What is Lucid Dreaming?

Lucid dreaming is a state of consciousness during which a person is aware that they are dreaming. This awareness allows the dreamer to control their dreams to some extent. Dream journaling is the practice of writing down your dreams after you wake up. This can help you to remember your dreams more clearly and to understand their meaning.

I have been practicing lucid dreaming and dream journaling for the past few months, and I have found that it has had a significant positive impact on my wellbeing. I sleep better, I feel more rested, and I am more creative. I believe that this is because lucid dreaming and dream journaling help me to process my emotions and to gain a better understanding of myself.

Sleeping and dreaming for me are very gratifying. I have developed routines and conditions where I sleep soundly, and at this point, being in my late 40’s, I only set an alarm as a backup. Most days I wake up naturally feeling rested and ready for the day. If I’ve slept to the point of my alarm going off, it’s an indication that I might be a little under the weather, or maybe will just plan to go to bed a little earlier on the next night. I think about the state of sleep, any dreams I recall, and how rested I feel in the morning, as an indication of my personal wellbeing – how I sleep is one area where I can direct attention and make small adjustments from time to time.

This includes keeping a journal in my nightstand with a pencil or pen, so I can note whatever is on my mind, or how I’m feeling when I wake up. Sometimes this journal is very active with daily entries, details about dreams, and including more reflections before I fall asleep in the evening. Other times I might not journal for weeks or only note a sentence or two if I’ve recalled an interesting dream or want to recall thoughts or impressions as I wake up.

My morning journaling routine is a quick way to reflect on my sleep and dreams. This often helps set the priority of my day too. When I wake up thinking about a family member or friend, I might reach out to them that day, or make a note to check in soon. If a work task is front-of-mind, I’ll immediately plan the work needed to get it done. Addressing what’s on my mind when I wake up is a great technique for organizing my day.

Along with journaling about my morning thoughts, I also keep a dream journal. Throughout my life, I’ve been able to recall many dreams. My grandmothers on both sides of my family suggested I start journaling to remember or recall these dreams. This created a motivation and intention to start being more aware of dreams, so I could recall them more frequently. Over time I also found that I was able to be more responsive or have more control, using my will to direct the experience I’m having while dreaming. With years of practice I eventually experienced more personal control of the narrative of my dreams.

I’m not able to create a dream, like construct the dream from scratch. However, I can change the feeling of my dream and the tone of the experience I’m having. In one dream, I was hiking in a narrow canyon with a large group of people and realized there were a lot of snakes in the rocks and under the brush. The dream narrative changed so that instead of wearing sandals, I was wearing tall boots. And eventually instead of hiking a narrow dry canyon, the dream shifted and I hiked out to an open space with waterfalls. The tone of the dream changed from scary and tense, to calm and relaxed. This dream reminded me that I am prepared with the skills and equipment I need to get through challenging situations.

Sometimes rather than change the dream, I’ve been able to wake myself up through a deep breath practice. I’ve studied and practiced meditation techniques centered around the breath for much of my life. “Noticing the breath” is a powerful practice in sleep and dreams as well. I’ll wake myself up with very slow and steady inhales and exhales. When I wake up I’ll recall and notice the thoughts and feelings in that moment, and take action to alleviate any resounding stress from the dream.

Conversely, if I’m having a great dream, I can stay a while longer – really explore the dream and go deeper into the feeling of being in that space. One dream I had recently was in a beautiful apartment which was part of a high mountain community. The apartment was spacious with broad windows opening to gorgeous views. I was hosting a group of friends and we were all very relaxed, enjoying a comfortable space and time together. We decided to go for a hike and that’s when I realized the building was somehow floating. In the dream I explained to my friends that this was to solve the problem of leaving a footprint – the building was floating and this lessened the impact on the land. We descended down a large escalator that opened into a beautiful mountain meadow, and walked to a large turquoise pond, then spent the rest of the dream exploring the area and talking about the floating building. .

Meditations for sleep and rest can also support being mindfully aware in my dreams, or maintaining a conscious awareness while I’m sleeping. Even when I don’t stay fully conscious of my dreams, a restful meditation practice for sleep has contributed to good sleep, I wake up feeling deeply rested and restored.

Here are some tips for getting started with lucid dreaming and dream journaling:

• Set a goal: Decide what you want to achieve through lucid dreaming and dream journaling.
• Keep a dream journal: Write down your dreams as soon as you wake up.
• Practice reality testing: Throughout the day, ask yourself if you are dreaming.
• Use affirmations: Repeat positive affirmations to yourself before you go to sleep.
• Be patient: It may take some time to achieve lucid dreaming.

In addition to the benefits listed above, I have also found that lucid dreaming and dream journaling have helped me to:

• Gain a better understanding of my subconscious mind.
• Develop my problem-solving skills.
• Improve my memory.
• Become more mindful.
• Connect with my spiritual side.

TRIPP offers a Lucid Dream challenge as an introduction for you to explore some of these ideas. It’s a short 5-day challenge available in the New & Featured section of TRIPP mobile and in the Calm section of the TRIPP VR composer catalog. Working for TRIPP in Quality Assurance, I’ve listened to this challenge a few times and I’m excited for the TRIPP community to explore this mindful practice. Next week’s blog will break down the 5-day challenge and help you understand the content. If you want to learn how to lucid dream, I hope my experience will help you get there. Happy trails!