Did you know that dreams can be made more vivid, more intense and very detailed? You can even program ordinary or lucid dreams yourself to the desired plot! How to do it? For example, using visual image visualization . The technique is not easy to master, but when used correctly the results are amazing!
By the way, this works with all senses, not just vision: sound (the sound of a song in your head), aroma (what the sauce smells like), taste (tomato soup) or touch (touching Velcro). However, in order not to be scattered, we will first describe specifically the programming of dreams using the visualization of visual images, and then move on to other channels of perception.
Visualization
For some people, visualization is not difficult, so the exercises may seem too simple or obvious. But for others, visualization is more difficult. Therefore, we will tell you how to train it.
Training visualization
Close your eyes and visually remember what the front door of your home looks like. What did you get? Did a door appear in your mind's eye with all the details, in color, appropriate shape and size? Does it disappear when you stop thinking about it? Perhaps the picture turned out perfect, perhaps you didn’t even have to close your eyes.
The brighter and stronger the memory, the better. If you managed to “see” the door in all its details, in movement (how it closes or opens), with accompanying sounds (creaking, clapping) - that’s just great!
It is not enough to think of a specific object as a concept. If, remembering the front door, a person only thinks of it as something that really exists, knows what it looks like, sometimes in the smallest detail, but there is no picture in front of his mind’s eye - this is absolutely wrong .
Practice remembering various familiar objects. You can pick up an object, examine it in detail, and then remember what you saw. Anything will do.
The longer you work with the visualization, the clearer it becomes. And the more vivid the images that you can recall in your memory, the more control you can have over your dreams.
REALITY OVERFLOW
Maria, 35 years old, producer Maria believes that her life is filled to capacity with work and many other external events. It seems to her that she lives too superficially and, without seeing dreams, does not have the opportunity to disconnect from reality and look inside herself.
After my request to observe whether she really wasn’t dreaming, Maria realized that dreams are an exact continuation of the events of the day. That is, the density and dynamics of real life events are so intense that they even cover the unconscious part of the psyche. I invite Mary to look at the content of the dream not as an exact copy of reality, but as something resembling reality. For example, characters, events, and rhythm may be similar. Perhaps the unconscious part of the psyche simply uses in dreams images that are introduced into it from consciousness. But all dream images can be interpreted symbolically. This means that any situation seen in a dream can have significantly more meaning for a person.
For example, when Maria sees herself firing an employee, this may refer to her past experience of getting rid of something unnecessary in herself. Or an event in which all participants are present may symbolize Mary’s unconscious need to “get together,” to unite the disparate parts of her soul. And a dispute at work may turn out to be, for example, a conflict between the active and passive principles of her personality.
If your dreams completely repeat reality: keep in mind that the content of the dream is only similar to reality, try to interpret the events and images of the dream symbolically, putting forward hypotheses regarding their possible meanings for your past, future and regarding your inner mental life.
Programming sleep: three steps
Step one – visualization of the desired image
Let's say you want to see a tiger in your dream. Visualize the image of this wild cat in the same way you visualized the front door. You can use a photograph of a tiger, take a good look at it, and then restore the appearance of the tiger in your memory in all details.
An image should appear in your head, in color, with all the details. In this case, you visually reproduce a picture of the selected object in your mind.
Visualize the desired image well before you go to bed. The better you remember it and reproduce it in your mind while you are awake, the easier it will be in the second step, and this is the key one.
It is believed that approximately 2% of people are not able to create visual images in their heads at all. This condition even has a medical name - aphantasia. These people also dream and are capable of lucid dreaming, but they will not be able to program the content of dreams using the method described here. If you fall into these percentages, try developing your visualization ability through drawing.
Step two - hypnagogia
Every time you relax and close your eyes , your brain uses a similar combination of conditions to go to sleep - especially if you are very tired. But usually a person does not fall asleep right away. First, a borderline state occurs. This normally happens to everyone. Pictures appear before your mind's eye, sometimes bright changing images or twisted luminous spirals. Other sensations may also occur, including sounds and the illusion of movement. Some people feel as if their body is rapidly moving in some direction or as if soaring. It's a bit like a dream, but it's not a dream yet! This is hypnagogia!
Hypnagogia is a normal physiological state that precedes falling asleep and is characterized by the conscious perception of images and other phantom sensations from the subconscious.
A person in such a state can evaluate these images, and most importantly, with the proper ability to manage them.
Using hypnagogia to program sleep
Once you are in bed, take a comfortable sleeping position. Visualize the image/picture that you prepared in advance in the first step. In our case, it is a tiger. This requires concentration on the image and complete relaxation ! Please note: concentrating does not mean straining. These are completely different things! Meditation will help you learn to concentrate while relaxing.
If you keep your attention in a hypnagogic state on the visualization of a tiger, without falling into a regular sleep and without completely waking up, balancing between sleep and reality , you will notice how the picture transforms. For example, the face of a tiger turns into a fluid fluorescent image.
When you pay attention to some details, say on the symmetrical patterns around a tiger's nose, you will literally see contours outlined by fluorescence.
By playing with the image, allowing it to change on its own, you can notice how it moves, rotates, new details appear, the picture becomes three-dimensional and full.
In a state of hypnagogia, flat pictures turn into complete and moving images. This may be due to the brain's natural tendency to perceive pictures in three-dimensional space. Eventually, if you simply remain conscious long enough for the body to fall asleep, the images will come into order and form the desired scene in the phantom dream space.
If you have difficulty finding a state of hypnagogia or maintaining your attention on a chosen image, try meditation. Carefully re-read the article about dream programming from the very beginning; important information may have been missed. Do not rush - strong excitement can prevent you from achieving the desired result. Programming sleep using visualization does not require extra effort; it will most likely get in the way. This requires a good understanding of the processes taking place and practice. Practice – if you don’t give up, success is guaranteed.
Step three - programming lucid dreams
The next stage will require a little practice.
So, what did we get in two stages? At the first stage, you put into your consciousness and subconscious a picture of what you want to see in a dream. On the second, once you are in hypnagogia, you visualize a “prepared” image in front of your mind’s eye and hold your attention on it until a dream space with the desired object is formed in your consciousness.
To an outside observer, if someone was looking at you from the outside, you close your eyes and fall asleep.
However, you don't just fall asleep. You differ from an ordinary person in that you consciously form the inner world of dreams, colorful, bright, in high resolution. What's next? And then you usually lose awareness of what is happening and completely fall into a created dream, which then develops according to internal logic.
Is it possible to program lucid dreams in a similar way? Of course yes! Consider the time and state of your body when programming your dream. If you use the visualization technique in the evening, most likely you will end up with an ordinary, unconscious dream.
When is the best time to lucid dream?
- Every time you wake up at night. Without completely waking up, try to use the technique of visualizing an image prepared in advance; perhaps you will not just fall into a normal sleep, but maintain awareness of what is happening. Then use the technique of deepening and holding, trying not to destroy the formed plot.
- Early in the morning, when the brain has already rested, but still wants to sleep. To do this, you can set an alarm for a specific time. When you wake up to your alarm, immediately go to the toilet, drink some water, and then go back to bed and use the visualization method.
- During the day, when you experience drowsiness , there is an excellent chance to enter hypnagogia relatively easily and then with a high probability of ending up in lucid dreaming.
You can turn an ordinary dream into a lucid one using the “ Am I dreaming?” ”, when a person periodically asks himself this question, the technique of “ looking at the palms ” in a dream and the like. It is enough to realize in a dream that you are dreaming - and the dream already becomes lucid; then you can use techniques of deepening and retention.
How to learn to dream: tips
- The most important thing is proper rest. In order not to interrupt the sleep cycle, our body needs at least 6 hours. And even better - all 7-8. Also remember to go to bed at the same time every night! Then the body will fully rest.
Always think about pleasant things before going to bed and avoid emotional stress!
Important: And learn to wake up in the fast phase. Then you will learn to remember your dreams. To do this, you need to periodically practice getting up at different times of the night. And don’t forget to drink more water, which is necessary for normal functioning of the brain and the whole body. After all, its deficiency affects the quality of rest itself.
Basically, there are no bad or good aspects to dreamlessness. Most often, this is simply an opportunity for our body to fully rest, so as not to overload our brain with information at night. But sometimes it’s worth paying attention to this signal in order to change something in your life!
Using multiple channels of perception in visualization
Above we described dream programming using visualization only of visual images. Perhaps most people rely on their eyes to perceive the outside world, but in addition to vision, we also have hearing, touch, etc. Moreover, some people are more comfortable interacting with information received from their ears - they are also called auditory learners.
The maximum effect from the described technique can be obtained when the process involves not only visual images, but also sounds, touch, a sense of direction of movement, and others.
When visualization training was described, it was mentioned that if the visual recall of the front door is accompanied by sounds, and the door itself appears in the mind’s eye not only in color, but also in movement (closes, opens) - this is better. By analogy with visualization, mental reproduction of sounds can be called auditoryization.
Let's practice a little. Imagine a river. Use not only visual images, but also sounds. A river stream is a very good example because it constantly sounds. When your brain retrieves a memory of a rushing river for visualization, it should automatically accompany the memory with the corresponding sound of flowing water.
Then you can go even further and introduce more feelings.
Imagine walking to the shore (movement) and putting your hand into the stream (touch). Do you feel cold (temperature)? Can you feel the water flowing through your fingers (pressure)?
There are no rules about what feelings you will add when you visualize. Experiment, see which sensations manifest themselves most vividly and are easiest for you.
Entering the sleepy state is a three-step cycle
Stage No. 1. Focus on the eyes
- turn off the lights in the room and close your eyes;
- focus on the darkness that envelops your eyelids;
- relax as much as possible, try not to move your eyeballs;
- Don't count down time to yourself.
Some people at this stage begin to see abstract shapes, flashes, colors, while others see nothing.
Both cases are normal developments. Stage No. 2. Focus on the sounds
- turn your attention to the sounds you hear;
- focus on the sound of your breathing, the pulsation of your blood, sounds in the house or on the street; this stage is largely similar to entering meditation - you should hear noises around you, but try not to pay much attention to them;
- If you don’t hear any sounds, don’t try to hear anything, then just concentrate on the silence and go with the flow of your thoughts.
Falling asleep may be accompanied by flashes and sounds
Stage No. 3. Focus on the sensations
- Passively, without making the slightest movement, focus on how your body feels;
- Try to concentrate on any sensations that may overtake you. It could be:
- the warmth of the blanket, the air temperature in the room; - the weight of the blanket, the softness of the pillow; - feeling your chest rise and fall when you breathe, etc.
Practice. Multisensory Visualization Exercises
Final exercises that cover everything described above. They are designed to help you master dream programming using visualization. Determine the dominant feelings in your particular case, and also learn to use a complex of perception channels in multisensory visualization to create vivid dreams.
Read the rest of the article, then retreat to a dark room or put on a sleep mask. Take a few deep breaths and relax. Give yourself about an hour of time without any distractions. (It's worth it!)
For the technique to work, you need darkness. No light should reach your eyes - so a sleep mask would be ideal.
Lie down, take a comfortable position, close your eyes (if it’s not dark enough, put on a sleep mask) and relax. Imagine a circle in the center of your field of vision. Do this exercise easily and simply. Let your imagination guide you. The circle doesn't have to be in color, it can be hollow like a ring or filled like a disk, whatever happens - let it appear naturally before your eyes. You may not see anything at first, so just give your imagination some time.
What happens to the circle? Some describe that when they relax their eyes, the circle fluoresces slightly. If you just watch it, it can start to spin, creating 3D in your mind.
Even if the circle remains motionless, that’s also good. Watch him. Just look at it with your mind's eye without tension. The eyes are relaxed, the muscles of the face and head are also relaxed. This should not happen through force. Practice. Do not hurry. Play with the image of a circle in your imagination.
When you see a circle with fluorescence, you are already visualizing in a state of hypnagogia, and this is the target state for sleep programming. Now mentally turn the circle into a square. This should be easy. Then into a triangle. How about a star? You will find that whatever form you "order" in your mind appears immediately.
Mentally “request” the cross. Horizontal lines. Vertical lines. As you invent more complex shapes, such as spider webs and snowflakes, you will relax deeper into hypnagogia and visualize more easily.
That was great?! You can say the word "circle" in your mind and a circle will literally appear in hypnagogia. This is a clear demonstration of how the imagination can create images of your thoughts. The same principle applies during lucid dreaming.
Creating a dream space in hypnagogia
Start by “warming up” and visualizing simple shapes to achieve hypnagogia and maintain awareness: circle, square, triangle, web, snowflake. When the colors acquire brightness or fluorescence, and the images begin to appear as if on their own at your request (hypnagogia will be achieved), you can move on to landscapes. Now we will create space around us. This is an extremely exciting activity. For example, let's choose a tropical beach.
Visualization of space
Start with the horizon and general broad strokes, as if you were painting a painting from scratch. Then fill in the details: clouds, sun, palm trees, white sand and so on. Mentally identify colors even if they don't actually appear. Sometimes it helps if you actually move your eyes (like during REM sleep) and focus far on the horizon as you visualize it, and then look close at your hands to place your body in the dream space.
Audition
Now listen to the sounds of the ocean as the waves roll onto the shore. What else do you hear? Seabirds? Wind? Laughter? Music? Let the sounds reveal themselves: perhaps the waves roll and crash on the shore at the same time as your breathing, or the calls of birds are heard periodically. Pay close attention to whatever you want to hear, and those sounds will gradually manifest themselves.
Touch (touch)
What does it feel like to stand on the beach? Feel the sand with your feet. It is warm and soft. Feel the fresh breeze on your face.
Smells
...the salty smell of the ocean. Feel the delightful sea air. Think about other smells that remind you of the coast. Seaweed, sunscreen, coconut oil... You may remember a specific smell that you associate with the beach and the sea, for example the smell of watermelon if you ate watermelon on the beach as a child.
Scenario development
Classic oneiroid occurs in patients with schizophrenia, during infections that primarily affect the brain, as well as during postpartum psychosis in women (not to be confused with postpartum depression - this psychosis is considered a rather rare disorder). The process usually develops in seven stages.
It all starts with mood swings - it changes sharply from elated to depressed. Over time, one of the phases begins to predominate - at this moment it is already possible to say what the subsequent delirium will be - inspiring or paranoid. The next stage is a premonition of what is to come. With impending oneiric syndrome, it seems to the patient that intuition predicts something huge, terrible or beautiful, ahead. Then the premonition becomes closer and more tangible, the fabric of reality begins to tremble and it seems that now we will be able to see something hidden behind it. Little by little, the structure of delirium is formed and, first in large strokes, a script is written. It is at this stage that it becomes obvious to a person why dragons are invisible, and Christopher Columbus pretends to be a neighbor from the bottom floor.
At the fourth stage, pseudo-hallucinations finally appear and, according to a previously developed script, they begin to show a “movie”, fantastic and on a truly Hollywood scale: the forces of hell and heaven in the last battle, billions of Daleks fighting against the reasonable and the good - the scale of action in visions is often approximately the same. Over time, immersion in a fantasy world becomes more complete, and the connection with reality becomes more and more fragile. Vision, hearing, tactile sensations, smell and touch are entirely aimed at internal experiences.
Little by little, the structure of delirium is formed and, first in large strokes, a script is written. It is at this stage that it becomes obvious to a person why dragons are invisible, and Christopher Columbus pretends to be a neighbor from the bottom floor.
In the end, the last thread connecting the patient with reality breaks. In this state, patients living an extremely rich inner life are usually immobilized, their gaze unfocused. But sooner or later, “the film ends”—the resources of the brain producing pseudohallucinations come to an end. The picture crumbles into separate fragments of thoughts and images, and the patient can no longer understand who he is, where he is and what is happening. From this state, in an unfavorable situation, the patient may fall into a coma.
Sleeping positions
The positions in which a person falls asleep also play an important role in sleep. Therefore, if you are interested in how to make yourself dream, you need to know good positions for a night's rest. Although there is no ideal one. But they can be arranged in order of decreasing utility.
- The best position is on your back. In this position, all muscles are relaxed. Even the facial muscles, which means that unnecessary facial wrinkles will not appear. Although this position is not suitable for pregnant women, starting from the second trimester, and for older people (since they most often have spinal diseases).
- The side sleeping position is the most comfortable. There is no load on the spine. If you lie on your back, you often snore. If you turn on your side, snoring stops or decreases. It is also comfortable for pregnant women (and this is the only sleeping position when the belly is no longer small). But again there is a load on the internal organs. If you sleep on the left side, there is a load on the heart, on the right, there will be a load on the liver.
- The most harmful position for sleeping is on your stomach. All internal organs suffer here, the muscles are tense, and wrinkles appear earlier. The only plus is the complete absence of snoring.
Also, various devices have now appeared to improve sleeping positions. Moreover, these are not only mattresses, but also special pillows.
You can't eat at night
The most optimal thing is a light dinner three to four hours before bedtime. The stomach must have time to digest all the food before resting at night. Otherwise, it will work at night, although not at full capacity. The body will not rest completely. And the remains of undigested food can cause gastrointestinal diseases. It is not recommended to drink invigorating drinks before bed, or eat chocolate (it also invigorates). Otherwise, sleep disturbance or even insomnia is guaranteed.
Bedding must be properly selected. This is: a mattress that is neither hard nor soft. The ideal option is a medium-hard mattress. You will also need a comfortable, small pillow so that your neck can rest during the night. Bed linen should be pleasant to the body, and pajamas should not hinder night movements.
Time to sleep
Time spent sleeping is also important. There is no consensus yet on how much sleep a person needs. But if we take the arithmetic average, then 7 hours is enough. Desirable time to fall asleep is 22 hours. There is a whole science of what time, what dreams prevail. Based on it, the optimal time for falling asleep and waking up is calculated.
It is much more difficult for the working population to maintain a daily routine for a good night's rest. Since there are shift schedules. It is in such cases that interruptions in sleep occur. But here too you can find a way out. Which one then? What needs to be done to have a dream? You can simply follow the additional rules written above. There is also one exercise that works for falling asleep quickly - lie on your back, close your eyes and roll them back for at least a minute, but no more than three minutes. This method works because this is what the body looks like during deep sleep. Therefore, the brain simply perceives that the body is sleeping. Then you quickly fall asleep.
