How to control your sleep (4 photos). How to learn to control sleep: dream awareness

It happens that after waking up we cannot remember if we had dreams. Fully lucid dreams are quite rare. The ability to maintain consciousness during sleep and change the course of its course is far from given to many. However, it allows you to get rid of nightmares and draw inspiration even at night. There are a few simple rules that will help you learn how to control dreams and even change their script.

1. After waking up, do not jump out of bed, but lie down for a few minutes and try to remember what you dreamed about. To do this, you can start a diary in which you will write down all your dreams. It is important that you try to remember each of the elements of the dream and put them on paper.

2. Make it a rule to sometimes think during the day, but are you sleeping? Try to convince yourself that the reality around you is nothing but another dream, and then cheer up sharply, you can even pinch yourself. You will be surprised, but as a result, even at night you will get the feeling that you are quite consciously seeing dreams and dreams.

3. Before going to bed, convince yourself that at night you do not forget to look at your palms. This simple yet powerful method produces amazing results.

4. Try to stop. Down with the chaotic thoughts that are constantly spinning in your head! This will become a useful skill if you want to learn how to see the OS.

5. Visualization of various geometric shapes before falling asleep is another method for controlling dreams. In the morning, after waking up, keep your attention on the most important aspects of sleep. Physical activity also gives good results. If the body falls asleep faster than the brain, it will be easier for you to control everything that happens in a dream.

Deirdre Barrett, professor of sleep control techniques at Harvard University, shares her observations. He identifies the so-called fast eye movement phase (or REM), and argues that this is practically the only time when brain activity is the same as when we are awake. It is during this period that rhythmic flashes occur in the cerebral cortex, which are transformed into dreams. When asked how to control dreams, the professor argues that this can only be learned through everyday memory training. Before falling asleep, you need to give yourself the installation that we want to look at ourselves from the side, like in a movie. And that we are the directors of this film, and we can change any scenery and characters. So you can easily get rid of nightmares - to realize that sleep is a partially controlled process.

However, not all so simple. Some psychologists believe that those people who know how to control dreams cause irreparable harm to their health. In their opinion, they interfere with a good sleep, because when using such techniques, the brain works at the peak of activity. It can be said that a person is trying to interfere with a natural process that has been formed over millions of years. But still, being able to wake up and get away from an unpleasant dream or nightmare by an effort of will is a useful skill, and with constant training it will not be difficult to master it.

On average, a person spends about 25-30% of his life in sleep. That is, if you live 80 years, you will sleep for about 24 years. Just think - 24 years old!!! It is simply unforgivable to waste this time in vain. Therefore, everything related to sleep still causes so much controversy, and research on this topic never stops.

Accordingly, a huge number of myths have gathered around this area. Do we really need to sleep at least 8 hours a night and can we control our dreams? The first is not necessarily and not in the way we are used to. Second, we can. Do you want to know how?

Before understanding whether we are able to control our dreams, let's briefly go through the main myths about the sleep process itself.

Myths and other folklore about dreams

Myth #1. A person needs 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. It is believed that a person should sleep at least 7-8 hours a day - this is exactly how much our brain and body need to recuperate and prepare for a new full-fledged working day. But ... Hundreds of historical records made before the 17th century indicate that earlier people had a slightly different sleep rhythm. It consisted of two sessions and was torn apart by several hours of being awake at night. Many experts in the field of sleep study believe that this rhythm is more natural for humans. I think that many of us have woken up more than once, full of energy and ready to work in the middle of the night after literally a few hours of sleep. This has happened to me more than once.

The only thing I can advise, based on personal experience: do not try to fall asleep in this state, because you will not succeed anyway. You will only exhaust yourself and those around you with your anxiety. The best thing you can do is go and do some... work or read. The most interesting thing is that it is at this time that the most interesting ideas come to mind. After a few hours of such activity, you will want to sleep again and wake up in the morning in your standard state, as if these night vigils never happened.

Myth #2. During sleep, the brain is at rest. Since serious research began on sleep and the states of brain activity during this period, scientists have proven that during sleep the brain does not turn off completely and continues to work. But many still believe that during sleep, their brain is completely turned off, as if the switch is moved from the “On” position. to the "Off" position. During sleep, our brain is in four phases, which replace each other every 90 minutes. Each phase of sleep consists of three phases of restful sleep, which is also known as "non-REM sleep" or "traditional sleep", which together makes up about 80% of the total time of a 90-minute cycle, and REM, which is characterized by rapid movement. eye. It is during this phase that we dream.

Myth #3. Teenagers are just lazy and like to sleep in longer. Most teenagers sleep late and even after waking up they are in no hurry to get out of bed. They can lie there all morning without showing any signs of life. Many parents swear and think that they are just too lazy to get up. In fact, the biological clock of adolescents works a little differently than that of adults.

Studies have shown that more of the hormone melatonin is released in the human body until about 20 years of age (there is a peak at 20), so teenagers experience increased daytime sleepiness if they are forced to adhere to a standard 8-hour sleep schedule. And if you add here the almost complete absence of serious social obligations, except for passing exams and cleaning their room, it turns out that their sleep is much calmer and healthier than the sleep of adults.

Myth number 4. Dreams are filled with symbolism. And here we can say hello to grandfather Freud, who believed that dreams (especially nightmares) are filled with symbolism and are "the royal road to the unconscious." They are a mirror reflection of our lives and their detailed analysis can reveal all our subconscious fears, problems and secret desires.

In fact, the truth is that no one yet fully knows how true this theory is. One of the most influential neurobiological theories says that dreams are sporadic neural activity in the brainstem and random activation of memories that are stored in our minds. According to the same theory, dreams are the result of processes in the higher layers of our brain that try to translate this random activity into at least some consistent subjective experience.

Recently, a survey was conducted among 15 people with paralysis of the lower body. In their dreams, they quite often see themselves again on their feet, but at the same time they see such dreams much less often than those who are able to move on their own. If Freud's theory were 100% correct, then people with paralysis would have such dreams much more often, since this is their only cherished dream - to walk again.

Inception or control over dreams

In the film "Inception", director Chris Nolan used the idea that dreams can be controlled and "seeded" certain thoughts into a person's mind with the help of controlled dreams. Actually, it's not that much of a fantasy, because the idea of the movie was based on scientific research that proves that lucid dreams are very real.

Lucid dreaming is an often pleasurable state of partially awake consciousness that simultaneously sees dreams and can control them. This state most often occurs towards the end of sleep, somewhere between awakening and daydreaming.

If you have never had a lucid dream experience before, there are a few tricks that can help you achieve this amazing state.

In Control Your Dreams, psychologist Tom Stafford and Katherine Bardsley, a lucid dreamer, advise you to start practicing mindfulness when you are awake but not yet fully awake. While this may sound rather strange, but when you learn to notice to yourself that you are already awake, that is, to be aware of this state, you will learn to be aware that you are currently in a dream.

A sudden blackout is a good test to determine if you are fully awake or still asleep. Because if you are still sleeping, the light level hasn't changed in your dream. The option of pinching yourself is not very suitable, because you can do it both in reality and in a dream. If you realize that you are still dreaming, try not to worry, otherwise you will quickly wake up. You need to calm down and remember this state. And each time you catch yourself realizing that you are still in a dream, you will be one step closer to becoming fully in control of the events that occur in the dream.

I had a lucid dream experience. And not just once. And this is a very interesting, exciting state. When you realize that all this is a dream, but you still have not woken up, it becomes very curious and fun. Because when you really realize this, you are able to influence the events that take place and what used to scare the hell out of you before now looks stupid. By the way, this is a great way to deal with your fears, both far-fetched and quite real. It seems to me that it is in this state that we get the most interesting ideas, solutions to problems and insights (Bingo!), because we can remember them clearly enough so that we will not forget when we finally wake up.

Sleep, a state well known to everyone, necessary for the physical body and mind to rest and regenerate. Sleep can be defined as follows.

Sleep is a naturally recurring state of mind and body that is characterized by an altered state of consciousness, reduced sensory activity, inhibition of almost all voluntary muscle activity, and reduced interaction with the environment.

Everyone has dreams, whether they remember them or not. A person begins to dream in infancy and continues to dream until death. On average, a person spends a third of his life in sleep, which is from 25 to 30 years.

Every night we find ourselves in an unknown world of dreams. At the same time, in a dream, we can be ourselves or someone completely different. We can see in a dream both familiar places and people, and places and people that we have never seen in the waking state.

And there is hardly a person who, at least once in his life, did not have fantastic or fabulous dreams that he could not come up with in a waking state of consciousness.

Despite the fact that for the last 150 years psychologists, doctors and neuroscientists have been actively trying to unravel the phenomenon of sleep, this state, familiar to every person, is still fraught with many mysteries.

At the same time, the secrets and possibilities that a dream carries have been known since very ancient times. There are many stories in the Bible and other sacred books in which miraculous or prophetic dreams had a great influence on the development of history.

An expression, a prophetic dream, is present in every culture. In ancient times, people capable of interpreting dreams were at every royal or imperial court and were revered on a par with sages.

In the Western tradition, dream work is more related to psychology and is based on the interpretation of the plot and meaning of dreams. In this relatively modern tradition, the nature of sleep itself is rarely explored. At the same time, it is the nature and character of dreams that have a decisive influence on the plot, symbols and meaning of sleep.

At the same time, in Eastern culture and in the traditions of many indigenous tribes of America, shamanic traditions, dreams were used as a very powerful tool for gaining knowledge, personal and spiritual development.

Oriental and Native American traditions have given modern culture knowledge of lucid or controlled dreams. One of the most famous techniques for conscious work with dreams is Tibetan dream yoga and lucid dreaming. and denie in the tradition of the Yaqui Indians. The latter gained its popularity thanks to the books of the famous anthropologist Carlos Castaneda.

In the Western world, one of the pioneers of the practice of lucid dreaming and non-body travel are Stephen LaBerge and Robert Monroe. We want to talk about the above methods in more detail in our article.

But before proceeding to their description, I would like to dwell in more detail on why you need to pay such attention to sleep at all. For some people, a completely logical question may arise, if sleep is, first of all, rest for the mind and body, then what is the point in continuing to do something in a dream?

Isn't it better to just make sure that sleep is just healthy and sound? Of course, healthy sleep in itself is a great benefit for the human body. But giving 25 years of your life just to unconscious sleep is like keeping all your savings in a bank buried in the yard.

In this way, of course, you will keep your wealth, but you will not be able to increase it. In a sense, this is a talent buried in the ground.

And the truth is that lucid dreaming can not only be used to gain and more effectively use knowledge and skills, but also contribute to better rest and even healing of the body.

And this is due, first of all, to the fact that during sleep the connection of the mind (soul) with the body weakens. Therefore, while the body is sleeping, the soul can safely travel around the worlds, receive the information it needs, communicate with ancestors, angels, teachers and bring this knowledge into everyday life.

Thus, a person can not only use the time allotted for sleep more efficiently, but also free up waking time for those activities for which there was not enough time before.

According to the teachings of Carlos Castaneda, not all people are equally inclined to have lucid dreams. In the total number of people, he singled out the so-called "dreamers", people who from birth have a tendency to see lucid dreams.

In Tibetan dream yoga, people with average and higher abilities to realize themselves in a dream also stand out. However, each person can develop this ability, it just may take more time and effort.

Conscious dream

What is a lucid dream and how is it different from normal sleep? The answer to this question is in the title itself. If we try to give a definition, then it can sound like this: a lucid dream is a dream in which the dreamer (the dreamer) is aware that he is dreaming and is able to consciously participate in the events occurring in the dream.

Perhaps some of our readers immediately remembered one or more dreams from their lives in which they realized that they were sleeping and dreaming. Spontaneous lucid dreams are not uncommon.

Before understanding whether we are able to control our dreams, let's briefly go through the main myths about the sleep process itself.

Myths and other folklore about dreams

Inception or control over dreams

If you have never had a lucid dream experience before, there are a few tricks that can help you achieve this amazing state.

The one that was so close to reality that you wanted to pinch yourself to make sure you were awake? Many people experience exciting sensations after lucid dreaming.

Lucid dreaming is a skill with which you can sleep, be aware that you are dreaming and manage what happens in a dream.

In addition, lucid dreams help fight nightmares, help with problem solving, cope with anxiety and stress, can boost self-confidence, and promote creativity.

While this opens up many possibilities, this skill requires a lot of patience and practice. Here are some tips to help you become the master of your dreams.

REM sleep

When we sleep, we go through different stages of sleep, which are related to the frequency of brain waves.

Lucid dreams occur during REM sleep. During REM sleep, our eyes make quick movements, which are related to where we look in a dream.

REM sleep takes up about 20-25 percent of all sleep and occurs approximately 90 minutes after falling asleep. During a standard 8-hour sleep, REM sleep occurs 3 to 5 times.

An EEG shows the active parts of the brain during wakefulness, lucid dreaming, and deep sleep.

Studies have shown that people who are capable of lucid dreaming share some similar personality traits, namely creativity, belief in personal responsibility and problem-solving orientation. However, everyone can learn to control their dreams with practice and some advice.

The practice of lucid dreaming

1. Remember your dreams

For many beginners, this is one of the most difficult tasks. The ability to remember your dream will help you become aware of the content of your dreams and identify recurring themes.

2. Keep a diary of your dreams

Before you go to bed, have a pen and notebook ready and put them next to your bed. As soon as you wake up, try to remember what you dreamed about.

3. Write down immediately what your dream was about.

Try to remember as many details as possible. What happened in the dream? How did you feel? Where did it happen? Was it a color dream? Do you remember any sounds?

4. Recognize signs of sleep

After you have started keeping a sleep diary for 2-3 weeks, start to analyze and identify events that keep repeating. It can be some character, object or place.

5. Reality check

A reality check allows you to determine if you are actually dreaming when you encounter a dream symptom. This makes it easier to enter a lucid dream.

- Number check

Look at the clock with a dial, turn away and look again. If you are asleep, then it is more difficult for your brain to do this sequence. If the second time after you look at your watch the time is significantly different, you are asleep.

- superpowers

Try flying, walking through a wall, or breathing with your mouth and nose closed. If you succeed, you are in a dream.

- Change in appearance

Look in the mirror and see if you look different. Look at the hands, whether all the fingers are in place, or some are missing, or, on the contrary, there are more of them.

During the day, repeat to yourself the question: "Am I in a dream?" and do a reality check. Over time, you will be able to perform these checks while you sleep.

Stephen LaBerge: Entering Lucid Dreaming

Stephen LaBerge, founder of the Lucid Dreaming Institute, studied in detail a technique of lucid dreaming he called mnemonic entry into a lucid dream. It consists of 4 main steps.

1. Set an alarm to wake you up 4.5, 6 or 7.5 hours after falling asleep.

2. When the alarm wakes you up, try to remember your dream in as much detail as possible.

3. Then, back in bed, imagine that you are in the same dream, repeat to yourself: "I am aware that I am dreaming."

4. Repeat this until you fall asleep.

Using this technique, you will soon be able to have a lucid dream.

Discoveries made in a dream

German chemist Friedrich Kekule, who discovered the structure of benzene, in a dream he saw snakes biting their tail, forming circles. When he woke up, he realized that unlike other organic compounds, benzene has a ring structure.

Inventor of the sewing machine Elias Howe did not know how to position the eye of a needle in a sewing machine. The idea came to him in a dream, where he saw how he was surrounded by savages with spears, which had a hole on the tip.

English writer Mary Shelley Outside came the idea of a Frankenstein story.

The melody of the song "Yesterday" came Paul McCartney in a dream.

- Larry Page- one of the founders of the Google system said that in 1996 he had a dream about how he downloaded the entire network into a computer.

According to one version, Dmitry Mendeleev, tired of working on the table of the periodic table of chemical elements, fell asleep and saw her in a dream.