Anyone who's taken a psychology 101 class in the last seventy years or spent more than an hour watching the Lifetime or SciFi channels has heard the term "lucid dreaming" at least a dozen times in their lives, and most with even a modicum of curiosity are interested, at least a little, in the ability to do so. For those of you who are unaware (and have somehow either never watched the Sci-Fi Channel or taken a Psych 101 class) of the concept of lucid dreaming, a basic definition goes as follows: a lucid dream is one in which the dreamer is aware that he or she is dreaming. It's not quite the same as dream control-- in which you can learn to manipulate the concept of your dreams-- but it is the first step in doing so. Here are a few lucid dreaming techniques to get you started along the path of being a more active member of your dream life:

1. Dream Recall is a fairly self-explanatory and simple lucid dreaming technique and one that can aid tremendously in your quest to master your over-all awareness of them. If you're able to remember your dreams after they occur, it will be far easier to be aware of the dreams that you're having in the present. This technique is used very often in the creative and fine arts fields-- acting, writing, directing, etc.-- for inspiration and story sources. Many people bolster their dream recall abilities by keeping dream journals, which are simply written logs of the dreams a person has every night. It's usually best when keeping a dream journal to have something near where you sleep, so that you can record them soon after you wake up.

2. Reality Testing is slightly more esoteric but still a relatively simple lucid dreaming technique to acquire. In both awake and sleeping hours, ask yourself over the course of the day and night whether you are dreaming at all. The simple self-aware question trains your brain towards a heightened awareness. Awareness is the essence of lucidity.

3. Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreaming, or the MILD technique, is a method by which you remind yourself to remember the dreams you will have before you go to sleep.

These three lucid dreaming techniques are only the beginning towards learning how to take control of your dream life, but a fundamental beginning nonetheless. The more aware you are that you are dreaming in the first place, the better chance you have of taking control of them in the future. Sweet Dreams!

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