lucid dreamer was fighting goblins while (correctly) answering the question coming from the sky: “What is six minus two?” And he did it all while staying asleep.

What happens when you try lucid dreaming?

This study got me so excited about lucid dreaming that I decided to give it a try this past week.

A little spoiler: It wasn’t easy. But on the fourth night of my self-study, I did manage to have a brief lucid moment just as I disembarked from a sky boat onto a long slide made of clouds. As I suddenly became aware that I was dreaming, I concentrated hard on this knowledge and told myself to fly… and it worked! I soared through the sky until I woke up.

How did I do it? Today, let’s walk through the scientifically documented methods for cultivating lucid dreaming.

Before we jump in, a reminder that some researchers have raised concerns about lucid dreaming, including the possibility that it could disrupt overall sleep quality if a person does it too often. There is also concern that frequent lucid dreaming could blur the lines between reality and dream, increasing the risk for psychosis or dissociation. More research is still needed to fully understand these potential risks. For now, “everything in moderation” seems like a good mantra. And if you’re at risk for psychosis or are prone to feeling detached from your body or reality, you should check with your doctor before trying to lucid dream.

How to lucid dream

Start by keeping a dream logbook

Dream researchers have known for a long time that people who generally remember their dreams more often are also more likely to lucid dream. So, to set the table for our lucid dreaming program, we can begin by getting into a more dream-aware mindset overall.

Using either of these methods for a week significantly increased the number of dreams people remembered.

How can we remember our dreams more often? Simply by paying attention and noting them down. You can go as far as keeping a detailed dream journal that describes your...

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