“The earliest known descriptions of lucid dreaming come to us from Hindu scriptures dating back over 3,000 years ago.”
“In the West, the earliest mention of lucid dreaming comes from Aristotle, some 2,000 years ago.”
“In 1867……first known record of a systematic exploration of lucid dreaming.” – disinfo – The Science of Lucid Dreaming – –
“Ancient
Early references to the phenomenon are found in ancient Greek writing. For example, the philosopher Aristotle wrote: ‘often when one is asleep, there is something in consciousness which declares that what then presents itself is but a dream’.[5] Meanwhile, the physician Galen of Pergamon used lucid dreams as a form of therapy.[6] In addition, a letter written by Saint Augustine of Hippo in 415 AD tells the story of a dreamer, Doctor Gennadius, and refers to lucid dreaming.[7]
Zhuangzi dreaming of a butterfly
In Eastern thought, cultivating the dreamer’s ability to be aware that he or she is dreaming is central to both the Tibetan Buddhist practice of dream Yoga, and the ancient Indian Hindu practice of Yoga nidra. The cultivation of such awareness was common practice among early Buddhists.[8]
17th century
Philosopher and physician Sir Thomas Browne (1605–1682) was fascinated by dreams and described his own ability to lucid dream in his Religio Medici, stating: ‘…yet in one dream I can compose a whole Comedy, behold the action, apprehend the jests and laugh my self awake at the conceits thereof’.[9]
Also, Samuel Pepys in his diary entry for 15 August 1665 records a dream, stating: “I had my Lady Castlemayne in my arms and was admitted to use all the dalliance I desired with her, and then dreamt that this could not be awake, but that it was only a dream”.[10]
19th century
In 1867, the French sinologist Marie-Jean-Léon, Marquis d’Hervey de Saint Denys anonymously published Les Rêves et Les Moyens de Les Diriger; Observations Pratiques (‘Dreams and the ways to direct them; practical observations’), in which describes his own experiences of lucid dreaming, and proposes that it is possible for anyone to learn to dream consciously.[11][12]
20th century
Frederik van Eeden and Marquis d’Hervey de Saint Denys, pioneers of lucid dreaming.
In 1913, Dutch psychiatrist and writer Frederik (Willem) van Eeden (1860–1932) coined the term ‘lucid dream’ in an article entitled “A Study of Dreams”.[4][5][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][excessive citations]
Some have suggested that the term is a misnomer because van Eeden was referring to a phenomenon more specific than a lucid dream.[19] Van Eeden intended the term lucid to denote “having insight”, as in the phrase a lucid interval applied to someone in temporary remission from a psychosis, rather than as a reference to the perceptual quality of the experience, which may or may not be clear and vivid.” – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream