A Field Guide to Lucid Dreaming (20 page)

dream body. Venture one hundred feet into the air. Come back

down and do it again. Think of slowing down, and you’ll slow down.

Think of going faster, and you’ll soar. As long as you’re in control

of your thoughts, the sky is the limit. Well, we take that back, the

sky has no limits either.

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Agility

As a novice flier, try to avoid turns—a straight flight will require

less control and will be much more stable An erratic flight

pattern could cause the dreamer to wake up. When you’re confi-

dent enough, turning can be easy, as long as it’s gradual. Leaning

your weight in the desired direction will be sure to pull you into

that turn. As with riding a bike, if you want to turn left, simply

lean to the left. It’s that simple.

Uh-oh, there’s a building ahead and you’re about to smash into

it! If you need to make sharper turns or if you’re going really fast,

it’s always easiest to lead with your head. To turn quickly, stay

calm, then turn your head and focus on moving in the new direc-

tion. Your body will follow. It’s also important to stay active and

engaged while lucid. If your head is in the clouds, you may get too

caught up in flight and lose awareness altogether. During flight,

continue to perform reality checks and stay aware by reminding

yourself, “This is a dream, this is a dream!”

Landing

You’re soaring four hundred feet above ground, and it’s incred-

ible. Up ahead you see something familiar: your old house. As

you lower your altitude you realize that your speed is not decreas-

ing. You try to cut to the side, but it’s too late. Bam! Like a Looney

Tunes character you smack right into the building, little bluebirds

circling around your head.

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Fortunately you can’t actually be harmed in dreams, but the

shock can definitely wake you up. Sorry to say, there’s no flying in

the waking world, even if your bed is in the shape of a spaceship.

Flying is not only a form of entertainment but a means of getting

somewhere specific, so while staying in the air is fun, it’s good to

know how to land. Landing allows you to continue your adventure

without getting carried away with the addictive fun of flight.

How to Land

1.
Think of a place where you want to go. Knowing where you want

to go next will ensure that you are actively engaging the dream; the

risk of fading is lowered.

2.
Descend slowly at the angle an airplane would.

3.
Lean back like you’re pull-

ing on the reins of a horse.

I look up at the stars and take off. I could

Pull your weight back and

have just teleported, sure, but I didn’t trust

try to float into a nice speed

my ability to teleport at the time. The stars

for landing.

and galaxies shoot by me like bullets until

I decide I’m there. I see a planet approach

4.
Hit the ground as softly

and I land on it, finding myself surrounded

by snow and lights. —MArk r. W.

as possible, moving your

feet like you’re walking.

5.
Go explore! You didn’t come here for nothing.

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Flying doesn’t have to be limited to Earth. In dreams, outer space

has plenty of oxygen, and the temperature is quite nice. Take a tour

around the solar system, barrel-roll above the moon, venture into

the darkness of space. Who knows what you might find out there?

Other Methods of Travel

Flying may be the most exhilarating form of dream travel, but

sometimes it’s not the most efficient. Lucid dreams don’t last

forever, so you may be look-

ing to save a little time, to

I’m in Times Square with some kid. I’m

arrive at your destination

in the middle of teaching him how to fly

before the alarm sounds.

when I realize that we are dreaming. I

Since the dream world is

tell him to look directly into my eyes. his

malleable, it’s possible to

eyes were weird—like the pupil was mis-

manipulate space in order

shapen. I try to connect with him. “This

to expedite your travels.

is a dream,” I say and fly up on top of a

large advertisement. The kid mirrors me

Want to go somewhere spe-

exactly, and flies with me to the top of the

cific ? Skip the red-eye flight

billboard. —GAry P.

and choose a form below of

instantaneous travel.

Gateways

Anything can be a gateway to another location in a dream.

Doors, caves, walls, mirrors—a friend of ours even imagines

a giant tube to get to new places (think Mario Brothers). These

objects are simply visuals to convince your logical mind that

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instantaneous travel is possible. Pick a gateway that you feel will

work.

Before you step through your desired gateway, set your inten-

tion on where you want to go. Even say it out loud to the dream

itself: “Take me to the moon.” Make sure your intention is pas-

sionate by connecting your desired location with an emotion: I am

going to the moon to see the Earth from a distance.

Want to roll the dice? We recommend this option: let the

dream’s wisdom guide you to your next destination. When you

walk through the gateway, say “Take me where I need to go” and

walk on through. There’s no telling where you’ll end up.

Teleportation

Think it and you’re there. Teleportation is like the gateway tech-

nique, but without the

actual gateway. After all,

I wonder if I can create a portal. I use

gateways are just a visualiza-

my right index finger to trace a circle on

tion aid; all you really need

the mirror-wall. I don’t know what exactly

to get anywhere is a strong

made me pick this destination, but in my

intention. Remember Le

thoughts, I pick “heaven” as the destina-

Marquis Saint-Denys, the

tion that I want to be on the other side of

nineteenth-century lucid

the portal. When I’m finished drawing the

dreamer?

circle, the area inside it doesn’t transform

into a portal; instead, it swings inward, like

He had a trick to get

a door on a hinge. I go through the door-

to a new place. He would

way. —AMy B.

simply put his dream hands

in front of his eyes until

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the picture went black. He would then intend to be somewhere

else and remove his hands. Sometimes he didn’t even have to take

his hands away. The new scene would simply appear out of the

blackness.

Here are three teleportation tips:

1. Focus and intention.
You must have your intention muscle fully

toned for teleportation to work. Since you don’t have any visual

aids, your mind must be 100 percent focused on where you want

to go. For that reason, teleportation is a fun way to hone your

intention skills.

2. close your eyes.
Even without a portal to walk through you can

still use a little trick to help you out. Try closing your eyes—or

cover them like Saint-Denys—saying, “When I open my eyes, I’ll

be standing at the top of the Empire State Building.”

3. Spin in a circle.
The act of spinning in a dream has many ben-

efits. Find a stable location and begin spinning with your eyes

open. Think about what your desired location looks like and feels