Lucid

Dreaming
A Journey within
By George Kourakos

dreamsandmyths.com
 “Your visions will become clear only when you can look into
your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside,
awakes.” —C.G. Jung
 INTRODUCTION
Wherever you are, look around and observe your
environment. Right now.

Use all of your senses. Notice the light bouncing

off the walls, listen to the people talking in the
distance, touch your seat, smell the air...

This is reality. But what if I told you that you

could close your eyes for a few seconds and
reconstruct it however you feel like it?

The Journey begins.

“A lucid dream is a type of dream where the

dreamer becomes aware that they are dreaming.
During a lucid dream, the dreamer may gain some
amount of control over the dream characters,
narrative, and environment”

Lucid dreaming is perhaps the most attractive

aspect of dreamwork. The ability to fly, travel to
high mountains, interact with famous people, etc
is undeniably a dream come true…
Yet, the true power of lucidity lies in establishing a
deep, intimate connection with our subconscious;
our “home”, the control panel of ourselves.

Exploring the halls of our mind is both scary and

exhilarating. It’s also something we’ve been doing
for 1000s of years.

Aristotle wrote:
“Often when one is
asleep, there is
something in
consciousness which
declares that what
then presents itself is
but a dream”

It is a phenomenon humanity has encountered

many times. An integral part of the early
Buddhist's practice and an important skill to Yogis.

In the past, the techniques to induce a lucid

dream were only shared intimately, between
masters and students. “Dream Yoga” or the Six
Yogas of Naropa are powerful tantric rituals that
require dedication and daily practice.
It goes without saying that you need to be serious
about this. You’ll have some unpleasant
encounters but keep in mind that they’re, quite
literally, your subconscious mind manifesting
itself, trying to pass on a lesson. You should be
open to all experiences, knowing that your
subconscious doesn’t try to “trick” or torture you.

Having said that, let’s explore some of the most

effective techniques used today.

(Note: Eventually, you might find your own tricks to

slip into a lucid dream but that comes with time)

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 CHAPTER 1

Reality Checks

“Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly,

flittering hither and thither, to all intents and
purposes a butterfly ...suddenly I awoke... Now I do
not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was
a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly
dreaming I am a man.” —Chuang-tzu

In the movie “Inception”, the protagonists use

props that help them distinguish dreams from
reality. Christopher Nolan got that idea from the
reality checks lucid dreamers use in real life.

You need to find a way to assert that you’re in a

dream, so your conscious mind can “wake up”
during your sleep and take control while
remaining in the realm of the subconscious.

To do that, you must practice during the day so

you become self-aware. That way, when you’re
asleep, these habits will become automatic.
Check x2-3 times per day in a conscious manner

1. The Palm Technique

Open your palm, look at it, and push your middle

and ring finger in.

You can also push solid objects.

This will test the structure and fluidity of your

environment, which during dreams is often
malleable.

2. Check the Time

Dreams rarely obey Time.

Observe clocks, notice the seconds

pass, how the hands move.

3. Look in the Mirror

During dreams, reflections might seem off or

blurry.

Again, the goal is to observe yourself with self-

awareness.
It’s not enough to simply look in the mirror, you
have to intentionally do a reality check.

And that’s true for the rest of the techniques:

• Reading something 2 times, making sure

that the content doesn’t change

• Solve simple 1+1 equations

• Closing your mouth and nose and seeing

whether you’re still breathing

• Counting your fingers

You can get personal and create something that

has a deeper meaning.

These reality checks can be done randomly

throughout the day as a quick way to verify your
current state.

In my experience, doing an RC when you wake up

after a dream is also quite effective.
 CHAPTER 2

How to Induce a Lucid Dream

There are 2 ways to induce a lucid dream:

1. Wake up in your sleep

2. Maintain consciousness while your body is

falling asleep

Both of them have advantages and disadvantages

but if done correctly, these modules can help you
induce your first lucid experience in a few weeks.

If you’re a beginner, I suggest you start with the

gentle approach of waking up in your sleep. Not
only you’ll be building the correct foundations for
future dreamwork, but you’ll be also avoiding all
of the unpleasant occurrences that are associated
with lucid dreams.
1. MILD Technique

Developed by Dr Stephen LaBerge, MILD stands

for Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams.

What you’ll be trying to accomplish with this

tactic is to “remember” you’re dreaming. You can
do that by preparing your subconscious to
recognize the dreamstate.

You create a sign that you’ll use as recognition

that you’re dreaming.

It can be one of your Reality Checks or something

completely unrelated.

• A really tiny yellow car

• A giant floating bubble

• A spinning wheel down the street

• A really long red coat

Something that will draw your attention during

your sleep.
Now, you set up an intention in the form of a
mantra, using implementation intention:

“If I see a tiny yellow car, I’m in a dream”

You should visualize it as well, before sleep. If all

goes well, when you encounter it in your sleep,
you will remember (hence, mnemonic) that it is a
sign you’re sleeping.

The key here is to apply All Day Awareness (ADA).

Meaning that throughout the day, you’ll be
looking for this sign, asserting whether you’re in a
dreamstate or not.

Keeping a dream
journal is very
important since you’ll
start seeing the same
pattern emerging,
often containing signs
you can use.

A little trick to push this even further is to try and

set this as a sign:

“If I wake up in my room, I’m dreaming”

You’re taking advantage of the fact that dreaming
while you're in your room is quite common and
you always wake up in your room, giving you the
opportunity to assert whether you’re dreaming or
not.

This mantra will also come handy when you’re

going to be performing multiple techniques at
once.

The MILD technique uses what we’ve already

talked about (reality checks, setting an intention,
etc) to create all the conditions to help you induce
a lucid dream.

It might not be the fastest technique but it’s

reliable and can be used in combination with
more advanced ones.

You also don’t need to disrupt your regular

sleeping pattern.

2. WILD Technique

This is an advanced technique but it’s the fastlane

to your first lucid experience.
But be warned, if you’re a beginner you’ll not get
it right the first few times. And in some cases,
you’ll have weird experiences. That doesn’t mean
you should be scared, rather be aware that
everything is part of the process.

WILD stands for Wake-Induced Lucid Dream.

It takes advantage of the hypnagogic state, the

fine line between dreaming and wakefulness.

In simple terms:

• Go to sleep like usual but

set an alarm after 4-6
hours. You might want to
experiment with this. The
goal is to wake up in the
middle of your REM state.

• Once the alarm goes off, wake up and get

out of bed. It might be a good time to write,
read, listen to music or consult your dream
journal. Don’t do anything too exciting, you
want to maintain your melatonin levels up.
After 5-20 minutes, go back to sleep.
• Assuming a supine position, lay there
without moving your body. Any urge to
move or twitch should be met by gentle
rejection. Your mind should be relaxed and
open, but your inner monologue should be
silenced. Soon, you’ll begin experiencing
hypnagogic hallucinations. Sounds, voices,
and images popping in your head.

• At this point, a phenomenon known as sleep

paralysis might. You’ll be unable to move
your body. Often, auditory and visual
hallucinations will follow suit. You shouldn’t
be scared. It’s the natural defence
mechanism of your body to make you wake
up. It’s a sign that you’re about to enter a
lucid dream. With experience, you’ll be able
to quickly escape this state all-together or
transform it into a dream instantly.

• Prepare to do reality checks and look for

signs you’re in a dream. Congratulations,
you’re in!
There are many variations of this technique, all
using the WBTB (Wake up Back to Back), which is
to set up an alarm to disrupt your REM state.

A powerful one is the DIELD (Dream Exit

Induced Lucid Dream).

You set up an alarm after 4-6 hours of sleep.

When you wake up, lay still and visualize the
dream you just had. You can picture the dream
inside a TV screen that slowly enlarges until it
takes up your whole visual space.

That way, you’re “falling inwards”, following the

natural direction of dreams.

It shouldn't take you more than a few seconds

until you’re back in the dream but with a
conscious state of mind.

The difficult part is to remember to not move once

you’re awake.

You can also set up multiple alarms, each one

going off after 45-60 minutes, to chain together
multiple dreams. Make sure it stops buzzing after
a few seconds automatically. Again, you don’t
want to move at all!

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 CHAPTER 3

Take Control and Ground Yourself

So, you’ve spent a few months training yourself

and now you consistently gain consciousness in
your dreams. Yet, these lucid experiences are
either short or underwhelming.

It’s one thing to induce a lucid dream but to

maintain your composure and take control
requires even more practice.

Most people, the moment they realize they’re

dreaming, get over-excited and immediately try to
do something extraordinary, like flying. Naturally,
the subconscious doesn’t
respond to their demands or
they immediately wake up.

The first step when you enter

a dream is to ground
yourself.

Observe your surroundings,

pay attention to the details, and begin walking.
Perform a few reality checks. Jump, rub your
hands really fast. Use your physicality and interact
with your environment before trying to alter it.

The first few dreams don’t have to be amazing,

you’re still practising. Enjoy the ride!

Once you’re able to maintain the dreamstate for

more than a few seconds, you can have some fun.

Your mindset will play a big role here.

You don’t want to force change, but rather

expect things to change.

For example, if you want to visit the Pyramids,

simply close your eyes expecting to SEE the
pyramids once you open them.

Remember that in this world, you’re the creator.

And the fact that you’re practically invincible will
allow you to have extraordinary dreams.
 CHAPTER 4

Sleep Paralysis and Lucid

Nightmares

If you do a quick search online about lucid

dreams, you’ll most likely stumble upon the term
“sleep paralysis”.

If you read people’s testimonials, you might

decide against this whole experiment all-together!

Before you throw away your dream journal and

cover yourself under the blanket to avoid the
“Shadow Figure”, let’s look at what sleep paralysis
means scientifically.

“Sleep paralysis is a state, during waking up or

falling asleep, in which a person is aware but
unable to move or speak. During an episode, one
may hallucinate (hear, feel, or see things that are
not there), which often results in fear”
During the transition from wakefulness to sleep
(or vice versa), your mind remains active but your
body shuts down. This creates a paradox where
your brain perceives your inability to move as a
threat, so it causes the phenomena related to
sleep paralysis:

• Hypnagogic hallucinations

• Sounds

• Visions

• Out of body experiences

Described as “hyper-vigilance”, your mind creates

scenarios attempting to wake you up so you can
defend yourself. Hence, the reports of seeing
intruders and weird figures. It’s you trying to
scare yourself!

Sleep paralysis is a perfectly normal occurrence

and you shouldn’t worry about it at all.

In fact, you’ve most likely had an episode a few

times. Have you ever felt waking up from a
muscle jolt? These are called hypnagogic jerks and
occur under the same parameters.

Whatever unpleasant instances you might have in

the process should quickly be replaced by
beautiful lucid dreams. And the more experience
you get, the easier it’ll be to completely eliminate
sleep paralysis or even use it as a technique to
induce lucidity.

(Notice that the WILD technique tries to emulate the

conditions that can cause sleep paralysis)

Knowledge is power. Remind yourself that the

hallucinations are part of your imagination and
you’re one step closer to enter the dreamstate.

dreamsandmyths.com
 CHAPTER 5

How to Escape a Lucid Dream

Given the intensity of these dreams, it might be

harder to wake up from them. But there are a few
things you can try:

• Blink as fast as
possible

• Call for help

• Sleep in your dream

• Start shaking your

body

Simply having the intention to wake up will

usually do the trick. You can even say out loud “I
want to wake up now”, with authority. Remember,
you’re in control.
 CHAPTER 6

Talking to Yourself and the

“Shadow Self”

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will

direct your life and you will call it fate.”

Now that you’ve had your first few lucid

experiences and had a bit of fun controlling
reality, it’s time to use your skills to do deep
psychological exploration.

Carl Jung describes our “shadow” as the repressed

emotions and hidden trauma we carry with us. We
usually recognize it in other people as “moral
deficiency”, a cluster of behaviours we tend to
despise.

Yet, we need to integrate it in a healthy manner so

it doesn’t subconsciously affect us.

Of course, there are many ways to do that during

the day but lucid dreams offer a direct
communication channel to your subconscious.
Fair warning, things can get intense so you’re
better off starting slow.

You’re in a lucid dream, you’ve done the reality

checks, and you just grounded yourself.

1. Talk to people

Every face you see is a

manifestation of your
subconscious. Communicating
with them will be like talking to
your mind.

Many people report that

strangers, depending on your
relationship with your shadow, can be aggressive.
Take that as a sign that you’re taking a step in the
right direction.

Your responsibility is to be gentle and polite. Ask

questions.

• “Who are you?”

• “Why are you doing this?”

 • “How can I help you?”

Eventually, you might notice common themes in

these interactions. Because lucid dreams aren’t
always crystal clear, it’s important to capture the
overall sentiment, the emotions you felt.

2. Memories

You can revisit past events and engage with your

memories through the scope of the subconscious.

We tend to filter out many little nuances and

details from traumatic experiences. This is an
opportunity to interact with repressed emotions
and unresolved issues in a safe space.

Keep in mind that you can always end a lucid

dream if it gets too intense.

3. Call yourself on the phone

One of the most powerful ways

to get access into your
subconscious is to… call
yourself.
This method is hit or miss but when it does work
it offers you an opportunity to do deep work.

It’s very simple actually.

You find a telephone (or manifest one), you dial a

number with the intention to hear yourself on the
other side.

If everything goes right, you can begin talking.

You can get advice about big decisions you’re

about to make. Maybe you’re confused about
which path you should take in life.

Don’t expect straightforward answers but

whatever you do get out of it, it is the truth.
Contrary to popular belief, your subconscious
mind is neither your ally nor your enemy. It
doesn’t play tricks on you.

You get raw, unfiltered reality.

4. Facing the “Shadow People”

“Everyone carries a shadow and the less it is

embodied in the individual's conscious life, the
blacker and denser it is.”
People don’t want to talk about this subject, so it’s
hard to find information on the internet.

Usually, after years of dreamwork and lucid

dreaming, you’ll begin exploring the darkest
corners of your mind. This is where the most
primal part of our subconscious hides, suppressed,
often derailing our lives in ways we don’t
understand.

You’ll know you’re close when you start

encountering shadow figures. They’re different
from the hypnagogic visions you might see during
sleep paralysis.

These shadow people are the negative emotions,

concentrated in “physical” form. Anger,
depression, maliciousness, jealousy. Fear. Traits we
seldom accept when we’re awake.

You can always wake up when you happen to see

one but my suggestion is to approach them, be
gentle and understanding. After all, they’re a part
of you.

The term integration is synonymous with being

vulnerable to these emotions. Embrace the fact
that you will have to confront them, once and for
all.

Once you do, you’ll feel lighter. Both mentally and

physically.

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 BONUS CHAPTER

How To Sleep Deeper

Deep sleep is imperative to induce lucid dreams.

And a good night of sleep begins hours before
your head hits the pillow.

1. Follow your circadian

rhythm

Going to bed at the same

time every day and waking
up without an alarm will
slowly but surely help you
go to sleep faster.

Make sure that you limit

your exposure to blue light
after sunset but get plenty of sunlight upon
waking up!

2. Increase your magnesium intake

Most people are deficient in this vital mineral.

Beyond a healthy diet, supplementing it using
magnesium chloride or magnesium glycinate will
aid your glymphatic system.

3. Meditation

But not just any kind of meditation.

The goal is to slow down your breathing rate, so

your parasympathetic nervous system is activated.

This is a very simple breathing exercise you can

do today:

After a normal exhalation, hold your breath for 5s.

Take a normal inhalation and continue to breathe
for 15s-30s. Repeat the same process 6-8 times.

You can also try box breathing: 4s inhale, 4s hold,

4s exhale, 4s hold.

4. Sleep Hygiene
Preparing yourself to go to sleep both mentally
and physically is key here.

That means you should take it easy once the first

yawn ensues. Forget about work, let the day wash
over you. Do things you enjoy.
Reading, listening to music, mindful movement
like yoga, etc.

You don’t want to stimulate yourself too much or

bring the previous day to the bed with you!

Sweet dreams!
 AWAKEN DREAMS
If you want to further explore and understand
your dreams—and yourself—we believe our blog
will be your trustful guide:

www.DreamsandMythology.com

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experiences. Feel free to contact us on Facebook,
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