Why Lucid Dream? Copy
- There are many benefits from learning to lucid dream. One benefit is that they can reduce the frequency and severity of nightmares. Nightmares are dream experiences which are typically loaded with anxiety, fear and helplessness. If recurring with enough frequency, they can cause significant distress and negatively impact a person’s waking life. Lucid dreaming can used as a method to cope with nightmares, since the dreamer becomes aware that it is not reality and are able to actively influence the dream’s content. Studies have shown that lucid dreaming is an effective form of therapy for reducing anxiety in PTSD patients!
- There are also practical benefits to everyday life:
Improve creativity: because lucid dreamers have some degree of control over dream characters, events and environment, it can be a way to explore things that a person might not be able to in real life. This can act as a trigger for generating new and unique ideas. As well as this, within the confines of a dream a person is not under the restrictions of their waking logical mind; ideas and experiences tend to flow freely and this can lead to breakthroughs in real life projects!
Problem solving: lucid dreams can act as a form of problem solving testing ground, where we can try out new ideas and attempt solutions without fear of the consequences.
Focus/concentration: There is a close association with stimulation of the frontal lobe (responsible for cognitive functions such as paying attention and motivation) and frequent lucid dreams. The exercises required to practice lucid dreaming in itself require focus and concentration (such as keeping a dream journal, relaxation techniques). The benefits of this practice can be easily transferred to other parts of your daily life!
Practice hobbies: use the freedom and creativity of the dream world to try new skills or hone existing ones – e.g. practice making a speech, playing an instrument or train a dance routine.
- Throughout history, dreams have been credited with causing notable events and breakthroughs. Did you know that many of Stephen King’s novels are inspired by his dreams? Scientific breakthroughs such as the creation of the periodic table and Niels Bohr’s theory of the atom were revealed to them in their dreams. Many famous artists, such as Salvador Dali, have also used dreaming as inspiration for their creative works.