# Lucid Dreaming/Using

## Dream stabilization

Once you are able to dream lucidly, you may find that it is difficult to
stay in the dream; for example, you may wake instantly or the dream may
start "fading" which is characterized by loss or degradation of any of
the senses, especially vision. Alternatively, a new lucid dreamer could
easily forget that they are in a dream, as a result of the shock of the
sensation.

Don\'t worry if you wake immediately after becoming lucid. As you gain
more experience of becoming lucid, it will come as less of a shock and
you'll be less likely to wake up. Make sure you do a reality check to be
sure you're not still dreaming. As you gain more experience, you will
have an easier time identifying when and remembering that you are
dreaming.

You can avoid more gradual fadings by **stimulating your senses**. This
means listening for sounds, feeling around with your hands, and paying
attention to what you see and smell. The idea here is to load your
senses with stimulation from the dream so that your senses cannot shift
to the real world. If you close your eyes, you are removing a great deal
of sensory information and might wake up. Staring at a single point can
cause effectively the same problem if you stop seeing everything else in
your peripheral vision, or don\'t see enough movement. If you hear
something loud in real life and are hearing nothing in the dream, your
senses may shift to the real world, causing you to wake up.

Ideally you should be able to use the techniques below to stabilize your
dream *before* it starts to fade (or "black out"). As always, prevention
is better than treatment - and the more stable and vivid your dreams
are, the more enjoyable they will be. However, if that doesn\'t work you
may be able to use stabilization techniques to stop the fading; the
spinning technique is probably the most effective in this case.

If you still can't stabilize your dream, you may decide to try and wake
up with the aim of remembering your dream as accurately as possible
while its still fresh in your mind.

### Hand Touching

Rub your hands together and concentrate on the rubbing. You should feel
the friction and the heat of your hands. If you can concentrate on the
feelings that this action generates, your dream is likely to stabilize
and become more vivid and detailed. You can also keep one hand on your
arm while exploring the dream for a constant sense of stimulation. This
technique is most effective when used in conjunction with the "Slowing
it down" technique, by staring at your hands while rubbing them
together.

### Spinning

You spin around in your dream much as you would if you suddenly want to
feel dizzy in real life. The sensation of movement is the key here to
stabilizing the dream. Many people report success with this technique,
but it also tends to cause a complete change of your dream scene (see
Changing the dream
environment below). If the
dream scene disappears completely (e.g., becomes black), it is necessary
to visualize the dreamscape to return to the dream.

### Slowing it down

Some people like to stabilize the dream by "stopping to smell the roses"
and slowly staring at a dream object until it becomes clear. The dreamer
would then look around elsewhere, noticing how detailed everything is,
thereby stimulating the visual portion of the dream. *However, others
find this can cause their lucid dream to end.* If you focus on one
object for too long to the exclusion of everything else, you will likely
wake up or lose the dream. It works best to pay attention to everything
in your vision, including your peripheral vision, not just the center of
the object you\'re staring at. If staring at a single object doesn\'t
work for you, try to let your eyes wander around instead.

### Touching your dream

If you feel that your dream is too abstract and fear that it might be
fading, you can prevent this by grabbing hold of a solid object in your
dream and focus on how real the sensation is. A good tip is to find
something you know is stuck, for instance a table nailed to the ground,
and pull it with all your muscular power (no *supernatural* powers!),
and you should feel how solid it is. The idea is that you convince
yourself that the dream is solid and real --- through tactile
stimulation --- and nothing abstract.

### Regaining waking memory or skills

This is also likely to enhance your degree of lucidity. Try to remember
facts from your waking life, such as your phone number, address, etc.,
or do some simple math. Or, start reciting the lyrics to your favorite
song. Or perhaps try some sports practice you know well --- this all
depends on which senses / methods of thought process you tend to rely on
most in your waking life.

### Dream Guide

Summon a DC (Dream character) that you expect to Guide you through the
dream. Summoning is easier if you always expect this Guide to be there
in a dream. The Guide is useful for escaping scary or unpredicted
environments (\"whooshing\" you away, killing or unsummoning the threat,
reminding you that you are in control.). Imagine this Guide as powerful,
knowledgeable, and protective over you. Guides can also walk you through
summoning, flying, shapeshifting, etc. and be useful for learning and
controlling your dreams.

### False awakening

A couple of the users on the ld4all.com forums have had success with
creating a false awakening to stabilize a dream. If the above techniques
are failing and you find your dream still fading, *and you really want
to continue your lucid dream*, do the following:

1.  Expect to have a false awakening.
2.  When you think you wake up, perform a reality check.

You will either have a false awakening, reality check, and then end up
with an even more vivid lucid dream, or will really wake up, perform a
reality check, and realize that you just woke up (bad luck!).

The most important part of this is the reality check. This is what will
continue your lucid dream. You should be performing reality checks when
you wake up. If you plan to induce false awakenings in order to
stabilize a dream, the reality check that you perform as you wake up is
as important as the one that got you lucid, if not more.

Perform every check in the book until you are **positively, absolutely,
and completely sure** that you aren't dreaming. A series of 10 reality
checks is more likely to produce dream results in a dream, especially if
you are expecting dream results. This technique is for those who are
desperate!

*If you have had a good experience with this technique, please go to the
talk page and post your experiences, as there have not been many
anecdotes of it working yet.*

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## Recovering from lost visuals

There are a few things you can try to do if you lose your vision. Most
of these are less likely to help prolong your dream than the above
techniques.

You can also try these if you have just woken up and are lying in your
bed. You may be able to return to your dream.

### Autosuggestion

You can repeat over and over a phrase similar to "I can see my dream,"
or otherwise enforce in your mind that you can see a dreamscape. (See
Autosuggestion)

### Visualising

You can visualise the scene as it would be if you could see it. You
could take this as an opportunity to change the dreamscape by
visualising a different environment from the previous one in the dream.
This can be made easier by spinning as you visualize. (See Changing the
dream environment below)

## Altering the dream

### Changing the dream environment

You can change the dreamscape by simply visualizing a different
environment. Stephen LaBerge, author of *Exploring the World of Lucid
Dreaming*, suggests closing your eyes, spinning around, and visualizing
a new location. Alan Worsley, a famous lucid dreamer, describes another
technique of summoning a television and remote to switched dreamscapes.
By simply "changing the channel" on the remote, imagine your
surroundings switching to your desired location, as though you were
switching through various television programs.

In both of these methods, details are key. The more details you provide
for your next dreamscape, the easier it will be to get there. For
example, if you wanted go to the Superbowl in your dreams, you might
simply state:

:   **"I want to be at the Superbowl."**

But this statement could be improved by adding details:

:   **\"I want be in the endzone seats, drinking a Coke, and wearing my
    favorite player\'s jersey at the Super Bowl.\"**

### Summoning objects into your dream

At some point in your lucid dreaming experience, you\'ll probably want
to handle various objects, or talk with certain people. Both of these
needs can be fulfilled by using your mind, and the power of suggestion.
There is no set way to \"make\" things in the dream world; in fact, many
lucid dreamers devise their own methods through experimentation.
However, here are some of the more common \"summoning\" techniques:

-   Try reaching for objects that are not within your field of vision.
    For example, think to yourself: "When I reach into my pocket, there
    will be a green box of mints." Then, attempt to actually take a
    green box of mints out of your pocket. Other variations of this
    include reaching behind you for an object, or reaching through a
    mirror in hopes of getting a hold of what you want.
-   To summon a person, you might say to yourself: "When I turn around,
    \[person\'s name\] will be standing in front of me," or "When I walk
    through this mirror, I will see \[person\'s name\]," or "In a few
    moments, \[person\'s name\] will walk through that door (or around
    that corner)."
-   More experienced lucid dreamers can try making the object
    materialize right before their eyes. This will require a fair amount
    of concentration. Here is an example of this process:\

:   I am lucid dreaming in my backyard, and it\'s currently night. Now,
    I don\'t like the dark in my lucid dreams because I\'m more likely
    to wake up, and I fear there are monsters lurking around every
    corner. So, I want to **make the sun appear** so that it\'ll be
    daytime. Focusing on the horizon, I visualize the sun rising above
    it.\
:   At first nothing happens, but I continue focusing and\...yes!
    There\'s some light filtering over the horizon! And now the sun is
    rising to the sky and it settles there; so far, so good. But
    wait\...the sky is still black. Peering at bit closer at the sun, I
    can just make out a faint ring of blue sky encircling it. Lifting my
    hand towards it I shout, \"Blue!\". The blue ring quickly spreads
    across the sky, creating the full daytime effect."\

-   Some dreamers may have success by closing their eyes and imagining
    the desired object in front of them once when they open their eyes .
-   Try using mechanical devices within the dream, such as a nearby
    lightswitch or button, to summon objects or people. (i.e. \"When I
    flip this switch/press this button, X will appear.\")
-   Convince yourself you have magical powers (or scientific). Then, use
    them to summon objects, shapeshift, etc. This can help you believe
    the creation of objects more easily.
-   (This one is dumb, but it works.) Begin singing *Friend Like Me*,
    and summon stuff to the beat. They may disappear after you finish
    singing, or start dancing, but hey, it\'s pretty darn fun.

Remember, in the dream world, your expectations shape your surroundings.
If you think a big, scary monster is going to step out of the shadows
and attack you\...well, a big, scary monster probably *is* going to step
out of the shadows and attack you. So, don\'t be a victim; take control
of your thoughts and use them to your advantage.

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## What you can do

This final section should see you off with a few ideas of what to do in
a dream.

It is advised to have a *clear purpose* for your lucid dreams whenever
you go to sleep. In other words, every night you consider what you want
to do when you have a lucid dream, and select one thing, or perhaps two
or three if you are skilled. Avoid this:

:   \"What am I gonna do what am I gonna do? I wanna fly, walk through
    walls, eat until my stomach explodes, spy on my neighbours, drive in
    a car real fast, woooeeey I\'m gonna . . .\"

You will either end up doing none of these things in your dream or
getting overexcited and waking up.

Now that that's clear, here's a list of possible things you could do,
ordered in difficulty. Remember that you might find some things
unusually hard (or easy) compared to most lucid dreamers, this is
perfectly normal! This is a very rough guide --- if you've managed
something in the Easy section, don\'t be scared to try for something
from the Medium section.

### Easy

-   Fly

    :   Most people enjoy flying around in dreams. There are different
        styles of flight that people use, each with a varied level of
        success for each individual. Methods such as "swimming through
        the air", "Superman style" (one arm outstretched), "Neo style"
        (both arms at your side), and "Airplane style" (both arms out)
        ,\"eagle style\" (gliding through the air currents, using your
        fingered wings to navigate altitudes) are often used. There are
        a few methods of getting up into the air, such as simply jumping
        (you can jump really high in dreams if you believe it) or
        imagining a great force pushing you from your feet or walking up
        on air as though it is a staircase. Some people summon jetpacks
        and slip them on to fly. Be creative and dream up your own
        methods.
-   Explore your dream world

    :   Be warned, you are quite likely to forget you are dreaming when
        exploring! Doing reality checks often and muttering to yourself
        about how real everything seems can help to avoid this. You can
        also ask a dream character to tag along with you and remind you
        when you forget that you're dreaming.
-   Walk through a mirror or wall

    :   You can pass through dream objects such as walls, glass, trees,
        and everything else. Confidence is really the key here. Some
        variations on going through stuff can be going in slowly,
        wiggling your finger in first, or running quickly into the
        object and telling yourself you would go through it. Some people
        particularly like to go through mirrors because of the
        unpredictable effects this action produces. However, if you tell
        yourself you will end up at a certain location before passing
        through a mirror, you can change the dream scene quickly. Be
        warned, some people experience nothing and wake up after passing
        through. You may want to hold your arm to keep yourself in the
        dream.
-   Look at the sky

    :   People often report amazing skies in lucid dreams. You can also
        shout colors at it and paint some sunrises.
-   Show off to your friends ("Hey guys; I can go through this wall!")
-   Do plenty of sports (trampolining, skiing, swimming, dancing, etc.)
-   Use various power such as Telekinesis and magic (a shortcut if you
    are having problems would be to summon a magic wand/staff or other
    device)
-   Try to read a book that you have never read and remember the content
-   Try to browse the Internet and visit sites that you\'ve never
    visited
-   Use things that you have never used
-   Last but not least: Edit Wikipedia/Wikibooks articles (see question
    106 of the Wikipediholic
    Test) and see
    if the changes remain when you awake!

### Medium

-   Eat until you're near bursting!
-   Teleport
-   Create some dream characters (possibly from a book or film)
-   Try to find your spirit guide
-   Experiments (in fact, researchers will often want people of various
    skills)
-   Body swapping/possession (where you enter a different body)
-   Morph
-   Take some drugs (this is more realistic if you've done so in real
    life)

    :   Many people have also experienced realistic effects when trying
        drugs in dreams that they have never taken in real life.
-   Drive a vehicle (This is especially fun if you haven\'t ever driven
    in real life)
-   Fight

    :   Nobody can tell you what you should and should not do in your
        dreams; the choice remains up to you.

    -   Use weapons

        :   It is usually more interesting to use melee weapons (knives,
            swords, brass knuckles) than projectile weapons. Machine
            guns and pistols often run out of ammo and summoning it can
            be difficult. Misfires and jamming is also common. *(Your
            subconscious expectations will shape your dreamscape in all
            manner of ways, If you believe it is hard to accomplish, if
            you believe it will jam or misfire, it will. I have had no
            issues with weaponry such as firearms in my dreams
            what-so-ever, take this \"advice\" lightly.)* However this
            can be overcome by using Directed Energy Weapons (Lasers,
            Plasma/pulse rifles), or weapons that can\'t jam (bows,
            simple firearms like muskets and so on).
-   \"Beat up\" your enemies

### Hard

-   Have sex

    :   The excitement, or closing your eyes, can cause you to wake up.
        An additional reason for waking up may be fixing your eyes on
        your partner, as holding a gaze for long is also known to cause
        waking up. Also your dream partner has a strange way of
        transforming in the midst of ecstasy. Finding a sex partner
        isn\'t very hard, it\'s keeping them that is difficult. That is
        why it is best to not panic when they are transforming and
        accept them for what your subconscious brings you.
-   More morphing like 360 degree vision, sonar
    vision, etc.
-   Create false memories, etc. False memories can be made by having a
    lucid dream, but scripting it so you will think it is real, e.g. you
    think what happened in your dream happened in real life. This is
    hard because you will have to forget it is a dream while staying
    lucid (knowing it is a dream).
-   Compose music or poems (or request them from your subconscious)
-   Build a fantasy dream world! (some people build a dream world
    naturally)
    -   Lucid Crossroads
    -   Astral Pulse
        Island
    -   H.P. Lovecraft\'s Dreamlands
-   Have precognition (your subconscious can be very good at predicting
    the future with relationships and career)
-   Experience death. This could be a very harsh experience, and
    depending on your religious or philosophical beliefs may summon you
    into a different world or nothingness.
-   Ask the dream to show you your worst fears/deepest traumas/etc. (be
    prepared for some bad stuff to surface)
-   Build/use impossible objects, such as
    hypercubes, Klein
    bottles, etc.
-   Rewind time

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## Conclusion

With all the techniques in this book, you may feel overwhelmed and
uncertain of what to do next. Don\'t worry --- just choose a few
techniques to "map your way to lucidity", decide on a few things you
will want to do from this page, and start!

If you are still unsure of what to do, don't worry --- you might happen
to have a lucid dream tonight!

If you are beginning to feel a compulsive thirst for *more* information
about dreams, head over to the Further
Reading section for the
sites to satisfy your cravings. Remember to come back occasionally and
help make the wikibook grow!

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es:Sueño lúcido/Uso it:Sogno
lucido/Uso
