I find that your sleeping brain works with expectations that you set while awake.

So, my suggestion would be to plan out a couple of cool things you’re going to do once you become aware that you’re dreaming, and then rehearse them and imagine them while you’re awake. The fact is, pretty much ANYTHING is possible in a lucid dream, so just take your time to prepare for making something fun happen.

Then, once you’re dreaming and realize it’s a dream, your brain should work with these new expectations (if you thought about them enough while awake) and you’ll go fly around on a dragon, or whatever your ideal fantasy is.

Let me know how this works out!

Cheers,
Vlad

I’m so glad I’ve come across this site – it’s awesome! I have already read a couple of posts but this one about lucid dreaming has really captured my interest (don’t get me wrong, I also really like your other posts !).

Anyway – I would reaaaally love to experience lucid dreaming… and actually I think I have. The problem for me though is that every time I get aware of the fact that I’m dreaming… it’s like my brain is telling me “Oh right, then ANYTHING can happen” and instantly the lucid dream turns into a nightmare. I’ve experienced this so many times. Usually it’s when I have a “false awakening” and I suddenly realise something is not right. Then everything just gets really creepy like, my boyfriend turning into a zombie-monster-kinda thing or I meet the same person in two different rooms.

I do, however, have some dreams where I realise they are dreams, and nothing bad happens. But it’s like I don’t trust it completly. I once got aware I was dreaming and immediatelly tried to fly. But I couldn’t just fly away – I had to practice and practice and practice, until I flew, like, two metres and then fell down again. I guess my brain can’t quite let go of real life restrictions (which is weird since I play a lot of theatre, improv and writing, aka stuff that needs good imagination!).

Any suggestions as to why I start having nightmares instantly after becoming dream-aware? I’m really quite happy in my life so I don’t think I have any repressed traumas I need to deal with

Looking forward to answers!

Kind regards,
Louise.