Lucid Dreaming 101

The first step to using hypnosis in lucid dreaming or "dream control" begins with remembering your dreams. A key point to consider is that everybody dreams. You may not remember your dreams when you wake but in an 8 hour night of sleeping you usually have five or more dreams.

Before retiring at night take several deep breaths. Close your eyes and relax each muscle group in turn. Begine with your feet. Tense them and hold for a few seconds then release the tension and relax. Move up your body to your head until you have relaxed your entire body. Imagine that you are descending a long flight of stairs with ten steps. Breath with each step you take and repeat the word "relax". Once at the bottom imagine that you are in a tranquil setting and rest there awhile.

Now mentally tell yourself that when you awaken you will be fresh, rested, full of energy and will remember your last dream in vivid detail.

Have a pen and small book beside your bed and upon awakening immediately ask yourself, what did I dream last night? Focus on taking deep breaths. Then write down in your dream in as much detail as you can recall. This is an important step so don't overlook it!

After several days of this pratise look over your written dream accounts and look for recurring themes. I always have something to drink or some sort of drinking liquid in mine. Your "dream sign" may be different.

Now when retiring the next night go through your relaxation exercise and tell yourself that you will become aware that you are dreaming when you encounter your dream sign. Tell yourself that it is a sign that you should awaken in your dream.

Do this for several nights and you will experience a lucid dream. Remember to record your dream just after waking. Studies have shown that many people have lucid dreams then forget that they had them a short time after waking. Keeping a journal of your dream experiences keeps them fresh in your mind and trains your brain to remember them.

Don't be discouraged if you don't lucid dream at the start. This is a new skill that must be learned. If you persevere you will achieve results. Should you wish to accelerate your results you may wish to read the review of the lucid dreaming kit on the site below.

Jerk Reactions: The Reason We Are Often Jolted Out Of Sleep

No matter what time we get up in the morning, what our day consisted of, or how late we decided to call it a night, getting a good night's sleep is something we all want and need, but all do differently. Some of us are naturally "restless" sleepers. Despite our exhaustion an efforts, we toss and turn, finding it almost impossible to get comfortable and (perhaps just when we get settled in and comfortable) are awakened by just about any little noise, movement, or glimpse of light. Yet, others (of us) are sound sleepers who easily fall asleep, remain virtually undisturbed and "incapacitated" until the next day or until the alarm clock jolts us out of bed (and with lots of effort at that).

However, the one thing that most of us have in common once we've dozed off is that from time to time we all experience a jerking action as our bodies and minds zone into the zone of sleep. And, it frequently leaves us with the feeling that we are falling.

Ever wonder why this happens, and what causes it? If you’re like most of us, we're sure you have.

According to experts, it's all part of a phenomenon known as sleep start. Sleepstart, ironically is an occurrence that even scientists can’t fully explain and don't totally understand. However the most widely accepted scientific speculation and explanation is that the brain misinterprets the relaxation process that muscles experience as you drift into sleep. As a result the brain then notifies, or rather, alerts the muscles, and encourages them to suddenly tense up in an effort to prevent the sensation of "falling".

However, experts assert that regardless of whether these jolts, jolt you out of sleep or not, they are quite common, normal, and nothing to worry about.

Dream Archetypes

Archetypes are images common to all humans because they arise out of common human experience.

Though we are each unique individuals, our commonalities are more pervasive and fundamental than our differences. Truly understanding this is the only cure for racism, jingoism and prejudice.

Most symbols in your dreams reflect a part of yourself. Some images common to all of humanity, along with their typical meanings are:

· THE PERSONA: A person’s “public mask.” The image of yourself you present to the public.

· THE SHADOW: The parts of a person they hide from the public, and even from themselves.

· THE ANIMUS: The male part of a person’s psyche (especially of a woman). Represented by men in one’s dreams.

· The ANIMA: The female part of a person’s psyche (especially of a man). Represented by women in one’s dreams.

· THE COUPLE: Represents wholeness and integration of the various parts of the self: anima and animus, inner and outer life, etc.

· THE HERO: Most people identify with the hero of stories, and so the hero represents the ego, which is the identification of the self.

· THE MAIDEN: Represents innocence, purity and beauty, but often an innocence accompanied by weakness that needs to be “rescued” by the hero, and so is more precisely naiveté.

· THE TRICKSTER: Sometimes represented as a clown or a magician, the trickster’s job is to hinder the mission of the hero.

· THE CHILD: The true, innocent self, filled with potential, but vulnerable.

· WISE OLD MAN: One’s inner guide based on the wisdom a person has accumulated over the years that often has to give guidance to the young inexperienced hero.

· THE FATHER: A guide, provider or authority figure.

· THE MOTHER: The part of a person that is nurturing, and promotes growth and fertility.

Beginning your understanding of dream symbols with these archetypes can give you a quick start before you delve into the more challenging (but also exciting and rewarding) work of learning your personal symbology.

Beyond these personal images, common dreams are also founded on emotions common to all of humanity:

· Fear
· The need to be understood
· The desire to be loved
· Lust and passion
· Thrill and adventure
· The pursuit of security
· A sense of belonging
· Personal journey of spiritual growth

Because humans have so many traits in common, many of our dreams are similar. These common dream symbols are the most easily understood as they have been analyzed and diagnosed by experts for years. Like archetypes, they are an excellent place to begin your journey in understanding the language of dreams.

If you are mystified by a dream, begin with the two lists above and ask if your dream contained any of the characters from the first list, or feelings from the second list. If so, begin there, and often the meaning of other more personal symbols will unfold their meaning as your mind begins to make associations.