A lucid dream (LD) is a dream in which you're aware that you're dreaming while the dream's in progress. During lucid dreams, it's usually possible (and desirable) to exercise conscious control over the dream's content -characters, plot and environment- as well as to perform seemingly impossible acts.
Like dreaming in general, there's no scientific explanation for the purpose of lucid dreaming. However, non-scientifically, there are many. First, and most importantly as far as I'm concerned, it's fun and it's enlightening. Secondly, you can do anything you can think of without putting yourself in danger, without physical limitations and without restrictions; you can go anywhere without spending a dime on travel agents, tickets, event planners; or you can talk to anyone, anywhere at any time.
Therapeutically, lucid dreaming is a great tool for working on psychological problems. If you suffer from a fear of snakes, for example, that fear can be conquered through lucid dreaming. Because you know you're totally safe, you can gradually deal with being around small snakes in the distance. Then, as your fear lessens, you gradually allow them to get closer and get bigger. This type of dream scenario where the size increases and the distance decreases continue until you're actually holding a dream snake without experiencing any fear or anxiety whatsoever.
LDs can aid you in learning a new skill or improving an old one. If you want to improve your golf swing, practicing it in a dream will transfer to the waking course. Want to get over that fear of public speaking? Repeatedly and consciously create a scenario where this skill is needed and you'll be amazed to discover that your fear diminishes.
Experiments have demonstrated that lucid dreaming can be extremely powerful for motor skill enhancement. Because of the physiological nature of REM, and the neuronal signals sent to muscles during this phase of sleep, LDs are ideal for establishing neural patterns and muscle memory without any actual physical movement. Studies have indeed shown that a dreamer can improve physical strength without actual physical movement with mental practice and imagery.
Lucid dreams can be used for healing in a number of ways. If you're struggling with any kind of illness you can utilize them to determine the cause, the treatment and possibly even the cure. My own experience in this area may be helpful. I suffered with a terrible pain in my lower left abdominal area for a couple of years. I went to several doctors and they told me they couldn't find anything wrong. Finally, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I had a conscious (or lucid) dream where I explored my own internal body. I found a huge (looked huge in the dream) cyst at the top of a long tube. When I awoke, I realized I had a cyst on my ovary. After getting an appointment with an OBGYN, I was scheduled for immediate surgery.
Entertainment and education can also be experienced and explored through lucid dreams. Forget spending hundreds on a game console, you can play your own live action RPG. Digital not your forte? You can meet the author of your favourite book and ask questions, gain clarification or just shoot the breeze. And, of course, lucid dreaming is the ultimate 3D movie experience. You don't need an expensive big screen TV, or even cable. And you won't have to worry about copyright infringement.
Problem solving is probably one of the most beneficial uses. You can dream up the solution to the most complex and difficult problems plaguing you, your family or all of humanity. Through lucid dreaming you can see the issue from all angles at the same time, at different times and even from different perspectives. With this much information at your disposal, you'll have that problem solved in the blink of an eye.
With lucid dreaming you have full conscious control over the dream, thus, you can use that control to travel in time. Without time-space boundaries you can explore the past and the future. You can even experience precognitive dreaming (seeing future events). And without the limitations of space you can use lucid dreams to leave your body and explore the universe and all the levels, dimensions, beings and everything else it holds.
They can be your own private social network. It's possible to share a dream with a loved one, a friend or even a group of friends. With a little planning and practice, you can hang out with friends and family whenever, wherever and however you want. You don't need an internet connection, you have your own wifi.
People who suffer from nightmares can benefit immensely from the ability to become lucid in their dreams. A number of studies have demonstrated that lucid dreaming was successful in reducing nightmare frequency and intensity. The ability to control the dream content enables a dreamer to confront and weaken the power the nightmare and/or waking life fear holds.
All dreams contain some level of awareness, and all dreams involve the dreamer's actions, reactions and responses. These types of dreams simply provide us with another avenue by which to explore our human and conscious potential, and provide us with an additional means of exploring other dimensions of dreams, mind and reality. If you find that you are not a lucid dreamer, fear not. Your nonlucid dreams will provide you with all the insight, information, exploration and excitement you need.
Ms. Terry L. Gillis, dream analyst and investigator, invites you to visit http://www.terrygillisdreamanalyst.ca for more dream articles like this one. You may also participate in her ongoing research and become a part of the growing dream community by posting your dreams on her blog. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, hypnotherapist, counsellor and life coach in London.
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