About Lucid Dreaming

If the average person spends eight hours a day sleeping, and lives an average of seventy-five years, then he or she has slept nearly twenty-five years of his or her life away ("Lucid Dreaming . . ."). Since a person needs those twenty-five years of sleep, why should he or she be enjoying what is known as conscious dreaming during that time (Holt)? In that case, what is lucid dreaming and what are its uses.

Lucid dreaming, also known as dream consciousness or conscious dreaming ("lucid Dreaming . . ."), has been around for a very long time, although it is just now becoming a wide-spread topic. The earliest recorded lucid dreams are from the fifth century in a written letter by St. Augustine in 415 A.D. Another recording of lucid dreaming came from Tibetan Buddhists in the eighth century in their Tibetan Book of the Dead ("History . . ."). However, it was not known as lucid dreaming until Frederik van Eeden used the term "lucid" in the sense of mental clarity (LaBerge). At first, many people were distrustful of lucid dreaming, but in the nineteenth century, dreams became an accepted happening of everyday life, which set about a search for the scientific reasons behind lucid dreaming. It was Marquis d'Hervey de Saint-Denys who first demonstrated that it is possible for anyone to dream consciously, not just a select few, like most believed ("History . . .").

Once it was discovered that anyone could have a lucid dream, people questioned the quality and control of those dreams.("History . . ."). There are many levels of lucid dreaming and awareness. The simple awareness that one is dreaming is considered the lowest form of lucidity, and is one of the two main types. The second main type that researches have identified is referred to as 'high-level lucidity'. High level lucidity dreamers are extremely aware they are dreaming and that no physical harm can befall them, no matter what happens during the dream. A 'low-level lucidity' dreamer may know he or she is dreaming, but still fears physical harm during the dream (Holt).

Often, with lucidity, comes the ability to control the dreams, but lucidity is not synonymous with control. It is possible to be lucid and have little or no control over a dream, but also to have a great deal of control without really being aware that one is dreaming (LaBerge). Controlling a dream is simply proceeding to the next level by attempting to exert control on one's surroundings ("What is Lucid . . ."). A dreamer's ability to succeed at this seems to depend on the dreamer's level of confidence during the dreaming (LaBerge). As Henry Ford said, "Believe you can, believe you can't; either way, you're right" (qtd by LaBerge). Once a person has control of his or her dreams, that person can choose how much control to exert over the dream. The choice is completely up to the dreamer. Though a great deal of control can be attained, it is not always possible to perform "magic" in dreams, like changing once object into another or transforming scenes (LaBerge). However, true control is never actually achieved, but the dreamer can influence the course of action during the dream indirectly. On a basic level, the dream will take a life of its own, but the dreamer can subtly alter the effects of a dream to suit him or herself. Lucid dreaming is more complicated than this, but essentially, this is how they work (Holt).

Next, what are the uses of lucid dreams? One of the most exciting and fulfilling aspects of lucid
dreaming is being able to achieve the unachievable things in real life. The most sought after lucid dream of this kind is one that gives the person the ability to fly(Holt).

However, controlled lucid dreams have more mundane use than just evoking an exciting evening of sleep ("Lucid Dreaming . . ."). Many people have used some aspect of lucid dreaming several times to help prepare for parts of their lives. The dreams provide a place for trying out a new behavior, artistic inspiration, problem solving, overcoming social issues, or for healing grief over losing something, or someone, dear to a person ("History . . ."). Lucid dreaming provides a place, one that is similar to visualization techniques used, but in an environment that is considerably more realistic, for a person to rehearse speeches and other such projects (Holt). The controlled dreams could also be a good place to relieve stress that builds up during a person's everyday life, giving the dreamer the chance to act out what he or she would really like to do during his or her waking moments ("History . . ."). This way of relieving stress provides a means of doing so without any social or physical consequences. A person can repeatedly play out scenarios without any fear of reprisal.

On a more physical level, many of the top athletes and artists who want to attain perfection often utilize lucid dreaming (Holt). Dreams can be a very important key factor of how a person learns. Imagine being able to actively direct that learning ability ("Lucid Dreaming . . ."). Unfortunately, most people do not progress beyond a very basic level of lucidity, simply because the initial excitement wears off after a short amount of time (Holt).

On another note, not all lucid dreams are fun, especially if the dreamer lacks a strong sense of control during a dream. One of the most frequent dreams reported is a nightmare. This could prove to be particularly frightful to a dreamer who is often used to control and cannot maintain it because of his or her fear getting in the way. This could lead to nights of limitless terror. Fortunately, for most people, lucid dreams are a way to relieve themselves of these night long terrors. Another problem with lucid dreams is the lack of substantial length. This shortness often prevents a beginning lucid dreamer from enjoying dreams and from using them to improve (Holt).

Overall, lucid dreaming has its advantages and disadvantages. The level of control a person has over his or her dreams will determine how advantageous the process is. As a person progresses through the levels of control, dreams become more exciting, offer more comfort, and help improve everyday life. Once a person fully believes in his or her ability to control their dreams, the benefits of lucid dreaming are limitless.

Works Cited

"History of Lucid Dreaming." ThinkQuest Homepage. n.d. 16 Mar. 2009

< http://library.thinkquest.org/11189/nflucid.htm>.

Holt, Doug. "Lucid Dreaming." Serendip Homepage. 8 Jan. 2008. 16 Mar. 2009

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1759>.

LaBerge, S. and L. Levitan. "Lucid Dreaming FAQ." The Lucidity Institute Homepage. 16 Jan.

2003. 16 Mar. 2009 http://lucidity.com/LucidDreamingFAQ2.html>.

"Lucid Dreaming Introduction." Dream Views Homepage. 18 June 2003. 16 Mar. 2009

http://www.dreamviews.com/index.php>.

"What is Lucid Dreaming?" Dream Views Homepage. 18 June 2003. 16 Mar. 2009

http://www.dreamviews.com/whatislucid.php>.