Lucid dreaming is being aware that you are dreaming while you are dreaming. Lucid dreaming allows you to have complete control over your dream state, giving you unworldly abilities such as the ability to fly, run at ridiculous speeds, and even teleport. The only drawback is that lucid dreaming takes hard work to perfect. But don’t get because, it’s worth the effort. Below are simple techniques to help you get there.

Keep A Dream Journal. Keep a journal by your bed at night so that when you wake up from a dream you can easily write them down. Don’t just recall the events, but describe how you felt and what different sensations you experienced. Over time you will learn to notice patterns and similarities within your dreams. Noticing these patterns and their deviations will help you induce a lucid dream because you will become aware that you are in fact dreaming.

Begin to check that you are awake throughout your day. Performing a simple ‘reality check’ will help you associated your waking life from your dream life and may act as a jumping off point for dreams. For example checking the time is a common reality check because in dreams, clocks will either be blurry or the clock face will change when you look away and look back. By integrating reality checks into your daily routine, you will eventually start to do them in your dreams, tipping yourself off that you’re dreaming.

Repeat “I will be aware that I’m dreaming”, as you lay down to go to sleep, instead of counting sheep, repeat this phrase to yourself over and over until you drift off. This method is called Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreaming, as it draws upon memory aids to form a habit of being aware that you’re dreaming.

Recognize Dream Signs: Have you ever experienced something in dreams that you know you’ve seen before. Maybe your teeth fall out or you end up going in public without your clothes on. The more you recognize these common occurrences, the easier it will be to notice that you are in a dream.

After being woken up from a dream and before drifting back to sleep, think about something in your dream that will be a sign that you can remember as you fall back asleep. This will help you to pick up on that sign and allow you to better tell that you’re dreaming.

Purchase a light alarm: Seeing strange lights in dreams can tip you off that you’re dreaming. So buy yourself a light alarm and set it to go off periodically through the night. Cover it with a thin sheet so that the light isn’t too bright. The trick to this method is not accidentally waking yourself up.

Use the wake back to bed method: Set your alarm to go off in 4.5, 6, and 7 hours after you fall asleep. These are the times that you’re most likely be in deep REM sleep. When you awake from the alarm, write your dream down, and stay awake for about 45 minutes. Eat a snack or walk around during this time to get your conscious mind active. After 45 minutes, head back to bed and concentrate on the dream. As you are drifting off, tap your fingers in a rhythmic pattern to keep your mind focused on the original dream until you fall asleep.

Meditate: Learning to meditate is not a simple task, but after learning to do this, lucid dreaming can be more easily triggered. Before bed, allow yourself some time to meditate so that you can clear your mind and naturally slip into a lucid dream state. While it may seem easy, this is one of the least successful ways to lucid dream.

A lot of people who are successful in reaching a lucid state will immediately wake up because their heart rate will rise from excitement. To avoid this frustration, there are several techniques to keep you in the dream. One is to rub your hands together to distract you from other bodily sensations. Another technique is to spin your body around in your dream as this will also take focus off of what your body is feeling.

Playing video games can give you a better perspective on what is and isn’t real. Thus, people who play video games frequently are more likely to lucid dream as they are much better at picking out the differences from dream state to reality. Lucid dreaming is not an easy thing to achieve and it takes time and effort to get there. If you’re interested in doing it, keep up your techniques for weeks at a time and eventually it may work. Some people can do it very easily, while others are completely incapable. Good luck, sweet dreams!