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May
Lucid Dreams - Author unknown
Here is an article on lucid dreaming that I found.
I don’t know the author but it says some
interesting things. I thought it might be of
interest to those of you that are now learning via
your dreams…. SW
Introduction: What is Lucid
Dreaming?
Lucid dreaming is a state in which the sleeper
becomes alert and conscious that he or she is
dreaming. The imagery in this state is reported to
be more vivid than in non-lucid states, and it is
difficult to distinguish between the dream and
reality. The dreamer is able to control what is
dreamed.
Lucid dreaming has formed the central core of
virtually every shamanic and mystical practice
throughout history. It allows the shaman to visit
the spirit realms to gain healing power and
insight. In the East, lucid dreaming has long been
seen as a signpost on the way to enlightenment.
The Goldi shamans of Siberia guide dying or dead
subjects through the realms of the otherworld
through lucid dreams. Native Americans rely upon
conscious dreaming for their vision quests, and
consider dreams to be central to life itself, and
the foundation of all spiritual matters.
The Australian Aborignes are the oldest lucid
dreamers, but the Tibetan shamans have carried the
process of lucid dreaming more exactly into the
realm of mysticism. In 12th century Tibet there
arose famous schools of Dream Masters who appeared
to use lucid dreaming as a powerful method of
meditation, which was reported to speed up the
process of enlightenment. The Tibetan shaman was
always "chosen" through a lucid dream, which
transformed the dreamer into a new being.
Many Western subjects entering lucid dreaming
for the first time report experiencing nothing
comparable in the whole of their waking lives,
feeling as if they had been radically changed by
the event and mysteriously transformed. The
essential purpose of lucid dreamwork is ultimately
to wake up. Lucid dreaming helps us understand that
we are just as asleep when we think we are awake,
as we are in dreams.
Part One: Brain States
The sleep cycle is made up of numerous clearly
definedstages. The first is a transitional state
called the hypnagogic, which is the feeling of
floating off, sometimes accompanied by vivid or
psychedelic images. At this point the brain is in
alpha, which then gives way to the slower and more
rhythmic theta waves of light slumber. These are
joined by rapid bursts of brain activity (spindles
and K-complexes). About 20 minutes after the
beginning of the sleep cycle, the large and
relatively slow delta waves take over. This is the
deep plunge into the void of sleep.
The quiet phase and the active phase are the two
main stages of sleep, and can be distinguished by
differences in biochemistry, physiology,
psychology, and behavior. The quite phase occurs
during deep sleep and is known as "S" sleep, as it
is characterized by slow wave EEG. This Delta
pattern takes up most of our sleeping time, thus
the "S". It is the state of restful inactivity,
your mind does little while you breathe slowly and
deeply; your metabolic rate is at a minimum, and
growth hormones are released facilitating
restorative processes. When awakened from this
state, people feel disoriented and rarely remember
dreaming
However the second type of sleep pattern, REM
(rapid eye movement) is the sleep state that
pertains to lucid dreaming. REM sleep or "D" sleep
is characterized by rapid eye movements and is
often accompanied by dreams, thus the D. The first
episode of REM or D sleep in adults lasts about ten
minutes but can increase to as much as an hour
throughout the night. During REM sleep your eyes
move around rapidly, breathing is quick and
irregular, and you dream vividly. During this
activity, your body remains still, because it is
temporarily paralyzed during REM sleep to prevent
you from acting out your dreams.
The length of REM periods increase as the night
proceeds, and the intervals between REM periods
decrease. The first REM period usually lasts about
ten minutes, after with the sleeper almost awakens
before stage two. The cycle is then highly variable
with each individual. Usually the complete REM/non
REM cycle lasts about 90 minutes, with the dreamer
experiencing four to five cycles of sleep each
night. During the last two hours of sleep the REM
has increased from ten minutes to as much as one
hour.
Therefore "dreaming sleep" accounts for as much
as 20 percent of our sleeping life. We spend as
much as five years in dreamworlds, and experience
over 150,000 dreams in a lifetime. During the last
several decades, sleep researchers have discovered
that for every 100 persons in REM sleep, over 80
percent will remember a dream if awakened. REM is
clearly a unique brain state, though it is similar
to the waking state in EEG activity. This may
explain why dreams seem so real.
While other structures in the brain are involved
in sleep, the neocortex is a major brain area
involved in the production of dream images and
experiences.
Part Two:: How to Induce a Lucid
Dream
a) How to schedule your efforts for best
results
Most lucid dreams happen in the late morning
hours of sleep. If you normally sleep for eight
hours, you will probably have six REM periods with
the last half occurring in the last quarter of the
night. The probability of having a lucid dream in
the last two hours of sleep is more than twice as
great as the probability of having a lucid dream in
the previous six hours.
If you are serious about lucid dreaming, you
should arrange at least one morning a week where
you can stay in bed several hours longer than
usual. If you can't afford more time in bed, there
is a simple secret to increasing your lucid
dreaming that requires no extra sleep.
If you are serious about lucid dreaming, you
should arrange at least one morning a week where
you can stay in bed several hours longer than
usual. If you can't afford more time in bed, there
is a simple secret to increasing your lucid
dreaming that requires no extra sleep.
b) Techniques for Lucid Dreaming
Carlos Castaneda is instructed in one of his
books that the best way to have a lucid dream is to
shift the attention while dreaming. His teacher
advises him to look for his hands or feet during
the dream, which will help him remember that he is
dreaming, and have access to using his dream body.
The technique does work, although it may take many
trials before a person actually remembers to look
at the hands or feet while they are dreaming.
Training Protocol for Lucid Dreaming.
Should be practiced each night before going to
sleep.
1. Play relaxing music on low volume. Lie down
and close eyes. Lie on left side if comfortable, if
not, gently touch forefinger to thumb of each hand
and let hands rest by side.
2. Listen to tape and do some deep breathing
(Noise Removal Breathing p.87 & Level One
Breathing p.86).
3. Imagine and feel a point of white light in
middle of forehead. Sense it radiating its light in
front of the brain and directly in front of
you.
4. Imagine and feel you are walking along a
deserted beach at twilight. Notice the sky, moon,
stars. As you walk, sense the point of white light
on forehead, look down at hands and feet. Rotate
hands and look at them in the light of the moon and
stars.
Next, imagine you reach the entrance to an
underground cave. Walk down seven stairs, reach out
to open the door and look at hand. Walk into a
cavernous room with many doors. Atmosphere of
calmness and peace.
You will find yourself drawn to one of the
doors. Know that your chosen door holds something
of value behind it. As you walk towards the door,
feel the point of light, and glance down at the
hands and feet. When you open the door, look at
your hand. Enter the next room and explore
everything - the people or beings you find there
may be metaphorical. You may talk to anyone. As you
explore, occasionally glance at hands or feet and
feel the point of white light on the forehead.
After exploring the room, return to the first
room and the entrance that leads to the stairs.
Open the door and walk to the beach. Bring
awareness back to physical body, and slowly open
eyes.
Preparation for Lucid Dreaming
1. Lie on left side if it feels comfortable as
above.
2. Close eyes, deep breathing (or Level One
Breathing).
3. Imagine point of white light in forehead.
4. As your awareness rests on this point, say to
yourself silently: "I intend to have lucid dreams
tonight. I recognize when I am dreaming and I am
able to move freely in my dream body." (Can use any
similar statement).
5. Continue to keep mental focus gently at point
of light in the middle of forehead. When you feel
yourself drifting off to sleep, let go of the
focus.
You may change body position throughout the
night. When you catch yourself dreaming, remember
the point of light in forehead, and to look at hand
or feet.
Dream-Initiated Lucid Dreams (DILDs)
Critical State Testing: Ask yourself whether you
are awake ordreaming throughout the day, so that
you can get into the habit of asking the same
question while you are dreaming. It is important to
ask the question "Am I dreaming or not?" at least
five to ten times a day, especially in situations
that are dreamlike, or remind you of your dreams.
It is also good to ask the question at bedtime.
Don't just automatically ask the question and
mindlessly reply, "Obviously I'm awake," or you
will do the same thing when you are actually
dreaming. Look around for oddities that may
indicate you are dreaming, and think back over the
events of the past several minutes. If you had
trouble remembering what happened, you may be
dreaming.
State Testing: Don't ask other people in your
dream whetheryou are dreaming, because they will
often reply that you're not. The best way to check
if you're dreaming is trying to fly. Hop into the
air, and if you stay there, you're dreaming. You
can also read something, look away and see if the
text has distorted in any way when you look
back.
Another method is to look twice at a digital
watch, because they never behave correctly in
dreams. Don't use an analogue watch to check
because they can tell dream time quite
believably.
You may discover that any time you feel the
genuine need to test reality, this in itself is
proof enough that you're dreaming, as when we're
awake we almost never seriously wonder whether we
are in fact awake or dreaming.
Intention Technique:
1. Resolve to recognize dreaming - In the early
hours of the morning, or if you wake in the night,
clearly affirm your intention to remember to
recognize the dream state.
2. Visualize yourself recognizing dreaming -
Visualize yourself in dream situations that would
normally make you realize you are dreaming.
3. Imagine carrying out an intended dream action
- Resolve to carry out a particular action in a
dream, e.g. see yourself flying, knowing that you
are dreaming.
The Mild Technique - Mnemonic Induction of Lucid
Dreams
Prerequisites: It is necessary to have or
develop the ability to remember future intentions
using your mental capacity only, rather than
relying on external reminders such as lists.
Mild Technique
1. Set up dream recall - Before going to bed,
resolve to wake up and recall dreams during each
dream period throughout the night (or when you wake
up in the morning).
2. Recall your dream - When you awake from a
dream period, no matter what time it is, recall as
many details as possible from your dream.
3. Focus your intent - While returning to sleep,
concentrate on your intention to remember to
recognize that you are dreaming.
4. See yourself becoming lucid - At the same
time, imagine that you are back in the dream from
which you have just awakened, but this time you
recognize that it is a dream. Find a dream sign
(something odd or bizarre in a dream that alerts
you to the fact that it's a dream) and say to
yourself, "I'm dreaming!" and continue your
fantasy.
5. Repeat - Repeat steps 3 and 4 until your
intention is set, then let yourself fall asleep. If
your mind strays while you are falling asleep,
repeat the procedure so that the last thing in your
mind as you fall asleep is your intention to
remember to recognize that you are dreaming.
Commentary - If it takes you a long time to fall
asleep while practicing this method, don't worry.
The longer you are awake, the more likely you are
to have a lucid dream when you eventually return to
sleep. This is because the longer you are awake,
the more times you are likely to repeat the MILD
technique, and therefore reinforce lucid dreaming.
If you are a very heavy sleeper, you should get up
after memorizing your dream and engage in ten to
fifteen minutes of any activity involving full
wakefulness, ie. turn on light, read a book etc.
Write down the dream and read over it, ooking for
dream signs.
Wake-Initiated Lucid Dreams (WILDs)
This involves falling asleep consciously.
Attention on Hypnagogoc Imagery - This is the
most common strategy for inducing WILDs and
involves focusing on the hypnagogic imagery that
accompanies sleep onset, e.g. flashes of light,
geometric patterns.
Hyponagogic Imagery Technique
1. Relax completely - Go through relaxation of
every part of body, deep breathing etc.
2. Observe the visual images - Focus attention
on the images that appear before the mind's eye,
watching how the images begin and end. Observe the
images delicately, and allow them to be passively
reflected in your mind as they unfold. Do not
attempt to hold on to the images, just observe and
let them pass. At first there will be a series of
disconnected, fleeting patterns and images, which
will eventually develop into scenes.
3. Enter the dream - When the imagery becomes a
moving, vivid scenario, you should allow yourself
to be passively drawn into the dream world. Do not
try and enter the dream scene. Be careful of too
much involvement and too little attention, and
don't forget that you are dreaming now.
Commentary - Step 3 is the most difficult. The
challenge is to develop a delicate vigilance, an
unobtrusive observer perspective, from which you
let yourself be drawn into the dream, rather than
trying to participate in it yourself. Another risk
is that the world can seem so realistic in the
dream that it is easy to lose lucidity. A suggested
prevention against this is to resolve to carry out
a particular action in the dream, so that if you
momentarily lose lucidity, you may remember your
intention to carry out the action and regain
lucidity.
Tibetyan White Dot Technique
1. Before bed
A) Firmly resolve to recognize when you are
dreaming.
B) Visualize in the throat chakra the syllable
"ah", red in color and vividly radiant.
C) Mentally concentrate on the radiance of the
"ah". Imagine that the radiance illuminates
everything in the world and shows it as being
unreal or dreamlike.
2. At dawn
A) Practice deep breathing several times,
rounding out the abdomen as you inhale.
B) Resolve eleven times to comprehend the nature
of the dream state.
C) Concentrate on a dot of pure white situated
between the eyebrows.
D) Continue to concentrate on the dot until you
find that you are dreaming.
Commentary: According to yogic doctrine, each
chakra has a special sound or "seed syllable",
which is "ah" for the throat chakra. This is viewed
as the symbolic embodiment of Creative Sound, the
power to bring a world (conceptual or otherwise)
into being.
Black Dot Technique
1. Before bed
A. Meditate on the white dot between your
eyebrows.
2. At dawn
A. Practice deep breathing 21 times.
B. Make 21 resolutions to recognize the
dream.
C. Then, concentrate your mind on a pill-sized
black dot at the root chakra (base of
genitals).
D. Continue to focus on the black dot until you
find you are dreaming.
Count Yourself to Sleep Technique
1. Relax completely- While lying in bed, close
eyes and relax completely. Breathe deeply, enjoy
feeling of relaxation, let go of thoughts and
worries.
2. Count to yourself while falling asleep - As
you are drifting off to sleep, count to
yourself,"1, I'm dreaming; 2, I'm dreaming..." and
so on maintaining vigilance. You may start over
after reaching 100.
3. Realize you are dreaming - After continuing
this for some time you'll be saying "I'm dreaming,"
and you will notice that you are dreaming.
Commentary - Saying the "I'm dreaming" isn't
strictly necessary, the counting works just as well
to retain sufficient alertness in recognizing
dreams for what they are. You can progress rapidly
if you have someone watching, who can wake you up
and ask you what number you reached if you appear
to have fallen asleep. The observer can tell you
are asleep by slow, pendular movements from side to
side of theeyes, minor movements of lips, face,
hands, feet and other muscles, and well as
irregular breathing.
The Twin Bodies Technique
1. Relax completely - After awakening from a
dream lie on back or right side with eyes closed.
Tighten and relax whole body, breathe deeply etc.
Let go of other thoughts and affirm intention to
enter dream state consciously.
2. Focus on your body - Focus attention on each
part of body and notice how it feels, watching for
vibrations or other strange sensations. When these
sensations arrive, following will be a complete
paralysis of the body. You are then ready to leave
the paralyzed physical body and enter the dream
body.
3. Leave your body and enter the dream - As soon
as the physical body is in a profound state of
sleep paralysis, you are ready to go. This
paralyzed physical body has a moveable twin, called
your dream body. Imagine yourself in your dream
body, rolling or floating out of your physical
body. Jump, crawl or fall out of bed. Sink into the
floor. Fly through the ceiling. This is lucid
dreaming.
Commentary - As soon as you step out of bed,
remember that you are in a dream body, and
everything around you is a dream too, including the
bed and the sleeping body you just hopped out of.
You can verify whether you are floating in your
astral body by using some tests:
1)Try reading the same passage from a book
twice;
2)look at a digital watch, look away, then look
back a few seconds later.
c) Preventing Premature Awakening
When the lucid dream is threatened by wakening,
it is usefulto carry out some form of dream action
as soon as the visual part of the dream begins to
fade, e.g. listening to voices, music or your
breathing; beginning or continuing a conversation;
rubbing or opening your (dream) eyes; touching your
dream hands and face; touching objects or being
touched; flying. Another technique is to look at
the ground.
Dream Spinning
1. Notice when the dream begins to fade - The
visual sense is the first to go when a dream fades,
with touch being the last. The dream may begin to
lose color, clarity and realism, and take on a
cartoon-like appearance. The light may grow dim or
your vision weaker.
2. Spin as soon as the dream begins to fade - As
soon as you notice the dream fading, stretch out
your arms and spin like a top with your dream body.
You can spin any way you like, but you must feel
the vivid sensation of movement in your dream body,
not just imagine it.
3. While spinning - remind yourself that the
next thing you see will probably be a dream.
4. Test your state wherever you seem to arrive -
Keep spinning until you find yourself in a stable
world, you will either still be dreaming or will
have awakened. Carefully test which state you are
in, i.e.read a text, look at a digital watch.
Commentary - Frequently dream spinning creates a
new procedure, or the just-faded dream may be
regenerated. By repeatedly reminding yourself that
you're dreaming during the spinning, you can
continue to be lucid in the new dream scene. If
while you are dream spinning your hand hits the
bed, don't automatically think you've woken. If
you're spinning in your dream body, then it is a
dream hand and a dream bed.
d) Lucid Dreaming for Problem Solving
1. Formulate your intention - Before you go to
bed, think of a short phrase about what you want to
dream about, e.g. "I want to visit San Francisco,
or "I want to tell my friend I love her." Write
down the phrase and perhaps illustrate it, and
memorize the image. Underneath the target phrase,
"When I dream of (the phrase) I will remember that
I am dreaming."
2. Go to bed - Without doing anything else, turn
out the light and go straight to bed.
3. Focus on your phrase and your intention to
become lucid - Recall the phrase and picture, and
visualize yourself dreaming lucidly about it.
Meditate on the phrase and your intention to become
lucid until you fall asleep, letting other thoughts
pass.
4. Pursue your intention in the lucid dream -
Carry out your intention while in a lucid dream.
Ask what you want to ask, do what you want to do.
Be sure to notice your feelings and be observant of
all details in the dream.
5. Remember to awaken and recall the dream -
When you achieve a satisfying answer in the dream,
wake yourself up by going back to your dream bed,
blinking or otherwise withdrawing your attention
from the dream. Immediately write down at least the
part of your dream that includes the solution. Even
if you don't think your question was answered,
still write the dream down. You may find on
reflection that the answer was hidden in your dream
and you didn't realize it at the time.
Lucid Dreaming to Overcome Nightmares
It is useful to confront threatening characters
in a dream or nightmare, and turn it into a lucid
dream by beginning your own dialogue with them. You
could ask the following:
"Who are you?"
"Who am I?"
"Why are you here?"
"Why are you acting the way you are?"
"What do you have to tell me?"
"Why is this happening?"
"What do you want from me?"
"What questions do you have to ask me?"
"What do I most need to know?"
"What can I do for you?"
"What can you do for me?"
e) Conversing with Dream Characters
1. Practice imaginary dialogues in the waking
state - Chose a recent dream in which you had an
unpleasant encounter with a dream character.
Visualize yourself talking to them, and initiated a
dialogue using the above questions or any of your
own. Don't let critical thoughts interrupt the
flow, such as "I'm just making this up," or "This
is silly." Terminate the dialogue when it runs out
of energy or when you have your resolution.
Evaluate what you did right or would do differently
next time.
2. Set your intention - Set the goal for
yourself that the next time you have a disturbing
encounter with a dream character, you will become
lucid and engage the character in dialogue.
3. Converse with problem dream figures - When
you encounter anyone with whom you have a conflict,
ask yourself whether or not you are dreaming. If
you find that you are, stay and face the character,
and begin a dialogue with one of the opening
questions above. Listen to the character's
responses and try and address their problems as
well as your own. See if you can make friends or
reach a resolution. Wake yourself up while you
still remember the dream clearly and write it
down.
4. Evaluate the dialogue - Ask yourself if you
achieved the best result you could, or how you
could improve it next time.
Part Three: Common Questrions on Lucid
Dreaming
Q:If dreams are messages from the
unconscious mind, will consciously controlling
dreams interfere with this important process, and
deprive me of the benefits of dream
interpretation?
A: Dreams are not letters from the
unconscious mind, but experiences created through
the interactions of the unconscious and conscious
mind. More info from the unconscious is available
to us in dreams, however if dreams were the
exclusive realm of the unconscious, we wouldn't
remember them. You shouldn't always be conscious in
dreams any more than you should always be conscious
of what you are doing in waking life. However, if
your actions are taking you in the wrong direction
(in dreaming or waking), you should be able to
"wake up" to what you are doing wrong and
consciously redirect your approach.
As for the benefits of dream interpretation,
lucid dreams can be examined as fruitfully as
non-lucid dreams. Lucid dreamers can even interpret
their dreams while they are happening.
Q: Will the efforts of learning lucid
dreaming lead to sleep loss, and will I be more
tired from being awake in my dreams?
A: Dreaming lucidly is as restful as
dreaming non-lucidly. Lucid dreams are often
positive experiences and leave you feeling more
invigorated. How tired you feel depends on what you
did in the dream. You should practice lucid
dreaming when you have the time and energy to
devote to the task. If you are too busy to allot
more time to sleeping, or to sacrifice any of the
sleep you are getting, it's probably not a good
idea to work on lucid dreaming right now. Lucid
dreaming requires good sleep and mental energy for
concentration. Once you learn the techniques, you
should reach a point where you can have lucid
dreams whenever you wish just by reminding yourself
to do so.
Q: Will practicing lucid dreaming affect
my psychotherapy?
A: Lucid dreaming can be instrumental in
psychotherapy, however if you are in psychotherapy
and want to experiment with lucid dreaming, talk it
over with your therapist. Make sure your therapist
is well-informed on the subject of lucid dreaming,
and understands its functions and implications.
©2010, Stuart
Wilde
* * *
Stuart
Wilde is an urban mystic, a modern visionary, he's
written fifteen books on consciousness and
awareness. His perceptive and quirky way of writing
has won him a loyal readership over the
years.
He has been a researcher of
consciousness for over twenty years. Some consider
him an expert on transdimensional worlds and the
phenomena of the supernatural. He has simple a way
of explaining things that hitherto have seemed a
mystery.
Stuart's political writings are
satirical and often very funny. Nonetheless, he
seems to have an accurate grip on the ebb and flow
of world events and many of his long-term views and
predictions have turned out to be quite prophetic.
He has written 15 books on consciousness and
awareness including Affirmations: What
I Am Has Beauty
& Strength His
latest book is called God's Gladiators.
stuartwilde.ning.com
For information on the Redeemer’s Club click
here: www.redeemersclub.com
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