Sleep to Dream

“We are such stuff                                                                                                                              As dreams are made on, and our little life                                                                                           Is rounded with a sleep.” – William Shakespeare, The Tempest

Elinor Carucci, Sleep Marks, 1997, [3.2004]

Martin Munkacsi, [Woman Sleeping], 1936, [2007.110]

Elinor Carucci, Feet Moving on Bed, 1999, [29.2002]

Jill Freedman, Sleeping Child, County Kerry, 1984, [40.1988]

Vikky Alexander, Between Dreaming and Living #5, 1985, [781.2000]

A lucid dream occurs when an individual becomes aware that they are dreaming and can potentially control their actions as well as the content and context of the dream. This phenomenon is understood to happen during REM, the last stage of the sleep cycle when individuals are most likely to dream.

There are a number of techniques one can practice in order to become a lucid dreamer. One of the most basic tips is to simply remind yourself to become aware that you are dreaming right before you fall asleep. Another common technique is to practice various “checks” while awake and repeating them while dreaming. These “checks” can vary from reading the time on a clock, counting your fingers, or checking for your wedding band. By practicing “checks” while awake, you can train your brain to preform the same tasks while dreaming, thus giving you the ability become aware of your dreams in order to ultimately control them. By employing these techniques and training your brain to become aware of your dreams while asleep, lucid dreaming can become possible.

sources:http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/12/loughner.lucid.dreaming.arizona/

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/04/the-ways-to-control-dreaming/360032/