Oh no — you’re falling again. Toppling end over end, the ground rushes towards you with frightening speed. Suddenly, you realize what’s happening: I’m dreaming right now. Then you extend your arms forward like Superman and whoosh effortlessly through the air. Just like that, a pesky recurring nightmare becomes a whimsical power fantasy. Sounds pretty nice, right?
The scenario above is just one possible example of lucid dreaming. Simply put, a lucid dream is when you know that you’re dreaming. In some cases, the dreamer may even gain control over the action, setting and content of their dreams. (In popular culture, look no further than the 2010 film Inception, where the protagonists can sculpt and manipulate dreams at will.)
