Tuesday, March 26, 2013

lucid dreaming

We were talking awhile back about dreams and per a request I offered to write up some lucid dreaming techniques. I found a great site that does a detailed outline of the below. I thought that it was very good so here you have the cliff notes. I’ve been studying dreams and how to do this since I was very young. It fascinates me to no end. I think this is a world, like space and sea that has alot of uncharted territory. Take it for what you will, the limitations are only yours.

Okay here it is:

Lucid Dreaming Techniques

For those of you who don’t already know lucid dreaming is knowing that you are dreaming while in dream state. It is a really vivid form of mental imagery, ‘so realistic that the trick is to realize it’s a mental construct’.

Lucid dreaming allows people to do such things as overcome fear (which the feeling is quite real, but the danger is not), adventure and fantasy fulfillment and only be restricted by what your ability to ‘imagine and conceive, not by laws of physics or society. There is great creative potential involved with lucid dreaming as well as healing of anxieties and phobias and self confidence. It can literally transform your fear into courage.

Some people have an innate quality to lucid dream in varying degrees, but everyone can learn! It takes training to be able to take pleasure in lucid dreams at will.

There are different degrees to lucidity:

High degree – you are aware that everything experienced in a dream is occuring in ones mind and that there is no danger.

Low level lucidity – you may be aware to a certain extent that you are dreaming.

A few steps to start off:

Dream Recall – create a dream journal and try to recall one dream (at least) per night. Write in your journal immediately from waking and jot down any and all details. Some people will find that they think they don’t recall anything and with training and trying they will come to find that they get better and better.

*drinking and smoking excessively will prevent the ability to lucid dream. You have less control over your body and mind in waking and in dreaming hours.*

Reality Testing:

- do a repetitive action during the day, like looking at your watch (they say that a digital watch works the best). You train yourself to do this and when you look at the numbers and they are all fumbled then your dreaming. This repetitive action helps to acknowledge a dream state.

- imagine surroundings as a dream. Look around and feel what it would be like if your surroundings where a dream. If you could do anything….

- visualize a dream activity, like flying

Dreamsigns:

- identify dream signs. People have dream signs unique to them and if you begin to recognize your personal dream signs (i.e. the purple cat) you can realize more quickly that you are dreaming.

Before Sleep Exercises:

- set up dream recall (see above)

- Focus Intent (this is more important than many people realize)
“concentrate single-mindedly on your intention to remember to recognize that you are dreaming” If you begin to think about this that and the other thing, go back to your intention. From personal experience this is key to lucid dreaming. Setting a proper mind state prior to sleep with intention.

To Prevent Waking Up From Lucidity:

Many people once they realize that they are dreaming become very excited and this excitement causes them to awake.

- Remain Calm and Get your Poker face on, relax.

- If the dream shows signs of ending, ‘loss of detail or vivideness’ imagine that you are spinning. This stimulates the mind and if done properly and carefully you can continue lucidity without waking up or leaving the ability to remain ‘conscious’ in the unconscious.

**Please refer to http://www.lucidity.com on the area of lucid dreaming for this and more information.

1 comment:

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