Lucid dreaming can sometimes be shorter than expected. Not being able to control the dream you want for long enough can make you a little upset. Don’t worry, there are methods you can apply to eliminate this problem:
Extending Lucid Dream Duration
In order to prolong the time you spend in lucid dreaming, you can make changes in line with the recommendations given below:
Dream Stabilization Techniques (Stabilization)
When lucid dreaming begins, it is important to focus on your surroundings so that the dream remains stable. You can achieve this by incorporating stabilization techniques into your practice:
- Stabilization by looking at your hands:
- Look at your hands in the dream and examine their texture and detail. This increases mental awareness and prevents the dream from dissipating.
- Examining the Environment:
- Focus on the objects around you in the dream, feel their texture or observe their colors. This helps the mind to stay in the dream.
- Spinning Around (Spin Technique):
- Spinning around yourself can increase balance during the dream and prolong the duration. As you do this, you can say to yourself, “I will stay in this dream”.
Controlling Excitement
Getting excited during a lucid dream can lead to the dream ending. By keeping your excitement level under control, you can stay in the dream longer.
- Deep Breathing:
- Focus on calming down by taking deep breaths in the dream. This both increases awareness and prevents the dream from being disrupted.
- Emotional Control:
- Learning to stay calm during a dream will help you stay in the dream longer. Remember, the calmer you are, the longer you can stay in the dream.
Self-Suggestion During the Dream
You can prolong the duration of the dream by giving yourself positive suggestions.
- Talking to Yourself:
- During the dream, say sentences like “This is a dream and I am in control, I will stay in the dream”. This stabilizes the consciousness and prolongs the duration.
- Feeling the Flow of Time:
- To slow down the flow of the dream, imagine that time is flowing slowly. This can create the feeling that the dream lasts longer.
Balancing Physical Movements
Making fast or complicated movements during a dream can disrupt the dream. Therefore, make your movements balanced and conscious.
- Move Slowly:
- Instead of running or flying very fast in the dream, choose to walk or glide slowly.
- Proceed without Distraction:
- Focus on your goal and move through the dream without creating too many stimuli. This keeps the dream stable.
Transitioning into a Dream Within a Dream (False Awakening)
In some cases, the way to prolong a lucid dream is to pretend to be awake and move on to another dream.
- False Awakening Technique:
- You can move into another lucid dream by pretending to be awake in the dream. This has the effect of restarting the dream.
Preventing Signs of Coming Out of a Dream
When you feel that you are about to leave the dream, you can re-enforce the dream with some techniques.
- Touching Objects in the Dream:
- You can revitalize the dream environment by touching or feeling objects in the environment.
- Tasting or Smelling Things in the Dream:
- Sensory experiences, such as eating food or smelling something in a dream, make the dream more vivid.
Optimizing the Sleep Cycle
To increase the duration of lucid dreaming, it is important to pay attention to your sleep patterns.
- Focus on the REM Phase of Sleep:
- Lucid dreams usually occur during REM sleep. You need to get enough sleep to support REM sleep.
- WBTB (Wake Back to Bed) Technique:
- Waking up a few hours after your night’s sleep and going back to sleep with a short meditation increases the likelihood of lucid dreaming.