Lucid Dreaming

The definition of a Lucid Dream is becoming consciously aware that your mind is in the dream state. It's rarity is a testament to the nature of our fleeting subconscious, and often times the Lucid Dream state is indicative of the subject waking up.

Techniques for Inducing

While several research methods have been successfully implemented, an interesting first read would be this page authored by Stephen Laberge.

For those that rarely remember their dreams, it may be more challenging as the lack of memory indicates a deeper subconscious dreaming state. Following is a brief list of several dream awareness methods:

• The most effective way to induce lucid dreaming is by training yourself to be consciously aware of your dreamstate based on external stimuli. Specific auditory samples have been generated to help induce lucid dreaming. Visit The Unexplainable Store and review the available brain wave initiating sounds. If your personal funds are limited, you may try your own programmed sounds, find some ambient and program it to go off at specific times during the night.
• From personal experiences simply drinking some water before going to bed is an easy way to begin. Also during the night when normal awakening occurs drink again. This will increase the probability of conscious awareness in a dream state (although they won't always be good dreams as your body is trying to wake you up to go to the bathroom). Unfortunately as you become more conscious you pull further away from the dream state so there's a fine balance to maintain the dream, while being conscious and going back deeper into the dream state isn't always possible (or desirable if you have go to the bathroom :D )
• Taking a nap during the day, or sleeping at different time (going to bed really late can help when you have time to wake up late the next morning)
• Setting several soft alarms throughout an evening can set the stage for consciosness to be intermixed with dreaming. Dreaming often occurs in regular intervals throughout the sleep cycle, identifying these times could be useful.
• Before drifting off into slumber, focus on recognizing any dream states. Self training can aid in bringing conscious awareness of the dream state

Lucid Dreaming represents a range of consciousness between being fully awake and fully asleep. This transition may happen very rapidly during natural sleep cycles. Because our memories of dreams quickly fade, it can prove challenging to develop a practical Lucid Dreaming method. There are a number of texts on the subject available in addition to the readily available web information.