Why Do I Want to Lucid Dream?
Now that you understand the basic idea of lucid dreaming, you must wonder what the value of lucidity is. Why should you spend time researching and understanding it, much less bother to practice it?
Lucid dreams are the key to this mind. While in a passive dream, we watch and participate in the dream as though it is real life. We have no knowledge that this seemingly real (though later noticeably bizarre) world is not the physical realm. We waste ours of dreaming because we don't realize that we are in a place where we have no incapabilities, no restraints, no limits!
As if it isn't enough to explore a world where the boundaries are your imagination, the lucid dreamer still has a great advantage in life. In dreams, the characters and objects and parts of ourselves... each character is a different facet of our mind and personality. We can ask dream characters questions and receive answers that were in our minds all along... only we did not recognize the solutions that were right before us.
In a lucid dream, you can take control and overcome fears and problems. Often you will dream of a situation you are actually handling in real life right now. How do you suppose it would affect your attitude if you could stand up and overcome the situation? This might actually help you conquer your fears and pressures when you go back to the "real world"... you'll be prepared by your dream rehearsal!
Recurring dreams can also be stopped through lucidity. Many have recurring nightmares that are the result of some kind of trauma or a childhood tragedy. While they seem unstoppable to the passive dreamer, the lucid dreamer can take hold of the situation, control it, and finally conquer it. Most who have tried this method will find that the dream actually does stop returning. Once the dreaming mind considers the memory to be dealt with, it quits bothering you about it.
You can go places and do things you have always wanted to do within the dream realms. It can be an escape from life when things are tough and it can bring you a little solitude. When life is busy it can be a great relief of stress to have awareness in the dream world, where you can let your cares slip away, do things you wish you had time to do during the work day. Even though it isn't happening in the physical world, you will feel much happier and more relaxed thanks to your dream experiences. Don't underestimate the power of the mind to make anything you want happen- tell yourself you deserve it and let your dreams take flight!