I know what you’re thinking: I want to learn how to lucid dream, but I’m not a little bald dude in an orange robe so why do I need to meditate?
If you want your lucid dreaming abilities to skyrocket then you have to. Sorry. It’s one of the best lucid dreaming techniques in the world.
The good news is — it’s actually quite fun. Lots of cool things happen during meditation that you probably didn’t know.
It can feel like you’re on some very strong painkillers. Light head. Heavy body. And the world spinning around while you wonder what’s going on.
Do you want to become great at lucid dreaming?
Although we talk about waking up in dreams, all you really do is become aware. And to stay lucid inside the dream what do you need to do? Stay aware.
Self-awareness is the most important part of lucid dreaming. Meditation is the best tool in the world to improve self-awareness. See where I’m going?
If you’ve had a lucid dream already there’s a good chance it was because of a reality check. Maybe you checked your watch and realized it was a dream because you couldn’t read the time.
When you build up a great level of self-awareness you will automatically realize you’re dreaming without needing to perform reality checks. At some point in the dream you will just become aware it is in fact a dream.
Closing your eyes and entering the dream
A wake induced lucid dream is the ultimate method of becoming lucid. To lie in your bed, close your eyes and you’re automatically sucked into the dream world.
That’s how it’s described, but it’s not that easy. To go from a wakened state straight into the dream world needs a calm mind. Meditation is the ultimate tool for producing a calm mind.
Meditation and lucid dreaming are like two peas in a pod. Improve your meditation and you’ll improve your lucid dreaming
Killing misconceptions
Meditation is not thinking; it’s lack of thought. If anything — it’s feeling, or sensing, or watching.
Meditating the right way will kill inner dialogue. If you don’t think you have an inner voice that won’t shut up, let’s do a little test:
Sit still and see how long you can keep your mind empty without any thoughts popping into your head.
You probably didn’t last too long. That’s fine. It’s to be expected.
Feeling like a million bucks
Once you enter a meditative trance it will begin to feel very weird. Here are some of the things that happen to me:
- My head feels empty and very calm
- My body feels heavy and starts tingling
- I feel like I’m inside a cocoon
- Wave vibrations run through my body
- It feels like I’m laying on the ocean
- It feels like someone is massaging my head
- The world feels like it’s spinning around
That’s not taking into account hypnagogic imagery and strong visualizations which lean more towards lucid dreaming. They don’t all happen every time I meditate and it depends on how deep I go, but you can expect to feel all of those sensations at some point.
Getting comfy
I’d probably get blasted by meditation experts for saying this but I meditate laying down… on my bed.
Apparently it’s a big no-no and the only real reason I ever hear is because you could fall asleep. Well I don’t and I’m not going to stop. You can meditate in any position you feel comfortable. If you want to sit in the lotus position with your hands making funny shapes, that’s great. I’ll stick to my bed.
Eventually I’m going to buy a nice expensive hammock to use for meditation. I’m excited. It’s also where I’ll have a lot of my lucid dreams.
Here are the basics
I’m going to be writing a lot about meditation techniques because it’s going to help you have more/longer lucid dreams. I love to play about and find new and exciting ways to induce trance.
But you want something easy to get started so here it is, four steps that will lead you into a meditative trance:
1 – Lie down in your bed, or sit if you feel more comfortable
2 – Make sure your body is relaxed and close your eyes
3 – Watch/feel your breathe
Imagine you’ve taken a step back from your thoughts and you’re positioned at the back of your mind, just watching. Watch your breathe as in enters and exits the body. Don’t interact with it. Just watch. Feel it go all the way down to your stomach and come back out through your mouth.
Can you feel the vibrations as it enters your mouth? Can you see it pass through your stomach?
4 – A simple mantra
Recite a mantra to help keep thoughts out. A nice easy mantra you can recite is — UM.
Breathe in – UUUUUUUUUUUU
Breathe out – MMMMMMMMM
That’s it. Easy as pie.
It’s hard, but it’s worth it
Don’t be discouraged if a thought pops into your head. It will. I used to think my efforts were wasted if I began to think about something. I was wrong!
Don’t focus on the thought. Let it pass. Just switch back to focusing on your breathe. Repeat every time a thought pops up. It’s not going to ruin your trance.
When will you feel the effects?
Once you become skilled you can induce the trance state pretty quickly.
I want to talk to the people just starting meditation. It takes time. It took me months to build up what I’d call the basic skills.
Don’t let that discourage you. I’m not saying you won’t enter a trance. It took me a good few sessions to induce a trance. It just takes time to get good.
Start of slowly, even 5 minutes per meditation session. I’d love if you meditated twice per day: once in the morning and again at night. Build up to 20 minute sessions at a pace that suits you.
Don’t worry if you can’t keep thoughts out , or if you don’t feel like you’re in a deep trance. Make sure you concentrate on your breathe. Always go back to the breathe. The rest will follow.
Yo Jamie,
So you’re telling me I have to meditate huh? You make a darn good case here. Which means I might actually have to do it.
I have been working pretty hard lately to keep my eyes shut when I wake up. Like you said would happen, I am starting to get better at remembering my dreams. It is kind of shocking. Last night I had a very detailed dream including my friend, my sister and my brother.
The crazy thing was that in the dream I distinctly remember my sister getting angry at me and thinking “Gosh, this is like a dream. She seems so irrational. But it’s obviously not a dream.” I was so sure it was real, while in the dream. But at the same time, the thought did cross my mind that “this was weird”. Which I assume is a good thing, and maybe means in the future I can catch myself and realize it is in fact a dream.
Personally, I am just enjoying actually remembering more of my dreams. Pretty cool stuff you got going on here man.
Remembering dreams can be just as fun. I wrote another post about this on my last site, but I think dream memories are the exact same as real ones. Like I have the same recollection about my dreams and reality. Except I get to fly in dreams, lol.
I think meditation is vital. If I meditate before bed I usually always realize I’m dreaming a bit like what happened with your sis, except the self-awareness takes me over the lucid line.
You hear of people trying stupid things like apple juice and bananas, but they completely skip meditation.
It’s not really needed to begin with. Everything in my starting section is pretty basic. I knew I’d make most people run miles if I told them they had to meditate, lol.
I’ve added you on twitter.
Also, are you on twitter? I am going to tweet some of your posts because I think they are pretty darn interesting.
Jamie,
I’ve been having lucid dreams since I was a child. I just never knew they were actually called something and something special at that. I was speaking with a friend who told me they were actually “lucid” dreams and there is something to be explored.
I experienced the space like state a year ago. I was out to sea and trying to meditate before I read anything about it. I knew there was a “quiet” to reach and I was trying.
My question is if whether or not this trance is restful. Does the body get the rest it needs if we are going into these states of mind at night when we would be, well, sleeping?
Thank you for this site. I stumbled onto it when I found the “lucid dreaming” section on Reddit.
Vic
Hey Vic,
A trance is different from lucid dreaming. When you are meditating you are restful, but you won’t get away without sleeping. When you are lucid you are actually in REM phase sleep so essentially you will get all the replenishment you need. We are only in REM phase for about 90 minutes per night anyway so you should be ok.
Some people say they are still tired when they wake up; most don’t.
I think that it’s funny that people would tell you that laying down is a bad way to meditate. The Buddha himself recommended that people meditate while walking, sitting, and lying down. I’ve done a whole retreat with lying down meditation as the main technique. I think this is a great beginners guide to meditation, though it’s not the way I was taught to meditate, I think it would be helpful to someone who wants to start.
Gentoku,
Hi again. I know some people hate the thought of lying meditation. Maybe it’s harder for people because they might fall asleep, but I think there’s more benefit to it for lucid dreaming once you can do it.
Thanks for the kind words about the guide. I know it won’t be to everyone’s tastes, especially if they have studied meditation, but I’m just trying to work out the easiest ways possible for people to get into the trance state. Sometimes small steps are vital if more people are to take action.
I think it is impossible to sound ‘UUUUUUUU’ on an in breath.
Seems to me it should be on out breath … and also the MMMMMM should be on the outbreath. Both on outbreath.
haha, perhaps. Just do what is good for you.
When you say U is it like ‘y(u)m’ or yo(u) ? Because I use the first one and it’s easy, but I can see how the second one would be awkward.
Good luck whatever way works, Paddy.
Will definitely try to substitute watching TV shows with this as a means to relax and unwind. Also I need to read more… hmm… or should I say UMMM? Anyway, thanks for the tip!
Hey Ragnar,
It will definitely help you relax a lot. You can use any letters you want tbh, but just make sure you can say them easily so they flow out.
Thanks for dropping by.
it’s not UUUU MMMMMM
it’s OM !
oooooooooooooo mmmmmmmm like that
it’s from hindu seeheiitt~
Hey Jangyo,
Thanks for the correction. I guess I must have just wrote down the way it sounded when I did it.
In regards to lucid dreaming I don’t think it makes a difference anyway.
Hi Jamie,
I started meditation two weeks ago, and obviously I do not expect anything big at that point, neither had experienced something incredible, but I just wanted to ask you if what I do is correct.
I start by sitting in my room wearing earplugs (my street is very noisy) and listening to some brainwave entrainment mp3 (theta isochronic waves). If I lay on my bed, I fall asleep between 5 or 10 minutes later…
So I sit comfortably, close my eyes blabla, try to slow down, breathing slowly, stop thinking (the hardest part! but I had improvements on that point since I began. At the beginning I could not hold a few seconds without a thought popping in my head, or doing a comment about what I was doing, or remembering what to do etc… a bit better now)
What I felt experienced at that point was that:
-I Feel very relaxed, and my muscles feel numb,
-Sometimes I can not really tell where are my hands and my legs, or I feel like they have merged or something. Quite strange but not unpleasant.
-When I am a bit tired before starting: when I reach a state of relaxation, approximately every 10 sec I hear a buzz or strange noises or voicies, hiding all other sounds around, like when you suddenly fall asleep. I think it’s hypnagogia. Not sure it’s very good for meditation…
-Sometimes I feel like my head is leaning, but I know my head did not move, even if I feel the leaning, and I manage to virtually set it upright, like my mind head has separated from my body. And it makes the world spin very slowly.
But never managed to do that with another part.
Sometimes I also listen to classical music at very low level behind the theta waves. Helps me clear my mind but I don’t think it is more efficient, as I am disctracted by the music.
That’s it for now, what do you think of that?
Thanks in advance!
Hey Evan,
It sounds like you’re doing well. You are definitely starting to feel some sensations, but it just sounds like you need to keep going further.
I guess it’s like a battle in the beginning. Do you ever feel like you get a few seconds of vibrating pulses in your head before it stops again? I don’t know if you’ve read my article about ignoring your body, but most of your sensations seem to relate to the body, so I’d definitely concentrate on focusing on your head from now on.
You’ll definitely know when the really big sensations come because you won’t be able to miss them. I hate saying it just takes time, but I think it terms of meditation it just does. The good news is that once you get to a certain level it’s very easy to stay there or thereabouts. It becomes like a skill you will always know how to do, so just keep putting the effort in now.
But you’re definitely doing well and I know you’re going to see great success.
Hi Jamie,
Thanks for your answer!
Good to know that these are good signs, but by reading your article about forgetting your body I understood that I have NOT to pay attention to these feelings. And focus only what’s in my mind, or neck of nostrils.
I will try again and again, and give you some feedback of my progress!
Thanks a lot!
Good stuff, Evan.
Remember also to test everything. Let your mind take you everywhere because you’ll know what works and what doesn’t.
That might mean trying to meditate without earplugs and tones sometimes. Just keep mixing it up to build your skills from every angle.
Hi Jamie,
Thanks a lot for this great guide, exactly the kind of thing I was looking for, will definitely be incorporating this. Have been sitting Zazen, and this sounds like a very similar type of meditation, just lying down. Am fascinated by lucid dreams but also OBE’s. I was wondering if you have any OBE’s via this meditation?? From my reading around it sounds like you are putting yourself in a state conducive to these (although the intention is an important part, so if you aren’t looking to induce them you may not).
Thanks though and all the best.
Hey Sam,
No I’ve not really had anything that could be classed as an OBE. I sort of just jump into the dream world when I WILD, so no opening my eyes and realizing I’m lying in my bed but on a different level to my physical body.
Let me know how your progress is coming along when you have time. Good luck and all the best with your journey too.
Hi Jamie,
Good stuff, will be sure to persevere. It seems to me there is actually very little difference between a WILD and an OBE, it is all on a sliding scale of awareness, and an OBE is in a state of hyper vivid awareness like waking…intention seems to be the thing that separates them. Lucid dream teacher Charlie Morley described them as being like ice and water…of the same substance, but very different properties. Some people who have OBE’s consider them very profound and life changing/enriching events, on a different level to lucid dreams…not that I’m knocking them!
The fact that you have your trance state well honed means you are almost there. I would encourage you to experiment and try and induce one if you are open to that, I would be fascinated to hear your perspectives on them compared to lucid dreams, and would make a good article! Lucid dreams themselves also make great platforms for OBE’s (the closest I’ve had to having an induced one yet), so you are very well primed to have one…surprised it hasn’t happened spontaneously yet actually…all it would take is the intention I think, but that is of course entirely up to you. 🙂
Thanks for this though, I will be keeping this up every eve for sure.
Cheers 🙂
“with your hands making funny shapes” I’m not offended or anything, but that’s a pretty ignorant thing to say, shouldn’t have included it in this good article. Very good article, actually, meditation is essential to lucid dreaming success.
Ha sorry about that. It was just intended as a little joke, but nothing any more than light sarcasm.
Thanks for the comment and I’m glad you dropped by.
Oh, alright then, no problem.
Hey there,
Awesome post, I meditate, lying down too. Just wondering hypno about jerks that happen, what stage are u in then? Also I don’t think I experience hypnagogia. Am I not deep enough in meditation? I don’t think I have ever experienced a trance 🙁
Thanks
How do you know when you have entered a trance state from the meditation? Like what sensations would one experience?
Hi, I started trying to induce lucid dreaming about 3 months ago and had 4 within the first week and then nothing for months. Anyways, im getting back into meditation ONLY to help towards lucid dreaming. I am interested to know the difference between ‘lying down meditation’ and a WILD? They seem almost the same thing (apart from the absense of REM during meditation) Also the choice of your mantra (umm) is something that promps me to ask the following … Why not replace your meditaion mantra to something lucid dreaming related to say ‘stay aware’ or ‘ im dreaming’ etc. Or do you try to keep meditation seperate from your wilds? Great posts btw!
Ezzo
I developed severe Narcolepsy at the age of 7 (which was some time in the 80’s 😉
One of the things that happens with a Narcoleptic brain is that we go straight into REM sleep and get very little to no, non-REM sleep. I’ve been having epic lucid dreams since childhood and over the years since, I learned to control them completely and in every detail.
The downside is that I am unable to switch them off and rarely ever experience sleep without lucid dreaming. I do see it as a gift but sometimes it can become exhausting and I wake up feeling like I have done more in my sleep than I would in my waking life. Sometimes I go for the epic ‘Inception-esque’ dreams where I build an entire universe and experience it from multiple points of view all at the same time and sometimes when I am being much more sensible, I use guided meditation followed by binaural music to keep me focused and on one plane. That is the only way I can feel vaguely rested from sleep.
I often wish I could switch it off but I realise, what I am able to do with my dreams is something many people spend years trying to achieve so I have to remind myself, I have a gift.
I also remember all of my dreams and can revisit them any time and change them as much as I want, like being able to watch a movie but experience being in it and also edit it, all at the same time. There are no limits in dreams, they are not governed by the laws of physics that we have in waking life. Truly, anything is possible.