Can you control your dreams? If so, how?

Toodee

I think you can control them by the things you do when your awake.. like having a good day, not getting so angry and speaking up when things bother you. I often find that unfinished business comes up in my dreams. I also try to cram as many good thoughts as I can in my head right before I go to sleep. I relax and listen to various audio tapes that help release tension and so on. I think it helps a great deal.

Clough

I like the answer above, If you are asking about controlling what you will be dreaming about. Also, what you dream can be influenced by what kinds of things you put into your body during the day, like foods, liquids and drugs.

If you are asking about actually taking control of a dream while you are having it, then that is unlikely to happen. Although, I have taken control of what I have been dreaming while I have been dreaming. But, it is a rare occurence. And, I'm not sure of the reasons for being able to do that.

cchotiner333

I'm definitely no expert on this but, the only way that I've been able to control anything about my dreams is when I wake up and make myself go back to sleep right away thinking about the dream and what I want to change about it. I find it better to not control them though. I get more meaning from ones that I didn't bother.

Capuchin

I'm suprised that nobody has mentioned lucid dreaming. This is a state where you realise you are dreaming, and use that fact to exhibit some control over the dream.

You can make it happen more often and for longer through practice. Most people who regularly lucid dream have some kind of reality check that they do throughout the day. They take a minute every now out of the day to really check that the world is real. This makes them hope that they develop it as a habit, and they do it in the dream, realise that it is a dream, and then are able to use their conscious mind to control the dream.

This is something I have experienced a few times myself. I've woken up in the dream, and been able to influence exactly what's happening. It's very valuable to play out different scenarios with no risk.

It's very hard to stay in this state, as your eyes tend to try to open (because theyre open in the dream, but not in reality).

for more information read here: Lucid dreaming - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia