Lucid Dreaming 101: What Is Lucid Dreaming And How Can You Shift With It?

what is the reticular activating system and does it relate to shifting?

it’s been a minute!! i’m back!

DISCLAIMER: i am not a neurologist i am a psych student who has studied some neuro in classes and has done personal research. since this is not my exact expertise and i am not a professional on this field, there may be inaccuracies here and there but i am doing my best with what i have learned.

watch this tiktok for more information on this

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the reticular activating system or RAS is a part of the brain that is responsible for many things that can be related to shifting

one thing it is responsible for is the time between sleep and wakefulness which is a prime time to shift— similar to the state between awake and dreaming. the reasoning is explained here.

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the RAS helps with pattern recognition and specific focus, (among other things) so if you see a sign or thing that reminds you of shifting or of your dr the RAS will cause you to notice it more than you usually would.

this makes it seem to you like you are seeing more of such thing, but really you’re just becoming aware of it.

imagine you want a specific car: you are gonna start noticing that car more when you see it

this does not mean this is not proof of signs you are close to your dr, because it means this part of your brain is aware of your intention and noticing things that align with it.

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the RAS is also responsible for filtering sensory stimuli (for example a light might make a buzzing sound in a room and often you won’t hear it at all times because this part of the brain)

this part of the brain being responsible for both sensory filtering and the transition between wakefulness and sleep it is also responsible for stimuli seeping into dreams (which I have a method based on so follow to see that!)

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normally, sleep starts in non-rem stages, then moves into rem and the rem stage often get longer throughout the duration of the night.

when you are in the third stage of non-rem sleep, which is deep sleep, your senses are temporarily turned off. i believe and have seen it to be true that when you wake up during rem and go back into a dream you become more aware of your senses and what is going on around your body, because you had your senses turned back on when waking and cut out deep sleep so they stay partially on (just my theory)

“During sleep, the reticular thalamic nucleus reduces the flow of sensory activity to the cerebral cortex through inhibition of the thalamus.” this explains that there is an inhibition of sensory activity during sleep, which is heavier during deep sleep.

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what is rem sleep activation and how does it relate to shifting? pt 1

my belief is that all sleep methods involve some form of a dream state that shifts you. it is my personal belief is that rem sleep is the key to shifting many people do not know about.

rem sleep, or dream sleep, occurs about every 90 minutes and often gradually grows longer each time and it was when dreams occur.

if you are able to “activate” a long rem sleep phase- aka interrupt it by waking up during it, it would help with shifting is a couple reasons.

when in interrupted rem sleep, or rem sleep activation, which is also known as wake back to bed in lucid dreaming circles, your brain is releasing theta brainwaves, which means the left side (or more logical side) is temporarily “turned off” and the right is more dominant since it is used to create dreams.

this theta state also known in shifting as the void state which i’m sure you’re familiar with is a deep state of self hypnosis meaning you are more susceptible to the information that you’re told. this is especially since the logical side of the brain is less active.

many people shift when waking in the night and simply intending to shift.

from this rem activated state you can do many things (most popularly lucid dream) the reason is, waking during rem sleep, guarantees you will directly enter a dream when you go back to bed and you can do so consciously.

part II will discuss how to get to this state, how to know you're in it, and how to shift from it <3 like, reblog, and follow to see more content like this (including part II) and as always comment with any questions <33

i got lucid in my nap just now. twice.

i was very aware yet forgot my shifting intention and questioned if i were actually lucid.

this happens all the time i didn’t even try to get lucid i didnt do any method.

this happens to me all. the. time.

this is what i mean when i say my methods work but havent gotten me to shift due to my own issues.

do better than me!

when it comes to my advice do as i say not as i do…

my new method is scaring myself into my dr by watching news reports of the fucked up president fuck this fucked to country even more

scared of my dr? shouldnt be! it’s far scarier staying here!!

i’m in the most expensive state can’t get a job here with the degree i just paid tens of thousands of dollars for, can’t get an apartment here, can’t be with my gf.

gotta shift!!!

omg another wlw greys shifter !! love to see it

lowkey feel like greys shifters (especially wlw) are so few and far between tbh 💔

hey!! yes i agree! it seems like such a rare dr for such a popular show… kinda crazy to me. especially since the show is filled to the brim with absolute hotties!

Babe, you were conditioned to believe it's not possible. Remember that.

all i want my dr gf. i don’t even wanna date in this reality i just want her. i know a lot of you guys get it. 😪

what is prospective memory and how can it help you shift?

pt 1: not lucid dreaming method specific

the article “How to Have More Lucid Dreams with Prospective Memory” By Rebecca Casale states that,

“Having good prospective memory is like hearing an alarm going off inside your head just when you need it. It shouts with an inaudible voice: REMEMBER TO DO THAT THING, NOW!”

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there is a shifting hack i’ve seen where you set small intentions throughout the day this is a very good practice for shifting because it consciously activates the prospective memory.

prospective memory is defined as “a form of memory that involves remembering to perform a planned action or recall a planned intention at some future point in time."

an example is:

you wake up, and you think of what you are going to do today. you realize you have to go grocery shopping and then make lunch by noon. you have set this memory cue into your mind so when you see the clock near noon you know to have lunch prepared.

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intentionally pay attention to things you’re doing and possibly even set a timed routine for certain things.

setting small intentions and then fulfilling them will train the brain to actively use the prospective memory, so that when you set a strong intention to shift, it will increase your odds.

here’s an example:

for the day you have to study for a test, go to lunch with a friend, and take a shower. if you were to practice this you can set the intention by thinking about how you will do it at such time (you can also say it out loud or write it to further establish the intention)

“today i’m going to shower in the morning at 10am, go to lunch with my friend at noon, then study from 5-7.”

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once you establish these things add:

“tonight i am going to shift to my desired reality”

actively notice as you fulfill these intentions and you can even say it out loud as you do things so your brain is taking note of these intentions being carried out.

for example: “i am at lunch with my friend.”

this will theoretically help your brain to be more willing to complete your intention of shifting.

like many things, this will require time and effort and may not work right away but try it out and let me know how it goes!!

comment if you have any questions <3

part II will be about how to use this for the lucid dreaming method

more personal introduction♡

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I realized my original introduction was more based on my research than me so I thought I'd make a more personal intro.

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♡ I use the name kat on here ♡ my pronouns are she/her ♡ im 22

♡ this is my last semester before getting a psych bachelors degree. ♡ my s/o in all my drs is lexie grey from greys anatomy (WLW)

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my favorite artists are

♡ taylor swift

♡ hozier

♡ chappell roan

♡ olivia rodrigo

—————————♡————————— some of my favorite shows are

♡ greys anatomy

♡ arcane

♡ friends

♡ new girl

♡ criminal minds

♡ gilmore girls

—————————♡————————— I have too many favorite movies to list- off the top of my head:

♡ mamma mia 1&2

♡ the hunger games series

♡ the spider verse movies (and many other marvel movies)

♡ the oceans series

♡ various barbie movies

♡ various disney movies

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click here to see my drs

My drs!

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

i'm permashifting and once i'm in my main / first dr (my better cr) i scripted i can go to any other dr just by saying "i'm shifting to my __ dr"

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my drs:

✦ my main dr is a better CR which has an apartment in just outside of boston because my s/o canonically went to harvard medical school and in my dr she's currently in med school. we hang out at— like lesbian bars and cat cafes.

✦ in my greys dr i work in the psych department at seattle grace mercy west. my s/o in this (and all other drs) is lexie grey.

✦ i want a dr where i live out the barbie movies OR a fame dr but within the barbie universe

✦ i used to have an x-men/marvel account where i'd be friends and roommates with kate bishop but it's been a minute.

i do want a spiderverse dr basically just to hang out with hobie.

✦ my waiting room is unfinished but it's like most where i'm able to do check in on other realities, summon people from drs, and just hang around with powers and abilities and such.

✦ i have a dr in italy where i own a cafe and my family owns a pizzeria. i have a cottage full of cats and a garden and spend the days relaxing

✦ i’m currently considering an arcane dr but i havent planned it much