These are my Top Triggers for Lucid Dreaming

"The Cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek."

~ Joseph Campbell

Time: Digital clocks are unreadable. The numbers will appear jumbled, shaky and even be changing shapes. Since most of us carry a cell phone, take the time to really study the details daily while you are awake. In your dream state really look closely at your phones clock. 

Reading: Reading something in your sleep is impossible. If you look closely you will see that all the letters are jumbled and even words are missing letters. Your brain recognizes words more like symbols. Fine print like newspaper or a book is a clear indicator that you are dreaming. Most of us have seen those "If you can read this" message online. Those are in fact very close to how your sleeping mind works while you think you are reading in a dream. Here are two examples:

1) Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs. It deosn't mttaer in what oredr the ltteers in a word are, the iprmoatnt tihng is tht the frst and lst ltteer be in the rghit pclace. Yu awlys tghuhot slpelling was ipmporantt?

2) 7h15 m3554g3 53rv35 7o Pr0v3 h0w 0ur M1nd5 c4n d0 4m4z1ng 7h1ng5. 1mpr3551v3 7h1ng5! 1n 7h3 B3g1nn1ng 17 wa5 h4rd bu7 y0ur m1nd 1s R34d1ng 17 4u7om471c4lly w17h 0u7 3v3n 7h1nk1ng 4b0u7 17, B3 Pr0ud 0v Y0r531f.

~ Something to be said is that we all can read these things. You are not special or smarter or different than anyone because you can read these. It is simply how the brain works. 

* Also since we are a technology culture and our phones are always on us, try reading a text, try accessing your email, try typing in a password. Have fun!

Light Switches: Flick them on and off over and over and notice the rooms light does not change! Do this now and then while you are awake and take note that on and off does produce an effect. Say to yourself something like, "up is on, or let there be light." When you try this in your dream you'll automatically know that you are dreaming as there will be no change. 

People: 

1)Often times peoples facial features change either slightly or into different people over and over. Look for tiny details in people you know. 

2) Peoples mouths do not match the words or sounds they are making. Like a bad edited film or something. 'Sound' in general can be off/odd in many ways, again pay attention to details.

Phones/technology: Either a home phone or a cell, you'll notice a great trouble trying to dial, reach/contact someone, text, etc. If you are on a call you'll notice oddly that one second the person is talking and then oddly they are gone with no response. This goes for most technology, computers as well. 

The weather/nature: The wind is a big tell for me. I can see the leaves and branches moving but can't actually feel the wind. You may see a bight summer sun and feel no heat. Does water feel wet? Is fire really hot? Things of that nature. 

The body/pain: Focus real hard, extremely hard on pain, do you actually feel it? Nope! I recently had my arm gnawed on by a tiger... no feeling at all once I realized I wasn't actually feeling anything. The same could also be said about pleasure. Pay attention to details and don't simply assume that the situation is what it is. Play with a lighter or a fire. Fire will not equal pain. At 1st you might 'think' there is a pain. Its a tough one as its deeply rooted as a physical response while awake, but if you can take the time to focus you'll see...no pain equals a party on type of attitude. 

~ Do you have any tattoos? Remember the physical pain or even discomfort? If you are planning on getting any tattoos in the future do not try and escape this pain. Embrace it, get to know it. Be in the moment with it and learn about it. This type of feeling of discomfort and pain does not exist while dreaming. 

Mirrors: Mirrors, still pools of water, anything with your reflection honestly. Look closely at yourself in the mirror once a day. Know your face! While dreaming look at the details of your face, say a few words, look at your mouth while speaking, smile. It can be an immediate trigger that 'this is not you'. As soon as you realize it isn't i find its best to act quickly and do something fantastic. I have on more than one occasion stayed to study those dream details of my face and have found it very uncomfortable. There are parts of all of us that can try and make us uncomfortable. Remember, your dream, you're in control. Don't like what you see, ask why, change it, move on. 

I'm sure there are many more 'triggers', but these should be a great help for you to begin Lucid Dreaming. Why Lucid Dream? Because you are the creator of your own reality and at that point and there is so much that is possible. If you can imagine it in detail there is no reason you can't create it in your dreams. Only you limit such things. 

These are things many have found they are able to do without much effort

- Switch Dreams

- Develop deeper creativity

- Invent them as you go along remaining in control

- Travel  

- Solve personal problems

- Super Powers

- Stopping reoccurring nightmares

- The naughty factor

- Manipulate reality 

- Healing the body

- Time travel

- Talk with animals, trees, rocks, etc

- Share dream time/space with others

- Be alert and aware of your dream as well as what is happening around you in while you're sleeping at the same time. 

   The most basic thing anyone needs to do is question waking life, question reality and what makes it any different than the reality you experience while dreaming. Pay attention to details in daily life and start to look for those triggers in your dreams. Stop blindly accepting the reality of this world to be more real somehow than the other reality you experience every night for half of your life. Once you realize you're dreaming, immediately do something to prove to yourself that you are definitely dreaming. Try flying, breathe fire like a dragon, shape shift, jump super high (like over a car or house)  Keep reminding yourself that you're dreaming and have fun with it. Do what ever you want. When you get better at it, it will become easier to do without so much as a quick trigger you've programed the mind to look for and off you go. An important thing to note is many people immediately wake up when they realize they are dreaming. This is why you need to do something right away and keep reminding yourself actively, "this is my dream, I can do what I want." All of this and science still can't fully understand or explain in detail why we sleep. There are some basic ideas but nothing is fully accepted by the scientific community as an agreed answer to the question. Depending on what field of study there will be different answers. Want to have some fun? Get real good at lucid dreaming and spend some time in a deprivation chamber. 

You spend a good deal of your life asleep, why not know about lucid dreaming and have fun with it? You can learn a lot about yourself in the process.