The History of Lucid Dreaming

Introduction
I don’t claim to be an expert on the history of lucid dreaming, but once again, I bring this to you with the intent of keeping you involved in all aspects of the incredible lucid dream.

My research shows that lucid dreams have been around for quite a long time. Some claim that St. Augustine is the earliest record of lucid dreaming in the form of a written letter. I really can’t dispute this, but my research found earlier accounts of the practice of lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming spans thousands of years, and a multitude of religions and geographical locations.

Here is a condensed list of lucid dreaming over the centuries:

* 1000 BC – Upanishads – the Hindu oral tradition of spiritual lessons, philosophy, and proverbs include lucid dreaming.
* 1000 BC – Bonpo – the oldest spiritual tradition of Tibet, claims that lucid dreaming has been used during meditations for over 12000 years.
* 1000 BC – Vigyan Bhairav Tantra – another ancient Hindu region that describes how to become conscious during a dream.
* 350 BC – Aristotle wrote, “when one is asleep, there is something in consciousness which tells us that what presents itself is but a dream.”
* 3rd Century – Saint Denys a Christian martyr and saint claims to have been was a prolific conscious dreamer.
* 415 A.D – St. Augustine a Christian philosopher and priest referred to lucid dreams in a letter.
* 4th Century – Mohammed’s Laylat al-Miraj is an account of a nighttime vision that provided him with spiritual initiation.
* 8th Century – Tibetan Buddhists – The Tibetan Book of the Dead described of a form of yoga designed to become conscious while dreaming.
* 12th century – Sufi Ib El-Arabi from Spain suggested that controlling thought in dreams is an essential skill for aspiring mystics.
* 15th Century – Sir Thomas Browne a philosopher and physician stated his ability to lucid dream.
* 15th Century – Rene Descartes French philosopher, mathematician, scientist, and writer wrote avidly about his lucid dreams in a private journal known as the Olympica.
* 17th Century – Pierre Gassendi and Thomas Reid two philosophers who discussed becoming awake while dreaming.
* 1867 – Marquis d’Hervey de Saint-Denys published his book Dreams and How to Guide Them.
* 1913 – Frederick Van Eeden wrote A Study of Dreams on lucid dreaming to the Society for Psychical Research. He coined the term “lucid dreaming.”
* 1935 – Walter Y. Evans-Wentz translates a section of the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
* 1977 – Stephen LaBerge, Ph.D continues to do a tremendous amount of research on the topic of lucid dreaming today.

I admit that my research was short, but my intention was to provide you with a general idea of how much lucid dreaming occurred throughout the ages. I am quite positive that my list only includes a small amount of those that practiced lucid dreaming. Volumes could be written on this subject. I’m most certainly open to any feedback on my concise research of lucid dreaming.

Dream on!

© 2009 Gary Gardner, All Rights Reserved