The MILD Technique: How To Have A Lucid Dream Through Intention

MILD (Mnemonic Induced Lucid Dream) is a commonly used lucid dream induction method that often leads to the first successful lucid dream for many LDers. 

MILD relies primarily on meditation and visualization in order to induce a lucid dream. 

In order to utilize MILD successfully (just as with any other induction method) this guide assumes that you’re regularly Dream Journaling and performing reality checks. 

Note: If you haven't yet, be sure to start your lucid dreaming journey at the beginning with our first article here: What Is Lucid Dreaming? The Definitive Guide To Learning How To Lucid Dream

When you get into bed, get as comfortable as possible and begin to fully relax. As you’re allowing your body to fall asleep, repeat a mantra of your choice to yourself. Think and meditate on this mantra repeatedly. For example, “I will have a lucid dream tonight,” or “When I am dreaming, I will know that I am dreaming.” 

Continue to focus on this affirmation over and over, while you still allow yourself to relax more and more.

Once you are completely relaxed and feel that you’re on the edge of slipping into a state of sleep, begin to visualize the environment in which you would like to start your dream. 

If you haven’t done this before, this step may sound silly. But once you’ve successfully practiced this, you’ll realize just how fun this step can be. Start building your dream environment in your mind. What does it look like? What does it feel like? Is it day or night? Can you feel the sun on your skin? Think through these details piece by piece as you build your dream world slowly. 

Once you’ve built your dream world, start exploring it. Look for a dream sign (imagine one into existence if needed) and tell yourself that you are dreaming. Yes, it’s possible that you may still be awake at this point, but it’s important to treat this stage as if you were already lucid dreaming. If your goal in a lucid dream is to fly, then begin imagining yourself flying around the environment. Maybe go find a dream character to interact with.

1. You may slip into sleep, which is totally fine. As your last thought before sleep will have been about lucid dreaming, the likelihood that you’ll recognize a dream sign and become lucid while asleep is increased.   

2. Even better, your waking self and imagined dream world may seamlessly merge with your sleeping self, allowing you to slip effortlessly into a lucid dream, without breaking consciousness at all. This type of MILD would then be classified within the category of WILD. 

Next: Staying Lucid

To learn techniques for staying lucid once you’ve become lucid in a dream, continue reading below.

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