Have you heard of lucid dreaming before? Probably, but there’s a good chance you didn’t really remember what they meant, which is a little ironic because the meaning is all about remembering things — which we’ll get to in a second.

After coming across some articles on lucid dreaming over the past few weeks, we decided to do a little more research on the stuff, wondering how it can help live out all of our sex fantasies. As it turns out, it’s completely possible to do just that, and we’re going to tell you everything you need about lucid dreaming, as well as how to use them to your sexual advantage.

We all know about wet dreams that occur, seemingly, out of nowhere, where we wake up a little wetter and/or stickier than we were when we first laid our head against the pillow. But imagine being able to channel that sexual energy and those thoughts and actually control what you’re dreaming about. Sounds pretty awesome, right?

Since we’re all about trying new things, we’ll explain how lucid dreaming can lead to some of the best sex of your life — even if it doesn’t actually include partnering up with someone. Keep reading to see how, gents.

What exactly is lucid dreaming?

By definition, lucid dreaming is a dream where a person is fully aware that they’re dreaming, and, in most cases, can control the story. While lucid dreaming, a person might gain some amount of control over the dream characters, narrative and environment, although it’s not completely necessary in order to be categorized as being a lucid dream.

A good example of this is if you and your girlfriend aren’t living out your sex fantasies — like oral or anal sex. If this ever happens, it’s plausible that lucid dreaming can help you control the characters, scene and story of a dream, which, in effect, can help you live out some of your sexual desires.

Why use lucid dreaming to fulfill sex fantasies?

The simpler question might be, “Why not use lucid dreaming to fulfill sex fantasies?” No, seriously, if we’re all just sexual beasts who want to enjoy our sexual experiences, wouldn’t it make sense to do what you can to control the kinds of things you’re dreaming about more regularly? Sure, lucid dreaming takes practice, time and, even then, might not always work, but it’s been in practice since about 1913, so there are methods to help people experience it.

A recent example of someone using lucid dreaming came in a VICE article, where a woman tried using the method to have no-strings attached sex in her dreams since she has a boyfriend in real-life. Here’s the girl’s experience with lucid dreaming, per VICE.

For four weeks, I intensify my efforts to recall my dreams, keep a dream diary, and look out for clocks. I make note of my already abundant sex dreams in my phone’s notepad app, with the most sensual being an abstract encounter with a Lana Del Rey lookalike (we have sex in a sea of red jelly while tropical birds fly around us). But taking control of them proves a lot harder.

While I had multiple sex dreams over the month, I couldn’t quite get the hang of controlling them. As soon as I spot a fucked up clock and become conscious, I wake up. So while I haven’t had my zipless fuck, I guess a dreamy encounter with Lana’s doppelgänger and fewer sleepless nights have made my adventure a near-success. I won’t be giving up yet, either.

While lucid dreaming hasn’t yet worked for the girl in the VICE piece, that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. As mentioned earlier, lucid dreaming takes practice and patience, so here’s to hoping the girl from the VICE piece is able to master the art of controlling her dreams and living out those sex fantasies.

How does lucid dreaming work?

If it seems as if we’re telling you that you can control all of your dreams by simply thinking about them beforehand, we apologize, because lucid dreaming isn’t as easy as it sounds. You just can’t think about sex with Kim Kardashian before you go to bed and then, boom, it’ll magically happen.

However, the VICE article talked with a lucid dreaming teacher named Charlie Morley, who teaches lucid dreaming practices all over the world, and even gave the first ever TEDx Talk on the subject back in 2011.

According to Morley, via VICE, there are some simple steps to try and get your mind prepared for lucid dreaming.

(Morley suggests) the “three Ds.”

The first ‘D’—”dream recall”—sets out an intention to remember dreams. Keeping a “dream diary” helps “solidify the memory of the unconscious dreaming process to help us remember more of them.” The final ‘D’—”dream science”—helps spot recurring patterns in dreams so you can tell when you’re in one. Planting triggers, like looking at your hands or a clock and spotting that it doesn’t quite look realistic, can also work.

Of course, all that practice is easier said than done, as you can’t just accomplish lucid dreaming in one week. However, over time, when a person dedicates themselves to pursuing the practice, lucid dreaming can be an experience like none other.

Does lucid dreaming actually work?

Although the example earlier from the VICE piece proved to be ineffective when the girl tried lucid dreaming, in general, the practice can work for those who are persistent in their method — so, as mentioned above, don’t give up on the pursuit.

Unlike mental masturbation — when a person can both arouse themselves and even get off through psychological methods — lucid dreaming requires more control and discipline to experience it. Added Morley from the VICE piece:“Once you realize the potential of lucid dreaming and the psychosexual benefits, mental masturbation pales in significance.” If that’s not a ringing endorsement for lucid dreaming, we don’t know what is.