The Benefits of Lucid Dreaming

Lucid dreaming is a rewarding, awe-inspiring and liberating experience, which many personal benefits. Lucid dreams are largely free from real-world consequences and allow dreamers to indulge in fantasies without fear, inhibition or reprisal. Lucid dreaming permits us boundless escapism, creating a natural high and sense of power, opening our eyes to the fact we can 'hack' our own minds and harness a set of cognitive skills from within the dream world. Lucid dreaming also enables us to have profound insight into ourselves, encouraging us to question the nature of reality and consciousness.

However, the benefits of lucid dreaming are not just present in the dream world - there are many benefits for real waking life too! One of the overall greatest benefits of lucid dreaming is the fact that we are able to incubate or create lucid dream scenarios in advance, by focusing on what we most desire or wish for in a lucid dream.

Experiencing the impossible

Lucid dreaming enables dreamers to experience the impossible - you can literally do anything in a lucid dream as the limits are as far as your imagination can stretch. The laws of physics don't constrain you!

One of the most popular lucid dreaming experiences sought by lucid dreamers is the ability to fly in lucid dreams. All you need to do is believe that you can fly like a bird, and you will find yourself soaring through the sky, weightless. 

Lucid dreamers might also experience the impossible in terms of obtaining super-human powers, travelling through time or exploring the far reaches of the universe, meeting fictional or historical characters - there really are no rules as to what is possible in a lucid dream.

Sexual intimacy

Imagine a scenario where you can summons any sexual partner - real, fictional or imaginary - and indulge in any form of sexual intimacy you so desire. Lucid dream sex is one of the most popular experiences sought out by lucid dreamers, because it enables not only fantasy sex with someone who might not be available in the real life, but also has little to no repercussions in waking life. I say 'little' - as it depends on whether you are using lucid dream sex to break sexual taboos (which might lead to desensitisation or normalisation of those taboos) or indulging in acts you feel guilty about in waking reality - these can obviously have the potential for some effect on your psychological well-being in some circumstances. 

Lucid dream sex is not a form of 'infidelity' - I'd argue it is no different in concept to fantasising while using pornography as a stimulus; the difference is that the stimulus exists in your mind and requires no extrinsic aids or human interaction. If you have any concerns about how your partner might feel about lucid dream sex with another person, you could discuss it in advance or simply choose to keep your lucid dream sex fantasies/experiences as a secret - there's no way you can get caught out!

Lucid dream sex is a great way for lonely people to experience sexual intimacy which might be lacking in their waking reality. The experience of sex in a lucid dream can be a very intense and satisfying feeling - the fulfilment of primal urges without inhibition or the need to abide by social norms. It is possible to experience incredibly powerful orgasms through lucid dream sex. 

Increased self-awareness & insight

Due to the nature of lucid dreaming, it is possible to explore the inner self, stripping back the core beliefs or preconceptions that have been instilled in us from childhood. In Robert Waggoner, Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self (2008), the author refers to a separate consciousness which exists within, which can be accessed through the lucid dream. In the lucid dream, you can converse directly with your subconscious mind and discover deep truths about yourself which might not be accessible or comprehensible in waking reality. You can guide this discovery process by asking questions of your consciousness within the lucid dream and examining the answers provided, which may enable you to gain levels of self-awareness and insight not possible in your waking consciousness. 

You might also use lucid dreaming to discover deep personal meaning in life - by talking to your subconscious and asking it to show you your life's purpose. This can enable you to evolve your life's meaning and purpose with a new form of conscious awareness, and the advantage here is that such insight is not reserved for those with spiritual beliefs. You are finding meaning within yourself, rather than having to look beyond for a 'greater' meaning.

Enhancing real life skills

In Stephen LaBerge, Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming (1990), the author provides a testimonial from a surgeon who reported the ability to improve and refine his surgical skills from within his lucid dreams - which enabled him to reap the benefits in his real life profession. Indeed, such improvement of his skills were much quicker than would be expected in real life. Athletes and musicians have also reported using lucid dreams to enhance their real life skills. This is because the tangible experience of performing and practicing certain physical activities in the artificial world of lucid dreams can transfer to real life muscle memory. In addition, lucid dreamers can realistically rehearse mental and emotional responses which have some benefit in real life.

Problem-solving & decision-making

Lucid dreaming is a great way of 'thinking outside the box' when it comes to problem-solving and decision-making. Not only can you seek help within the lucid dream by asking for possible solutions, but you can act out the various solutions to a problem or tough decision within the lucid dream and check the results. It is possible to incubate a lucid dream by 'implanting the seed' of that chosen/desired dream using highly effective dream incubation techniques, which work for both lucid and normal, non-lucid dreams. All you need to do is focus your waking mind on the question or problem you require help with.

Exploring creativity

Lucid dreaming is a fantastic means of exploring inner creativity and tapping into new channels of creativity which might not be readily accessible to the conscious, waking mind. This is due to the free-flow of ideas that occur in a lucid dream. Lucid dreaming provides an extraordinary way of finding inspiration - you can simply ask your subconscious to show you something to inspire you, or you could actively seek to travel to a place of inspiration or summons a particular visionary genius of your chosen field, as a dream character, and use them as a mentor. 

Artist Salvador Dali (1904 - 1989) famously used lucid dreaming to increase his creativity and inspire his art. He referred to this process as 'slumber with a key' and spoke of channelling the fluid space between wakefulness and sleep. The creative associations he made between memories, fleeting thoughts and concepts and imagery occurred during the hypnagogic stage of sleep and therefore are likely to be forms of microdreams. One of his most popular and recognisable paintings The Persistence of Memory (1931) was inspired through this process. There are many other notable examples of creatives/artists or scientists/inventors using lucid dreaming and hypnagogia to formulate new ideas and tap into new sources of creativity and inspiration.

Coping with grief & bereavement

No matter what your beliefs, faith or worldviews on death and the afterlife, lucid dreaming is an excellent way to reunite with dead loved ones. When coping with bereavement, there is often a feeling that matters have been left unresolved, especially if the death of a loved one was sudden and unexpected, or certain things were left unsaid when the person was alive. Lucid dreaming enables the dreamer to reunite and interact with their dead loved one and deal with unresolved matters by seeking closure or finality - or simply enjoy the experience of spending time with them in the dream world. The benefit of this is that the lucid dream provides some form of psychological or emotional therapy, allowing capacity for grieving and healing. Lucid dreaming can help us keep the memories of our dead loved ones alive in a very realistic sense, even if we are fully aware that they are a projection of our own psyche and subconscious.

Overcoming phobias, fear & trauma

Lucid dreaming is a great way of confronting and overcoming phobias, fear and trauma in a safe way with no real life consequences or risk of harm. Clinical Psychiatrists and Psychologists have reported that lucid dreaming provides a therapeutic benefit for sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder, as the experience of confronting the source of trauma in a lucid dream creates new neural pathways in the brain which can help in overcoming the fear in real life. 

Influencing your dreams - 6 common stimuli

While we are sleeping, our bodies attempt to remain in the sleep state to the extent that many external stimuli become intimately interwoven with the content of our dream narratives, seamlessly incorporating outside interferences into the dream storyline. Lauri Loewenberg, a certified dream analyst and member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams suggests that many influences - sounds, smells and sensations - can shape our dreams.

Sounds

It is very common to incorporate sounds into our dreams - particularly alarm clocks, which may feature in the dream as a different type of noise, such as a smoke detector or whistle. It is possible to use apps which create a noise during the dream state to intentionally influence the dream content, but Loewenberg warns that too much external interference may be detrimental to the message of the dream and may disrupt the cognitive processes which the dream seeks to accomplish for mental wellbeing. However, it may be interesting to play your favourite soundtrack of atmospheric music while you sleep to see how these sounds become incorporated into your dream experience. Loewenberg recommends using white noise for restful sleep, as this drowns out other atmospheric noises, enabling organic dreaming.

Smells

Studies have shown that smells can positively or negatively influence our dream content. Loewenberg suggest that pleasant smells will yield favourable emotional responses and this is because the limbic system in the brain, which receives sensations of smell also deals with emotions. Scented room fragrances, candles or perfumes can be used to influence the nature of your dreams.

Sleeping position

A Hong Kong study revealed that sleeping on your front is likely to increase your chances of experiencing a sexual dream, being persecuted, suffocated or physically restrained in some way. This may be because when sleeping on your front your genitals are in direct contact with your bed and are therefore stimulated. Additionally, your breathing may be inhibited, producing feelings of restriction or suffocation. Sleeping position is also important for dream recall - you should remain in the position you wake up in to recall your dream or re-enter an earlier dream state.

State of mind

Depression not only suppresses dream recall, but may have an impact on the colour palette of your dreams. Studies show that those who suffer from depressive moods are more likely to dream in muted colours, grey shades or black and  white. Loewenberg also suggests that your state of mind can influence the weather or climate in your dreams - anxiety often causes dreams of tornadoes (spinning out of control), depression leads to dreams of rain or storms and a calm, happy state of mind tends to influence sunny warm weather dreams. 

Quitting a habit

Quitting may influence your dream because you are either mentally focused on the habit or substance you are denying yourself (and therefore dream about it recurrently) or because that substance was inhibiting your dreaming or dream recall (studies suggest that using cannabis can have a negative effect on dreaming and dream recall, with abstinence causing more rich, vivid dreams).

Drugs, vitamins & diet

There are many lucid dreaming supplements available on the market, but many mainstream vitamins and recreational drugs have an effect on dreaming also. Some pharmaceuticals can affect REM sleep and so have a major impact on your dreaming - for example, anti-depressants have been found to increase dream recall, whereas depression has a negative effect on a dreamer's ability to remember their dreams. Recreational drugs such as cannabis may hinder dreaming and prevent effective dream recall, while substances such as nicotine are thought to be responsible for vivid dreaming. In particular, research has shown that Vitamin B6 can significantly increase dreaming and dream recall and various vitamins and nutrients present in  dream-boosting foods may also have the same effect.

Dream-boosting foods

Tryptophan is one of the 22 standard amino acids, which is essential in the human diet, because it cannot be synthesised by the organism. This means that it must be consumed - it is not produced naturally by the body. Amino acids such as tryptophan act as building blocks for protein biosynthesis, and specifically, tryptophan functions as a biochemical precursor for compounds such as serotonin (a neurotransmitter, which is in turn converted to melatonin), niacin (Vitamin B3, in the liver) and auxin (a phytohormone). The disorder, fructose malabsorption causes improper absorption of tryptophan in the intestine and reduced levels of tryptophan in the blood, as well as depression. 

Tryptophan is a routine constituent found in most proteins, in addition to a variety of other food sources which I discuss further in this article. Where I am able to find information as to the tryptophan quantities in each particular food source, I will include this. Tryptophan is available in health food shops as a dietary supplement. Clinical studies have produced mixed results as to the effectiveness of tryptophan as a sleep aid, but it has been shown significant effectiveness in treating various conditions caused by a lack of serotonin in the brain and some promise as an antidepressant on its own, or as an augmenter for other antidepressant medications. 5-HTP (see my earlier post on 5-HTP as a lucid dream supplement) is a metabolite of tryptophan which has been suggested as a possible treatment for epilepsy and depression as it easily crosses the blood-brain barrier and is readily decarboxylated into serotonin. 

Apparently, low levels of tryptophan are linked to poor dream recall. The recommended dietary intake of tryptophan is 392mg for men and 322mg for women, assuming a normal protein intake. Some doctors prescribe 5g of  'theraputic' tryptophan without ill effect and there is no prescribed upper limit for ingestion, but in 1989 there was a scare when 1,500 incidences of permanent disability and 37 cases of death caused by the neurological disorder, eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS), which was traced to a contaminated batch of L-tryptophan, supplied by Japanese manufacturer, Showa Denko KK. The contamination was believed to be the result of genetically-engineered bacteria, leading to GM-protesters claiming it was the production technique which was responsible for the outbreak.

Vitamin B6 is also a great dietary supplement (see my earlier post on Vitamin B6 as a lucid dream supplement) because it converts tryptophan into serotonin and niacin, contributing to a regulation of sleep patterns, appetite and mood It is also essential for proper maintenance of red blood cell metabolism and has important functions for the immune and nervous systems, as well as lowering the risk of cardiac problems, depression and some skin disorders. Double-blind studies have shown that a daily intake of 250mg of Vitamin B6 (also known as pyridoxine, pyridoxal or pyridoxamine) can significantly increase dream content, including vividness, bizarreness, emotion and colour perception. This amount is in excess of the daily recommended intake for adults, which is 100mg. Many people will receive their full daily amount from diet alone and the study referred to above was only carried out for a period of 3 days, although casual dream experimenters may require adjustment to the amount or period of supplementary Vitamin B6 to get a noticeable effect.

Almonds
0.28g of trytophan per 100g
32.63mg of choline per 100g

Angelica
25.12ng of melatonin per 100g

Apple 
1 apple = 0.13g of trytophan

Asparagus
0.02g of tryptophan per 100g
76.62ng of melatonin per 100g
20.71mg of choline per 100g

Avocado
1 avocado = 0.03g of tryptophan
0.29mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Banana
0.01g of tryptophan per 100g
31.40ng of melatonin per 100g (under-ripe)/18.50ng of melatonin per 100g (ripe)
0.37mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Barley
0.1g of tryptophan per 100g
87.30ng of melatonin per 100g

Beef
0.23g of tryptophan per 100g
0.68mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
65.1mg of choline per 100g

Broccoli
0.01g of tryptophan per 100g
26.67ng of melatonin per 100g
27.58mg of choline per 100g

Brussels sprouts
16.88ng of melatonin per 100g
27.93mg of choline per 100g

Buckwheat (roasted)
0.35mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Bulgur wheat (cooked)
0.08mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Cashew nuts
0.29g of tryptophan per 100g
0.26mg of Vitamin B6  per 100g

Cauliflower
0.01g of tryptophan per 100g
21.38mg of choline per 100g

Cheddar cheese
0.36g of tryptophan per 100g

Chia seeds
0.7g of tryptophan per 100g

Chicken
0.24 - 0.49g of tryptophan per 100g
0.15mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
85.30mg of choline per 100g

Chickpeas
0.19g of tryptophan per 100g
0.47mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Chilli peppers (hot)
0.51mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Chocolate (bitter)
0.13g of tryptophan per 100g

Cocoa powder (unsweetened)
0.28g of tryptophan per 100g

Cod
0.70g of tryptophan per 100g
79.70mg of choline per 100g

Collard greens
0.11mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
32.17mg of choline per 100g

Corn
187.80ng of melatonin per 100g

Cornflour
0.49g of tryptophan per 100g

Cottage cheese
0.27g of tryptophan per 100g

Cucumber
5.93ng of melatonin per 100g

Dried fruit
Apricot = 0.14mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
Prune = 0.75mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
Raisins = 0.32mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Eggs (chicken)
0.17g of tryptophan per 100g
1 egg = 146.90mg of choline 

Flax seeds (ground)
0.47g of tryptophan per 100g
0.47mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Fenugreek seeds (methi)
0.5g of tryptophan per 100g

Garlic
1.24mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Ginger (root)
142.30ng of melatonin per 100g

Grapes
Green = 1.71 - 1.92ng of melatonin per 100g & skin only = 3.24ng od melatonin per 100g/purple = 1.94 - 2.27ng of melatonin per 100g & skin only = 1.42ng of melatonin per 100g

Green beans
0.02g of tryptophan per 100g
9.32mg of choline per 100g

Gruyere cheese
0.33g of tryptophan per 100g

Halibut
0.30g of tryptophan per 100g
0.55mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Hazelnuts
0.56mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Herring
0.30mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Kale
0.27mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Kidney beans
0.18g of tryptophan per 100g
23.80mg of choline per 100g

Lamb/mutton
0.21g of tryptophan per 100g

Leeks
0.11mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Lima beans
0.07g of tryptophan per 100g
0.12mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Liver (cow)
150 - 172g of tryptophan per 100g
1.03mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
333.69mg of choline per 100g

Macadamia nuts
0.58mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Mackerel
0.47g of tryptophan per 100g

Milk (cow)
0.08g of tryptophan per 100g
173mg of choline per 100g

Millet
0.03 g of tryptophan per 100g

Mint (fresh)
49.95ng of melatonin per 100g

Molasses
0.67mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Mung beans
0.1g of tryptophan per 100g

Mushrooms
0.01g of tryptophan per 100g
7.02mg of choline per 100g

Mustard greens
0.01g of tryptophan per 100g

Mustard seeds
White mustard: 378ng of melatonin per 100g/black mustard: 258ng of melatonin per 100g

Oats
0.23g of tryptophan per 100g
79.13ng of melatonin per 100g
0.29mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Octopus
0.65mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Olives
Black = 8.94ng of melatonin per 100g/green = 8.36ng of melatonin per 100g

Onions
0.01g of tryptophan per 100g

Orange
1 orange = 0.17g of tryptophan

Parmesan cheese
0.56g of tryptophan per 100g

Peas
0.02g of tryptophan per 100g
18.03mg of choline per 100g

Peas (dried)
0.26g of tryptophan per 100g

Peach
1 peach = 0.02g of tryptophan

Peanuts
0.08g of tryptophan per 100g
116.70ng of melatonin per 100g
0.3mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
33.95mg of choline per 100g

Peanut butter (smooth)
0.55mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Peppers (green)
0.22mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Perch
0.21g of tryptophan per 100g

Pheasant
0.75mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Pistachio nuts
0.28g of tryptophan per 100g
1.12mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Pomegranate
21ng of melatonin per 100g

Poppy seeds
1ng of melatonin per 100g

Pork
0.25g of tryptophan per 100g
0.79mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Potatoes
0.02g of tryptophan per 100g
0.31mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Prawn/shrimp
0.29 - 0.33g of tryptophan per 100g
135.22mg of choline per 100g

Pumpkin seeds
0.68g of tryptophan per 100g
0.14mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Quinoa 
Uncooked: 0.17g of tryptophan per 100g/cooked: 0.05g of tryptophan per 100g
52.47mg of choline per 100g

Radish
0.5ng of melatonin per 100g

Rice
Brown: 0.10g of tryptophan per 100g/white: 0.03g of tryptophan per 100g
149.80ng of melatonin per 100g
4.07mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Sage (dried)
2.69mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Salmon
0.22g of tryptophan per 100g
0.82mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
72mg of choline per 100g

Sardines
0.47g of tryptophan per 100g
60mg of choline per 100g

Scallops
0.43g of tryptophan per 100g
110.70mg of choline per 100g

Sesame Seeds
0.37g of tryptophan per 100g

Shiitake mushrooms
0.97mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
23.53mg of choline per 100g

Snapper (red)
0.38g of tryptophan per 100g

Sour cherry juice
17,353ng of melatonin per 100g

Soybeans
0.59g of tryptophan per 100g
0.06mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
116mg of choline per 100g

Soy milk

0.5g of tryptophan per 100g

Soy sauce

0.03g of tryptophan per 1 tablespoon

Spinach
0.07g of tryptophan per 100g
0.24mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
15.64mg of choline per 100g

Spirulina/seaweed
0.93g of tryptophan per 100g

Squash
0.01g of tryptophan per 100g
0.22mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
6.27mg of choline per 100g

Strawberries
21ng of melatonin per 100g

Sunflower seeds
0.30g of tryptophan per 100g
4.26ng of melatonin per 100g
1.35mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Sweet potato
0.29mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Swordfish
0.54mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Tamarind
0.02g of tryptophan per 100g

Tea (black)
40.50ng of melatonin per 100g

Tea (green)
9.20ng of melatonin per 100g

Tofu
0.12g of tryptophan per 100g
0.5mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
31.30mg of choline per 100g

Tomatoes
52.95ng of melatonin per 100g
0.11mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
5.32mg of choline per 100g

Tuna
0.36 - 0.40g of tryptophan per 100g
1.04mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
77.60mg of choline per 100g

Turkey
0.24 - 0.38g of tryptophan per 100g
0.81mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
83.40mg of choline per 100g

Venison
0.38g of tryptophan per 100g
0.76mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Walnuts
0.17g of tryptophan per 100g
270ng of melatonin per 100g
0.58mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Wheat flour (white)
0.13g of tryptophan per 100g

Wheat germ
1.30mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g
89.06mg of choline per 100g

Whey powder
0.58mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Wine (red)
1ng of melatonin per 100g

Yeast
1.50mg of Vitamin B6 per 100g

Yoghurt
0.7g of tryptophan per 100g

There are many other food sources which are rich in dream-inducing nutrients, such as tryptophan, melatonin and Vitamin B6, but those included above are generally stated as containing the highest levels. In order to fully attain the highest quality of these nutrients, it is essential that food should be at its freshest and prepared cleanly (without extra additives and not overcooked). I will upload some further articles on dream nutrition and supplements and maybe some of my own dream-boosting recipe ideas.