Can Lucid Dreams Happen Spontaneously?
Can you have a lucid dream without trying to have one? Or do you have to try to get one to have one? Because I had sleep paralysis and wasn't sure whether or not I had a lucid dream after, and I didn't know anything about lucid dreams until the next day. And I'm not 100% sure if I had an OBE or not. Is this still a lucid dream?
Rebecca says: Yes, you can have a spontaneous lucid dream. I imagine this was how the concept was first discovered! This is also how children have spontaneous lucid dreams. In fact, some people I know have lucid dreams just by thinking about something specific as they fall asleep. They never realized what they were doing was lucid dreaming.
You can tell if you had a lucid dream if you:
- Knew that you were dreaming, in the dream; or
- Could control your awareness in the dream, or certain dream elements.
Often you can't control EVERYTHING in a lucid dream, this is normal. Your unconscious still plays a role and creates scenery for you. The important thing is; you have self awareness of your body in the dream world.
I can't really say if you had a lucid dream or OBE without more information... In any case it is very difficult to determine the difference until you personally have experienced both!
About the author
Rebecca Turner is a science writer, illustrator, explorer of consciousness - and founder of World of Lucid Dreaming. She is currently studying for a biology degree in Auckland and blogging at her site Science Me.
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