Dream a Little (LUCID) Dream Awaken Your Creative Potential
It is a proven fact that we dream every night while sleeping. Even though some people don’t remember their dreams, everyone dreams during the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleeping every night. This is valuable information that can improve creative potential immensely. Is it possible to harness the power of dreaming and use it to our advantage? In my opinion – YES! Through a process called lucid dreaming. Wikipedia defines lucid dreaming as “a dream in which the sleeper is aware that he or she is dreaming. A lucid dreamer can actively participate in and
manipulate imaginary experiences in the dream environment.” Lucid dreaming is an excellent way to harness your creative mind and use its power. When you become aware in a dream that you are dreaming, know that you have the power to control the outcome of the dream. I had my first lucid dream at the age of eight. I realized that I was dreaming because the content of the dream was not realistic for my waking life. If you are having a dream in which you are being harmed or victimized in some way, you become lucid and realize that this is a dream, you can then face the problem squarely and resolve it fearlessly. This is how lucid dreaming can improve waking emotional balance and creative imagination. Perhaps this is something you are reluctant to do. Anyone can be taught to dream lucidly. Some people have a knack for it. Others can learn to become lucid in the dreaming state. There are a number of techniques for this, and reading the book Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge can give you an excellent start. Some believe that if you could remember to see your hands clearly in your sleep, this would serve as your cue to wake up within the dream. Choosing something that is familiar or meaningful to you can do the same thing. Whatever symbol you choose, tell yourself, upon falling asleep, that you will see this symbol in your dream. The symbol will cue you to become lucid, and from there you will control the dream any way you want. The state we all pass through from waking to sleeping is identical to hypnosis. Whatever you deliberately drop into this transitional state of consciousness will be the content of your dream state. Contemplate the amount of time you spend dreaming. The creative nature of the dream experience has invaluable potential for improving your waking life. By controlling your dreaming experience you can resolve many problems. Dreaming was not given to us by accident but is a natural extension of consciousness creatively utilizing the sleeping
state. Use this gift to enrich your creative potential. Here are some simple techniques that have helped me:
Put Your intent on Paper
Before you go to bed, write down your intent to have a lucid dream. On a piece of paper or in your dream journal, handwrite lucid dreaming
affirmations.
Visual Patterns
As you drift off to sleep, maintain your conscious awareness by focusing on the visual patterns being projected on the inside of your eyelids.
i am Dreaming
Use the statement “I am dreaming” to guide you into a lucid dream. As you drift off to sleep, repeat to yourself over and over, “I am dreaming.”
Sleeping upright
Sleeping upright may help you remain consciously aware enough to become lucid within your dreams. At the same time, you also must remain comfortable in order to sleep well, so it is necessary to experiment
with various positions to determine which position provides the highest level of comfort for you.
Meditation
Beginning a daily meditation practice is another effective way to increase your odds of achieving a lucid dream. It is not required that you take on an elaborate meditation practice. All that is needed is a very simple practice of sitting in a comfortable position while remainingphysically inactive and focusing your mind on observing your own thoughts while keenly aware of your breathing.
Before you consider this concept as odd, give it a try! I speak from experience as it has helped me in shaping my life’s design. As with everything,
there is a learning curve involved. Don’t be discouraged if your lucid dreams do not happened quickly. With patience and persistence you will be able to tap into the amazing power of dreaming
Dr. Noie has been in private practice in the Bay Area since 1996. He is a Diplomate of Int’l Congress of Oral Implantologists, Fellow of Academy of General Dentistry, and Assoc. Fellow of American Academy of Implant Dentistry. He has completed his surgical training at New York University as well as Medical University of South Carolina, Temple University, and Wright state University School of Medicine. He completed his oral Anesthesiology training from University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is a member of American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.