Lucid Dreaming
Lucid dreaming is when you are in your dream and become aware that you are actually dreaming, recognising a dream while you are in it gives you the opportunity to take charge of the dream and work with it for your benefit, you may then take it in any direction you wish. Being present in your dreams means that you can do whatever you choose, it can be as fantastic as your imagination allows.
While in your dream you are free to travel anywhere in the world, visit any country you wish, you may sit down at a coffee shop in Paris, travel to Milan to shop or people watch, go to Rome and visit the Parthenon, swim in the Caribbean, snow ski in Japan or meditate in Tibet. Maybe there is something you want to learn, you may choose any tutor in the world past or present.
If there are matters in the past that you wish to address, you may do this by travelling along your timeline into the past, if you want to actively create your future, you may travel along your timeline into the future. Once you realise that while in your dreams you can create anything you choose, you will find that when you do awaken you will begin to have a sense of empowerment, a sense of creative control over your life.
Dreams can be used to confront fears and phobias, especially those things that are blocks to progress in your waking state. Maybe you would like to be more daring in your life, in your dreams you 
can try a new line of work that has always interested you, or move to a new country. Perhaps you are a daredevil and would like to parachute from a plane or climb Mount Everest, in your dreams you can have the perfect partner, the perfect life, nothing is beyond your control once you begin lucid dreaming.
Often dreams are frighteningly realistic, by becoming present while in your dreamstate, sight, sound, touch, smell, become heightened, your dreams become startlingly realistic, you have power and control, this is something many people do not have in their waking state. Once you are present and alert in your dreamstate you open up to your true potential, with a greater understanding of what you are really capable of, nothing is beyond you when you are working within your dreams. You become a human being who is in total control of their dream life.
Dreaming takes place during the (REM) Rapid Eye Movement stage of sleeping, during the first stage your eyes are closed and you are in a very light sleep, you can be easily woken during this stage and you may not realise you have actually been asleep. This stage lasts for approximately 10 minutes. The second stage of sleep is a light sleep, during this stage your muscles twitch and you are very relaxed. The next sleep stages are three and four, brainwave activity slows at this point, this is the deep sleep stage, during this stage it is difficult to wake a person. The four stages of sleep last around 2 hours, from these stages you move into the fifth stage which is REM sleep, and this is where your dreaming begins. REM sleep lasts approximately thirty minutes, your brain is very active during this stage as your dreams begin and the subconscious is being explored.
During the night you move back and forth through the stages until eventually the time of REM sleep increases. A person dreams several times during the night, even those who think they don’t dream have several dreams a night. Sometimes dreams are so vivid you remember everything clearly when you wake, some dreams are fantastic and leave you feeling wonderful, other dreams are frightening and leave you feel unsettled.
To help you remember your dreams keep a writing pad next to your bed and write down the details as soon as you wake, this will get you into the habit of remembering your dreams. No-one knows exactly why we dream, but dreaming is an important part of your wellbeing, anyone who is sleep deprived and therefore dream deprived, feels unwell and finds it difficult to function in their waking state. While you sleep the brain is able to sort through what took place while you were awake, decisions and conclusions can be come to. Sleep is essential for the nervous system.
A way of remembering your dreams is by having an intention before you go to sleep, you tell yourself you are going to dream and be lucid in your dreams, your subconscious will then help you to be present during your dreamstate and you will learn to take control of your dreams. By doing this every night and writing your dreams down every morning, you will find you remember more and therefore feel in charge of your dreaming.
Dreams are created by your mind and can be as fantastic and wonderous as you conceive. In your dreams you have total freedom to be as successful, happy, healthy, clever, daring and spectacular as you choose, there are no limitations.
Lucid Dreaming:
Lucid dreaming is when you are consciously aware that you are in a dream and know that you can be as daring as you choose, there are absolutely no limitations. This in itself can be liberating.
Dream awareness and taking control of your dreams means you can experience anything that the mind can conceive, you are free to embark upon any life journey you conjure.
While you are lucid dreaming it is very realistic and your senses are heightened, everything takes on a more elaborate tone.
During your sleep period you will have at least five dreams, this is why it is so important to write your dreams down as soon as you wake in the morning, if you procrastinate the dream will begin to fade. Write down your dreams everyday so that it becomes second nature. Don’t forget to write the date your dream took place, this way you can chart your lucid dreaming progress. Be as detailed as possible, write down how you felt, what you were doing, where you were, what was taking place around you, how you looked and who else was in the dream with you, the more detail the better the results and the more empowered you will feel.
The most intense way to lucid dreaming is by stating your intension before you go to sleep, you can be as detailed as you want to be. Lucid dreaming is one of the safest adventures you can have. Before going to sleep let your imagination run wild, create the most wonderful dreamscape for yourself. If you have a problem think about is before you fall asleep and imagine yourself waking up with the answer to your dilemma.
Your dream log is your most important tool, it is the key to getting the most out of your dreams. Don’t underestimate the power of dreams and how helpful they can by to you in your waking life. The more detailed your dream log the better you will feel as you begin to unlock your unconscious mind. As with any activity, once it becomes second nature the easier it becomes to do. It is essential for you to take time each morning to recall your dreams, the more you do it the easier it will become.
As with any form of learning there are four stages, the first stage is the unconscious incompetent stage, this is where you first begin to learn something you have never attempted before. The second stage is the conscious incompetent stage, you have now attempted something new but you are not yet adept. The third stage is the conscious competent stage, this is the stage where you have practiced and you have to concentrate to apply what you have learned. The final stage, the fourth stage, is mastery, this is where what you are doing becomes second nature and quite natural. Everytime you learn something new you go through these four stages.
While in the midst of a dream your logical mind is switched off, hence anything is possible. When you are dreaming everything feels real which is why dreams can be enlightening, romantic, daring, frightening, studious or as fantastic as the mind can conceive.
When you climb into bed tonight make sure you have your dream journal and a pen on your bedside table, write down what you would like to dream about before you go to sleep, then in the morning compare your dream notes. Once you begin documenting your dreams you will wonder how you ever got along without your dream journal.
Sweet Dreams!
