Any success with using blue lotus tea to induce lucid dreams?

[kyoa]

I used to drink blue lotus tea before I went to sleep a couple months back. I started to recall my dreams more frequently after I started drinking it, but I didn't have any lucid dreams. Has anyone here had any luck lucid dreaming with blue lotus tea? How much do you drink?

 

[Accipeveldare]

I used to drink blue lotus tea before I went to sleep a couple months back. I started to recall my dreams more frequently after I started drinking it, but I didn't have any lucid dreams. Has anyone here had any luck lucid dreaming with blue lotus tea? How much do you drink?

I believe it improves recall. But mugwort has always been my go-to for inducing lucid dreams.

 

[Tryp]

It's a bit unreliable. But the main reason is that true blue lotus (Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea, the species native to the Nile basin and popular in Ancient Egypt) is, more often than not, not what you find online. I believe most of the product sold in herbal shops comes from southeastern Asia, and that means it is most certainly not going to be the var. caerulea but the var. nouchali, which is a similar water lily but not real blue lotus. If you want the real deal, distrust cheap prices.

And why is that important? Because while both varieties have psychoactive properties, the "fake" blue lotus may be useful mostly to bring good sleep quality, which in itself can encourage REM dreams afterwards, but the real blue lotus consistently has a higher concentration of other compounds that can also improve dream vividness and recall.

So if we had real blue lotus consistently available, I'd say yes, it is a valuable plant for lucid dreaming (among other things). But the usual "blue lotus" found online is not too reliable. It's nice, but I wouldn't focus on it as a botanical to facilitate lucid dreams.

 

[kyoa]

It's a bit unreliable. But the main reason is that true blue lotus (Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea, the species native to the Nile basin and popular in Ancient Egypt) is, more often than not, not what you find online. I believe most of the product sold in herbal shops comes from southeastern Asia, and that means it is most certainly not going to be the var. caerulea but the var. nouchali, which is a similar water lily but not real blue lotus. If you want the real deal, distrust cheap prices.

And why is that important? Because while both varieties have psychoactive properties, the "fake" blue lotus may be useful mostly to bring good sleep quality, which in itself can encourage REM dreams afterwards, but the real blue lotus consistently has a higher concentration of other compounds that can also improve dream vividness and recall.

So if we had real blue lotus consistently available, I'd say yes, it is a valuable plant for lucid dreaming (among other things). But the usual "blue lotus" found online is not too reliable. It's nice, but I wouldn't focus on it as a botanical to facilitate lucid dreams.

Yeah I got scammed.

Post automatically merged: Sep 28, 2026

I believe it improves recall. But mugwort has always been my go-to for inducing lucid dreams.

I've tried mugwort before I went to sleep once. Didn't do much, but I probably didn't drink enough.

 

[Tryp]

I've tried mugwort before I went to sleep once. Didn't do much, but I probably didn't drink enough.

Plants can be hit and miss, mugwort is very consistent in results but as you say maybe you didn't take enough, or your batch was a bit old, or it was mostly leaves (and it's the flowering tops that work the best).

Maybe you can try a second time. Mugwort flowered a couple months ago, get some in a herbal shop now and you can also make a tincture (with vodka is easy) and take more amount than the last time, mixed with some tea with honey to make it palatable. If you drink enough extract, it really should work.

 

[luotenrati]

I think the main compound that makes you lucid dream in blue lotus tea is the acetylocholine reuptake inhibitor. For this reason, the supplements that are recommended for lucid dreaming are also mostly acetylocholine related. If blue lotus tea doesn't work for you normally, you can try using it with the normal lucid dream inducing method which is setting an alarm for 4 hours after waking, drinking the tea and going to sleep. Keep in mind that this will most likely affect the quality of your sleep so it is better to do this when you do not have to be very well rested the next day. Before a weekend would be ideal.

Alternatively, since you already want to use an acetylocholine source to induce lucid dreams, then why not go the heavy-duty route? The strongest supplement for this type of induction is galantamine. If used with the traditional alarm method it is pretty much guaranteed to induce lucid dreams. Huperzine A alone can also do this. Both of them cannot be taken daily however, because eventually they will contribute to a buildup of acetylocholinesterase, which is the opposite of what you'd want.

This is quite speculative but you can also try simply consuming a source of choline before sleep if you want lucid dreams. It might sound unhinged to tell you to eat a bunch of eggs before sleeping to have whacky dreams but when you look at the underlying mechanisms it does make sense.

A source of choline together with a reuptake inhibitor would most likely be ideal. When you wake up you will most likely be more tired than before though. And again, I'll stress the point I made before that acetylocholine reuptake inhibitors, even blue lotus tea, should be used max once or twice a week. Simply getting enough choline is fine though.

 

[Tryp]

For the record, there's no such thing as acetylcholine reuptake inhibitors. Acetylcholine is not cleared through synaptic reuptake, it is cleared metabolically with an enzyme. Galantamine and huperzine A are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, which means they inhibit temporarily the enzyme that metabolizes acetylcholine.

OP - in regards to blue lotus, my first comment applies. Authentic blue lotus shows acetylcholinesterase inhibition properties that, at least according to the research we have, is not the same in other blue water lilies sold as real blue lotus. Supplementation to raise the amount of available acetylcholine during REM is indeed a very reliable way to increase vividness, dream recall and chances of lucidity, but well, it's a different approach.

 

[Arvensis]

Plants can be hit and miss, mugwort is very consistent in results but as you say maybe you didn't take enough, or your batch was a bit old, or it was mostly leaves (and it's the flowering tops that work the best).

Maybe you can try a second time. Mugwort flowered a couple months ago, get some in a herbal shop now and you can also make a tincture (with vodka is easy) and take more amount than the last time, mixed with some tea with honey to make it palatable. If you drink enough extract, it really should work

Thanks for the tip - I'll harvest the flowering tops only next year, I've been using the entire dried plant and it's v inconsistent

 

[Tryp]

Thanks for the tip - I'll harvest the flowering tops only next year, I've been using the entire dried plant and it's v inconsistent

To be fair, even if flowering tops are by far the most potent part of the herb, you may still find significant differences between mugwort (and we're talking Artemisia vulgaris here) harvested in different areas and climates, different flowering stages, and even different hours of the day. Mugwort is a powerhouse when it comes to compounds that can have an effect in the sleep and dream cycle, but it also has a very variable profile. Terpenes, for instance - it can have near as many different aromatic terpenes as cannabis (which is saying a lot) but the proportions can change also a lot. However, since like many herbs its biggest powers are through synergies, you have a good chance of getting results with different herb sources even if an analysis would yield quite different parameters.

The precise best moment to harvest seems to be right as it starts to bloom, or right before, when tops are packed with buds that are barely starting to open. If you harvest it around that time, make a good tincture (works better than a tea) and try it, I'd be surprised if you don't see results.

 

[Arvensis]

To be fair, even if flowering tops are by far the most potent part of the herb, you may still find significant differences between mugwort (and we're talking Artemisia vulgaris here) harvested in different areas and climates, different flowering stages, and even different hours of the day. Mugwort is a powerhouse when it comes to compounds that can have an effect in the sleep and dream cycle, but it also has a very variable profile. Terpenes, for instance - it can have near as many different aromatic terpenes as cannabis (which is saying a lot) but the proportions can change also a lot. However, since like many herbs its biggest powers are through synergies, you have a good chance of getting results with different herb sources even if an analysis would yield quite different parameters.

The precise best moment to harvest seems to be right as it starts to bloom, or right before, when tops are packed with buds that are barely starting to open. If you harvest it around that time, make a good tincture (works better than a tea) and try it, I'd be surprised if you don't see results.

Fantastic - Thanks so much for the knowledge drop!

 

[ElectricEgregore]

There exist a few lucid dreaming supplements - those usually use nootropics and other stuff.
I think it's just the logic behind having better dreaming recall - having more energy while sleeping and so on.

Also the usual dream herbs are mostly pretty crazy - or more of crazy dream inducing.

It mostly is a combination of substances and techniques like breathing or music and so on that let you go deeper.

 

[Asteriskos]

Not with blue lotus though it sounds interesting. For "me", the "melatonin / serotonin" dynamic has benefited "vivid visualization" in low lighting, i.e., candlelight (one plus of working ceremonially), and also "vivid dreams". At one time I used it a Lot, now I rarely feel any need to.
Even though both of those are produced naturally in the brain, you don't want to over do it. I researched it pretty thoroughly after finding how well it enhanced visualization and dreaming, "for me"! Everyone's chemistry is different, I'd get some professional advice first, ask a pharmacist (it's Free) or doctor It's Not)!

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 7:32 PM

I used to drink blue lotus tea before I went to sleep a couple months back. I started to recall my dreams more frequently after I started drinking it, but I didn't have any lucid dreams. Has anyone here had any luck lucid dreaming with blue lotus tea? How much do you drink?

Where did you get the blue lotus tea?

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 7:42 PM

Not with blue lotus though it sounds interesting. For "me", the "melatonin / serotonin" dynamic has benefited "vivid visualization" in low lighting, i.e., candlelight (one plus of working ceremonially), and also "vivid dreams". At one time I used it a Lot, now I rarely feel any need to.
Even though both of those are produced naturally in the brain, you don't want to over do it. I researched it pretty thoroughly after finding how well it enhanced visualization and dreaming, "for me"! Everyone's chemistry is different, I'd get some professional advice first, ask a pharmacist (it's Free) or doctor It's Not)!

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 7:32 PM

Where did you get the blue lotus tea?

Vivid dreams, contrasted with Lucid dreams! Lucid dreams involve "realizing" that you're dreaming. In my understanding that involves work!
You might try pre-sleep autosuggestion to help you with that "realization"?

 

[Tryp]

Vivid dreams, contrasted with Lucid dreams! Lucid dreams involve "realizing" that you're dreaming. In my understanding that involves work!
You might try pre-sleep autosuggestion to help you with that "realization"?

I agree that it's easier to achieve (and to handle well) lucidity when you invest some work and preparation. But in my experience (and as far as I've been able to find out, dream research is tending to agree) vividness and lucidity are not unrelated - they seem to be in a progression line.

The more vivid the dream, the better the dream recall, and the higher the chance to achieve lucidity. The way I see it, they all belong to some degree of awareness of the dream experience. We know that lucid dreamers are particularly good dream recallers, and that recall is related to dream detail and intensity.

Sure, you have higher chances of success in lucid dreaming if you apply techniques and preparation, but by increasing vividness (through whatever method, but a clear example is in the use of acetylcholine enhancers) you can reach lucidity with little prep work. I did.

 

[Asteriskos]

I agree that it's easier to achieve (and to handle well) lucidity when you invest some work and preparation. But in my experience (and as far as I've been able to find out, dream research is tending to agree) vividness and lucidity are not unrelated - they seem to be in a progression line.

The more vivid the dream, the better the dream recall, and the higher the chance to achieve lucidity. The way I see it, they all belong to some degree of awareness of the dream experience. We know that lucid dreamers are particularly good dream recallers, and that recall is related to dream detail and intensity.

Sure, you have higher chances of success in lucid dreaming if you apply techniques and preparation, but by increasing vividness (through whatever method, but a clear example is in the use of acetylcholine enhancers) you can reach lucidity with little prep work. I did.

Intresting!