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Lucid: The Tao of Dreaming
Lucidity through simplicity. Calling on the principles of Zen, Taoism, minimalism and oneirology, expert lucid dream and consciousness researcher Daniel Love takes you on a personal journey into the deeper practices of lucid dreaming and lucid living. Acting as a philosophical counterpart to bestselling lucid dream guidebook, 'Are You Dreaming?', ' The Tao of Dreaming' is an enchiridion of unique insights exploring the journey of lucid dreaming and the many ways in which it may enhance and enlighten one's waking life. Sitting somewhere between philosophy and art, 'Lucid' offers the serious practitioner of lucid living a series of distilled meditations or "mind-seeds" designed to take root in the soil of your own awareness. • Perfect for those interested • Lucid dreaming • Dream exploration • Mindfulness • Meditation • Self-knowledge • Minimalism 'Lucid' is a portable and inspiring daytime companion for those interested in the joys of living a simple and lucid life.
104 pages, Paperback
Published April 8, 2018
About the author
Daniel Love
4 books21 followersDaniel Love is an internationally recognised lucid dreaming teacher specialising in consciousness, dreaming, and the psychology of sleep. He is the founder of The Lucid Guide and International Lucid Dreaming Day, and the bestselling author of Are You Dreaming? and its philosophical companion, Lucid: The Tao of Dreaming - widely regarded as essential books for anyone learning how to lucid dream.
His journey into lucid dreaming techniques did not begin with a spiritual calling, but with a practical need. From early childhood, Daniel experienced severe recurring nightmares and sleepwalking, and gradually learned to develop lucidity and dream control as a way of navigating his nights. That early experience led to over 40 years of personal investigation into dreaming, sleep, and consciousness, followed by more than 20 years of teaching lucid dreaming to students around the world.
Daniel teaches a clear, scientifically responsible approach to learning lucid dreaming grounded in psychology, philosophy, critical thinking, and direct experience. His work avoids pop-spiritual explanations in favour of methods that are realistic, testable, and applicable in everyday life. Many people are drawn to conscious dreaming because it feels significant long before they can explain why, and Daniel treats that pull with respect rather than dismissal or easy answers. At the heart of his teaching is a simple aim: to provide the kind of honest, reliable guidance he wished had existed when he was younger.
He is the creator of the Cycle Adjustment Technique (CAT) and the Artistic Response Test (ART), two foundational frameworks used by students and researchers worldwide to develop reliable lucid dreaming skills and improve nightmare-affected sleep. These and other proven methods form the core of his lucid dreaming courses and private tuition work.
Daniel’s authority is grounded in the history of lucid dream research itself. He is endorsed by Dr Keith Hearne, the scientist responsible for the first laboratory verification of lucid dreaming, who described Daniel as:
“The most authentic and comprehensive lucid dreaming teacher of our time.”
His expertise in sleep and consciousness has been featured by the BBC, CNN, and The New York Times, and he has worked as a dream science consultant on international media projects, including productions for Amazon Prime and Finite Films.
Alongside private tuition and ongoing research, Daniel runs the popular YouTube channel Daniel Love – Lucid Dreaming Teacher, where he challenges common myths and helps people move from vague ideas about lucid dreaming towards clarity, confidence, and genuine skill. His practical, evidence-based approach has helped thousands of people learn lucid dreaming through structured instruction.
He lives and works in Devon, England, where his days are split between teaching, reading, writing, and thinking about the mind (often out loud). When not working, he can usually be found walking near the coast or attempting to debate philosophy with his cat, Chikon, who remains unconvinced by most arguments.
His journey into lucid dreaming techniques did not begin with a spiritual calling, but with a practical need. From early childhood, Daniel experienced severe recurring nightmares and sleepwalking, and gradually learned to develop lucidity and dream control as a way of navigating his nights. That early experience led to over 40 years of personal investigation into dreaming, sleep, and consciousness, followed by more than 20 years of teaching lucid dreaming to students around the world.
Daniel teaches a clear, scientifically responsible approach to learning lucid dreaming grounded in psychology, philosophy, critical thinking, and direct experience. His work avoids pop-spiritual explanations in favour of methods that are realistic, testable, and applicable in everyday life. Many people are drawn to conscious dreaming because it feels significant long before they can explain why, and Daniel treats that pull with respect rather than dismissal or easy answers. At the heart of his teaching is a simple aim: to provide the kind of honest, reliable guidance he wished had existed when he was younger.
He is the creator of the Cycle Adjustment Technique (CAT) and the Artistic Response Test (ART), two foundational frameworks used by students and researchers worldwide to develop reliable lucid dreaming skills and improve nightmare-affected sleep. These and other proven methods form the core of his lucid dreaming courses and private tuition work.
Daniel’s authority is grounded in the history of lucid dream research itself. He is endorsed by Dr Keith Hearne, the scientist responsible for the first laboratory verification of lucid dreaming, who described Daniel as:
“The most authentic and comprehensive lucid dreaming teacher of our time.”
His expertise in sleep and consciousness has been featured by the BBC, CNN, and The New York Times, and he has worked as a dream science consultant on international media projects, including productions for Amazon Prime and Finite Films.
Alongside private tuition and ongoing research, Daniel runs the popular YouTube channel Daniel Love – Lucid Dreaming Teacher, where he challenges common myths and helps people move from vague ideas about lucid dreaming towards clarity, confidence, and genuine skill. His practical, evidence-based approach has helped thousands of people learn lucid dreaming through structured instruction.
He lives and works in Devon, England, where his days are split between teaching, reading, writing, and thinking about the mind (often out loud). When not working, he can usually be found walking near the coast or attempting to debate philosophy with his cat, Chikon, who remains unconvinced by most arguments.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 27, 2018
What a wonderful book.
August 12, 2018
This is a short but beautiful book with some deep and thoughtful ideas that may be lost on some. It's a very different book from the authors first which is one of my all time favourites.
October 14, 2020
A profound book!
I was gifted this lovely little book by my partner who knows I love everything lucid dream related.
I've read almost everything written about lucid dreaming and 'lucid' might just be one of the most special books I've found.
As an experienced lucid dreamer there were amazingly subtle insights that really helped me to come to terms with a few questions I'd grappled with for years. By the looks of things the subtleties in this beautiful little book flew over the head of some of the reviewers here. I'm not surprised as this isn't a book for those with simple minds or who need to be spoon fed ideas.
This is a book that challenges you to think by pointing you in the right direction and then setting you on your way.
The author explains that the boom is based on the same principles as the Tao Te Ching and Haiku, so anyone familiar with these will understand the concept of boiling a complex idea down to its component parts.
Other reviewers have called this a 'book of poems', it quite clearly isn't, but I can understand why some who are unfamiliar with this style of teaching may miss the point.
It's definitely a very different book from the author's previous and great book 'Are You Dreaming', so don't expect more of the same. Instead you get an insight into lucid dreaming from the perspective of a man who has clearly lived and breathed the subject his entire life.
Another reviewer called this "pretentious" but I couldn't disagree more, it's about as real as it gets. I'd say this book is a treasure that can only be unlocked by those who have earned the ability to recognise it. Those with a basic beginner's understanding or who want to have their hand held will most likely be baffled it all.
This is to be expected. Many important works of art divide opinion and shed light on the understanding and comprehension of the viewer. 'Lucid' does just this. For me it has become a way to distinguish between those I want to talk to about lucid dreaming and those I don't.
Those who 'get it' are the kinds of people I'd love to spend a night under the stars with and discuss the mysteries of life. Those who don't are almost always people o know would bore me.
If nothing more the author has given me a great way to quickly establish the wheat from the chaff.
I recommend this book for anyone who likes to be challenged or think about the world in more than two dimensions. Especially those who love the space where science and art meet.
I was gifted this lovely little book by my partner who knows I love everything lucid dream related.
I've read almost everything written about lucid dreaming and 'lucid' might just be one of the most special books I've found.
As an experienced lucid dreamer there were amazingly subtle insights that really helped me to come to terms with a few questions I'd grappled with for years. By the looks of things the subtleties in this beautiful little book flew over the head of some of the reviewers here. I'm not surprised as this isn't a book for those with simple minds or who need to be spoon fed ideas.
This is a book that challenges you to think by pointing you in the right direction and then setting you on your way.
The author explains that the boom is based on the same principles as the Tao Te Ching and Haiku, so anyone familiar with these will understand the concept of boiling a complex idea down to its component parts.
Other reviewers have called this a 'book of poems', it quite clearly isn't, but I can understand why some who are unfamiliar with this style of teaching may miss the point.
It's definitely a very different book from the author's previous and great book 'Are You Dreaming', so don't expect more of the same. Instead you get an insight into lucid dreaming from the perspective of a man who has clearly lived and breathed the subject his entire life.
Another reviewer called this "pretentious" but I couldn't disagree more, it's about as real as it gets. I'd say this book is a treasure that can only be unlocked by those who have earned the ability to recognise it. Those with a basic beginner's understanding or who want to have their hand held will most likely be baffled it all.
This is to be expected. Many important works of art divide opinion and shed light on the understanding and comprehension of the viewer. 'Lucid' does just this. For me it has become a way to distinguish between those I want to talk to about lucid dreaming and those I don't.
Those who 'get it' are the kinds of people I'd love to spend a night under the stars with and discuss the mysteries of life. Those who don't are almost always people o know would bore me.
If nothing more the author has given me a great way to quickly establish the wheat from the chaff.
I recommend this book for anyone who likes to be challenged or think about the world in more than two dimensions. Especially those who love the space where science and art meet.
October 20, 2020
This is the most profound book I have ever come across. Lucid is a book that, if you let it, will truly make you stop and think. In my opinion, it is nothing short of a treasure trove.
I have to admit that I didn't expect this to be a life-altering book when I purchased it, but that's exactly what it turned out to be for me. It has even surpassed all of my other all-time favourite books, and I now consider this book to be my absolute favourite one (this is quite a feat, as I'm very emotionally attached to my other favourite books as well; and they have all been with me considerably longer than Lucid: The Tao of Dreaming has).
One of the very many beautiful aspects of this book is that, the way I see it, each verse presents me as the reader with a topic in a way that encourages me to use the text as a springboard for my own philosophical meanderings. This is not a "how-to" book — in my opinion, it is a book that encourages you to truly stop and think, and then make up your own mind. In saying that, another thing I absolutely adore about this book is that (at least to me) Lucid really is a case of "The more you pu into it, the more you get out of it". If you invest in this book, it will reward you greatly.
I've noticed quite a few reviews referring to this book as "a book of poems", and even "pretentious". If viewed only on a surface level, I suppose I can see how some might find this book pretentious, but to be honest, I get the feeling that these reviewers may have skipped the book's preface section, and/or haven't given each verse enough time to sink in. The author says in the preface that he "suggest[s] that the reader approach this book as a series of meditations", and that he asks the reader to "view this book as one would a gallery, as a place for inspiration". This is absolutely how I go about to get the most out of this book personally as well.
As previously stated, Lucid: The Tao of Dreaming has become my favourite book of all time, and I can't recommend it enough. If you let it, it will likely take you through the whole range of emotions — it certainly does this for me. I'm so glad I found this book.
I have to admit that I didn't expect this to be a life-altering book when I purchased it, but that's exactly what it turned out to be for me. It has even surpassed all of my other all-time favourite books, and I now consider this book to be my absolute favourite one (this is quite a feat, as I'm very emotionally attached to my other favourite books as well; and they have all been with me considerably longer than Lucid: The Tao of Dreaming has).
One of the very many beautiful aspects of this book is that, the way I see it, each verse presents me as the reader with a topic in a way that encourages me to use the text as a springboard for my own philosophical meanderings. This is not a "how-to" book — in my opinion, it is a book that encourages you to truly stop and think, and then make up your own mind. In saying that, another thing I absolutely adore about this book is that (at least to me) Lucid really is a case of "The more you pu into it, the more you get out of it". If you invest in this book, it will reward you greatly.
I've noticed quite a few reviews referring to this book as "a book of poems", and even "pretentious". If viewed only on a surface level, I suppose I can see how some might find this book pretentious, but to be honest, I get the feeling that these reviewers may have skipped the book's preface section, and/or haven't given each verse enough time to sink in. The author says in the preface that he "suggest[s] that the reader approach this book as a series of meditations", and that he asks the reader to "view this book as one would a gallery, as a place for inspiration". This is absolutely how I go about to get the most out of this book personally as well.
As previously stated, Lucid: The Tao of Dreaming has become my favourite book of all time, and I can't recommend it enough. If you let it, it will likely take you through the whole range of emotions — it certainly does this for me. I'm so glad I found this book.
October 3, 2020
This book is very different than his other book 'Are you dreaming?' (which was a very good book actually). They are thoughts, poems, philosophic moments, some advice here and page fillers there. Not a book you will read in one go (although you can, because it's small and easy to read), it's more a book you keep on your table to read a page or 2 when you have time.
Did it teach me anything new as an experienced lucid dreamer? Sadly, no. I was waiting for some golden nuggets, anything which could amuse me as a lucid dreamer but they were all things I've heard before,... like simple reminders.
Another thing I want to mention, which can be found in other reviews on other website's too - he had a kickstarter project back in 2016, to release a book series about dreaming called "The Lucid Dreamer's Guide to the Cosmos". A very promising series, and then this booklet of thoughts appeared. No cosmos series, no more kickstarter updates since 2018, it's like the whole kickstarter project vanished in thin air. All the webdomains (like http://www.luciddreamersguide.com/ ), social media for these series and video previews (on youtube) turned into dead links. He moved webdomains and youtube quite a few times until he reached his current youtube account about lucid dreaming with weird clickbait layouts. It makes you wonder what happened with all the kickstarter money....
To put it bluntly (but this is how it feels to me), it seems the TAO book was the first sign of his commercialism and it all went downhill from there. He's not the first who tries to earn big $$ with lucid dreaming and sure won't be the last... but honestly to master this skill you don't need clickbait video's, expensive courses, support kickstarters for new gadgets or supplements. Willpower and a few good books are all you need.
Did it teach me anything new as an experienced lucid dreamer? Sadly, no. I was waiting for some golden nuggets, anything which could amuse me as a lucid dreamer but they were all things I've heard before,... like simple reminders.
Another thing I want to mention, which can be found in other reviews on other website's too - he had a kickstarter project back in 2016, to release a book series about dreaming called "The Lucid Dreamer's Guide to the Cosmos". A very promising series, and then this booklet of thoughts appeared. No cosmos series, no more kickstarter updates since 2018, it's like the whole kickstarter project vanished in thin air. All the webdomains (like http://www.luciddreamersguide.com/ ), social media for these series and video previews (on youtube) turned into dead links. He moved webdomains and youtube quite a few times until he reached his current youtube account about lucid dreaming with weird clickbait layouts. It makes you wonder what happened with all the kickstarter money....
To put it bluntly (but this is how it feels to me), it seems the TAO book was the first sign of his commercialism and it all went downhill from there. He's not the first who tries to earn big $$ with lucid dreaming and sure won't be the last... but honestly to master this skill you don't need clickbait video's, expensive courses, support kickstarters for new gadgets or supplements. Willpower and a few good books are all you need.
August 6, 2020
The book is very pretencious, the author doesnt live an authenticity that the book speaks of and one feels this.
This to me is a problem I see so much, those who write such words and speak of things yet it is not thier life or who they are.
So it would serve you much greater to buy a book from someone who really embodies what they speak about because you will undoubtedly feel it which will have a far greater resonance on you.
This to me is a problem I see so much, those who write such words and speak of things yet it is not thier life or who they are.
So it would serve you much greater to buy a book from someone who really embodies what they speak about because you will undoubtedly feel it which will have a far greater resonance on you.
October 17, 2020
I should have read the foreword before buying this book. The author collected his short poems and published them in this book.
It didn't teach me or inspire me to have more lucid dreams.
His previous book "Are you dreaming?" is still one of my very favorites though!
It didn't teach me or inspire me to have more lucid dreams.
His previous book "Are you dreaming?" is still one of my very favorites though!
October 29, 2024
A little too preachy at times for me, but there are some sections that made me think.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews