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Lucid Dreaming 101: The Misunderstood MILD Technique

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Lucid dreaming, where you become aware that you are dreaming, has been gaining popularity in recent years.
This phenomenon allows dreamers to have more control over their dreams, sometimes even manipulating their dream environment and events. Lucid dreaming has been the subject of scientific research and has been found to have potential benefits for mental and emotional well-being.

With numerous techniques available, it can be difficult to know where to start.
One of the most well-known techniques is the Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD), MILD stands for Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams, a technique for inducing lucid dreams by establishing an intention to remember that you are dreaming, before you fall asleep, created by Dr. Stephen LaBerge in the 1990s. Despite its popularity, MILD is often misunderstood or misrepresented.
This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to perform MILD, so you can become a master of lucid dreaming.

Steps to Perform MILD:

  1. Before bedtime, tell yourself that you will wake up and recall your dreams throughout the night.
  2. If you do wake up in the night and remember a dream, try to recall as many details as you can. If you are feeling drowsy, do something to wake yourself up.
  3. When you decide to go back to sleep, tell yourself that the next time you dream, you will recognize that you are dreaming. This is not a mantra but rather a simple command to yourself. Try to push away any other thoughts and focus solely on your intention to recognize when you are dreaming in the near future.
  4. While focusing on your intention, imagine the dream you have just recalled. Pick something weird from the dream and reimagine it as if you realized you were dreaming. This will help you set the intention to recognize when you are dreaming in the future.
  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you fall asleep. It's important to remember that MILD is a psychological technique and all you need is your brain to perform it. Dr. LaBerge's book "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming" is a great resource for those who want to learn more about the technique and the world of lucid dreaming.

MILD is a simple and effective way to start practicing lucid dreaming. By following these steps, you'll be on your way to realizing the benefits of having control over your dreams.
Don't be discouraged if it takes a few tries to get the hang of it, as it is a skill that takes time and practice to master.
Thank you for reading so far I wish you a great rest of the day,
Happy dreaming!


Images Sources (and Sorry I forgot to include it prior, Delayed because of flight): The Images were created by the Author using Publicly Available Tools like photopea.com (similar to photoshop but open and online) and Playgroundai.com (or similar tools, not everything is entirely generated, art included may have generated assets in it from that source).