Zombie Dreamer to Lucid Dreamer: Making the Transition

"If you must sleep through a third of your life, why should you sleep through your dreams too?" - Stephen LaBerge

Having one lucid dream does not make you a lucid dreamer. Having ten lucid dreams does not make you a lucid dreamer. Even if you have a lucid dream once a month you are not a lucid dreamer. What is a lucid dreamer? This is my definition:

A lucid dreamer is someone who transcends the various levels of lucidity on a nightly basis

So what does this mean? This means that if you are a lucid dreamer then every single dream you have you will be consciously aware of it on various levels. Now this does not mean that you have lucid dreams every time you dream. It just means that you are in much greater control and have a much greater awareness in your dreams whether it's consciously or subconsciously. This awareness will lead to multiple lucid dreams a week or even a night.

Before you can become an avid lucid dreamer, you have to make the transition from a regular zombie dreamer, to a fully aware and conscious, lucid dreamer. A process that's not as easy as it may sound. During this growing process there are many lessons and stages that you will go through before becoming a lucid dreamer.

Confusion

The hardest thing to overcome when you are learning how to become a lucid dreamer is confusion. Distinguishing what is reality and what is a dream is harder than you think. When you start to become more aware and awake in your dream, everything seems so real and your conscious mind has trouble accepting that it's just a dream and that everything your experiencing in this dream is fake. There will be a numerous amount of times when you will become lucid only to question if you are really dreaming and lose lucidity. You will have false awakenings and think your dream is over. You will be telling people about your lucid dream while your still dreaming. You will become afraid that what is happening is not just a dream and your going to suffer the consequences for what you did. The confusion is endless and it can and will ruin your lucid experience. After a lot of practice and a lot of lucid dreams, you will be able to overcome this, but until then, learn from each lucid dream you have and grow from it.

Frustration

The frustrations of learning how to become a lucid dreamer can easily make someone just give up. First you have the frustrations of just learning how to have a lucid dream, and then the frustrations once your inside a lucid dream. You've been trying to have a lucid dream for months and you finally have one just to wake up or lose lucidity a second later. This can really effect your drive to keep trying. Or maybe you have had a couple lucid dreams but no matter how hard you try you can't seem to control them. You try to fly or walk through walls and you find that your conscious mind will not accept that it's just a dream and doesn't think it's possible. These frustrations are inevitable when you are learning how to become a lucid dreamer. Just remember to stay persistent and patience and you will eventually learn how to control your lucid dreams and how to stay lucid longer.

Shock and Awe

Most people don't actually realize how realistic a dream can be. Every color and image fully vibrant. Every sensation and feeling so concrete. It's an exhilarating experience that can be more real than waking life. When you become lucid and fully aware in your dreams you will experience these type of dreams. The more lucid you are, the more real your dreams will become. When you first start having lucid dreams you should take the time to just observe and experience the dream. Look at how beautiful the sky can be in your dreams. Run your hands through the sand. Stop and smell the roses. Listen to the sounds of in the dream, especially music. Not only will you see how real all of these things seem, you will train your subconscious to become much more aware when you'redreaming. This will result in more lucid dreams, more vivid dreams, and greater dream recall.

Escapism

In a world where anything is possible and everything is just as real as reality, why would anyone want to leave. Although it may seem strange for those who have never had one, lucid dreams can be very addicting. Once realizing how great lucid dreams are, you may never want to leave the dream world. You'll start taking extra naps, sleep in longer, or never want to get out of bed. If your not careful it can completely disconnect you from reality. Before you start lucid dreaming you need to make sure that you are completely grounded to waking life. Although this is not a problem for most people, most beginning lucid dreamers and people suffering depression will go through some form or another of escapism.

Control

After having multiple lucid dreams you will start learn how to control them and how they work. Any thing that you can imagine you will be able to do. It doesn't matter if you want to walk on water, fly at light speed, teleport, or walk through walls. You will also be able to program the dream you want to have. Every night before you go to sleep you can decide if you want to be an astronaut, explore the bottom of the ocean, visit other plantets or travel through time. Once mastered, you get to choose your dreams and what you do and what you experience, the choice is yours. It takes a lot of lucid dreams to get to this point but anyone can do it if they have enough determination.

Make sure and read The Complete Guide to Lucid Dreaming if you are serious about becoming a lucid dreamer