DREAMS|MINDFULNESS
Why to Lucid Dream
The benefits of lucid dreaming
I recently wrote a piece on how to lucid dream but, in writing it, it occurred to me I wasn’t able to explore in depth exactly why someone would want to in the first place. Just as the methods for achieving lucid dreams can vary, so, too, do the reasons somebody would want to gain control of their dreams to begin with.
My personal experiences with lucid dreaming have been varied. At best, these dreams can be nothing short of therapeutic. We can have conversations with lost loved ones. We can have personal confrontations with our deepest fears. We can learn to overcome our nightmares.
Lucid dreams can be hilarious or fascinating or completely mind-bending, and at the worst, they can be frustratingly brief. Maintaining lucidity once we’ve realized we’re dreaming can be one of the largest hurdles to overcome in initially learning the process. Each time I wake up from one, though, if nothing else, it’s with an awe-inspired sense of what the sleeping mind can accomplish.
Broadly speaking, the question of “Why would I lucid dream?” comes down to, “If I had the opportunity to do anything I wanted with my mind, would I take it?” For someone who hones the skill enough, there’s an essentially infinite number of directions to explore.
