I had a lucid dream last night. I have them just about every night.

A lucid dream is a dream where you are aware you are dreaming while inside the dream. I’ve had them ever since I was a little kid, and it’s the only weird skill that I really have a natural talent for.

My dreams follow a basic pattern: some authority figure telling me I’m going to get in trouble for doing something, then me discovering it’s a dream and laughing in the authority figure’s face… then usually flying off and having fun. Sometimes I’ll take time to teach my other dream characters how to fly, or how to walk through walls.

There are a lot of ways to have a lucid dream for yourself. I think the reason I have them all the time is because, when my mind wanders, it naturally starts questioning things. Whenever my mind starts to wander in a dream, I start to question my environment, and it turns into a lucid dream.

One technique you might want to try is to start questioning your environment in real life. Ask how something works (”What does the inside of that doorknob look like? How does it do it’s job?”), or why someone designed what you’re experiencing a certain way (”Does each floor in my apartment have the same layout? Did they build these stairs last, after everything else was done?”). Look around and pick out random things that most people would look over. Be aware of the movement of your body. Be aware of the thoughts in your head, and specifically how you react to situations around you.

How we perceive our environment from day to day is extremely important. For example, check out this post about how artists will look at pictures differently than a normal person. Interesting stuff!

If you want more lucid dreams, chances are you’ll have to change something :-). Where we are is a result of what we’ve done… if we want something else, we need to starting doing different things. Happy dreaming!