How to Have Desired Dreams

Dreams significantly impact our waking lives. They serve as reflections of our hopes and fears while offering insights into our pasts. Whether striving for lucid dreams, where we control our sleep visions or simply wishing for more pleasant experiences, certain practices can help improve our dream quality.

1. Controlling Your Dreams

Step 1: Small Controls

Once you know you are dreaming, maintain calmness. If excitement takes over, you risk waking up. Focus on minor alterations in your dream environment. This can include moving through the dream space or slightly changing objects.

Step 2: Increase Your Control

Once comfortable with small changes, aim for more significant maneuvers. Test out flying or summoning figures from your past. Record your dream experiences when you wake. Note changes in your lucidity and evaluate what's preventing actions like flying.

Step 3: Remind Yourself

Periodically remind yourself you are in a dream. This awareness enhances your ability to control dream events. By consistently affirming that you are dreaming, your sense of control will strengthen.

Step 4: Practice Flying

Engage in flying. Begin this process mentally by telling yourself, "I'm about to fly." Start with gentle jumps, building comfort as you soar. Maintain belief in your capability; self-doubt can restrict your experience.

Step 5: Summon Objects

To summon an object, envision a fitting environment, like a bakery. Visualize the desired item appearing as you cultivate a realistic setting for it.

Step 6: Change Your Scene

Once aware you're dreaming, work on altering your surroundings. This might include envisioning yourself opening a door to a dream world and gradually assembling preferred visuals from your memory.

Step 7: Time Travel

Some dreams allow for time travel. Imagining a personal time machine or a unique door can suddenly immerse you in different periods. Approach this casually and stay focused on the desired timeline.

2. Having More Pleasant Dreams

Step 1: Relaxing Bedtime Routine

Beverages like herbal tea or engaging books can create a soothing transition into sleep. Avoid stressful media that may lead to nightmares. Properly relax your mind well in advance of sleep onset.

Step 2: Sleep Earlier

In a study, late bedtimes correlated with unpleasant dreams. Going to bed earlier by at least one hour may lead to enhanced dream positivity due to cortisol release during later REM stages.

Step 3: Diet Control

Certain foods or drinks, especially those consumed close to bedtime, can contribute to nightmares. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and foods high in sugar for better quality sleep. Eating a balanced meal two to three hours before sleep may help.

Step 4: Mitigating Stress

Stress and anxiety often lead to turbulent dreams. Focus instead on positive thoughts as you drift off. Consider practices like regular exercise to alleviate stress.

Step 5: Incorporate Scent

Using gentle aromas, like roses, may enhance dream quality. Studies suggest aromatic fragrances influence emotions positively. Implement rose oils or candles for calming effects, but ensure safety.

3. Preparing for Lucid Dreaming During the Day

Step 1: Ensure Sufficient Sleep

Adequate sleep improves the chance of entering REM cycles necessary for vivid dreaming. Strive for a regular sleep schedule lasting seven to nine hours a night.

Step 2: Take Note of Dreams

A significant aspect of accessing lucid dreams lies in remembering them. Before falling asleep, express your intention to recall your dreams clearly. Follow these strategies for better dream retention:

• Avoid jumping out of bed instantly. Instead, focus on your dreams. 
• Keep a dream journal positioned by your bed for efficient detailed recording.

Step 3: Reality Checks

Engage in reality checks throughout the day and during dreams to differentiate realities. Employ simple tests such as reading time on a clock. Noticing discrepancies indicates that you are dreaming.

Step 4: Identify Dream Signs

Keep track of recurring dream motifs. This familiarity aids recognition while dreaming, increasing awareness and control.

Step 5: Video Games

Playing video games potentially enhances awareness skills related to lucid dreaming. Avoid violent titles before sleep to prevent night terrors.

Step 6: Eat Melatonin-rich Foods

Incorporate foods known for melatonin content. Options such as cherries, oats, almonds, and flax seeds can enrich your sleep and the vibrancy of dreams.

Step 7: Daily Dream Questions

Make "Am I dreaming?" a common consideration in your daily routine. Regularly pondering this increases your ability to assess similar questions during dreams.

4. Preparing for Lucid Dreaming Before Bed

 Step 1: Meditate Pre-sleep

Meditation before bed clears the mind of distracting thoughts. Focusing entirely on falling asleep helps cultivate a dream-friendly state.

 Step 2: Visualize Dreamscapes

Reflect on desired dream scenarios. Imagine the setting invoked, encompassing vivid feelings while repeating "I'm in a dream."

 Step 3: Dream Signs at Bedside

Place symbols or images representing desired dreams near your sleeping area. They mentally prime you for dreaming about specified themes.

Step 4: Mindset Building

As bedtime approaches, consciously alongside short repeated affirmations like "Tonight I recognize I’m dreaming" reinforces your lucidity intentions.

 Step 5: Sleep in Darkness

Maximize your dream experiences by resting in the absence of light. This aligns with melatonin production and boosts dream recall.

Step 6: Try MILD Technique

Implementing Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD) involves affirming intentions of acknowledging dreams during sleep. Repeat visualizing this action before drifting off.

 Step 7: Alter Nightmares

Consider visualizing alternate storylines to nightmares. Throughout the day, formulate victorious conclusions where you triumph over fear-inducing visions. Focus on these reimaginings peri-fall asleep.

Earlier, SSP wrote about 6 spiritual meanings of a lion.