Llewellyn's Complete Book of Lucid Dreaming Lib/E: A Comprehensive Guide to Promote Creativity, Overcome Sleep Disturbances & Enhance Health and Wellness

Llewellyn's Complete Book Series #10

by Clare R. Johnson

Wake Up in Your Dreams and Live a Happier, More Lucid Life

A lucid dream is a dream in which you become aware that you're dreaming. It's a powerful opportunity to solve problems, create new possibilities, take charge of your own healing, and explore the depths of reality. This book provides a range of practical techniques and activities to help you bring the creativity and super-conscious awareness of lucid dreaming into your life.

Join international expert Clare R. Johnson as she shares the most up-to-date lucid dreaming techniques on how to get and stay lucid, guide dreams, resolve nightmares, deepen creativity, and integrate dream wisdom into everyday life. Drawing on cutting-edge science and psychology, this book is packed with inspiring stories of life-changing lucid dreams and fascinating insights into topics such as the ethics of dream sex, how to interact with lucid dream figures, and the nature of consciousness.

Whether you're a person who barely remembers your dreams or a lifelong lucid dreamer, this in-depth guide is the perfect next step as you cultivate the power of lucid dreaming.

Praise:

"Dr. Clare Johnson has energetically led the way in revealing the limitless practical and spiritual potential of lucid dreaming, so far-reaching it can change the world. Her clearly-written book is destined to become essential reading for all those interested in lucid dreaming. It points out the essential phenomena of lucid dreaming, and then amazes us by opening its extraordinary major vistas to us, that reveal the true glory and limitless potential of our inner universe. This is a significant book."-Dr. Keith Hearne, the scientist who provided the world's first proof of lucid dreaming in 1975, and inventor of the world's first Dream Machine

"Dr. Clare Johnson's lucid dreaming guide stretches further and digs deeper than anything I have read. Her book is comprehensive, authoritative, and reader-friendly. A lucid dreamer herself, Dr. Johnson provides ways in which dreamers can use lucid dreaming for self-development, for enhancing creativity, for treating nightmares, and for healing themselves and their loved ones."-Stanley Krippner, PhD, professor of psychology at Saybrook University and co-editor of Working with Dreams and PTSD Nightmares

"A gift for lucid dreamers and would-be lucid dreamers everywhere, Dr. Johnson has written a powerful how-to resource book that is also inspirational. Highly recommended!"-Patricia Garfield, PhD, clinical psychologist and author of Creative Dreaming

"What a splendid book! Whether you are new to lucid dreaming or have been working with dreams and writing about them for over thirty years, as I have, you will find a rich source of fascinating information here. I felt I was being carried along by an expert storyteller because the book is so easy to read, though it deals with complex aspects of lucid dreaming-neuroscience, dream mentors, creativity, spirituality, telepathy and so much more."-Brenda Mallon, psychotherapist and author of Dreams, Counselling, and Healing

"What particularly caught my eye as a sleep medicine doctor is how lucid dreaming can benefit nightmares and various other sleep disturbances, including the parasomnias . . . Dr. Johnson has clearly established herself to be the ultimate guide to lucid dreaming. This is a magnificent book!"-Carlos H. Schenck, MD, sleep disorders expert and author of Sleep: The Mysteries, The Problems, and the Solutions

"Dr. Clare Johnson's book is thorough, covers the current research, includes deep, mature understanding of human psyches, and is so artfully written that it opens closed minds with the utmost logic and grace . . . I applaud Dr. Johnson's depth of experience with lucidity and her extraordinary ability to place a vast spectrum of experiences in the context of a well-lived

Genres: Nonfiction, Witchcraft, Spirituality, Psychology, Audiobook, Magic, Self Help

Audio CD

Published March 3, 2020

About the author

Clare R. Johnson, PhD, is a leading expert on lucid dreaming. She has a PhD from the University of Leeds on using lucid dreams as a creative tool (the first doctoral work in the world to explore this topic), is a lifelong lucid dreamer herself, and is President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Her books include Mindful Dreaming (European title: Dream Therapy) and Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Lucid Dreaming.

Reviews

[Kirsty ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had some lucid dreams, usually quite scary ones that I wouldn't wish on anyone. This books gives great insight into what they are and how to work with them. Easy to read, enjoyable subject. Recommended
Free arc form netgalley

[Andras Fuchs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Complete Book of Lucid Dreaming is true to its title: it's really complete according to our knowledge in 2018. Clare Johnson is one of the most experienced lucid dreamers and thanks to her many connections in the lucid dream "scene" her book could summarize the experiences of many others.

I really like the book because it could balance between science and spirituality perfectly, giving the reader just enough scientific background of the phenomena and many interesting yet-not-well-researched spiritual experience descriptions and theories.

The book also has many useful practical tips and exercises you can do every day so that you increase your chances becoming lucid in your dreams.

As you can see here on GoodReads I've read 11 books on the subject and I would say that this book in clearly in the top 3.

This book's weakness is its length. It had some really fascinating stories, but sometimes was too many words with not that much essence. I think this book should have a shortened version with less details, focusing on the main points and exercises.
I'm re-reading my highlighted parts now and it is so much better this way :)

As a personal addition, I would have been glad to see a book with a chapter focusing on the power of a supporting community. I founded the Hungarian Lucid Dreamers' Club in 2014 and it boosted so many people's (including my own) ability to get lucid that I lost counting. I really believe that if you can find a small group of people who supports your journey (like ours) then it's worth more than the best techniques in any book. It would have been great to hear about this aspect from the author, because she is clearly regularly discusses the topic with many others.

All in all, it's a great book and I would recommended it without any hesitation alongside with Daniel Love's "Are you dreaming?" (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...) and Charley Morley's "Dreams of Awakening" (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...).

Sweet dreams!

[Edric Unsane · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's pretty complete, alright, with everything one needs to know about lucid dreaming. If it's something which interests you, this tome is well worth your time.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a thorough book on lucid dreaming. I loved how it covered many angles, including a few that were... Well, challenging my own beliefs. While reading the early chapters on the "how to" lucid dream, I was having one every night. With a bit more work on my end I could certainly do more. I'd recommend this book to anyone considering lucid dreaming. You can read it straight through or refer to it as a reference book.

[Soquel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read chapters 1-5, skipped to 8-14 and then called it quits. I was mostly intersted in being about to use lucid dreaming to promote creativity. This book has lots of studies in it but tends to ramble. I gained much of the same information years ago from a book about how to write in your sleep.

[Didi Oviatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I really struggled with the rating for this book. I was back and forth between a 3 or 4 for a couple of days, putting off writing the actual review because of it. On one hand, I loved loved loved about a third of the content! On the other hand, I found the rest to be a quite a bit repetitive and redundant. I listened to the book on audio, it's a seventeen hour listen, so to have more than half of the book feel unnecessary, it made a big impact on my overall resonation with it. Even half of a book feeling that way is too much. That said, I'm settling for 3.7 rating and rounding it up to 4 here on Goodreads, as you can't really put decimals.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, lets focus on what I DID love. I hate writing negative things in reviews, so other than repetition and personal lack of resonation on such a large amount of it... this book really had some amazing content! When I first picked it up I was seriously walking on a cloud, so excited to learn these things and to give the tips and tricks a try! I'm a very vivid dreamer, and have lucid experiences often as it is. I've also been an avid meditator using visualizations in my practices regularly, including OBE (out of body experience) and REM (rapid eye movement). A lot of the book really just cemented the practices that I already utilize, and helped teach me to focus, relax my body better and to recognize the changes in consciousness a bit more precisely which is phenomenal! Anyone who is familiar with these practices can validate the importance of continuous growth and improvement! Overall, exploring the consciousness is something that I'm passionate about and am ready to take in any and all advice I can get. It's hard to find new stuff that I haven't already read, and I can't even begin to express my gratitude and appreciate for fresh content.
If you're new to the term Lucid Dreaming, it's basically a form of being conscious within the subconscious. So you're recognizing the fact that you're dreaming... sort of like waking up and being conscious within your dreams. A lot of people think the subject is too taboo and ridiculous, especially when told you can actually create, change and steer your dreams in one direction or another. What's cool about this book is that it's written by a very intelligent person who has been studying the subject scientifically for years, along with countless others who are quoted and referred to from cover to cover. It's not all in your imagination, and it's actually a beautiful thing if you have the open mindedness and discipline to give it a try! I love lucid dreaming, and I absolutely adore a few of the tips and breakdowns of the topics that are in this book.
The book starts out with the overall, broad view of what Lucidity is in quite elaborate detail. From there it dives into the first steps that can be utilized to train yourself to become lucid in your dreams and ways you can explore and expand your consciousness while asleep. Things like pausing dreams, steering them, flying/levitating, staying lucid for longer periods of time, and even pulling yourself out of it. There are calming techniques, breathing techniques, and thought reminders right out the gate that can be utilized the very night you start reading the book, which is awesome! The author recalls a LOT of her own personal experiences of her how personal dreams as well as several other test subjects including several other scientists and doctors, even athletes across the board. I found a couple of these references useful, lots of them redundant.
There are several other aspects that the book covers. Just to name a few, when mastering the art of lucidity one can heal traumas, cure ailments including anxiety and much much more, gain a new prospective on the afterlife, improve their spiritual connection, answer questions about their own psyche and more. Untimely, I highly recommend this book, I just think it could be half as long and still just as powerful.

[Gregg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Good Read! This text covers all the research and findings on Lucid Dreaming up to this point. Dr Clare is a very Proficient and Scholarly author. Her chapter order is well thought out and builds a good foundation for the next set of ideas to come. If you are a Lucid Dreaming Neophyte or Aficionado, this text should be apart of your must-read list. I hope to do a more Comprehensive Review later.

[Ērika · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐

[David Clapper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a big book. While Clare includes a disclaimer that no book on the evolving field of lucid dreaming can truly be complete, she comes as close to this goal as you can imagine. It is a very thorough book. Starting off with a state of the art description of how to dream lucidly, Clare then moves on to the various applications of lucid dreaming, from dealing with nightmares, to expanding your sexual horizons, to creativity in word and image. She is very knowledgeable and writes with authority. I read it in one go, which led to reading fatigue as I became satiated with all the detailed information it provides, especially on lucid dreaming applications that don't interest me, but it serves as an admirable reference work. My only criticisms concern her repeated reminders that Keith Hearne was the first to prove the existence of lucid dreaming to the scientific community. She obviously wants to set the record straight, which is a worthy aim, but it gets tiresome after a while. Also, to my taste, she over-uses acronyms. It seems as though every technique or approach she talks about has to have an acronym, and that gets tiring too. And finally, although she never states as much, she presents a number of techniques in a way that you think she thought them up herself when, as an avid reader of LD literature, I recognised them from previous books by other authors. A bit of credit attribution would have been fair. Just re-wording something doesn't make it yours. However, those are the quibbles about an otherwise solid work, which is a virtual encyclopedia on lucid dreaming.

[Matt Owen]

Interesting stuff, but a bit long-winded for me. The first 10 or so chapters have some excellent practical advice and thought-provoking concepts, but the later ones are more focused on meditation, psychological healing, and other lucid dream adjacent topics. I started to lose interest as it got into the deeper aspects of spirituality. Some late chapters veer towards pseudoscience, which was disappointing. I got some good information and perspective out of the book, so I'm glad I checked it out, but it didn't hold my attention like some other books on the topic.

[peach · Rating 4 out of 5]

She kinda lost me there at the end lmao

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first saw this book listed with NetGalley, I was eager to read it. From as far back as I can remember, when I have a really bad nightmare, I’m able to tell myself it’s just a dream and wake myself up. It’s really hard to get myself awake but sometimes it’s all that saves me in the moment lol. Well, at least in the dream. In the past 5-10 years, after sleeping enough hours to be rested, seems I’m semiconscious and dreaming at the same time. I love when this happens. I can mold my dream to what I need, as in solving a problem. Or as in dreaming about my dad who past away, I feel I can connect with him. Although I’ve read this fascinating book, I plan on going back and “studying” it. I had never told people about waking myself up or these lucid dreams for fear they would think me crazy. I feel this book touches on a world of possibilities, the best being that we can maybe heal ourselves emotionally from a traumatic event in our past or what may seem a hopeless situation in the present.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is about as close as I get to mysticism. I'm not a terribly "woo-woo" sort of person but everything Johnson writes makes sense to my practical mind. She sells lucid dreaming pretty hard in terms of what it can accomplish: increased insight, self-awareness, healing of self and others, oneness with the universe, rehearsals for death. But what seem like extravagant promises become plausible through the domino effect of building upon believable reality step by step.

I haven't had any breakthroughs or revelations in regard to lucid dreaming--I've had exactly one lucid dream in my entire life, when I was maybe five or six, and the lucidity faded almost immediately as I proceeded to do nothing more exciting than attempt, and fail, to throw a ball across the room. But I have started keeping a dream journal, which I did for a class assignment way back in college, and it's amazing how much more clarity and detail you retain about dreams once you simply set the intention to remember them. So maybe that's the building block.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a complete and comprehensive book on lucid dreaming and all its related subjects. It is dry and dense but contains more information than any other book about the subject I know of. It did work perfectly to read a few minutes before sleep every night to get my mindset in the right place for dreaming. And its monotonous nature helped me fall asleep! That being said if I had been assigned this as a textbook I would have been overwhelmed. I recommend this to have around the house if you are a lucid dreamer to refer to when you have hiccups in the experience. But it’s not a beginner book or even a book really meant to be read by everyone. More like an encyclopedia to refer to. That being said the author is extraordinarily knowledgeable and experienced and it must have taken years to compile all of this in one volume. Much respect to her!

[Adam Falkenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of info on Lucid Dreaming and how to do it with exercises, examples, etc. Too new age for me though and I didn't really care to read about other people's dreams. I also found many of the ideas to be not probably effective for me, so overall not impressed with the content. However, the depth of the materials was impressive, I guess I just wasn't that interested in the subject, maybe because I have yet to experience a lucid dream.

[Lianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok… it kept my focus on lucid dreaming which in and of itself increases your chances of lucid dreaming ten fold… half the book was really informative however I found it a little unscientific in places and a little too woo woo for me… especially when she goes into OBEs. She references Daniel Love a lot which was great to see… his no nonsense approach to lucid dreaming is more to my taste.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucid dreaming is essential for us all to thrive and live full lives. This is such an important guidebook for how to get lucid, stay lucid and all of the magic that arises while in the dream realm. If you're not lucid dreaming, what are you evening doing for 8 hours a night? It has really helped my dreams and now I'm able to have lucid dreams 3-4x a week.

[Ana Gutierrez · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting book but I found it dificult to keep focus or interest as the writing was long, kind of rambling and repetative in a disjointed rather than emphatic or illustrative way. There were moment of interest and insite that jumped out at me but I had to work for them.

[Dodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, this book is apart of Llewelyn Complete book of ….

This was an audiobook. It was 17 hours. I did find that there was some good information but a lot of the information was repeated throughout the book. I would read/skim through it to get some insights.

[Carrie (The Butterfly Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really don't know what to say about this book other than it really teaches you everything about Lucid Dreaming. I didn't know much about it when I started other than it's a way to 'wake up' in your dreams and control them. There is so much in this book that I can't even cover it all but I will say that if you are looking for some info on this type of thing, then this book is the perfect place to start! It has everything you need to get your going. It's kind of mind blowing the stuff it contains.

*Thanks NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review*

[Penelope]

Interesting.

[Norvile Cerenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I'm way more lucid now. Not only when I'm asleep, but when my eyes are wide open. I can see the beauty in small mundane things. I can hear what I wasn't hearing since I was a little kid. It showed the colorful life that is within me and everyone else. For that, I will always be grateful.

[Sian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting, inspiring and educational. If you’re interested in starting a journey in lucid dreaming, or even upgrading your experiences, it’s a great book to listen to. It’s filled with advice to support ways to make lucid dreaming work for you, that you can utilise in day to day life, it’s not just about being in a dream state and the fun that you can experience. It confirmed to me that I definitely want to get back into my lucid dreaming journey. It’s a book that I would definitely be happy to re-listen to and revise on the tools it provides.

[Sara Casalino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very comprehensive! I love it!