A Survey of Considerations for Inducing Conscious Awareness of Dreaming While Dreaming

Abstract

This article reviews several considerations to be taken by the potential lucid dream researcher or lucid dreamer when attempting to increase the frequency of dreaming lucidly (i.e., consciousness awareness of dreaming while the dream is ongoing). Attempts to induce lucidity have been made both prior to falling asleep and while sleeping. Methods showing promise include, the administration of external cues, presleep reflection and asking the critical question (i.e., “Is this a dream?”) during sleep. Individual proclivities, such as field independence, and situational events, such as waking stress, have also been shown to predict lucidity and should be pertinent to subject or client selection.