If you have found this website, chances are you know what a Lucid Dream is…..but do you really? There are a surprisingly high number of misconceptions when it comes to this topic and you may find yourself surprised to learn what exactly a lucid dream actually is.
Myth #1 – Lucid Dreaming Means Dream Control
If you have a dream in which you are controlling the dream, such as making objects levitate or using magical powers, then that must be a lucid dream right? Not necessarily! Believe it or not, you can have a totally normal, non-lucid dream, in which you are seemingly controlling the dream. But perhaps you weren’t consciously controlling the dream, you were merely dreaming about controlling the dream. You can even have a dream about having a lucid dream! This is called a False Lucid Dream. This is a subtle, but important distinction. It would be a lucid dream if you realized that you were dreaming, then consciously made the decision to control the dream, all while knowing that everything around you is but a dream.
Dream control is a skill that must be practiced. If inexperienced, you can have a lucid dream but have no control over the dream itself. The two do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. Novice lucid dreamers often struggle to exert much control over the dream in the early goings.
Myth #2 – Flying Dream and Lucid Dreams are the Same
This is false and relates to myth #1. You can have a totally normal, non-lucid dream about flying, and have no realization that this is impossible in the waking world and that you are dreaming. Flying dreams are actually very common among the general population.
Myth #3 – “That dream was so weird, obviously I knew I was dreaming”
If you know anything about dreams, you know that strange things happen constantly in the dream world and you rarely ever notice. When talking to people about lucid dreams, you will often hear them claim that they lucid dream all the time because their dreams are so dang strange!
“Yeah I do that all the time. Last night I had a dream that my mother turned into an elephant and flew away. Obviously I knew I was dreaming”. – random person you talk to about lucid dreaming.
But just because your dreams are obviously dreams after the fact does not mean that you were lucid during the dream. In a non-lucid dream, certain mental faculties, like logic and reasoning, are temporarily suspended. This is because those parts of our brain are less active during REM sleep. You need to recognize that your dream is a dream while you are in the dream world for it to be a lucid dream.
Lucid Dreaming Risks Explained
Learning to lucid dream offers you the opportunity to explore a totally natural virtual reality, where you can experience literally anything that you can imagine with no consequences and no judgements. It is your own personal playground. This almost sounds too good to be true…but is it? Are there any hidden dangers to learning this incredible skill?
The short answer is: no. There is no evidence that lucid dreaming is harmful or dangerous in any way. Not that we know of. So let’s dispel some common lucid dreaming myths and discuss any possible lucid dreaming side effects.
Myth #4 – If you die in a dream, you die in real life
A popular myth that I’m sure everyone has heard passing through the schoolyard. Be careful not to die in your dream, because you will die in real life! And don’t kill anybody you know in your dream because they could also die in real life!
Don’t worry, this is completely false. When we dream, we are experiencing a fantasy that takes place 100% inside our own minds (as far as we know). There are no physical ties between our dream bodies and our waking bodies. In fact, I have been shot, stabbed, fell to my death innumerable times and I am still here writing this article.
Myth #5 – You can get stuck inside a dream
Maybe some people have watched Inception too many times! The fear is that you can get stuck in a dream loop, waking up over and over in the dream world, losing touch with the physical world. The act of ‘waking up’ inside another dream is called a False Awakening and is a very common occurrence for lucid dreamers. You can experience a number of false awakenings back-to-back and that can be frustrating if you are trying to wake up, but you will not be stuck there forever. There are some simple tricks you can perform to wake you up, such as holding your breath or staring at one object (this destabilizes the dream). But hey, we are lucid dreamers, if you are temporarily stuck in a false awakening loop, why not take advantage of your lucidity and do something fun! Why the rush to wake up?
It is not possible to be stuck inside a dream since dreams take place in REM sleep. And REM sleep can last up to an hour, at the longest.
Myth #6 – A spirit can inhabit your body while you are dreaming
The fear is that while you are off galivanting in the dream world (or astral plane) a malevolent spirit can find your uninhabited physical body laying in your bed and re-posses it as its’ own. We can look at this from two perspectives; the scientific and the spiritual
The scientific perspective would say dreaming has nothing to do with a ‘soul’, the Astral plane does not exist and neither do malevolent spirits. De-bunked.
The spiritual-minded folks (and I am not knocking them, I have spiritual views of my own) would still tell you that no spirit can inhabit your body without permission. And when your soul is off exploring this Astral plane, you are always connected to your body by an unbreakable, golden tether so you can never get lost or wander too far.
You are covered on both fronts, you are in zero danger.
Legitimate Risks of Lucid Dreaming
Risk #1 – Sleep disturbance
A busy lucid dreaming practice often involves waking up at night to record dreams and attempt to induce lucid dreams. A lot of techniques advise the dreamer to stay awake for a short period of time before attempting a lucid dream (think WBTB). If overdone, all of these factors have the potential to disturb your natural sleep cycle or decrease the amount of quality sleep you achieve in a given night. Chronic poor sleep can have countless negative effects on your physical and mental health.
ALWAYS prioritize healthy sleep over lucid dreaming. When crafting your dream practice, try to account for any sleep disturbance by adding an extra hour to your night’s sleep. If you end up having less than stellar sleep quality one night, plan a night off from lucid dreaming and recoup your sleep time. There is no rush, you have the opportunity to lucid dream every single night.
Risk #2 – Escapism and emotional regulation
Lucid dreaming can be a fantastic way to blow off some steam, have some fun, and introduce a little more adventure to your life. While occasional respite can be beneficial, excessive reliance on lucid dreaming to escape from life’s challenges might hinder the development of healthy coping mechanisms. The inability to confront and address emotional issues in the waking world could lead to an unhealthy dependence on dream experiences.
If this is the case for you, you should speak to a mental health professional to get help dealing with your waking life troubles.
Another fantastic use of lucid dreaming is self development. You can actually use your lucid dreams to confront your inner demons and seek guidance from your own subconscious mind. Get answers directly from the source!
Risk #3 – Blurred reality boundaries
People with certain mental health conditions should speak to a mental health professional about lucid dreaming. Although the point of lucid dreaming is the ability to distinguish between reality and the dream world, those who already struggle to distinguish between reality and fantasy, or those prone to psychotic episodes, should use caution.
Wrapping up
Lucid dreaming is an amazing experience with virtually no downsides, for most people. However, if overdone, lucid dreaming can lead to poor sleep quality and those with certain mental conditions should be advised by a mental health professional prior to beginning a lucid dreaming practice.
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