A Field Guide to Lucid Dreaming (19 page)

works in dreams. Transportation is one of the most useful and

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practical abilities in the dream and is a must for any lucid dreamer

who wants to explore their inner landscape.

Movement in the dream world is a bit different from moving

around the waking world. If you want to get somewhere in the

waking world, you’re used to certain forms of travel: a bus, car,

bicycle, skipping, frolicking, just plain walking, etc. You have to

move your body, and every movement takes a certain amount of

time.

Your morning commute takes forty-five minutes. That relax-

ing trip to the Bahamas requires you to spend ten hours on an

airplane, trapped next to a crying baby.

In the dream world, this is not the case. The laws of space and

time don’t apply to the lucid dreamer. Getting from point A to

point B is a matter of intention and focus; changes in location can

happen instantaneously. With this mastery comes the freedom to

explore and travel to far-off places or even distant times.

In this chapter you’ll learn some of the easiest ways to travel.

Of course there’s everyone’s favorite—flying. We’ll also learn to use

doors and mirrors to enter new locations and eliminate movement

altogether through teleportation. As a conscious dreamer, you’ll no

longer be confined to the current dream you are having. You’ll be

able to use these techniques to explore any place of your choosing.

Want to go to Egypt and see the pyramids? Want to visit your

friend’s house across the country? Maybe take a quick hop to outer

space? No problem. Your suitcases and suntan lotion aren’t neces-

sary; all you’ll need is a strong intention. Save the gas money and

the frequent-flier miles because this trip is completely free.

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Transportation Principles

1. No gravity.
That isn’t to say that things are floating around

as they would in outer space, but gravity in the dream world is

not something that you must abide by. The law of gravity can be

broken and bent at will. Soaring through the skies like Wonder

Woman, jumping hundreds of feet in the air, or barrel-rolling

above moonlit clouds will soon become commonplace.

2. No space or time.
In the

dream world, everything

I start off at a moderate jog. After about

two dozen steps, I lift my legs up and float

exists in one big eternal

only feet from the ground. I arch my back

now. This notion might

and aim my head for the pillowlike clouds

seem a bit crazy for us ratio-

above me. Slowly, I begin to rise, gaining

nal thinkers who see time as

height with each passing moment. After

something that only moves

about fifty yards, I’m soaring with ease

forward, but dream time

right above the trees. I tell myself that

can be warped or reversed.

I’m in the present moment. The world is

real. The sun shines more beautiful than

Travel across great distances

I have ever seen. I can feel its warmth,

at the blink of an eye; noth-

and it casts gorgeous rays upon the leaves,

ing is stopping you. You

my hands, and everything in my sight. I

will soon find out just how

stay at a low altitude so that I can glide

boundless and infinite this

gleefully at the tops of the trees. I run my

place can be.

fingers through the leaves. Soon Tom joins

me. We take off into the clouds, which

have already begun turning into giant pil-

3. Movement via will.
Since

lows. —JAred Z.

you are no longer in a physi-

cal space, but rather a

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“mental” space, movement (putting one foot in front of the other,

also known as walking) is not necessary for travel. As we have just

found out, space is not a factor, so moving or traveling requires

only one thing: a focused thought or intention. If you want to go

somewhere specific, all it will take is your willpower; the scene will

change instantaneously.

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Lucid in the Sky with Diamonds

It isn’t a surprise that flying is the primary form of travel among

dreamers. Most people report that this is their favorite thing to

do when they find themselves self-aware in their dreams. The feeling

of the wind rushing across your face, the freedom and exhilaration

of moving in any direction,

free of all limitations, is

quite an intoxicating expe-

When I first began lucid dreaming, I was

surprised that flying had to be learned. As

rience. Although flying is

if I was walking for the first time, flying had

one of the easiest ways to

its own intricacies and nuances that made

travel while dreaming, it is

it a unique experience to fully understand.

a skill that takes confidence

I remember having a very difficult time,

and practice to master. You

for example, on stopping or making sharp

don’t have to be an angel

turns because I would always fly too fast.

to earn your “wings,” but

I also would have to run for a little while

and leap into flight. Taking off without

developing a capacity to fly

a boost of momentum was tough. I also

with control takes trial and

woke myself up plenty of times because

error and a bit of practice.

hitting something or flying too fast would

Think of the following

jolt me awake. —ThoMAS P.

as a flight manual in Aerial

Oneironautics. It will teach

you the basics needed for dream air travel. As you develop more

control, you’ll gain new skills and maneuverability. You’ll find

yourself flying at incredible speeds or at unreachable heights, per-

forming aerial acrobatics that’ll make any superhero blush with

envy.

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Takeoff

When you become lucid, take a second and ground yourself

with some stabilizing techniques before jumping right into

flight. It’s important to begin your flying modestly. Take it slow,

Top Gun. Start off by jumping up and floating. Feel what it’s like

to be weightless. As you’ll quickly find out, gravity only exists in

the dream world if we want it to exist. At first it will seem as if

gravity and other physical laws are present, but as soon as you

focus on drifting up toward the sky you’ll see your toes gently lift

off the ground. Think “float” and see yourself floating. That’s all

it takes, it’s that easy.

If you still need help getting off the ground, use one of the

visualizations below; images of wings or devices will help your

logical mind accept the “impossible” reality of flying. These visual-

izations are, of course, unnecessary, but they can serve as “training

wheels” for first-time fliers.

Remember, it’s all about your thoughts and expectations.

Believe that you can fly and you can, fear that you’ll fall, and

you will. Like Peter Pan and Wendy, think happy thoughts. Each

dreamer flies in his or her own method of flight, but here are a few

examples. Try a few of them out and see which works best for you.

The SuPerMAN.
Fist forward, just like the Man of Steel.

The SWIMMer.
Swim through the air using a stroke you’re com-

fortable with.

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The oWl.
Flap your arms like a bird.

The ScI-FI/FANTASy.
Use a helpful device such as a jet pack

or magic carpet.

The BouNce.
Take leaps and progressively jump higher each

time. Tell yourself that you are weightless. On the last jump, lean

forward, and jump into the flight.

The PIxIe.
Shape-shift into a bird or grow butterfly wings.

Speed

You jump into flight and start gaining altitude. The ground

below you shrinks, and your body moves faster, lurching for-

ward toward the horizon.

Now that you’re up in the air, there’s the matter of control.

Flight can easily get unstable and out of balance. If you’re flying

too fast, making a sharp turn can be quite the difficult maneuver.

Controlling your speed and ability to turn is an important step in

your flight training. When starting off, keep your speed to a nice

cruise so that you can get used to the feeling and weight of your