For example, lets use the dreams of two fictional people, Linda and Loretta. Both dream that a large monster is chasing them. Linda is dreaming and having a nightmare, while Loretta is lucid dreaming.

Linda in her dream screams and runs away. She runs as fast as she can. Just like in every horror movie ever made, of course she trips and falls! The monster gets closer and... (sorry folks, I just can't tell you the rest, this is a non-violent site).

Loretta, meanwhile is having the same dream: a monster is chasing her. However, she is fully aware during her dream and decides to take action. Since it is, after all the dream world, she pulls out a magic squirt gun and shoots the monster. It immediately shrinks and turns into Barney the Purple Dinosaur. (well, I guess that could still be a nightmare...). Loretta laughs and goes into other adventures.

Now, I don't want to imply that Linda is powerless, but she cannot deal with her dream until after the fact. She may wake up because the dream is so intense, quivering with fear or a sense of being ill at ease. When she is fully awake she may analyze it. Could it be her prospective mother-in-law is an ogre? Maybe the new Jurrassic Park movie was scary? Could it be she should not have eaten that pizza so late at night?

Loretta can deal with the dream while having it. She can take action and actually change her dream. That is what lucid dreaming is about. The ability to realize we are dreaming, and to direct the action within it.

The ability to learn Lucid Dreaming opens up a whole new dimension in dreamwork tools. Because we are conscious when we lucid dream, we bring all our reasoning abilities along with memory, thoughts, plans and desires.

There are many uses and applications for Lucid Dreaming. We can "try out" certain behaviors without fear of being ostracized or hurt. We can dream different versions of the way we might approach a problem, or relationships.. We may just wish to entertain ourselves.

It's funny, when I first read about Lucid Dreaming many years ago, my first thought was, "you mean everyone doesn't lucid dream?". Since I was a young child, I "programmed" my first dream of the evening. I decided what I wanted to dream about and directed my own little "movie". Still do.

My first dream of the night is my secret weapon in life. When I have a problem I "film" various ways of solving things. I can yell "Cut!" when I don't like the way things are going. I can do many, many "takes". (There's no producer yelling about the budget on film either.)

I can test out my creative projects. Many of the ideas and articles on this web site come from dreamwork sessions I've done. When I was in college, I used to study in my dreams. I often took my tests in advance of the actual one to "practice".

And lest all work and no play make Holly a dull girl, I play in my dreams. Where else are Melvin Gibson, Joaquim De Almeida, and a cast of thousands so readily at my beck and call? For me, this is a very powerful stress reduction technique.

Can anyone learn lucid dreaming? I think so, but as with most everything, there are factors to consider when determining whether or not someone will be successful. Motivation is extremely important. For some people lucid dreaming comes naturally, or is learned easily. For others, it can take practice, and sometimes quite a bit of it!

Good dream recall is very important. True, one is aware while lucid dreaming so that might seem like a moot point. If one is aware, then of course we'll remember the dream. Right? Unfortunately, that isn't always the case. Being aware doesn't always go hand in hand with remembrance. You may vaguely recall that you were lucid during a dream, but the content may escape you.

I have known many people, that until they learned dream recall, didn't know they already produced lucid dreams!

Having taught many workshops, I often found that understanding this concept was the most difficult stumbling block. By far, for some people, this was more difficult than the actual production of lucid dreams! So, I cannot stress enough the fact that being aware in a dream, does not automatically mean you remember it.

For those who have never or rarely produced lucid dreams, learning the technique is akin to developing any skill. Some people learn new skills easily, others it takes time and discipline. It is not unlike learning a language. When you were first born, you didn't come into the world speaking fluently. It took listening, practice, and probably some very shaky attempts before you spoke fluently.

There are many techniques that have been developed to learn lucid dreaming, and many are quite good. I tell my students to try a few methods, and find the one they feel will work best for them, and stick with it. Each person is different and we have different learning channels. Some of us are very visual, others auditory, while others are more physical.

A good time to start any method is when you first get into bed, as you are starting out being aware.

As you get ready to drift off into sleep, visualize something tangible and easy to "examine".

This could be a candle flame. As you allow yourself to relax, simply focus on the candle flame. Notice how it moves with slight breezes. Notice the color variations at different points in the flame. You may have to bring your focus back to the flame several times, as it is quite normal for your attention to wander. In fact, this is the key point - to keep your attention from wandering!

For quite some time you will be fully awake and focusing on the flame. However, with practice, there will come a time when you realize you are asleep and consciously aware of the flame. That is lucid dreaming!

A simple auditory method is to repeat to yourself, "One, I am dreaming, two, I am dreaming, three, I am dreaming ...". Images may come to you while doing so, and you will probably find that you will need to keep bringing your focus back to the fact that you are also counting.

This does take discipline, as many times you'll find you'll just "go with" whatever the images are and fall asleep. However, with diligence, and working to keep the count, you'll end up at some point doing both. That is, you'll be asleep and dreaming AND consciously counting.

This method is one of the most common ones taught. It is really a combination of visual and physical.

While you are in bed, ready to go to sleep, picture your hand. While you picture your hand in your mind, also slightly move your hand physically. This should not be any extreme motion, you could just wiggle a finger or two. As you fall asleep, consciously remember to visualize your hand and to move your physical hand slightly. Allow the dream to unfold, but keep taking time out to focus visually and physically on your hand.

All of these methods take practice and discipline. Do not get discouraged if your mind wanders and you just plain fall asleep. It may take days, weeks or even months to retain your focus. But, with perseverance, you will learn lucid dreaming!

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