This post and the photos within it may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a commission at no extra charge to you.
The experience of a lucid dream grants you with endless possibilities.
You can discover and explore your unconscious mind, communicate with different people and characters, and find solutions and answers to various life problems.
Nevertheless, there are certain lucid dreaming myths that may be confusing or even preventing you from trying it out.
In this article, we will discuss the 14 most common myths about lucid dreaming in detail.
Myth 1: One can dream all night long
90 minutes after we fall asleep, we have our REM sleep, where our first dream appears. It usually lasts around 10 minutes.
As the night goes by, the dreams get longer and longer. In the early morning, our dreams can be between 20-45 minutes.
According to experts, we dream for about 90 minutes each night.
When it comes to lucid dreams, some people can have the every night, and others only experience such dreams occasionally.
Usually, you can have an increase in the duration of your lucid dreams by physically exhausting your body.
When you feel more tired than usual, you will sleep deeper and longer. The deeper you sleep, the higher is the change to have a lucid dream.
Myth 2: You can share lucid dreams with others
If you believe this, then maybe you have watched too much of Inception. There is no doubt that it is an incredible movie. However, this theory is nothing more than a fancy myth.
If people start sharing their dreams with others, then it can cause nothing more than complete chaos. The phenomenon of sharing vivid dreams can be a revolutionary technological advancement.
However, researchers haven’t been able to create anything to date.
Myth 3: You can get stuck in your dreams
Getting suck in your lucid dream is yet another fancy myth popularized by the movie Inception. In the film, all characters are injected with powerful substances to enter the mystical world of lucid dreams.
Even though you might FEEL that you are in your dream for a very long time, just remember that you’ve been there probably for only about 20 minutes or so.
Plus, most people complain that they cannot have a lucid dream for too long, and rarely someone will experience feelings of being stuck inside the dream world.
Additionally, there are ways in which you can wake up on demand.
Myth 4: Lucid dreaming is not real
Although a lot of people don’t experience lucid dreams, many people have such dreams regularly, without even trying.
Furthermore, Dr. Keith Hearne did the first scientifically proven tests in 1975. Dr. Hearne conducted an experiment where he observed people in their lucid dreams through Electro-oscillograph.
Learn more about the science behind lucid dreams here.
Myth 5: You need to be a spiritual person to have lucid dreams
Indeed, people who practice meditation and deep breathing can easily connect with their subconscious mind. Nevertheless, this process can be extremely intuitive.
Lucid dreaming is not restricted to a particular group or class of people, and you do not have to be spiritual to have lucid dreams. A lot of people have conscious dreams without even trying.
Even children are known to be more imaginative, and they tend to have lucid dreams at night without using any techniques.
If you are not a natural lucid dreamer, you can use a single technique or experiment with a combination of multiple lucid dream techniques.
Through these methods, you can improve your observational awareness and learn how to explore your subconscious.
You can check and experiment with some of the following lucid techniques:
Myth 6: You can ALWAYS control your dreams
Although you can control your thoughts and actions to some extent, you won’t be able to control every time 100% of the dream.
It requires a lot of practice and years of experience. You can unquestionably imagine different characters and environments in your lucid dreams, but won’t be able to control them fully.
In some cases, you will be like a viewer, and it will be similar to when you watch a movie, without having control over the plot.
Additionally, getting at the level to control your dreams regularly, requires time and consistency.
As I mentioned many times, lucid dreaming is a skill, that can be hard to learn for some. But that doesn’t have to demotivate you to become better at it!
Myth 7: It is only a religious practice
The history and origin of lucid dreams date back to 1000 BCE. The concept of lucid dreaming exists in the holy Hindu writings known as the Upanishads.
Greek philosophers also discussed lucid dreaming through in their writings.
People have lucid dreams for a lot of different reasons. From researchers to writers and artists, anyone can have lucid dreams.
Myth 8: You cannot derive meaningful insights from your lucid dreams
Lucid dreams can be very beneficial, and you can indeed obtain meaningful insights about your life.
Lucid dreams can help you to discover and resolve personal or professional life problems, remove fears or phobias, overcome nightmares, and a bunch of other amazing benefits.
Related post: 13 Odd But Amazing Lucid Dream Uses
Myth 9: Lucid dreaming can be mentally exhausting
Natural lucid dreamers, also called “Perma lucid dreamers,” sometimes report that since they lucid dream every night, they can’t dream normally.
They are not able to simply not remember their dreams, and “turn off” their lucid dreams. That makes them feel overwhelmed and perhaps mentally exhausted.
However, if you are not a natural lucid dreamer, you shouldn’t worry about that. While it is possible to feel mentally exhausted by a lucid dream, the chances are meager.
Myth 10: It can have negative effects on your mental health
A study done by Liat Aviram and Dr. Nirit Soffer-Dudek found that even though people can sometimes do damage to their proactive diving experience, lucid dreams are commonly not having a negative effect on mental health.
In general, many lucid dreamers feel that lucid dreaming affects their mental health positively.
Myth 11: Sleep paralysis is vital for lucid dreaming
Sleep paralysis is vital for our sleep, but not lucid dreaming.
While we sleep, our muscles are “asleep,” too. It’s a state called atonia.
It is essential for our sleep since it prevents our body from physically reacting during the night. Sleep paralysis happens when you wake up, but your muscles are still asleep.
There are some lucid dream techniques, that can cause sleep paralysis, but there are plenty, which won’t cause it. Furthermore, sleep paralysis isn’t essential for experiencing a lucid dream.
Related post: How To Lucid Dream Without Sleep Paralysis
Myth 12: You can heal various diseases and illnesses through lucid dreams
Although people can address mental problems in a lucid dream, they cannot cure any chronic diseases.
Some people may feel they can heal themselves through with the help of lucid dreaming. However, one can only address his emotional issues in a lucid dream and not fully fix severe diseases.
Myth 13: Astral projection and lucid dreaming are the same things
Astral projection and lucid dreaming are two separate concepts.
In astral projection, your astral body can leave your physical body and explore different worlds and dimensions. You have to engage and concentrate your mind on leaving the body. The point comes just before the physical body falls asleep. Finally, astral projection is a concept that has not been scientifically proven.
On the other side, lucid dreams are scientifically proven, and they are dreams, in which you know that you are dreaming. Your consciousness remains within your physical body. By practicing, you can change, create your dreams the way you want, and do things you desire.
Myth 14: Lucid dreaming can harm your body
Some people are not familiar with the concept of lucid dreaming, and they never experienced a lucid dream. Because of that, they may consider such dreams to be harmful to the human body.
However, lucid dreaming cannot harm your mind or body in any way. When we are experiencing lucid dreams during sleep, we are only altering the condition of our brain and its consciousness.
BONUS Myth 15: Lucid dreams are always scary
At times, lucid dreaming can be a scary experience and nothing less than having vivid nightmares. However, it all depends on your thoughts and your mental state at the time you are lucid dreaming.
Some dreams can be very vivid and scary for some. However, after experiencing lucid dreaming several times, you will learn how to enjoy them, and in case they are spooky – how to turn them into something pleasurable.
Furthermore, lucid dreams can be even used to overcome bad dreams and nightmares, especially recurring ones, that can affect your quality of sleep and life in general.
Conclusion
Lucid dreaming can have various practical uses in real life.
Expert in the field of lucid dreaming often explains lucid dreaming as a therapeutic skill, that most people can learn.
So, you don’t have any special skills in order to start learning this skill!
People of all ages, all over the world, with different beliefs, even with and even with conditions such as narcolepsy or ADHD (ADHD online test), experience lucid dreaming.
While there might be some downsides to conscious dreaming, there are plenty of benefits, too.
These myths are some of the most common reasons why some people don’t want to learn lucid dreaming and are afraid to try it out.
Hopefully, this article clarified some misconceptions and will motivate you to explore the lucid dream world.
how to dream every time you sleep,
and why I feel like I’m just dreaming not living in reality.