Control your dreams to overcome fears, teen writes

civen By civen The Post-Standard
on March 11, 2008 at 12:26 AM, updated August 01, 2013 at 2:46 PM
Photo illustration
Ryan DeOrdio, a sophomore at Onondaga Central High School, wrote the following essay.

Imagine being in complete control of everything in your environment, including the laws of physics.

It's not science fiction. It's lucid dreaming.

Lucid dreaming means knowing when you're in a dream. Once you're aware, you can manipulate virtually every factor of the dream.

Achieving a lucid dream requires research and practice, but it's not impossible. In fact, it's easier for those who are younger, so now is a great time to try.

Personally, I have experienced two lucid dreams in my life that I am able to remember. The most recent was in January, and it was quite possibly the greatest experience of my life.

Once I realized I was dreaming, I was able to stop bullets without even having to see them.The experience was amazing - the closest I'll ever get to being a superhero. I've even written a few songs about it.

Those who have frequent nightmares would also benefit greatly from being able to control a dream. Studies show that those who can overcome fear in nightmares are subconsciously braver when facing frightful situations in reality.

Many criticize those who sleep a lot and dream. They say it's a waste of time.

I say that lucid dreams can make you more confident, help you solve problems, spark creativity, and give you a brief feeling of being in total control. What teenager doesn't want that?

I must be dreaming
Before you can control your dreams, you have to know when you're dreaming. Here are some common "dream signs."
*bull; You have more fingers or toes than normal
*bull; You can breathe under water
*bull; Light switches don't work
*bull; Words or numbers are different when you look at them a second time
*bull; Your skin is overly elastic when you pinch it