The term "lucid dreaming" was first used by the Dutch psychiatrist Van Eeden in a study carried out in 1913. However, the first modern study was done in 1867 and had as its title: "dreams and how to control them". It is currently accepted as a scientifically proven fact, and is included in symbolically elaborated dreams in which it is represented or attempted to resolve some conflict or problem of the person. These dreams have a symbolic content that normally varies from person to person. During a lucid dream the person realizes that he is dreaming and can even interfere with the dream without interrupting the dream activity or waking up. Some scholars assure that the majority of people have had one or more lucid dreams at some point in their life even if sometimes they are forgotten just like ordinary dreams. However, it is common for lucid dreams to persist in memory as they are described as more exciting, fantastic and full of color. Also, some dreams occur in a kind of hyperreality in which the elements are amplified so that the experience feels more real than waking states. They are often considered mystical or spiritual experiences probably for their peculiarities. The oldest lucid dream dates back to 415 AD when St. Augustine tells that an angel "woke" him in a dream to show him that perception did not depend on the body but on the spirit or consciousness, showing him that he could experience the reality that was shown to him while his body lay asleep with his eyes closed in bed. And in the eighth century, the Tibetan monks they practiced a form of yoga based on maintaining consciousness during the different phases of the dream; this practice was called "sleep yoga". One of the aims was the recognition of the illusory nature of all phenomena. During the 50s it was discovered that members of the tribe of Senoiin Malaysia, used lucid dreams as a form of psychological and spiritual integration and growth. They believed that the spirit world was intimately united with the dream world and taught the youngest to conquer danger and face enemies in a lucid dream state. In other places, shamans used these dreams extensively to establish contact with spirit guides. Also, in Australia, Aborigines traveled to the dream world believing that they were meeting with the spirits of their ancestors and with the creators of the world. Their representations included dots and lines of color with intricate patterns, precisely such as those that can be observed when consciously falling asleep. This type of dream occurs in the phase REM but it corresponds to a much higher than average content of alpha waves at this stage. Some people have a greater disposition to have lucid dreams even if there are those who say that with a little training we could all dream in a semi-asleep condition. More experienced dreamers can come to control their dreams voluntarily by fulfilling their wishes in them. The most common skills are being able to change the place where you are in the dream, visit known or imaginary locations, fly or change shape. Dreams of this type are said to intensify and stimulate self-reflection. It is a paradoxical reality since it requires an activation of the central nervous system typical of wakefulness but it is undoubtedly a dream phenomenon. People who experience this phenomenon have good visual-spatial skills, low stress levels and excellent physical balance. However, they also have more imagination than the rest of people and report mystical experiences in the waking state.
The term "lucid dreaming" was first used by the Dutch psychiatrist Van Eeden in a study carried out in 1913. However, the first modern study was done in 1867 and had as its title: "dreams and how to control them". It is currently accepted as a scientifically proven fact, and is included in symbolically elaborated dreams in which it is represented or attempted to resolve some conflict or problem of the person. These dreams have a symbolic content that normally varies from person to person. During a lucid dream the person realizes that he is dreaming and can even interfere with the dream without interrupting the dream activity or waking up. Some scholars assure that the majority of people have had one or more lucid dreams at some point in their life even if sometimes they are forgotten just like ordinary dreams. However, it is common for lucid dreams to persist in memory as they are described as more exciting, fantastic and full of color. Also, some dreams occur in a kind of hyperreality in which the elements are amplified so that the experience feels more real than waking states. They are often considered mystical or spiritual experiences probably for their peculiarities. The oldest lucid dream dates back to 415 AD when St. Augustine tells that an angel "woke" him in a dream to show him that perception did not depend on the body but on the spirit or consciousness, showing him that he could experience the reality that was shown to him while his body lay asleep with his eyes closed in bed. And in the eighth century, the Tibetan monks they practiced a form of yoga based on maintaining consciousness during the different phases of the dream; this practice was called "sleep yoga". One of the aims was the recognition of the illusory nature of all phenomena. During the 50s it was discovered that members of the tribe of Senoiin Malaysia, used lucid dreams as a form of psychological and spiritual integration and growth. They believed that the spirit world was intimately united with the dream world and taught the youngest to conquer danger and face enemies in a lucid dream state. In other places, shamans used these dreams extensively to establish contact with spirit guides. Also, in Australia, Aborigines traveled to the dream world believing that they were meeting with the spirits of their ancestors and with the creators of the world. Their representations included dots and lines of color with intricate patterns, precisely such as those that can be observed when consciously falling asleep. This type of dream occurs in the phase REM but it corresponds to a much higher than average content of alpha waves at this stage. Some people have a greater disposition to have lucid dreams even if there are those who say that with a little training we could all dream in a semi-asleep condition. More experienced dreamers can come to control their dreams voluntarily by fulfilling their wishes in them. The most common skills are being able to change the place where you are in the dream, visit known or imaginary locations, fly or change shape. Dreams of this type are said to intensify and stimulate self-reflection. It is a paradoxical reality since it requires an activation of the central nervous system typical of wakefulness but it is undoubtedly a dream phenomenon. People who experience this phenomenon have good visual-spatial skills, low stress levels and excellent physical balance. However, they also have more imagination than the rest of people and report mystical experiences in the waking state.
