When a person is aware of the fact that he/she is dreaming, the phenomenon is known as lucid dreaming. It was coined by the Dutch psychiatrist known by the name of Frederik van Eeden.
During a lucid dream, the participant (i.e the dreamer) may be able to apply some degree of control over their participation within the dream. Here the dreamer is involved to a great extent in direction in which he/she want the dream to go into. If the dreamer desires a certain outcome, they can do so may a time by their sheer will.
If you’re exploring the world of lucid dreaming with the goal of inducing a lucid dream, there are a variety of lucid dreaming techniques available for you to use. This article discusses the mnemonic-induced lucid dream (MILD) method.
The MILD method was developed in the late twentieth century by Dr. Stephen LaBerge, a prominent consciousness researcher and the founder of the Lucidity Institute. The rationale behind the development of this method was to train the brain to learn to identify the dream state, effectively enabling a lucid dream for someone who is already in the dream state. MILD is a simple and efficient way to turn on lucid dreaming; as such it’s one of the most popular lucid dream-induction methods amongst both novices and intermediate lucid dreamers.
“Mnemonic” refers to anything that is kept in your memory. For instance, a mnemonic device is something that helps you to remember a fact. In school children are taught mnemonic devices to help them study and recall information. So, that initially should tell you that this method involves you making use of your own memory. And indeed, the MILD lucid dreaming technique requires that you use a certain amount of self-discipline in order to train yourself to recognize it when you are dreaming. It relies on your own individual sense of awareness, in addition to your ability to connect with your experiences in the dream world. The MILD induction method is often enhanced through the use of positive affirmations and in-dream triggers to promote lucidity.
If you would like to use MILD to induce a lucid dream tonight, tomorrow night, or whenever, the first thing you need to do is practice actively recalling your dreams. You dream on a nightly basis but perhaps you don’t remember your dreams. If you don’t, it’s because you aren’t in touch with your subconscious experiences and perhaps you don’t place enough significance on your dreams. You can start keeping a dream journal in order to try to remember the experiences that you have. Over time you will notice it becoming easier for you to remember your dreams.
The second step to using MILD is through rehearsing what it feels like to be awake. This sounds intuitive, for sure, but it’s actually very effective. All you have to do is start identifying the subtle differences between real life and the dream world. When you’re awake, ask yourself whether or not you are dreaming and figure out why you know you aren’t (if you aren’t.) Dreams can seem realistic as they happen, sure, but if you really pay attention to the landscape of the real world and the landscape of your dreams, you’ll be sure to notice a difference.
The final step towards using MILD is to use affirmations and visualizations. These are aids that will help you to gain lucidity. Affirmations are a fairly straightforward concept. All you have to do is repeat to yourself that you will wake up the next time you are in the dream state. Do it three or four times in front of the mirror before you go to bed.
Finally, dream visualization is one of the most pivotal characteristics of the MILD method. All you have to do is visualize a dream. Imagine the scenario: the people, the setting, and what will happen. Then choose a specific object or person and call that person or thing the “trigger.” When that person appears the next time you are dreaming, you will gain lucidity. It’s that simple.
