I never had to teach myself how to dream like this. I've always been able to manipulate events and have the same dream over and over with adjustments. It's not like I pick the dream before I sleep. I just wake up a lot and go back to the same dream.
It's really kind of annoying. I dream constantly and I dream when I'm only just starting to fall asleep so that I am completely aware of what's happening around me, can hear the family and know what time it is, or that I'm waiting for a parent to come to the door etc... But I'll be dreaming at the same time. I even dream if I just shut my eyes while I'm sitting up and I've been known to have very real like dreams when I'm standing and doing dishes but shut my eyes for a bit.
I also dream about things as they are happening. I usually don't get the details just right. It'll be things like I dreamed that Mr. Rogers died. When I got up and looked for the news that day, it was Roy Rogers. I also dreamed that Dianna died the night she was in that car accident. There's been other things that were creepy close or good. I dreamed I won the lottery the week before I did.
I have always wondered if I should or could develop a gift of some sort. But it seems like maybe I could tap into something evil instead of something good.