Thread: Teaching Children to Lucid Dream

For the reasons you mentioned, children will typically learn lucid dreaming easier. I read some statistic somewhere that 60% of all children will have at least one spontaneous lucid dream, though I don't know if it's accurate or true.

I'm not a parent, but if I was, I would talk to my child/children about lucid dreaming. Maybe you could approach your sister with just mention/talking a little about lucid dreaming, like mentioning that you have them (assuming that you do). Or you could ask her "have you ever had a dream where you knew you were dreaming?" If she seems open to it, then mention her daughter and lucid dreaming?

Just a suggestion. I'm sure other members will have more input on this.

Thanks, I will be talking over the concept with my sister and I think she will be open to the idea if it's approached carefully.

Does anyone else have input on this topic in general? I'm interested in the idea and quite surprised that there haven't been more replies.

I think about that too, when I was younger I would become lucid a lot. but instead of ever doing anything because I didn't have the knowledge to, I would just wake myself up right when it happened. Now i'm struggling to be able to realize i'm dreaming

If I ever have kids, I will probably talk to them about dreaming. That is to say that I would ask about their dreams, talk about mine, make it a point of conversation, but not much more. I'm sure lucid dreaming would come up, as I have no doubt they would be doing it anyway, but I'd never make it a big deal. I'm sure that just talking about dreams at the breakfast table would be enough to get a kid to start thinking about his dreams, and improving recall and control and whatnot. After that point, if it is something they enjoy they'll probably do it anyway.

The only reason I think it would be a good idea is if the kid suffers from nightmares. Other than that, why would you want to? Do you really want your kid to be the viewed as this creepy kid who goes on about strange sleeping habits to other nine year olds?

Don’t force anything on your kid. You may not see it as forcing them, but it is a child. You are forcing them. They are too young to make choices on their own. They rely on you for that.

It’s not essential to life and really isn’t necessary. I would wait until they get older and talk to them about why I think lucid dreaming is great. When they are older they can make a decision on their own.

You wish someone had told you about lucid dreaming when you were younger. So do I, but the thing is… Your kid is not you. They are their own person. This is more important to teach a kid than lucid dreaming, football, religion, what ever.

I don't want to force my child to do anything, I simply want to give them the opportunity to discover it themselves if they so chose by explaining to them that it's possible. I believe in honesty and openness, regardless of what the other nine out of ten children might be taught or what their beliefs are. Hopefully I can instill enough strength and confidence that he/she will be unafraid to explore the world in a way that is unique and exploratory, regardless of what others think of it. Afterall, if all of us on this forum only listened to what most people think and closed out the rest, we wouldn't be here or be lucid dreaming at all....

How to raise a child is an intensely personal subject, and this is only how I see it. No one can tell anyone else how to do it, or what their values should be when they do.

I have a 7 year old brother (I'm 27). We've been best friends since he could talk, and he's the smartest and coolest person I've ever met. I ask him about his dreams all the time. Its amazing how naturally he can relate his dreams, and how well he remembers them. I talk with him about lucid dreaming whenever I have the chance. He is way more open to the idea than any adult.

The biggest issue for him, is that his dreams are really scarry. Naturally, he doesn't like to think about them. We never really teach our children how to deal with nightmares. Look at how hard it is for experienced dreamers to get a handle on their dreams. Its even harder for a 5 year old who doesn't have a real solid concept of what 'reality' and 'imagination' even mean.

The way he describes it, he's not afraid of a monster hurting him, he's afraid of the monster scaring him. That makes it hard to deal with a scarry experience. You can't just say, "It wasn't real, the monster can't hurt you" because he's not worried about the monster hurting him. The monster already scared him, and that fear was real.

I'm interested in the idea and quite surprised that there haven't been more replies.

Thats called the False consensus effect, assuming that a majority of people share are views. i.e Your interest does not mean it is a universally interesting subject.

Anyhow, I think its a good thing to tell children this, but as to go about asking your sister..It really depends on the degree of skepticism and how you present it according to her personality. Obviously, you wouldn't go on about Shared Dreaming, or Dream Guides, rather the control aspect of the dream. It might be a good idea, to demonstrate to her that we often have impossible "powers" in our dreams, and when she agrees, you might tell her that there is a type of dreaming called Lucid Dreaming and continue. You can say, if you're a student, that you learned about it a psychology class (I know I did), or science class a while back, and have had several since.

Ideally, your sister would agree that it is a cool phenomenon, and then her daughter would come in, and you would then ask the kid, as if you had a marvelous idea, or rather mention that children have them more frequently than adults, and ask the child about their dreams, and if, of course in the presence of your sister, who could object, offer to teach her.

Well, ideally... good luck!

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

The only reason I think it would be a good idea is if the kid suffers from nightmares. Other than that, why would you want to? Do you really want your kid to be the viewed as this creepy kid who goes on about strange sleeping habits to other nine year olds?

Don’t force anything on your kid. You may not see it as forcing them, but it is a child. You are forcing them. They are too young to make choices on their own. They rely on you for that.

It’s not essential to life and really isn’t necessary. I would wait until they get older and talk to them about why I think lucid dreaming is great. When they are older they can make a decision on their own.

You wish someone had told you about lucid dreaming when you were younger. So do I, but the thing is… Your kid is not you. They are their own person. This is more important to teach a kid than lucid dreaming, football, religion, what ever.

i have heard of kids being called fat or four-eyed, but i have never heard a kid being laughed at for sleeping habits.
"Hey, look at the freak who wakes up at 3 in the morning then goes back to sleep so he knows he's dreaming. haha."

also your right you shouldn't force it. but kids are forced into a lot of things. like riding a bike. it is not essential to life but almost everyone learns. and who actually enjoyed learning how to ride a bike? (if you say you did, you are lying and going to hell.) there are painful falls and it's frustrating. but most parents force their kids to learn it anyway.

i think you should show the kid what it can be like and let them decide if they want to pursue it. but then the issue comes up of what age to show them at. i like the idea of talking about dreams reguarly and see if they are interested in it. then, eventually you can talk about lucid dreaming and the fact that they can lucid dream also.

Interesting thread.

I have four children, ages 10,8,7,and 5. I always talk about dreams with them. They are ALWAYS dreaming. Scary dreams, funny dreams, weird dreams, and I "dreamed last night, but I can't remember dreams"...They also hear me talking to my hunsband about lucid dreams I have.

Interesting story I have...
I overheard my 7yr old talking to my 8yr old about a nightmare she had. She said some "weird" man was chasing her and trying to drown her. She then said she stopped him. I then asked her "how?". It caught my attention. She said " I magicked a knife into my hand and stabbed him." She had summoned a knife into her hand. She had told me she remembered me telling my husband how I controlled dreams and made "things happen" so she tried it herself. I was so shocked! I was shocked that she actually listened to what I had said, and used it. Children are such little sponges.

I put them to bed at night and tell them "sweet dreams". My 7yr old, who I really believe is my lucid dreamer, says "I just hope I can control my dreams tonight, like you, mama". It just blows me away. Kids are so smart!

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

t’s not essential to life and really isn’t necessary. I would wait until they get older and talk to them about why I think lucid dreaming is great. When they are older they can make a decision on their own.

BobD, are you are parent?

Sometimes, you don't have to force anything. You just talk about lucid dreaming in front of them, and they get it. Really, they do. No forcing on my part. One day I'm minding my own business, the next day I overhear my child talking about, what seems like, a lucid dream, that's just my experience.

Originally Posted by Jonathan

Thats called the False consensus effect, assuming that a majority of people share are views. i.e Your interest does not mean it is a universally interesting subject.

I hope I didn't come across as if I'm assuming that everyone shares my views, since that's definitely not the case and certainly wouldn't be any fun if it were. I just figured that parenting/childhood are such universal experiences that they affect absolutely everyone, and that most people would be able to relate to the idea in some way. Plus, people tend to have strong opinions on how to raise their children and I thought that it would spark a response- whether the views are the same as mine or not.

....Anyway.... Continue on.

Originally Posted by Misbijoux

Interesting thread.

I have four children, ages 10,8,7,and 5. I always talk about dreams with them. They are ALWAYS dreaming. Scary dreams, funny dreams, weird dreams, and I "dreamed last night, but I can't remember dreams"...They also hear me talking to my hunsband about lucid dreams I have.

Interesting story I have...
I overheard my 7yr old talking to my 8yr old about a nightmare she had. She said some "weird" man was chasing her and trying to drown her. She then said she stopped him. I then asked her "how?". It caught my attention. She said " I magicked a knife into my hand and stabbed him." She had summoned a knife into her hand. She had told me she remembered me telling my husband how I controlled dreams and made "things happen" so she tried it herself. I was so shocked! I was shocked that she actually listened to what I had said, and used it. Children are such little sponges.

I put them to bed at night and tell them "sweet dreams". My 7yr old, who I really believe is my lucid dreamer, says "I just hope I can control my dreams tonight, like you, mama". It just blows me away. Kids are so smart!

Oh, good for your daughter... A little freaky with the knife but that's good dream control!

Originally Posted by Misbijoux

Sometimes, you don't have to force anything. You just talk about lucid dreaming in front of them, and they get it. Really, they do. No forcing on my part. One day I'm minding my own business, the next day I overhear my child talking about, what seems like, a lucid dream, that's just my experience.

Thanks for sharing your stories, your approach really sums up my own views on how to introduce children to lucid dreaming. There's no need to give detailed instructions or try to tell them what to do, just let them know of the possibilities and they explore them on their own. I would be fascinated to see what children would come up with of their own accord.

Also, telling a child about lucid dreaming is, to me, very different than instructing the child on a very specific hobby like riding a bike or playing football. Since the nature of the dream is exploratory and self-created, the experience is fundamentally more flexible and the possibilities are endless as to what is actually done in the dream. It can encompass any type of creativity or imagination that the child possesses, and include any hobbies and experiences they they naturally enjoy. Now of course not all children will take to it, and that should be their choice, but I really can't imagine anything harmful could come from the simple knowledge that lucid dreaming is possible.

Originally Posted by evisionary333

I hope I didn't come across as if I'm assuming that everyone shares my views

You didn't.

I have many friends who would never assume their children could have lucid dreams, let alone have lucid dreams themselves.

Again, it's based upon the individual. I have lucid dreams, therefore, I believe my children can have lucid dreams, and talk about them all the time. You have parents who would never consider lucid dreams as being something that could be possible. Then, you have people like me, who do belive in it, and instill in their children. Just like if you have a Christian who has faith in God and instills it in thier children. Do I make sense?

Originally Posted by Nightlife

daughter... A little freaky with the knife but that's good dream control!

Yeah, I thought it was a bit freaky, since I never let them watch that sort of TV. I wondered where she got the "killing someone with a knife" bit. I guess they learn things outside of the home?

Originally Posted by Misbijoux

Yeah, I thought it was a bit freaky, since I never let them watch that sort of TV. I wondered where she got the "killing someone with a knife" bit. I guess they learn things outside of the home?

I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's a classic stimulus-response to a perceived threat to ones life: kill or be killed. It's fairly obvious which one any living organism would choose. I'm sure even a 7-yr old knows that "pointy end goes into the other person" results in death without having to pick it up from violent television or cartoons. It's just natural development. And it's healthy, so long as they understand it's only OK in self-defense situations

But more on topic: My uncle once tried to teach lucid dreaming (and some weird things like seeing auras) to my brother and I when we were very young, probably around 4 or 5. My mother forbid him to do it again because she "wanted us to grow up normal". While I can respect that as a perfectly valid fear from a parent (they want their kid to not be teased in school, to blend in), I can't abide by it when it comes to my own children (when I have them).

I would rather teach my children that they are the possessors of an incredible gift, available to each and every human being if they just take the time to learn it. Lucid dreaming isn't just random mindless fun while you sleep for 8 hours a day - it can be a life enhancing skill. It can give your kid an edge, a head start on life. Just teach them to be careful about who they talk to about their gifts, because not everyone is as receptive to it as they are.

Bullies will pick on anyone in a school, but they usually go for the people that will take their crap. Lucid dreaming provides an excellent 'training ground' for your children to develop the confidence they need to tell their bullies (and their demons) where to go, ignore them outright, or just agree with everything they say with a shit-eating grin on their faces. If they can't get a rise out of you, they move on.

I just started a blog, inspired by my daughter "Lisa", who is the real dream-warrior. She used to suffer nightmares, but not any longer because of some techniques that I describe.
I don't think a child has to be "totally lucid" in a dream. Just a bit of lucidity, that makes him or her change a nightmare is often enough at a young age.

Children and adults can interpret dreams and change nightmares

I remember having 2 lucid dreams when I was younger.
I think it's a wonderful way to battle nightmares, as someone else was saying, and I bet it would really expand creativity. Kids are awesome. I never wanted to grow up.

However, I think it is a bad idea to try and teach your sister's child without her full consent and suppourt. You are not the parent. She is. Make sure she is 100% okay with it first. =D

Interesting topic. Two ideas.

If you want to tell your sister about lucid dreaming, introduce it for what it really is; don't say "Do you know about lucid Dreaming?", say, "have you ever had one of those dreams where you know you're dreaming?" I've introduced it to a few of my freinds, and the usual response is "yeah, those are AWESOME!"

If you want to introduce it to your neice, then tell her you can fly in your dreams. I know that this would have hooked me when I was kid...

Originally Posted by Luminous

For the reasons you mentioned, children will typically learn lucid dreaming easier. I read some statistic somewhere that 60% of all children will have at least one spontaneous lucid dream, though I don't know if it's accurate or true.

I'm pretty sure it's at least 80% of kids. I haven't done any fancy surveys, but only one of my friends (that I've asked that is) hasn't had "a dream that you know you're dreaming in", and I've asked like 10 or 11.

As to teaching kids, I think thats a great idea. This opinion comes from an experience (my first lucid dream) I had. I had a FA dream when I was about 6 and realized that I wasn't in the real world. I've always been a smart (a.k.a borderline nerdy) kid, so I made the quick connections that not real meant dreaming, and dreaming means not awake. once I realized I was not awake, I thought the dream wouldn't end until it normally did. My subconscious amplified this and I felt like I'd waited for literally days.

In short, I would have loved to at least know lucid dreaming existed, let alone that it was attainable. Just telling a kid it exists can be enough to get them interested in it on their own.

Phantastic thread!!
Really - lovely posts - esp. envisionary herself, Sisyphus and Misbijoux!
This is unexpected - after having had the lucid dreaming in children debate/exchange/gathering knowledge on here lately - I didn't expect by coincidence finding this thread.
It's valuable, I find, and I wish to "necro" it.
I'll direct you to another resource, which links you through to 13 further articles on this very important topic.
There are people writing books on guiding children concerning LD, reports of actual activities and experiences - this is great, I find!!

Just by raising awareness in children - and first of all confirming them in the experience, and to attribute serious value to it from the position of loving care-takers - that should go a looong way.
It would probably be kept up to adulthood much, much more often - or initiated, where it wouldn't have been, if we would succeed on that level.
Thus we could finally reach out further than in our still regrettably small subcultural and lately also scientific niche.
All power to this endeavour I would say!

What you do is look up reddit lucid dreaming and lucid dreams in kids.
Enjoy!
smile.gif

And not only that - do you have children? I don't.
Do you talk with them about LD or teach them it?
Why not, if so?
Do your children lucid dream?

Originally Posted by StephL

It would probably be kept up to adulthood much, much more often - or initiated, where it wouldn't have been, if we would succeed on that level.
Thus we could finally reach out further than in our still regrettably small subcultural and lately also scientific niche.

I agree!
I think that children could do wonderful things if they learned lucid dreams. Though I think that more importantly children should be thought critical thinking and awareness at a young age.
We wouldn't have to force any beliefs if children could use logical reasoning for themselves.

At least I think we should encourage our children to explore their dreams, both to learn and to aid their imagination.

Many of my favorite childhood games originated from dreams (I was lucky to interested in dreams from a young age).

I don't see what's wrong with teaching children how to lucid dream. I work with children myself, and facilitating discussion on dreams is so beneficial towards a child's recall, storytelling, creativity and social skills. As a child-care worker, one of the things we look for in a child's development as to whether he or she is on track or behind is if he or she can retell a story.

Often times I wonder... is this child really telling me the truth, when it comes to their dreams. It does depend on their age and the influence of hearing other kids' dreams and whether they want to fabricate an interesting "dream" as well. But even so, it's great for creativity and story-telling.

At some extent, children have always been taught about lucid dreaming through being told they can change their nightmares into good dreams (I remember learning about it from Blues Clues). Though personally, I remember as a kid wishing I could do that but not understanding how.

For older kids, having them keep dream journals could also benefit their writing skills.

I just had a discussion about dreams with the kids that I work with. The kids were between the ages of five and ten. The ten year old in particular knew what I mean by feeling paralyzed when asleep and not being able to wake up from a dream. The five year old was excited to discuss crazy dreams. He could've been telling real dreams that he's had, but they sounded a little farfetched and based off of the older kids' dreams, but there's still the social skills and creativity being developed regardless. Earlier that day another five year old told me she dreamed we had a tea party at daycare. We had just had one the other week so it was interesting to hear her tell me about her dream. As for talking about lucid dreaming, I'm still learning things for myself. But I did ask the kids if they could ever control their dreams. I don't remember their responses, but I think the ten year old said sometimes she can. Her responses I knew were pretty honest because she would also say no to things she hasn't experienced in her own dream life.