Steven Magill asked:


Copyright (c) 2008 Steven Magill

Lucid dreaming is something that many people wish they could do. Often when they realize they are lucid dreaming they get so excited that they wake themselves up! Lucid dreaming, for those who don’t yet know, is sort of like conscious dreaming. At some point during the dream you realize that you are dreaming. That is a lucid dream. Some people find that when they are lucid dreaming they can actually control what is happening during their dreams. So how do you induce a lucid dream? Here is a tutorial on step by step lucid dreaming.

The first step in step by step lucid dreaming is learning what time is the best time to have a lucid dream. Pay attention to your personal sleep schedule and how long it takes you to have a dream in the first place (this can be accomplished by noting the time when you wake up from a dream and comparing it to the time you fell asleep). Typically lucid dreams happen during REM sleep which is the sleep cycle you go through right before waking up. The easiest way to achieve a REM cycle is to wake up earlier than you normally would, stay awake for an hour to an hour and a half and then go back to sleep. Your brain should drop right into the REM cycle and you can have your lucid dream.

The second step in step by step lucid dreaming is deciding to have a lucid dream. This is often called the MILD technique (Mnemonic Induced Lucid Dreaming). While you are falling asleep make the decision to remember your dream and then concentrate only on that idea. Repeat to yourself “I will remember my next dream.” This will tell your brain to pay attention to the next dream you have and chances are high that when the dream starts you will know that you are dreaming, which is what a lucid dream is.

The third step in our step by step lucid dreaming tutorial is to remember your dreams. Keep a dream journal and write down every detail that you remember from your dreams. By making yourself remember details from all of your dreams, you are telling your brain that your dreams are just as important to you as your waking life and it will start to stay more alert while you are dreaming. Keeping a record of all of your dreams can alert you to patterns in your dreaming and help you with the fourth and final step in our step by step lucid dreaming tutorial.

Perform regular reality checks. Intermittently throughout your day start asking yourself if you are awake or dreaming. Look around, take stock of your situation and consciously decide if you are awake or dreaming. Make sure to do this when you encounter any people, places or situations that are regular players in your dreams. Your brain will start to do this on its own and before you know it; your brain will tell you when you are dreaming!

Michael McGrath asked:


Why do people dream is not an easy question to answer!

There’s differing views that attempt to answer the question “why do people dream?”

There are several scientific and mystical theories as to why people dream but the truth is we really don’t know for sure.

A dictionary definition of dreams, and therefore a good starting point for an answer to the question why do people dream, states that dreaming is “a series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep”. Take note though that dreams are not always involuntary and I will return to this point a little later!

Psycho-analysts are fascinated with dreams. Sigmund Freud asked the question why do people dream and saw dreams, in his psychoanalytic model, as repressed or suppressed desires which people hide from themselves in the waking state.

Freud believed that such unexpressed wants were symbolically represented in the dream state in order that a person could express them in a safe way.

There are mystical schools of thought that suggest dreams are your entrance to other worlds or links to past lives!

Many different ancient cultures have tended to have different views and tackled the question why do people dream in different ways. For instance, Aborigines, have very different views. They believe that the dream state is actually reality and when they are awake they are experiencing an illusion.

Why do people dream is a very difficult question to answer I’m afraid to say.

We do know that a dream happens when someone goes into a deep sleep where the brain displays theta brainwaves. The conscious mind may remain inactive during sleep but the subconscious mind is far from inactive. During dreams a person will show this by displaying REM or rapid eye movement.

So why do people dream?

Fundamentally dreams are concepts that get expressed while sleeping. Dreams can show structure or show chaos. Anyone who wants to delve deeper into Freud’s view of dreaming can start with a good ‘dream meanings’ book.

Whatever the answer is to why do people dream you should also be aware of another special type of dream that is voluntary. I am, of course, talking about lucid dreams. Some people can deliberately wake-up in their dreams. When this happens it is a relatively simple task to control the dream and change it into anything you want. This is a fantasy experience and feels like real life. You can transform anyone, experience anything and go wherever you want and research shows that anyone can learn how to do it!

Why do people dream? Hopefully I have given you some intellectual food for thought and you will continue to ask yourself why do people dream until you get an answer that satisfies.

Michael A. Verdicchio asked:


Living here in Arizona, we have about five months of very hot weather. People who visit during that time have a hard time just going from the house to the car. Day after day of triple digit temperatures are absolutely unbearable to them.

The opposite was true when we lived in Minnesota. When people visited during the long sub zero seasons, being outdoors for only a minute or two was just too much for them.

Our environment affects us. People who live in a dirty environment are more susceptible to sickness. People who live in a very cold climate develop a tolerance to cold weather. People who live on the coast tend to eat more seafood.

When I lived in Minnesota, I adapted to my environment. I couldn’t walk outside in shorts and a t-shirt in January. That cold climate affected my life.

Our environment really does affect us, whether it is the geographical location, the climate, the cleanliness of our home, or even our friends and acquaintances.

Who do you like to hang out with? Are they positive people who are enthusiastic about life? Or, are they negative people who complain about everything?

Plenty of people sit around with others and talk about how bad things are going in the world today. They take turns elaborating on how bad things are in their own lives. Those kinds of discussions never produce any real solutions, only more misery. And, misery loves company.

People you hang out with may be very negative. And, yes, you do have an opportunity to try and encourage them and help them. But at some point, you need to realize that all that negativity is affecting you.

I’m very well aware that there are times when the people we work with are very negative. You may have to work side by side with them, but you don’t have to have lunch with them. You don’t have to go out with them after work either. And, some people, because of the negativity at work, have sought out other employment that so that they could work-in a more positive environment.

You may have relatives who are very negative and who always see the worst in everything. You can be loving and kind; you can try and help them; but you don’t need to spend large amounts of time with them.

I don’t believe that negative people have evil intentions. They are not purposing planning to hurt your life. But, nonetheless, they are still dream stealers. A dream stealer takes away the confidence, hope and drive to continue on the path to reach your dreams.

The more you hang out with them and absorb their negativity, the more it affects your dreams, your vision, your goals and aspirations. It becomes much easier for doubts and worries to enter your mind. After all, when your friends have obviously given up on their dreams, what makes you think you can obtain yours?

I am always ready and willing to help someone take their eyes off of their current conditions so that they can look up, get up, and start moving forward. But, I am not going to just listen to negative after negative for hours and hours from someone who doesn’t want to change.

No wonder the Bible talks about not speaking things that tear down or bring down, but rather speak things that build up and encourage.

Always have something kind and uplifting to say to yourself and to others. But beware of the dream stealers!