The practice of lucid dreaming is something that is becoming more and more popular as people become more aware of the potential power that is contained within the mind and that becomes available during the dream state.  These days, it is easy to find lots of books and resources for learning how to lucid dream as well as for interpreting the meanings of dreams and for learning to increase dream recall and the vividness of the dreams that one experiences.  However, the practice of lucid dreaming is not as new as its recent surge in popularity might suggest.  In fact, peoples all over the world have been fascinated by dreaming and the concept of lucid dreams for centuries.  Therefore, it is possible to find practices for the induction of vivid and lucid dreams all over the world, from Australia to the Americas and beyond!

So, why is it that lucid dreaming and learning how to lucid dream have been so important for such a long time in societies the world over?  As far back in recorded history as we can go, it is possible to find discussions of the power of the dream state in interacting with other realms, the supernatural, and the deeper internal self.  Many ancient cultures saw the dream state as a place in which one could receive prophecy, could perform divinations regarding the future, and where one could even diagnose and begin to heal various disorders and diseases.  These things could all occur in the waking world as well, but the understanding was that it was much more difficult to achieve the same levels of ability when awake as when asleep.

Therefore, based on the incredible divining potential of the dream state, it became essential for ancient peoples to try to learn how to lucid dream.  The methods do vary from culture to culture.  In ancient Tibetan traditions, for example, one learns to lucid dream through various meditative practices, specifically through meditations which are done as the individual is falling asleep.  It is believed that one can process past and present life karma in the dream state and that working with lucid dreaming while alive will make ones transition in to the state after death much, much easier.

Meanwhile, in places such as Africa, South America and Australia, societies have discovered the secret of how to lucid dream through the use of various powerful plant medicines which can be used to induce sleep, to induce vivid dreams, to increase ones ability to remember dreams, and even to induce and teach lucid dreaming techniques.  In many parts of Africa, it is common to work with dreaming herbs such as Entada rheedii and Uvuma-omhlope in order to both bring on sleep and to enter the lucid dreaming space.  Most African dream herbs seem to be specifically linked to prophecy and communication with ones ancestors, and indeed, from working with many of these herbs, I do get a very distinct sense that I am able to enter very deep states of consciousness with them while dreaming and that I am able to communicate with beings outside of myself who are attached to me in some important way!

Meanwhile, in Central and South America, individuals often seem to learn how to lucid dream through the use of dream herbs such as Calea zacatechichi.  This particular dream herb is often smoked and taken as a tea just before bed time, and it creates a sleep state that is full of REM sleep from which it is fairly easy to wake up.  This effect means that you are much more likely to remember your dreams when working with this herb and that it becomes much, much easier to become and remain aware and conscious in the dream state.  These herbs, along with many of the other powerful dream herbs I discuss elsewhere on the site, are very powerful ways in which to learn to lucid dream, and their thousands of years of traditional use only further confirm their efficacy!

Finally, in modern Western society, we have taken to figuring out how to lucid dream through the application of various psychological techniques which may allow the individual to obtain consciousness in the dream state and to then maintain that consciousness.  These techniques include dream journaling, which allows one to become more familiar with his or her particular dreams, to remember them better, and to become lucid more easily, as well as various affirmations and reality checks.  These techniques are discussed in more detail elsewhere on the site, and they can be extremely effective. I would actually recommend that an individual who is trying to figure out how to lucid dream start either with a more traditional form of dream focused meditation or with these modern techniques as a first step to lucid dreaming work!  After all, when you are working within the mind the most important thing to start with is mind training!

So, as you can see, the problem of how to lucid dream is one which has been solved in many different ways by peoples the world over.  This article is just a short overview, but there is a great deal of more information elsewhere on the site that goes in to more detail about these different techniques, traditions and plant medicines.  The most important thing is to remain focused, to explore and to have fun.  If one is able to maintain these things, then lucid dreaming is sure to follow in a short time!