Lucid dreaming is slowly gaining popularity in the western world. It is, however, an art that has been practised for centuries.
Shamans
Ancient tribes used lucid dreaming as an aid to contact their ancestors, get answers to questions, or receive healing.
The official lucid dreamer of the tribe usually was the shaman, who could visit the realm of the spirits, receive healing powers and gain insights for himself and his people.
Modern shamans exist today, who use the same dreaming skills as their predecessors.
The Aboriginals
The original inhabitants of Australia are probably the oldest known lucid dreamers. Their history goes back to 40.000 years from now. Aboriginals travel through the DreamTime, to find answers to their questions.
The DreamTime can be described as a state of consciousness whereto the dreamer can travel. Here he can contact the spirits of the ancestors, they who created the world. The typical Aboriginal art with colored dots and stripes is a way to visualise the DreamTime.
Tibetan Yogis
The Tibetan Yogis trained themselves to dream consciously, with the ultimate goal to awake from the dream we call reality. They believed that when the body dies, the soul comes into a state that is like the dreamstate.
When you are conscious of that, you can escape from the cycle of rebirth. The Tibetan Book of the Death is written in the flourishing period of this culture.
The Senoi
A people whose life revolved around dreams are the Senoi, a Malysian tribe who before the start of World War II had a blooming dream-culture. Unfortunately they have lost their ancient way of living when they encountered the communists in WW2.
The Senoi believed the dreamworld was connected to the spirit world. Every dream was important to them. Senoi where thought since a young age to conquer and transform danger in their dreams.