Heart racing, in a cold sweat, you’re jolted out of sleep with such rude force that you actually sit up and say aloud, with a touch of confusion and enormous relief ‘‘…it was only a dream. ’’ The one eyed man wielding the gun, or perhaps a one eyed lecturer waving a failed essay, is left behind in the shadows of your mind. Have you ever wondered what it would feel like if you could face the man, look into his one eye, and calmly say ‘‘Move along Cyclops, I’m dreaming and you can’t get me?’’ Any nightmare could be tolerated, any fantasy could be lived, because you’d know you’re in Dream World. Your Technicolor utopia, if you could be cognizant of this dream state.

I’ve always been a vivid dreamer. There has rarely been a morning when I’ve woken up and not remembered what has occurred in my head over the past eight hours. I don’t doubt that my flatmates grow weary of my daily ‘‘I had the strangest dream last night. ’’ I’ve heard people say on many occasions, ‘‘I don’t dream ’’. Yet in reality, studies have shown that our brains are actually more active while we are asleep.

The idea of not recalling your dreams is foreign to me, even melancholy. Whether a dream is joyful or scary or quite ordinary, reflecting on dreams is part of my daily routine. It was after seeing the highly anticipated Inception this summer that got me thinking about lucid dreaming. If Leonardo DiCaprio can tap into his sleeping mind and perform feats that defy explanation, surely there must be a way for us to do this as we slumber on through the night.

A lucid dream was simply defined by Frederik van Eeden as ‘‘a form of dreaming in which the conscious mind takes control over the contents of the dream, where the dreamer can participate in and manipulate the imaginary experiences in the dream environment ’’.

Van Eeden was a Dutch psychiatrist of the late 19th century and after reading through his ‘‘Study of Dreams,’’ it is clear that this man was a regular dream connoisseur. Someone as interested in his dreams as his waking life. Exploring and understanding this phenomena has grown since then, with the University of Edinburgh conducting it's own dream research.

You’ve probably experienced a lucid dream at some point over the course of your life. These moments of clarity happen primarily as fluke Perhaps you were sitting on a train on the way up to Edinburgh, expecting to have an unremarkable nap. Eyelids heavy, the rocking motion guiding you down into the deepest layers of sleep, until... wait, I’m dreaming right now? Such a strange realisation. After experiencing this sensation, you are most likely to be both perplexed and intrigued. And happy. It’s a topsy turvy world of no social or physical consequences.

"Somehow, I knew I was dreaming, so I jumped off the roof of my house and just... flew" says third year student Alice Holroyd.

Contrary to popular belief that such dreams can only happen sporadically, there are ways to train your mind to achieve this mysterious reverie. However, like most things in life, it’s not a cakewalk. You need to put in some effort. In fact, you can start right now, for dream recall is the first ingredient to becoming a lucid dreamer. Try and remember what you dreamt last night, and jot it down. Sometimes it can be tricky, as the average person has about five dreams a night. Getting a handle of your personal dreamscape is key, and it’s suggested by van Eeden to record your dreams on a daily basis. This way, the dreamer comes to recognise the recurring features and patterns of their dreams, and are more likely to realise they are in a dream when it’s actually happening.

Correspondingly, ask yourself the question ‘‘Am I dreaming right now?’’ Chances are, you’re not, but repetition is important. If you’re lucky, this question will sneak its way into your Dream World…et voila! You’ve outsmarted yourself, and you’re ready to take on ghouls and demons or walk out of a lecture without an ounce of hesitation, just because you can. Be wary, though. Lucid dreams are slippery and hard to hold onto. They can only happen during rapid eye movement (REM) periods of sleep. REM sleep is the time when an individual will experience dreams, and it only occupies about two hours of a night’s sleep. Use your time wisely.

If you’re serious about lucid dreaming, it will mean more than taking a dream joyride. What you achieve in your Dream World can positively affect your waking life. "Your nightmares are usually manifestations of real life fears," explains Hannah Morris, a University of Edinburgh psychology student.

In Dream World, you can be audacious and outspoken, without the worry of repercussions. If you consciously tackle your fears and worries in a dream, the confidence you gain has the possibility of filtering into your waking life.

Your dread of public speaking could lessen, as you have an unthreatening environment to practice in. The practical benefits of lucid dreaming are far reaching. Your dreams can lead to discoveries. For example, Friedrich August Kekulé, a scientist from the turn of the 19th century, unearthed the structure of the benzene molecule during a series of dreams. Rather than solving problems in your head, you can solve them in a three dimensional dream space. Experiment, explore, investigate. Turn this parallel universe upside down and see what happens. Make Leo proud.

With the immense popularity of the fantasy genre, from Alice in Wonderland to the Twilight series, people obviously enjoy the idea of entering into a world where anything can happen. Now that you know a little more about the possibilities of dreams, persevere. You don’t have to be a silent spectator. Instead of falling down the rabbit hole, you simply have to close your eyes.