Lucid Dreams: How To Learn To Control Your Dreams (and What Science Says About It)

Flying above the rooftops, passing through a wall, looking straight into the eyes of the monster that has been chasing you for weeks... all while knowing that you are dreaming. Does that sound utopian to you? In Germany, one in two adults surveyed has experienced at least one lucid dream. Here’s how it works, and especially how to learn to do it.

What is a lucid dream? Knowing that you are dreaming while the dream continues.

A lucid dream is a dream in which you are aware that you are dreaming, without waking up: the dream continues, and you are conscious of it. Even better, some lucid dreamers manage to act within the scene, make a character appear, converse with them, fly in the face of an enemy, or pass through a wall.

Normally, it is quite the opposite. When we dream, we lose what specialists call reflective awareness: we fully engage with the story, being both spectators and actors, without ever questioning its reality.

Almost everyone has experienced, at least once, the sudden sensation of being in a dream. However, this realization generally occurs just before waking up... and it is what triggers the awakening. The lucid dreamer, on the other hand, remains asleep, in a hybrid state that belongs to the family of so-called "dissociated" states, alongside sleepwalking, sleep paralysis, cataplexy, sleep-related hallucinations, or REM sleep behavior disorder.

Nota bene: REM sleep is the phase of sleep during which the eyes move rapidly under the eyelids (this has been known since 1953), while the body's muscles are almost paralyzed. It is almost exclusively during this phase that lucid dreaming has been demonstrated.

Two levels of consciousness: feeling the dream and steering the plot.

During a lucid dream, consciousness operates on two coexisting levels. The first experiences the dream from the inside (feeling emotions, running, flying), while the second knows that it is all just a dream and can influence the scenario.

The first level is that of any dreamer: they construct a story that engages multiple senses at once. The second level brings two additional abilities. First, reflective awareness, which means knowing that one is dreaming while the dream continues.

Next is the control of the plot: it is the dreamer who chooses, for example, to walk through a wall or to take flight in front of an opponent. They regain a form of introspection and recognize that the scene they are experiencing is not real (a bit like a player who knows, during a game, that they are in a video game).

In the brain, this dual consciousness leaves a subtle trace. The electrical activity is the same as during an ordinary dream, everywhere, except in a small frontal region, which is more active during lucid dreaming. This area seems to correspond to the "controller of our thoughts," the one that, when we are awake, constantly judges whether what we perceive is plausible. Do you think you recognize an old friend on the train? It is this area that objects that it is impossible since, at that time of day, they are supposed to be at work in another city.

Caution is still advised: functional imaging has only observed one lucid dreamer, a technique that shows the brain in more depth. In this individual, broader regions were activated, related to self-awareness and the ability to analyze one's own thoughts and feelings, but a unique case does not allow for generalization.

Sharper images and a feeling of euphoria: what distinguishes lucid dreaming.

The difference between a lucid dream and an ordinary dream is immediately apparent to the dreamer: in a lucid dream, those who experience it say the images are much sharper and more detailed. There is often an added sensation of euphoria when the sleeper manages to take control of the course of their dream.

Those who know both experiences describe them as distinctly different. In an ordinary dream, one undergoes the scenario without any distance, believing in it. In a lucid dream, one knows that the scene is virtual, and this simple certainty changes the relationship to everything that happens.

From the outside, however, almost nothing betrays the difference. Recordings of the sleep of lucid dreamers show eye movements as frequent and as wide as during an ordinary dream, and the same near-total disappearance of muscle tone. Only a small area at the front of the brain shows more activity.

This is also why, in the laboratory, the sleeper must signal themselves that they have become lucid, using a pre-agreed code of eye movements before falling asleep. Without this signal, the lucid dream would almost blend in with a classic dream on the recordings.

How many people have ever had a lucid dream? 51% of adults surveyed in Germany.

The percentage of people who experience lucid dreams is higher than one might think: among 919 adults surveyed in Germany, 51% reported having experienced at least one. Occasional lucid dreaming is therefore relatively common, affecting about one in two adults in this survey.

However, this figure should be interpreted carefully. It refers to an experience lived at least once in a lifetime, not a regular occurrence. It also depends on memory, as one must remember a lucid dream upon waking to report it.

Moreover, dream recall varies greatly from person to person. On average, an adult remembers two dreams per week, but some (less than 0.4% of the population) have never had any dream recollection in their entire life, while others recount five to ten dreams per night.

In certain populations, the rate increases significantly. Among individuals with narcolepsy, a condition that profoundly disrupts REM sleep and dreaming, more than 77% of surveyed patients spontaneously report lucid dreams.

Who dreams most lucidly: women, young people, and 6-year-old children.

The people who have the most lucid dreams are women and young individuals, with the age at which one is most lucid in dreams being... 6 years old. Children of this age are simply the most lucid dreamers of all.

Another significant criterion is dream memory. Those who have a good recollection of their dreams have, more than others, already experienced a lucid dream.

This profile resonates with that of people who remember their dreams the most. Women remember their dreams more frequently than men, and this ability decreases with age, after a peak in adolescence. Woken up after 10 minutes of REM sleep, 97% of young people remember a dream, compared to 81% of those in their sixties.

However, there is no fatality if you don't fit into any of these categories. Dream memory can be developed, particularly with a dream journal, and the interest one has in their dreams seems to increase the chances of becoming lucid.

Lucid dreamers at will: why more than five dreams per week remains rare.

Having lucid dreams every night is possible, but it's the exception. "On-demand" lucid dreamers, capable of having more than five per week, are very rare.

The most well-known case is that of Léon d'Hervey de Saint-Denys, a 19th-century French sinologist. At 45, he claimed to have been lucid in dreams every night since the age of 14 and stated that he was in perfect physical and mental health. He died in 1892 at the age of 70, at a time when life expectancy was 50 years. A good piece of news: the emergence of lucid awareness during REM sleep does not seem to harm the health of the sleeper.

People with narcolepsy form another distinct group. Of more than fifty patients surveyed, over 77% reported having lucid dreams, averaging eight per month, especially during daytime naps, which they find very easy to take. Their condition multiplies abundant and striking dreams, half-sleep hallucinations, and confusions between dream and reality, which helps to understand this extraordinary lucidity.

For most sleepers, consistency remains a real challenge, even in the lab. In a brain imaging experiment, only one student managed to execute the instruction given before sleeping in a lucid dream, while more than eighteen others spent three nights in the loud and uncomfortable apparatus without success. So if lucidity only visits you from time to time, you are within the norm...

Léon d'Hervey de Saint-Denys, the pioneer of directed dreams in 1867.

Léon d'Hervey de Saint-Denys, a 19th-century French sinologist, described his method of directed dreaming in a book published in 1867, "Dreams and the Means to Direct Them," subtitled "Practical Observations." He is considered the great pioneer of lucid dreaming, and his method represents a genuine experimental approach.

Hervey de Saint-Denys does not merely record his dreams; he puts them to the test. He has himself awakened at different moments during his sleep. He also asks his servant to diffuse scents or sounds while he sleeps, without informing him, to influence the content of his dreams.

And when he becomes lucid, he experiments on himself with astonishing curiosity. Can he reason in a dream? Can he manage to kill himself in a dream? Can he make images appear or disappear at will?

This rigor adds value to his work: his way of studying sleep and dreams is considered much more scientific than Freud's in "The Interpretation of Dreams." However, his personal experience was only shared and scientifically validated much later, thanks to the work of Stephen LaBerge from Stanford University.

If the subject interests you, the book remains a fascinating read for dream enthusiasts, and its text is freely accessible online on the BIU Santé website.

Drawing your dreams every morning: the practice that preceded the lucidity of the pioneer.

Drawing your dreams every morning: this is what Léon d'Hervey de Saint-Denys did before becoming a lucid dreamer. From the age of 13, this future pioneer of directed dreaming systematically drew his dreams upon waking, and he spontaneously became a lucid dreamer seven months later.

This method has a name: the dream sketchbook, the drawn version of the dream journal. The principle remains the same, capturing the dream on paper before it fades, which enhances memorization. Over the weeks, one remembers more dreams, and the interest one shows in them seems to increase the chances of becoming lucid.

To try it out, you don't need to be an artist:

• keep a notebook and pencil within reach, near your bed
• draw as soon as you wake up, every morning, but also during awakenings at night
• focus on consistency rather than the quality of the drawing: for the pioneer, lucidity came naturally, seven months after he started drawing his dreams every day, without guaranteeing the same result for everyone

Drawing also helps against bad dreams. To combat recurring nightmares, one is now taught to focus their attention, in dreams, on what is frightening, so that they can describe or draw it once awake. And in nightmare therapies, children often draw their bad dreams instead of writing them down.

Keep a dream journal: remember more to increase your chances of lucidity.

Keeping a dream journal is one of the first techniques to become lucid: by writing down your dreams, you remember them more, and the interest you show in them seems to increase the chances of lucidity. The principle is simple: write down each dream in the morning upon waking, but also every time you wake up during the night.

The effects are felt quickly. With a journal, the number of dreams you remember increases rapidly, the narratives lengthen (researchers measure them in word count) and become more coherent, with fewer gaps in the story. However, this progression has a ceiling: the frequency of memories stabilizes after two weeks of journaling.

A few tips to get started:

• keep a notebook and pen near your bed, or use the voice recorder on your smartphone, which often sleeps next to you, then transcribe later
• write down immediately, even a fragment, even a single word
• ask yourself the right question: instead of "What did I dream about?", ask yourself "What was going through my mind just before I woke up?", as many people unknowingly dismiss thoughts, emotions, or dreams that seem too mundane
• stick with it for at least two weeks: that's the time needed for the number of retained dreams to stabilize

Nota bene: people who wake up more often during the night generally find it easier to remember their dreams. Every little nighttime awakening is therefore an opportunity to note what you just experienced before falling back asleep.

Spotting implausibilities and oddities: learning to recognize the dream from within.

To recognize that one is dreaming through oddities, one must first learn to identify those that populate their own dreams. The method involves reviewing one's collection of narratives (notebook or drawings) while tracking everything that seems off, in order to recognize these signals the next time they arise in the midst of a dream.

What exactly should one look for? Inconsistencies, oddities, exotic elements, vague details, illogicalities, and incongruities. Researchers studying dreams classify these peculiarities into several categories: incongruous elements (distorted, exotic, or impossible), vague elements, and discontinuous elements.

A simple example: "I was in a giant car." Here, the abnormally large car is an incongruity, exactly the kind of detail to highlight in your notebook. These oddities are more frequent in REM sleep, the phase where lucid dreams occur.

Sometimes, it is a frankly impossible element that triggers lucidity in the dreamer: flying, finding oneself in a swimsuit at the North Pole, encountering a deceased grandfather. Unassisted flight is a particularly useful signal, as it cannot happen in reality.

Another clue to keep in mind: reading. It is rare and difficult in dreams, and even lucid dreamers struggle to read beyond a word or two. A text that becomes blurry, an incomprehensible page... enough to raise your suspicions.

Cognitive techniques and stimulation: a range of methods to provoke lucidity.

To induce a lucid dream, several cognitive techniques and stimulation methods have been developed: the dream journal, the MILD technique, the early awakening, the "Intention" variant, reality testing, dream re-entry, and light stimulation. Here’s how to practice each of them.

• The MILD technique (for "mnemonic induction of lucid dreams"): before sleeping, imagine a dream scenario and memorize it, with the intention of recalling it lucidly in your dream. It relies on the brain's ability to replay what has been learned during the day throughout the night.
• Early awakening: the MILD technique seems more effective if you wake up 30 to 120 minutes before your usual time, stay awake for at least an hour, and then go back to sleep while repeating the scenario. Dreamers often become lucid just after a brief awakening, upon returning to REM sleep, and lucid dreams are more frequent in the later phases of REM sleep, towards the end of the night.
• The "Intention" variant: instead of memorizing a scenario, intensely imagine yourself, before falling asleep, knowing that you are dreaming and directing your dream. Among people suffering from recurring nightmares, half of those taught this technique experienced a lucid dream before the end of the third month.
• Reality testing: during the day, ask yourself "Am I in reality, or am I dreaming?", observing the surroundings and your sensations to check that everything is coherent. Since the brain replayed the day's concerns at night, this question may eventually arise in the middle of a dream.
• Dream re-entry, inherited from Tibetan Buddhists: take advantage of a brief awakening during a dream to fall back asleep while counting, keeping your attention focused on what you are doing. The goal is to return to REM sleep with a consciousness closer to that of waking.

There remains the avenue of external stimulations. Light masks placed on the face, equipped with red or blue diodes, as well as sound devices, are offered and even sold to partially awaken the sleeper's consciousness. Caution: these devices have not yet been validated.

To start, the combination of a dream journal and reality testing is the easiest to implement. Early awakening requires a bit more organization; it is better suited for a weekend, for example, as it shortens the night and may leave you a bit tired the next day.

Control the plot: cross walls or fly against an enemy.

Yes, in lucid dreams, one can fly and pass through walls: all lucid dreamers talk about a virtual world where not all the laws of physics apply. Soaring, going through a wall or ceiling, and conjuring up a character (a movie star, why not) are among the most commonly reported experiences.

The transition to action often follows a very simple reasoning. The dreamer notices an impossible element, realizes they are dreaming, and then sets themselves a challenge: "If I'm dreaming, I should be able to fly." If they succeed, they enter what is called a directed lucid dream and can, for example, choose to fly towards an enemy rather than flee.

How does one go about flying? In the long series of dreams of a man who recorded 6,701 between 1984 and 2000, flying was mostly done with just the body, lying on his stomach or sitting, flapping his arms as if rowing or swimming, or after a run and a jump, especially when being chased. These flying dreams remain rare: in a study of 1,910 dreams, only 1.2% included one.

However, be careful not to imagine total mastery. Lucid dreamers explain that they can change part of the scenery or the story, but the essence eludes them. They see themselves less as screenwriters who invent everything from A to Z, and more as sailors: on the sea, they choose a course among several possibilities.

Lucid dreaming and nightmares: facing the scenario like a filmmaker.

Against recurring nightmares, lucid dreaming is taught as a genuine therapeutic technique: it allows one to treat the nightmare as a director would with a film: one can change it or confront it, knowing that it is not real. The method is currently taught to reduce nightmares, and it can be learned quite quickly: half of those who are prone to repeated nightmares and have learned to imagine themselves as lucid before sleeping have experienced a lucid dream in less than three months.

The most striking example dates back to the 19th century. For six weeks, Léon d'Hervey de Saint-Denys had the same nightmare: chased by abominable monsters, he fled through an endless series of rooms, struggled to open doors, and woke up gasping, drenched in sweat. On the fourth return of the dream, he realized he was dreaming.

Instead of fleeing, he leaned against the wall and decided to closely observe the main attacker, a kind of grimacing demon like those on cathedral porches (he even counted the claws on one of its paws: seven, very clearly defined). The other creatures faded away, the monster slowed down, lost its sharpness, became fuzzy, and then transformed into a sort of old floating costume. The nightmare would never return.

The method derived from such experiences is taught today: in dreams, face what scares you and focus your attention on it, so you can recount or draw it upon waking. A young woman with narcolepsy, haunted by a tsunami nightmare where she was drowning, instinctively found a way out: one night, in the midst of the dream, tired of it, she told herself she had had enough. The wave then sprouted eyes and a mouth, like in a comic book, apologized... and never returned.

If you still can't become lucid, a neighboring method can be practiced entirely awake, known as image rehearsal therapy:

• upon waking, write down your nightmare (children can draw it)
• later, during the day and comfortably settled, read it again, so that the fear and its physical manifestations are less intense
• change the ending to make it pleasant: if one falls off a cliff, one can open a parachute, and when facing zombies, one can imagine being a cameraman on a set where the zombies are made-up actors
• read this new scenario before sleeping, for several nights in a row

This technique eliminates the vast majority of recurring nightmares within one to two weeks, especially in children. Its limitation is clear: it currently has no effect on post-traumatic nightmares, those that return every night for people who narrowly escaped death or experienced a very serious event.

Eye signal and voluntary apnea: what REM sleep reveals in the laboratory

In the laboratory, experiments on breathing during lucid dreaming have shown that a sleeper can voluntarily block their breath from within the dream: after signaling their lucidity, they produce an apnea lasting 12 to 20 seconds, clearly visible on respiratory sensors. The goal was to determine whether breathing, irregular during REM sleep, follows what the sleeper experiences in their mind.

Everything relies on a code. Since 1953, it has been known that REM sleep is characterized by rapid eye movements, which sleep laboratories routinely record, while the rest of the body is paralyzed. The lucid dreamer can therefore send a pre-agreed signal, such as looking four times from left to right, a kind of "telegram from the land of dreams" that alerts the observer. It is this type of signal that allowed Stephen LaBerge from Stanford University to scientifically validate lucid dreaming.

For the apnea, the instruction was simple: block your breath after the signal. Once awakened, the sleepers recounted how they managed it. They had modified their dream, for example, by introducing a toxic smell that forced them to hold their breath.

Other experiments follow the same principle. In a functional MRI, German researchers asked a dreamer to alternately open and close their right fist and then their left fist in the dream, while their real hands remained still. The motor areas of the hand activated in the same way as when imagining that gesture while awake: in this specific case, it is the same brain areas that are used to dream a scene and to imagine it.

These studies remain rare, as it requires a sleeper capable of falling asleep in a noisy and uncomfortable device, becoming lucid, making the signal, and remembering the instruction. Narcoleptic individuals, who often manage to send the eye signal during their daytime naps, could greatly aid research.

Breathing underwater in a dream: a virtual world that ignores the laws of physics.

Breathing underwater in a dream is what almost all lucid dreamers experience when they try it: diving into a pool and swimming beneath the surface does not deprive them of oxygen; they continue to breathe quite normally. The lucid dream takes place in a virtual world that ignores some of the laws of physics.

The discovery happened somewhat by accident. During laboratory experiments, lucid dreamers were supposed to hold their breath after signaling their lucidity with an eye movement. Many had the idea to jump into a dream pool to achieve this... without success, as they breathed perfectly well underwater! It was through other tricks, like conjuring a poisonous smell, that they managed to hold their breath.

This freedom relates to how the dreamer perceives their body. In dreams, everyone moves in a complete body, within a setting they have constructed: paraplegic individuals walk in their dreams (38% of their dreams involve voluntary use of their legs, compared to 28% in able-bodied individuals), and a man with an amputated right arm used that arm in his dreams, without feeling the pain of his phantom hand. During REM sleep, what the skin and muscles transmit to the brain is greatly diminished, to the point that the brain is said to be "deaf, mute, and blind" to the outside world.

To embark on your own journey, remember the essentials: a dream journal (written or drawn) kept every morning and at each nighttime awakening, hunting for oddities in your narratives, reality testing during the day, and then, when you're ready, waking up 30 to 120 minutes before your usual time to target the late-night dreams. With a bit of patience, one night, underwater or above the rooftops, you might finally say to yourself: "I am dreaming."