Many of us think of our dreams as something which is largely beyond our control ? they happen while we are asleep, after all and whether they are pleasant dreams or nightmares, we shrug and assume there is nothing to be done to direct the course of our dreams. However, it is entirely possible to have dream control thorough the technique known as lucid dreaming.

But what is lucid dreaming and how does one do it? What are the benefits of being in the driver?s seat for these nocturnal journeys? Keep reading to find out more about the practice of dream control or lucid dreaming.

Exactly What is Dream Control?

Dream control is something which is available to us through the use if lucid dreaming and grants us the ability to know, even while in the midst of a dream, to be aware that you are doing so ? this lets you start to take control over the direction of your dreams! Even while you are fast asleep, your mind can be in total control of what happens.

Dream control can be a great help to people who suffer from recurring nightmares. The simple, yet powerful technique of lucid dreaming can enable these people to get a full night?s sleep.

Common Techniques For Inducing Lucid Dreaming

One of the most effective ways of inducing lucid dreaming is also one of the newest ? binaural audio. This is a technology which involves listening to two different frequencies at the same time. This listening produces deep relaxation and allows your brainwaves to synchronize, leading to the REM sleep state necessary for lucid dreaming to occur.

Before it was possible to find CD and DVDs of binaural audio, the primary methods used to induce lucid dreaming were self-hypnosis and meditation. While these both work very well, it takes time to develop these abilities far enough to reliably gain dream control.

Other than self hypnosis and meditation, there are many other methods which have been developed over the years to help people have lucid dreaming experiences and begin using dream control. In every methods, the idea is to enable the dreamer to realize that they are dreaming, so they can then begin dictating the events of their dreams.

To accomplish this, it takes us being completely awake it start, with the secret being the ability to remember to either say something or do an action in the dream, which will bring on the appropriate realization in your mind and permit you to control the next events happening.

This often comes down to you just saying to yourself, just prior to sleeping, that in a few minutes you will be dreaming, and that in the dream you will state something or do an action, and as this occurs, instantly you recognize you are dreaming.

This form of dream control training is called MILD (mnemonic induction of lucid dreams) and was developed by the scientist Dr. Stephen LaBerge. This mnemonic technique allows you to start using dream control to decide how your dreams will play out. Once you are lucid dreaming, there are no limits except for your own imagination!

There is another way of reaching lucid dreaming and it involves making a dream journal or diary, do this by keeping a pen or pencil and a notebook of some kind by your bed so that you can jot down any information that you are able to recall in the moments right after you wake up. By doing this for several nights, you will begin to see that you are able to recall the facts you have jotted down and dream something similar but this time you will start to exert control over the events.

Using dream control can allow you to banish your nightmares and have truly incredible adventures in your dreams. Anything you can imagine is possible when you are lucid dreaming.

Experts warn though, that the one danger to lucid dreaming, is doing it too often can have adverse effects. The central reason being that dreaming naturally often informs us of critical things we would otherwise not know. Go ahead and have fun with lucid dreaming. It truly is an interesting experience, but always also let yourself have some times when you just dream regularly!

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