Lucid Dreaming

How to Lucid Dream (I think)

As mentioned previously, you need to use logic to assess yourself and determine if you are dreaming. This is easier said than done. Everything will seem fuzzy and you'll have a hard time concentrating on both staying asleep and changing your surroundings or characteristics. My theory is that environment is harder to change than characteristics. For example:

I've successfully given myself wings with little to no effort. However, looking back at my six year old self and how I struggled to make that castle, it could be for one of few reasons.

1. Six year old's can't concentrate

2. Terrain is harder to change than characteristics

3. I still didn't quite understand a good method to properly manipulate dreams

So, on the subject of methods, here's what I find works:

1. Practice, of course

2. Blink. Things don't tend to change in front of your eyes, so you may have to blink to trigger these changes. Once again, this is easier said than done. Blink too long, you may wake up. Blink too quickly, and nothing may happen. If I was to estimate, shutting your eyes for about 1-1.5 seconds should do the trick.

3. Concentration. You'll have to narrow down all the pestering side-thoughts that will never quite be clear and focus on what you want.

4. If at any point you want to wake up, shutting your eyes tends to work. You may have to remind yourself this is a dream. I don't know much on waking up, because I usually prefer to stay asleep.

5. Force yourself to remember you went to sleep. This is what I did as a child, and it usually worked if I can just do so. Once you remember you're  asleep, you will obviously realize this is a dream and become aware.

6. Play I SPY and spot the differences.

7. Pay attention in real life. I find dreams about school are easiest to pick out as dreams because you go there so often that you know most, if not all details of your surroundings. Generally remembering the details will help you pick apart what's right and what's wrong.

8. Always be on your toes, no matter how real it feels. Once your brain realizes you're getting past it's tricks, it will fix more details and becoming aware will be come much harder as time progresses.

9. You won't always be able to lucid dream. If you dream of something new, perhaps somewhere you have never seen, it'll be harder to pick apart the details.

10. I shouldn't have said "never seen". Of course you've seen it, it's YOUR brain. Issue is, your subconscious mind will remember. Your cerebellum, which is the part that essentially makes you think (more specifically, thought process) may not. This is why although something may seem either vaguely familiar or not at all familiar, you still DO know what it is.

11. I have a hard time staying in the dream after becoming aware, so I just try not to think too hard on the fact that I am dreaming. As a matter of fact, I find that even one slip up can be enough to wake you.

If you see anything incorrect, know anything else, or have any questions, please do make yourself heard and write it in the comments. I'll be sure to read them.

UPDATE (don't ask me why I decided to specify): I recently learned a trick to tell if your dreaming, and it's proven effective thus far. Look at your hands! When dreaming, your mind tends to create more fingers on one hand than you actually have, and it's easy to remember to do.
Also, for those of you who would like to read anything dream related, I recently finished Poet Anderson, a fictional book based on lucid dreaming. I won't go into detail, but I highly recommend you read it!
Ciao.