Seven Techniques for Lucid Dream Induction

7 techniques for inducing lucid dreams:

DILD (Dream induced lucid dream)

The DILD method is basically the dreamer realizing that s/he is dreaming.  The traditional way of doing this is by preforming a “reality check.”  Reality checks are a way of checking if you are dreaming.  The most popular form of reality check is pinching your nose. If you can still breathe through your nose, then you are dreaming. But how do you trigger a reality check in a dream if you have no control?  Make a habit out of it.  Do do that, you have to find dream signs. You must keep a dream journal.  Look at your dream journal, and see if there are any similarities between dreams.  Common dream signs are school or work. So if your dream sign is work, then do a reality check while you’re awake at work. Remember, keeping a dream journal is important for lucid dreaming in general, because if you had a LD, but you don’t remember, what’s the point?  Another way to trigger a reality check is being observant of your surroundings in real life.  If you notice things at work or in your house, like where your computer is, or where you hung that picture, you’re more likely to notice something’s up when things change in your dream.  Remember to do a reality check when you see something out of the ordinary, awake or asleep. 

MILD (Mnemonically Induced Lucid Dream)

A MILD is very much similar to DILD. But it requires no work during the day, you don’t have to observe or anything.  You only need to know your dream signs, keep a journal, and know your reality checks.  Before you fall asleep, pick a mantra and repeat it. You can say something like, “I will recognize my dream signs and know I am dreaming.”  Mantras can also be used for remembering dreams.  Say something like, “I will wake up and remember my dreams” and you will remember them.  I used that mantra for awhile, until my dream recall was good enough. 

WBTB (Wake Back to Bed)

Not so much a technique as an aid.  A WBTB is waking up before your REM cycle and thinking about lucid dreaming. It is better to pair this method with another.