I just watched a Joe Scott video on lucid dreaming, and it left me completely intrigued. I felt this urge to put my thoughts into words, partly to share something from my own experience that resonated with the topic. Now, I’m not saying I’ve experienced lucid dreaming, but the whole concept definitely got me thinking.
In the video, I learnt something—apparently, dreams help your mind process information you’ve recently read or thought about before falling asleep. (Mental note: pick up Why We Sleep by Dr. Matthew Walker!)
For anyone unfamiliar, lucid dreaming is the experience of being aware you’re dreaming while you’re still asleep. It’s a fascinating phenomenon because, during a lucid dream, the dreamer can often exert control over the dream’s narrative or environment. According to research, about 50% of adults have had at least one lucid dream in their lifetime, but regular lucid dreamers are much rarer, estimated to be around 20-30% of the population. Some studies suggest that lucid dreaming could be used for problem-solving, creativity, and even overcoming nightmares. It’s believed to occur during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep when brain activity is high, and most vivid dreams happen.
Joe Scott even shared some tips on how to give it a try, but I’m probably not up for it—it sounds like quite the mental workout. Techniques like “reality checks” (constantly questioning whether you’re dreaming) and “wake back to bed” (waking up after a few hours and then going back to sleep while focusing on lucid dreaming) are popular methods. But it’s not all as simple as it seems—scientific studies have shown that achieving consistent lucidity in dreams requires practice and often a lot of mental effort. That said, it reminded me of a strange, vivid dream I had that came close to what he was describing.
In the dream, I was going over the events of the next day, the kind of overthinking I sometimes do before something important. Everything that could possibly go wrong did—one of those classic stress dreams. But then, out of nowhere, I noticed I was wearing shoes I hadn’t actually planned to wear the next day, and it clicked: this was a dream. That realization instantly jolted me awake. It was such a strange feeling, realizing I was dreaming, a mix of irritation and relief, and it left me fascinated. It was almost like my mind was in a brief state of clarity, which, in a way, mirrors the mental state of lucid dreamers when they gain control over their dreams.
Interestingly, lucid dreaming is not just about being aware that you’re dreaming—it’s about the potential to control the dream. Some people can fly, change the scenery, or even meet dream figures who can communicate with them. The idea that our minds are capable of such complex and engaging experiences while we’re asleep is incredibly fascinating to me.
So, yeah, if you’re into interesting mind-bending topics, I highly recommend Joe Scott’s videos. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll dive into an “out of body” story that I experienced—but that’s a tale for another time.
