Lucid Dreaming: How to Learn, Grow, and Heal While You Are Asleep

I often talk about the importance of high-quality restful sleep and getting the right amount when it comes to creating great health. But what about the role of dreaming? You might be surprised to learn that the way we dream can have a multitude of benefits on our waking life-specifically through lucid dreaming, or the act of knowing we are dreaming while we are, in fact, completely asleep. To dig into this intriguing topic further, I sat down with expert lucid-dreamer Charlie Morley on this week’s episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy.
Charlie is a bestselling author and teacher of lucid dreaming and shadow integration.
He was authorized to teach within the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism by Lama Yeshe Rinpoche in 2008 and has since developed a holistic approach to dreamwork called Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep, and has written three books which have been translated into 13 languages. In 2018 he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship grant to research mindfulness-based PTSD treatment and continues to teach on retreats for armed forces veterans. In this lively conversation, Charlie and I get into why lucid dreaming is such a powerful technique.
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Dr. Hyman is an 11-time New York Times bestselling author, family physician and international leader in the field of Functional Medicine. His podcast, The Doctor's Farmacy, is a place for deep conversations about the critical issues of our time in the space of health, wellness, food and politics. New episodes are released every Wednesday here on KZbin, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
Find him and more of his content all over social media:
Website www.drhyman.com/
Facebook / drmarkhyman
Instagram / markhymanmd
Twitter / markhymanmd

[@sorann8419]

The best thing with lucid dreams is that even a little of it can change your life forever.

[@Vineeth..v]

Yes.. a crack in perspective of everything...

[@saddreams3449]

@@Vineeth..v Ive yet to have a lucid dream but this is really motivating to hear💯

[@justmario.]

​@@saddreams3449 have u?

[@patrickdauphinais3418]

I lucid dream enough to have chosen pinching myself in my dream to determine if I’m awake or asleep. I’ve also had to pinch myself when I’m awake to ensure that I am. In my dream state the pinching doesn’t hurt.

[@JenLynMed]

Please start adding links to your guest’s work and websites. Thank you!

[@TimGreig]

I've watched Charlie and Robert Waggonner a bit over this last week and this stuff is mind blowing. It seems like the world's best kept secret.

[@karenanson]

Yes yes yes! I’ve been doing this regularly since early childhood as do my kids to some extent. (It’s like having many other lives. (And generally this one pales in comparison) And talk about exploring “death”... we ARE “dead” by the dictionary definition...which remains our constant core, our godself as it were. I can regularly visit with others dead and alive from this vantage point. I joke about my late husband that I’m in an “open relationship with a dead guy” because it honestly feels that real. (And no I’m not insane and not even very “psychic” in my waking life so I have yet to be able to bring this awareness through while fully awake) But I would say from what I’ve seen that in fact the “dead” side of us is the significantly larger portion of who we are. Like icebergs emerging into the air, this human experience is small by comparison. So it’s not just being more or better prepared to “die”, it’s simply being conscious of the shift in awareness as our focus moves from one aspect of our self to another, from one vibratory state to another. A continuum of consciousness. And YES, that delta place he referenced. That is especially blissful and I find that I often wake up in tears. Shifting back to “waking” from there is like a space capsule barreling down to earth, there’s a downward shift in frequency as the parachutes release and it’s a bit overwhelming. But there’s still the hum that follows you for a long while afterwards which is lovely to experience. Sometimes it gets lonely out here where few can relate to these experience so it’s sooo fun to know that it’s a subject that is gaining momentum in the “air” world. Thx so much Dr Hyman for sharing this with the world!!!

[@Geist1]

Karen Anson Karen, Your comment regarding how “lonely” it is is absolutely correct, not in the “woe is me” sense but in the factual sense of the word because so few people still have no idea what it’s like and cannot truly fathom it until they experience it so getting someone to intellectually “get it” is just so hard. I like to think of it like a plane crash (bear with me). You and I can intellectually understand the sequence of a plane crash, say, an engine blows and brings down the plane into open water or something, but no one who hasn’t been through that experience themselves can truly “get”the experience. So yes, it truly is lonely but knowing there are people like you and your kids gives me hope that more and more people will begin experiencing this wonderful phenomenon.

[@edwardstyles7917]

karen anson how can i lucid dream? pls give me some tips

[@Gaurav.P0]

@@edwardstyles7917 Hey, how is your lucid dreaming still going ?

[@Gaurav.P0]

Hey, how is your lucid dreaming still going ?

[@berenice39]

2 great communicators having a lucid conversation .

[@Mentalmathclass]

I would lucid dream pretty much every night and for a long time. I also was able to study during my dreams and solve calculus problems that were not possible for me to solve in real life. I’d wake up with solutions. Also meeting up with friends. It’s everything just amazing to me.

[@alinafawaz1073]

One of the best interviews i’ve ever watched!

[@eduardobolanos8809]

I love this conference, the power of lucid dream to be able heal and feel much better whether or not you have a conflict! Thanks Dr Hyman

[@thefogofdomesticviolence4613]

I have had so many transcendental experiences 💛 one dream lasted 10 minutes and felt like 30 years long

[@Mentalmathclass]

Same. It’s amazing

[@ratnadhidas139]

It's been 20min, and i am pretty excited, now emotional. Such a great conversation. thanku very much🙏 God bless you guys. Lots of love from Bengal,India.

[@evanchook]

Lucid dreaming is truly amazing. I've been following Charlie for awhile now and he's always a deep well of knowledge on the topic-thanks for this!

[@Gaurav.P0]

Hey, how is your lucid dreaming still going ?

[@evanchook]

GAURAV PATEL going well! I think it will be a life-long practice for me

[@Gaurav.P0]

@@evanchook Do you get lucid in dreams ? Please share your experience.

[@CompleteMeYT]

Woot! I video about lucid dreaming! yay (you can imagine how excited I am when every video in my channel is a lucid-dream story lol). Thanks for the video. I watched the whole thing :)

[@michelleraw2896]

This is a great explanation so powerful 💚

[@hugoantunesartwithblender]

One of the best video on lucid dream

[@eleanastclare]

Do it all the time...always had it. Didn’t even know there was a term for it until my thirties! Great show ...thanks!

[@britchie528]

I really appreciate Charlie, he was so genuine when the energy and mood shifted to a more serious matter, like when Marks sister died. Thank you!!!

[@jennysanders8692]

Excellent interview! So many great insights!

[@truenorth111]

Fantastic podcast! Wicked. Next stage of my healing.

[@lorettadillon-ham1574]

Very interesting conversation..... 28:36 my PTSD nightmares have gone but I didn’t know how or why ... maybe this is the information with the answer for me. Now time to work out how it happened.

[@TSMirzapak]

Excellent question at 58:45 Mark and i agree with you. ... i think a lot of truly spiritual teachers would.

[@flooringdiy7835]

The thing is, you can only lucid dreaming if you put away all of your thoughts, the problem is. The bad people in the world bring fear into you. So in order to lucid dreaming, you need to put away all of your bad energies and stress. This is kinda hard for some people who has to many stress or bad energie around them. So i think, thats the reason some people use drugs instead of meditating.

[@elimelechs.l3246]

I am here because. I have discover something when I am dreaming. I seem to have control and aware of my dream. Some of them are very danger because I came seem to wake up or I dont know how to do so. I am just looking for a doctor that major in this.

[@leigharredondo6733]

Wow so interesting and informative. Answered a lot of questions I had - thank you.

[@monicadamm9912]

Fascinating!

[@AlexHop1]

I learned a lot, thank you!

[@thefogofdomesticviolence4613]

Hello Mark 🙏 So beautiful to find you in this fanatic world. I am new to being an author and trying to get this message that is explaining domestic violence in some unique ways that sort of take some conversation to explain. Im new to all this But I truly was sent to bring some powerful tools that unravel reality. Or the fog of domestic violence. Basically healing and understanding trauma and how to understand dreams & transcendental experiences. The ego explained in its entirety would take a a few weeks or so to kinda get into that subject. But I will be organizing my own podcast and everything so you can see some of what I do first.

[@thefogofdomesticviolence4613]

Our dreams are actually the backdoor to the subconscious

[@lorettadillon-ham1574]

1:02:40 about this question. I’m wondering about Dr Joe Dispenza who tells his personal story of self-healing his smashed vertebrae after an accident - he was told he’ll never walk again “?” says he used the power of his mind now he also teaches in this space. Just wondering and wanting to be able to master this skill.

[@CharlieMorley]

Yes! Joe has been very supportive of my work and he really "gets" lucid dreaming 🙂

[@27sherpa]

When I was living in sf. I bought my air ticket to nepal. Then in my lucid dream I saw my passport was expired and next morning I checked passport and it really expired by one day. Since then Im waiting for that lottery no to be appeared in my dream 😅 so far nothing but nightmares like ghost near me and I wake screaming and my wife laughs at me saying saw dream again. Also I want to know how practice(less fear) or make friend with the paranormal activities like lights on and off or sometimes ghost lady knocking on the walls etc. so far what iam doing is just scream loud it wakes up me, thats all. I would like to explore more.

[@upoma2268]

Hey... It it possible to communicate with a person we are dreaming about or dose it will affect that person somehow?

[@eleanastclare]

Wondering....in a comatose state...could this be a higher neurological plane or lucid dream type state (without memory of it when coma has ended..)...??? Is a coma a neuroplasticity process of higher consciousness because the brain knows it is the only way to heal the body, and possibly the Mind as well?

[@angelwingssix]

Great video. I’ve lucid dreamed for a long time. There was more clarification here than I’ve had in any workshop or book! I met my husband in lucid dreams when I was around 20. Even drew a picture of him 20 years before meeting him. I have many notebooks filled with dream memories. So so cool. I had a dream (1996) that I was in Mexico meeting with shaman. Giving info. Through the whole thing I was asking if the tribe could see me. Was this a dream? Had to use a golden symbol to return. Then, like Charley, as I woke on my couch with a thud I jumped up so excited and there was no one to tell! Have now ordered Charley’s latest book! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻♥️

[@CharlieMorley]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@angelwingssix]

Got the latest book. We are both reading. Well done. Thank you. Sent this and info to family members and friends.

[@CharlieMorley]

@@angelwingssix thank you!

[@vconsumer]

His wife should've been included in the interview as well! I wanna know how she learnt it so quickly.

[@CharlieMorley]

check her out here: www.consciousish.com/

[@iamruly7594]

@@CharlieMorley she doesn't tell how she learned it so fast in the interview, though.

[@RocksteadyRuth]

About an hour or 2 maybe after my husband died (we were still married but we split years previously), as he lay on the hospital bed, I placed the palm of my hand on his chest and spoke out loud, “I never stopped loving you!” There was no sound or visual movement but it felt like his heart just gave one hard beat. Any thoughts on this phase of dying/being dead?

[@peggyharris3815]

Read "Final Gifts, Understanding the Awareness, Needs and Communications of the Dying" by Maggie Callanan & Patricia Kelley. It helped me. Best to you.

[@RocksteadyRuth]

Peggy Harris, thank you 🙏. I will check this out. I instinctively feel dreaming and the dying are so inter-related. All he best to you too. 🌞

[@ernestinekarmann304]

You talked about this, how do you call the Video

[@thefogofdomesticviolence4613]

My Kundalini was activated for just about 3 months So it was swimming in gamma all day long. Infinite intelligence is something like our photographic memory. A function or ability that like meditation or lucid dreaming as well as astral projection. I would probably Never shut up 💛

[@zarakhan1518]

Wow

[@Ab-gf8pz]

I am on a mission to heal my eyesight. Time to heal eyesight using Lucid dreaming. Thanks sir for this podcast. Best of luck guys stay positive and Happy.

[@marco_sfrd]

Did you manage to heal your eyesight?

[@Ab-gf8pz]

@@marco_sfrd Still working on it

[@fuarkbrah0]

I got LASIK it worked

[@croneyr]

58:41 arrogant sailor thinks he can control the sea.

[@bongjamesbong00420]

I used to lucid dream consistently nightly and be able to levitate and fly around. Then one day went to prison and now I can't even remember my dreams. I think they experimented on us.

[@scesrastp]

Am I dreaming?

[@croneyr]

48:20 Tibetan monk story

[@capomover]

Nuts!

[@ernestinekarmann304]

Aehm, without calling criminals for help

[@mohammadfallahzade2110]

I have nightmares everynight I sleep for 5 years I hope lucid dreaming help me

[@thefogofdomesticviolence4613]

Self awareness is the only way to heal trauma

[@ernestinekarmann304]

Would you please Tell me how to earn money with none

[@stevenhoch1076]

Good question. I'm going to summon my dream tycoon.

[@thefogofdomesticviolence4613]

This is meeting the Buddha or melting into timelessness

[@Prabhdhudike]

Just let him speak man don't interrupt

[@thefogofdomesticviolence4613]

We are all 3 basically supposed to have some conversations

[@thefogofdomesticviolence4613]

Never mind I guess

[@jackjones3657]

I would caution anyone who utilizes "Lucid dreaming" as a technique to somehow get in touch with some supernatural healing. There are evil spirits as well as good and the Bible warns of this conjuring of other world experiences as some way to get in touch with extra consciousness. What isn't mentioned are that depression and fearfulness result from practicing these things as well.

[@CharlieMorley]

Thank God for your warning jack.

[@the_oneironaut]

Just like Obito Uchiha!

[@Als11able]

many married people whose partners lucid dream and have another special person in them.

[@SoccerChik1010]

Anyone else think Mark Hymen looks like Cuomo?? 😂

[@whattaskullwhattaskull6933]

Talking about this shit like its simple, 😂😂like the evil peoples of the world aint trying to hide it