Is lucid dreaming a learned thing?

I have looked into this phenomenon as I think it is very interesting. I have read that it starts with the intent of being in control of your dreams and as you are falling asleep it is matter of focusing on that intent that you are going to be able to direct your dreams. I tried it for many nights and it didn't work, so I guess that a) I either not able to do it, b) that I don't really want to do it or, c) that I need to practice harder and for longer or d) that I really don't want it enough to put in the effort. If I am honest with myself, then I would say that it is d).._Derek

I read this topic, and I cannot believe what You are saying. There are many techniques that lead to having an LD (acronim for lucid dream). The easiest one and the most effective is being confident in that you will have an LD this night. It actually works, it's called autoaffirmation or autosuggestion. In order to have regular LDs You have to make a habit of thinking "is this real or a dream?" and it MUST be conncted with doubt even if you are sure it's real world. It's good to join this excersice with Reality Tests (RT) that is things or events that will tell You if you are dreaming. There are many of those but you can do only one and it will still work e.g. : -look at your hands (they are often oddly shaped or have unusual number of fingers) -stick up your nose and try to breath trough it (in dreams you actually can!) -try to switch on lights (weird things happen when you do it) -look at the clock two times (the time often changes or is smth like 34:90) The next important thing is remebering Your dreams. It may happen that You won't remember Your LD vividly. That's why You should have you dream journal, where every morning you will write everything you rembember and read it before going to bed. It made me rember fragments of 4 dreams and 2 whole ones, one time! That's it I guess. Good luck!

Let me say to start, I have always been a lucid dreamer and I direct my dreams all the time, and remember them the next day. I am currently writing a book based on a dream and I seem to figure out where, what and how I am going to say the next thing in my book, during my dreams. My dreams have always been very realistic to the point at times I wake up and have to look around to make sure I'm not where I dreamed. Did I learn to be a lucid dreamer? Not that I remember, I've done it so long, it is natural to me. However, my mind never shuts up either, if I don't lucid dream, I don't rest. Pretty crazy, but it is the way it works for me. There are some other weird things about me, but this is definitely one them.