Black Book of Forbidden Knowledge

Lucid Dreaming

INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS LUCID DREAMING?

Lucid dreaming is a state in which the sleeper becomes alert and

conscious that he or she is dreaming. The imagery in this state is

reported to be more vivid than in nonlucid states, and it is

difficult to distinguish between the dream and reality. The dreamer

is able to control what is dreamed.

Lucid dreaming has formed the central core of virtually every

shamanic and mystical practice throughout history. It allows the

shaman to visit the spirit realms to gain healing power and insight.

In the East, lucid dreaming has long been seen as a signpost on the

way to enlightenment.

The Goldi shamans of Siberia guide dying or dead subjects through the

realms of the otherworld through lucid dreams. Native Americans rely

upon conscious dreaming for their vision quests, and consider dreams

to be central to life itself, and the foundation of all spiritual

matters.

The Australian Aborignes are the oldest lucid dreamers, but the

Tibetan shamans have carried the process of lucid dreaming more

exactly into the realm of mysticism. In 12th century Tibet there

arose famous schools of Dream Masters who appeared to use lucid

dreaming as a powerful method of meditation, which was reported to

speed up the process of enlightenment. The Tibetan shaman was always

"chosen" through a lucid dream, which transformed the dreamer into a

new being.

Many Western subjects entering lucid dreaming for the first time

report experiencing nothing comparable in the whole of their waking

lives, feeling as if they had been radically changed by the event and

mysteriously transformed. The essential purpose of lucid dreamwork is

ultimately to wake up. Lucid dreaming helps us understand that we are

just as asleep when we think we are awake, as we are in dreams.

PART ONE: Brain States

The sleep cycle is made up of numerous clearly definedstages. The

first is a transitional state called the hypnagogic, which is the

feeling of floating off, sometimes accompanied by vivid or

psychedelic images. At this point the brain is in alpha, which then

gives way to the slower and more rhythmic theta waves of light

slumber. These are joined by rapid bursts of brain activity (spindles

and Kcomplexes). About 20 minutes after the beginning of the sleep

cycle, the large and relatively slow delta waves take over. This is

the deep plunge into the void of sleep.

The quiet phase and the active phase are the two main stages of

sleep, and can be distinguished by differences in biochemistry,

physiology, psychology, and behavior. The quite phase occurs during

deep sleep and is known as "S" sleep, as it is characterized by slow

wave EEG. This Delta pattern takes up most of our sleeping time, thus

the "S". It is the state of restful inactivity, your mind does little

while you breathe slowly and deeply; your metabolic rate is at a

minimum, and growth hormones are released facilitating restorative

processes. When awakened from this state, people feel disoriented and

rarely remember dreaming

However the second type of sleep pattern, REM (rapid eye movement) is

the sleep state that pertains to lucid dreaming. REM sleep or "D"

sleep is characterized by rapid eye movements and is often

accompanied by dreams, thus the D. The first episode of REM or D

sleep in adults lasts about ten minutes but can increase to as much

as an hour throughout the night. During REM sleep your eyes move

around rapidly, breathing is quick and irregular, and you dream

vividly. During this activity, your body remains still, because it is

temporarily paralyzed during REM sleep to prevent you from acting out

your dreams.

The length of REM periods increase as the night proceeds, and the

intervals between REM periods decrease. The first REM period usually

lasts about ten minutes, after with the sleeper almost awakens before

stage two. The cycle is then highly variable with each individual.

Usually the complete REM/non REM cycle lasts about 90 minutes, with

the dreamer experiencing four to five cycles of sleep each night.

During the last two hours of sleep the REM has increased from ten

minutes to as much as one hour.

Therefore "dreaming sleep" accounts for as much as 20 percent of our

sleeping life. We spend as much as five years in dreamworlds, and

experience over 150,000 dreams in a lifetime. During the last several

decades, sleep researchers have discovered that for every 100 persons

in REM sleep, over 80 percent will remember a dream if awakened. REM

is clearly a unique brain state, though it is similar to the waking

state in EEG activity. This may explain why dreams seem so real.

While other structures in the brain are involved in sleep, the

neocortex is a major brain area involved in the production of dream

images and experiences.

PART TWO: How to Induce a Lucid Dream

a) How to schedule your efforts for best results

Most lucid dreams happen in the late morning hours of sleep. If you

normally sleep for eight hours, you will probably have six REM

periods with the last half occurring in the last quarter of the

night. The probability of having a lucid dream in the last two hours

of sleep is more than twice as great as the probability of having a

lucid dream in the previous six hours.

If you are serious about lucid dreaming, you should arrange at least

one morning a week where you can stay in bed several hours longer

than usual. If you can't afford more time in bed, there is a simple

secret to increasing your lucid dreaming that requires no extra

sleep.

If you are serious about lucid dreaming, you should arrange at least

one morning a week where you can stay in bed several hours longer

than usual. If you can't afford more time in bed, there is a simple

secret to increasing your lucid dreaming that requires no extra

sleep.

b) Techniques for Lucid Dreaming

Carlos Castaneda is instructed in one of his books that the best way

to have a lucid dream is to shift the attention while dreaming. His

teacher advises him to look for his hands or feet during the dream,

which will help him remember that he is dreaming, and have access to

using his dream body. The technique does work, although it may take

many trials before a person actually remembers to look at the hands

or feet while they are dreaming.

Training Protocol for Lucid Dreaming.

Should be practiced each night before going to sleep.

1. Play relaxing music on low volume. Lie down and close eyes. Lie on

left side if comfortable, if not, gently touch forefinger to thumb of

each hand and let hands rest by side.

2. Listen to tape and do some deep breathing (Noise Removal Breathing

p.87 & Level One Breathing p.86).

3. Imagine and feel a point of white light in middle of forehead.

Sense it radiating its light in front of the brain and directly in

front of you.

4. Imagine and feel you are walking along a deserted beach at

twilight. Notice the sky, moon, stars. As you walk, sense the point

of white light on forehead, look down at hands and feet. Rotate hands

and look at them in the light of the moon and stars.

Next, imagine you reach the entrance to an underground cave. Walk

down seven stairs, reach out to open the door and look at hand. Walk

into a cavernous room with many doors. Atmosphere of calmness and

peace.

You will find yourself drawn to one of the doors. Know that your

chosen door holds something of value behind it. As you walk towards

the door, feel the point of light, and glance down at the hands and

feet. When you open the door, look at your hand. Enter the next room

and explore everything the people or beings you find there may be

metaphorical. You may talk to anyone. As you explore, occasionally

glance at hands or feet and feel the point of white light on the

forehead.

After exploring the room, return to the first room and the entrance

that leads to the stairs. Open the door and walk to the beach. Bring

awareness back to physical body, and slowly open eyes.

Preparation for Lucid Dreaming

1. Lie on left side if it feels comfortable as above.

2. Close eyes, deep breathing (or Level One Breathing).

3. Imagine point of white light in forehead.

4. As your awareness rests on this point, say to yourself silently:

"I intend to have lucid dreams tonight. I recognize when I am

dreaming and I am able to move freely in my dream body." (Can use any

similar statement).

5. Continue to keep mental focus gently at point of light in the

middle of forehead. When you feel yourself drifting off to sleep, let

go of the focus.

You may change body position throughout the night. When you catch

yourself dreaming, remember the point of light in forehead, and to

look at hand or feet.

DREAMINITIATED LUCID DREAMS (DILDs)

Critical State Testing: Ask yourself whether you are awake ordreaming

throughout the day, so that you can get into the habit of asking the

same question while you are dreaming. It is important to ask the

question "Am I dreaming or not?" at least five to ten times a day,

especially in situations that are dreamlike, or remind you of your

dreams. It is also good to ask the question at bedtime. Don't just

automatically ask the question and mindlessly reply, "Obviously I'm

awake," or you will do the same thing when you are actually dreaming.

Look around for oddities that may indicate you are dreaming, and

think back over the events of the past several minutes. If you had

trouble remembering what happened, you may be dreaming.

State Testing: Don't ask other people in your dream whetheryou are

dreaming, because they will often reply that you're not. The best way

to check if you're dreaming is trying to fly. Hop into the air, and

if you stay there, you're dreaming. You can also read something, look

away and see if the text has distorted in any way when you look back.

Another method is to look twice at a digital watch, because they

never behave correctly in dreams. Don't use an analogue watch to

check because they can tell dream time quite believably.

You may discover that any time you feel the genuine need to test

reality, this in itself is proof enough that you're dreaming, as when

we're awake we almost never seriously wonder whether we are in fact

awake or dreaming.

Intention Technique:

1. Resolve to recognize dreaming In the early hours of the morning,

or if you wake in the night, clearly affirm your intention to

remember to recognize the dream state.

2. Visualize yourself recognizing dreaming Visualize yourself in

dream situations that would normally make you realize you are

dreaming.

3. Imagine carrying out an intended dream action Resolve to carry

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