The Science Behind Lucid Dreaming and How to Do It

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Ever had one of those dreams where halfway through outrunning a swarm of bees dressed as accountants, you suddenly realise, “Wait… this is bonkers. I’m dreaming.” And instead of waking up in a sweat, you just carry on—maybe you turn the bees into bubbles, or fly off into the sunset like a low-budget superhero. That, my friend, is lucid dreaming. And it’s not just something that happens by chance. With a little know-how (and some patience), you can actually learn to do it. Science says so.

Lucid dreaming is when you’re aware that you’re dreaming, and sometimes you can control what’s happening in the dream. It’s like directing your own private film, with a special effects budget that defies the laws of physics. And the wildest part? This isn’t some mystical woo-woo. It’s been studied in labs, tracked with brain scans, and debated at scientific conferences. Researchers have even communicated with lucid dreamers while they were mid-dream—yes, you read that right. There’ve been studies where participants answered questions using eye movements, because apparently even in your dreams, you can roll your eyes at science.

The brain in a lucid dream behaves like it’s somewhere between being asleep and awake. The prefrontal cortex—the part of your brain that’s responsible for self-awareness and logic—lights up more than it normally does during standard REM sleep. That’s probably why lucid dreamers can spot the absurdity of being chased by jellyfish on rollerblades and think, “This seems unlikely.” Your dream world becomes part playground, part science experiment.

So how do you do it? Well, like anything worthwhile, it takes a bit of effort. First up, you need to remember your dreams. A dream journal is your new best friend. Keep it by your bed and write down everything you can remember as soon as you wake up—even if it’s just “something about cats and an escalator.” The more attention you pay to your dreams, the more your brain gets the memo that dreams are important.

Next, there are reality checks. These are little habits you build during the day to train your brain to question reality. Things like counting your fingers (in dreams you often have too many or too few), looking at a clock (time does weird things in dreams), or poking your palm to see if your finger goes through it. Sounds odd, but if you make this a regular thing, eventually you’ll do it in a dream—and when your finger glides through your palm like it’s made of jelly, ding ding ding! You’re dreaming.

There’s also a technique called MILD (Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams), which is a fancy way of saying you repeat a phrase before sleeping, like, “Next time I’m dreaming, I’ll remember I’m dreaming.” It’s basically planting a seed in your subconscious. Another popular method is WBTB (Wake Back To Bed), where you wake up after about 5 hours of sleep, stay awake for 20 minutes, then go back to sleep with the intention of lucid dreaming. Bit inconvenient, but surprisingly effective.

The fun bit, of course, is what happens once you’re in the dream. You can do pretty much anything—fly, visit fictional worlds, chat with your subconscious (who may or may not look like your gran), or just eat cake for nine hours straight without any real-life consequences. For some, lucid dreaming becomes a form of therapy—facing fears in a safe space, exploring emotional issues, or simply taking a mental holiday when life gets too loud.

Now, before you start booking extended stays in Dreamland, it’s worth noting that not everyone finds it easy. Some people take weeks, others months, to have a proper lucid dream. And even then, staying in the dream can be tricky. Get too excited, and you’ll probably wake up. Get too bored, and your brain might pull the plug. It’s a delicate balance between control and surrender, which—if we’re honest—isn’t a bad metaphor for life.

There’s also the occasional risk of sleep disruption, especially if you’re messing about with your sleep schedule. So don’t go skipping out on proper rest in the name of dream-world gymnastics. The idea is to enhance sleep, not ruin it.

In South Africa, we don’t talk about dreams as much as we probably should. Sure, we love a good ghost story or ancestral message shared over Rooibos, but lucid dreaming isn’t often part of the conversation. Maybe it should be. Especially in a country where daily life can feel overwhelming, lucid dreaming offers a private escape hatch. A place to breathe, play, and rewrite the rules—even just for a while.

And honestly, in a world where reality often feels a bit wobbly already, having the option to shape your dreams feels like a small but meaningful kind of magic. Whether you use it to conquer nightmares, chase impossible adventures, or just enjoy floating through the clouds for a bit, lucid dreaming reminds us that our minds are capable of more than we give them credit for.

So tonight, before you nod off, maybe whisper to yourself, “Next time I’m dreaming, I’ll know I’m dreaming.” Then count your fingers. Stare at your palm. And who knows? Maybe your next adventure starts somewhere between your pillow and a very confused bee in a business suit.