Lucid dream facts for kids
A lucid dream is a dream where the person knows that they are dreaming. The person can then try to control things in the dream because it is not real. In a lucid dream, it is possible to do anything the dreamer wants, such as flying.
Some people have lucid dreams for spiritual reasons, but they can also be used for fun or to stop bad dreams.
Ways to lucid dream
Although some people can have lucid dreams without trying, most people do not have them often. It is important to be able to remember dreams, because if the dreamer does not remember them, he or she will not know if they were lucid dreams or not. Remembering dreams becomes easier if they are written in a dream diary upon waking up.
There are some ways that help make lucid dreams more likely. Stephen LaBerge, a psychologist who studies lucid dreams, made the MILD (mnemonic induction of lucid dreaming) technique. To do this, the dreamer must wake up after having a dream, and visualise himself or herself being in the dream again, except now knowing it is a dream. The dreamer should think "the next time I am dreaming, I want to remember I am dreaming", and should concentrate on this while returning to sleep. There are many other ways to help someone lucid dream. One other way is to fall asleep while keeping the mind awake. This is called the WILD (wake induced lucid dreaming) technique. It is easiest to perform after waking up from a few hours of sleep.
Images for kids
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Frederik van Eeden and Marquis d'Hervey de Saint Denys, pioneers of lucid dreaming.
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Graphical abstract of "Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep"
See also
In Spanish: Sueño lúcido para niños
