Anyone interested in lucid dreaming and searching on the net to find effective techniques to induce lucid dreams might feel lost in dozens of forums telling about dozens of different techniques with dozens of different variations. It is almost funny. The “Urine-Induced-Lucid-Dreaming” (UILD) technique… well.
Knowing about the core learning principles involved in inducing lucid dreams (to prevent yourself from falling for non-sense techniques). So, based on understandings of the dreaming brain and cognitive learning, a basic methodology to learn lucid dreaming was devised. But then again, apparently, lucid dreamers clearly need a lot more support to induce lucid dreams.
Merely memorizing the MILD-technique, or even the WBTB-technique, is not enough for people interested in inducing lucid dreams as they would inspire to do. But, according to yorux.com – chances are you are likely to feel part of that group.
Official techniques
- MILD technique: apply this technique upon awakening (preferably from REM-sleep awakening).
- The aim is to fall asleep while visualizing yourself becoming lucid in the last dream you can remember before you wake up.
- WILD technique: apply this technique only upon awakening from REM sleep. The aim is to fall asleep while keeping lucid and entering a dream directly without losing the state of lucidity throughout the process.
- WBTB technique/Napping technique: apply this technique upon awakening (preferably from REM-sleep awakening) but at least 1 hour before your normal wake-up time. The aim is to stay awake for about 30 to 90 minutes, rehearsing your lucid dream and dreamsign recognition, to then go to bed again and fall asleep while visualizing yourself becoming lucid in the last dream you can remember. According to luciddreamsnews.com – this technique is the most effective but least efficient one so far.
- Reality Testing: apply this technique during the day. The aim is to question your mental state at specific times during the day when bizarre/strange/unlikely (i.e. dream-like) events occur. The idea is that you will incorporate this questioning habit into your dreams and become lucid.
The Game
The game is a mental game with the objective not to think about The Game. So the only rule is that you shouldn’t think about it. Now when you accidentally think about The Game, you have to announce it. You can do this by just shouting: “I lost the game.” Now the fun of this game, is that it’s extremely hard not to think about. In my case, once I was introduced to The Game, I couldn’t stop thinking about it for the first 10 minutes. And when I once forgot about it, I got reminded about it. My friends did this in various ways. You could say: stone, sometimes, cheese or something random like that.
Lucid dreaming and The Game
Now, why did I relate The Game to lucid dreaming? I was searching for a way to make a habit out of reality checking. The game seemed perfect. Every time I thought about the game, I did a reality check. I did a few of them, like the nose-pinch reality check and the finger through hand check. I also liked to question my surroundings, checking my senses, and become “aware”. Now I have noticed that I think of The Game frequently and therefore reality check a lot more, reality checking came back in my dream more. For example, this night: I was in my room and I was quite convinced that I was dreaming so I tried to put my hand through my palm. It didn’t work, and I didn’t understand why. I put some force into it, and after pushing full power, my whole finger went through, and I knew I was dreaming from that moment on.