Reality Shifting Handbook

Lucid Dreaming Techniques

WBTB (wake back to bed):

The WBTB technique is one of the most popular and effective techniques for lucid dreaming. It can be used in conjunction with other methods or just by itself. Go to bed as normal and set an alarm for 4-5 hours after you go to sleep. 4-5 hours is a suggestion, but it varies between each individual, so experiment with different times and find what works best for you. Once the alarm wakes you up, get up and stay occupied for 10 minutes to an hour. Make sure your mind is active, but not so active that you will not be able to fall back asleep. Then, return to bed and fall asleep with the strong intention that you will recognise when you are dreaming.

WILD (wake-induced lucid dream):

A wake-induced lucid dream occurs when you enter a lucid dream straight from waking life. First, follow the steps of the WBTB method. Once you have woken up and are ready to go back to sleep, lie in a comfortable position and stay absolutely still. If you have trouble staying still, this may not be the technique for you. Let your body melt into the mattress and lose all sensation. Continue to lie still until your body falls asleep and you are in a half-dream state. From here, you will begin to have hypnagogic experiences, which occur in the transitional state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleeping. These experiences may include a mixture of sounds, patterns and colours. Go with the flow and simply observe these patterns and colours. They will slowly start to develop into a dream scene, and you will be in a lucid dream!

FILD (finger-induced lucid dream):

The FILD technique is a wake-induced technique and is best used following the WBTB method. Once you have woken up and are ready to go back to bed, get into a comfortable position where your hands are able to move. Start alternating your index and middle finger up and down, as if you are playing 2 keys on a piano. Do this for 30 seconds, but do not count the seconds, just estimate it. While moving your fingers, tell yourself that once the 30 seconds is up, you will do a nose pinch reality check (see the reality check section above). Once the estimated 30 seconds is up, stop moving your fingers and do a nose pinch reality check. If you are able to breathe through your nose when it is pinched, you are dreaming. If not, simply repeat the steps over and over until you fail a reality check and you are in a lucid dream, or until you fall asleep.

MILD (mnemonic induction of lucid dreams):

This technique can be done if you wake up in the middle of the night/early morning from a dream. It can also be used with the WBTB technique if the alarm wakes you up from a dream. When you wake up, replay the dream several times in your head until you have memorised it. Then, as you are returning to sleep, repeatedly say "the next time I am dreaming, I will remember to recognise that I am dreaming". This can be worded however you like, as long as you have the basic idea, it will work. While you are repeating this affirmation, imagine yourself back in the dream you just woke up from. However, this time, when you replay the dream, you will notice that you are dreaming through a cue sign/reality check and become lucid. Keep re-imagining this dream as if you were lucid during the dream, until you have clearly set your intention and return back to sleep.

CAT (cycle-adjustment technique):

This technique works by resetting your body clock to become more aware during the early hours of the morning. This increases your chance of experiencing a lucid dream. Set your alarm clock for 90 minutes before your normal wake-up time, and wake up 90 minutes early, every day, for a week. For the first week, you are just resetting your body clock, so you won't experience any lucid dreams. From day 8, alternate your wake-up time every day, between your normal wake-up time and 90 minutes early. So, on day 8, your alarm will go at your normal wake-up time, day 9 it will go 90 minutes earlier, day 10 it is back to normal, and so on. When you go to bed, act as if you are going to be waking up at the earlier time, even if your alarm is set at the normal wake-up time. Mentally prepare yourself for the early start. This results in your body preparing to wake up early, and your mind becoming more stimulated during the extra 90 minutes before you actually wake up. This means you have a much higher chance of becoming conscious in a dream and achieving a lucid dream.