What is Lucid Dreaming?
While those interested in Dream Interpretation may have heard the term Lucid Dreaming, many may not have a clear understanding of what it is. In addition, it is possible that even if you know what it is that you may not know whether it is indeed valid or even if it is real. Simply put, Lucid Dreaming involves being aware that you are dreaming, while you are dreaming and being able to fully use one’s faculties while dreaming. The term “lucid” literally means the ability to think clearly or to clearly understand what is taking place around you. When coupled with the concept of dreaming it basically means to be aware that you are dreaming while you are dreaming and to some extent to have control over the environment that you find yourself in.
In the world of secular dream interpretation, this type of dreaming allows an individual to explore their subconscious and/or to actively participate in a fantasy reality (thus a word of caution here in connection with utilizing the internet to explore the concept of lucid dreaming, as it can lead to some discussions best left undiscovered). Christopher Nolan’s movie Inception helped bring the topic of Lucid Dreaming into a place of popular interest and extend into the mainstream, diminishing its previous focus on morally questionable fantasy.
The question that arises for the student of Spiritual Dream Interpretation is: Is there a spiritual value to Lucid Dreaming? The answer to this question is yes, when properly utilized there are indeed tremendous benefits. It should first be noted that while Lucid Dreaming may allow an individual to control or even change their dreams, this should never be pursued by a dreamer when they are experiencing a dream given by God. Instead, Lucid Dreams are best suited to taking control when they involve demonic dreams or soulish dreams (see some of my other blog posts for explanations on the differences in these 3 types of dreams).
When applied to God given dreams, the primary purpose of Lucid Dreaming is to allow the dreamer to explore more fully the message of the dream, to better understand that message and in many cases to interpret its meaning within the dream itself. In such cases being aware of being in a state of dreaming can be a valuable benefit, however, when an attempt is made to change a dream originating from God, the message itself can become twisted and unclear, while the impact of the dream may be utterly eliminated. On the other hand, when applied to soulish dreams or demonically inspired dreams, attempts to change the dream can become an invaluable resource. Soulish dreams generally embody the dreamers on fears or desires. Lucid Dreaming can be a tremendous asset when it comes to overcoming those fears or dealing with the desires. When it comes to demonically inspired dreams which are often designed to create fear (such as night terrors), Lucid Dreaming can allow the dreamer to actively exercise their spiritual authority within the dream itself and to put an end to the attack that the dreamer finds themselves under.
When it comes to Lucid Dreaming the idea of taking control of the dream can be as simple as making choices or as complex as “re-writing” the dream entirely. In the early stages of recognizing that the dreamer is indeed in a state of dreaming, very simple choices may be all that can be accomplished, however, as the dreamer becomes more fully aware of the dream state, greater influence can be exercised over the dream itself. This is probably a good place to point out that while dreamers should rarely exercise control in a dream given by God, there are indeed times when He does give a dream designed to allow the opportunity for Hebrews 5:14 practice in this area. One of the most common dreams in which God allows the dreamer a choice, is in flying dreams where the dreamer is allowed to choose their direction and destination. This is an example of choice and control that does not change the message being conveyed by God to the dreamer, but does allow the dreamer to experience an understanding of how they can take authority within their dream and thus grow in their understanding of the concept.