Healing and Hypnotherapy Volume - 4, issue 9 1 March 2020 | Page 31

mind of genuinely expecting a lucid dream to happen soon.  This technique is
especially effective with people susceptible to hypnosis.
Tip:   Don’t try too hard to Autosuggest yourself. Too much effort can be
counter-productive, as suggested by many lucid dream researchers.
2. MILD Technique
MILD stands for the Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams. Created by Ph.D.
researcher Stephen LaBerge, this technique can be used with the above
technique for an increased likelihood of lucid dreams.
The technique relies on the principle that if we can manage to remember to
do things in waking life (i.e. hitting “targets”), so too can we while sleeping.
How can we remember to do something in a dream that will help us become
lucid?   Mnemonic associations are the answer as they help sharpen our
memory. Here’s a summarized version of what to do:
Memory Training
• Look for a target (i.e. a specific occurrence of something) during the
day such as a dog barking, a phone ringing or a bird singing. Every time
one of these ‘targets’ occurs (i.e., a dog barking), ask the question  “Am
I dreaming?”   Justify the answer and really examine whether you’re
awake or not.
• Use a specially designated dream journal to record how targets you
“hit” during the day (by asking the question “am I dreaming?”)
• Other examples of daily targets might be: The next time I see a flower,
The next time I feel pain, The next time I see a blue car, The next time I
use the toilet, etc.
The target can be anything your mind can conceive. Once you’ve done this
activity for one week,  you’re then ready to take your memory training into the
dream world.
Next, before sleeping:
• Resolve to wake and recall your dreams
• Upon waking, recall your dreams in as much detail as possible.
• When going back to sleep, single-mindedly concentrate on telling
yourself: “Next time I’m dreaming, I want to remember I’m dreaming.”
Block out any other thoughts. Focus solely on this desire.