We spend a third of our lives asleep, and half of that is spent dreaming. So, the argument goes, lucid dreaming is the way to reclaim those house “lost” to idle dreams. But lucid dreaming scholars would never claim that ordinary dreams are unimportant. Rather, lucid dreams can be seen as opportunities to deepen the work that is already being done in our usual nightly adventures in dreamworld.

lucid dreaming is the art of being aware in the dream state. Even though many assume that lucid dreaming means you can control your dream, this is actually only a wish of beginner lucid dreamers. Instead, the advanced art of lucid dreaming is about learning how to focus attention, intentionality, and modulate the powerful emotions that are often present. In particular, emotions are so volatile that without vigilance the lucid dream can spiral out-of-control into fears and confrontations.

So most of the talk about “dream control” is actually in defense of these strong emotions. Lucid dreaming scholars, such as cognitive psychologists and psychotherapists, recommend that consciousness in the dream is directed towards these emotional calling cards, rather than against. No wonder dream control sounds so tempting! Lucidity is a special ability in dreams, but it can be easily applied to keep us from truth as easy as it can show us new truths. Many cultures use lucid dreaming as a healing practice, and harnessing the emotional substrate of the dream is a key part of the training. To sum it up, focusing on self-control is the best way to learn about the gift of awareness during dreams.