I read up on the subject of lucid dream induction and found some intimidating terminology. But the practice itself, though time-consuming to learn, is fairly simple. For instance, the term “Dream Recall” just means remembering your dreams. Easily understood. But it can take time to train yourself to do this. Keeping a journal beside your bed is a good place to start. Immediately upon awakening, jot down everything you remember. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t remember much in the beginning. This will get easier over time.

It’s a good idea to stay focused on dream recall until you’re quite proficient at it, before you move on to the next step. There are a number of techniques available. I’ll describe a few of them for you.

Here’s a term that may throw you at first – “Mnemonic induction of lucid dreams operation”, or MILD. Don’t let this tongue-twister put you off though. “Mnemonic” simply refers to a memory or learning aid.

There are many types of mnemonic devices. You can choose something visual to look for, for instance, to signal that you are indeed dreaming. I saw a movie once where the dreamer had chosen a full moon as his mnemonic device. When it appeared, he knew he was sleeping and set about taking control of the situation.

You’ll want to be able to remember the dream after you wake up. Since you’ve been training yourself in dream recall, this will not be difficult to do.

Another technique is the “Wake-back-to-bed device”, or WBTB. Go to sleep and wake up after say five hours (set your alarm if necessary). Think intently about lucid dreaming over the next hour or so, then go back to sleep using a pre-planned mnemonic device. REM (rapid eye movement) sleep increases later at night, and therefore your chance of a lucid dream also increases.

“Wake-initiation of lucid dreams”, or WILD, is one more technique. One good time to try this is during an afternoon nap. There are a number of ways to enter this WILD state, for instance, counting, chanting, counting breath, and muscle relaxation techniques. The trick is to be able to concentrate the mind, yet remain relaxed enough to sleep.

You’ll want to be able to tell whether you are awake or asleep. This means you will need a reality test. Any number of things will do here. The main thing is, pick a cue ahead of time that will have an illogical or nonsensical result, completely different from real life. For instance, you might pinch yourself, and if there’s no pain you are dreaming. If you’re naked, you’re probably dreaming. If you’re walking through one building and it turns into a different one, it’s a dream. If the person you are with turns into an animal, or if you are flying, once again, this is a dream.

The process of lucid dream induction requires patience and takes time to perfect, but if you are persistent, you may find the results quite gratifying.