Lucidity Blog
Dreams and life – lucid and otherwise.
Engaging With Dreams – a Mortal Mist Workshop
Jan 29th
Engaging with Dreams
Everyone is invited to a workshop entitled Engaging with Dreams. As the title suggests, we’ll be looking at ways of getting more out of dreams especially through recognising where our own ways of thinking and being can be used to special effect.
Dreams are generally considered to be the products of unconscious processes, by which we mean thoughts and feelings that occur outside of our conscious control. This has led some to conclude that we need to understand the language of our unconscious mind through the symbolism of dreams. Yet most have found that dream dictionaries constructed using these ideas to be highly speculative and probably flawed. Are there other ways of getting access to the dreamer’s unconscious? I believe there is. But it is not straightforward, and for many of us we perhaps only get a sense of what’s going on no matter how hard we try and find meaning. It is that ‘sense’ that Engaging with Dreams is about.
Through looking at our own dreams and the dreams of others, we’ll share our observations, our emotional responses, our gut reactions and indeed anything that arises for us. In doing so we’ll find our more about how we personally understand unconscious processes and how these are revealed in dreams. Dream work of any type is a highly inexact science so what each of us will take from the workshop will be different and personal, perhaps shaped by the kinds of people we have each grown up to be.
Engaging with Dreams runs from 1 to 15 February, in seven simple stages. Watch out for the introductory thread which may appear as early as Sunday 31 January! Looking forward to engaging with as many dreamers as possible!
No previous experience required!
Sign up for this FREE workshop here.
Hosted by Mortal Mist
When We Know We Are Right, We Become Blind
Jan 29th
A caller on the radio this morning was talking about a favorite professor who was special because he always presented alternate viewpoints. As I drove, I imagined myself as that professor – teaching about a subject I am passionate and sure about, yet making a conscious decision to expose my pupils to perspectives and points of view I likely know are wrong. What an amazing thing to choose to do. What an amazing thing to be able to sit quietly through. . . and maybe even learn from.
Why is it so difficult to know when we are dreaming? We endure the most ridiculous situations in our dreams without ever questioning whether we are awake or asleep, because we know without a shadow of a doubt that we’re awake! Once we know we are right about our state of consciousness, we become blind to all other possibilities. It is human nature.
Imagine what it might be like to not be quite so sure of ourselves all the time. If we could learn to check for other possibilities every time we were certain about our circumstances, the chance of discovering we are dreaming would be much greater. Perhaps this is one reason children seem more likely to have spontaneous lucid dreams than adults! They haven’t been around long enough to know everything with such certainly – at least not until they become teenagers.
Our chance of becoming aware we are dreaming is not the only thing we stand to gain by learning to recognize our own blindness.
Worth The Wait
Jan 28th
Now, sadly, I do not remember what my first lucid dream was like. I would have been very young, like many things, the dream faded with age. As such, I can not personally tell you what a first lucid dream is like. However, I have told friends about lucid dreaming and even taught others how to do it. I’ve been told their first experiences, and I think I’ve gained a grasp of what it is like.
My current room mate just recently had his first lucid dream. As he told it, he had been standing in the middle of the street and he suddenly just knew he was dreaming. He looked up and down the street, taking in his surroundings. He saw the colors more vivid than life. Everything shone with extraordinary brilliance. He felt happy. He concentrated on flying. He lifted himself off the ground shortly. He moved down the street but the dream faded quickly. He was happy to hear that it was his first lucid dream. He asked me if it was one. He didn’t know you could have a lucid dream without trying. (I guess I’m not a great teacher.)
The way he described it was fittingly, “inexplicable.” Until you’ve had the experience, I don’t think words could properly translate the feelings and pure beauty of a lucid dream. I had told and taught my room mate – an old friend – about lucid dreaming quite a long time ago, but when he had no success, he gave up. I hope this recent experience will revitalize his ambition.
Too often people will lose hope when they do not succeed as soon as they would like to. I’ve known people to give up after the first night. Others who’ve stuck to it for months before having success. What do they say about it? “Worth the wait.”
The first dream where you realize you can do anything – however shortly – is enough to change any spirits. Lucid dreaming my be hard to get into, but it’s worth it when you do.
It’s Magic
Jan 27th
Who doesn’t enjoy a good magic show? An audience in the hands of a skilled illusionist is led into a place where people can be sawed in half and pass through walls, items can materialize and disappear, and minds can be read. Even though we know we are being fooled by skill, technology and showmanship, we love it. Our eyes are telling us something we want to believe. . . that magic can really happen.
When first becoming conscious in your dreams, the potential of it all may seem elusive. At first, it is difficult getting past being so excited that you wake yourself up. As you learn to stabilize and stay in the dream, you start experiencing a world that feels, smells and acts so real that under normal circumstances you would never suspect it is all a dream. Soon you soon come to understand this world is entirely your creation. If you want somebody to be there, just believe he’s behind you, turn around and find him. If you can’t find a door, you can pass through a wall or window or knock a hole to walk through. You can go through a mirror like Alice and see what the other side is like. Yes, you can fly – and it is absolutely incredible.
The more you experience, the more you come to realize is possible. The terms “possible” and “impossible” don’t even fit when it comes to our dreams – you are limited only by your own imagination and creativity.
That doesn’t mean all lucid dreamers choose to control their dreams. Many just experience what comes, secure in the knowledge they are completely safe and nothing can happen that will have any consequences in the real world.
Whether you choose to control yourself or your world, the control is magical. Experiencing that magic is what keeps us lucid dreamers returning for more.
What can you do in lucid dreams
Jan 26th
Some will say: in lucid dreams, you can fly, you can eat whatever you want, you can visit landscapes from your imagination, you can have the most extraordinary experiences… I believe those explanations are incomplete. The best answer would be: there’s nothing you can’t do!
Think it, imagine it,… do it!
That’s right! Explaining the potentials of lucid dreaming is this simple. If you can imagine it, it can be done. And what you use lucid dreaming for, it’s up to you. Some use it to study, others for healing, others even to rehearse a skill. Some people live the most amazing experiences, so amazing there are no words to describe it.
In fact, one of the things lucid dreamers know, is the hollowness of words – hollowness, because they are insufficient to transmit others their experiences. The only way to understand their experiences is by experiencing it yourself. And is there a better way to fully understand the potentials of dreaming than by dreaming?
(The Dreams Foundation has a very interesting article about some of the waking life applications of lucid dreaming here).
The Mission – Control Your Dreams
Jan 25th
Have you ever wanted to share something absolutely amazing with others, but were stumped about how to present it? This probably isn’t all that common a dilemma for most people, but it is a problem those of us who practice Lucid Dreaming face all the time.
The term Lucid Dreaming is a handicap, though it is the ubiquitous label for all we do and try to convey. Have you considered what lucid dreaming might mean to the uninitiated? The adjective Lucid means:
1. easily understood; completely intelligible or comprehensible
2. characterized by clear perception or understanding; rational or sane
3. shining or bright
4. clear; pellucid; transparent
(Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lucid)
As you can see, lucid dream is a misnomer! If you don’t understand the term in the context we use it, it doesn’t tell you anything about what we do.
The beginning of any effort to reach out is to learn the language of your audience. In our case, that means we need to begin with a label that actually means something to the non-lucid dreamers of the world. Aware dreaming comes close, as it directly speaks to the conscious awareness central to the lucid dreaming experience. But it is more than awareness – it is control. The thing that differentiates a lucid dream from all other dreams is that we take control, which opens up a limitless playground to do anything we want to do.
While lucid dreamers understand well the vast implications of lucidity, the world is unlikely to ever find us if we expect them to figure out what we mean when we speak of lucidity in the context of dreams. Our mission, then, is to find a way to tell the world not about lucid dreaming, but about the human capacity to control our dreams.
Hey, world! There’s something you need to know, and you’re going to love it: YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR DREAMS!
And we can tell you how.
Inquire within yourself
Jan 22nd
Many people out there, even within lucid dreaming communities, lose contact with the true meaning of a lucid dream. A lucid dream is simply a dream in which you are aware that you are dreaming. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’ve already had this interesting experience. Many people will merely shrug it off as “one of those things,” but others will take this special situation and use it to gain dream control. Which is exactly what it sounds like.
Lucid dreaming is the entryway to a world unlike any other. A world where you can rule or you can explore. A world where you can terrorize your nightmares and relive your favorite memories and moments as if they were real life. A world infinitely vast and only as expendable as your own imagination.
Now, if lucid dreaming is such a great thing, why do so few know about it? To be honest, I don’t know. It has been given a bad name, lobbed in with mysticism, and called a psuedoscience, but if you go out and ask someone, “Have you ever had a dream where you knew you were dreaming?” they will almost definitely say yes. Studies show that almost everyone will experience a lucid dream at some point in their life. So, if everyone has the ability to do it without any noticeable effort, isn’t it reasonable to think that those who do put effort into it could achieve this fantastical feat?
There are many methods to increase the frequency of lucid dreams, but the first step is almost always believing that this thing exists. Inside yourself is the most enjoyable experience in the world, all it takes is a little determination.
The Call Of The Dream
Jan 21st
My discovery of lucid dreaming was really more of a re-discovery, as I had some strange lucid dreams as a child. I didn’t know what they were though, so most of my life was spent in ignorance of what I was missing.
In February of 2006, I stumbled onto an online article talking about lucid dreaming. That night I had a brief lucid dream that ended with me running through a beautiful lush meadow with my dog. The experience was hyper-real to all my senses and seemed absolutely miraculous. I could run like the wind, do cartwheels, smell and feel the air as I rushed through it. . . and my joyous dog began turning into a panda as she ran along with me.
That taste was enough to know that I wanted to spend as much time in that magical place as possible. The anticipation of getting back there remains as intense as anything I’ve ever longed for in my life.
It is frustrating to try explaining this to people who haven’t experienced lucid dreams. There just aren’t words that can be put together to convey the majesty and magic of it. Even after four years of lucid dreaming, the passion to get back there and spend as much time as possible hasn’t waned a bit.
Anybody who has experienced a lucid dream will understand exactly what I’m talking about.
And to those of you who haven’t. . . all I can really think to say is that you quite literally have no idea what you are missing. There is no way you could possibly know.
But you can find out.
Lucid Dreaming Myths
Jan 19th
In a world filled with people who will go to almost any length to find diversion, entertainment and new experiences, why isn’t lucid dreaming more popular? Nothing is impossible in a lucid dream. Nothing is beyond reach or unattainable, and the experience is complete; from the dreamer’s perspective, the situations and sensations can be even more intense and realistic than anything waking life can provide. There is no risk of life and limb in these experiences, and no tangible cost.
It seems that lucid dreaming should be common knowledge and widely practiced. It is, quite simply, the ultimate form of entertainment, yet few ever learn enough about Lucid Dreaming to get past the preconceptions and misconceptions about it. In other words, not many people know what Lucid Dreaming really is.
To those who may be apprehensive, here are some common myths and misconceptions about Lucid Dreaming:
- Lucid dreaming is a spiritual, New Age or religious practice. There is no religious or spiritual aspect needed to learn lucid dreaming. While Lucid dreaming has been used in religious and spiritual traditions throughout history, so have many other practices including regular dreaming.
- Lucid Dreaming isn’t real. It is easy to believe that this is another one of those things that people either convince themselves about or claim to be able to do for status or other reasons. The reality of Lucid Dreaming has actually been proved scientifically, by Dr. Stephen Laberge and others. Even with this body of evidence, it really is difficult to fully believe until experienced for one’s self. Once you have your first lucid dream and know it for yourself, this becomes a non-issue.
- Lucid Dreaming is extremely difficult to achieve. Learning to lucid dream is accomplished through practice. Some experience lucidity immediately after learning the basics, while for others it can take a long time. Lucid Dreaming really isn’t difficult, but it can require patience and perseverance.
- Lucid Dreaming can ruin the ability to have regular dreams. I have been involved in practice and study of lucid dreaming for years and have never encountered or read accounts of anybody who has not been able to return to normal dreaming after learning to lucid dream. The problem for lucid dreamers is almost always quite the opposite – they want to experience more lucidity.
- Lucid Dreaming can make you lose touch with reality. As wonderful and hyper-real as lucid dreaming can be, it is still a dream. Again, in my years of involvement and research, I’ve never encountered or read accounts of anybody who has lost the ability to separate the real world from dreams. The practice of lucid dreaming will often actually enhance one’s awareness of the real world.
Lucid Dreaming is real, and it is safe. I do it pretty regularly, and it seems to be a capability we all share. Anybody who has experienced a Lucid Dream will agree they can be truly amazing and profound experiences.
It costs nothing to try it for yourself, though there are many out there who would be pleased to sell you devices, supplements, “secrets” and other things “guaranteed” to get you lucid. Many of these do work to one degree or another, but you don’t need any of them to get started on your own journey into Lucid Dreaming.
Would you like to learn more about Lucid Dreaming?
Public Dreaming – Thomas Metzinger
Jan 18th
A fascinating essay focusing on lucid dreaming and particularly on how the internet is influencing how we think and dream.
If it is true that the experience of controlling and sustaining your focus of attention is one of the deeper layers of phenomenal selfhood, then what we are currently witnessing is not only an organized attack on the space of consciousness per se but a mild form of depersonalization. New medial environments may therefore create a new form of waking consciousness that resembles weakly subjective states — a mixture of dreaming, dementia, intoxication, and infantilization. Now we all do this together, every day. I call it Public Dreaming.
Read the full article here.
