Lucid Dreaming

Have you ever made the realization that you are dreaming within a dream? The term for this phenomenon is “lucid dreaming,” and it happens to most people at least once in their lifetime. Within a lucid dream, the dreamer becomes aware they are dreaming and, therefore, may be able to alter the events of the dream. In this capacity, some people utilize lucid dreaming as a transformational practice.

Children and young teenagers tend to have more lucid dreams than adults, and for those that have them regularly, lucid dreams occur about three to four times per month. Some benefits of lucid dreaming may include lessening of nightmares and depression and improved confidence.

“Lucidity calms the mind and body and makes dreams safe. Learning that dreams are safe, involves, in effect, learning not to fear one’s own mental activity…this fearlessness should lead to a relaxation of defensiveness in encountering oneself,” wrote long-time student of Buddhism Andrew Holecek in his 2016 book, Dream Yoga, which serves as a practical guide to ease beginners into the act of lucid dreaming. “When students learn that the mind is a free, safe and private ‘space,’ permitting many options, they may use dreams…to generate new ideas and solutions...