A Field Guide to Lucid Dreaming (18 page)

in a dream. The goal is to strike a balance between interacting with

the dream while at the same time remaining cognizant that it’s a

dream. The Bible will back us up on this: “Be in the world, but

not of it.” When it comes to the plot of the dream, try to have one

foot in and one foot out, a balance of mindfulness.

Touch Something

Get your head out of the gutter, we’re not talking about dream

sex (just yet). Engaging any of your five senses, especially the

I was on a very crowded boat. I became lucid and said to this

couple, “We’re in a dream right now.” She didn’t know what I

meant. I said, “I got to go, but before I do, I’m going to show you

that you’re also dreaming. What would it take to prove that to

you? If I flew right now, would that show you that we’re in a

dream?” She said, “Yeah.” The dream started visually fading so I

first spun and then repeated “stabilize” twice. I was back to being

grounded, and the dream assumed its richness again. I flew up

and hovered beside the boat. I remember that the woman was

very surprised. I also remember floating to the upper deck and

making eye contact with another woman. I made a face like

“Yeah, I’m flying . . .” as if I was so cool. She wasn’t impressed and

rolled her eyes. —NIcOLaS L.

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sensation of touch, will help stabilize the dream world. Try a tech-

nique called the finger touch. Touch each of your fingers to your

thumb and concentrate, feeling your dream body. Touch a wall,

a plant, or the ground. Rub your hands together. Pick something

up and feel the weight of it. Concentrate on other senses, such as

hearing and taste. The main idea here is to stimulate your focus.

The more you can focus, the better (on a sensation, the dream

world, or on your dream body). No matter how hard the ocean tugs

at your ship, your awareness will remain steady with this anchor.

Command the Dream

If you’re midflight, it might be hard to rub your hands together

or touch something—especially if your flight style resembles

Superman—so here’s an approach that can be used anytime, any-

where. Simply command the dream verbally by saying something

out loud that will help your focus. Actually speaking (sometimes

shouting) the word “stabilize!” or “clarity!” or “increase lucidity”

will serve as a reminder to both your conscious and your sub-

conscious that your intention is to focus. Don’t be shy, use this

technique frequently throughout the dream. Whenever you begin

to feel the dream fading, command it to stabilize. The results are

usually immediate.

Meditate

Want to blow your mind? This final technique allows the dreamer

to raise his or her awareness to a much higher level. This approach

isn’t recommended for beginners but there’s no harm in trying. If

lucidity is a spectrum, then using this technique will send you off

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the charts. It requires the dreamer to

sit and meditate while lucid in the

dream. That’s right. The practice of

meditation works the same in the

dream world as it does in the waking

world. Sit down and concentrate on your

breath and focus on the sounds around

you. Continuously remind yourself of

the realization that you are dreaming.

Notice any sounds or sensations?

Is there a breeze blowing in your

dream? Can you hear birds, or

children, or traffic? Feel how solid

the ground is, yet understand that

this is not “real”? Develop the mind-

fulness that you are in your own subconscious

and that whatever appears out there is really a reflection of you.

DREAM REENTRY

You know how video games let you “continue” after you lost? If you accidentally
wake up from your lucid dream, don’t worry, all hope is not lost. Lie there
and don’t move or open your eyes. Focus back on the dream, especially the
location and setting of the dream. Remember the details as you drift back to
sleep, reminding yourself, “I’m dreaming . . . I’m dreaming . . .” It’s likely you’ll
find yourself back in the same lucid dream, as if you never left. Three . . . two

. . . one . . .

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Levels of Lucidity

You’ll notice that in the dream world there are various levels

of lucidity. You might realize you’re dreaming but that some-

how everything is not in your control. You might have a vague

awareness that you’re dreaming but are unable to direct your own

actions in the dream. Conversely, you might have very high aware-

ness—you are the creator of, and at one with, everything around

you. The levels of awareness lie on a spectrum. Here is a basic ref-

erence to these different levels:

LEvEL ONE.
No awareness whatsoever. You dreamed but have no

recollection of it. In other words, you were dreaming unconsciously.

LEvEL TWO.
Slight awareness that you’re dreaming and are able

to act or make decisions. Dream recall is easier.

LEvEL ThREE.
You know that you’re dreaming but see things

“out there” as separate from you. You have a hard time influencing

the dream environment.

LEvEL fouR.
You know that you’re dreaming and that every-

thing “out there” is really “in here”; there is no separation. Mastery

over dream elements and creation.

LEvEL FIvE.
The very end, or is it? This level is known only to

masters of the dream state. It goes beyond the normal interactions

with the dream world. The projections of the dream world dissolve

and you reach a level of pure conscious awareness.

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Now That You’re Anchored

The sea can be rough out there. No matter your skill level,

the know-how to stabilize a lucid dream will always come

in handy. Practice using a few of these techniques by themselves

or in combination with one another. As you learn how to prolong

your lucidity, you’re getting familiar with the dream world, how

it feels and behaves. With the valuable gift of time, you can walk

around, talk to dream characters, and deliberately seek out and ask

questions to the dream. Your skills will increase and your lucidity

will last for longer and longer periods of time.

Your tank is strapped on, your gear in place, you’ve got a full

tank of oxygen. All right, Cousteau, the next part of the adventure

is up to you. Let’s take a look at the best ways to explore this mys-

terious place.

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Summary

• Staying aware once you’re lucid requires a delicate balance of

mindfulness.

• To prolong your lucidity, try anchoring yourself within the dream

by performing techniques that will sharpen your focus and that

constantly remind you that you’re dreaming.

• Performing these techniques will help you create a stable dream

environment, a solid landscape that you can explore and traverse

just like the physical world.

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P a r t F o u r

Exploring a

nEw world

You have made it through the brush. If you haven’t already

become conscious in your dreams, you will soon enough.

Lucid or not, the adventure is far from over. In fact, it’s

just beginning. The journey is just like a classic myth, a knight-

in-shining-armor story, or a tall tale. It will take you face-to-face

with yourself, leading toward an understanding of who you really

are and what’s possible. The path you’re on runs parallel with the

waking world.

The following chapters will guide you through some essen-

tial information you need to know about the dream world. Here,

things are a little peculiar. The rules and principles of the dream

world are slightly different from those you’re used to. You’ll find

that you have the ability to fly, to walk through solid objects, to

transcend both space and time, to conjure people out of thin air,

and to create buildings or even cities. To do these things, you must

learn how to speak the language of the dream, how to move around

within it, how to influence your surroundings and create with your

mind’s eye.

From here on out, lucid dreaming will become a whole lot

easier for you. As you spend more time in the dream world, your

abilities will expand. The tips in this section will be essential in

developing your skills as a lucid dreamer.

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11

Transportation

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When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth

with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been,

and there you will always long to return.

—Leonardo da Vinci,

Renaissance polymath, genius, and cheeky fellow

Miles ahead, mountains loom like the backs of camels

under white clouds. You rise to the level of the clouds

and air rushes past you as the mountains get closer.

Flying over them with ease, you gain speed in the clear, warm air.

Adventure is about the journey, about getting from point A to

point B and seeing what you discover along the way. Often it’s not

the destination that’s as important as the voyage you took to get

there. As you venture into the dream world, you’ll begin to famil-

iarize yourself with the principles of travel and how movement