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I've seen some websites like this that guide you to lucid dreaming, but still wondering is this just a myth? I tried to search for Lucid Dream but there seems like no result about people who sharing their dreams when they are lucid dreaming. Though wikipedia does state some of the lucid dreamers in the end of its article.

So, is it possible to lucid dream?

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    I’m not trying to question lucid dreaming research but I do believe it’s a shame that basically the only research done comes from a single person. This doesn’t make it really much more reliable than any other claim to truth: there is no proper peer review, no reproducibility, no extensive body of research. Everything we know about lucid dreaming comes from LaBerge, and the whole credibility of the research hinges on his credibility. Commented Apr 19, 2011 at 12:37
  • It takes a lot of work and perseverance (at least for me it did, it comes a lot easier to others), but it is definitely possible. I'm not sure how I could prove this to you other than suggest you try the (pretty ubiquitous) techniques. There are looooads of books and websites on the subject.
    – MSpeed
    Commented Apr 19, 2011 at 13:30
  • @Konrad Rudolph You ask, check my edit. I think this experiment together with LaBerge's opinion, makes a good statement.
    – Terry
    Commented Apr 19, 2011 at 14:31
  • @djerry Good to know that there is at least one other study on this. I’m still wary – just look at what happened to the “respectable” ESP research – but just to make matters clear: I actually do believe in lucid dreams since I’ve experienced them myself. That’s in part why I’d like more solid research on this topic. Commented Apr 19, 2011 at 14:39
  • @Konrad Rudolph The basic question here isn't the believe in lucid dreams, but in inducing them. And that's according to the articles i've come across indeed possible. I left out alot of articles which didn't have a verifiable source (ie blogs and other subjectif posts).
    – Terry
    Commented Apr 19, 2011 at 14:43

2 Answers 2

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I didn't believe this myth could be true, but i guess Stephen LaBerge (Ph.D) proved me wrong. There's an article about him on www.lucidity.com on which he explains it is possible on how to make it happen. (Christian's post just showed up, so I guess this answer can only confirm his answer).

I also found other guidelines/steps which tell you how you can induce lucid dreaming:

  • Wikihow: 14 steps/tips on how to increase to chance of lucid dreaming
  • FAQ of lucidity: starting from 3.1, tips on what you can do to lucid dream
  • Dreamviews: They go a step further here. They offer online classes for a more in depth learning experience.

They are planning major experiments on lucid dreaming, global lucid dreaming experiment. It involves a large group (over 1000 people, which cover the diversity of culture, nationality, and religion).

This is the first undertaking of this magnitude and it is only possible for it to happen now in the history of mankind, largely due to technology and the worldwide web. The experiment seeks to organize dreamers worldwide in a focused time of dreaming and, through the effort, to collect the largest body of experiential knowledge to date concerning specifically, lucid dreaming.

There is also note of an experiment From NIGHTLIGHT 4(2), Spring 1992. They've had a group of people do 3 inducing techniques, 1 technique during one week (total of 4 weeks). These are the 4 techniques:

  1. No induction technique
  2. Form of auto-suggestion: before bed, they would write on a piece of paper: "Tonight I will have a lucid dream", and then sign the paper. (Control, a technique that they didn't expect to work).
  3. Reality testing: asking several times a day: "Am I dreaming?", testing the answer and then visualizing what is like to be dreaming and become lucid.
  4. MILD: Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (developed by Stephen LaBerge)

The results were pretty nice: In the week they tried Reality testing, 29% of the test subjects had at least 1 lucid dream (this proves to be more effective when practiced more often during a day). In The MILD condition, 26% had a lucid dream.

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    WikiHow, really?
    – Borror0
    Commented Apr 19, 2011 at 10:34
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    @Borror0 I just put it as a reference, the main article is the one from LaBerge. Nevertheless, the tips on wikihow are similar/the same as some i saw on other pages as well.
    – Terry
    Commented Apr 19, 2011 at 10:48
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Stephen LaBerge from Stanford did some research about lucid dreaming. He wrote a paper titled Lucid Dreaming: Psychophysiological Studies of Consciousness during REM Sleep. Lucid dreaming is a well-documented phenomenon.

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    To be clear, I don't think Stephen LaBerge did his more recent lucid dreaming studies while affiliated with Stanford; I think he just graduated from there and wrote his dissertation on it.
    – mic
    Commented Mar 24, 2018 at 18:29

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