In lucid dreams, we are aware that we are dreaming, and with this awareness, we can guide and shape the dream, or go with the flow of events. We may find ourselves flying over magnificent vistas, breathing underwater, transforming into an eagle, hugging a much missed deceased friend, or simply soaking up the astonishingly real imagery and sensations of being conscious in a dream world.

When we engage lucidly with our dreams, we illuminate them from within. One of the wonderful things about lucid dreaming is that we can guide the dream into a soulful, spiritual experience as soon as we realise that we are dreaming. In Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Lucid Dreaming, I write:

“Dreams are a mirror. They reflect everything about us, including our religious training and beliefs, our existential doubt, and our conflicting feelings about death, the afterlife, and the divine. Lucidity can bring us closer to our idea of the divine and even change and form our ideas about death. In lucid dreams everyone can discover their own version of spirituality if they feel so inclined.

Just hanging out in the lucid void, which feels a little how I imagine outer space must feel to an astronaut, can be mind-blowing. If we then experience a feeling of complete oneness and connection, whatever our religious affiliation, we will typically return from the experience refreshed and awed, and perhaps with a mind full of existential questions about the nature of the self, consciousness, life, death, and reality.”

What kind of thing happens in a spiritual lucid dream?

• People may dream of mystical light or the sense of entering the presence of a deeply wise or holy being.
• There is often a sense of ecstatic union with what the dreamer recognises to be a spiritual force.
• The overwhelming feeling is usually one of deep spiritual connection and oneness.
• There are two main types of spiritual lucid dreams: firstly, the ones that involve imagery, and secondly, the ones that take place in an imageless space.

Spiritual lucid dreams with vivid imagery

One lucid dreamer, Anja, shares an experience in Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Lucid Dreaming. In a lucid dream, she discovers a field of giant sitting Buddhas, each one as tall as a skyscraper. At first she thinks they are made of stone… but then she sees that they are breathing! She describes what happens next:

“Then one of the Buddhas opens his eyes and turns towards me! I’m terrified, but then I see that his eyes are full of love, full of peace. I’m not afraid anymore. His eyes are filled with light. Even though they have pupils, these eyes are no ordinary eyes; they are made of light and don’t look human. They are supernatural, but loving. Even though the Buddhas are so big, so powerful, I stay where I am. I don’t want to disturb them, as they look so mystical. They are like protectors.”

Anja’s dream woke her up to her own inner power and spiritual connection. Even when we know that we are dreaming, it can be frightening to face our own power and our connection with the divine. But it can also be deeply comforting and give us a renewed sense of why we are alive and what we are here to do.

Lucid dreams when the imagery falls away and we float in space

Many lucid dreamers report the dream dissolving or collapsing, and they then find themselves floating in what feels like infinite black space, fully conscious yet with no sense of being “in a body” – not even a dream body. This in itself can quickly lead to a spiritual experience.

In this lucid dream, I fly out of a “regular” lucid dream with imagery, and into white light:

I hover up, vibrating, and fly again. I’m in whitish space, endless neutral light. I try flying as fast as I can and it’s so quick it’s impossible to describe – I could go around the circumference of the world in a second at this speed. There’s enough room in this white space for absolutely anything and I’m alight with exhilaration.

In these types of spiritual lucid dreams, people often report dissolving into oneness. In this dream, I felt as if I became light-energy itself.

Light in dreams tends to reflect a connection to spirit and soul, and when we begin to pay attention to luminous dream imagery, or light-filled spaces in our dreams, we begin a whole new adventure that can lead us to incredible experiences of bliss, safety, oneness, and compassion.

We awaken from such experiences refreshed and energised, with a sense of universal connection and profound belonging.

How do we initiate spiritual experiences in lucid dreams?

• First we need to become lucid in a dream! Try my top 10 tips for getting lucid in dreams, described on this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIJJIb3NOGE
• Create a clear verbal request for a spiritual experience to say aloud when you next become lucid in a dream. This could be: “Show me the Divine!” Or: “I am open to having a spiritual experience in this dream!” Or it could be a question: “Where do we go when we die?”
• When you become lucid in a dream, shout out your request or question, and be open to whatever happens next. You may find yourself being lifted up and whirled into a new scene, or something may materialise before you. Feel safe: you will wake safely in your bed after this experience, so be curious and alert and open to what your dreaming mind comes up with. It could well be something life-affirming and wonderful!

How can you get hold of Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Lucid Dreaming?

This new release can be ordered at any physical bookstore in the world, and it is available in many online stores, such as: Barnes & Noble, Llewellyn Worldwide, and Amazon.com. It’s also available as a Kindle ebook. Do contact me via my website or leave a comment on any of my YouTube videos.

Clare R. Johnson, PhD is Vice President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. She has researched lucid dreaming for over 20 years and is a lifelong lucid dreamer. She is the author of two lucid dream inspired novels, Breathing in Colour and Dreamrunner, and two new nonfiction books: Dream Therapy (Mindful Dreaming in the US/Canada), and Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Lucid Dreaming. Visit her at www.DeepLucidDreaming.com