How Do You Control Dreams?

Table of Contents (click to expand)

Have you ever wondered how it would feel to control your own dreams? Just imagine the possibilities! You could experience anything you’ve ever wanted! You could be a king living in a castle, the smartest person in the world, or a flying robot that saves the world from total destruction!

However, why do dreams always feel so out of your control? Why is it that once you fall sleep, your willpower basically just fades away?


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How Do Dreams Work?

Dreams are essentially the recreation of an active mind processing information while the body is resting. A person begins dreaming during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phase of sleep. The pons system of your brain stem initiates it, your limbic system adds emotional weight to it, and your pre-frontal cortex puts all of that together in a rational manner.


8. Learn To Stay Lucid

Once you do notice that you’re dreaming, it becomes quite hard to stay asleep. This is because your brain gets excited and you end up waking yourself up. But no worries! There are a few ways to prevent this from happening. For one, the excitement level will die down over time as you continue to lucid dream. Also, if you ever feel yourself waking up, simply look down at your dream floor and force your dream self to start spinning! This technique was discovered by Stephen LaBerge, a psychiatrist who studies lucid dreams. According to him, this familiar motion engages your senses and helps your brain refocus on your dream.

9. Try Supplements

Research has proven that acetylcholine can measurably enhance your dreaming experience. The higher your acetylcholine levels are, the more persistent and broad your REM cycles are. You can increase acetylcholine levels in your body by taking supplements like Alpha Brain from Onnit. In addition to these, there are several other vitamins or drugs that can better your chances at being able to dream lucidly, and are readily available online.

Credit: lyricsai/ Fotolia
Credit: lyricsai/ Fotolia

10. Don’t Lose Hope

Most importantly, keep at it! Once you’ve begun knowing the difference between dreams and reality, you can grow more and more ambitious with your dream intentions. Basic lucid dreaming does not necessarily translate into being able to control your dreams completely. For that to happen, you have to keep practicing!


References (click to expand)
  1. Dream - Wikipedia. Wikipedia
  2. How Dreams Work - Science | HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks
  3. Lucid Dreaming and Self-Realization | Psychology Today. Psychology Today