Recognize that a significant portion of life is spent sleeping, which can be utilized for accelerated psycho-spiritual development, rather than being ‘fallow’. What you do in the dream arena is seven to nine times more effective than in the waking state, impacting the roots of your being.
As you fall asleep or wake up, cultivate an ‘observational intent’ by mindfully witnessing your mind’s transition from thought to images to dreams, without trying too hard or being too loose. This helps you become familiar with the subtle dimensions of your mind.
Engage in standard meditation practices during the day, as this helps establish a more nuanced relationship with your mind and naturally cultivates the lucidity principle that can extend into dream and sleep states.
Be aware that any intentional action, even within a lucid dream, creates habits or karma. This means that indulging in narcissistic or negative activities in lucid dreams can cultivate negative patterns, while conscious choices can foster positive ones.
Condition yourself to perform ‘state checks’ or ‘reality checks’ whenever something incongruous or dream-like happens in your waking life. For example, jump up and see if you float, as this habit will transfer into your dreams, triggering lucidity.
Set an alarm to wake up two to three hours before your usual time, stay awake for 15-30 minutes without artificial light or screens, engage in meditation or induction methods, and then go back to sleep. This method can significantly increase the chances of lucid dreaming.
Regularly affirm your intention to have lucid dreams by telling yourself, ‘Tonight, I’m going to have many dreams. Tonight, I’m going to remember my dreams. Tonight, I’m going to wake up in my dreams.’ This consistent intention acts as a ‘perfume’ for your nocturnal practice.
Utilize lucid dreams as a sanctuary to practice physical skills or improve performance, as brain scanners show similar activation during dream practice as during waking practice, leveraging neuroplasticity for accelerated development.
Engage in role-playing or a form of therapy within lucid dreams to resolve interpersonal issues with others, as the physical presence of the person is not required for the mind to work through the relationship dynamics.
Use lucidity within dreams to confront and transform nightmares, which can be a significant psychological benefit and lead to personal growth.
Progress to dream yoga to actively work with and transform habitual patterns revealed within the context of your dreams, moving beyond mere self-fulfillment to self-transcendence by replacing negative habits with good ones.
Approach nocturnal meditation with a playful, curious, and determined intent, understanding that you will ‘fake it’ and make mistakes initially. Be your own guide, experiment with techniques, and find what works for you, as the goal is lucidity, not mastering any single technique.
When practicing, maintain a balance between being ’not too tight’ (over-efforting, leading to insomnia) and ’not too loose’ (under-efforting, leading to vegetating). This ‘middle way’ helps in finding your sweet spot for effective practice.
For those interested in deeper practices, utilize lucid dreaming and sleep yoga to prepare for what is called ’the dream at the end of time’ or death, as the experiences in nighttime dreams are considered highly similar to those at the end of life.