Many of us think of our dreams as something which is largely beyond our control ? they happen while we are asleep, after all and whether they are pleasant dreams or nightmares, we shrug and assume there is nothing to be done to direct the course of our dreams. However, it is entirely possible to have dream control thorough the technique known as lucid dreaming.

What is the true meaning of the term lucid dreaming and in what way does it work? Are there any advantages, and is it truly a possibility for people to achieve control and make journeys nightly into the realm of dreaming their mini series of unique travels? This article will answer these questions that are very commonly asked on the subject of dream control.

What Is Dream Control?

Dream control, or lucid dreaming is when you are completely aware that you are dreaming while you are doing so ? and in control of the events which take place within your dream. Even while your body is sound asleep, your mind knows that you are dreaming and you are in the director?s chair for the proceedings.

People, that suffer from bad dreams on a regular basis, can benefit from this greatly, to get control over their sleep and finally have a peaceful night’s sleep.

Common Techniques For Inducing Lucid Dreaming

Using binaural audio is a great way for reaching the lucid dream stage, through this you listen separate frequencies (in unison) for the purpose of getting the brain waves synchronized, which allows you to relax, and the stage where lucid dreaming is able to occur known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.

Before it was possible to find CD and DVDs of binaural audio, the primary methods used to induce lucid dreaming were self-hypnosis and meditation. While these both work very well, it takes time to develop these abilities far enough to reliably gain dream control.

Besides using these methods for lucid dreaming, there are others that have been discovered through the years by qualified psychologists and scientists. It does not matter which method is used, the basic goal is the same, which is to train your mind as it sleeps to recognize when it is in the middle of dreaming.

This training begins while you are still awake. The goal is to remember to perform some kind of cue which will remind us that we are dreaming ? this allows dream control to begin.

This often comes down to you just saying to yourself, just prior to sleeping, that in a few minutes you will be dreaming, and that in the dream you will state something or do an action, and as this occurs, instantly you recognize you are dreaming.

This form of dream control training is called MILD (mnemonic induction of lucid dreams) and was developed by the scientist Dr. Stephen LaBerge. This mnemonic technique allows you to start using dream control to decide how your dreams will play out. Once you are lucid dreaming, there are no limits except for your own imagination!

You can also achieve lucid dreaming by means of keeping a dream diary. You?ll write down everything you can remember about your dreams immediate after awakening; this will train you to start remembering your dreams and being able to start using dream control. You?ll find that after using this technique for a while, you?ll be able to ?replay? a recent dream ? except this time, you?ll be in control.

Using dream control can allow you to banish your nightmares and have truly incredible adventures in your dreams. Anything you can imagine is possible when you are lucid dreaming.

However, there can be too much of the good thing which is lucid dreaming. Dreams can tell us important things, according to psychologists. So while you should unlock your full potential to have lucid dreaming experiences, make sure to give yourself some time off now and then to have natural dreams.