6 Best Scientifically Tested Techniques for Lucid Dreaming
Posted by Ryan Hurd on September 18, 2012
Scientifically speaking, what are the best ways to go lucid in a dream?
This is the subject of a recent essay published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition. The authors, all German and Swiss researchers, looked at 35 studies of lucid dreaming induction, or techniques for gaining self-awareness and clarity in the dreamstate. Researchers rated the effectiveness of the techniques as well as the quality of the studies. A meta-study like this is long overdue, as there’s really only been a handful of clinical tests on lucid techniques in the last decade. The results may surprise you, as several “green light” techniques are rarely mentioned today, and other more popular techniques are considered questionable by this study.
I’ll keep it simple, and present the 6 reported best methods for inducing lucid dreams (with helpful links to articles written by myself and other trusted lucid dreaming educators).
Green Light!
- LaBerge’s MILD (mnemonically induced lucid dreaming)
- Reflection (Also called reality testing)
- Building intentionality
- Tholey’s combined technique (reality testing plus intentionality)
- Light stimulus (lucid dreaming masks, such as the NovaDreamer and the Remee)
- WBTB (Wake back to bed)
What is missing?
I was surprised to see drug-assisted techniques did not to make the cut, but then again the study limited itself to Stephen LaBerge’s 2004 empirical results for Donepezil, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. Shocking, isn’t it, that galantamine –probably the world’s most popular lucid dreaming pill at present — has almost no clinical evidence behind it yet.
[pullquote]Galantamine may increase the odds 5X[/pullquote]Oh wait — but it does have a little! This study must also have gone to press before LaBerge and Kristen LaMarca’s release of their well-controlled galantamine data set (Poster session in June 2012, presented at the International Association for the Study of Dreams in Berkeley, CA), which showed a 5.8X greater likelihood of having a lucid dream with 8mg of galantamine versus placebo. It’s a small trial, but double-blind placebo controlled.
Big picture: the power of combining techniques
The surest road to lucid dreaming is about combining several methods simultaneously
The authors’ final discussion point is that none of the lucid dreaming induction techniques are all that effective.
Wha.. say again?
“None of induction techniques were verified to induce lucid dreams reliably, consistently and with a high success rate. Most lucid dream induction methods produced only slight effects, although some of the techniques look promising.”
Indeed, the most promising techniques the researchers reported include Tholey’s combined technique, MILD combined with a light device, and WBTB combined with MILD.
Hmm, do you see a trend here?
If you read this blog regularly, the power of combining practices shouldn’t come as a surprise, as I teach precisely that in my Lucid immersion blueprint. When you skillfully combine a (limited and carefully picked) number of techniques in a controlled lucid dreaming experiment, you learn quickly what works best for you.
It’s amazing that after thirty years of lucid dreaming research, we are still just beginning to clue into what works the best. But with this generation’s renewed interest in consciousness studies, and the applicability of lucid dreaming for neuroscience, I have a feeling that we won’t be in the dark for too much longer.
References:
La Marca, K. and Laberge, S. (2012). Pre-sleep treatment with galantamine increases the likelihood of lucid dreaming. Poster session, presented June 25, 2012 at the Annual conference for the International Association for the Study of Dreams, Berkeley, CA.
Stumbrys, T., Erlacher, D., Scha?dlich, M., and Schredl, M. (2012). Induction of lucid dreams: A systematic review of evidence. Consciousness and Cognition (21), 1456-1475.
I agree with this and get best results by using various methods and mixing them up. If I stick to one method it stops working very quickly and so variety is the key and this keeps it interesting as well.
Right – you got to keep it fresh! Otherwise the cognitive domestication sets back in.
Yes, mixing it up works best. I find that the rem-dreamer works best on it’s own, but galantamine/choline w/ WBTB is a sure bet as well.
It is amazing that all the studies and techniques themselves are missing a one crucial ingredient from lucid dream induction phase that will multiply anyone’s success rate: Enthusiasm, excitement.
Think about it: What did Tholey, LaBerge and others did when they were young? They immersed themselves totally to dream world. They did this also during days.
I’ll guarantee that anyone will have a lucid dream next night if you buzz with enjoyment anticipating nights adventures. If this is the only think you can think during the day “Oh, why can’t I go to sleep already?” and your heart is yearning to try any technique you will have success very soon.
The problem of course is to build this enthusiasm. When I was young it was easy to get totally excited and see multiple lucid dreams per night. I had nothing else to do but read about lucid dreaming and try different techniques during nights. It meant everything to become lucid during night.
Now I have work, family and I am usually tired and I have many other things to do and think that diverts my attention.
Enthusiasm like this is not easy to build any more. But I have learned over the years that the only think deciding my success is the enthusiasm I can bring in to it. The technique itself doesn’t event matter. Just use one that you get excited about
Funny thing is that all these lucid dream legends and teachers talk a lot about techniques but the enthusiasm that they showed themselves gets only cursory attention. There are after all a lot of emotional and mind techniques to get yourself energized and excited about what you set your mind in to.
I would like to see a study of enthusiasm and the success rate in lucid dreaming.
great point Ollie. enthusiasm is hard to measure, that’s probably one reason it’s not talked about. In another sense, enthusiasm is an important part of making a strong intention (which is another thing hard to measure). I can FEEL the days when I’m amped to explore the dream world. It’s in air, it’s electric. So I agree: immersion –like the early researchers were steeped in — is the way.
In Lucid Immersion Guidebook, I write more about picking techniques that jive with you precisely for this reason. You want to be excited about the trip… not doing terrible boring rote reality checks and what not.
thanks again for the excellent comment.
While I agree that the drug approach is very promising, I think that it might lessen the impact of any study using it to induce LD. If researchers are only looking for ways to make LD a more reliable and stable phenomenon it’s a good way, but a brain under the influence of any substance is never ideal for observing brain functions aimed for generalization.
Hey Ryan, thanks for another informative post on lucid dreaming techniques. MILD definitely has potential if a person knows how to utilize it right.
WBTB definitely is a huge factor in augmenting the chances of lucidity, especially when newcomers aren’t really proficient at recalling their dreams if they slept all the way through without a waking point.
I know that even though MILD only scored me a few lucids, it has increased my dreaming recall overall because I incorporated autosuggestion and such to wake up at specific times where my REM cycles would be prevalent.
Again, thanks for posting!