Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD)
This technique stresses the recognition of dreaming while it’s in process. Begin by making it a goal to wake yourself up when you notice that you’re dreaming and chronicle everything you can remember about the dream. As you’re falling back asleep, focus on re-entering your previous dream, but this time direct yourself to explore the dream instead of waking yourself up. Keep that awareness as you fall into REM sleep (the sleep stage during which lucid dreaming most commonly occurs). It might help to state aloud, “I am aware of my dream state,” as you drift off.
Look for indications -- also called dream signs -- that alert you to the fact that you’re dreaming. These could be anything that are out of the ordinary or would be impossible in real life. This technique can take a while to master, but with steady practice, you can learn to recognize dream signs while still in the dream state, thereby putting yourself in control of the situation.
Reality Testing
Reality testing requires constant attention to the world around us—both in dreams and in real life. When going through your day, perform small checks to determine if what you’re seeing is possible in reality. The answer will usually be yes since you know you’re awake (and it’ll probably feel silly at first), but the repeated questioning will set your mind up to take the same actions in dreams. For example, something simple like a car not starting is often overlooked in a dream because that’s something that could happen in real life. But if a spouse’s hair is blonde instead of brown, that’s a clear signal for someone using reality testing that he or she is actually dreaming, and this knowledge allows more control over the course of the dream. To get into the habit, set an alarm or make it a goal to do reality checks a certain number of times per day. The checks are a way to teach yourself to notice out of the ordinary occurrences in dreams so that you can reach that coveted awareness without fully waking up.
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