Lucid Dreams

Complete Recompilation by Diego Palma

Be patient and persevere.

You ever have that feeling where you're not sure

if you're awake or still dreaming?

- Neo, The Matrix -

What Is Lucid Dreaming?

Lucid dreaming is being consciously aware when you’re in a dream. That is, you’re physically in bed asleep and dreaming... but then you realize you’re a character inside a dream. Suddenly you become aware... lucid.

By recognizing you’re inside a dream, you can take control of the dream. That’s what lucid dreaming is all about... changing the direction of your dreams so you experience just what you want to experience. What can you do in a lucid dream? Anything.

Lucid dreaming offers a new approach to the exploration of awareness and the territory of the mind.

The Realism Behind Dreams

Most of the time we don’t realize, however dreams are actually totally realistic to us as we’re experiencing them. Our sense of touch, taste, smell, our emotions, our intelligence... it’s all exactly as though everything in the dream were actually happening. When you become aware that you’re dreaming, you feel everything much more acutely. To yourself, and to your mind, it’s as though it’s all for real. No difference.

If fully lucid, you would realize that the entire dream world was your own creation, and with this awareness might come an exhilarating feeling of freedom. Nothing external, could of society or physics, would constrain your experience; you could do anything your mind could conceive. Thus inspired, you might fly to the heavens. You might dare to face someone or something that you have been avoiding; you might choose an erotic encounter with the most desirable partner you can imagine; you might visit a deceased loved one to whom you have been wanting to speak; you might seek self knowledge and wisdom.

By cultivating awareness in your dreams, and learning to use them, you can add more consciousness, more life, to your life. In the process, you will increase your enjoyment of your nightly dream journeys and deepen your understanding of yourself. By waking in your dreams, you can waken to life.

The Five Stages of sleeping

A lucid dream can occur whenever regular dreams occur. Dreaming happens during the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleeping. This is when your eyes move rapidly from side to side, when dreams are “created”. REM occurs at various points during a typical night of sleep.

• Stage 1. From rested wakefulness, you go into Stage 1. The eyes are closed and if awoken, the subject may not even realize they’ve been asleep at all. This lasts for 5-10 minutes.

• Stage 2 - Light sleep. A period of light sleep, with spontaneous muscle twitches and general relaxation. It last about 10 - 20 minutes.

• Stages 3 and 4 - Deep sleep. A period of extremely slow brainwave activity. These stages represent the “deep sleep” and you’ll find it difficult to wake someone during this period. You may have been woken during this stage in the past: you feel “groggy” and find it difficult to adjust to your surroundings.

The above four stages last around 1 1⁄2 to 2 hours.

• Stage 5 - REM. Then you move onto the most important: REM sleep, the home of your dreams. REM sleep can last between 5 and 30 minutes. Your brain flurries with activity and dreams burst onto the scene. Blood flow to the mind increases. Your muscles are safely paralyzed by the brain to stop you physically “acting out” your dream. Your mind creates its own inner reality, as it explores the realms of the subconscious.

So, let’s look at exactly what happens. You fall asleep... then you experience Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, then (curiously) back up to Stage 3, then Stage 2, and then onto Stage 5, REM sleep.

This cycle typically happens between four and five times per night. However it isn’t constant. As the night continues, the length of Stage 3 and 4 wanes, while Stage 5 REM sleep gradually increases from around 10 minutes up to an hour in length.

The first goal is to remember your dreams

Before you can have a lucid dream, you'll have to remember your dreams. How else would you know you had a lucid dream when you wake up? When you succeed in remembering at least one dream every night, you are ready to try to become lucid.

Everybody dreams, multiple times a night. Those who claim that they don’t dream simply don’t remember their dreams. Without being able to remember your dreams, you’ll forget any dreams in which you became lucid! It is extremely likely that you’ve already experienced several lucid dreams but just don’t know it because you forgot them during the course of the night. So how do you remember your dreams? But getting into the habit.

Dream journal

• A dream journal is the most common way of recording your dreams. A dream journal is simply a writing pad that should be kept within reach of your bed. If you seriously want to learn to lucid dream, you MUST keep a dream journal. It is not an option.

• Don’t wait until morning. You need to record your dreams upon awakening from them. Five minutes after the end of a dream, half of the content is forgotten. After ten minutes, 90% is lost. So actually catching your dream is extremely important. No matter how clear your dreams may seem upon waking during the night, you’ll have almost completely forgotten the previous ones when you again awake in the morning, so don’t wait until morning.

• Make it an habit. If you make a habit of writing down your dreams your dream recall will improve. It is like exercising your muscles. If you neglect your dream journal, your lucid dreams will become slightly less frequent.

High energy level and relaxation

It is essential to have enough energy to maintain focus, recall your dreams and success in the practice. Use all the methods possible to save your vital energy:

• Getting enough sleep at night is essential to improving your ability to recall your dreams. As long as you’re well rested you’ll find it easier to focus your intent on recalling your dreams and your ambition won’t be clouded by fatigue. Also, if you’re able to get plenty of sleep during the night you won’t mind waking up repeatedly to record your dreams—and that’s exactly what you’ll have to do.

• Don’t eat to much in the evening.

• Save your sexual energy by not ejaculating.

• Keep your mind free of preoccupations before going to sleep.

Relaxation technique

The following exercise you can do while you are in bed, ready to go to sleep. To start you are going to clean your head a bit of everything that happened during the day. Relax and go with your attention to the center of your head. This is the point between your ears, behind your eyes. Feel how you are in the center of your head. Feel how you breathe. Breathe in and out. Breathe in and tense the muscles of your feet. Breathe out and relax the muscles of your feet. Breathe in and tens the muscles in your lower legs. Breathe out and relax them again. Go on until you have come to your head.

Setting Intention

What do you want to do? You want to wake up at the end of a dream. So tell yourself: When my dream finishes, I will wake up and I will remember. On your journal, write the date and the statement, “I will remember my dreams tonight” many times.

Now turn it into an instruction for your subconscious mind. Sit back and “send it” down to your subconscious. Don’t make it too forced or too much hard work. Just send it, rely on it and let go.

Visualize how you wake up and write down your dreams in your dream diary. If you find your thoughts wandering as you slip into sleep, reaffirm your intent. You want your last thought before drifting off to sleep to be of your intent to awaken from your dreams and remember them.

Focus your intent to awake from your dreams and remember them just before you lie down, and continue to repeat your intent to yourself as you approach sleep. Repeat to yourself over and over, “I will wake up after every dream period and I will remember my dream.”

Ask your subconscious, your Higher Self, God, the Universe, your spirit guide, or whoever you want. Make contact with the one you ask for help and ask him/her to help you remember your dream.

Setting a timer alarm

The website of Saltcube has a free online Lucid Dream and OBE Timer that is perfect for this purpose.

We’re going to set the timer at key intervals throughout the night. Your first few dreams will typically be shorter, and we’ll have more chance of catching ones occurring later in the “cycle.” Therefore we’re going to set your alarm clock to go off 4 1/2 hours after you go to sleep. And then 90 minutes after that. And then 90 minutes after that.

Set the first interval to 270 min, and the second one to 90 min. Set the third interval to 0. With this selection you will hear three beeps 270 min. (4 1/2 hours) after going to sleep, and will keep beeping every 90 minutes after that.

Checklist for computer:

Set energy saver to “Never disconnect”, plug power cable, disconnect wifi, lower display brightness, Set ramp interval to 270, 90, 90, 90, 0, set speaker volume to 7, one time beep, test volume and start timer when going to sleep.

"The Early Morning Technique"

Set your alarm for two hours before you normally would awaken. When it goes off, reset it to go off in a half an hour. Do this each time it goes off and you will have instant and plentiful recall. (Marc Vandekeere - The Ultimate Lucid Dreamer’s Manual).

Don’t move when awakening

Wake motionlessly and don’t move from the position in which you awaken, as any body movement may make your dream harder to remember. Upon awakening, don’t open your eyes. Lie completely still. Stay in the exact position you are in upon awakening and attempt to remember your dreams without moving a muscle.

You should get into the habit of asking yourself this question the moment you awaken: "What was I dreaming?" Do this first or you'll forget some or all of your dream, due to interference from other thoughts.

Also, don't think of the day's concerns, because this too can erase your dream recall. If you remember nothing, keep trying for several minutes, without moving or thinking of anything else. Usually, pieces and fragments of the dream will come to you.

Even if you have moved after awakening, try to lie back down and find the position that you awoke in. Close your eyes. Try to remember what you were feeling and thinking at the moment that you woke up. What were you thinking about? What mood did you immediately awaken into? This information may also trigger a memory of your dream. Remember, the sooner you concentrate on remembering the details of your dreams, the more you will be able to find.

To help yourself remember details of a dream, you might want to visualize the remembered dream in your head. Closing your eyes and replaying the scenario in your mind may help you to see details and remember feelings that would otherwise be lost.

Write it down in your journal

Write it on your dream journal immediately. Record all of your dreams with as much detail as you can. Even if something seems trivial, you should still write it down because it may turn out to be significant when viewed in the long run. Write down not only what happened during the dream but also what you were feeling and what you were thinking at the time. These emotional and mental notes will help you later when you are becoming familiar with your dreams. They are reflecting what you think and feel at a subconscious level.

When keeping your journal, it is best to write your entries in present tense instead of using past tense. For example, you would write, "I’m walking down this street and I see a man" instead of "I walked down this street and saw a man." By writing in the present tense, you may be able to remember even more of your dreams as you are recording them.

With each dream journal entry, you should include a date, a time if you can, and a title for each dream.

Reset the cycle

Also, even if you don’t remember a single thing, make a note in your journal. Why? By temporarily disturbing your sleep pattern, you cause the cycle to reset. Remember, it takes an average of 90 minutes to complete the cycle and finish your dream – so even if you didn’t catch a dream after 4 hours, you should remember the dream 90 minutes later. And rest assured, it’s easy to drop back to sleep after you’ve spent a couple of minutes recording your dreams. But if you don’t get out of your sleepy state to record the dream, you won’t reset the dream cycle and may not catch your later dreams.

Dreamsigns and Reality Check

How do we remember to do things in ordinary life?

Motivation plays an important role. You are less likely to forget to do something that you really want to do. When you set yourself the goal to remember to do something, you have made the goal one of your current concerns and thereby have activated a goal-seeking brain system that will stay partially activated until you have achieved it. If the goal is very important to you, the system stays highly activated and you keep checking to see if it's time to do it, until it is time. It never becomes fully unconscious.

Association. When, for example, you decide to buy some tacks the next time you go to the store. This is hardly important enough to keep on the front page of your mind, so you go to the store and forget about your intention. That is, unless while at the store you just happen to notice a box of tacks, or even a hammer which brings up tacks by association.

Memory aid. In everyday life we remember most things we have to do by using some sort of external mnemonic or memory aid technique (a grocery list, string around the finger, memo by the door, etc.).

Visualization. These associations are greatly strengthened by the mnemonic (memory aid) of visualizing yourself doing what you intend to remember.

Recognizing “dreamsigns”

As your dream journal grows and your dream recall increases, naturally you will become more familiar with your dreams. Certain people, certain places, and certain activities may be more likely to appear in your dreams. These recurrent patterns in your dreams are your dreamsigns, and they will be the first stepping stones on your path to lucid dreaming. They’re indicators that you’re in a dream. Sample dreamsigns could be deceased people, malfunctioning devices, flying through the air. Whenever you see one, you perform a reality check.

After recalling various dreams you would start to notice some consistencies, some illogical items would consistently pop up in your dreams. Identify your dreamsigns now and make a list of your dreamsigns and a mental note that WHENEVER you see these items again, you will stop and perform a reality check.

If there is something that seems to appear in your dreams a lot, then look out for related things appearing in real life. Get into the habit of looking around, asking yourself if you could be dreaming, and reality checking when you see these dream signs, or anything that seems out of the ordinary.

Imagine yourself recognizing dreamsigns in your dream

Send to your subconscious mind a powerful informal suggestion by playing with the idea of “What would it feel like to become lucid and explore the dreamstate fully?”, imagine yourself doing it and feel the sensations in your body.

Everytime you wake up at night and remember a dream, as you drift back to sleep, imagine that you are back in the dream that you just had. This time, however, imagine that you saw a dreamsign in your dream and recognized it. Try to think of a dreamsign that fits with the dream and falls under your most successful dreamsign category. As you fall asleep, keep visualizing yourself in your dream, recognizing your dreamsign, and realizing that you are in a dream.

Be aware of your awareness

Becoming aware of your thoughts and thinking patterns is just as important as identifying your dreamsigns and dream patterns. Try to remain aware of your awareness as if you were a witness just watching where it goes and how it flows.

The fact is that we aren’t in the habit of being aware, but this is a habit that must be changed. How is your awareness flowing from one point to the next? How often throughout the day are you aware of your awareness as well as your position in your surroundings? It is this kind of mindfulness that you need to cultivate. You must develop a questioning awareness. While awake you should be regularly doing "reality checks".

Reality Check: ‘Am I dreaming?’

"How often do I ask myself whether I am dreaming or awake during the course of an average day?" Unless you are a philosophy major or are already practicing lucid dreaming induction techniques, the answer is probably never. If you never ask this question while awake, how often do you suppose you will ask it while you are dreaming? Again, because the things you habitually think about and do in dreams are the same things you habitually think about and do while awake, the answer will probably be never.

The implications of this should be clear. You can use the relationship between habits in waking and dreaming life to help you induce lucid dreams. One way to become lucid is to ask yourself whether or not you are dreaming while you are dreaming. In order to do this, you should make a habit of asking the question while awake in every situation that seems dreamlike.

Reality check methods

There are two parts to a reality check. The first part is asking yourself if you are dreaming or not, and the second part is testing your surroundings to verify if in fact you are dreaming or not. These reality checks should be done frequently throughout the day. The idea is to engrain this habit into your daily routine so that it will spill over into your dreams. If you practice this consistently, it is just a matter of time until you perform a reality check while dreaming, and if you test your surroundings carefully enough you will realize you are dreaming.

• Ask yourself: seriously this three questions: "Am I dreaming? Where am I? How did I get here?", and performing at least two reality checks. [Estoy soñando? Donde estoy? Cómo llegué aquí?] Look around you for any oddities or inconsistencies that might indicate you are dreaming. Think back to the events of the last several minutes. Do you have any trouble remembering what just happened? If so, you may be dreaming.

• Examine your surroundings: Look around for anything that should not logically be there. Look for inconsistencies. Are you somewhere you have never been before? Are you with people who live on the other side of the country? Is there an elephant in your kitchen? These are the kinds of discrepancies that can spark your lucidity.

• Read something: Read something, look away and read it again. If you are dreaming the text will have changed. It will maybe not even be text at all but weird symbols.

• Look at the time: Find a clock and tell the time. Then look away and look back again. If you are dreaming, the time will have changed. In a dream clocks never tell the time right. Sometimes they will not even tell the time. The clock may have no hands for example. Digital clocks will have too much numbers or strange symbols on them.

• Hold your nose: Simple and effective. Hold your nose and try breathing through your fingers. If you can breathe you are dreaming.

• Look at your hands: Look at your hands and see if they look weird. For this method, you need to activate a link between "looking at your hands" and realizing that you are dreaming. You need to develop a strong intent to look for and find your hands while you are in a dream. During the day, you should look at your hands and perform reality checks to determine if you are or are not dreaming. You will train yourself to equate seeing your hands with performing reality checks until it becomes an automatic reaction.

• Try to levitate: Go on, just try it. Try to levitate from the ground and let yourself float. If you can do that you must be dreaming.

Imagine yourself dreaming. After having satisfied yourself that you're awake, tell yourself, "Okay, I'm not dreaming, now. But if I were, what would it be like?" Imagine as vividly as possible that you are dreaming. Intently imagine that what you are perceiving (hearing, feeling, smelling, or seeing) is a dream: the people, trees, sunshine, sky and earth, and yourself-all a dream. Observe your environment carefully for your target dreamsigns. Imagine what it would be like if a dreamsign from your target category were present. As soon as you are able to vividly experience yourself as if in a dream, tell yourself, "The next time I'm dreaming, I will remember to recognize that I'm dreaming."

When to perform a Reality Check

• Hourly check: Buy an alarm wrist watch and set the alarm every half hour. Perform a full reality check by asking yourself seriously the three questions and performing several reality checks.

• The Friend check: Simply perform a reality check whenever you encounter any of your friends during the day. Whether it is your best friend, your mother, or your pet, whenever you see them take a few seconds or as long as needed to determine if you could be dreaming. Since the odds are that you will often have friends in your dreams, this check is very effective as long as you consistently practice it during the day.

• LD writings on hand: Write the letter A on your hand or wrist and each time you notice the letter you perform a reality check. You can instead draw a dream symbol in your hand and use it as a reminder for RC.

• Certain random situations: Make a reality check when certain conditions occurs, like, whenever you are in a bathroom, whenever you walk through a front door, whenever you see a clock or every time you check the time, whenever you see something strange, when you see a pet or animal, when you look at a mirror, when you turn on a light, when you hear music, when you hear a phone ring, when you drink or eat something, etc.

• Planned situations: Choose in advance certain occasions when you intend to remember to test your state. For example, you might decide to ask, "Am I dreaming?" when you arrive home from work, at the beginning of each conversation you have, every hour on the hour, and so on. Use imagery to help you remember to ask the question. For instance, if you intend to ask it when you arrive at home, see yourself opening the door and remembering your intention.

• Dreamlike situations: Perform a reality check whenever you find yourself in a situation which is in any way dreamlike, for example, whenever something surprising or odd happens or you experience inappropriately strong emotions or find your mind (and especially memory) strangely unresponsive.

At first you may find it strange to question the very foundations of the reality you are experiencing, but you undoubtedly will find that taking a critical look at the nature of reality a few times a day is an enjoyable habit to cultivate. Once you establish a systematically critical attitude in your waking life, sooner or later you will decide to try a state test when you are actually dreaming. And then you will be awake in your dream.

Dream Induced Lucid Dream (DILD)

This are lucid dreams which are induced while in the dream.

Mnemonically Induced Lucid Dream (MILD)

This is the most common variant of Dream Induced Lucid Dream (DILD). This technique involves doing something that somehow gets the idea of reality checking stuck in your head, or getting something stuck in your mind that will in some way result in you realizing it is a dream while in the dream.

• Self-Suggestion. Before going to bed, establish the desire and intent to recall your dreams by repeating: “Tonight I will have a lucid dream”. Really focus on what you are saying and what it means. Repeat it over and over in your head for 2-15 minutes.

• Self-suggestion might include the following: 1) while lying in bed and preparing for sleep, repeatedly say to yourself, "When dreaming tonight, I will realize I'm dreaming," or 2) "Tonight in my dreams, I will be much more critically aware and when I see something odd or unusual, I will realize I'm dreaming," or 3) "Tonight while my body sleeps a portion of me will remain alert and make me realize I'm dreaming." Choose a suggestion that feels comfortable to you and stick with it every night. Lucid dreamers who consistently use a proper suggestion before sleep invariably report a lucid dream. In fact, every induction technique rests upon the idea of suggestion.

• Visualize yourself becoming lucid. Imagine as vividly as possible that you are in dream situations which would typically cause you to realize that you are dreaming. Incorporate several of your most frequently occurring or favorite dreamsigns in your visualizations. Imagine it vividly. What emotions would you feel?

• Imagine carrying out an intended dreamsign action. In addition to mentally practicing recognizing dreamsigns, resolve to carry out some particular chosen action in the dream that is itself a dreamsign. For example, see yourself flying in your dream and recognizing that you are dreaming. The reason for setting an intention to do a particular action in the dream is that dreamers sometimes remember to do the action without first having become lucid. Then upon reflection, they remember: "This is what I wanted to do in my dream. Therefore, I must be dreaming!" The intended action should be a dreamsign, because you're more likely to become lucid if you find yourself doing your dream action.

• Imagine doing what you intend to do in your lucid dream. Decide in advance what you would like to do in your next lucid dream. You may wish to fly or talk to dream characters or try one of the applications suggested later in this book.

• Activate a “critical-reflective attitude” toward your state of consciousness before bed so that it remains sufficiently primed to function properly when it is needed to explain some strange occurrence in a dream.

• Set your timer for ninety minutes in the future. Go to bet and become lucid. Try to make sure your last thought before falling asleep is about lucid dreaming.

According to LaBerge this method should be used when you have just awoken from an ordinary dream and you go back to sleep or after a Wake and back to bed technique. The most important thing is your intent. You really have to believe what you say to yourself.

Because the goal of a MILD is to remember to Reality Check in a dream, you need to be familiar with them. It is also helpful if you practice some RCs so you won't forget how to do them during the dream. When you RC you should do two different kinds so that if one works incorrectly the other will work the way it should.

If you happen to wake up in the night while trying to MILD and remember a dream you just had you can use it instead. Just imagine that you are back in that dream recognizing dreamsigns and doing a RC.

The Wake/Back to Bed Method (WBTB)

During a series of 1994 NightLight experiments, reported by Stephen LaBerge, Leslie Phillips and Lynne Levitan, it was found that disturbances in the middle of the night greatly increased the likelihood of a lucid dream.

Further experimentation found more precise timings – 6 hours sleeping, 90 minutes waking, 90 minutes napping – to be the best combination. And it’s this exact formula we’ll be following tonight.

• Set the timer to beep after 6 hours (360min).

• When it goes off, wake up. Stay still and think for a few seconds about any dreams you have just experienced. What do you remember?

• Then get up. It is crucial that you get out of bed to increase your odds of success. Sit in your room in the dark for 60 to 90 minutes and build up the intention to become lucid inside the dream.

• Go back to bed using whatever technique you normally use to induce your lucid dreams: the MILD technique, counting, etc. This is by far the best technique for inducing lucid dreams

Power or Resolution Method (Tibetan Technique)

For beginning lucid dreamers, the most relevant Tibetan technique is called "comprehending it by the power of resolution," which consists of "resolving to maintain unbroken continuity of consciousness" throughout both the waking and dream states. It involves both a day and a night practice.

During the day, "under all conditions" think continuously that "all things are of the substance of dreams" (that is, that your experience is a construction of your mind) and resolve that you will realize their true nature. At night, when about to go to sleep, "firmly resolve" that you will comprehend the dream state, that is, realize that it is not real, but a dream.

Twenty years ago I attended Tarthang Tulku's workshop on Tibetan Buddhism at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. Rinpoche ("precious jewel"), as we called the teacher, had been forced to leave Tibet when the Chinese Communists had invaded, and had "just gotten off the boat" from India. He therefore spoke precious little English. The bits of his speech that weren't already broken were frequently broken with laughter. I had been expecting esoteric explanations of advanced theory, but what I got was something incalculably more valuable.

Rinpoche would indicate the world around us with a casual sweep of the hand and portentously announce: "This ... dream!" Then he would laugh some more and pointing at me or some other person or object, rather mysteriously it seemed, he would insist: "This dream!" followed by more laughter. Rinpoche managed to get the idea across to us (how, I don't really know; I wouldn't rule out telepathy, considering how very few words were exchanged) that we were to attempt to think of all our experiences as dreams and to try to maintain unbroken continuity of consciousness between the two states of sleep and waking.

Electronically/Externally Induced Lucid Dream (EILD)

This is another popular technique. With this technique you use some sort of device that does something while you are asleep. Normally, such a device would detect when you are in a dream/REM period and then trigger something as a means of communication from the real world to the dream world. This basically means that the device is reminding your dream self that it is a dream, allowing you to reality check (or often you will just realize it's a dream straight away).

A well known (but expensive) device is the Nova Dreamer (or the REM Dreamer). These devices are sleep masks that detect your eye movement, then flash a red light when you are in REM. It is a very successful device, but not 100%, which is why it may be a risk to invest in one if you can't spare the money. This particular use of EILD is a form of DILD. However, it is possible to use EILD to wake yourself up in order to WILD.

There are many many more techniques. DreamViews.com has some very good Lucid Dreaming Tutorials available for you to use.

Going lucid with herbs

Certain vitamins and herbs can help naturally promote dreams, dream memory, and lucidity. The Secret “Dream Herb” Calea Zacatechichi is a well-known Mexican dream herb that increases the likelihood of lucid dreaming.

Vitamin B6 (100 - 250 mg) taken just before retiring increases dream vividness and dream recall for many people. (Recent research indicates that B6 also acts as a potent factor in preventing heart disease!)

Concentration exercise

Concentration is also a key element in being able to effectively use concepts such as autosuggestion. Keeping your mind set on one idea. Not letting your intentions falter. These are skills that will help you greatly.

An easy way to practice concentration is to focus on an object. A candle flame works well, but anything else that you are comfortable with may also do. As well as improving concentration, this exercise will also help you with visualization of objects, which is useful in dream control. Light a candle, and sit comfortably in front of it. Stare at it and concentrate on the flame. Allow no other thought than the candle to enter your mind. When you feel your eyes straining, close them and sit quietly for a few moments, imagining the flame before you.

You may want to begin doing this for a period of five minutes or so, adding length each time you practice. Try to work your way up to 15-20 minutes. Although it is a great effort of concentration, this should be a relaxing exercise. Make sure you are comfortable, and do not allow yourself to become too strained.

Wake Induced Lucid Dreams (WILD)

This kind of techniques presents a completely different set of approaches to the world of lucid dreaming based on the idea of falling asleep consciously. This involves retaining consciousness while wakefulness is lost and allows direct entry into the lucid dream state without any loss of reflective consciousness. Basically, the process occurs by carefully handling and manipulating your awareness. This is definitely a mastery level technique so keep in mind that you may not learn it over night.

How to Induce a W.I.L.D

Extract from Marc Vandekeere’s book “The Ultimate Lucid Dreamer'S Manual - From Basics To Beyond”.

Upon getting ready to go to bed, I will usually relax, say some affirmations, set up my intent, and then practice seeing what forms behind my closed eyelids. As I become detached but still aware, I just watch the imagery that forms. At first it is very basic, but it will eventually get more complex. Initially, it is like a gray hazy static that flows over a black background. I can eventually begin to discern lighter areas and darker areas on the black background. The lighter shades glide around and morph into different patterns much like quickly moving amorphous clouds. Once I get to this point, colors may flash in the darkness or even random shapes or fleeting forms will appear. I am becoming less and less aware of my physical body. I am becoming more absorbed by what I am seeing. Once I begin to see quick flashes of images I know that I am getting closer to my goal.

After this "phantom thought form" stage, the hazy background now becomes a more evolved backdrop for lots of fleeting imagery. Your thought forms are beginning to more easily take form. Objects, trees, people’s faces, animals, buildings, or other scenes begin to flash before my eyes. Once there is a notable presence of the fleeting visual images I know that I am entering into a hypnagogic state.

As the imagery appears it may begin to last for longer periods of time. It becomes more realistic and more life-like. You can loosely guide the imagery, but it cannot be forced. I say loosely because there is a certain amount of detachment that is required. If you try too hard you will never succeed. For example, if you begin to see imagery forming, the best way to allow it to develop is to use your peripheral vision. If you look directly at your forming imagery it will usually disappear. For some strange reason too much direct awareness placed on a forming image will cause it to dissolve or completely flash away right before your eyes. On the same note, if you think too much about controlling the formation of the imagery it will also disappear. You need to allow it to form and go with the flow. Just observe without disrupting like you are flipping through pictures in a scrapbook or watching quick clips from a movie.

Once the images start becoming increasingly complex, I begin to imagine that I am moving through the images. For me, movement seems to be the key to directly entering the dreamscape. If I see a house I will loosely attempt to move my awareness towards the house. Adding motion to the images begins to add a three-dimensional quality that a stationary image lacks. I envision the object as coming towards me so that my perspective is that of going through the imagery. After a while, I will usually start getting pretty realistic, moving imagery. This flowing of visuals can give me a pseudo-sense of being in the imagery. This is getting very close to being "in it" but I am still trying to really get in because it is still purely visual and only slightly interactive. The visuals are somewhat responsive to my thoughts because I seem to be moving through the imagery. I can chase and follow something with my transferring awareness, but I'm not completely immersed in a fully interactive dream. The transfer is not entirely complete because I cannot touch anything or move any objects with my hands while realistically "feeling" it at the same time.

If I can sustain this free flow of moving images while actively transporting my awareness through the flow, eventually it will come to a point where a threshold is crossed. At this point, I am no longer the "me" lying in bed who is visualizing these things. I am now the "me" who is running or walking or flying through these newly “realized" images. My awareness has now completely transferred into my new surroundings. I can now interact in this fully three-dimensional dreamscape. I am now completely "in it". If I were to walk up to the dream house I could open the door and feel the texture of the doorknob.

The hardest part of the process is the actual transition "into" the imagery, but it's not hard in a sense that it is strenuous or requires exertion. It's the exact opposite. It requires no effort at all just a mildly detached intent. As mentioned this kind of detached awareness is a crucial part of the induction process especially when attempting direct entry from a waking state. Another obstacle to overcome is not falling completely asleep in the process. It just takes discipline, determination and practice. Most importantly, do not be discouraged if you do fall asleep during the process because that will happen well over ninety percent of the time. It is the few times when it does succeed that will make all the time and effort worthwhile.

Well, that is the process. Hopefully, you will get to the point where you can directly enter into a lucid dream. It is an absolutely remarkable experience. For me, I will have consciously-willed WILDs sporadically, and they usually happen either right when I go to bed at night or in the early morning using the Sleep/Wake/Back to Bed Method. I highly recommend experimenting with your hypnagogic imagery by staying up as long as possible and observing "yourself" as you fall asleep. Cultivate the imagery behind your closed eyelids and experiment with it. You can learn a lot by just watching it and loosely guiding it, and eventually, you should get to the point where you can move through it and then cross over "into" it by completely transferring your awareness. If you keep trying, one thing is certain. You are bound to have some really wild W.I.L.D.s.

Another WILD technique

Extract from Robert Bruce’s book “Astral Dynamics”.

A WILD is a conscious-exit mental projection. This has many similarities with a conscious-exit OBE. WILDs are more realistic and true to life than are OBEs. Sensations like gravity, the feel of your physical body, your ability to taste and smell and feel pleasure and pain, and the limitations of solid matter are indistinguishable from real life. If you eat a candy bar, the experience is identical to the real-life experience of doing the same.

If you fail an OBE-exit attempt, this can be a good time to try a WILD. You will be deeply relaxed and ready to go. Keep i mind that your resting position will probably affect your ability to induce a WILD. Experiment with different positions until you get results. Start with the resting position you normally use to go to sleep.

Best time for a WILD: The best time to have a WILD is after you have had a few hours sleep. Allow yourself to wake up, get a drink and make yourself confortable. Then after ten minutes or so, go back to bed and begin inducing a WILD.

Target Scenario: A target is needed to induce a WILD. I recommend a shopping mall storefront scene that you know well. This work best because the marketplace archetype is strong in the collective unconscious. I also use the name of the store and repeat this silently during a WILD projection.

Wild Projection Method: Settle down and let yourself drift toward sleep. Observe yourself while you imagine your target. Hold the target i mind with as much detail as you can imagine, and allow yourself to drift towards sleep. Silently say the store’s name occasionally as you do this.

If all goes well, you will project directly there. There is no break in consciousness. The transition is sudden and breathtaking. You will feel like you have suddenly slipped through a magic curtain and into the dream environment while fully awake. You are dreaming but you know you are dreaming.

Suggested WILD Activities: Walk through the mall and explore. Walking will feel real and everything will be just like real life. Look for an elevator. Get a snack and drink on the way. Ask someone for directions to the elevator. Get into it and press the button for the highest floor. Hold an intention or expectation to find something when the doors open. Your intention will affect what you find behind doors, so before opening each door, imagine and expect to find what you want on the other side.

Once you know where elevators and doors are located, you can return and find this during future visits. You can use the scenario you first succeed in reaching with a WILD as a staging area for further explorations.

Dream Characters and Spiritual Beings: Most of the people you will see during a WILD would be dream characters. These are generally focused on what they are doing at the time. Conversations are usually pointless. However, occasionally you will encounter more advanced spiritual beings. In my experience, these will sometimes be sitting off to the side minding their own business. It pays to be polite to all dream characters, as you never really know just who they might actually be.

A return to your physical body will happen occasionally. Sometimes you will shift back to your physical body for no apparent reason. Just snuggle down in bed and repeat the WILD induction method. It is possible to have multiple WILDs in a short period of time.

90 Minute Nap WILD variant

This is a variant of the “90 Minute Nap” technique and enables you to actually fall asleep while you’re still awake.

Here’s how it works. You set your timer to wake you up after 6 hours, as in the “90 Minute Nap” Method. You make a note of any dreams you remember, as normal, in your dream journal. You also get up and set your intentions and visualizations for around 90 minutes.

Then you get back into bed... and let your body fall asleep, but keep your mind awake. This is commonly known in the lucid dreaming community as WILD, the “Wake-Initiated Lucid.

You do this by keeping the logical part of your mind awake. And the best way to do that is by counting. You begin counting in your thoughts: “1... I’m dreaming... 2... I’m dreaming... 3... I’m dreaming...”

You see, the mind isn’t supposed to remain active as you fall asleep. It’s supposed to... fall asleep. And it’s pretty difficult to resist.

Dream Exit Induced Lucid Dream (DEILD)

This is a popular variant to WILD. Many people claim that this is a very easy technique, so long as the conditions are good.

This technique is where you wake up, and instantly fall back asleep while keeping your mind aware. It's basically a very short WBTB. Just like any other WILD, this technique requires you to wake up from a REM period. This is a very hard thing to do. The best/easiest way to wake up from a REM period is to wake up naturally, without an alarm clock. But a lot of people have to rely on an alarm clock to get up for work/school. This is why it is important for the conditions to be good.

Hypnagogic Imagery Technique

Relax completely. While lying in bed, gently close your eyes and relax your head, neck, back, arms, and legs. Completely let go of all muscular and mental tension, and breathe slowly and restfully. Enjoy the feeling of relaxation and let go of your thoughts, worries, and concerns. If you have just awakened from sleep, you are probably sufficiently relaxed. Otherwise, you may use either the progressive relaxation exercise to relax more deeply. Let everything wind down, slower and slower, more and more relaxed, until your mind becomes as serene as the calmest sea.

Observe the visual images. Gently focus your attention on the visual images that will gradually appear before your mind's eye. Watch how the images begin and end. Try to observe the images as delicately as possible, allowing them to be passively reflected in your mind as they unfold. Do not attempt to hold onto the images, but instead just watch without attachment or desire for action. While doing this, try to take the perspective of a detached observer as much as possible. At first you will see a sequence of disconnected, fleeting patterns and images. The images will gradually develop into scenes that become more and more complex, finally joining into extended sequences.

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 to actively enter the dream scene, but instead continue to take a detached interest in the imagery. Let your involvement with what is happening draw you into the dream. But be careful of too much involvement and too little attention. Don't forget that you are dreaming now!

Probably the most difficult part of this technique to master is entering the dream. The challenge is to develop a delicate vigilance, an unobtrusive observer perspective, from which you let yourself be drawn into the dream. As Paul Tholey has emphasized, "It is not desirable to want actively to enter into the scenery, since such an intention as a rule causes the scenery to disappear." In Tholey's words, "Instead of actively wanting to enter into the scenery, the subject should attempt to let himself be carried into it passively."

What methods did you use to induce conscious awareness?

Extract from an interview of Ed Kellogg a proficient lucid dreamer, from “The Lucid Dream Exchange Magazine - Issue 35, DreamSpeak by Robert Waggoner”

Ed: I started off using a self-hypnosis approach, and even made up a series of programming tapes to listen to before I went to sleep. Because I had a lot of flying dreams, I set up "finding myself flying" into a cue to realize that I dreamed. So I incorporated this key post hypnotic suggestion into my self-hypnosis sessions and tape scripts: "Whenever you find yourself floating or flying in a dream, you will realize that you dream." This worked - if sporadically.

To this day, if I have a flying dream, or find myself floating, it will often serve as a cue for me to do a reality check. I created different, and I think improved, programming tapes as time went on, experimenting with techniques from sources as diverse as Milton Erickson and Carlos Castaneda.

I also tried a number of dream incubation techniques. I found the MILD technique promoted by LaBerge quite effective, and combined with everything else I did, it increased my frequency of success for intentional lucid dreams to about 1/5. After noticing that the lunar cycle had an effect on my lucid dreaming, I intentionally looked for other factors that might have positive or negative influences. Eventually I developed my "Lucid Dreamer's Checklist" as a mean of systematically ferreting out my own set of optimal conditions for successful lucid dreaming.

I found for example that, getting up at about 3 AM, reading for a half hour, meditating, and then using a specific dream incubation technique to set up lucid dreaming works very effectively. And of course, as far as increasing the number of lucid dreams goes, as with any other skill, practice makes perfect.

Controlling the Dream

Beginners goal: Remain lucid

The first most important thing for beginners is to maintain lucidity, and the first rule is to avoid getting overly excited. In the beginning you should contain your excitement as best as you can. It is a good idea to have a simple goal for your first lucid dream. Something as simple as looking at your hands or calmly looking around you at the dreamscape would be a great initial mission.

The goal is to remain lucid in your dream for as long as you can without either waking up or slipping into a non-lucid dream, and in the beginning it is crucial to pace yourself. So once you become lucid there are three routes you can take: you can maintain your lucidity, you can lose your lucidity by accidentally awakening, or you can lose your lucidity by simply forgetting that you are in lucid dream and slipping into a normal dream.

The length of a lucid dream depends on one's experience and ability at staying focused and aware. For many beginners, I estimate that ninety percent of their lucid dreams last fewer than five minutes. Intermediate lucid dreamers may find that they remain lucid for up to ten to fifteen minutes. Experienced lucid dreamers may go beyond that; some reports suggest as many as fifty minutes of continuous lucid dreaming.

Experienced lucid dreamers sometimes voluntarily cut short their lucid dream because if they stay too long, it often becomes hard to recall exact details that occurred much earlier in the dream. This is why lucid dreamers conducting experiments while lucid will normally tell themselves to awaken after getting the experimental results.

Levels of Lucidity

Slight Lucidity. Some people might become aware that they are dreaming for a fleeting moment, before lapsing into a conventional dream or waking up.

Medium Lucidity. Some people can be aware that they have achieved full long and short-term memory recall, (regained their identity), but take no active part in the dream. Instead, they observe in wonderment as the dream unfolds around them.

High Lucidity. Some people can enjoy taking an active part in the dream, even to the extent where you learn to control the events.

Stabilizing the dream (Staying lucid)

Here is a list of techniques that will help maintain your lucidity and prolong your lucid dreams. They are based on the idea of loading the perceptual system so it cannot change its focus from the dream world to the waking world. As long as you are actively an perceptually engaged with the dream world, you are less likely make the transition to the waking state.

Staying calm. As mentioned this will have a large emphasis in the beginning. As you progress you will be able to handle more and more, but there will always be a certain level of arousal or excitability that will cause the dreamer to awaken. You could take a few deep breaths and relax, and stay focus on your lucid awareness.

Spinning. The best way for continuing lucidity is to spin, like a child attempting to get dizzy. Spin around and remind yourself that the next scene is going to be a dream.

This technique has been used over and over again and is undoubtedly the most effective method of prolonging a dream, specially if the world around you suddenly starts to fade, or you inexplicably sense that your dream is ending, or you even feel that your dream consciousness is thinning.

When you stop spinning you’ll likely find that the dream clarity has returned, and perhaps your surroundings will have changed as well. In fact, if you focus on changing the setting into something else while spinning, it is very likely you will find yourself in your desired environment after you stop spinning.

If you find yourself awakened, don’t forget to make a reality check since it is very common to experience a false awakening. Be very critical on this point.

Rubbing your hands. Another common way to stabilize a dream is simply rubbing your hands together or something physical in the dream. The idea here is to keep your senses focused on the dream instead of thinking of waking. If you are dreaming that you are indoors, you can put your hands on the walls or furniture. If you are dreaming that you're outside, you can try putting your hands on the ground. Any of these things will help you keep the dream going.

Focusing on any detail in the dream. Sometimes you may feel that your dream is beginning to fade away. Your surroundings may seem fuzzy, or your sensations unclear. You may even get the feeling that you are about to wake up. In this case, focusing on detail around you can help you to bring your dream back into focus. Get a close view of the detailed parts of an object. Once you then look back at your surroundings, they too will appear more clearly. Besides vision, you can also focus on the details of other senses. Notice the sounds around you (birds, motors, wind, the hum of a television set in the next room) or the feelings you are experiencing (the pressure on your feet from walking, the feel of water on your skin, the taste or smell of something). Seeing these details of small parts of your dream will help bring the entire picture back into focus. Everything in your dreams requires your attention to exist. The more attention you give to one element, the more detail it creates in relation to what you are focused on. I want to note that strong emotions have an overwhelming role in shaping dreams, much like a colored lens.

Eyes have that real power to engage. I always try to catch the eye of any person or creature in this type of imagery. The closer I can get staring them in the face the better. When you get that engagement the scene will brighten to be just like a normal visual scene.

Use verbal commands. Verbal commands are generally the best way to exert control in your dreams. If you want something to happen, say it out loud. If your surroundings aren’t stable you can simply say forcefully and confidently, “Increase clarity now!”. If you feel your awareness fading, just command, “Maintain awareness!”.

Repeating “This is a dream”. Remind yourself that you are dreaming by repeating phrases like "This is a dream! ... This is a dream! ... This is a dream!" or "I'm dreaming ... I'm dreaming .. . I'm dreaming. . . ." This self-reminder can be spoken "out loud" in the dream, if necessary.

Having a goal. When we focus on a goal, the goal seems to remain active until the goal is satisfied.

The Joy of Flying

Since flying cannot be done in the waking world, it is usually one of the most rewarding and exhilarating experiences for most lucid dreamers.

Flying dreams and lucid dreams are strongly related in several ways. First, if you ever find yourself flying without benefit of an airplane or other reasonable apparatus, you are experiencing a fine dreamsign. Second, if you ever suspect that you are dreaming, trying to fly is often a good way to test your state. And if you want to visit the far corners of the globe or distant galaxies in your lucid dreams, flying is an excellent mode of transportation.

The dream space largely mirrors your ideas, expectations, and beliefs about it. By changing your expectations and beliefs, you change the dream space. Realizing mental space responds best to mental manipulations, you let go of physical manipulations and use the wings of your mind.

Limbo-Land

Limbo-Land is referred when you enter an in-between state where you have no sight, yet you have complete awareness. You are fully conscious in an empty void. It is completely dark and black much like a cave or a womb. Being in the void you should feel at peace. It is a wonderful place to meditate and contemplate.

Limbo-Land is like a regrouping zone where you restore your dreaming energy and relax while you wait for the next episode of your lucid adventure to develop. Limbo-Land is also a perfect place to incubate a dream as well as an ideal place for creative brainstorming and problem solving. If you have a particular place or person you would like to visit, you can think of that person while you are in Limbo-Land. Hopefully, your next sequence of dreams will incorporate that person or place.

The process of incubating a particular dream from Limbo-Land is quite simple. You continue to maintain full awareness, decide what you would to like to experience, focus your awareness and intent upon whatever it is that you would like to incubate and then simply wait for some new visuals to appear. It usually only takes a minute or so before some images begin to flash and fade in front of you.

Confronting Fear

As wonderful as your dreams can be, there are times when these thoughtscapes may become equally frightening. You can experience things in your dreams that you would never encounter in your normal waking world, and this can be for the better or for the worse.

Dreams can allow you the opportunity to transcend your fears. The beauty of dreaming is that compared to the vast amount of experience you can access, there are so few negative repercussions. Your dream cannot harm you. There is basically no sensation of pain while dreaming. In dreams you have all the bonuses of being able to experience anything yet no chance of getting hurt.

The quote, "You have nothing to fear but fear itself”, perfectly summarizes the dream realm. It is so incredibly important to internalize this idea that I’ll say it again. The only thing that can harm you is the fear itself. Whenever you sense the presence of fear, all you need to do is analyze the reason for the fear and act upon it. Use fear as an indicator that productive action is required. You can rethink your stance and change your perspective.

So, whenever you are confronted with fear, first, you do a reality check and determine that you are fully aware that you are dreaming, and since you are dreaming you have nothing to fear but the fear itself. Nothing can harm you except your fearful thoughts, and ultimately YOU are in control.

Nightmares

Nightmares are terrifying dreams in which our worst fears are brought to life in fully convincing detail. Whatever horrors you personally believe to be the worst things that could happen, these are the most likely subjects of your nightmares.

Thus, it is understandable that people who realize they must be dreaming in the midst of nightmares frequently choose to wake up. However, if you become fully lucid in a nightmare, you will realize that the nightmare can't really hurt you, and you don't need to "escape" it by awakening. You will remember that you are already safe in bed. It is better, as discussed below, to face and overcome the terror while remaining in the dream.

Paul Tholey also has reported that when the dream ego looks courageously and openly at hostile dream figures, the appearance of the figures often becomes less threatening.

Over the years, there have been numerous anecdotal reports of nightmares being resolved when the dreamer became lucidly aware and asked the nightmarish figure, "What do you represent?" or "What do you want?"

Fear is your worst enemy in dreams; if you allow it to persist it will grow stronger and your self-confidence will diminish. If, on the other hand, you choose to stay in the nightmare rather than waking from it, you can resolve the conflict in a way that brings you increased self-confidence and improved mental health. Then when you wake up you will feel that you have freed some extra energy with which to begin your day with new confidence.

Dream friends and guides

You will encounter and interact with many different characters in your dreams. Some dream characters will be people you have never met aside from the dream, yet surprisingly you may often feel that you have known this person for many years. You can use the help of these dream characters to make the most of your dreaming experience, and you make some wonderful friends along the way.

By interacting with the characters in your dreams you can get information, directions, and insights that may have not been so easily extracted if you were working alone.

Sometimes, I will ask other dream characters to bring a guide to me, and I’ve found that this is a great way to make contacts. Either the person will return with a guide or I will naturally encounter the guide within moments of intending to summon one. Upon receiving help or advice from your guide, be sure to thank him or her and ask if they would be willing to help you in the future if you were to summon them again. Showing gratitude is extremely important, and you may even want to ask if there is any way you can be of service. This type of courtesy keeps the welcome doors open for any future visits.

Change of scenario

Doors. If you want to change scenes in a dream, go over to a closed door, Consciously intend, even say your intention out loud, that when you walk through the door that it will open to where you want to go. Wait a few seconds, open the door and go through.

Spinning is also a good way to change the scenario. Think where you want to go while spinning and expect to appear there when you stop spinning. Also remind you that you are dreaming.

Change the channel. Some dream travelers have elaborated on Alan Worsley's example of the dream television. When they want to change the scenery, they imagine that the dream is taking place on a huge, three-dimensional television screen and they have the remote control in their hand.

Sleep Paralysis

Sometimes (and only sometimes) this means you go into paralysis before you actually drift off. We call this "Sleep Paralysis". The idea of that can scare some people, but there is nothing to be afraid of. Anyone who goes through a bad experience in sleep paralysis usually caused it themselves by having the wrong expectations.

Sleep paralysis, as this condition is called, can occur while people are falling asleep (rarely) or waking up (more frequently). If you don't know what's happening, your first experience with sleep paralysis can be terrifying. People typically struggle in a fruitless effort to move or to fully wake up. In fact, such emotional panic reactions are completely counterproductive; they are likely to stimulate the limbic (emotional) areas of the brain and cause the REM state to persist.

The fact is, sleep paralysis is harmless. The next time you experience sleep paralysis, simply remember to relax. Tell yourself that you are in the same state now as you are several hours every night during REM sleep. It will do you no harm and will pass in a few minutes. Whenever you experience sleep paralysis you are on the threshold of REM sleep. You have, as it were, one foot in the dream state and one in the waking state. Just step over and you're in the world of lucid dreams.

If you want to abort the experience altogether and wake up in your bed, all you need to do is focus on moving just one part of your body. You could start by concentrating on one of your fingers or toes. Once you begin to actually move it, have patience and realize that paralysis is not something that ends immediately.

What to do if you do awaken prematurely

Lie very still-don't move a muscle! Relax and wait. The dream will return. I've had dozens of lucid dreams in a row with this method.

False awakening

You will definitely encounter a lot of false awakenings along your dreaming trails. False awakenings occur when you think that you have awakened from a dream only to discover that you are still dreaming. If you do however wake up, make sure you perform a reality check to ensure you’re not actually still dreaming. “False awakenings” are incredibly common.

Awakening on purpose from the dream

Withdraw your attention. If the secret to preventing premature awakening is to maintain active participation in the dream, the secret to awakening at will is to withdraw your attention and participation from the dream. Think, daydream, or otherwise withdraw your attention from the dream, and you are very likely to awaken.

Gaze fixation. Paul Tholey has experimented with fixation on a stationary point during lucid dreams. He found that gaze fixation caused the fixation point to blur, followed by dissolution of the entire dream scene and an awakening within four to twelve seconds.

Using the eyes. If lucid and you want to "wake up" (return to Waking Physical Reality), close your eyes tightly in the dream, wait a second or two, and then open them wide. Your physical eyes will usually open also, waking you up.

Manipulating characters in Lucid Dreams

Control the dream or control yourself. When faced with challenging dream situations, there are two ways you can master them. One way involves magical manipulation of the dream: controlling "them" or "it," while the other way involves self control. For example, you can either magically convert the other character into a toad, or send him love and acceptance. Both situation will change the dream.

Taking action in dreams can mean many things-you can command the characters, or manipulate the scenery, or you can decide to explore part of the dream environment, act out a particular scene, reverse the dream scenario, or change the plot. Although, as explained above, the greatest benefit from lucid dreams may come not from exercising control over the dreams, but from taking control of your own reactions to dream situations, experimenting with different kinds of dream control can extend your powers and appreciation of lucidity.

Inner state. The environment of a dream is strongly conditioned by the inner state of the dreamer. If the dreamer courageously faced up to a threatening figure, its threatening nature in general gradually diminished and the figure itself often began to shrink. If the dreamer on the other hand allowed himself to be filled with fear, the threatening nature of the dream figure increased and the figure itself began to grow.

Looking in the eyes. Manipulation by means of looking plays an important part in Tholey's model of appropriate lucid dream activities. He cites his own research in support of the hypothesis that dream figures can be deprived of their threatening nature by looking them directly in the eye.

Verbal commands. Manipulation by means of verbal utterances is explained thus: "One can considerably influence the appearance and behavior of dream figures by addressing them in an appropriate manner. The simple question `Who are you?' brought about a noticeable change in the dream figures so addressed. Figures of strangers have changed in this manner into familiar individuals. Evidently the inner readiness to learn something about oneself and one's situation by carrying on a conversation with a dream figure enables one to ... achieve in this fashion the highest level of lucidity in the dream: lucidity as to what the dream symbolizes.”

Assistance of dream friends. Other dream figures may be able to help you manipulate dreams to find answers, resolve difficulties, or just enjoy yourself.

Don’t try to convince the other dream characters that you are dreaming.

Dream characters with awareness. The expectation effect functioned best when used to manipulate objects, settings, or actions in the lucid dream. When it came to dream figures, however, the expectation effect showed mixed results. Sometimes dream figures did exactly what you expected, while other times, they acted unexpectedly. In fact, dream figures often acted as if they were semiconsciously aware and pursuing their own purposes.

With experience, lucid dreamers come to realize that the dream space contains various types of dream figures, behaving with varying degrees of awareness.

Magic spells

As any lucid dreamer knows, in dream reality "magic" works. You can create and use magic spells and incantations and become amazed of how they work far more often than simply wanting or wishing for something to happen. You only need to believe in your gained power to create a particular effect or type of phenomenon. Teleportation, visiting the dead, levitation, conjurations, materializations, and transformations of one's body and environment can become a routine part of your dream life.

In contrast to spells, you can use chants, like SHH AHH MASHH (Shamash, the Hebrew word for the Sun) as a means of tuning or resonate with something or someone, in the same way that you might use a mantra in meditation.

Non-Verbal Communication

Communication in dreams usually occurs just as it does in waking life, but there are times when you will experience forms of non-verbal communication, like some form of telepathic communication that occurs between you and another character.

This type of communication is very effective because you can receive vast quantities of information in small periods of time. It also provides very accurate thought transmission. Due to semantic difficulties sometimes the little nuances of thoughts can be misinterpreted when using words. By transmitting or receiving whole thoughts and concepts, there is little room for misinterpretation. The only thing needed is for you to be receptive. The meaning is usually processed exactly as it is without any need for further interpretation.

Dream Reentry

In many instances it is possible to reenter the dream consciously and continue it, often, with the same dream figure and dream setting. Since a beginner's lucid dreams can be relatively short, learning dream reentry is a valuable tool.

Certain behaviors appear to assist the dream-reentry process. First, for some reason, it seemed to help if I matched the exact position of my physical body upon waking from the earlier dream. So to reenter the dream, I would reposition my body to conform to how it had been upon waking. I put my head just so, put my arms here, placed my leg just right, and so on. Now, my body felt ready for reentering the dream.

Then, I found it best to replay the dream in my mind while focusing on an event near the dream's end. At that place in the dream, I would visualize it completely in my mind for a moment while allowing my- self to doze off. Often, at this stage, I would slip back into the dream, consciously aware, as if by lucidly intended dream osmosis.

My final trick involved replaying the dream to the end and then "seeing" some portion of the dream as if inside the dream. By that, I mean I would seek to perceive the dream from some symbol or dream figure's viewpoint in the dream. Once I began to see the dream from an inside perspective, I suddenly would find myself back in the dream state. Usually, the dream would reanimate and continue, and my lucid awareness would be in the scene. Sometimes, the dream details would seem slightly altered, but all in all, a fair similitude would exist there.

Later, I discovered other lucid dreamers had created very similar practices for improving their dream-reentry chances. Once again, the dream state and lucid dreaming process showed a common platform of successful principles and activities.

The structure of dreams

Nonlinear reality

Dreams are often so illogical at times because when we sleep we deactivate certain critical regions of our brain that normally override the presence of nonlinear thinking. Having decreased our linear thinking, our nocturnal adventures are a heaven of nonlinearity.

Without the dominance of logic and linear thinking we have thoughts that seem to evolve and freely associate from one linked thought to the next. Although it may seem chaotic, it is actually quite logical if viewed from the nonlinear approach.

As a matter of fact, during our waking state we are always trying to make sense of everything and fit it into a linear mold. This is because we are products of a linear thinking society.

Everything we can imagine is real

I would side with Pablo Picasso when he stated that "everything we can imagine is real". If we can conceptualize it then it exists as a comprehensible thought, and thought is the master building block of each and every one of our versions of "reality".

The theory that best explains this phenomenon is aptly and paradoxically referred to as the non-locality of time/space. It proposes that our whole view of linear time and space is actually an illusion which brings us back to Einstein saying, "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a persistent one". The findings now indicate that our linear, bounded world is far more multi-dimensional in nature. It closely parallels the old Chinese saying, "Energy flows where attention goes.”

The realm of Dreamtime in the Australian Aborigines

Another culture that is extremely influenced by dreaming can be observed in the Australian Aboriginal way of life. They refer to dreaming as Dreamtime, and have the central belief in their culture that everything that exists originates within Dreamtime. In the beginning, all that existed was Dreamtime, and over time, the world as they know it was dreamed into existence. Dreamtime is an actual place or realm. It exists just as much as the waking world. As a matter of fact, it is even more "real" because everything comes from it and will eventually return to it while everything in our waking world gives the impression of being solid when in fact it is really illusory.

Another culture that emphasizes dreaming is found among the Tibetan monks who are also equally skilled in "other-worldly" traveling. Some of the Tibetan monks were required to develop their dreaming abilities and turn them into lucid dreaming excursions as a prerequisite for seeking enlightenment. It was and is taught that having control of the dream leads the dreamer to the realization that our material "reality" is as illusory as the dreaming realm. The Tibetan monks would ideally be trained to maintain awareness of their consciousness continually whether awake or asleep. Talk about maximizing one’s experience!

The power of Focus

Extract from Robert Waggoner - Gateway to the Inner Self.

Focus matters. Imagine yourself becoming lucid in the following dream: Coming out of a park, you see numerous skyscrapers and suddenly realize, "I don't live in New York City. This is a dream!" Looking around, you see fashionably dressed women walking past a pastry shop with incredible desserts in the window. To the left, there's a newsstand with tomorrow's issue of the Wall Street Journal next to a man dressed in an orange robe, like a Buddhist priest. To the right, you see a black carriage pulled by beautiful white horses. Lucid, what do you do?

When lucid, you do what you focus upon, according to your state at the time. A hungry lucid dreamer might focus on the pastry shop. A spiritual lucid dreamer might focus on talking to the Buddhist priest. A horse-loving lucid dreamer might focus on the carriage and horses. An experienced lucid dreamer might focus on something not apparent, like flying to the Statue of Liberty, and a more advanced lucid dreamer might ignore the whole scene and focus on an experiment she wished to perform.

When lucid, you can focus on the immediately apparent, the im- plied, and the potential. In effect, you can focus on the finite or the infinite, the perceived or the unperceived. Focus creates a sense of order out of all these innumerable possibilities. By focusing our attention, we concentrate our mental energy on a limited field of our particular interests and personal priorities. So focus performs a selective function by limiting our attention to areas of our own interest and making the experience of any reality practical and personally meaningful.

When consciously aware in the dream state, your focus matters for two fundamental reasons: 1) once lucid, your focus guides your experience, and 2) if you lose focused awareness upon being lucid, then you will shift realities and return to regular dreaming or waking. Focus, therefore, acts as a significant reality-creating principle in your lucid dreaming. By properly using focus, you can radically change your lucid dreaming and create longer, more interesting experiences.

Consider, for example, these lucid dreams from my teenage years:

Early Lucid Dream #1: At my childhood home, Dad and I and a friend are outside working. We all seem younger than our current ages. Dad gets upset about something and yells, "Hurry up!" This really embarrasses me in front of my friend and I'm just about to react when I realize, "This is all a dream!"

Lucidly aware, I go up to Dad and tell him, "This is all a dream! So it really isn't important what you say, and I'm going to ignore all of your idiotic commands!" Suddenly a policeman appears and takes Dad away.

Notice how I become lucidly aware and totally focus on confront- ing the dream image of my father. What happens when I say my piece and expend my focus on it? A policeman enters the dream. Did I, the lucid dreamer, consciously call the policeman forth? If not my conscious act, then what explains the policeman's entry into the lucid dream and subsequent action?

Early Lucid Dream #2:1 am walking in an apartment and see my girl- friend lying asleep on the floor near the door to the shower. That strikes me as odd, and I realize I am dreaming. Thinking about what to do, I decide to go and bite her rump, basically to see what this would be like, and if she, as a dream figure, would notice. Grinning I lean over her, and softly bite her rump. Well, this seems fun! So I bite the other side of her rump. It feels so real - just like one would think it should. She continues lying there, asleep. Suddenly, my brother comes to the door and she rises and puts a towel around herself. I feel embarrassed.

In the dream I had decided, while lucid, to conduct an experiment, wondering, "What will this feel like?" and "Will she notice it?" What happens when I conclude my experiment and no longer focus on it? My brother enters the dream, and my girlfriend gets up and puts a towel around herself. Did I, the lucid dreamer, consciously request his intrusion or her reaction? If not, then what explains those actions?

Early Lucid Dream #3: I'm coming up the stairs to a movie theater. I suddenly feel I could move very fast, almost propelled along. I whiz past people. Then right before I come to the door, I realize I'm dream- ing and yell, "I can fly!" and I do - zooming around the ceiling of the old fashioned movie auditorium, lucidly aware. I feel great!

Looking down, I announce to the audience, "The world is a belief!" I go on and address the audience, saying that they experience their beliefs and perceptions, and really not a fundamental reality at all. At this point, groups of people start to leave the theater. Suddenly a security guard and a lady manager appear and want to talk with me. I now seem at their level. The manager seems initially mad, but when we are alone, she asks, "How did you do this?" She seemed impressed or surprised in a pleasant way.

By looking closely at these lucid dreams, we see how focus relates to creating experienced reality. These simple examples teach the following:

The need to focus, then refocus: In each of the preceding lucid dreams, once I expend my aware focus on the task at hand (reproving my father, experimenting on my girlfriend, making my announcement to the theater audience), my active focus was empty, blank. At that point, new dream figures suddenly enter the lucid dream. Like many beginning lucid dreamers, I failed to refocus on any new objective, which allowed my unconscious to reassert itself and bring new dream figures into my lucid dream.

If an experienced lucid dreamer kept a detailed report, you would read something like this: "Became lucid, decided to do this: did it. Then decided to do this: did it. Then I noticed that and decided to investigate: did so." Experienced lucid dreamers (whether they know it or not) learn to refocus their attention as a means to maintain their creation of the dream reality. "Whether through taking action or simply deliberating, experienced lucid dreamers maintain their awareness actively and elongate the lucid dream.

Losing the battle of creating: At that exact moment when the lucid dreamer has expended his focus, something amazing happens: the dream reality continues as the unconscious creative dreaming system returns and introduces new elements, new objects, and new dream figures into the dream, as the policeman in my first example and my brother in the second illustrate. I did not consciously create these dream figures. Their introduction represents the natural, ongoing, creative progression of the dreaming (which comes uninitiated consciously by the lucid dreamer). Once the lucid dreamer's focus diminishes, the apparent creative dreaming system reemerges, causing new dream elements to appear.

At this point, new lucid dreamers often become totally fascinated by the new elements and lose their focused awareness. Within moments, they can become caught up in the swift flow of dreaming and immersed in its offerings. In losing their focus, they lose their creative power over the lucid dream reality and return to regular dream reality.

In effect, an aware lucid dreamer pushes back the ever-present forces of unconscious creation for the right to create his or her conscious creation. As the lucid dreamer's focused awareness emerges, the unconscious creations wane. Conversely, when the lucid dreamer's focused awareness wanes, the unconscious creations reemerge.

Understanding the importance of focus as a reality-creating principle can radically transform one's lucid experience from simple pleasure seeking to journeys into unimaginable experience. Focus serves to select our experience from the vastness available to us in the infinity of lucid dreaming. By focusing, we channel our creating powers to produce the dream's likely path.

The Expectation effect

One great way of controlling your dreams is through expectation.

So, if you want to see something or be somewhere: expect it to happen.

Expectation seemed a primary force in the dream realm. "To expect is to create” in lucid dreams. This basic rule of lucid dreaming has become known as the expectation effect. In the lucid dream state, I found that, in general, expectations of succeeding led to success, while expectations of failing led to failure. If I expected to fly with ease, I flew easily. If, for some reason, I expected trouble flying, I had trouble flying. If I expected to be approached by dream figures, they approached me. Expectation largely ruled the dream realm, but unexpected things and responses can happened all the time. Expectation seemed more of a guideline for the dream, not a "law."

Just like harnessing the power of your intent, you can develop the ability to manifest just about anything in your dreams if you can engrain the belief that what you expect is what you will find. For example, one thing you may want to do in a lucid dream is to find one of your friends or a deceased relative or anyone for that matter. You could look all over with no results or you may be lucky enough to find that person immediately, but if you use the power of expectation you will definitely increase the odds of finding whomever you are seeking. The process is very simple. Just say or think to yourself, "I know that I will find so-and-so just around this corner!" The magic occurs when you not only believe that you will see this person but you also expect it, and as you round that corner, voila! Not surprisingly, you will find that person. When it comes to expectations, you normally get what you expect, at the moment you expect it, to the degree that you expect it.

Since you can use lucid dreaming to actively go beyond expectation, you ultimately realize that lucid dreaming is not entirely a self-reflective mirror of your waking conscious processes. In going beyond your expectations and allowing the unexpected, you open up to the larger reality and unknown creativity of lucid dreams.

The boundaries of Belief

During waking reality, the brain bases its guess of what’s going on on the information being received from the senses mixed with your beliefs. When asleep, the brain creates a recreation of the senses based on what we hold to be true, what we believe to be possible.

In the dreamstate you are limited only by your beliefs.

What you hold to be true.

Assumptions play a more important role during dreaming than waking perception. If you think you can't, you can’t. A perfect example of this interaction is the power of flight while dreaming. As you learn various ways to fly around in your dreams, you will notice that the first obstacle will be overcoming the belief that you can’t fly. You will often be grounded and unable to fly merely because you have doubts as to whether you can fly or not. You may even think forcefully, "I know I can fly, I know I can fly", but if you possess doubts you may not even be able to make it off the ground. There is a subtle difference between thinking and believing and knowing, and these nuances will be the fine lines you will be exploring as you literally work your way towards getting your wings in the dream realm.

Beliefs seem closely tied to expectations in that we expect that which we believe possible. Our conscious and unconscious beliefs help order and structure our unique version of reality. When lucid in a dream, we generally act in accordance with our beliefs. If we believe something is possible, we attempt it; if we don't believe something is possible, we don't attempt it. Our beliefs delineate the boundaries of our experience to a large degree.

Some of our beliefs could be considered our private beliefs, while other beliefs we come to accept from society, our culture. We seem to attract to us and hold onto beliefs that agree with those beliefs we already hold.

Your lucid dream actions will be limited by your beliefs. For example, many lucid dreamers decide that dream figures have nothing to say, or at least nothing intelligent to say. After all, they conclude, "The dream figures are just products of my mind!" To prove that belief, they may point out that in their last twenty lucid dreams, not one intelligent comment was made by a dream figure. But how do they know the lack of response simply reflects their belief and expectation? Similarly, some lucid dreamers announce that the written word always changes in a lucid dream; however, after thirty years of experience, I find the written word to be relatively stable.

When we believe in limitations or difficulties, we help bring them about. So, cultivating an open mind and expansive beliefs about the possibilities in lucid dreams potentially broadens the scope of our experience. To discover the broadest nature of lucid dreaming, we must play with beliefs on numerous levels. Since our beliefs actively affect even the interpretation of our experience, they seem almost inescapable.

I don't so much encourage anyone to adopt what they perceive to be my beliefs as seek their own broader experience in lucid dreams - to consider new concepts, new ideas, and, with integrity, see where they lead in their experience.

The power of Intent

With the right beliefs in place, the power of intent is our ticket to nearly everything you could ever imagine. Focus is the mental aspect while intent is the emotional aspect. It is true in waking life and it is true in the dream realm. To create something we must first intend it. This holds true for every action we take from walking down the street to building a skyscraper to influencing our dreams. The difference between just thinking and intending is a matter of emotional charge and determined focus. The emotional charge is what powers our intent and the focus is the clarity of our action.

In the dream realm, the power of intent creates instant results. When you intend to fly, you have the faith and follow through to know that you can fly, and in turn you begin to soar through the air.

So intent can be defined as the focused emotional energy. Emotional energy seems to compose one of the building blocks of dream reality, ever present but hidden within the structure.

While flying, many beginning lucid dreamers will realize they're gaining altitude - they see the rooftops or trees below them and can barely believe they're flying! - and suddenly, their focus shifts. They become fearful of the distance to the ground, and they begin to fall. At the moment their focus changed from flying to the distance to the ground, the direction of the lucid dream changed. The lesson:

When you focus on your goal, you attract your goal. When you focus on fears, you attract your fears. In a mental space, your focus matters because it naturally draws you to the area of your focus.

The power of Request

As much as our waking ego would like to take credit for all lucid events, we must accept that the lucid dream reality is frequently a creation of an invisible unknown awareness behind the dream.

Whenever we ask the dream to show us something, we open ourselves to the power or request. When we shout, "Hey! I want to see more women in here when I return!" we use this reality-creating power. Whenever we ignore the dream figures and ask the dream, our intent stretches toward an awareness behind the dream and offers the unknown an opportunity to respond in a mysterious way beyond our preconception.

Tacit Knowledge access

The things you know that you know and can spell out explicitly, such as your street address or how to tie your shoe, are called "explicit" knowledge. Tacit knowledge, on the other hand, includes what you know but can't explain (how to walk or talk), and what you know but don't think you do (say, the color of your first-grade teacher's eyes).

Of the two kinds of knowledge, the tacit variety is by far the more extensive: we know more than we realize. In dreams we have greater contact with our tacit knowledge than we do while awake. If you remember your dreams, you can surely recall having had one in which you can reproduce a complete and complex situation with amazing detail in comparison to any description you could have made while awake.

The explanation for this phenomenon is our access to tacit knowledge in dreams. In dreams we have conscious access to the contents of our unconscious minds. Therefore, in our dreams we are not limited, as we are while awake, to working with only that tiny portion of our accumulated experience to which we normally have conscious access.

Varieties of Dream Figures

When lucid dreamers consciously engage and converse with dream figures, the dream figures frequently surprise them with their knowledge, observations, and rational comments. By consciously asking, "Who are you?" the lucid dreamer allows the dream figure an opportunity for expression.

Simple thought form figures. Some dream figures appear to be simple thought-forms or symbols, representing some idea, expectation, or emotion in the lucid dream; this group has little or nothing to say.

Self-aware figures. Dream figures that argue logically and convincingly for their autonomous existence in an environment they perceive as real and resent the lucid dreamer's comments about "creating" them.

Independent figures. Independent agents with an apparent agenda of their own, sometimes in contradiction to that of the lucid dreamer.

Guardians and Helpers. Self-declared “guardians” or “guides”, that apear to assist or watch over the lucid dreamer; they sometimes even provide useful advice or suggest ways to manipulate the lucid dream environment. They usually say something like, “I'm there to help you.” or “I can teach and advise you.” or “Call on me, if you wish.”

Also, the interaction seems initiated by the guide or guardian dream figure. (By contrast, the much more common thought-form dream figure rarely initiates interaction with the lucid dreamer.)

Recurring dream figures. Recurring dream figures occasionally appear in lucid dreams. Though recurring dream figures who prompt lucidity seem fairly rare, the main exception involves seeing deceased relatives, who appear quite regularly for some lucid dreamers. The presence of the deceased often initiates awareness that one must be dreaming.

Approaching Dream Figures

Many lucid dreamers find it shocking to discover that a subset of dream figures seem to possess a type of awareness, knowledge, and action.

At their simplest, some dream figures exist as thought-forms, which briefly express a symbolic representation of an idea, thought, intent, or emotion. The thought-forms may have very little durability, limited functional capability, and appear only as an expression of a thought, idea, or emotion. These figures may be incapable of replying to questions or may respond with gibberish.

When engaging in a conversation with a dream figure that seems to poses a type of awareness, you will apear to them as a type of awareness as well. You will feel how one needs to show an understanding of and appreciation for the dream figures' own valid awareness. When the lucid dreamer doesn't demonstrate this, the dream figure doesn't care to interact with one so unaware and unknowledgeable. The dream figures suggest they need to be treated thoughtfully in order to respond thoughtfully.

By engaging, conversing with, and challenging lucid dreamers, dream figures argue for a broader appreciation of their existence.

Dream figures posses dramatically different awareness levels and behaviors as :

Conversational ability: to varying degrees, can converse freely, ask questions of the lucid dreamer, respond to questions, initiate conversations.

Purposeful action: to varying degrees, can act or behave in a purposeful manner (for example, teach the lucid dreamer, direct the focus of the lucid dreamer).

Education or knowledge of the dream state: to varying degrees, can reason with the lucid dreamer, provide information.

Once you open yourself to a real, conscious interaction, consider the following guidelines:

• Don't limit the dream figure by expressing prejudiced assumptions, such as "You're a creation of my mind!" or "Do you know I'm dreaming you?" Most dream figures just stare at you when you say these things. Instead, ask them an open-ended question, like "Who are you?" or "What do you represent?" or "Why are you here?" Then listen for their response.

• When you have a choice, look for the most appropriate, aware, or intelligent dream figure to talk with.

• Develop your most important question, or series of questions, in the waking state. Sometimes in the excitement of being lucid, you may be unable to think of anything appropriate to ask.

• Recognize the expectation effect and your influence in the process. If you expect a nonsensical reply, don't be surprised when you get it. If you get something unexpected, don't toss it away and ignore it. Don't be blind to what you don't expect (or want) to see.

• If confused by the dream figure's response, ask for clarification!

• See the answer in broad terms. It may come as a feeling, an image, words, a symbol, or all of these at once.

• Come to the conversation with a sense of openness. Come with a desire to learn, not a desire to tell. Experience the magic of consciously being aware in dreaming.

The importance of wording

The first guideline in "asking the dream" involves the importance of properly wording the request. The words selected convey the intent of the request and strongly affect the forthcoming response, so exact wording is crucial. If we ask the dream "to see," then a visual display appears. If we ask "to hear," then an auditory event occurs.

A change of word or phrase that seems minor to us is critical to the inner awareness's response. For example, a lucid dreamer might verbally or mentally announce that now she will project her consciousness "into a bird," and suddenly she views the scene from the bird's vantage point. Contrast this to the lucid dreamer who announces that she will "become" a bird or "totally experience what it feels like to be a bird." This second lucid dreamer may suddenly feel wings, a beak, talons, and a tail and experience "birdness" at a more profound level than the first dreamer. To the dreaming, the intent and wording of the request join together to delineate the response.

We can imagine a lucid dreamer ignoring the dream figures and shouting, "I want to see unconditional love!" In response, a profoundly emotional scene may appear for the lucid dreamer to look at visually and absorb. Contrast that to the lucid dreamer who shouts, "I want to become unconditional love!" He or she may then begin to feel intense emotion, bordering on the mystical, and swoon into the depths of unconditional love. Depending upon the concept we seek to become, the intensity of "becoming" may approach the over- powering and all consuming.

Exploring the Dream World

Dream incubation

Before sleeping make sure you have a dream plan or intention to find a particular place, person, or situation. This is often called "dream incubation.” To do this, it is helpful to arrive at a simple, single phrase describing the topic of your intended dream, and you need to add to your focus the intention to become lucid in the dream. Your intention should be the last thing you think of before falling asleep.

Working with your dream senses

You can work with your dream senses and broaden your sensual experience. Hearing in a detailed way, smelling all around, touching, seeing the richness in colors and details.

First-time lucid dreamers often note a marked, pleasurable heightening of the senses, particularly the sense of vision. Hearing, smell, touch, taste can intensify instantly, as if you had found the volume control knob for your senses and turned it up a notch. Give it a try. Play with your senses, one at a time, as you explore the dream world.

Unrestricted exploration

In waking life we are used to restrictions. For almost everything we do, there are rules about how to act, how not to act, and what it is reasonable to try. One of the most commonly quoted delightful features of lucid dreaming is great, unparalleled freedom. When people realize they are dreaming, they suddenly feel completely unrestricted, often for the first time in their life. They can do or experience anything. Being a man or woman, pass through walls, breathe water, fly, and travel in outer space. Forget your normal criteria; seek the kinds of things you can only do or be in dreams.

Wish fulfillment

When you are beginning to shape your dreams, wish fulfillment is a natural thing to pursue. Joyous flights through beautiful countryside, wild lovemaking with your heart's desire, sumptuous feasting, thrilling runs down ski slopes, acts of power and achievement, and any other pleasant experiences that you can imagine are possible in the lucid dream state.

Dreams are different from the waking world in at least one important sense, in dreams you can live your wildest fantasies, see your most delightful wishes fulfilled, and experience perfection and joy even when these satisfactions are not possible in your waking life. By learning to have lucid dreams, you open for yourself a limitless amusement park full of all the delights you can imagine. Admission is free, and there are no lines!

As the psychologist Havelock Ellis said, "Dreams are real while they last, can we say more of life?"

Dream sex

As you would expect in a land of complete freedom, sex is a very common theme in many people's lucid dreams.

"Orgasm is a natural part of lucid dreaming: my own experience convinces me that conscious dreaming is orgasmic." She reports that two-thirds of her lucid dreams have sexual content and that about half of these lucid dreams culminate in orgasms that are apparently as good or even better than in waking life. In Pathway to Ecstasy, Garfield describes her lucid dream orgasms as being of "profound" intensity; she finds herself "bursting into soul-and-body shaking explosions ... with a totality of self that is only sometimes felt in the waking state."

Peak Performance

Authors Charles Garfield and Hal Bennett popularized the term "peak performance," referring to those extraordinary moments when body and mind seem to operate together at the very top of their capacity. Research on how to cultivate peak performance suggests that lucid dreaming may prove to be an ideal training ground, not only for athletics, but also for any area in which skill can be developed.

Dreams are the most vivid type of mental imagery most people are likely to experience. The more the mental rehearsal of a skill feels like the real thing, the greater the effect it is likely to have on waking performance. Because of this, lucid dreaming, in which we can make conscious use of dream imagery, is likely to be even more useful than waking mental imagery as a tool for learning and practicing skills.

When people dream of performing an action, such as singing or engaging in sexual activity, their bodies and brains respond as if they were actually doing it, except that their muscles remain paralyzed by the REM process. Apparently, the neural impulses from the brain to the body are still active and quite similar, if not identical, to those that would accompany the same acts in waking.

Creative problem solving

Dream incubation techniques are one step toward deliberately accessing the creativity of dreams. Since the age of Egyptian civilization, people have used dream incubation to try to induce dreams about the problem they are trying to solve. A more efficient method, however, may be to seek answers to problems in lucid dreams. One can try to incubate a lucid dream on the problem, or once in a lucid dream intentionally turn one's will toward the question in mind. Instead of waiting for the muse to visit, the artist can call on her.

A Tibetan Vehicle for exploring reality

For more than a thousand years, the Tibetan Buddhists have used lucid dreaming as a means of experiencing the illusory nature of reality.

Tarthang Tulku explains the benefits of lucid dreaming as follows: "Experiences we gain from practices we do during our dream time can then be brought into our daytime experience. With continuing practice," Tulku continues, "we see less and less difference between the waking and the dream state.”

The wish-fulfillment possibilities of this degree of dream control may seem compelling, but Tibetan dream yogis set their sights far above the pursuit of any trivial pleasures. For them, the lucid dream represents "a vehicle for exploring reality," an opportunity to experiment with and realize the subjective nature of the dream state and, by extension, waking experience as well. They regard such a realization as bearing the profoundest possible significance.

As a result, "even the hardest things become enjoyable and easy. When you realize that everything is like a dream, you attain pure awareness. And the way to attain this awareness is to realize that all experience is like a dream."

Dreams can be changed by will. Dreams are unstable as mirages. Waking state perception is as unreal as dreams. Both samsaric states are illusory. And the great realizations is that it is All a dream.

Explore Deep Questions

"I want to meet my Higher Self."

"Who am I?"

"I want to know my Heart's Desire.”

"I have a duty to perform. What is it?"

"Where did I come from, why am I here, and where am I going?"

"What is the most important thing for me to know (or do) now (or next)?"

"Guide me to Love and Light."

"Let me remember my mission.”

"Hey dream, show me something important for me to see!"

Throwing a suggestion to the dream and waiting

Knowing that expectation and focus mattered, you can begin to work with using intent when conscious in dreaming. As don Juan mentioned, intent seemed one of the primary creative tools for lucid dreamers. Through the power of intent, a lucid dreamer could relate to the dreaming in a new, mysteriously magical way. Using intent, you could verbally or mentally suggest an action or object to occur and, somehow, it does. How? Well, like this (March 1983):

I am in school with friends and acquaintances. I head off to my school room and open the door. In opening the door, I realize that I no longer attend college. "This is a lucid dream," I happily say to myself.

Lucidly aware and feeling energized, I look around the classroom of young people and desks, wondering what to do in this setting. An idea comes to me. Since I don't see enough desirable women in the class, I intend to change that! I shout out to the class, "I want to see more attractive women in here when I open this door again!" I step outside the room and shut the door behind me.

In the hallway, I wonder, "How long do I have to wait out here for more women to appear? Five seconds? A minute?" I feel like a kid on Christmas morning, not sure what to anticipate but hoping for the best. I wait a few seconds longer in the hallway and decide, "That's enough time."

I open the door into the schoolroom and find a U-shaped line of perhaps fifteen attractive young women, completely naked. Amazing! It worked! I walk along and briefly touch each one, awestruck by the ability to create all of this.

Now, although some readers may raise their eyebrows at the con- tent of my "intent" here (please recall that at the time of the dream, I am in my early twenties), one sees the creative power of intent in the lucid dream or subconscious platform. I intended in the dreaming that I wished to experience a specific event in the progression of the dream. And it happened, perhaps even beyond my expectations.

Intent consisted of throwing a suggestion into an invisible box and having a response suddenly materialize. Intent was the magic of lucid dreams. But who was the magician?

When lucid dreamers ask the dream a question or ask the dream to do something (e.g., "I want to see more attractive women in here when I open this door again!"), the unconscious independently listens and responds. Aware in a lucid dream, one has access to this inner reality of the unconscious and its creativity. But because we lucid dreamers tend to focus simply on our own actions and manipulations in the dream state, and because we assume we create the dream, we never bother to ask the dream itself. To get beyond ourselves, we have to stop focusing on our doings and manipulations and allow the unconscious an opportunity to respond.

So the idea is that you can stop focusing on the dream objects and dream figures and direct questions or intentions to the non-apparent awareness behind the dream. Once the lucid dreamer directs questions or intentions to the awareness behind dreaming, he or she creates an opening from which to engage the subliminal or inner Self. The responsive, invisible awareness behind the dream reciprocates in such a profound way as to differentiate itself from dream figures. Its response reveals a creativity, deep knowledge, and mastery that suggest the lucid dreamer has encountered a consciously aware, much larger aspect of Self.

Further exploration

The early stage of using lucid dreams for play and pleasure seems only natural. When playing, we learn to enjoy the dream environment and discover things about it. We experience how to manipulate ourselves and dream objects while learning to maintain conscious focus. We develop spatial and movement skills while doing a lot of playful self- education. Eventually, when you realize the fantastic potential of lucid dreaming as a means to explore the unconscious, discover unknown but verifiable information, and interact with one's inner awareness, you notice that the playground of lucid dreams connects to a school of higher education. There you can begin a new stage of learning and experimentation in the lucid dream state as you begin to wonder how deep the unconscious goes.

In advanced lucid dreams, you feel that you have gone beyond the conscious waking mind's conception of the world. You know things without knowing how you know. You see things that seem impossible to articulate because they are outside any physical reference point. The inner world, so easy to ignore, now appears more brilliantly incredible and mysterious than ever before. At each further stage, something more appear in lucid dreaming. The unconscious kept growing in complexity.

Heightening your Lucidity

There is lots of talk about becoming lucid and maintaining your lucidity, but seldom does anyone speak of consciously trying to increase their levels of lucidity. The process is very simple, but the difficulty lies in your ability to handle this heightened lucidity. First, you need to become grounded in your lucidity. You should feel very comfortable and confident in your ability to maintain the level of lucidity you are currently experiencing. If you increase your lucidity prematurely without being properly grounded, you may find the increase in lucidity will rattle your lucid dreamscape. The colors in the sky may get brilliantly intense. So intense that you may lose your lucidity by gazing into the colors. One moment you’ll be lucid; the next moment you’ll be mesmerized by the beauty of your surroundings, and in so doing you will no longer be lucid. You will not even know your lucidity is lost because you will be fully immersed in your new non-lucid dream.

After you have become comfortably grounded in your lucidity, the second step is to intend an increase in your level of lucidity. You can use the Verbal Command Method and simply say, "Increase Levels of Lucidity, Now!". To further increase your lucidity you just repeat both steps over again. There may be no limit to how intensely heightened your lucidity can be, but there is only so much you can handle depending on your current lucid dreaming prowess. Like everything else, with time you will be able to reach higher and higher levels.

At higher levels everything just seems so incredibly clear and so profoundly intense. These expanded effects are usually experienced all across the boards, visually and mentally. All your senses become progressively heightened with each increase in your lucidity level.

Extremely heightened levels of lucidity can bring about states of ecstasy and unmatched bliss. From what I have experienced of heightened lucidity, it closely resembles what Buddhists refer to as samadhi or nirvana. It is a state of pure being. Sometimes it is characterized by overflowing love and joy. It can be experienced as a complete union between yourself and your surroundings. Heightening your lucidity to ecstatic levels can be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences of your life. The after-effects of this bliss can be felt for days if not weeks, and the memories of these moments will last a lifetime.

Non-Patterning

Breaking the habit of being yourself

One way to exercise your awareness during your day is to become aware of any habits or patterns that you are following in your daily life. Examine your daily or weekly routines. The idea is to change routines in order to decrease the odds of nonlucid waking. If you always follow the same route to work take a different street on your next trip. Changes such as these prevent you from falling victim to repetitive, non-thinking behavior. By following routines and habits we are using less of our awareness during our daily life.

The goal is to reprogram yourself so that you are less likely to act like an automaton. By loosening the grips that behavioral patterns have on you, you are that more likely to be grounded in the here and now. The process not only includes changing your routines but it requires you to continually modify them. You will be breaking perceptual barriers and learning to transcend the shackles of your belief systems. You will be opening the doors to new growth and new ways of perceiving and acting as opposed to following the norm as most others inevitably do.

Clear light experience

“As if a floating point of light in an expanse of aware, living light, the self-less awareness exists. Here, all awareness connects. All awareness intersects. All knowledge exists within the brilliant, clear, creamy light of awareness. Awareness is all; one point contains the awareness of all points; nothing exists apart. Pure awareness, knowing, light. “

He (Tenzin Wangyal) also noted that with many years of training and experience, if the lucid dreaming practice is "fully accomplished," will result in an experience of the "clear light." Unlike a lucid dream, which has a subject and object, in the clear light experience, "the recognition is not of an object by a subject but is the non-dual recognition of pure awareness, the clear light, by awareness itself."

He emphasized that in the clear light experience, there is no subject/object duality or sense of self; rather, the ever-present essential, innate awareness appears. Ultimately, the common goal for those who go deeply into either dream yoga or sleep yoga would be to experience the clear light.

Healing Ability

Could a consciously aware dreamer heal his or her physical body in a lucid dream? Incredibly, the answer appears to be yes. Some lucid dreamers who attempt healing in the lucid state report very limited success or no effect on their symptoms, while others report considerable success from a reduction in the severity of physical symptoms, a surprisingly rapid healing experience, to the disappearance of the health issue altogether.

Why do some lucid dreamers succeed, while others don't? My research into instances of successful and unsuccessful lucid dream healing has made clear to me the importance of the reality-creating complex of belief, focus, intent, expectation and request. A constructive use of these elements seems essential in creating a positive outcome.

Another success factor appears to be the healing method itself. Lucid dreamers have approached the task of lucid healing by using a variety of methods, such as the following:

• Symbolically and literally entering and manipulating the dream body, often with impressive results and in dramatically different ways.

• Directing healing intent, which often manifests as a healing beam of light, in various colors and forms.

• Healing through the power of sound, chants, and affirmations. Whether in the form of a mantra, powerful word, or chant, lucid dreamers can consciously experiment with sound in healing. Some prefer healing affirmations.

• Healing by conscious creation of symbolic, healing images and healing environments.

• Seeking information about the cause or meaning of the illness by asking the awareness-behind-the-dream "What does my condition want me to know and what should I do?”.

• Seeking a dream doctor, medicine, or healing environment in the dream world.

Paranormal exploration

Other fields of exploration could be dream telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, meeting other lucid dreamers in the dream or interacting with the desease (which is fairly common).

Simultaneous Dreams

Double dream or Simultaneous dreams is when you have multiple awareness in the same dream. You are literally in two places at the same time completely aware in both places at the same moment.

In The Nature of the Psyche, Seth explained: “Many people are aware of double or triple dreams, when they seem to have two or three simultaneous dreams. Usually upon the point of awakening, such dreams suddenly telescope into one that is predominant, with the others taking subordinate positions, though the dreamer is certain that in the moment before, the dreams were equal in intensity. Such dreams are representative of the great creativity of consciousness, and hint at its ability to carry on more than one line of experience at one time without losing track of itself....

In double dreams and triple dreams consciousness shows its transparent, simultaneous nature. Several lines of dream experience can be encountered at the same time, each complete in itself, but when the dreamer wakes to the fact, the experience cannot be neurologically translated; so one dream usually predominates, with the others more like ghost images.” - Roberts, Jane, The “Unknown” Reality Volume One, Session 692, Bantam Books, New York, NY, 1988,

The Five Levels of Lucid Dreaming

Extract from Robert Waggoner - Gateway to the Inner Self.

Level 1: Personal Play, Pleasure, and Pain Avoidance

At this initial level, lucid dreamers commonly report marveling at the lucid state, enjoying the sensations of touch and sight, comparing and contrasting the dream with waking reality, and avoiding troubling stimuli. The initial goal revolves around maintaining lucidity by modulating emotions and properly focusing awareness; essentially, the lucid dreamer is learning to remain lucid and understand this realm. Establishing aware focus is the initial principle realized.

Impediments involve a lack of personal control, the appearance of attractions or distractions that prevent lucid awareness, and uneasiness with a mental or nonphysical reality. The lucid dreamer may relate to dream reality in ways appropriate to physical reality such as flying by swimming through the air or flapping arms. At this stage, lucid dreams may be very brief (from seconds to less than three minutes) and involve very limited experimentation.

I Dream: Dreaming reflects only me, my personal realm. Behavior: Play, pleasure, stability, and dealing with attractions and distractions. Goal: Maintaining lucidity. Reality Creators: Focus and emotional control. Direction: If dreaming reflects me, then I must learn to control it. Fear Blockage: Can't control it, unlike physical reality. Neutral Stasis: Lucid dreaming involves fun, pleasure, and pain avoidance.

Level 2: Manipulation, Movement, and Me

Here, the lucid dreamer practices greater movement skills such as flying like Superman but still sometimes reverts to a physical approach (swimming, arm flapping, and so on). The lucid dreamer begins to change dream objects to suit needs or desires and interact with dream figures as mere reflections or playthings. In perfecting the skills to manipulate objects and space, the lucid dreamer learns the basic principles or techniques of expectation and belief to influence the environment.

Impediments involve an inability to manipulate space, dream figures, or objects by improper use of expectation and belief, improper focus, and a resultant concern about one's adequacy. At this stage, the lucid dreamer may experience false awakenings. Most lucid dreams will be brief (from one half to six minutes) and involve a greater sense of experimentation with sensory experience and engaging dream objects such as touching dream figures.

I Dream: Dreaming reflects me and my control. Behavior: Manipulation, direction, elongation, and experimentation. Goal: Manipulating objects and others in the dream space. Reality Creators: Belief, expectation, and suggestion. Direction: I can control it if I use more power. Fear Blockage: Objects and figures difficult to manipulate. Neutral Stasis: Lucid dreaming involves mental playthings; they are as I expect them to be. Other Factors: False awakenings occur.

Level 3: Power, Purpose, and Primacy

Now the lucid dreamer may begin to conduct experiments, completely change the dream environment or direction, and show his or her mastery over the dream realm. The initial goal involves the easier manipulation of the objects, figures, and space in the dreaming, often through the use of directed intent and the will. The lucid dreamer continues to treat the dream figures as thought-forms and may ignore evidence of different classes of dream figures as well as unexpected developments.

Impediments involve inexplicable or unexpected events, the appearance of things beyond control, an inability to conceive of proper experiments to test assumptions, and so on. At this stage, the lucid dreamer may feel very powerful and in control while learning details about the principles of operating in the dreaming realm. However, the appearance of apparent "independent agents" or dream figures acting in purposeful and volitional ways may cause anxiety and concern.

I Dream: Dreaming reflects me and my power. Behavior: Creation, destruction, going over, under, and through. Goal: Complete ability to manipulate objects and others in the dream space. Reality Creators: Intent and will. Direction: If my control and power can't do it, there must be more going on. Fear Blockage: Things do not follow my command; confusion; self as the ultimate limitation. Neutral Stasis: By will and intent, I can make whatever I want happen.

Level 4: Re-reflection, Reaching Out, and Wonder

Opening up to the responsive element behind the dream provides a new paradox for the lucid dreamer because it suggests the lucid dreamer exists in the dream state with another awareness or larger Awareness. The initial goal involves trying to probe, understand, and respond advantageously to this realization. The lucid dreamer may develop a view that he or she has met the source, the dreamer of the dream, or the aware unconscious. Old assumptions may be discarded.

Impediments emerge as the lucid dreamer deals with this new mystery of another awareness, reconsiders past assumptions, and faces personal and even serious metaphysical concerns. At this much deeper stage, the lucid dreamer may either ignore the apparent, but hidden, awareness or engage it as a means to explore the nature of various realities.

The lucid dreamer also may begin to reflect that the dream realm represents a new type of reality with common principles and structure. Questions may emerge about who or what constructed this new realm, since it seems reflected in other lucid dreamers' experiences but beyond the capacity of the waking self. Some lucid dreamers may be forced to consider what is beyond this realm of lucid dreaming.

We Dream: Dreaming reflects both me and other. Behavior: Surrender, letting go, trust versus fear, the new paradox of awareness. Goal: Trying to understand the complexities of the dream space. Reality Creator: Using the other - the unknown inner awareness. Direction: If more is going on here, then I must be stuck in another system; getting lucid about lucid dreaming. Fear Blockage: Could I lose touch with waking reality? metaphysical concerns. Neutral Stasis: In association with inner awareness, I can explore infinity.

Level 5: Experiencing Awareness

The nature of awareness could be considered a fifth stage, in which the lucid dreamer becomes deeply curious about the foundations of dream and waking reality and going beyond lucid dreaming, beliefs, and expectations. This stage exists outside of the lucid dreamer's control but seems to come as a reflection of the dreamer's intent and curiosity.

At this stage, the lucid dreamer realizes a deep connection with all awareness and a connection to a broader whole. He or she may wake from sleep with a recollection of a self-less experience of awareness characterized by light.

ALL Dream: Beyond me, beyond other; awareness without reflection. Behavior: Awareness. Goal: Understanding what is beyond lucid dreaming. Reality Creators: Deep intent and realizing connection. Direction: Using the analysis of dimensions to move past the representational. Fear Blockage: Loss of connection with representational dimensions. Neutral Stasis: All exist as part of a larger, connected whole.

Throughout these five stages, each lucid dreamer progresses as he or she masters the common principles in creating dream reality. First, we come to terms with focus (maintaining balance when lucid) and emotion (not becoming too emotional and losing lucidity). Then, we add belief and expectation as we see that they play an important role in what we experience and what we allow ourselves to experience. Next, we learn to master and use intent and will as we seek to deepen our ability to manipulate the dream realm. And finally, we come to the "other" (or the mysterious inner) when we realize that to go even further, we have to surrender, let go, and seek the presence behind lucid dreaming. Beyond this fourth stage, we reach for something unknown and fundamentally inexplicable.

In the first three stages of lucid dreaming, the common assumption that "I am dreaming this" continues. In stage 4, one realizes that dreaming is definitely a co-created event, which the lucid dreamer may direct but does not create in total; rather, the conscious unconscious or inner observer participates in the lucid dreamer's reality creation. In stage 5, one basically arrives at an experience of pure awareness as one attempts to go beyond the system of dreaming or lucid dreaming and discover its basis. Because nothing prohibits a lucid dreamer from trying an advanced technique, a beginning lucid dreamer could literally jump to a stage 4 technique and "ask the dream" to show him or her something of importance. Of course, most lucid dreamers will experience the level of their assumptions about lucid dreaming and progress as their conceptions, interests, and technical skills allow.

OBE’s and Lucid Dreams

How do you distinguish lucid dreams from OBEs?

Extract from an interview of Ed Kellogg a proficient lucid dreamer, from “The Lucid Dream Exchange Magazine - Issue 35, DreamSpeak by Robert Waggoner”

Ed: First, I do not consider OBEs - of which I've had over a hundred - as simply a kind of lucid dream. Over the years a lot of controversy has arisen on the nature of lucid dreams as compared to out-of-the-body (physical) experiences. By definition OBEs fail to meet the most basic criteria of lucid dreaming, that you realize that you dream while you dream.

Also, the two experiences have many distinct phenomenological differences. In my early pre-OBE experiences, I often felt waves of energy rushing up and down my body, and heard a buzzing vibration sound. My consciousness dissociated to a degree from my physical body and associated with a second non-physical body, but this second body still felt attached to the physical. I can see and hear, but although it seems like I do this physically, I often see and hear things not physically present. If I intentionally speed up the vibration/ wave moving up the body, the second non-physical body becomes unstuck, and I can move away from my physical body, which remains in place. During all of this I feel fully awake in an almost identical way that I do when physically awake. In fact, unlike in after even fully lucid dreams where I experience a real shift in consciousness when I "wake up", when I return from an OBE I do not feel like I've awakened - but instead merely shifted viewpoints.

Also, although my state of consciousness in an OBE seems very similar to that in a fully lucid dream, my memory of an OBE after the fact seems almost indelible. This stands in marked contrast to my memory of even fully lucid dreams, which tend to quickly fade unless I make an intentional effort to remember them. The clear and unforgettable aspect of the experience acts as a reliable validation to me that I have had an OBE.

Furthermore, environmental stability in OBE reality behaves much more like physical reality than dream reality. When I take a second and even a third look at objects during OBEs, the objects stay very much the same. I generally find myself in a very close counterpart to my physical body, but sort of a semitransparent white color, that can feel very light or very dense depending upon how much I speed up, or slow down my "vibrational rate". I feel a very strong and defined sense of embodiment, directly comparable to that felt in my "physical" body. My body shape seems relatively immutable, and although I can fly (and go through walls) if I speed my vibrational rate up sufficiently, I've had very poor success with other kinds of dream magic tasks which I can easily do in lucid dreams.

Unfortunately, once one has had enough OBEs, the situation can become a little more confusing, because one will begin to have dreams of OBEs, just as one has dreams of waking physical reality experiences! Often times I find that paranormal researchers (especially those who have little or no personal experience of OBEs themselves) will include “dreams of OBEs” in their OBE data files, which often leads them to the mistaken belief that OBEs just seem a type of dream.

Curiously, I've occasionally had spontaneous partial OBEs, where for example, my OBE legs have detached and float above my physical legs. I can sense both pairs of legs, but can only intentionally move the "astral" pair. Also, when I have an OBE, until I move about 10-15 feet away from my "physical body", I usually experience myself, to some degree, in both bodies simultaneously. Once I've moved that distance, I only experience myself in my "non-physical" body. In between, I feel to some degree embodied in both, depending upon the distance between the two, and where I focus my attention.

Finally, usually people who have OBEs believe they have actually left their physical bodies. Lucid dreamers usually do not. And OBEs - but not dreams - will often absolutely convince the experiencer that they can exist without a physical body. They often lose their fear of death. Those who have had OBEs quite often find that they enjoy life much more, with a different core attitude towards it - an effect that can last a lifetime.

How do lucid dreams relate to OBEs then?

Extract from an interview of Ed Kellogg a proficient lucid dreamer, from “The Lucid Dream Exchange Magazine - Issue 35, DreamSpeak by Robert Waggoner”

Ed: Well, I do have a theory. Just as an OBE body apparently comes out of the physical, so does the dream body come out of the OBE body. The physical body seems the densest and most stable, the dream body the most subtle and changeable, and the OBE body in-between. I've even experienced the three bodies in sequence, like a series of Chinese boxes. Lucid in my dream body, then returned to my OBE body, floating outside of the physical, and then back to my physical body, in a two stage "waking up" process. Some metaphysical systems teach that we have seven or more bodies, like layers on an onion, each more subtle that the next. I can't speak to the existence of any of the "higher bodies" but I have experienced three.

Extract from Robert Bruce book “Astral Dynamics”, p.218

I think lucid dreams are actually projections of the thinking mind, the mental body -a projection of the mind into the mental dimension. The mental body is a more refined subtle body than the real-time astral body. The real-time projected astral body relates more to the substance of the physical body and can be said to be a projection of the physical body and the brain. That’s why so many odd things can occur during the OBE exit, like getting stuck at one part of the body, jewelry causing problems, etc.

The mental dimension is best described as being at a different frequency from the astral dimension. All subtle dimensions overlap and occupy the same space.

Spontaneous shifting from OBE to LD

Extract from “Mark Vandekeere - The Ultimate Ludic Dreamer’s Manual - From Basic to Beyond”

Another thing I have noticed is that the intensity levels seem to diminish the longer you are in an OBE state. In fact, I find that within a few minutes my OBE may begin to transform into a lucid dream. For example, once out-of-body I’ll start hovering through my house, and for a while things will be "real" or "true" in the sense that what I am seeing is truly my house at night. The initial visuals and experience are strikingly real. They leave little question as to whether or not I am actually out-of-body, yet given time my awareness of "being out-of-body" becomes muted and more engrossed in my surroundings. As a result, the OBE slowly takes on lucid dream-like qualities. For example, I may see things that I know could not be happening. People I don't know may be in my living room at four o’clock in the morning. Maybe my kitchen has transformed into a restaurant or any other inconsistencies leads me to think that I am now in a lucid dream. I usually interpret this as a sign that dream imagery is superimposing itself onto the OBE realm, or put another way, I am no longer having a "true" projection or no longer "dreaming true".

When this happens I have two options. I can re-induce an OBE that will zap me back into my body and into a full blown vibrational state and repeat the "lift-out" process again, or I can just go with the flow of the current experience.

Defining something is limiting it

Extract from “Mark Vandekeere - The Ultimate Ludic Dreamer’s Manual - From Basic to Beyond”

I am still working on expanding my knowledge of the OBE experience, and may find that with time and more experience there may be ways to better control my OBE experience and keep it "real". But at the same time, I may be setting far too strict of guidelines for an OBE. Some OBErs travel to the past or into the future. Some experienced out-of-body travelers journey around with other astral travelers, and some travel with their dream animals just like the many shamans who "journey" into the other realms accompanied by their power animals, their other-worldly animal allies. Many accomplished out of body travelers travel in realms that are not exact replicas of our "real" waking world. All this seems to point out that I may indeed have a far too restrictive definition of an OBE.

My beliefs that an OBE should have "real" visuals could be limiting my ability to travel out of body by raising doubts at the time and creating a self-fulfilling prophesy. It gets tricky to unbind yourself from limiting beliefs when you are riding an intense crest of awareness whose waves of circumstance could flow in any direction depending on your slightest thoughts or beliefs. In other words, whenever you are immersed in the awareness of any situation you are subconsciously interpreting everything according to your thoughts, beliefs and desires. That is why it is so crucial to reflect on all your experiences especially your lucid ones to look for any correlation between certain thoughts and certain experiences. A preconception that OBE visuals need to be "real" may hold back your progress so it is important to always be reevaluating your belief systems. Being able to access information from our "real" waking world may be just one type of out of body experience just as near-death experiences may represent yet another type.

Transforming your LD into OBE

I have recently been researching different ways to induce an out of body experience from a lucid dream, but I have already had some amazing results. Since there are so many similarities between lucid dreams and OBEs, it is much easier to transform your lucid dream into an OBE.

In your lucid dreams you are already in an altered state of consciousness, and as a result you are in a less restrictive frame of mind. It is a lucid dream. Anything is possible. If you can fly around and push your hand through walls then the idea of inducing an out-of-body experience does not seem like such a major task. Conversely, if you were to attempt an induction while you were awake, you would encounter far more limitations due to the predominance of your rational waking mindset. This fact explains why the lucid dream realm can be used as an effective springboard into the OBE realm.

Once I become lucid within a dream, I will examine my dreamscape to stabilize within it. If your vision is not too clear or if your surroundings are not stable, you can verbally intend it to become more clear and more stable by saying, "Increase Clarity, Now!”. This usually brings crisp resolution and increased awareness and focus.

Then you need to heighten your lucidity by commanding “Increase Lucidity Now!”. It is essential to reground and become re-stabilized in the lucid dream before you intend to increase your lucidity any further. After developing your ability to use this command effectively, you will only be a few steps away from directly inducing an OBE. I will repeat this process of increasing levels of lucidity and then re-stabilizing about three or four times until my lucidity is extremely heightened.

After progressively heightening your lucidity while in your lucid dream, you will be able to verbally induce an OBE by saying, “Find the physical body and induce an Out of Body Experience, Now!". If successful at this point, I will be more conscious of my actual physical body lying in bed which beforehand I was not really conscious of at all. Beforehand I was more in tune with my dreaming body if any body at all, whereas now, I am totally conscious of my physical body, yet still in an altered state of mind.

What you want to do is enter into the sleep paralysis stage without awakening the body. It is a delicate matter though because if you are not loosely detached you may find that you are too focused on your physical body. This may draw too much attention to the physical and result in a full transference of your awareness into your physical body. Having a full transference at this point usually ends the whole attempt by awakening you and removing you from your altered state. You want to juggle your awareness and allow it to remain in its lucid altered state without fumbling it into your physical body and becoming too grounded in the physical.

At this point, I will simply intend to leave my physical body. I will usually just rock my awareness back and forth until I realize that I have lifted out of my physical body. Sometimes I will just lean forward and come right out of my physical body and be standing in my room. Other times, just the thought and intent is enough, and I'll be catapulted somehow from the body into the room. Sometimes it is a lift-out, other times I roll out, and sometimes I can just stand up and get out of bed and separate from my body at the same time. Try as many different ways to get out as you can because if you ever have difficulty using one method you may want to have a few different approaches at your disposal.

Tibetan Dream Yoga - Zhinè

Dreams are a significant part of our life. They are as real and unreal as life itself. Dreams are extremely personal - and transpersonal, too. Our dreams are a reflection of ourselves: in dreams, no matter how many characters appear, we meet ourselves. Dreams are mirrors to our soul. They can help us to better understand ourselves, our world, and the nature of reality. Dreams introduce us to other dimensions of experience. Here, time and space are much more liquid and plastic; they can be shaped and reshaped almost at will. Dreams hint of other worlds, other lives. They are a glimpse of our afterlife. Everyone dreams, although not all dreams are remembered equally.

A successful seeker in dream-work must be stable enough in presence to avoid being swept away by the winds of karmic emotions and lost in the dream. As the mind steadies, dreams become longer, less fragmented, and more easily remembered, and lucidity is developed. All yogic and spiritual disciplines include some form of practice that develops concentration and quiets the mind. In the Tibetan tradition this practice is called calm abiding (zhinè).

Zhine begins with mental fixation on an object and, when concentration is strong enough, moves on to fixation without an object.

Practicing Zhinè

Begin the practice by sitting comfortably on a chair. The hands folded in the lap in meditation position with palms up and placed one on top of the other, the spine straight but not rigid, the head tilted down slightly to straighten the neck, and the eyes open. The eyes should be relaxed, not too wide open and not too closed.

The object of concentration should be placed so that the eyes can look straight ahead, neither up nor down. During the practice try not to move, not even to swallow or blink, while keeping the mind one pointedly on the object. Even if tears should stream down your face, do not move. Let the breathing be natural.

Generally, for practice with an object, Zhine practitioners use the Tibetan letter A as the object of concentration. This letter has many symbolic meanings but here is used simply as a support for the development of focus. Other objects may also be used — the letter A of the English alphabet.

The first stage of practice is called “forceful zhine" because it requires effort. The mind is easily and quickly distracted, and it may seem impossible to remain focused on the object for even a minute. In the beginning, it is helpful to practice in numerous short sessions alternating with breaks. The practice should be done once or twice a day, and can be done more frequently if you have the time. Developing concentration is like strengthening the muscles of the body: exercise must be done regularly and frequently. To become stronger keep pushing against your limits.

Keep the mind on the object. Do not follow the thoughts of the past or the future. Do not allow the attention to be carried away by fantasy, sound, physical sensation, or any other distraction. Just remain in the sensuality of the present moment, and with your whole strength and clarity focus the mind through the eye, on the object. Do not lose the awareness of the object even for a second. Breathe gently, and then more gently, until the sense of breathing is lost. Slowly allow yourself to enter more deeply into quiet and calm. Make certain that the body is kept relaxed; do not tense up in concentration. Neither should you allow yourself to fall into a stupor, a dullness, or a trance.

Do not think about the object, just let it be in awareness. This is an important distinction to make. Thinking about the object is not the kind of concentration we are developing. The point is just to keep the mind placed on the object, on the sense perception of the object, to undistractedly remain aware of the presence of the object. When the mind does get distracted and it often will in the beginning, gently bring it back to the object and leave it there.

Obstacles

In developing the zhine practice, there are three obstacles that must be overcome: agitation, drowsiness, and laxity.

Agitation

Agitation causes the mind to jump restlessly from one thought to another and makes concentration difficult. To prevent this, calm yourself before the practice session by avoiding too much physical or mental activity. Slow stretches may help to relax the body and quiet the mind. Once you are sitting, take a few deep, slow breaths. Make it a practice to focus the mind immediately when you start the practice to avoid developing the habit of mentally wandering while sitting in meditation posture.

Drowsiness

The second obstacle is drowsiness or sleepiness, which moves into the mind like a fog, a heaviness and torpor that blunts awareness. When it does this, try to strengthen the mind's focus on the object in order to penetrate the drowsiness. You may find that drowsiness is actually a kind of movement of the mind that you can stop with strong concentration. If this does not work, take a break, stretch, and perhaps do some practice while standing.

Laxity

The third obstacle is laxity. When encountering this obstacle you may feel that your mind is calm, but in a passive, weak mental state in which the concentration has no strength. It is important to recognize this state for what it is. It can be a pleasant and relaxed experience and, if mistaken for correct meditation, may cause the practitioner to spend years mistakenly cultivating it, with no discernible change in the quality of consciousness. If your focus loses strength and your practice becomes lax, straighten your posture and wake up your mind. Reinforce the attention and guard the stability of presence. Regard the practice as something precious, which it is, and as something that will lead to the attainment of the highest realization, which it will. Strengthen the intention and automatically the wakefulness of the mind is strengthened.

Zhine practice should be done every day until the mind is quiet and stable. It is not only a preliminary practice, but is helpful at any point in the practitioner's life; even very advanced yogis practice zhine. The stability of mind developed through zhine is the foundation of dream yoga and all other meditation practices. Once we have achieved a strong and reliable steadiness in calm presence, we can develop this steadiness in all aspects of life. When stable, this presence can always be found, and we will not be carried away by thoughts and emotions. Then, even though karmic traces continue to produce dream images after falling asleep, we remain in awareness. This opens the door to the further practices of both dream and sleep yogas.

Daytime practice

The Tibetan dream yoga daytime practice is designed to help us recognize the dreamlike nature of all existence and thereby prepare us to experience our dreams as vividly as we do our waking activities.

During the day, practice by contemplating on these four aspects:

• Contemplating the body as illusory and unreal.

• Contemplating the mind and mental activities as similarly insubstantial.

• Regarding the world and all phenomena and experience as dreamlike, insubstantial, impermanent, and unreal.

• Recognizing the relativity and ungraspable quality such as time, space, knowledge, and awareness.

Reminding ourselves of these four truths throughout our waking hours helps to dissolve the barrier between the dream of life and the sleeping dream. As we become more adept at these practices, we begin to regard our nighttime dreams as continuations of our waking dream and we learn how to bring habitual awareness to both.

Reference

Websites

Brainwave Mind Voyages - Marc VanDeKeere

http://brainwave-entrainment.com

DreamGate - Dream Library

http://dreamgate.com/dream/library/index.htm

Dream Views Forum

http://www.dreamviews.com

http://www.dreamviews.com/wiki/Category:DV-Tutorials

International Association for the Study of Dreams

http://www.asdreams.org

LD4ALL - The Lucid dreamers community

http://ld4all.com/

Lucid Dreaming Experience Magazine (excellent)

http://www.dreaminglucid.com

Lucidipedia - Lucid dreaming academy

http://www.lucidipedia.com

Lucidology.com *****

http://www.lucidology.com

Remee Dream Mask

http://sleepwithremee.com

Saltcube Timer (swf)

http://dagobah.net/flash/timer.swf

The Dreams Foundation

http://www.dreams.ca

The Lucid Crossroads

http://www.lucidcrossroads.co.uk

The Lucidity Institute

http://www.lucidity.com

World of Lucid Dreaming

http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com

Lucid Advice - Robert Waggoner

http://www.lucidadvice.com

Lucid herbs & Supplements

African Dream root (Silene Capensis)

http://psychoactiveherbs.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=161_158

Dream Leaf - Advanced Lucid Dreaming Supplement - 60 Capsules

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IP25N20/ref=sr_ph_1_s_it

* Lucid Dreams * The Original Potent Lucid Dreaming Supplement

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005EV7DJQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

Lucidimine - Galantamine Lucid Dream Induction & Super Nootropic Supplement

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IJQCA6E/ref=sr_ph_1_s_it

Vitamin B6. Some studies indicate B6 before bedtime may lead to enhanced memory retention.

Books

Stephen LaBerge - “Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming”

Marc Vandekeere - “The Ultimate Lucid Dreamer’s Manual: From the Basics to Beyond” (Nov, 1 2007)

Robert Waggoner - “Lucid Dreaming - Gateway to the Inner Self”

Zhinè - Tibetan Dream Yoga

The Lucid Dream Exchange Magazine - Issue 35

YouTube Videos

Charlie Morley TV Documentary *****

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZty0e_jR2g

Conscious Dreaming (2013) - Documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKKxCVAsnxE

How To Lucid Dream *****

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5hgmkl6BMw How to Lucid Dream, The Science of Lucid Dreaming and The Dreamworld *****

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwGd_LlYIQc Lucid dreams for beginners | How to lucid dream tonight (animated) *****

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA5HOgf3znw

Lucid Dreaming: The most Powerful Technique to Lucid Dream TONIGHT

Two objects dreamsign technique

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBtfUbwRQR4

Lucid dreaming: Tim Post at TEDxTwenteU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK3SfNxbK3Y

What can Lucid Dreaming tell us about consciousness?

Maurizio Benazzo in conversation with Stephen LaBerge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_feBOCW50Dg

Lucid dreaming techniques, Stephen LaBerge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFjiAUYZj68

The Illusion of Reality (Full Documentary)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxiGgxL5btA

Anamnesis - Short Film Prologue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6ZpTI-3-dE

Anamnesis - Episode 01 | Sci-Fi Web Series

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VpUNBiufUY

Anamnesis - Episode 02 | Sci-Fi Web Series

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F59PJQ6ozp4

Anamnesis - Episode 03 | Sci-Fi Web Series

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRXm8jrybVA

Anamnesis - Episode 04 | Sci-Fi Web Series

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoDFZjnnHNM

Anamnesis - Episode 05 | Season Finale

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2tOhwd68uI

[NEW] Lucid Dreaming Secret Tips - How To Lucid Dream

video from lucidology.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrdhuCCVPEk

Movies

Abre los ojos (1997) - Penélope Cruz

What Dreams May Come (1998) - Robin Williams

The Matrix (1999) - Keanu Reeves

The Thirteenth Floor (1999)

Vanilla Sky (2001) - Tom Cruise

Waking Life (2001)

Stay (2005) - Ewan McGregor

The Good Night (2007) - Martin Freeman

Inception (2010) - Leonardo DiCaprio