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(Number 434)
THE LUCID DREAM EXPERIENCE
POWER TRIPS: CONTROLLING YOUR DREAMS
Within the mysteries of the dream state and Otherworld traveling,
many techniques have been tried to interpret and master our dreams
and alas, most do not work. However, for those interested, and
continuing on from the last posting, a rather old technique that came
up during dream research offers a slightly better chance of achieving
some level of control of Lucid Dreaming, or at least going back to
it, if one wakes up; and thereby achieving lucid dream control. This
is added here for those interested in researching more, or trying the
technique out for themselves.
Actually a number of techniques facilitate Lucid Dreaming. One of
the simplest, and it might sound kind of silly to us, but
nevertheless pertinent, is asking yourself many times during the day
whether you are dreaming? Duh – you say, well I did too until it was
fully explained by some researchers.
They seriously ask that each time we ask the question; we should look
for evidence proving we are not dreaming. The most reliable test is
they insist is to read something, then look away for a moment, and
then read it again. If it reads the same way twice, it is unlikely
that you are dreaming.
Well then, after you have proved to yourself that you are not
presently dreaming, visualize yourself doing what it is you'd like.
That's right, simply do what is stated. Also, tell yourself that you
want to `recognize' a nighttime dream the next time it occurs. The
mechanism at work here is simple; it's much the same as picking up
groceries or beer at the store after reminding yourself to do so an
hour before.
For those of us that have read the books of Carlos Castaneda, we will
remember that the old Indian sorcerer taught Carlos to try to look at
his hands in a dream and that would be the first step in gaining
control of the dream itself, (and going into that world), in other
words taking control of one's lucid dream. It is in fact very
difficult to gain such control, but not impossible.
Most people find that morning time dreams, (when one is allowed to go
back to sleep in a morning), are more lucid than dreams in the dead
of the night, (which most times we forget anyway) and often don't
wake up to be able to record it, but somehow we know we are "doing"
something and many times feel that we were really there.
Most folk (somehow know) they are actually dreaming, even if it
appears so real and vivid at times and very often it is that way we
find we can adjust and even manipulate our dreams slightly, even if
continually confronted with bizarre reactions to our manipulations.
It is rather like being in a movie, which we somehow are apart of,
instead of solely participating in it as ourselves in a waking type
state.
Everything that happens makes absolute sense at the time, however
bizarre, and if we do awake from such a dream, we find ourselves
coming up from the dream as if from a diving decompression and
the `perfect sense' starts to evaporate and drift away in a mass of
growing bubbles of rationality, until we cannot physically
rationalize it any more.
We often `know' who people are/were in our dreams and very often they
come from faint and deep memories, or even wishful fantasies and
sometimes a jigsaw of varied stimulus and syntax memory of people we
know, mixed up completely with people we don't know, or even with
a "made up" face and body of many bits and pieces. Our own little
identi-kit potatoe men. We all tend to know that sometimes they have
faces and sometimes they do not, but we still seem to inherently know
who they are, even if they change into someone else mid way through
the dream.
At night people, as I say, usually realize they are dreaming when
they experience unusual or bizarre occurrences, or dreams that are so
nice and/or shocking, that we start the upward spiral of dream
decompression and try to either stay in it, because it is so nice, or
get the hell out of it, because it is so nasty. For instance, you
are having a really wonderful time, usually with someone else, or
perhaps you find yourself hugging someone that you faintly know
somehow, (and would very much like to take it further), but even so,
makes no real sense, (except in our dream state) and you are
surprised what is transpiring. It is at this time we usually
reluctantly start the upward spiral into waking consciousness.
Conversely, events are so scary that the visions become nightmare
real and you feel that it is happening for real, and often affects us
well after we have awoken. Of course, if you find yourself flying
without visible means of support, you should realize that this
happens only in dreams and that you must therefore, be dreaming.
What is reality though? What are the Otherworlds. Does reality
consist of only our personal perceptions? In our minds? Collective
minds? Ask any hypnotist for a true answer to that one. Can we get
lost in Otherworkd journeys and can we have OBE (Out of Body
Experiences) by merely starting with Lucid Dreaming and Otherworld
journeys.
I love delving into this subject, because it is so personal and real,
and although similar in some contexts, is as different as snowflakes,
in each and every one of us. In the distant past within the Coven of
Cythrawl, we experimented with Otherworld journeying, and light/deep
hypnosis to lead us through some of those illusive doors, while at
other times, we simply emptied our minds of thoughts in a personal
ritual exercise and watched our reflection in a mirror behind a
burning candle in a darkened room, to eventually be visited or get to
peek through the veil so to speak.
If you do awaken from a dream in the middle of the night, it is very
helpful, (for learning Lucid Dreaming), to return to the dream
immediately, in your "imagination". Now envision yourself
recognizing the dream as such. Tell yourself, "The next time I am
dreaming, I want to remember to recognize that I am dreaming." If
your intention is strong and clear enough, you may find yourself in a
lucid dream when you return to sleep that same night.
Even if you're a frequent lucid dreamer, you may not be able to stop
yourself from waking up in mid-dream. And even if your dreams do
reach a satisfying end, you may not be able to focus them exactly as
you please, or rejoin the dream in the same way. This is one of the
major obstacles to frustrate lucid dreamers, so what can we do you
may ask?
During many years of research, a number of researchers have found
that one particular method worked better than most and that
was `spinning your dream body' which can sustain the period of sleep
and give you greater dream control. In fact, many subjects at
Stanford University in the United States have used the spinning
technique as an effective means of `staying in a lucid dream'. I
actually tried it and found it to work in many circumstances.
I'll outline and explain a little more about this "spinning" for
those who have never heard of it and you might perhaps be able to add
it to your collection of techniques to try at a later time. The task
outlined below will help you use `spinning' as a means of staying
asleep and, much more exciting, as a means of traveling to whatever
dream world you desire, so say the experts.
Before retiring, decide on a person, time, and place you would like
to visit in your lucid dream. The target person and/or place can be
either real or imaginary; past, present, or future. Write down and
memorize your target person and place, then visualize yourself
visiting your target and firmly resolve to do so in a dream `that
night'.
To gain lucidity, repeat the phrase describing your target in your
dream, and spin your whole dream body in a standing position with
your arms outstretched, (similar to the Crux for our Coven
members). You can pirouette or spin like a top, as long as you
vividly feel your body in motion. (You may try it for real first to
understand the sensation[s]).
The same spinning technique will help when, in the middle of a lucid
dream, you feel the dream imagery beginning to fade and you start
decompression to the waking state. To avoid waking up, spin as you
repeat your target phrase again and again, or simply spin to go back
into the dream and let things just happen. With practice, you'll
return to your target dream, person, time, and place.
When spinning, try to notice whether you're moving in a clockwise or
counter-clockwise direction.
Pleasant dreams everyone
Azaz Cythrawl
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