The Role of Intention

Lucid Dream Induction Techniques

In the audio clip below, Andrew takes us through some of the most effective dream induction techniques. The “Reality Probe” he refers to is simply a card with “Is this a dream?” printed on it.

The Role of Intention

A central teaching in the Pali Canon, which is a foundational text in Buddhism, is the maxim: “The mind leads all things.”

The power of intent leads all accomplishments

The word “intent” comes from roots that mean “to stretch towards”

To Lucid Dream:

• We stretch the conscious mind towards previously unconscious territory
• We stretch waking consciousness into dreaming consciousness.
• We do so with the firm intent to become lucid in our dreams

With Firm Intent, You Will Discover “pop-ups” in Your Non-lucid Dreams

Intention is cultivated during the day, but it stretches deep into the unconscious mind to act like a “pop-up” in your dreams. They will clue you into the fact that you’re dreaming.

Setting a strong intent to wake up in your dreams is as good as setting an internal alarm clock.

It’s that simple. The simplicity is one reason many people don’t believe it can work. Which is why we start everything with the power of belief.

How to Set an Internal Alarm for Lucidity

Say to yourself throughout the day:

• “Tonight I’m going to have many dreams”
• “I’m going to remember my dreams”
• “I’m going to wake up in my dreams”

Even better, write it down and really mean it.

If you have a watch that can be set to beep every hour, you can associate that beep with a recitation of this intention

The more you say it, the more you’re installing these pop-ups into your hard drive, so to speak, and the more likely it will be that they will pop up when you’re dreaming.

What to Do Right Before Bed

When you lie down to go to sleep, reset your resolve, give it a final push.

• Instead of having rambling thoughts pouring through your mind as you fall asleep, ramp up your intent instead.
• The last thought we have on our mind before we fall asleep often has a big effect on how we sleep, and how we dream.
• If you fall asleep in a stressed out state, you tend to have stressed out dreams.
• The state of our mind just before falling asleep “perfumes” our night.

As you lay down, whisper this intent:

• “Tonight I’m going to have many dreams; I’m going to remember my dreams; I’m going to wake up in my dreams,” at least seven times.
• Than recite it over and over mentally as you drift off.
• Take it from an audible to a mental recitation, gently holding this intent as you fall sleep.

If you wake up during the night, re-set your intention to have lucid dreams before falling back asleep.

If you soak your mind with intent throughout the day and then throughout the night, you WILL start to have lucid dreams.

Lucid Dreaming Will Increase as You Study the Material

When I was writing my book on lucid dreaming, I was drenched in the topic. As a natural consequence of spending so much time with this material, I had lucid dreams all the time. Stephen LaBerge shares a similar story. When he was doing research for his Phd on lucid dreaming, he was also having tons of lucid dreams. It makes sense. We dream at night what we think of during the day.

Make It Heartfelt

Add some octane to your intent by adding emotional charge. Don’t just intend to have lucid dreams, have the intent to do something really cool in your dreams.

“I want to have lucid dreams so I can fly through the air, to feel the wind blowing through my hair, to dive bomb towards the earth and then soar back up to the heavens.”

Don’t leave your intent at a purely intellectual level. Care about it. Add the fuel that can carry your intent deep into the night, and deep into your unconscious mind.

Having a Purpose Helps to Sustain a Lucid Dream

People often have a lucid dream, only to get so excited that they wake up from it quickly. The key is to ask for more. Don’t just ask to become lucid, ask to become lucid so you can do something really exciting in your dreams. This makes it more fun, more energized, more effective. It’s amazing what you can get if you simply ask for it, and if you ask whole-heartedly.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock Carlos Castilla