Lucid dream and Gaara: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox Naruto character

[[Image:SickGirlInPyjamas.jpg|thumb|227px|right|Lucid dreams occur during [[Rapid eye movement|REM]] sleep after the person becomes conscious and aware of dreaming within the dream.]]

| image = [[Image:Gaara.jpg|200px|Gaara]]

| caption = Gaara by [[Masashi Kishimoto]]

| character_name = Gaara

| character_name_unicode = 我愛羅

| debut = Manga chapter 35 <br> ''Naruto'' episode 20

| seiyu = [[Akira Ishida]]

| voice_actor = [[Liam O'Brien]]

| age = 12-13 in Part I <br> 15 in Part II

| height = 148.1

| weight = 40.2

| birthday = [[January 19]]

| blood_type = AB

| rank = [[Naruto ninja ranks#Kage|Fifth Kazekage]]

| current_affiliation = [[Land of Wind#Sunagakure|Sunagakure]]

| current_team =

| previous_affiliation =

| previous_team = Team Baki ([[Land of Wind#Baki|Baki]], [[Temari (Naruto)|Temari]], [[Land of Wind#Kankuro|Kankuro]], Gaara)

| relatives = [[Land of Wind#Fourth Kazekage|Fourth Kazekage]] (father, deceased) <br> [[Land of Wind#Karura|Karura]] (mother, deceased) <br> [[Temari (Naruto)|Temari]] (sister) <br> [[Land of Wind#Kankuro|Kankuro]] (brother) <br> [[Land of Wind#Yashamaru|Yashamaru]] (uncle, deceased)

}}

{{Nihongo|'''Gaara'''|我愛羅}} is a [[fictional character]] in the [[anime]] and [[manga]] series ''[[Naruto]]'' created by [[Masashi Kishimoto]]. He is the youngest child of the [[Land of Wind#Fourth Kazekage|Fourth Kazekage]], making him the younger brother of [[Land of Wind#Kankuro|Kankuro]] and [[Temari (Naruto)|Temari]].

He is known as "Gaara of the Sand" in the Viz translation, "Gaara of the Desert" in the English anime, and {{nihongo|"Sabaku no Gaara"|砂瀑の我愛羅||Gaara of the Sand Waterfall}} in the original Japanese (''Sabaku'' 砂瀑 means "sand waterfall", but ''sabaku'' 砂漠 means "desert", thus the more common "Gaara of the Desert").

'''Lucid dreaming''' is the act of [[dream|dreaming]] while being aware that you are dreaming. This differs from normal dreaming where the dreamer is so involved in their imaginary world that they believe it to be real. The [[Altered state of consciousness|state of consciousness]] of a dreamer is such that it is difficult for them to realize that they are dreaming, despite experiences which contradict common sense or their own memory.

In the annual Shonen Jump polls for the most popular character, Gaara consistently ranks in the top ten, usually between seventh and tenth spot.

While lucidity can be an interesting experience in its own right, a major attraction is the related ability to to exert conscious control over the dream environment.

== Background ==

Lucid dreaming has been researched scientifically. Its existence is well established, with confirmation by several independent studies.<ref>

Prior to Gaara's birth, [[Land of Wind#Sunagakure|Sunagakure]] saw a series of budget cuts that made it difficult for the village to operate. As a result, Gaara's father ordered [[Land of Wind#Chiyo|Chiyo]] to seal the [[Tailed beasts#One-Tailed Shukaku|One-Tailed Shukaku]] within Gaara during his birth in the hopes that he would become the ultimate weapon for the village. Because a sacrifice was needed, Gaara's mother, [[Land of Wind#Karura|Karura]], was used. Before she died, Karura cursed Sunagakure, hoping Gaara would avenge her death. As the host of Shukaku, Gaara acquired the rings around his eyes.

{{cite journal

| quotes = The occurrence of lucid dreaming (dreaming while being conscious that one is dreaming) has been verified for 4 selected subjects who signaled that they knew they were dreaming. The signals consisted of particular dream actions having observable concomitants and were performed in accordance with a presleep agreement.

| author = Watanabe,-Tsuneo

| date = Mar 2003

| year = 2003

| month = March

| title = Lucid Dreaming: Its Experimental Proof and Psychological Conditions.

| journal = Journal-of-International-Society-of-Life-Information-Science

| volume = 21(1)

| issue =

| pages = 159-162

}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.lucidity.com/SleepAndCognition.html Lucid Dreaming: Psychophysiological Studies of Consciousness during REM Sleep|first=Stephen|last=LaBerge|editor =Bootzen, R. R., Kihlstrom, J.F. & Schacter, D.L., (Eds.)|title=Sleep and Cognition|___location=Washington, D.C.|publisher=American Psychological Association|year=1990|pages=pp. 109 &ndash; 126}}</ref> Researchers such as [[Allan Hobson]] with his [[neurophysiology|neurophysiological]] approach to dreaming have helped to push the understanding of lucid dreaming into a less speculative realm.

Gaara was trained by his father, but raised mainly by his maternal uncle, [[Land of Wind#Yashamaru|Yashamaru]]. Because of the power of Shukaku, the villagers of Sunagakure hated and feared Gaara, seeing him only as the monster sealed within him. For a time, Yashamaru seemed to be the only person who cared about him; when he would mistakenly harm others due to the subconscious abilities granted to him by Shukaku, Yashamaru would be the only one who understood that Gaara hadn't intended to harm anyone. Gaara's father, however, did not see him in the same light, and viewed his frequent attacks upon villagers as a result of a failed experiment that was a threat to the village.

==Scientific history==

The first book on lucid dreams to recognize their scientific potential was [[Celia Green]]'s 1968 study ''Lucid Dreams''. Reviewing the past literature, as well as new data from subjects of her own, Green analyzed the main characteristics of such dreams, and concluded that they were a category of experience quite distinct from ordinary dreams. She predicted that they would turn out to be associated with [[REM sleep]]. Green was also the first to link lucid dreams to the phenomenon of [[false awakening]]s.

Because of the danger Gaara represented, his father began sending assassins to kill him, though when all attempts met with failure, the Kazekage asked Yashamaru to kill Gaara. As a result, Yashamaru tried to assassinate Gaara, though Gaara's abilities defeated him with ease. Although Gaara tried to dismiss this attack as an order of the Kazekage, Yashamaru corrected him by saying that he had willingly accepted the mission. Having never truly loved Gaara, Yashamaru hoped that killing him would avenge the death of his sister, who had named Gaara after the phrase {{nihongo|"a self-loving carnage"|'''我'''を'''愛'''する修'''羅'''|Ware wo ai suru shura}}, a sign of her hate for Gaara. In a last effort to kill him, Yashamaru detonated a number of explosive tags covering his body, asking Gaara to "please die". Gaara survived the blast without injury and lost the only person he thought had cared for him.

Philosopher [[Norman Malcolm]]'s 1959 text ''Dreaming'' argued against the possibility of checking the accuracy of dream reports. However the realisation that eye movements performed in dreams affected the dreamers physical eyes provided a way to prove that actions agreed upon during waking life could be recalled and performed once lucid in a dream. The first evidence of this type was produced in the late 1970s by British [[Parapsychology|parapsychologist]] [[Keith Hearne]]. A volunteer named [[Alan Worsley]] used eye movement to signal the onset of lucidity, which were recorded by a [[polysomnograph]] machine.

== Personality ==

However these results were not widely distributed. The first peer reviewed article was published some years later by [[Stephen LaBerge]] at [[Stanford University]] who had independently developed a similar technique as part of his doctoral dissertation some years later.

While Gaara had initially tried to be friendly towards others despite their fear of him, Yashamaru's actions and words changed him. Realizing that nobody loved him, Gaara used his sand to create the [[kanji]] on his forehead (愛, "Love") as a symbol of a "demon loving only himself". He became emotionally withdrawn, all but silent, and consumed with a bitter loathing for everyone but himself. He learned to find pleasure and eventually a reason to live in annihilating the numerous assassins sent to kill him &ndash; and by extension, anyone who threatened his existence. Gaara's [[insomnia]], forced upon him by the fear that the demon inside him would eat away at his personality if he were to fall asleep, only furthered his instability and desire to kill. In time, Gaara's father came to appreciate Gaara and the uses he could serve, and canceled all assassination orders in the hopes that Gaara would become an effective tool for Sunagakure.

For his first assignment as the village's weapon, Gaara is entered into the Chunin Exams taking place in Konoha to play a key role in the village's eventual invasion. While he enjoys the opportunity to kill others for much of the exam's early stages, he is eventually pitted against [[Rock Lee]] during the preliminaries. With his strength and speed, Lee is able to overcome many of Gaara's defenses, becoming the first person to ever hit Gaara. While Lee is able to deliver a number of ordinarily debilitating blows, Gaara's sand allows him survive each attack and eventually gain the upperhand on Lee. While the match is stopped before further harm can come to Lee, their match allows Gaara a change in ideals; rather than determine his own existence by killing anyone he meets, Gaara finds a drive to kill those strong enough to defeat him, and begins to long to find a formidable opponent.

During the 1980s, further [[science|scientific]] evidence to confirm the existence of lucid dreaming was produced as lucid dreamers were able to demonstrate to researchers that they were consciously aware of being in a dream state (again, primarily using eye movement signals).<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/Articles/si91ld.html|title=Lucid Dreaming: Awake in Your Sleep?|first=Susan|last=Blackmore|authorlink=Susan Blackmore|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|year=1991|volume=15|pages=pp 362 &ndash; 370}}</ref> Additionally, techniques were developed which have been experimentally proven to enhance the likelihood of achieving this state.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.asdreams.org/journal/articles/laberge5-3.htm|title=Validity Established of DreamLight Cues for Eliciting Lucid Dreaming|first=Stephen|last=LaBerge|coauthors=Levitan, Lynne|journal=Dreaming|volume=5|issue=3|year=1995}}</ref>

Gaara's wishes are soon realized and he is matched against [[Sasuke Uchiha]] during the exam's finals. With his [[List of ninjutsu in Naruto (H-R)#Chidori|Chidori]] Sasuke is able to badly injure Gaara near his shoulder, so much so that Gaara is unable to participate in Konoha's invasion as planned. Despite this setback, Gaara's wound magnifies his desire to kill Sasuke and the two soon resume their battle. With Gaara's encouragement Sasuke is able to give additional injuries to Gaara, though his rapidly progressing Shukaku transformation leaves him unfazed by the attacks. When Sasuke is no longer able to battle and Gaara goes in for the kill, [[Naruto Uzumaki]] arrives to save him. With the desire to save his friends from Gaara, Naruto meets him in battle and is eventually able to defeat him despite being in full Shukaku form. Realizing that Naruto's strength stems from his desire to protect others, Gaara abandons his prior ideals and decides to acquire strength by caring for others.

Research on techniques and effects of lucid dreaming continues at a number of universities and other centers such as LaBerge's [[The Lucidity Institute]].

Gaara's new disposition is first seen when he comes to Rock Lee's aid during the Sasuke Retrieval arc. Upon seeing that the injuries Lee received during their last battle have yet to fully heal, Gaara repeatedly stops him from fighting, concerned that Lee will only harm himself further. These new ideals are seen again during the anime's filler arcs, where Gaara acquires a student named [[Land of Wind#Matsuri|Matsuri]]. As the two begin training, Gaara worries that all of the potential training weapons might cause Matsuri injury, so he has her train with the least harmful weapon present. When she is later kidnapped, Gaara and his siblings go out to rescue her, and with the help of the Konoha ninjas they succeed in their task.

==Research and clinical applications==

===Neurobiological model===

[[Neuroscientist]] J. Allan Hobson has hypothesized as to what might be occurring in the brain while lucid. The first step to lucid dreaming is recognizing that one is dreaming, this recognition might occur in the [[prefrontal cortex|dorsolateral prefrontal cortex]] which is one of the few areas deactivated during [[REM sleep]], and where working memory occurs. Once this area is activated and the recognition of dreaming occurs the dreamer must be cautious to let the dream delusions continue, but be conscious enough to recognize them. This process might be seen as the balance between reason and emotion. While maintaining this balance the [[amygdala]] and [[parahippocampal cortex]] might be less intensely activated.<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12457899&dopt=Abstract The prefrontal cortex in sleep], by Muzur A, Pace-Schott EF, [[Allan Hobson|Hobson JA]], Trends Cogn Sci. [[2002]] Nov 1;2(11):475-481.</ref> To continue the intensity of the dream hallucinations it is expected the [[pons]] and the [[Parietal lobe|parieto-occipital junction cortex]] to stay active. In order to verify the predictions of this hypothesis it would be necessary to observe the brain during lucid dreaming using a method such as a [[PET scan]], which captures a snapshot of the blood flow brain. As of 2007, no such experiment has been performed.<ref name="dreamdrugstoreneuro">

{{cite book |last=Hobson |first=J. Allan |title=The Dream Drugstore: Chemically Altered States of Consciousness |year=2001 |publisher=MIT Press |___location=Cambridge,Massachusetts |language=English |isbn=978-0262582209 |pages=96-98}}</ref>

[[Image:Sand Siblings.png|thumb|Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro in Part II]]

===Treatment for nightmares===

Over the timeskip, Gaara's personality changes a great deal. While in the past he was fairly hostile to his siblings, he has since come to hold them in a higher regard, and talks to Kankuro about his problems and dreams. As a result of becoming the {{nihongo|Fifth Kazekage|五代目風影|Godaime Kazekage}}, Gaara now acts as the villager's source of protection and values their lives over his own. The villagers, in turn, have also begun to hold Gaara in a more admirable regard, especially amongst the younger females of the village.

People who suffer from [[nightmare|nightmares]] would benefit from the ability to be aware they are dreaming. A pilot study was performed in 2006 that showed [[lucid dreaming treatment]] was successful in reducing nightmare frequency. This treatment consisted of exposure to the idea, mastery of the technique, and lucidity exercises. It was not clear what aspect of this treatment was responsible for the success, though the treatment as a whole was successful.<ref>{{cite journal

| quotes = Conclusions: LDT seems effective in reducing nightmare frequency, although the primary therapeutic component (i.e. exposure, mastery, or lucidity) remains unclear

| author = Spoormaker,-Victor-I; van-den-Bout,-Jan

| year = 2006

| month = October

| title = Lucid Dreaming Treatment for Nightmares: A Pilot Study.

| journal = Psychotherapy-and-Psychosomatics.

| volume = 75(6)

| pages = 389-394

}}</ref>

== Abilities ==

===Perception of time while lucid dreaming===

As the host of Shukaku, Gaara posses the ability to manipulate sand at will, typically moving it through the air to serve various purposes. The amount of sand he can control at one time is hrrthhrthrtfsdzfa number of miscellaneous attacks that, while capable of being an attack or a shield, are not limited to such purposes. By making a {{nihongo|Sand Clone|砂分身|Suna Bunshin}} of himself, Gaara can have an ally to be used in battle or a mere distraction to be used to buy him time. Unlike most other clone-jutsu in the series, the Sand Clone can retain its shape after more than one attack, and can even reform itself or capture an opponent upon being dispersed. {{nihongo|Sand Drizzle|砂時雨|Suna Shigure}} allows him to collect sand in the air that rains down on the opponent at high speeds in potentially harmful shapes. With {{nihongo|Desert Suspension|砂漠浮遊|Sabaku Fuyū}} Gaara can use sand as a platform to allow himself and others to float in the air. His {{nihongo|Third Eye|第三の眼|Daisan no Me}} also allows him to create a floating eyeball of sand in any ___location that he can see through as a means of spying.

The amount of time that passes in lucid dreaming has been shown to be about the same as while waking. In 1985 LaBerge performed a pilot study where lucid dreamers counted from one to ten (one-one thousand, two-one thousand, etc.) while dreaming, signaling the end of counting with a pre-arranged eye signal measured with Electrooculogram recording.<ref>Lucid Dreaming (1985) ISBN 0-87477-342-3 by Stephen LaBerge.</ref> The pilot study was repeated in 2004 by researchers in Germany and LaBerge's results were duplicated. The German study by Erlacher, D. & Schredl, M also studied motor activity and found that deep knee bends took 44% longer to perform while lucid dreaming.<ref>[http://daniel.erlacher.de/index.php/Time_required_for_motor_activity_in_lucid_dreams#References Time required for motor activity in lucid dreams]Erlacher, D. & Schredl, M. (2004). Required time for motor activities in lucid dreams. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 99, 1239-1242.</ref>

BITCH!!

At some point in time Gaara begins to be able to form weapons in Shukaku's likeness. The first that is seen is {{nihongo|Last Absolute Defense: Shield of Shukaku|最硬絶対防御・守鶴の盾|Saikō Zettai Bōgyo: Shukaku no Tatte}}, which creates a toy-like replica of Shukaku that is roughly twice the size of Gaara. Because the replica is formed under extreme pressure and is built of the strongest minerals it is virtually indestructible, having yet to be penetrated by any force. The anime expands on the idea of having an "ultimate defense" by creating an "ultimate attack": {{nihongo|Ultimate Absolute Attack: Shukaku's Halberd||Saikō Zettai Hōgeki, Shukaku no Hōkō}}. The attack creates a spear under the same conditions as the replica, only the blade resembles one of Shukaku's claws. Like the shield, this attack has yet to meet a defense it can't break.

[[Image:Gaarashukakureupload.jpg|thumb|Gaara in his half Shukaku form.]]

In desperate situations, Gaara can take on the form of Shukaku by layering sand on his body, making him many times more powerful than he already is. Shukaku's personality grows more dominant during this transformation, increasing Gaara's homicidal tendencies. Once finished, Gaara assumes a human-sized version of Shukaku wherein he relies on his brute strength to destroy everything around him. While in this form Gaara can use {{nihongo|Sand Shuriken|砂手裏剣|Suna Shuriken}} or {{nihongo|Sand Halberd|砂戈|Suna Hōkō}} to hurl sand-based forms of the weapons at an opponent. Shukaku also gives him the ability to utilize wind-based attacks such as {{nihongo|Wind Release: Infinite Sand Cloud Great Breakthrough|風遁・無限砂塵 大突破|Fūton: Mugen Sajin Daitoppa|''English'' "Wind Style: Sandstorm Devastation"}}, which spews large amounts of sand from his mouth, devastating both the enemy and a large area around him.

If need be, Gaara can almost instantly create a life-sized version of Shukaku should the human-sized form fail. In this form, he remains deep within the Shukaku copy safe from harm though unable to move. Gaara can also unleash the spirit of Shukaku through his {{nihongo|Feigning Sleep Technique|狸寝入りの術|Tanuki Neiri no Jutsu|''English TV'' "Play Possum Jutsu"}}, which forces him to sleep to allow the Shukaku copy to operate at its full potential. To do so, however, Gaara must emerge from within the copy, leaving him open to attack for the duration of the jutsu. While Gaara is initially dependent on waking independently or through someone else's intervention to regain control of his body, he begins to be able to suppress Shukaku by himself towards the end of the anime's filler arcs. By the time Part II begins, Gaara is even capable of using numerous Shukaku arms for attack without losing control of himself.

===Replicating near-death & out-of-body experiences in the lab===

Due to the [[phenomenological]] overlap in lucid dreams, [[near death experiences]], and [[out-of-body experience|out of body experiences]] researchers believe a protocol could be developed to induce a lucid dream and near death experience in the laboratory.<ref>{{cite journal

| quotes = A large phenomenological overlap among lucid dreams, out-of-body experiences, and near-death experiences suggests the possibility of developing a methodology of replicating components of the near-death experience using newly developed methods of inducing lucid dreams. Reports on the literature of both spontaneous and induced near-death-experience-like episodes during lucid dreams suggest a possible protocol.

| author = Green,J. Timothy

| year = 1995

| title = Lucid dreams as one method of replicating components of the near-death experience in a laboratory setting.

| journal = Journal-of-Near-Death-Studies

| volume = 14

| pages = 49-

}}</ref> A study of 14 lucid dreamers was performed in 1991 that showed that people who experience wake initiated lucid dreams ([[Lucid_dreaming#Wake-initiated_lucid_dream_.28WILD.29|WILD]]) report experiences consistent with aspects of out-of-body experiences such as floating above one's bed and the feeling of leaving one's body.<ref name="ldobe">[http://www.lucidity.com/NL32.OBEandLD.html Other Worlds: Out-of-Body Experiences and Lucid Dreams], by [[Lynne Levitan]] and [[Stephen LaBerge]], Nightlight 3(2-3), [[1991]], [[The Lucidity Institute]].</ref>

In Part II, Gaara is captured by [[Akatsuki (Naruto)|Akatsuki]] and the Shukaku is extracted from his body, causing his death. Chiyo, regretting the life she gave Gaara when she sealed Shukaku in his body years earlier, gives up her life to revive him. While he no longer possesses the Shukaku, Gaara is still able to manipulate sand, though to what degree has yet to be seen.

==Cultural History==

Even though it has only come to the attention of the general public in the last few decades, lucid dreaming is not a modern discovery.

== Other media ==

*It is in the [[5th century|fifth century]] that we have one of the earliest written examples of a lucid dream, in a letter written by [[Augustine of Hippo|St. Augustine of Hippo]] in [[415]].<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1102.htm Letters of St. Augustine of Hippo] {{page number}}</ref>

In the [[Naruto the Movie 2: Great Clash! The Illusionary Ruins at the Depths of the Earth|second ''Naruto'' movie]], Gaara helps defend Sunagakure from an onslaught of mysterious knights, killing many of them with his sand until a ship launches projectiles at the battlefield and forces them to retreat. Later, in one of the wrecks of the invading ships, he fights [[List of minor villains in Naruto#Ranke|Ranke]], one of Haido's henchmen that utilizes electricity to fight. Once she transforms into a Frankenstein's monster-like state, she gains the upperhand and becomes virtually immune to the crushing force of Gaara's sand. He eventually uses Thunder God of Sand to create multiple lightning rods out of sand to shoot her electricity back at her. Once she is paralyzed he kills her with Desert Imperial Funeral.

== Sources ==

*As early as the [[8th century|eighth century]], [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan Buddhist]]s were practising a form of [[yoga]] supposed to maintain full waking consciousness while in the dream state.<ref>[http://www.lucidity.com/DreamYoga.html The Best Sleep Posture for Lucid Dreaming: A Revised Experiment Testing a Method of Tibetan Dream Yoga], [[The Lucidity Institute]], [[March 2005]].</ref>

* {{Nihongo|First Official Data Book|秘伝・臨の書キャラクターオフィシャルデータBOOK|Hiden:Rin no Sho Character Official Data Book}}

* {{Nihongo|Second Official Data Book|秘伝・闘の書キャラクターオフィシャルデータBOOK|Hiden: Tō no Sho Character Official Data Book}}

* {{Nihongo|Jump's 2nd Great Hero Book's Mini Data Book|秘伝・翔の書オフィシャルキャラクターデータBOOK mini|Hiden: Shō no Sho Official Character Data Book mini}}

* {{Nihongo|Naruto anime and manga Guidebook|秘伝・翔の書オフィシャルキャラクターデータBOOK mini|Hiden: Shō no Sho Official Character Data Book mini}}

* Taken directly from the ''Naruto'' manga chapters and anime episodes.

{{Naruto characters}}

*An early recorded lucid dreamer was the philosopher and physician [[Thomas Browne|Sir Thomas Browne]] (1605&ndash;1682). Browne was fascinated by the world of dreams and stated of his own ability to lucid dream in his [[Religio Medici]]: "... yet in one dream I can compose a whole Comedy, behold the action, apprehend the jests and laugh my self awake at the conceits thereof;"<ref>[[Religio Medici]], part 2:11. Text available at http://penelope.uchicago.edu/relmed/relmed.html</ref>

[[Category:Naruto characters]]

*[[Hervey de Saint-Denys|Marquis d'Hervey de Saint-Denys]] was probably the first person to argue that it is possible for anyone to learn to dream consciously. In [[1867]], he published his book '' Les Reves et les Moyens de Les Diriger; Observations Pratiques (Dreams and How to Guide them; Practical Observations)'', in which he documented more than twenty years of his own research into dreams.

[[Category:Fictional orphans]]

[[Category:Fictional murderers]]

[[ar:جآرا]]

*The term "lucid dreaming" was coined by [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[author]] and [[psychiatrist]] [[Frederik van Eeden]] in his 1913 book ''A Study of Dreams''.<ref>Originally published in the ''Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research'', Vol. 26, [[1913]].</ref> This book was highly anecdotal and not embraced by the scientific community. The term itself is considered by some to be a misnomer because it means much more than just "clear or vivid" dreaming.<ref>[http://www.psywww.com/asc/obe/faq/obe15.html What are lucid dreams?] at Psych Web,</ref> A better term might have been "conscious dreaming". On the other hand, the term 'lucid' was used by van Eeden in its sense of 'having insight', as in the phrase 'a lucid interval' applied to someone in temporary remission from a [[psychosis]], rather than as referring to the perceptual quality of the experience, which may or may not be clear and vivid. To that extent van Eeden's phrase may still be considered appropriate.

[[da:Gaara]]

[[el:Sabaku no Gaara]]

*In the 1950s the [[Senoi]] hunter-gatherers of [[Malaysia]] were reported to make extensive use of lucid dreaming to ensure mental health, although later studies refuted these claims.<ref>''Senoi Dream Theory: Myth, Scientific Method, and the Dreamwork Movement'', by [[G. William Domhoff]], [[2003]]. Retrieved July 10, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://dreamresearch.net/Library/senoi.html</ref>

[[es:Gaara]]

[[fr:Gaara]]

==Achievement Methods==

[[it:Gaara]]

Many people report having experienced a lucid dream during their lives, often in childhood. Children seem to have lucid dreams more easily than adults do. The ability to sleep appears to decrease when people get older.<ref>[http://www.aafp.org/afp/991001ap/1431.html Chronic Insomnia: A Practical Review], by [[Vijay Rajput]], M.D. and [[Steven M. Bromley]], M.D.</ref> Although lucid dreaming is a conditioned skill,<ref>[[LaBerge, Stephen]], ([[1980]]). ''Lucid dreaming as a learnable skill: A case study''. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 51, 1039-1042.</ref> achieving lucid dreams on a regular basis can be difficult and is uncommon, even with training. Despite this difficulty, techniques have been developed to achieve a lucid dreaming state intentionally. The following are common factors that influence lucid dreaming, and techniques that people use to help achieve a lucid dream:

[[ms:Gaara]]

[[ja:我愛羅]]

====Dream Recall====

[[no:Gaara]]

Dream recall is simply the ability to remember dreams. Having good dream recall is often proposed as the first step towards lucid dreaming. A better dream recall ability increases awareness of dreams in general, and a limited dream recall can cause people to forget they had a lucid dream at all. The main technique used to improve dream recall is to keep a [[dream journal]], writing down any dreams remembered the moment one wakes up. It is important to record the dreams as quickly as possible as there is a strong tendency to forget what one has dreamt as time goes on.<ref>{{cite book

[[pl:Gaara]]

| last =Oldis

[[pt:Sabaku no Gaara]]

| first =Daniel

[[ru:Гаара]]

| title = The Lucid Dream Manifesto

[[fi:Gaara]]

| publisher =

[[sv:Gaara]]

| date =

[[tl:Gaara]]

| ___location =

[[th:กาอาระ]]

| pages = page 11

[[vi:Gaara]]

| url =

[[tr:Gaara (Naruto)]]

| doi =

[[zh:我愛羅]]

| id = ISBN 0-595-39539-2 }}</ref>

====Reality Testing====

Reality Testing (also referred to as reality checking) is a common method used by people to determine whether or not they are dreaming. It involves performing an action with results that will be different if the tester is dreaming. By practicing these tests during waking life, one may eventually decide to perform one while dreaming, which will usually fail, hopefully letting the dreamer realize that they are dreaming. Common reality tests include:

*Reading some text, looking away from the text, and reading it again - the text will probably have changed.

*Looking at one's watch (remembering the time), looking away, and looking back. As with the text, the time will probably have changed at the second glance.<ref>[http://www.lucidity.com/LucidDreamingFAQ2.html#realitytest Reality testing], Lucid Dreaming FAQ, by [[The Lucidity Institute]]. ([[October 2006]])</ref>

*Flipping a light switch. Light switches rarely work properly in dreams.

*Looking into a mirror; in dreams, reflections from a mirror often appear to be blurred, distorted or incorrect.<ref>[http://www.lucidity.com/NL52.LightandMirror.html The Light and Mirror Experiment] by [[Lynne Levitan]] and [[Stephen LaBerge]], [[The Lucidity Institute]], from Nightlight 5(10), Summer [[1993]].</ref>

*Plugging one's nose shut, and attempting to breathe through it. It is usually possible to breathe while doing this because the tester is not actually plugging their nose in real life.

*Looking at one's hands one or more times. Hands may look distorted, or grow additional fingers in a dream.

====Dream Signs====

Another form of reality testing involves identifying one's [[dream sign]]s, clues that one is dreaming. Dream signs are often categorized as follows:

* '''Action''' &mdash; The dreamer, another dream character, or a thing does something unusual or impossible in waking life, such as photos in a magazine or newspaper becoming 3-dimensional with full movement.

* '''Context''' &mdash; The place or situation in the dream is strange.

* '''Form''' &mdash; The dreamer, another character, or a thing changes shape, or is oddly formed or transforms; this may include the presence of unusual clothing or hair, or a third person view of the dreamer.

* '''Awareness''' &mdash; A peculiar thought, a strong emotion, an unusual sensation, or altered perceptions. In some cases when moving one's head from side to side, one may notice a strange stuttering or 'strobing' of the image.

* '''Cohesion''' &mdash; Sometimes the dreamer may seem to "teleport" to a completely different ___location in a dream, with no transition whatsoever.

====Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD)====

The ''Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams'' is a common technique used to induce a lucid dream at will by setting an intention, while falling asleep, to remember to recognize that one is dreaming, or to remember to look for [[dream sign]]s when one is in a dream.

====Wake-Back-To-Bed (WBTB)====

The ''Wake-Back-To-Bed'' technique is often the easiest way to induce a lucid dream. The method involves going to sleep tired and waking up five hours later. Then, focusing all thoughts on lucid dreaming, staying awake for an hour and going back to sleep while practicing the MILD method. A 60% success rate has been shown in research using this technique.<ref name="wbtb">[http://www.lucidity.com/NL63.RU.Naps.html An Hour of Wakefulness Before Morning Naps Makes Lucidity More Likely], by [[Stephen LaBerge]], [[Leslie Phillips]], & [[Lynne Levitan]], NightLight 6(3), [[1994]], [[The Lucidity Institute]]</ref> This is because the REM cycles get longer as the night goes on, and this technique takes advantage of the best REM cycle of the night. Because this REM cycle is longer and deeper, gaining lucidity during this time may result in a more lengthy lucid dream.<ref name="wbtb"/>

====Wake-Initiated Lucid Dream (WILD)====

The ''Wake-Initiated Lucid Dream'' "occurs when the sleeper enters REM sleep with unbroken [[self-awareness]] directly from the [[awake|waking state]]".<ref>''Validity Established of Dreamlight Cues for Eliciting Lucid Dreaming'' by [[Stephen LaBerge]] and [[Lynne Levitan]], [[The Lucidity Institute]], from ''Dreaming'', Vol. 5, No. 3, [[1995]].</ref> There are many techniques aimed at entering a WILD. The key to these techniques is recognizing the [[hypnagogia|hypnagogic]] stage, which is within the border of being awake and being [[sleep|asleep]]. If a person is successful in staying aware while this stage occurs, they will eventually enter the dream state while being fully aware that it is a dream.

There are key times at which this state is best entered; while success at night after being awake for a long time is very difficult, it is relatively easy after being awake for 15 or so minutes and in the afternoon during a nap. Common techniques for inducing WILDs abound. Dreamers often count, envision themselves climbing or descending stairs, chant to themselves, explore elaborate, passive sexual fantasies, control their breathing, concentrate on relaxing their body from their toes to their head, allow images to flow through their "mind's eye" and envision themselves jumping into the image, or use various forms of concentration to keep their mind awake, while still being calm enough to let their body sleep. During the actual transition into the dream state, one is likely to experience [[sleep paralysis]], including rapid vibrations,<ref name="ldobe"/> a sequence of very loud sounds and a feeling of twirling into another state of body awareness, "to drift off into another dimension". Also there is frequently a sensation of falling rapidly or dropping through the bed as one enters the dream state or the sensation of entering a dark black room from which one can induce any dream scenario of one's choosing, simply by concentrating on it. The key to being successful is to not panic, especially during the transition which can be quite sudden.

====Induction Devices====

Lucid dream induction is possible by the use of a physical device. The general principle works by taking advantage of the natural phenomenon of incorporating external stimuli into one's dreams. Usually a device is worn while sleeping that can detect when the sleeper enters a REM phase and triggers a noise and/or flashing lights with the goal of these stimuli being incorporated into the dreamer's dream. For example flashing lights might be translated to a car's headlights in a dream. A well known dream induction device is the Nova Dreamer;<ref>[http://www.lucidity.com/novadreamer.html Novadreamer Lucid Dream Induction Device]The Lucidity Institute</ref> however, as of 2006, the device is no longer manufactured.

====Additional Techniques====

* [[Meditation]], and involvement in a conscious focusing on activities can strengthen the ability to experience lucid dreams by making the person more susceptible to noticing small discrepancies of their surroundings. <ref>[http://www.spiritwatch.ca/issue%205.1/LL_5_1_Meditation_Hunt.htm Lucid Dreams and Meditation], by [[Harry T. Hunt]], [[Brock University]], [[Ontario, Canada]], Lucidity Letter, Vol.5, No.1, [[June 1986]].</ref>

* [[Hypnotism]] may help one achieve lucidity.<ref>{{cite book

| last =Oldis

| first =Daniel

| title = The Lucid Dream Manifesto

| publisher =

| date =

| ___location =

| pages = pages 52-53

| url =

| doi =

| id = ISBN 0-595-39539-2 }}</ref>

==Prolonging lucid dreams==

One problem faced by people wishing to lucid dream is awakening prematurely. This premature awakening can be especially frustrating after investing considerable time into achieving lucidity in the first place. Stephen LaBerge proposed two ways to prolong a lucid dream. The first technique involves spinning one's dream body. He proposed that when spinning, the dreamer is engaging parts of the brain that may also be involved in REM activity, helping to prolong REM. The second technique is rubbing one's hands. This technique is intended to engage the dreamer's brain in producing the sensation of rubbing hands, preventing the sensation of lying in bed from creeping into awareness. LaBerge tested his hypothesis by asking 34 volunteers to either spin, rub their hands, or do nothing. Results showed 90% of dreams were prolonged by hand rubbing and 96% prolonged by spinning. Only 33% of lucid dreams were prolonged with taking no action.<ref>[http://www.lucidity.com/NL7.34.RU.SpinFlowRub.html Prolonging Lucid Dreams] by [[[Stephen LaBerge]], [[The Lucidity Institute]], From NightLight 7(3-4), [[1995]].</ref>

==Other associated phenomena==

[[Image:REM.png|thumb|200px|right|[[Rapid eye movement|REM Sleep]]. EEG highlighted by red box. Eye movements highlighted by red line.]]

*[[Rapid eye movement]] (REM) and communication during sleep: during dreaming sleep the eyes move rapidly. Scientific research has found that these eye movements correspond to the direction in which the dreamer is "looking" in his/her dreamscape; this apparently enabled trained lucid dreamers to communicate the content of their dreams as they were happening to researchers by using eye movement signals.<ref>[http://www.lucidity.com/slbbs/index.html] Lucid dreaming: Evidence and methodology. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 23(6), 962-3, LaBerge, S.(2000)</ref> This research produced various results, such as that events in dreams take place in real time rather than going by in a flash.

*[[False awakening]]s: In a false awakening, one suddenly dreams of having been awakened. Commonly in a false awakening the room is identical to the room that the person fell asleep in, with several small subtle differences. If the person was lucid, he/she often believes that he/she is no longer dreaming, and may start exiting their room etc. Since the person is actually still dreaming, this is called a "false awakening". This is often a nemesis in the art of lucid dreaming because it usually causes people to give up their awareness of being in a dream, but it can also cause someone to become lucid if the person does a reality check whenever he/she awakens. People who keep a [[dream journal]] and write down their dreams upon awakening sometimes report having to write down the same dream multiple times because of this phenomenon.

*[[Sleep paralysis]]: During REM sleep the body is paralyzed by a mechanism in the brain, because otherwise the movements which occur in the dream would actually cause the body to move. However, it is possible for this mechanism to be triggered before, during, or after normal sleep while the brain awakens. This can lead to a state where a person is lying in his or her bed and he or she feels frozen. [[Hypnagogia|Hypnagogic]] [[hallucination]]s may occur in this state, especially auditory ones.

==Popular culture==

:''Related article: [[Lucid dreaming in popular culture]]''.

Though lucid dreaming is not well known by the general public, there are references to it in popular culture. A notable example is [[Richard Linklater]]'s film [[Waking Life]].

<!-- STOP DO NOT ADD POP CULTURE REFERENCES HERE, USE THE RELATED ARTICLE ABOVE -->

==Notes==

{{reflist|2}}

==Further reading==

* {{cite book|title=Lucid Dreaming|year=1985|isbn=0-87477-342-3|first=Stephen|last=LaBerge|authorlink=Stephen LaBerge}}

* {{cite book|title=Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming|year=1991|isbn=0-345-37410-X|first=Stephen|last=LaBerge}}

* {{cite book|title=Conscious Mind, Sleeping Brain|year=1988|isbn=0-306-42849-0|authorlink=Jayne Gackenbach|first=Jayne|last=Gackenbach|coauthors=Laberge, Stephen}}

* {{cite book|title=Lucid Dreams|year=1968|isbn=0-900076-00-3|first=Celia|last=Green|authorlink=Celia Green}}

* {{cite book|title=Lucid Dreaming: The Paradox of Consciousness During Sleep|year=1994|isbn=0-415-11239-7|first=Celia|last=Green|coauthors=McCreery, Charles}}

* {{cite book|title=Creative Dreaming|year=1974|isbn=0-671-21903-0|first=Patricia L.|last=Garfield}}

* {{cite book|title=Dreams and How to Guide Them|year=1982|isbn=0-7156-1584-X|first=Hervey|last=de Saint-Denys|authorlink=Hervey de Saint-Denys}}

* {{cite book|title=The Lucid Dreamer|year=1994|isbn=0-671-87248-6|first=Malcom|last=Godwin}}

* {{cite book|title=Tibetan Yogas Of Dream And Sleep|year=1998|isbn=1-55939-101-4|authorlink=Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche|first=Tenzin|last=Wangyal Rinpoche}}

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