There are a great many individual techniques for inducing a lucid dream, in fact most regular lucid dreamers have come up with their own version of their favourite technique at some point, and lots of these have been shared online.
This might be overwhelming and confusing when you are first setting out, but it is a natural part of the process of becoming an experienced lucid dreamer. As you become more aware of your own states of mind you will notice the individual differences in the way you react to different approaches and can tailor them to be more effective.
But it is worth bearing in mind, everyone is different. Just because a particular approach worked really well for one person doesn’t necessarily mean it will for everyone else.
Exploring your mind and developing your own techniques are things you can definitely look forward to, but for the time being, forget all about it. When you are starting out, understanding the basics is the key to success. Whichever techniques you end up using, there are 5 principles which lie at the very foundation of lucid dreaming,
If you focus on getting these basics right, then you are giving yourself the best chance of having as many lucid experiences as possible.
Principle 1 – Get Enough Sleep
The longer you're asleep, the longer your REM cycles (where most dreaming takes place) become. A typical sleep cycle last for around 90 minutes, but the first couple each night have very brief REM phases. It isn’t until after 4 or 5 complete cycles that the dreaming phase becomes a dominant part of your sleep. In short make sure you get at least 7 hours a night and aim to sleep for as long as you can.
Principle 2 – Relax Before Bed
Becoming lucid is all about being focused, aware and observant. If your mind is busy, worrying or stressed your last thoughts before drifting off to sleep won’t be about lucid dreaming and you will find it difficult to achieve lucidity.
Also try to avoid using a computer screen, TV or phone last thing before bed. The light from these kinds of screens inhibit the brains production of melatonin (a key chemical in regulating sleep and dreaming). The best thing you can do is some meditation or relaxation exercises before going to sleep.
Principle 3 - Keep a Dream Journal
We forget over 90% of our dreams within the first 5 minutes of waking up. Keeping a dream journal helps massively in bridging the gaps between your conscious and subconscious minds, makes you more aware of the content of your dreams and greatly improves your dream recall. After all if you don’t remember your dreams, how will you even know if you managed to become lucid!
It doesn't have to take more than a minute each morning, just make sure you write something down. If you’re thinking “but I don’t remember any of my dreams”, just write down whatever comes into your head, even if it’s just a vague sensation or feeling. Every time you make the effort to remember and write down your dreams, your dream recall will improve.
Principle 4 - Remember to Reality Check
In most of our dreams even though the strangest, most likely, even impossible things can be happening we simply don’t realise it is a dream. The reality check is your way of testing whether you are in a dream or not.
Once you’ve recorded a few dreams and been able to identify some dreamsigns these should be your triggers for performing a reality check. However when you first start out any time something a bit odd or unusual happens, or if you think about dreaming you should perform a reality check. A good check is to hold your nose and try to breathe through it. Read this article to learn more about Reality Checks.
Principle 5 - Expect to have a Lucid Dream
Your expectations and beliefs about lucid dreaming are intertwined with how easy (or difficult) you will find having one. This isn’t that surprising when you consider they are all going on inside your own subconscious mind, which is exactly where your dreams are created.
Believing it is easy to learn lucid dreaming and looking forward expectantly to having one will increase your chances of success.