Welcome to our FAQ article about lucid dreams. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to read our introduction about the subject: Lucid dreams: what they are, and why they are awesome. Otherwise, here are the answers to some questions you may have about lucid dreams.

Is lucid dreaming dangerous? Can I get stuck inside a dream?#

No, you can’t get stuck in a lucid dream. You will always wake up at some point, often sooner that you want, trust us. You can’t mistake dreams with reality either. Remember, the basis of lucid dreaming is knowing that you are in a dream, so why would you mistake it with reality?

Is it healthy? Does being lucid effect my sleep? Do I get the rest that I need?#

As we explain in our introduction article, lucid dreams can have many benefits on health and well-being. Regarding your sleep, lucid dreams are not so different from regular dreams. Being “awake” in a dream doesn’t impair the quality of your sleep; rather, it can help you escape nightmares and thus have a better sleep!^[1] Just remember that during the learning process, some techniques require to wake up during the night. Those are to be used sparingly; they will obviously be detrimental to your sleep if you use them too much.

Has lucid dreaming been scientifically proven?#

Yes. Since the 20th century, a lot of experiments have been conducted, analyzing the brain of dreaming patients, and these have shown clear evidence of lucid dreams.^[2] Lucid dreaming is not new; however, it has been practiced by contemplatives for thousands of years.

How “lucid” am I going to be?#

As we explain in our article “How to have a lucid dream?“, there is a broad spectrum of lucidity, from simple awareness of the dream to greater degrees of vividness and control. Your first lucid dreams will probably be quite short and not so vivid; but with practice, they will get longer and clearer, and you’ll get better at controlling them.

How long does it take to learn lucid dream?#

It depends on which and how many techniques you use. If you use reality checks only, for example, it might take around twenty days or more to see some results.^[3] If you combine more techniques, it may take less. Some people combining many techniques managed to have lucid dreams after a week only. Whatever path you choose, keep in mind that there is a high degree of randomness, so stay motivated and never give up; you’ll manage to have a lucid dream eventually.

What’s the better technique to lucid dream?#

There exist many techniques to have lucid dreams and some studies suggested that combining many of them is the best option.^[4] At Oniri, we are actively working on optimizing the current techniques, trying to find the best one for you, and developing new techniques.

How do I know if I’m dreaming or not?#

There is a specific technique for that: Reality checks. You can learn more in the Oniri app, which explains the technique and give you tools to perform it.

Once I learn how to lucid dream, can I lose this skill?#

Like many other skills, the more you train, the better you’ll be at having lucid dreams. Of course, if you don’t practice it for a while, it may take you some time to get it back. But you won’t start from zero again; it’s like riding a bike after a long time.

Is it possible to have lucid nightmares?#

It is in some cases. But often, being lucid leads to being in control of the dream, in which case you can escape from the nightmare if you want to. It’s not a bad idea to confront your nightmares, though; it may be a good healing process or a way to address some mental health issues.