_ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _(_) __| | ___ | |_ ___ . . . / _` | / _` | | | | |/ _` |/ _ \ | __/ _ \ | (_| | | (_| | |_| | | (_| | __/ | || (_) | . . \__,_| \__, |\__,_|_|\__,_|\___| \__\___/ . |___/ _ _ _ _ _ | |_ _ ___(_) __| | __| |_ __ ___ __ _ _ __ ___ (_)_ __ __ _ | | | | |/ __| |/ _` | / _` | '__/ _ \/ _` | '_ ` _ \| | '_ \ / _` | | | |_| | (__| | (_| | | (_| | | | __/ (_| | | | | | | | | | | (_| | |_|\__,_|\___|_|\__,_| \__,_|_| \___|\__,_|_| |_| |_|_|_| |_|\__, | |___/ . _____ . __________/|___ . . _______/ \____ / / __/ ____/\ /____ \____/ _____/---- . . \___' \ /_____ __________/ /_ \__ . __ __ _ \ \ _________\/ \________\ \ \ / \ ___ __ ____\ \ ____________________________/ ( |___/|___ \ \________ \ \__|____/ / ___/ . \ \ . \_____________/-- . / / \ . O O O | /____\ /\ /\ . . O O O O O O _________|_|_|____\ |____| /__\___________/__\____________|_|_|_|_|_|_ O || || | ^| O | || || ________| | | || || /\ ____ \ | || || / \__|+|___\| || || | | . . . .|| || || |__|________|| By Dr. Z. van Zerval I. The lucid dreamer Lucid dreaming - the act of dreaming while in a state of awareness – is a skill that can be practiced, improved, and mastered. A lucid dreamer has the ability to intervene in dreams, leading to an expansion of the outer limits of his or her consciousness. Lucid dreaming has formed an integral part of the belief systems of aboriginal groups such as the Nabesna, Atna, Wetsuwet’in and Dénés of Northern Canada, for centuries. At the heart of their customs is the belief that dreams are more than mere individual experiences; rather, they belong to the community, and dream wisdom is passed on from generation to generation. [1] With some practice, a passive dream-state can easily be transformed into an active extension of waking life, where everything becomes possible. Through lucid dreaming, one can navigate and explore the infinite depths of perceptions and reality. It is also super fun! Here are some tips to achieve daily boundless mind adventures. II. How to lucid dream 1) Mnemonic induction is a method whereby lucid dreams are triggered through memory cues. It is one of the most effective techniques to practice lucid dreaming. The first step involves identifying ‘reality cues’. This can be done anywhere and anytime, in both waking- and dream states of consciousness. A famous technique is the digital clock test. To perform this exercise, stare at a digital clock for a few seconds (eg. a golden digital casio watch will do the trick), look away, and look back at the clock and ask yourself: am I dreaming? If the numbers appear normal, then you are probably awake. In dreams, numbers typically appear jumbled or scrambled (or do weirder things like recite a verse from Dante’s Inferno in Uzbek). Try to do this exercise several times during your waking-day (like at your boring day-job) and in your dreams. Another fresh trick is the mirror test. In dreams, images reflected in a mirror are typically nebulous and tend to morph rapidly. The same applies to text, whether a book or a street sign; letters and words rarely stay together or remain consistent in dreams. After some practice, you will become an expert at spotting these classic ‘dream anomalies’ and distinguishing between waking- and dream states. Bringing awareness to your dream state through mnemonic tricks will allow you to lucid dream. Don’t worry if you don’t succeed at first, lucid dreaming takes practice. Once you’ve joined the ranks of the international society of lucid dreamers, let the adventures unravel! 2) Dream journaling is a good way to improve your lucid dreaming skills by recording your observations and results from all your mnemonic experiments. Also, writing down everything you can remember from your dreams, even when it is only a vague or ambiguous idea (eg. a color, a feeling, an object), will enhance your chances of lucid dreaming. This is because dream journaling reinforces your dream existence through the very act of recording it, fostering the development of lucid-dreaming skills. It also allows you to keep track of progress. After you start lucid dreaming on a regular basis, one major challenge is retaining control over the lucid dream. Often, (especially if you are a beginner) upon triggering, lucid dreams quickly spiral out of control and the dreamer wakes up, which can be disappointing. But don’t give up! Record every progress made and develop your own tricks and tips to lucid dreaming. 3) External triggers such as sound and light can help trigger lucid dreaming. For example, programming sounds to match the frequencies at which your brain operates during REM sleep, including dream-state frequencies (between 4 and 8 hz) can help unlock lucid dreams (see article on binaural beats in this SWCZ issue). Lights are also effective lucid dreaming triggers. By programming a light to turn on during REM sleep (when dreams typically occur), this light may ‘translate’ in the dream in a different form (for example, an external light may appear as shimmer over water or as a fire in the dream). Once you make the connection between the external trigger and the dream, you become lucid and gain the ability to control and intervene in your dreams. Hot tips: - Mental pollution: avoid screens or overburdening the brain with information and input before bed. Before falling asleep, you want to focus on your objectives and project yourself becoming lucid in your dreams. - Drugs and alcohol: be aware that drugs and alcohol affect sleep cycles and dreams in different ways. - Stretches: doing stretches before bed creates blood flow throughout the body and to the brain, improving dream performance. Sources: [1] Marie-Françoise Guédon, ‘La pratique du rêve chez les Dénés septentrionaux’, (1994), 18 Rêver la culture 2, Université Laval, p. 76