Lucid dreams are a rich source of musical creativity. Whether you play a musical instrument - or simply enjoying listening to music - you can produce complex melodies within your dreams.
I began to play the piano when I was six years old. I learned everything the traditional way; memorizing chords and scales until they became ingrained. I practiced every day, learning each new song by the book: parrot style.
When I was ten, I gave it all up. It was too much like a chore. Learning one tedious "beginner" song after another gave me little creative enjoyment - and, worse, it limited my capacity for creating my own melodies.
I didn't realize it at the time, but I had not even scratched the surface of my musical creativity. I barely touched my piano for the next ten years.
Playing The Piano in Lucid Dreams
One day, I heard a piano solo on the TV that completely blew me away. The sound of the classical piano playing was completely natural and easy - and I wondered why I never progressed to that level.
I started to play the piano again - but this time, I taught myself. I paid no attention to formal grading and only learned the pieces I wanted to play. I quickly re-discovered my passion for the piano that I had felt all those years ago. It wasn't long before I integrated music in lucid dreams.
In my guided dream, I sat myself down at a huge grand piano in a packed music hall... and just played. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I could play any classical piece I wanted!
In lucid dreams, my conscious brain and the dream piano became one. I didn't worry about hitting the right notes, I just put my fingers on the keys and played. And I never made any mistakes - just pure musical creativity!
Now, when I find a new piece I want to learn, I listen to it several times and allow it to run through my head while I fall asleep. I also place a lucid dream intention to find a grand piano - and play. Take this simple but beautiful piano song, called Comptine d'un Autre Ete by Yann Tiersen:
I learned this piece much quicker because I had ingrained it in my subconscious while I slept. I often find this is the case since I began experimenting with music in lucid dreams.
Perhaps more importantly, I can compose increasingly complex melodies of my own. And I believe at least part of this is down to accessing deeper musical creativity through my subconscious mind.
Creating Music in Lucid Dreams
Even if you don't play a musical instrument, I still believe you can experience wild musical creativity inside your lucid dreams.
Have you ever stopped to listen to music in a dream - lucid or otherwise? Did you ever wonder where that sound was coming from?
It is all a creation of your mind. You may be playing it back as a memory or you may be creating totally original sounds. But it demonstrates the potential is there for you to consciously create intricate musical patterns, while simultaneously allowing input from your subconscious mind.
So don't hold back. Give your innate musical ear a chance to work on its own. Allow yourself a little creative freedom. Set your subconscious mind to the challenge... and find immediate results in your next lucid dream.
Here is one more piano solo to inspire you; another favorite of mine. This one took me longer to learn and is understandably a lot more satisfying to play. It is a very famous piece called The Heart Asks Pleasure First by Michael Nyman. (It is actually the theme song to the dreamlike movie The Piano, starring Holly Hunter and Sam Neill, set in 19th century New Zealand.)
This beautiful song is one of many that motivate me to learn more complex melodies - and thereby strengthen my own ability to create original music.
I hope this inspires greater musical creativity in your lucid dreams. As you explore new instruments and sounds, it may even give you a new musical passion - and maybe even play the piano - in real life!
I began to play the piano when I was six years old. I learned everything the traditional way; memorizing chords and scales until they became ingrained. I practiced every day, learning each new song by the book: parrot style.
