How long does lucid dreaming last

We can't always trust our perception of time. So, how long do lucid dreams really last? Like regular dreams, most lucid dreams last between 5—10 minutes. This applies to people with lucid dreaming experience. It's common for beginners to get lucid, only to have the dream end seconds later. The dream might be 20 minutes, but the lucid part isn't. Knowing how enjoyable lucid dreams can be, this makes us wonder if we can stretch our lucid episodes.

Fortunately, there are ways to do this. First, there's something I have to get out of the way. Apparently, this belief that dreams are only seconds long spread because Snapple, the beverage brand, stated this in one of their under-the-cap "facts". This isn't true, and I'm not sure where they got it from. Most dream lengthening methods involve one of two things—keeping composed and engaging the senses in the dream world.

These are tried and true ways to remain in dreamland a little longer. We'll start with the most basic prerequisite. Everything else hinges on this. Getting too excited is the reason most beginners lose their lucid dreams so quickly. Early on, I was frustrated many times with this problem. I wanted a lucid dream so badly; when it happened, I couldn't believe my good fortune, which sent my mind racing through the possibilities.

After a few seconds, the scene would fade out. I'm not exactly sure why staying calm is so important. We have many dreams where we aren't exactly feeling peaceful, and it doesn't cause them to end. In fact, strong emotion is one of the hallmarks of dreams.

Staying relaxed seems to be more important as soon as lucidity dawns. Regardless of the reason, lucid dreamers know from experience that staying even-tempered helps the dream to take hold. How do you get to this point? Mental rehearsal is needed. Throughout the day, and especially before bed, imagine getting lucid in a dream scene. Recognize the situation, but stay relaxed.

Add one of the following techniques to firmly entrench your mind in the dream. Say something out loud in your dream, or in your mind if you're rehearsing. I suggest picking two different statements—one for immediately after lucidity begins, and one for later if the dream starts to fade. You can make up your own affirmations for these situations. Just keep it short and simple and positive. Don't leave any room for a misunderstanding. Reality checks will help you to improve your awareness, and to recognize when you are dreaming.

By doing that, you will be able to distinguish the real and the dream world much easier. Wake-Initiated Lucid Dreaming happens when you jump right into a dreaming state from a waking state. It is a very straightforward technique, and the goal is to ensure that your mind is fully conscious. Dream Initiated Lucid Dreams aim to build self-awareness within the dream state. Oddly enough, while many people want to learn how to lucid dream, others want to know how to stop lucid dreaming.

Maybe you want to focus your attention on other things or take a break from lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming is a fantastic skill, and it is worth exploring! The things you need the most are — time to practice, commitment, and determination!

The main goal is to learn more about the intriguing skill of lucid dreaming and its benefits! Explore a variety of educational content on lucid dreaming, astral projection, the meaning of dreams, etc. For more information, please check the "About" section. I the last half a year I have had few very vivid dreams that I fly above a surface or another people. They were very pleasant dreams and I felt total liberation because of lack a gravitation. Are they lucid dreams or something else?

I know from a definition, that a dream is lucid, if you are aware that you are dreaming and you can direct your dream. I do Zen meditation and Yoga and maybe these things caused my dreams. Your email address will not be published. Hey there! My name is Merilin, I'm a year old lucid dream enthusiast and researcher. Here you can find tips, step-by-step guides, reviews, ideas for experiments, and more!

When you're asleep, some parts of the conscious brain are activated while other parts are shut down. For instance, we have access to long term memories but not so much short term memories. The language centers are also usually shut off which is why it's much harder to read in a dream. What's more, our perception of time is altered, so that if you're having a vivid dream with a huge sprawling plot sequence, it can feel like you have dreamt for years. However I must stress that it's not perceived as real-time; it's merely an illusion of time.

Consider it like watching a movie that spans years, but the movie only lasted two hours. You can take on a lot of information and understand the greater passage of time without actually travelling through it second-for-second. This time distortion can be triggered by dream herbs like Calea Zacatechichi. I once dreamed a lifetime in this state.

It was wonderful - and, no, not at all like being "stuck" in some kind of dream limbo. It was a swooping, epic tale. I was not bored for a moment! On the flipside, if you want to make time slow down in a lucid dream, you can create a whole plot that would take a long time to unfold in reality. Recall the fictional layers of dreams in Inception , in which each layer operated at a different speed from the next.

Or the notion of "bullet time" in The Matrix , where you can slow down movement and, by proxy, the passage of time. You can notice how close REM sleep is to the awake state. Also, more REM sleep occurs in the morning when it is the easiest to wake up. With all of this excitement going on in your lucid dream, you cannot expect, especially as a beginner to have a long and exciting dream.

Like a lucid dream beginner, try to observe things such as how does it feel to be in a lucid dream, what is the environment, etc. Just be curious and explore the dream scene, without doing too much crazy things.

This is at least for the beginning. Practicing the skill will allow you to control better your emotions, as well as to have the lucid dream for longer, so you can do anything you want, without waking up immediately. A reality check is an action that will assure whether you are in the waking world or in the dream world.

And remember what was the point of all of these prolonging techniques — to sharpen the alertness of your brain and body inside the dream, TOWARDS the dream! For more ideas for the best reality checks — click here!

If you do it right, almost always, your dream will clasp into a higher focus. However, IF you plan to use only supplements to achieve lucidity, this is also not the greatest option. And what is more, they are the perfect demonstration the extraordinary of lucid dreaming, for beginners. So the bottom line, if you experiment with supplements, be sure to closely observe them, before trying.

The herbs and supplements are a great support to experiment with the other prolonging techniques. Many lucid dreaming experts believe that actions like shaking your head, also spinning around, makes you more grounded IN your dream. So, the moment you feel that you are able to feel your physical body lying on the bed, a fast movement can help you to keep you in the dream.

When you begin to shake your head, go slowly and intentionally, as this will make the movement intended and more efficient. Although it may cause to teleport into another dream, there is still a chance that closing your eyes will wake you up. Furthermore, if you see that when performing the technique with closed eyes results in awakening, simply know that you should perform the technique with your eyes closed.

Since this technique is quite tricky, you may consider to combine it with number 7 in this list demand clarity. Try to slow things down. If you find yourself all excited, remember that this feeling will wake you up faster. Handle your feelings and keep being relaxed at the beginning of your lucid dream. It is that simple! Lucidity Institute members were comparing this prolonging lucid dream technique, too.

So, every time the dream began to fade, the subjects of the study were instructed to continue to do what they were already doing while remaining aware that they are dreaming. Fully concentrate on the action that you were doing for instance if it was walking, just keep walking. If you go with this technique, that is a sort of kinetic technique is better to move gradually. Some people might have more success if they move quick, but it is common that the gradual, conscious move is better, rather than quickly or wildly.

This can naturally put more feeling back into your dream body and assist you to maintain the dream. But just so you know, this option is more tricky, because of the fact that your dream is being shaky. It might be a good option if you feel that the dream is just starting to be a bit blurry and fizzy around. Interacting with the environment will increase your lucidity and is going to make you more aware of your dream environment.

But you can start with the basic examples that are below since they can be done in almost any dream. Talking with dream characters is not only interesting, but it is a great way to ground you more in your dream. If you stand in one place you will feel much easier your physical body that is lying in your bed.

If you are in a forest — explore the trees, the view, the leaves. Touch the things around you. Notice the textures, the colors. Be aware that with falling backward, you are going to have a very vivid physical sensation. Try it only when you feel your lucidity is slipping away too fast and you have only a second to respond.

You should intentionally focus on that before falling backward. So here, you should experiment a bit and see which option is the best for you — closed or open eyes. This sensation may frighten your physical body, which can wake you up. For example, cross your arms over your chest, as you would do if you were falling back in real life. As mentioned, the dream may lose visual detail and begin to take on a cartoon-like or washed-out appearance.

For this reason, in such moments, consider that focus on the senses other than vision may be more useful to stabilize dreams. Focus on really experiencing your dreamscape and being a part of your dream world. Eventually, with experimenting and practice, you will figure out which stabilization techniques work the best for you so you can stay lucid for longer! Lastly, if learning those techniques seems impossible or even absurd, you should change your attitude before using them.

But the truth is that you can truly master any of the techniques, with the needed motivation, consistency and beliefs. The main goal is to learn more about the intriguing skill of lucid dreaming and its benefits! Explore a variety of educational content on lucid dreaming, astral projection, the meaning of dreams, etc. For more information, please check the "About" section.

I enjoyed your article and read your website weekly. However, something always wakes me up.