The New York Times is one of the world’s leading media outlets with a history dating back more than a century and a half ago. The newspaper has received more than a hundred Pulitzer Prizes – a prestigious award in the field of journalism, literature, theater, and music. If a story appears in the news feed of such a media giant, it is a sure sign that the topic has transitioned to a new level of public awareness.
And here we are: lucid dreaming has recently been presented in the NYT as a popular topic that literally permeates modern society, especially on social media. Tips on how to get into LD, books, videos, training sessions, and countless life hacks have been surging on Reddit, YouTube, and TikTok. In fact, lucid dreaming has become something akin to a new sport. Bloggers talk about their own experiences and explain how to increase the frequency of awareness in a dream. There have also been stories exploring the theme of lucid dreaming in movies (“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” “Inception”) and scientific research.
People are interested in the practice of lucid dreaming for various reasons. For some it is a mental challenge, some have therapeutic goals, and others view it as just a fun hobby (like playing a video game in your own head).
Theoretically, anyone can get into phase states (by which we mean lucid dreams and out-of-body experiences), and half of the world’s population has experienced this state at least once in their lives. If a person is interested in the topic seriously and has been trained, success will definitely come sooner rather than later.
