Lucid Dreaming

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Recommended: Basic outline for the topic of lucid dreaming

Dreams are a largely unexplainable phenomena that occur during sleep. They can be fascinating or terrifying, clear or faint. It is known that everyone dreams during the night (Kau), and that one may be capable of having as many as four to six dreams in a single night (Schneider, and Domhoff); however, many people have no recollection of these dreams ever even happening. Some people, on the other hand, are able to not only remember them, but be aware of them as they transpire. A dream within which the dreamer is conscious throughout at least part of the dream is called a lucid dream. Lucid dreaming can be an exhilarating experience, though it can be very difficult to master.

Dreams have played an important role in culture and religion (Schulze). For example, the Old Testament has many references to dreams and visions in it. One of the most prominent is the story of Jacob’s Ladder in Genesis 28:10-19. On his way from Beersheba to Haran, Jacob had a dream about a ladder that extended from the Earth to Heaven. Christianity is not the only place where dreams have been mentioned in history. In ancient Egypt, dreams were thought of as supernatural. To them, dreams were a message from God. In ancient Greece, dreams were thought to be divine. Individuals would often go to a specific place when they were ill until they had a dream about good health. Many Greek philosophers were also the first to reason that dreams originated from one’s own mind. It was not until the French scientist Alfred Maury began his research, however, that the modern views on dreaming and dream interpretation began. Maury deduced that dreams were a result of external stimuli. When part of his bed fell on his neck, he awoke from a dream where he had been taken to th...

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incredible-famous-dreams/>.

Kau, C.. Explore your dream world. N.p., 2011. Web. 7 Dec 2011. library.thinkquest.org/C005545/>. LaBerge, A., and L. Levithon. "Lucid Dreaming FAQ. Version 2.3." The Lucidity

Institute Inc. N.p., 16 Jan 2003. Web. 8 Dec 2011. .

Schneider, A., and G. W. Domhoff. "Dreams FAQ." The Quantitative Study of Dreams.

University of Southern California, 2011. Web. 8 Dec 2011. www2.ucsc.edu/dreams/>. Schulze, Brandan. "Dreams and Dreaming." Oracle ThinkQuest. ThinkQuest, 31 Jul

1997. Web. 8 Dec 2011. .

Vandekeere, M.. "Lucid Dreaming Tips-How to Lucid Dream." Lucid dreaming the six

basic steps. Marc Vandekeere, 2009. Web. 7 Dec 2011. .

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