It is a time of year we are surrounded by spooky shadow archetypes, ghosts, demons, and other-worldly entities. Could it be nearing All Hallow’s Eve? Or…could you be dreaming?

The lucid dream state—and its endless possibilities—are accessible through meditation and other techniques as you drift off to sleep. These are called Wake-Initiated Lucid Dreams (WILDs) because you consciously witness yourself fall asleep and begin to dream while knowing you are dreaming. WILDs are a powerful method that allow direct entry into the lucid dream state, relying less on prospective memory than a typical dream in which lucidity onset occurs amidst an ongoing dream.

During a WILD, it is common to witness the body go into a state of sleep paralysis. The sleep-wake transition is often charged with anomalous experiences. You may have the perception of leaving your body, or be visited by dark and frightful images, the “Old Hag,” ghosts-like…