1. Life is too short. You spend nearly one-third of your life asleep, so why sleepwalk through your sleep when you could be playing cello at Carnegie Hall–and flying there at will?
2. Pick up a good habit. Lucid dreaming techniques require mindfulness, and the diligence of meditation. In fact, meditation can be quite useful as a relaxation technique for preparing for lucid dreaming.
3. Overcome your fear of heights. Or snakes. Or the minotaur chasing you through a labyrinth. You can confront and overcome any phobia–perhaps even post-traumatic stress–if you wake up in a dream and realize you have the power to transform your dream world. With a little practice, your worst nightmare could be dissolved, or even become a lovely rendezvous.
4. Sex. Lucid dream sex is the main motivation people try lucid dreaming. While it may not appear to be the most high-minded goal, exploring wild fantasies–without repercussions–is no doubt an exhilarating, and potentially edifying, experience. Here’s a thoughtful article on erotic dreaming by a blogger far more articulate than myself.
5. Change your mood. Anecdotes from lucid dreamers tell of dream emotions carrying into waking life. We’ve all had the experience of waking from a plausible nightmare and feeling in a funk for the rest of the day, if not for several days. Consider how lucid-dreaming bliss could carry you through daily work!
6. Become a Tibetan dream yogi. Although Dr. Stephen LaBerge was one of the first scientists to meticulously outline the techniques of lucid dreaming (only a couple decades ago), lucid dreaming has been around since ancient times. Your LD adventures aren’t a kooky new-age invention, they’re part of a long tradition of psychological exploration. Read up!
7. Be your own therapist. A good therapist is a true treasure, but the best of the best will tell you that you have to do your homework. By awakening during and sometimes willing your dreams, you can empower yourself and overcome the greatest anxieties.
8. Flying. This one should probably be higher up on the list. Flying is one of the most sought-after and memorable experiences by lucid dreamers. Whether you soar over the Pacific or drop by the Cayman Islands, you’re bound to be positively charged after a healthy Superman/Superwoman flying dream.
9. Heal your body. More studies on the topic of physical healing through lucid dreaming are needed, but anecdotal evidence of this kind of healing abounds. According to the Lucidity Institute, some “potential healing applications of lucid dreaming include … more rapid recovery from injury or disease through the use of lucid dream imagery, and an increased sense of freedom for anyone who feels limited by disability or circumstance.”
10. Tap your creativity. Inhibitions are the waking-life boundary bumpers that keep us in our proper social role and behavior. But the creative mind is uninhibited. When we strip away those inhibitions during lucid dreaming, our basic explorative mind can finally dance—and without a cocktail.
