Lucid Dreaming Inspiration Media

Hi all,

I found a 2011 post around this topic as I was writing this, so I'll include stuff from there here in the initial list. I figure we may have some updates 12 years later... but the goal is to find dreaming-related media to support MILD. That's how I justify putting this topic in the Attaining Lucidity section :cooler:

Anyway, what are some books/shows/movies that focus lucid dreaming or dreaming-related ideas that you've enjoyed? Why?

Disclaimer: I haven't seen all of these so I attached descriptions where it seemed most fitting based on some quick research.

Total Recall (1990) - memories, alternate realities
Groundhog Day (1991) - alternate realities
Scrooged (1998) - alternate realities
The Matrix (1999) - alternate realities
Sucker Punch (2011) - alternate realities
Outer Wilds (2019) - alternate realities
Dark One (2021) - alternate realities

The Wizard of Oz (1939) - exploration of dream world
Alice in Wonderland (1951) - exploration of dream world
What Dreams May Come (1998) - exploration of dream world
Vanilla Sky (2001) - exploration of dream world
Waking Life (2001) -exploration of dream world
Inception (2010) - exploration of dream world

Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind (2004) - memories
The Good Night (2007) - dream characters, alternate realities
Avatar (2009) - alternate body, mind transfer
Stranger Things (2016) - alternate world, telekinesis

Most of these are not focused on lucid dreaming. They are more non-lucid. (IMO) To be lucid of any kind (WILD MILD DILD) you must be able to have some awareness that this is not real or be fooled by the plot.
To regain lucid or remain lucid is not the same as dream control. I know that most of these dreams have some strange things that you can do but, I don't think they are lucid.

Yeah I was going more for dreaming-related or mind-bendy type media. Like, in What Dreams May Come, he explores a strange world that feels similar to how lucid dreams feel. Basically the sense of wonder. There aren't that many lucid dreaming-specific media that I am aware of but would love to know more.

I recently started re-reading my favorite science fiction/fantasy series, Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny, specifically for lucid-dreaming inspiration.

It's not explicitly dream-related. It's about the royal family from the "real" world Amber (like the waking world), some of whom have the ability to walk through the Shadows cast by Amber (infinitely many different worlds with subtle differences from the original that they can manipulate, adding or subtracting elements, much like in a dream). So, learning more about lucid dreaming and dream control, I immediately thought of this series. I think the idea of gradual addition and subtraction, taking an indirect route to your goal, is interesting. Because trying to do things directly or all at once in dreams doesn't seem to work out!

Zelazny also wrote a novella called The Dream Master about a new branch of therapy based on constructing dreams.

Also, in Robin Hobb's Tawny Man trilogy, Nettle has the ability to create and send dreams to others. However, I still haven't finished those... (I blew through the Liveship Traders and Rain Wilds sub-series but it takes me forever to get through the first-person Fitz books with all the cringing. I love them but it takes a toll.)

EDIT TO ADD: Would The Singing Detective TV series count? Technically it's writing but he's kind of lucid-dreaming his plot mixed up with his childhood memories...

Paprika (anime movie): "Dr. Atsuko Chiba works as a scientist by day and, under the code name "Paprika," is a dream detective at night. Atsuko and her colleagues are working on a device called the DC Mini, which is intended to help psychiatric patients, but in the wrong hands it could destroy people's minds. When a prototype is stolen, Atsuko/Paprika springs into action to recover it before damage is done."

I never finished this movie, but it's definitely about dreams and I heard it influenced Inception.

Munmun by Jesse Andrews (book): "In an alternate reality a lot like our world, every person's physical size is directly proportional to their wealth. The poorest of the poor are the size of rats, and billionaires are the size of skyscrapers. Warner and his sister Prayer are destitute - and tiny."

It doesn't say in the description, but I remember that everyone in this book had shared dreams every night, where everyone was the same size regardless of economic status. The main character is a lucid dreamer, able to keep his clarity of mind amongst a horde of non-lucid dimwits. I read it a few years ago so I don't remember all the details, but I thought it was so cool.

Anamnesis (TV Series): "Hannah has a vision of her boyfriend's death on the same night he's murdered. Sean, bored with his waking life, can't wait to escape into his lucid dreams. And Noah, a struggling composer, begins to lose his grasp on reality. The lives of these three strangers are about to collide in the mysterious world of lucid dreaming."

I discovered this on the forum so it may or may not be well-known here. It's free on YouTube, and though I only watched a couple episodes, it definitely involves dream signs and dream control.

Lucid Dream (manhwa): "Ever had a dream so realistic you couldn't be sure what was real? Raeum has a special power - the power to control his dreams. His power will bring to life an eerie dreamscape that may reveal the key to unlocking the truth behind his past."

Don't know how I forgot this one, it's great. Main character is able to bring things back from the dream world. A short (nine chapters) but fun read.

*Moved to General dream Discussion*

Looks like we have a lot of good recommendations here! Thanks ya'll!

Thanks for this thread. I have yet to check out some of these ��

I've been interested in using Lucid Dreaming to learn foreign languages and explore the origins of languages. So I found this movie in which a woman starts speaking ancient languages in her dream. Her husband is a linguist, whose dream has been discovering the oldest proto-language. As the years pass the wife starts speaking older and older languages in her sleep. Towards the end of the movie they are anticipating to hear her speak the oldest language that all others came from. Can't remember what happens at the end but I was going to recommend it here, except I forgot what the title is. If anyone knows the movie can you please post the title here so anyone interested might watch it. Thank you.

*Topic Marged.*


I'm not sure. We really don't have any evidence that you can use lucid dreaming to explore languages.