Having a lucid dream is one of the most brilliant experiences I've ever had as a human being. Sounds funny, I know, being that I'm talking about a dream, but there's something fantastic about realizing from inside the dream that what you are experiencing all around you, all your senses, the ground you stand on, and the air you are breathing - it's amazing to realize that this is all a construct of the mind.
But perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself here, as this is an introduction right? With that in mind, let's answer 3 questions: What is lucid dreaming? Can I have lucid dreams? And what can I do in a lucid dream?
Hopefully, we've covered the first question already but let's clarify. A good definition here is that a lucid dream is any dream in which you know that you are dreaming while you are dreaming. (Whew, that's a mouthful!) This means that you become consciously aware that you're in a dream, and what you are experiencing is that of a dream.
Can you lucid dreams? Can anyone have lucid dreams? The answer is yes, but I won't lie to you. It's tough. It's not as easy as some 'dream gurus' (AKA people selling products for lucid dreaming) would make you believe. True, things such as dream herb AKA calea zacatechichi can point you in the right direction, but it alone will never take you there, nor will any other dream herb do it for you. Instead, you have to start doing what's called lucid dream induction methods. These are actions which prime your mind to become conscious and ask if you are dreaming. A popular method is called 'reality testing'. This is simply asking yourself continually throughout the day if you are dreaming. However, you don't simply answer "no" without testing it. Try putting your hand through the ground or flying. Can you? If not, you're probably not in a dream. But if you can... well, welcome to the wonderful world of lucid dreaming!
Which brings us to the last question: what can you do inside a lucid dream? I won't give it all away, but the answer is practically as unlimited as the dream world itself. Let me ask it another way: what do you think you couldn't do in a dream?