According to researchers Clarita Bonamino (Australia) and Emma Peters (Switzerland), realizing that you are dreaming is only the first step in lucid dreaming. The ability to change the plot and setting is much more important, as it directly affects the possibilities, for example, of getting rid of nightmares or developing various skills. If you have no control, the practice may be disappointing and, in some cases, even harmful. For example, if you are trying to work through trauma but cannot change the course of events in a dream, your condition can worsen.
Control is not an “all-or-nothing” situation. Even experienced lucid dreamers face difficulties. However, it is necessary to learn to control dreams—for example, to influence your body (appearance, abilities, sensations), the setting (landscape, weather, time of day), characters, objects, physical laws (gravity, the passage of time), etc.
Ideally, dream control happens through the power of thought and intention. If difficulties arise, you can use auxiliary means—for example, you can use a flying carpet if you cannot fly on your own—look for objects and characters instead of creating them, and make events more rational so that they seem logical.
What do you do when you have insufficient control over a dream?
The preprint of the article was published in April 2025 on ResearchGate.
Get all the latest news about lucid dreams via our channels on Telegram, Facebook, Twitter
