9 Best Lucid Dreaming Books

Whether you’re a newcomer to the practice of lucid dreaming or are well versed in the research and information surrounding the topic, this list of the best lucid dreaming books offers something for everyone, from beginner guides to detailed Tibetan Buddhist meditation techniques. To discover your next riveting read, consult these reviews of the best lucid dreaming books ever written.

What Is Lucid Dreaming?

Lucid dreaming occurs when you are having a dream, and you are aware that you are having the dream, but you are still asleep. For the most part, lucid dreaming happens unintentionally, very occasionally. Lucid dreams are more common amongst young people, with adults much less likely to experience lucid dreaming. In a lucid dream, you are conscious, and the dream will feel much more real compared with other dreams, with more intense visuals. You may even find that you can encourage the dream in a certain direction and be able to remember the dream when you wake up.

These dreams will most commonly occur during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which will typically happen during the early hours of the morning, generally after you have been asleep for at least three hours. This phase of sleep happens after a period of deep sleep and is synonymous with vivid dreams. It can range anywhere in length from ten minutes to an hour.

Why Learn How to Lucid Dream?

There has been a lot of in-depth scientific research over the last fifty years regarding lucid dreams and what potential they might hold to unlocking physical and mental health benefits. Many academics at the forefront of this research believe that with consistent training, you can teach yourself to lucid dream and be able to have some level of control over how the dream unfolds. In doing this, you can release your creative potential to become more creative in waking life, gain confidence, heal the past, and prevent nightmares.

Benefits of Lucid Dreaming Books

There are many reasons why you might be interested in learning how to lucid dream or elevating your lucid dream experiences to the next level. These are some of the popular reasons people begin investigating lucid dreaming.

Control Nightmares

Lucid dream therapy is a practice that teaches sufferers of recurrent nightmares to have some control over their dreams. This can dramatically improve the waking life of the person having nightmares, as they can release themselves from the crippling fear of further nightmares and disturbed sleep.

Reduce Anxiety

Having control over your dream life can translate into more confidence in your waking life, as the power you feel from this control spills over and allows you to experience less anxiety.

Unleash Creativity

Studies of lucid dreaming show that participants were able to come up with more insightful and original ideas than those who had not been lucid dreaming. It also revealed that those who lucid dream become more creative problem solvers as opposed to logical problem solvers. This makes lucid dreaming a particularly useful practice for anyone in a creative line of work, such as artists, writers, and designers.

Overcome Fears and Phobias

Lucid dreaming can be used as a therapeutic way to overcome a person’s fears or phobias. By having control over your dreams, you can expose yourself to your fear in your lucid dream, safe in the knowledge that you are not actually in any danger and cannot come to any harm. You also know that you can choose your response to the fear and direct the outcome of the dream. This type of lucid dream therapy helps to eliminate the fear in the same way as gradual exposure therapy, without having to actually put yourself in the scary environment in reality. In doing this, the fear can be explored from a safe vantage point, and once you have control over the fear in your dream, this can translate to how you feel about the fear in your waking life.

Best Lucid Dreaming Books Reviewed:

Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge

This book is touted as one of the best lucid dreaming books of all time and is a must-have for anyone interested in lucid dreaming. It is suitable for newcomers to the topic of lucid dreaming, as well as those well versed in its practices. One of the reasons this book is so engaging is because it presents scientific studies side by side with spiritual traditions and teachings of Tibetan dream yogis.

Much of the book is based on author Stephen LaBerge’s own extensive research conducted at Stanford University, which focuses on the relationship between body and mind during dreams. It offers a practical guide and workbook based on research-evidence, to teach the reader how to lucid dream and improve their ability to control their dreams. The book includes practical and detailed steps for readers to follow without becoming unnecessarily complicated, allowing anyone to embark on the journey of discovery that comes with lucid dreaming.

Readers of this book agree that it is truly enlightening and has changed the way they approach the dream world. Most readers agree that the book offers useful methods for beginners of lucid dreaming, though some note that the practice requires considerable time and effort to truly master. Readers note that the book was able to improve their waking life, resulting in higher levels of confidence and creativity.

Advanced Lucid Dreaming: The Power of Supplements by Thomas Yuschak

This guide to advanced lucid dreaming is suitable for beginners as well as those experienced in lucid dreaming who want to take their abilities to the next level. The book includes scientific information to help readers have a better understanding of the transition which occurs between the waking world and dream world, as well as the neurochemistry involved when entering a dream state. The book also suggests supplements that are recommended for improving lucid dreaming skills. Yuschaks writing style is quite flamboyant, though he manages to convey theories and methods in a logical and easy-to-understand way.

Readers of this book found it overwhelmingly helpful, with information they had previously not found anywhere else. Some readers noted that there were several editing mistakes in the book, though this did not detract from the substance. Most readers recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about lucid dreaming to heighten their understanding and experience of it.

Are You Dreaming?: Exploring Lucid Dreams: A Comprehensive Guide by Daniel Love

This is an in-depth, comprehensive manual on everything you would ever want to know about lucid dreaming. It is written by expert lucid dreamer Daniel Love as a guide to lead you through the history of lucid dreaming, the science of it, and the methods to begin or improve your own lucid dreaming. It is regarded as one of the essential books on lucid dreaming for any dream enthusiast. It is written in a modern and accessible style which might come as a relief to those who struggle with the more colorful language used by hippy lucid dream authors. The book is organized in a methodical way which makes it easy to reference and come back to certain points at a later date. It includes plenty of practical tips for preparing to lucid dream, as well as ways to navigate lucid dreams and remember them afterward.

Readers of this book enjoyed the way it is written in an engaging and exciting way which kept them entertained and interested while learning about lucid dreaming. Many readers liked the way information was presented in a balanced and logical way, explaining both the scientific and spiritual aspects of lucid dreaming without favoring one over the other. Readers also agreed that the book included plenty of research to back up theories, with thorough explanations which were intelligently written and easy to follow. Most readers found this book to be both pragmatic and inspiring.

Lucid Dreamer: A Waking Guide for the Traveler Between Worlds by Malcolm Godwin

This book about lucid dreaming takes an analytical approach, exploring dream worlds going as far back as five thousand years. The author, Godwin, uncovers techniques from different traditions and cultures through history and applies scientific knowledge to each method. The book also features illustrations to accompany the reading material, which stand alone as inspiring pieces of art; they are predominantly abstract to demonstrate some of the unusual feelings and sensations associated with lucid dreaming, which can be difficult to explain with words alone.

Readers of this book are particularly fond of the beautiful and awe-inspiring illustrations and found that it was thorough and well-researched. Many readers enjoyed discovering the way lucid dreaming has played a part in different cultures through history, as well as learning about the physics behind lucid dreaming. Most readers agreed that the book includes plenty of useful tips for personal lucid dream journeys and is organized in a logical and methodical way.

Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self by Robert Waggoner

This lucid dreaming book is one of the most introspective and spiritual of its genre. Waggoner references a lot of psychologists to analyze and investigate topics within lucid dreaming, such as dream symbols, dream telepathy and using dreams as a type of therapy for healing. He carries out thorough and continual self-examination and related this to uncovering the inner self through lucid dreams. Waggoner goes beyond the usual guidelines of using lucid dreaming for pleasure and self-confidence and instead delves more deeply into exploring the subconscious and pushing the boundaries of the mind.

This is a book that divides opinion, with a huge number of readers rating it as the best lucid dreaming book they have ever read, while others found it to be boring, uninspiring, and a little far-fetched. Readers recommend this book for thought-provoking questions surrounding lucid dreaming and help in uncovering their own inner self. It is not very helpful for beginners to lucid drawing who are looking for a way to achieve this dream state. Some users were enthralled by the author’s dream diaries, while some felt they rambled on for far too long.

Dreaming Yourself Awake: Lucid Dreaming and Tibetan Dream Yoga for Insight and Transformation by B. Alan Wallace

This book is split into three parts; the first explains lucid dreaming and tips and methods for being ‘awake’ within your own lucid dreams. The second part covers’ dream yoga’, which is a meditation practice based around the theory that waking life is actually a dream, and lucid dreams bring us closer to reality than waking life does. This meditation can enable you to discover your true spiritual self, and the author guides the reader through ways to achieve this. The final part of the book is centered around Tibetan Buddhist techniques for lucid dreaming, which is used to gain the most profound insight.

Readers of this book found that it was helpful for elevating lucid dreaming in conjunction with dream yoga. Readers who were inexperienced with dream yoga struggled to achieve any benefits as a result of the book and recommended that it would be best for those who are already proficient in dream yoga and have a desire to expand their practice. Newcomers who are looking for introductory books to lucid dreaming will not find much relevant information in this book, and instead, it predominantly covers information relating to the Buddhist technique.

Control Your Dreams: How Lucid Dreaming Can Help You Uncover Your Hidden Desires, Confront Your Hidden Fears, and Explore the Frontiers of Human Consciousness by Jayne Gackenbach

This book is somewhat misleadingly titled, as the author explains in the book that you are actually unable to control your lucid dreams, but instead, you can become aware of them and influence or direct them. This comprehensive book is a guide to help you do just that, alongside plenty of academic research to back up the theories. The author references plenty of relevant psychologists and other authors throughout the book and details the lucid dream experiences of others while keeping herself out of the picture to present a more analytical view. The book also summarises all of the best lucid dream research over the last five decades and lists facts relating to dreams.

Readers of this book found it to be well-written and interesting, though some struggled to remain engaged due to the academic style of writing. However, some readers found the academic components of the book to be the best parts, focusing on the author’s own original research. Readers also benefited from the tips in the book to begin having lucid dreams and guide them in the right direction to have healing abilities on both the mind and body. The book is recommended for beginners of lucid dreaming and intermediates looking to further their understanding of the topic.

Lucid Dreaming: The Paradox of Consciousness During Sleep by Celia Green

This book is written by one of the leading lucid dream researchers who was building a foundation of scientific studies in the 1960s when the rest of the community thought it was nonsense. This book serves as an introduction to lucid dreaming, which will appeal to a broad range of readers. It explores lucid dreams in relation to similar experiences, such as apparitions, and focuses on how to direct or lead dreams in specific directions. The book also discusses the way in which lucid dreaming can be utilized for therapeutic purposes.

Readers of this book found that it successfully enabled them to begin having lucid dreams and found it to be packed with information in an easy-to-read format. It comes highly rated among both general readers and those with a particular interest in dream studies.

Lucid Dreaming: A Beginner’s Guide to Becoming Conscious in Your Dreams by Charlie Morley

This book is exactly what it says on the cover; a guide for beginners to learn how to ‘wake up’ within a dream so that you are aware you are dreaming. Once you can become conscious in your dreams, you can learn how to direct the subconscious mind and use it to your own advantage, including improving creativity, overcoming fears, and breaking unhealthy patterns. The author, Charlie Morley, has been navigating the dream world since his teenage years and has since trained with lucid dream experts on both Eastern and Western practices. The book uses scientific research to back up ideas and tips but also ventures into the more spiritual side of lucid dreaming. It focuses on ‘how to’ tips to enable newcomers to start lucid dreaming, with less of a focus on why.

Readers of the book, on the whole, found it to be a thoroughly inclusive guide to lucid dreaming. It is recommended for beginners to the subject and general readers, as those experienced in lucid dreams found the book to be quite basic. The book contains many practical exercises which readers believed helped them to achieve a lucid dream state, with easy-to-follow guidance and interesting facts. Many newcomers to lucid dreaming proclaimed that the book was life-changing, eye-opening, exciting, and inspiring.