Here's my question. I remember between 1-3 dreams everyday, I have a lucid dream every 2 to 4 weeks. I have the course in lucid dreaming book and tape, and the induction tape. I have two questions. First: Does the Lucidity Institute think they will ever put their induction tape on cd? When I listen to the tape I get hiss (which is expected with a cassette). 2nd question, and I know its a tough question but would I benefit from getting a Novadreamer? (Remember I remember 1-3 dreams a day, and have a lucid dream every 2 to 4 weeks). The reason why I am posting my questions here instead of calling the phone number is because I work nights and sleep days.

Thanks

Bryan Kaplan

Well today I called the Lucidity Institute and ordered my Novadreamer...since I already own the course textbook and induction tape, I only ordered the novadreamer mask and instructions... wish me luck!

Dear Bryan,

More than luck, I wish you Light. Lots and lots of effervescent, mesmerizing (recognizable!) Light!

Good Lux and welcome to the masked dreamers club, Keelin

Hi all! I haven't checked in here in a while but my dreams are giving me the nudge again -- you know what that's like... I'd like to see if anyone is willing to share book recommendations. I've been reading about dreams since I was a teenager so I have a couple sagging shelf-fulls of books on the subject, but it seems like time for a fresh infusion. My interest in dreams at this time is primarily from a spiritual angle. An example of a dream book that really gave me a great deal of enjoyment and new perspectives is Realities of the Dreaming Mind by (sorry if I put this in the wrong order!) Swami Rhada Sivananda. She has both feet on the ground but her eyes elsewhere, the book is humane and realistic and insightful and humble. I'd love to hear what other oneironauts are reading these days.

Also, I'm sure it gets posted here frequently, but one of my favorite tools for lucid dreaming inspiration is the Lucid Dream Exchange, a privately circulated compilation of ld's and thoughts on ld's and other such stuff on that topic (I'm getting ready to send in some ways that I try to induce hypnogogia or wild's). It has the immediacy of a dream-group meeting to me; both the excitement of newcomers having their first eureka! and old hands trying out new experiments from the earthy to the sublime. It's free-but-welcome-to-contribute-to-the-cost type deal. If you're interested you can write to Lucy Gillis at lucy_gillis@hotmail.com or to Robert Waggoner at PO Box 11,Ames, IA 50010.

Best wishes to all and to all a good night...

Katie

Dear Bryan,

Regarding your inquiry about a CD of the Lucid Dream Trance Induction tape, please contact Dr. Stephen LaBerge directly by email at:

slab@psych.s tanford.edu

-Keelin

Question for everyone... the second night with use of my Novadreamer was not a success in anyway, I didnt even see a cue at all, and for some reason im having some problem getting to sleep. should i put the setting on 4? or should i reset the sensitivity setting (its on 5 or 6 right now) when i put on the mask i push the button 6 times (for 60 minutes). Any help would be great. Thanks

Dear Bryan,

In the dreams that you recall from your second night with the NovaDreamer, did you find any evidence of cue incorporation? It may take awhile to train your mind to recognize the cues. They can sometimes be quite subtle or so well-blended within the dream scenario as to go virtually unnoticed. Other times, even though they may seem rather blatant on waking reflection, if you're not prepared to recognize their message while you're dreaming, it's possible to notice them, and even comment on them, and yet carry on in the dream without becoming lucid (as I have done numerous times!).

My advice would be to keep a very critical eye on your dream reports, take note of all incorporations, and most importantly, follow the exercises in course that comes with the NovaDreamer. They will help tremendously with honing your awareness skills in both night and daytime adventures.

Wishing you sweet dream success, Keelin

Ok this is my question. How does the mask get triggered by the eye movement? When I put the mask on and move my eyes around i dont feel it rubbing against any part of the mask (at least i dont think so). The first night I used it, I set the mask on delay for 60 minutes (pushed 6 times) and the sensitivity was set on 6 (or) 7 and set on light sleep (2). When I fell asleep the dream state I was in was dark, and I saw a very minor amount of light and a churp (the light almost wasnt there). I dont know if it was the mask or if I just had a regular dream thinking it did. I then felt kind of scared that it was completely dark and felt like I wasnt alone, but i knew i was dreaming, and then I woke up. About 5-10 minutes later the mask went off (the lights) even though i was awake. Any Clue?

The second night, I didnt see any cues at all, and the third day, i didnt see any cues either, and when i woke up and turned the dial to 9, the right light blinked 9 times.

Sorry for the double post. I would also like to state that before going to bed I will listen to the trance induction tape (BTW I have not gotten a response from Dr. Laberge on getting a cd version of this). On night where I don't listen to the tape I will have a problem going to bed when I wear the mask, and i feel a little pressure on my nose/nasal cavity when I wear the mask. Like I asked before, what actually triggers the mask, I know it's the rapid eye movements but how is it picking up the eye movements? I dont feel a think when i move my eyes around...thanks

Gosh a third post! Sorry folks...forgot to say this.....on the third day I set the mask on 4 (the mode that blinks and makes noise) and set it for 80 minutes (pushed the button 8 times), I fell asleep and woke up later (like 4 hours later) I didnt see any cues, and when I woke up I laid there, and the mask went off noise and light, so i took it off and went back to bed..know why its going off every day when I am awake and not when Im asleep (except for maybe the first day)

Thanks Again

Bryan

Hi Bryan,

There is a sensor in the mask of the NovaDreamer that detects the presence of rapid eye movements associated with the dreaming stage of sleep. The sensor (as well as the light-emitting diodes) are positioned in the mask in such a way that they do not touch the eyes, so indeed, you should not feel any part of your eyes rubbing against them.

On your first night, if you were using the Light Sleep setting (Mode 2), the intensity level of the flashing light is two (level six would be the brightest). There should be no chirp, so if you heard one, perhaps, as you suggested, you might have been dreaming of the mask delivering this type of cue. You can test for the chirp by setting the mask to Mode 2 with no delay and moving your eyes around as if dreaming for a few minutes until a cue is delivered.

After you woke up, did you press the delay button? And if so, how many times? You will want to get in the habit of pressing it each and every time you wake up -- first, as a reality check, and second, to set a delay so that you can have time to return to sleep without being interrupted by cue delivery. Even when you lie still with eyes closed, the sensor will continue to pick up subtle eye movements. Based on the sensitivity setting you have assigned, this movement may be interpreted as indicative of REM and thus cause the mask to deliver a cue.

Hope these comments are helpful, Keelin

Keelin,

Okay here are the events as I noted in my diary.

I set the mask to Dial selection 2 (light sleep) the sensitivity setting was on 6. I fell asleep and the first thing I remember in the dream state was a very very brief stroke of light (like i became awoken in the dream (lucid) in the middle of the mask light going off, and I also heard a churp.

Now this either means I accidentally rolled over and the button got pressed because my face was on the pillow or it could mean that a cue went off and my mind got half of the light cue and the dream threw in a chirp (for whatever reason, heh) At that point I knew I was dreaming, but I didnt have any clue what to dream, and I was kind of scared that it was dark and thought something was close to me (a presence) so I woke myself up. I then laid in bed a few minutes and my mask went off (i presume because it picked up my eye movement).

I would like to express my thanks for all the support and guidance from Nathen Lockhart and Keith Gracia.

Thank you very much. Guy Wald.

Dear Bryan,

While that chirp may forever remain a mystery, it does sound like what you saw was a true light cue from the NovaDreamer. And it's very encouraging that that's all it took for you to realize you were dreaming. You are off to a wonderful start!

The next important step would be to have a goal beyond becoming lucid for your next opportunity. I'd suggest making that goal simple and very clearly defined. It may also help to write it down as one, concise statement of intent prior to going to sleep. That way, once you realize you're dreaming, you can take immediate action and engage in the dream before it starts to fade.

Brilliant dreams to you! Keelin

Hi I'm the new guy round here. Boy I wish I had met some of you a few years ago. I started having lucid dreams when I was about 14yrs old I didn't have any previous knowledge on the subject I just thought it was brilliant. No one had a clue what I was talking about and I'm sure they thought I was mad or going mad :) Over time the dreams got more vived, I was sure that I was having out of body experiences at some stages. At times I struggled to tell the difference between dreams and reality I remember once walking down a street telling my mates all about it and I said for all we know we could be dreaming now I pinched one of them on the arm and sorted of twisted my wrist and my feet floated off the floor and I was there floating in a sort of sitting postion,I screamed at them we are we're asleep but they just carried on going along with the dream. At times I used to struggle with what to actually do.I was so convinced that I was having out of body experiences I started to try to get back to my bedroom to see if I was in bed asleep, for a while this started to become my main objective but I never managed to get back. I also thought I could enter other peoples dreams aswell. I hope this all makes sense to some one ? I went on having lucid dreams for years but eventually the frequency of them dropped until I didnt have them at all I dont really remember it being a big event losing them as it was gaining them I just sort of lost intrest and didnt mind having normal dreams for once . My last lucid dream must have been about 8-9 years ago. I remember some of them like they happened last night as if they were real events in my life. Now days I don't even remember dreaming but after finding this site my intrest as been roused once again. I suspect I don't sleep long enough to get some of the dreams I used to, but I have started to try to remember my dreams and I'm writing them down just see if I can get it back .

Hi, Billy

You're quiet welcome. And one thing I CAN tell you: Everybody here is just as mad as you, as I suppose. Nowadays I don't mind talking about my dreams, even lucid dreams in the public (i.e. at work, at sports, with people I know) Some people are staring, as if I'm mad (my dreams say, they're right), some people are interested and fascinated, few are "natural born" lucid dreamers, too. It's a good way to find lucid dreamers. It's a good way to get into a deeper, not superficial discussion. It's a good way to have a lot of fun, especially at work, to report dreams in wich collegues take part. I'm convinced it is worthful to create an island of "dreaming culture" around me. Just now, as I'm thinking about this aspect, I find, that it may be a way for me to establish a better "link" between dreaming and waking.

I'm looking forward for your dream reports.

Warm regards

Yours Ralf

P.S. You're right to suspect, that enough sleep and keeping a dream diary increases dream recall and the frequency of lucid dreams.

Hello to All, this is my first time posting, I hope I do not take up too much bandwith...

I have some information that may be of interest to the Lucidity institute. My name is Joe, and I am 17 years old. I don't often have Lucid dreams, but when I do, I try the experiments you have posted around your website. More on that later. The most interesting and valuable piece of information I have for you is about my little brother, who is 8 years old. Yesterday at breakfast, I was telling my sister about the latest dream I had in which I was being chased in some sort of a spy situation. In the dream, I was running from my house, and when I got to the end of the driveway, I realized I was dreaming, and was very happy. I spun around a few times to stay in the dream (as is suggested, and works very well I might add) and then decided to look at my hands. When I put them in front of my field of vision to look at, they were normal, but when I wiggled my fingers around, they started to warp, and it seemed as if some fingers were actually coming off my hand and moving around, this freaked me out a bit, so I stopped, and lost lucidity.

My little brother was listening in, and he said that he doesn't do things like that when he is dreaming. He asked me why I would do such a thing, and I told him that since people so rarley know they are dreaming, it would be interesting to try it out. He gave me a puzzled look, and said that he knows he dreams almost all the time! I though he was lying, but he said he was not. So, last night, before he went to bed (we share a room), I told him to do the lightswitch experiment. I instructed him to go into my room when he was in the dream, and turn on the lights. (since my room is always dark, due to the small windows always being covered by curtians, this insured he would have a dark environment to work with) I told him that as soon as he was done with his dream, to wake me up and tell me about it, even if I was sleeping. At around 3 in the morning, he woke me up and told me that he tried it.

I was ready to throw him off my bed, but wanted to hear what he had to say first. ;-) He said he was in school, not in my room, and he went to turn the lightswitch on in the room. He said it didn't do much in the way of lighting the place up (a sunny window was already doing that), but that "everything turned upside-down". He said that when he flipped the switch, everything was flipped around, and his friends, the walls, pictures, etc, were all reversed. Even the scene outside the window was upside-down. I though this was very strange, but wrote it down anyway in the little book I have next to my bed for rememberd dreams.

Also, he told me that in a dream before the lightswitch experiment (same night) he looked at his hands and wiggled his fingers, and 'they shrunk really small and wiggled around' Then, he said that he had grown smaller, and was scared, and woke up.

I hope I have not taken up too much of your time, but I think that this is something really interesting, and I hope that someone has some use for it. I am willing to try more experiments myself, and will give my little brother more experiments to do, since he says he has lucid dreams almost every night.

Please write back as soon as possible, I Really would like to see what anyone thinks of this.

Thank you for your time, Joe (and Vincent)

Dear Joe,

How fun and fortunate for both you and your little brother to share such an active and avid exploration of lucid dreaming! You may find of interest the report entitled: "Testing the Limits of Dream Control: The Light and Mirror Experiment" featured on LI's web site (under Lucid Dreaming Literature / Excerpts from NightLight).

There's also a report on the "Observing Your Dream Hand" experiment in the Volume 4, Number 3 issue of NightLight (not on the web site, but available through Lucidity Institute). You and Vincent might find this one particularly fascinating, as part of the experiment required a wiggling of dream fingers.

In addition, we're still in need of more data for the Sleep Posture, Nasal Cycle and Naps experiment, so please feel especially invited to give this one a try.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with us, Keelin

Billy,

Welcome! Yes, it can be very productive to work with others who have similar experiences (and don't think we're going off the deep end). I'm sure you can get your lucid dreaming skill back. Intention can make all the difference. Have fun with it. What would you REALLY like to explore in a Lucid Dream? Focusing on that will be a great incentive and tool, too. I'll be interested in hearing about your progress (and would be happy to help you any way I can)!

Nibbana

Joe and Vincent,

Sounds like you guys are in a great position to start your own little dream group, around the breakfast table or something. That's great! I think it could be very useful to both of you, as well as the Lucidity Institute. It's awesome that you can offer that support and guidance to Vincent, Joe. You may be surprised that Vincent may be teaching you valuable things about dreams (and life) before long, too. Young folks often have a knack for seeing things with fresh eyes, not making so many not-always-accurate "practical, sophisticated" assumptions like we older people tend toward. Our dreams can be such a great source of adventure, wisdom, pleasure, and guidance if only we let them. I wish you both the very best in your pursuits. I'll be very interested in hearing about how things progress!

By the way, my guess is Vincent will be more likely to really get interested in LDing if you find things that are exciting for HIM to explore (perhaps not so much a nasal laterality study, but who knows, he may have the patience for it if he's a very bright kid). What is he into? How could the level of interest be explored and expanded in lucid dreams? The best Lasar Tag games around? The best skateboard tricks? ????. . . Maybe you can help him identify those areas of interest and work with them? Once he gets the skills polished and he gains more maturity, you can move onto "bigger and better" things. . .

Best Wishes, Nibbana

Hi I'm finding it really difficult to put any effort into getting my dreams onto paper. When I wake in the night I think I'll remember that easily but obviously I don't. Having had Lucid dreams in the past naturally, I'm finding it hard to motivate myself to work at it . Any tips would be appreciated.

Joe... I would have loved to have known somebody else who could have lucid dreams when I was in my Teens (thats when mine were most active). I was so sure that I could interact with my brother's dreams while he was dreaming but he didn't have lucid dreams and never remembered anything.

Hey Billy!

I too used to lucid dream easily, and now after some time away am frustrated at the difficulty of trying to get back into it. But one big thing for me is I was single before, and now am sleeping next to my wife... so I can't turn on the light and write stuff down.

Something I used before, and am trying again (though I must admit with minimal success at this point, largely because I am not staying focused) is using a voice recorder.

I leave a small recorder with voice activation by my bed, and whenever I wake up in the night, I try to record into it whatever I can about my dreams (quietly enough so as not to wake my wife, or alert her of the more embarassing stuff!!!)... then I write it out in my journal the next day, whenever I have time, form the tape (or now i use a digital recorder).

When I first joined the Institute (about a month ago) I was really excited about dreaming again, and so focused on it a lot, and had a few lucid dreams in a couple of weeks, but this wasn't often enough to keep me focused, and also the holidays broke my focus, and now I haven't had a real lucid dream in over two weeks. The key seems to be (of course!) staying focused, determined.

I'll try to practice what I preach and stay with it, and I'll report to you how it goes. Let's work on it together. Best, James

Hi all,

Two Year 2000 Stanford workshop participants (Bill Meyers and myself) and some other interested people have been meeting every few weeks for dinner to discuss our progress with lucid dreaming and encourage each other in continuing with lucid dreaming techniques. I, for one, have found it very useful in focussing my attention on the subject.

We wanted to invite anyone in the area who is interested (whether or not you were part of the 2000 Workshop) to join us in our discussions. Please e-mail either myself or Bill.

Our next meeting is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday 1/30 at 7:00pm. Happy Dreaming!

Jay Miller

Hi, Billy

Indeed, it is a good motivation to have a lot of fun in lucid dreams. Especially hovering and flying is very delightful. Sexual adventures, too. But there are other motivations. It is very interesting to test the limits of consciousness in lucid dreams. There are many experiments in the book "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming" by S. LaBerge and H. Rheingold. You may use LD for many purposes. I found out, that it is a good motivation to have a specific idea of what to do in LD. And I, too, found out, that it is good to work on all kind of dreams. My highest goal is evolution of consciousness itsself. To bring more and more light and love into my life. There is a treasure hidden in the unknown dark and misty landscape of our souls night. My aim is to light up and to live all aspects of myself. Working on dreams and especially lucid dreaming is a powerful tool in the pusuit of my goals. I found out, that it is good to create a kind of dialogue with the dreaming conciousness. Before bed I write down a specific question, but it has to really move me. In the morning I take notes of my dreams and very often I get an answer by doing so. But dreams themselves are arising questions and it is for me to find anwers at day. Keeping up this dialouge increases dream recall.

Yours

Ralf

Billy,

It may sound silly, but I've found the following does make a difference. Rather than having any old pen or pencil and paper waiting to record your dreams, you might invest in a dream journal and pen that you really love the look and feel of (showing your subconscious mind that your dreams are very valuable and worth going "all-out" for).

Best Wishes, Nibbana

Hi Thanks for the help and some good advice. Ralf I can really relate to some of the things you said. I think my main problem, at the moment is I am very busy at work and come home totally exhausted I only get about 6 hrs sleep each night. In the past when I used to have Lucid dreams frequently, I was getting more like 10 hrs a night and I wasn't working like I do now. I've got some Holidays coming up soon, I'm going to give it a good go then and get my self a dream diary.

One thing I haven't seen much mention of is dreams that predict the future. I've only ever had two and in each case the dreams didnt mean a thing to me at the time until the event happened in real life.

Just wondering if anybody else had any and is there a connection with lucid dreaming.

Dear Billy,

I can't remember any dreams of mine to predict the future. A few NDs may be telepathic. But in my LDs I haven't experienced ESP until now. But I want to do experiments concerning ESP, when I have worked out my skills in lucid dreaming.

Yours

Ralf

Billy,

I have occasionally had dreams that have predicted the future. In some, I had not understood the prediction until the event happened, and then it seemed obvious. In others, it seemed clear from the beginning. Usually, the events were not very significant. And the dreams were not lucid, yet very vivid.

I have known other people who have had precognitive dreams of very significant events. A brother of mine had a dream that a figure of light came to him to say that our uncle (with whom he was very close) was going to die and my brother was encouraged to release him. Sure enough, this uncle had a fatal heart attack within a few weeks. My brother who usually does not remember his dreams, nor tries to, felt that this particular dream helped to prepare him. I have heard of many other examples of precognitive dreams from people I know.

As for a connection between lucid and precognitive dreams, I can only suppose that lucidity and precognition are two variables that sometimes occur simultaneously. Something to look forward to? Maybe?

Sweet dreams, Mary

Dear fellow oneironauts, dear Alan, dear Owen. I would very like to answer your postings, but there is something wrong with my password. I can't log into the www at home. And tomorrow I will be away for a week, learning about chiropractice, osteopathy and "Neuraltherapie". I'm back in a week and so sorry, that I can't take part in this vivid discussion.

Yours

Ralf

Dear Ralf,

Since you've posted the above message, I'm assuming it's your personal password at home that's giving you trouble? Perhaps you could write your response in another program (e.g.: Word), save it to a disk and then cut and paste it into the message field box on the Forum (from wherever you can make the connection).

If that doesn't work, or you haven't time before the week's leave, we'll all be looking forward to your response when you return.

Sweet dreams on a foreign pillow, Keelin

Ralf, I was wondering where you were, and I'm glad to hear you will be back. Is there any chance that you will be practicing chiropractics on us in our dreams this coming week? A group mutual dream? I can use some straigthening up. Peaceful dreams, Mary

Hi Everybody! Well, I had a very nice lucid dream last night, and the interesting thing is this...

for the last few weeks, I have been so busy and caught up in things other than dreaming that I have made very little effort... not keeping up my journal, not doing reality checks and so on...

well, the last LD I had, as well as this one last night, in both cases, as I was getting in bed I was thinking "Drat! I haven't been working on my dreaming!" and then trying to MILD myself in there anyway, but not really being able to concentrate because I've been so exhausted... well, these last two, right before I started to drift to sleep, a little voice just sort of told me that I was GOING to lucid dream anyway... I could just relax, because I KNEW it would happen, and it did... has anybody else experienced this? I'm not recommending the above as a technique! LOL! Since I have no idea how it worked, but it did.

Last night's was my first time actually catching a dreamsign and thinking it was a joke... like "I wonder if maybe I'm dreaming, hahaha" it was a malfunctioning light switch.. so I decided to try to fly.. and was totally amazed when I actually did!! LOL. I was convinced I was NOT dreaming... this is such funny stuff!

James, I too have periods in which I know lucid dreams are imminent and I just let them happen. This seems to occur after a break period of one or two weeks. After this break period I often start to have dreams that are more vivid and semi lucid. After such dreams I either fall back asleep knowing that I am due for a lucid dream or I wait until the next night and I just let it happen. When lucidity occurs it is either spontaneous or due to a dream sign. The last time this occurred, some dreams characters had offered to pull me into lucidity. They grabbed me a pulled me through this energy barrier and once I was on the other side I became Lucid. This is not a voice telling me that I will have a lucid dream however, but a general feeling that it will happen.

Reply to Ralph.

Likewise, I was wondering why you had not responded with gushes of praise for my painting s. Hope you crack the puter problem soon.

Kind regards

Alan T.

Dear fellow dreamers. I'm back from "school" and ready to enter www again.

Just let me try to work through 30 postings from LI - forum in a hurry. Maybe there are more mistakes in using the english language. Please have mercy.

Alan:

Please send me your painting in a more (or most) simple jpeg format. I don't have an Adobe graphics program. I have micrografix picture publisher 5.0 and iphoto plus 1.2

I try to be moral in LD and waking life. But I don't always succeed... ,maybe because life is so much fun.

Maybe quantum - physics offers a way to understand our nature. Seems to give "new" models for understanding and exploring ESP and psychokinesis. The point for me is, that it seems to say, that everything / every process is linked in a quantum web. This is a mystical point of view / experience supported by science.

About the "reality" of dreams: While neurological science seems more and more to find out, that everything merely happens inside our brains, I find more and more hints, that consciousness does'nt need a biological body. One of the latest books I read is by E. Kuebler -Ross. She says, that the consciousness of dying persons is able to percieve the physical reality, while no EEG - activity can be measured.

"I searched the reference you gave, in vain, for a mention of the seemingly independent participants I sometimes meet in LD."

Sorry, maybe I misunderstood you. Your right to say, that we in the Forum and the authors of VOLDE didn't write about dream guides. But the LD - OBE discussion is concerning the question whether dream experiences may be real, may be more than merely subjective. As far as I remember, the VOLDE text claims, that the dreamers semamtic framework is flawed, if he beliefs his experiences to be out of body. See VOLDE II.C.2. "The Semantic Framework" and III.D.2. "Variations in Thinking". These statements seem to say, that in the authors eyes, there are no "independent participants" in our dreams. As I pointed out earlier, I believe, that there may be some! But until today, I have not been able to distinguish in my dreams, whether a character may be "real". The global workspace model is fruitful. It a flexible and worked out model of how brain relates to our experience. If I include ESP in this model, it would be easy to explain the existence of dream - guides, of seemingly independent characters. But I believe, that consciousness is able to exist without brain. And that we are in need for a model that includes this belief. In my eyes, there are enough hints concerning this belief. A better model would have to include brain - consciousness links and ESP and quantum physics and the findings of NDE explorers and a lot more, like experiences in meditation.

"The evidence is only that people can induce LD - not that they can get any ' better' at it - which is what I want to do. It may be that seeking to control this area of experience is inappropriate - like trying to control the outcome of prayer." My experience is, that I can evoke and prolong lucid dreams. And that my LD abilities get better by means of training. I, too, am an incorrigible doubter. I doubt, but I'm training my "belief - muscle". Every day I pray for my beliefs to come true. And I work on them to come true. And I'm looking for hints concerning their truth. In this way, I control the outcome of my prayer. But there is no doubt: World itsself is responding my prayers and World is the real controller. Hmm. Is it?

Adastra:

Thanks for the quote "... And where does this leave all the theories of dreams, from the Freudian to the biochemical?" I think there is a lot about dreaming. I find it fruitful to interpret my dreams, after the teachings of Freud or Jung. But there is a wider world to get in contact with.

Mary

"I have always suspected that ESP-susceptibility could be higher in those dreams than in REM dreams." In my experience, "ESP" - dreams are fully blown up dreams. In my experience there is no hint for ESP during "OBE - like" dreams.

Straigthening up takes place every night 0300 - 0600 MET in my practice, White City, Healing Angels Street 11. Don't forget convient clothing!

Owen

I think, that every technique is worthful, that lets us serenely have a look at the pictures while diving into sleep. While practising some month, I found, that images get more stable. I'm now able to observe them more dispassionate. They (and me) get "slower". This IS a change in quality. "I occasionally feel my body shaken sometimes violently from side to side, or hear a sound like glass being crunched under foot." I'm not so shure about relation to body image. This prevents me from diving into dream - scenes. If you want OBE, do it. If you want a lucid dream, relate to visual perception. "When you count do you simply focus on the dreamlets or do you imagine yourself counting in a scene?" I focus on the white dot between my eyebrows. I found, that it is better not to focus on a dreamlet, not to give too much energy in watching it. The dreamlet has to evolve by itsself.

"Would it be better instead to try to observe dreamsigns during my daytime testing in a calm nonchalant dispassionate way, even ones so strange as dead relatives?" My LDs rarely follow the classical path: dreamsign - reflection - awareness - lucidity. It is a strange "feeling" at the onset of lucidity. I do RI / RC techniques in daytime. But this is not only a reflective exercise, but an emotional. Again and again I have to get into the "mood" to suspect I may be dreaming. To me, the "shock" of getting lucid in a dream is more than enough. I still find it hard to stay in the dream, once lucid. I think it is better to be calm while state - checking during daytime.

"I guess that my suggestion is to try to use spinning as a state test from the black void!" In my experience, relating to the body image while in the black void can bring yourself closer to awaking. I would prefer memory - tests. I have not used the spinning or rubbing technique in fully blow up visual LD. But jumping or flying are the dreamsigns, that often lead me to lucidity. Once lucid, it is better for me, not to fly, because I get to exhilarated and the dream fades. In my longest LDs so far I tried singing or listening to music.

David

I thought about some kind of feedback - device: The mask has a sensor for the eye - movements. I imagine, that it is possible for a computer to analyse these moments. I think it could be able to detect a series of ten rhythmical left - right movements as a signal for lucidity. If this is possible, you can give out flashes or beeps with increasing intensity, until the dreamer signals lucidity. I tried to get an old EEG - device from my hospital, to go deeper into this. But old / defect devices have to be destroyed. It is not allowed for the hospital to sell defect devices. What a pity. But maybe I will use the ND - mask as a detector and work on a computer program. If I only had time ...

Keelin

Thanks for your advice. There have been some sweet dreams on this foreign pillow.

Marc and Benj

Strange powers... and my fears.

Hm. There has been a very strange period around eclipse of the sun in 1999. I had myself a series of vision quests. It came out of a ND, where I met an old man on an island. This island is a sort mandala. In the run of quests I got in contact with what I called my anima. She seemed to open me a door to what you may call a WILD. The thing about our relation was, that I gave erotic energy and experimented with this energy to create a more intense dream - enviroment. But time by time she gained more and more presence, I felt as if she guides me in daytime, too. On the top of this, she gave me the advice to seduce a special girl. That was too much for me. Although I am very interested in crossing the border of the land of dreams, I decided to let go of this kind of quests for a while. Seemed to me, that she gained more and more power. And I was shure, that it was "my" power, that I gave her. I wanted to be free and decide on my own. But in December 1999 this special girl seduced me! I did let it happen *ggg * . And I'm still together with her, my love is still growing. What shall I get of this? Seems that anima was right in her advice. Seems that it may sometimes be dangerous to mess with eros. It's a powerful energy. Seems that I know as much as nothing about what is actual going on. Today, I feel, that there is a wide space of safety in the "dreamworld". But maybe not everything I can do is safe. I don't want to take drugs to induce LD. I like to work "slowly" and careful with myself.

Joe

"So, some specific questions: 1.) Does lucity come in stages, as I described above, or am I bound to just knowing I'm dreaming, and not enjoying its benefits?"

Lucidity comes in stages and you are on the way upstairs. You can develope your skills by training.

"2.)I have noticed two main patterns in my dreams: I'm being chased, or I'm in school, and have forgotten something important (where classes are, homework, etc) Does anybody interprut dreams here? If so, what do those themes mean?"

If you are beeing chased, once lucid, try to face the hunter. Identify him /her /it. Talk with the hunter. It is your dream, you have to interpret it by yourself. There are a lot of things we avoid in our lives by running away...

I know this kind of school dreams. Most of MY dreams concern the questions: Am I ready to learn something? Am I still a pupil, or may I be a teacher? What am I to learn? Find your own questions and you will find answers.

Daniel

Would be cool, if you visit my practise (adress mentioned earlier) and bring some friends with you. O.K. Just kidding. The first thing I would do is to stabilize awareness and prolong the dream. And then look around for new things to be learned. Maybe someone can give me advice.

Has anyone read The Lucid Dreamer (A Waking Guide for the Traveler Between Worlds) by Malcom Godwin? I like the writing style, the historical and diverse cultural perspectives, and the art prints that are used to illustrate points. It is helping me to put experiences I have had in the past in perspective. Are there other good books out there that give historical perspective? Years ago I read Castenadas, and I've read quite a bit that is on LI website, but that is about the extent of my reading thusfar.

Dear Mary

I have read some books concerning lucid dreaming. "Creative Dreaming" by Patricia Garfield. She writes about a tribe called "Senoi", wich has a dreaming culture. She writes about the yogis and western lucid dreamers. If you take a look at the bibliographie, you find among the many authors Charles Tart. "Altered States of Consciousness." It has been some years ago, when I have read this book, but it contains some historical links, as far as I remember. If you like to read something about the wider frame of psychic evolution and transcendence, you may take a look at Ken Wilber: "Up from Eden" or Michael Murphy: "The Future of the Body". But these books don't concern lucid dreaming, as far as I remember.

Yours Ralf

Ralf,

Thanks for your response. I have a few comments.

"I focus on the white dot between my eyebrows.'

I have not tried this. I have tried the flame technique, but I find it quite difficult to keep a mental picture of the flame. By contrast I find counting easy and I am increasingly able to experience the distortions of the words and still retreat away from sleep if I want. A problem with counting is that there are gaps between words and it is here that I am caught out and seized by sleep it seems.

All my practice is in an early evening "snooze" ' (I aprreciate that I will not go into REM sleep but some of the dreamlets are interesting and last several seconds). I have made some progress with early morning muscle relaxation but the counting defeats me. It is 5am, "One, I am dreaming, Two, I am dreaming, I peek at my clock ' 6am, Three, I am dreaming, Wait a minute where did that hour go!!'

My early evening efforts are very interesting however. In trying to maintain myself between the borderline of waking and sleep. I experience, as well as the hallucinations, what I can only describe as an expanding sensation in my upper nose, forehead, and front and top of my head. It is quite pleasant. When I was a student in the late 1960s I started Transcendental Meditation. I never kept it up, but I recall my instructors talking of a mind-expanding sensation that could be reached by practice. There are of course differences between TM and what I am doing now in the way the mantra is experienced, but it is quite curious. There must be a name for the kind of meditation I am doing now?

"I think it is better to be calm while state - checking during daytime. '

This is my current feeling too. Recently I focus on warning myself how easy it is to be tricked into thinking I am awake while in fact dreaming. I think this is an aspect of Keelin's "sincerity'!

"In my experience, relating to the body image while in the black void can bring yourself closer to awaking.'

This is interesting. I just checked back on my lucid dream reports. On the only four occasions when I rubbed my hands in an effort to get out of the black void (having stopped spinning to do this) I awoke almost immediately. I did not notice this before.

"In my longest LDs so far I tried singing or listening to music.'

I have not tried to sing yet, I will add this to my list of things to do. I complained that I went several weeks over Christmas and New Year with no success. Well I am back on track now. Even though many of my LDs are very short I try to get in as a priority one new thing. The last dream I knelt down on the floor and repeatedly banged it with my fist while shouting out aloud my name. So I was able to confirm to myself that it is indeed possible to say aloud ones name in a dream! While in the dream I find rubbing useful though. Recently I used successfully a mnemonic FRISH, this stands for FRIction, Sound, Heat and helps me to remember to focus on these sensations while rubbing.

Owen

Hi, Alan and fellow dreamers I've just visited quantum mind archives. Interesting, but hard to understand (on the first fast look). Here is another link, providing psychophysiological experiments in OBE and many more subjects. It's Charles T.Tarts website.

http://www.paradigm-sys.com/cttart/

Ralf

Ralf. Yes, Tart is an excellent example of how the sciences are demystifying areas of human experience which, in the past, were usually only accessible by joining a religious/spiritual

• based community, secret or otherwise. I'm in favour of anything which further undermines the old dogmas of the priests. I think we've had quite enough of all that authoritarian rubbish.

Hi, Alan and co - dreamers

I've just visited

http://www.culture.com.au/brain_proj/quantum.htm

and read the text" "On Quantum Physics and Ordinary Consciousness". This one is easier for me to understand and very interesting, too.

C.T.Tart: The first author, who directed my interest to increasing awareness and the possibility of LD.

Thanx for the linx

Hi Mary, The Lucid dreamer by Malcolm Godwin is a book I brought in 1995, I had my first willed lucid dream in three weeks after reading it. Definately worth the money! The artwork is exceptional and the prose I found to be well written and from the heart.

Greetings Fellow Oneironauts!

FYI: a new discussion topic has been set up under the title "Dreaming & Awakening - Maui Camp 2001" The participants of this recent workshop have begun posting comments & reflections, so if you've wondered what it's like to attend Dream Camp, you can get a glimpse through the eyes of those who actually participated.

Also, please note that if you're already set up with automatic email notification of new posts to the Forum, you'll have to go to "Edit Profile" and check the box for this new topic under "Favorites" if you want the posts in this topic to come directly to you.

Sweet tropical dreams to all, Keelin

I just read this forum for the first time, and wanted to put in my 2-cents worth on the sleep posture conversation that was going on last year. I've noticed that, for obvious physiological reasons, me being a male, that I have a lot more sexual dreams while sleeping on my stomach. It helps even more when I wear silk boxers (wink wink, nudge nudge).

Dear Dreamers !

Ever wanted some sort of musical inspiration to put you to sleep at night ? Well I finally found what you're looking for. Very Inspirational - I know I shall be buying the soundtrack soon ! ;-)

ARTIST: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory TITLE: Pure Imagination

Come with me and you'll be In a world of pure imagination Take a look and you'll see Into your imagination

We'll begin with a spin Trav'ling in the world of my creation What we'll see will defy Explanation

If you want to view paradise Simply look around and view it Anything you want to, do it Want to change the world, there's nothing to it

There is no life I know To compare with pure imagination Living there, you'll be free If you truly wish to be

There is no life I know To compare with pure imagination Living there, you'll be free If you truly wish to be

Lots of Love, Daniel ------->

Hi, Daniel

I just downloaded it from audiogalaxy.com Sounds weird, but nice.

Hi Daniel and Ralf:

Yes, Roald Dahl was an enlightened one.

I read James and the Giant Peach to my son a few years ago, and was amazed at the imagry..

The movie is out here, but lacks alot of the detail..read the book, it is short...

He mentions the Snozwangers and Vinicious Knids in both stories...

What about Peter Pan and the whole Neverneverland thing? Sir James M. Barrie truely was gifted visionary...

Did you catch the film Hook with Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman...Great... The lost boys conjured an entire feast..then seemingly transcended physical boundries (with pixie dust, of course)

Joe Schaljo

Steer towards the "Second star to the right, and straight on till morning"

Greetings, All:

I had a chance to read through your posts here, and feel I know each of you a little better (some more than others).

I look forward to more of this fascinating conversation, and potentially meeting you all.

Joe Schaljo Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

I like to listen to 'Silent Lucidity' by Queensryche occasionally - it's a pop song about lucid dreaming. Here are the lyrics.

Silent Lucidity

(Music and Lyrics by Chris DeGarmo)

Hush now, don't you cry Wipe away the teardrop from your eye You're lying safe in bed It was all a bad dream Spinning in your head Your mind tricked you to feel the pain Of someone close to you leaving the game of life So here it is, another chance Wide awake you face the day Your dream is over... or has it just begun? There's a place I like to hide A doorway that I run through in the night Relax child, you were there But only didn't realize it and you were scared It's a place where you will learn To face your fears, retrace the years And ride the whims of your mind Commanding in another world Suddenly you hear and see This magic new dimension I- will be watching over you I- am gonna help you see it through I- will protect you in the night I- am smiling next to you, in Silent Lucidity

[Visualize your dream] [Record it in the present tense] [Put it into a permanent form] [If you persist in your efforts] [You can achieve dream control] [Dream control] [How's that then, better?] [Hug me]

If you open your mind for me You won't rely on open eyes to see The walls you built within Come tumbling down, and a new world will begin Living twice at once you learn You're safe from the pain in the dream domain A soul set free to fly A round trip journey in your head Master of illusion, can you realize Your dream's alive, you can be the guide but... I- will be watching over you I- am gonna help to see it through I- will protect you in the night I- am smiling next to you....

I don't listen to any of their other music, but I really like that song.

Dear Adastra

I like that song. I've just listened...

Thanks for the lyrics.

Ralf