5 Techniques to Try for Lucid Dreaming

Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph.D., R.N., CRNA — Written

by Kirsten Nunez on May 15, 2019

History How to lucid dream How to wake up Benefits Cautions

When to see a doctor Takeaway

Lucid dreaming is when you’re conscious during a dream. This typically

happens during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the dream-stage of
sleep.

An estimated 55 percent of people have had one or more lucid dreams in

their lifetime.

During a lucid dream, you’re aware of your consciousness. It’s a form of

metacognition, or awareness of your awareness. Often, lucid dreaming
also lets you control what happens in your dream.
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History
In the last 20 years, psychophysiologist Dr. Stephen LaBerge has become
the pioneer of lucid dreaming research. Not only did he invent one of the
most popular lucid dreaming techniques, but he has led many scientific
studies on the subject.

LaBerge’s work has helped researchers discover therapeutic benefits of

lucid dreaming. It may be useful in treating conditions like PTSD, recurring
nightmares, and anxiety.

Lucid dreaming usually happens spontaneously. However, it’s possible to

learn how to lucid dream through various methods.

How to lucid dream

Lucid dreaming techniques train your mind to notice your own
consciousness. They’re also designed to help you regain or maintain
consciousness as you enter REM sleep.

1. Reality testing

Reality testing, or reality checking, is a form of mental training. It increases

metacognition by training your mind to notice your own awareness.

According to Cognitive Neuropsychiatry  , your level of metacognition is

similar in your waking and dreaming states. So, higher metacognition
when you’re awake could lead to higher metacognition when you’re
dreaming.

This may be related to the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which plays a role in
both reality testing and lucid dreaming. To enhance your metacognition,
you can do reality tests while you’re awake.
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 For reality testing, follow these steps several
times of day:
Ask yourself, “Am I dreaming?”

Check your environment to confirm whether or not you are

dreaming.

Notice your own consciousness and how you’re engaging

with your surroundings.

You can set an alarm every two or three hours to remind yourself to do a
reality check.

Here are common reality checks that people use to lucid dream:

Mirrors. Check your reflection to see if it looks normal.

Solid objects. Push your hand against a wall or table and see if it
goes through. Some people push their fingers into their opposite
palm.

Hands. Look at your hands. Do they look normal?

Time. If you’re dreaming, the time on a clock will constantly change.

But if you’re awake, the time will barely change.
Breathing. This popular reality check involves pinching your nose
and seeing if you can breathe. If you can still breathe, you’re
dreaming.

It’s recommended to pick one reality check and do it multiple times a day.
This will train your mind to repeat the reality checks while dreaming,
which can induce lucid dreaming.

2. Wake back to bed (WBTB)

Wake back to bed (WBTB) involves entering REM sleep while you’re still
conscious.

There are many versions of WBTB, but consider this technique:

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 To WBTB:
1. Set an alarm for five hours after your bedtime.

2. Go to sleep as usual.

3. When the alarm goes off, stay up for 30 minutes. Enjoy a

quiet activity like reading.
4. Fall back asleep.

When you go back to sleep, you’ll be more likely to lucid dream. While
you’re awake, choose any activity that requires full alertness.

According to a study in PLoS One  , the chances of lucid dreaming

depends on the level of alertness and not the specific activity.

3. Mnemonic induction of lucid dreams (MILD)

In 1980, LaBerge created a technique called Mnemonic Induction of Lucid

Dreams (MILD). It was one of the first methods that used scientific
research to induce lucid dreams.

MILD is based on a behavior called prospective memory, which involves

setting an intention to do something later.

In MILD, you make the intention to remember that you’re dreaming.

This method is outlined by LaBerge and his colleagues in PLoS One  .

To use the MILD technique:

1. As you fall asleep, think of a recent dream.

2. Identify a “dreamsign,” or something that’s irregular or

strange in the dream. An example is the ability to fly.
3. Think about returning to the dream. Acknowledge that the
dreamsign only happens when you dream.

4. Tell yourself,
A D V E R T I S “The
E M E N T next time I dream, I want to remember


that I am dreaming.” Recite the phrase in your head.

You can also practice MILD after waking up in the middle of dream. This is
usually recommended, as the dream will be fresher in your mind.

A 2017 study the journal Dreaming determined that a combination of

reality testing, WBTB, and MILD works best.

You can combine WBTB with MILD by setting alarm to wake up in five
hours. While you’re awake, practice MILD.

4. Keeping a dream journal

Keeping a dream journal, or dream diary, is a popular method for initiating

lucid dreaming. When you write down your dreams, you’re forced to
remember what happens during each dream. It’s said to help you
recognize dreamsigns and enhance awareness of your dreams.

For best results, log your dreams as soon as you wake up. It’s also
recommended to read your dream journal often.

5. Wake-initiated lucid dreaming (WILD)

A Wake-Initiated Lucid Dream (WILD) happens when you directly enter a

dream from waking life. It’s said WILD helps your mind stays conscious
while your body goes to sleep.

You’ll need to lay down and relax until you experience a hypnagogic
hallucination, or a hallucination that occurs when you’re just about to fall
asleep. WILD is simple, but it’s difficult to learn. Practicing the other lucid
dreaming induction techniques will increase your chances of WILD.
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How to wake up
Sometimes, you might want to wake up from a lucid dream. Lucid
dreamers use a few different techniques.

Try the following methods to wake from a

lucid dream:
Call out for help. It’s said that yelling in your dream tells
your brain it’s time to wake up. Or, if you manage to speak
out loud, you might wake yourself up.

Blink. Repeatedly blinking may help your mind get ready to

wake up.

Fall asleep in your dream. If you’re aware that you’re

dreaming, go to sleep in your dream so you can wake up in
real life.

Read. Try to read a sign or book in your dream. This could

activate parts of your brain that aren’t used in REM.

Benefits
There’s some evidence that lucid dreaming has therapeutic effects. Lucid
dreaming might help people:

Overcome nightmares 
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It’s normal to have a nightmare every now and then. About 50 to 85
percent of adults have occasional nightmares.

Recurring nightmares, however, can cause stress and anxiety. They’re

often associated with:

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

depression
anxiety

stress

sleep disturbances, like insomnia

medication

substance abuse

Lucid dreaming might help by letting the dreamer control the dream.
Additionally, when a dreamer knows they’re dreaming, they can
recognize that the nightmare isn’t real.

Lucid dreaming is often used in imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT). In IRT, a

therapist helps you reimagine a recurring nightmare with a different, more
pleasant storyline.

When used with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), IRT with lucid
dreaming induction can help increase dream control.

A small 2017 study in Dreaming examined this effect. Thirty-three military

veterans with PTSD and recurring nightmares received CBT with IRT or
CBT alone. The group that received CBT with IRT experienced higher
dream control, which reduced nightmare-induced stress.

Relieve anxiety

Most scientific research has focused on PTSD and nightmare-induced

anxiety. But according to anecdotal evidence, lucid dreaming can also
ease anxiety caused by other reasons.

People claim that controlling their dreams lets them face situations that
cause them anxiety.
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Improve motor skills

Lucid dreaming could potentially benefit physical rehabilitation. An article
in Medical Hypotheses shares that mentally performing motor skills can
increase the physical ability to do them.

This suggests that people with physical disabilities could practice motor
skills while lucid dreaming.

The authors of the article speculate that people without physical

disabilities could potentially use lucid dreaming to improve motor skills as
well.
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Cautions
Generally, any dangers of lucid dreaming are caused by induction
techniques.

Negative aspects might include:

Sleep problems. WBTB and MILD involve waking up in the middle of

the night. These interruptions can make it difficult to get enough
rest, especially if you have a sleep disorder or an irregular sleep
schedule.

Derealization. Sleep disturbances can lead to derealization, or the

feeling that people, things, and your environment aren’t real.
Depression. The sleep interruptions of induction techniques may
increase depressive symptoms.

Sleep paralysis. Lucid dreaming may occur with sleep paralysis, 

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which can be brief yet terrifying. Plus, sleep problems can increase
the risk of sleep paralysis.
When to see a doctor
Visit your doctor if you experience:

frequent nightmares

nightmares that regularly disrupt sleep

fear of sleeping

traumatic flashbacks
emotional changes

memory problems

trouble sleeping

These symptoms may indicate PTSD, a mental health issue, or a sleep

disorder. Your doctor can determine if therapy with lucid dreaming is right
for you.
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The bottom line

Lucid dreaming happens when you’re aware that you’re dreaming. Often,
you can control the dream’s storyline and environment. It occurs during
REM sleep.

When used in therapy, lucid dreaming can help treat conditions like
recurring nightmares and PTSD. Researchers think it might also aid
physical rehabilitation.

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If you’d like to lucid dream, try the techniques listed above. These
methods can train your mind to be conscious of your consciousness
during sleep. It’s best to see your doctor if you think you have a sleep
disorder, PTSD, or another mental health issue.

Last medically reviewed on May 15, 2019

 19 sources

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