Lucid dreaming is the rare (for most people) type of dream where you’re aware you’re in a dream. Many people have glimpses of this now and then, but some attempt to induce this type of dream more often. It is believed by some that lucid dreams can be the doorway to greater self-awareness and even to other realms of being.

One of the best known researchers on lucid dreaming is Stephen Laberge, who has written popular books on the topic such as Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming. If you’re interested in learning about various experiments that have been done in this field, as well as tips on how to have lucid dreams, this book is a good starting point.

Before you try to become an adept lucid dreamer, however, it’s best to familiarize yourself more with the world of dreams, if it’s not something you’ve given much thought to. A good basic introduction to how dreams are views cross-culturally is Creative Dreaming: Plan And Control Your Dreams to Develop Creativity, Overcome Fears, Solve Problems, and Create a Better Self, by Patricia Garfield. Indigenous people from all over the world have traditionally considered dreams to be as real as everyday life. The Australian Aborigenes, for example, refer to the Dreamtime, which is considered the primary reality from which everyone emerges.

Waking Life, an animated film directed by Richard Linklater is a fascinating exploration of lucid dreaming and many related philosophical concepts. Like all of Linklater’s films (such as Slacker, Before Sunrise and Before Sunset), Waking Life is largely dialogue-focused, yet the psychedelic visuals are also quite interesting.

A more recent documentary film, The Edge of Dreaming, is not about lucid dreams per se, but rather the question of whether dreams can be prophetic. In this film, the creator has to deal with the chilling situation of having dreamed of her own death. She explores this issue from the perspectives of both science and shamanism, and it’s very thought provoking as well as poignant.

The following video provides some insight on how to induce lucid dreams. The creator has a YouTube channel with many videos, so if you’re interested, you may want to check some of these out.