LUCID DREAMING by David Town Most people don't realize they've been drea in!

"ntil a#ter they've awa$ened and the drea has %o e to an end& 'o e people( however( are %ons%io"s that they're drea in!& These l"%id drea ers( s%ientists have dis%overed( %an literally dire%t their a%tions and %han!e the %ontent o# a drea ( de%idin! perhaps to tal$ physi%s with Einstein( woo and arry a ovie star( or ass" e the powers o# '"per an& A#ter nearly a de%ade o# pilotin! these darin! no%t"rnal #li!hts( two psy%holo!ists ) 'tephen La*er!e o# 'tan#ord University( a"thor o# LUCID DREAMING +*allentine,( and -ayne Ga%$enba%h o# the University o# Northern Iowa ) have be!"n to develop a series o# te%hni."es ai ed at helpin! ordinary drea ers /t"rn/ l"%id( and l"%id drea ers !ain !reater %ontrol over the wooly behe oth o# the ni!ht& These spe%ial te%hni."es( still "nder develop ent( have never be#ore been presented in a p"bli% #or" & 0or those who have a."ired the $na%$ o# l"%idity( the bene#its %an be enor o"s& L"%id drea in! !ives one the %han%e to e1perien%e advent"res rarely s"rpassed elsewhere in li#e& These e1perien%es %an enhan%e sel#)%on#iden%e and pro ote personal !rowth and sel#)develop ent& *y #a%in! #ears and learnin! to a$e the best o# the worst sit"ation i a!inable( l"%id drea ers %an over%o e ni!ht ares& *e%a"se re%ent s%ienti#i% st"dies have de onstrated a stron! %onne%tion between drea s and the biolo!i%al #"n%tionin! o# the body( l"%id drea s i!ht #a%ilitate physi%al as well as ental health& And #inally( be%a"se l"%id drea in! allows "s to tap the power o# the "n%ons%io"s( it ay also be "se#"l #or %reative proble solvin!& To dire%t yo"r own ni!htly drea )ti e show( atte pt e1er%ises one( two( three and #o"r as o"tlined below& La*er!e and Ga%$enba%h s"!!est that yo" do the tas$s as o#ten as possible& 'o e people ay s"%%eed in havin! a l"%id drea the very #irst ni!ht they "se the te%hni."es2 others( the resear%hers note ay need to pra%ti%e #or several wee$s be#ore !ettin! res"lts& E3ERCI'E 4NE A n" ber o# te%hni."es #a%ilitate l"%id drea in!& 4ne o# the si plest is as$in! yo"rsel# any ti es d"rin! the day whether yo" are drea in!& Ea%h ti e yo" as$ the ."estion( yo" sho"ld loo$ #or eviden%e provin! yo" are not drea in!& The ost reliable test5 Read so ethin!( loo$ away #or a o ent( and then read it a!ain& I# it reads the sa e way twi%e( it is "nli$ely that yo" are drea in!& A#ter yo" have proved to yo"rsel# that yo" are not presently drea in!( vis"alize yo"rsel# doin! whatever it is yo"'d li$e& Also( tell yo"rsel# that yo" want to re%o!nize a ni!htti e drea the ne1t ti e it o%%"rs& The e%hanis at wor$ here is si ple2 it's "%h the sa e as pi%$in! "p il$ at the !ro%ery store a#ter re indin! yo"rsel# to do so an ho"r be#ore& At ni!ht people "s"ally realize they are drea in! when they e1perien%e "n"s"al or bizarre o%%"rren%es& 0or instan%e( i# yo" #ind yo"rsel# #lyin! with no visible eans o# s"pport( yo" sho"ld realize that this only happens in drea s and that yo" "st there#ore be drea in!& I# yo" awa$en #ro a drea in the iddle o# the ni!ht( it is very help#"l to ret"rn to the drea i ediately( in yo"r i a!ination& Now envision yo"rsel# re%o!nizin! the drea as s"%h& Tell yo"rsel#( /The ne1t ti e I a drea in!( I want to re e ber to re%o!nize that I a drea in!&/ I# yo"r intention is stron! and %lear eno"!h( yo" ay #ind yo"rsel# in a l"%id drea when yo" ret"rn to sleep& E3ERCI'E T64 Many l"%id drea ers report drea s in whi%h they #ly "naided( "%h li$e '"per an& 'o e l"%id drea ers say that #lyin! is a thrillin! eans o# travel2 others( that it has helped the ret"rn #ro one o# the ore harrowin! drea e1perien%es ))) the endless #all& 6hy is drea #lyin! so i portant 7 It's a #or o# drea %ontrol that's #airly easy to aster& It !ives the drea er an e1hilaratin! sense o# #reedo & And it's a basi% eans o# travel in the drea world& 8ow do yo" a$e a drea #li!ht happen at all 7 6e s"!!est that be#ore yo" retire #or bed( yo" si ply repeat these words5 /Toni!ht I #ly 9/ Then while still awa$e( i a!ine that :o"rney& I# yo" #ind yo"rsel# #lyin!( it will be a %lear si!n that yo" are in a drea & In any %ase( when yo" realize yo"'re drea in!( re e ber that yo" want to #ly& 6hen yo" a%t"ally #eel yo"rsel# #lyin!( say( /This is a drea &/ Ma$e s"re that yo" start odestly( by si ply #loatin! above the

s"r#a%e o# yo"r drea !ro"nd& As yo" !ain %on#iden%e( both in the notion that yo" are drea in! and in yo"r ability to %ontrol that e1perien%e( yo" i!ht e1peri ent with #lyin! a bit ore& R"n( ta$in! bi! leaps( and then stay alo#t #or a #ew se%onds so that yo" rese ble an astrona"t wal$in! on the oon& Try s"stained #loatin!( and then #lyin! at low altit"des& As yo"r %on#iden%e in%reases( so will yo"r #lyin! s$ills& 6hile asleep( wor$ on in%reasin! yo"r altit"de( ane"verability( and speed& As with speed sports( yo" sho"ld per#e%t hei!ht and ane"verability be#ore speed& 4# %o"rse( yo" %o"ldn't really h"rt yo"rsel# ))) it's only a drea & *"t yo" %o"ld !et s%ared& A#ter yo" !et pro#i%ient in drea #lyin!( re e ber to as$ yo"rsel# these ."estions 5 /8ow hi!h %an I #ly 7 Can I view the earth #ro o"ter spa%e 7 Can I travel so #ast that I lose awareness o# y s"rro"ndin!s and e1perien%e the sensation o# p"re speed 7/ Thro"!ho"t yo"r e##orts in drea #li!ht( please re e ber that yo"'re in a drea & 6ith this in ind( yo"r #ears will be held at bay( and yo"r %ontrol over yo"r drea will be !reatly enhan%ed& E3ERCI'E T8REE Even i# yo"'re a #re."ent l"%id drea er( yo" ay not be able to stop yo"r) sel# #ro wa$in! "p in id)drea & And even i# yo"r drea s do rea%h a satis#yin! end( yo" ay not be able to #o%"s the e1a%tly as yo" please& D"rin! o"r years o# resear%h( however( we have #o"nd that spinnin! yo"r drea body %an s"stain the period o# sleep and !ive yo" !reater drea %ontrol& In #a%t( any s"b:e%ts at 'tan#ord University have "sed the spinnin! te%hni."e as an e##e%tive eans o# stayin! in a l"%id drea & The tas$ o"tlines below will help yo" "se spinnin! as a eans o# stayin! asleep and( ore e1%itin!( as a eans o# travelin! to whatever drea world yo" desire& As with drea #lyin!( the drea spinnin! tas$ starts be#ore yo" !o to bed& *e#ore retirin!( de%ide on a person( ti e( and pla%e yo" wo"ld li$e to visit in yo"r l"%id drea & The tar!et person and pla%e %an be either real or i a!inary( past( present or #"t"re& 0or instan%e( 'i! "nd 0re"d( ;ienna( <=>>2 'tephen La*er!e( 'tan#ord( the present2 or the president o# the solar syste ( Gala1y *ase( ?=>>& 6rite down and e orize yo"r tar!et person and pla%e( then vis"alize yo"rsel# visitin! yo"r tar!et and #ir ly resolve to do so in a drea that ni!ht& 6hen #ollowin! this pro%ed"re( it is possible that yo" i!ht #ind yo"rsel# visitin! yo"r tar!et in a non)l"%id drea 2 yo" will be aware that this happened only a#ter yo" awa$en& Nevertheless( yo" sho"ld strive #or l"%idity by #ollowin! the te%hni."es in e1er%ise one& Then pro%eed to yo"r !oal& To do so( repeat the phrase des%ribin! yo"r tar!et in yo"r drea ( and spin yo"r whole drea body in a standin! position with yo"r ar s o"tstret%hed& @o" %an piro"ette or spin li$e a top( as lon! as yo" vividly #eel yo"r body in otion& The sa e spinnin! te%hni."e will help when( in the iddle o# a l"%id drea ( yo" #eel the drea i a!ery be!innin! to #ade& To avoid wa$in! "p( spin as yo" repeat yo"r tar!et phrase a!ain and a!ain& 6ith pra%ti%e( yo"'ll ret"rn to yo"r tar!et person( ti e( and pla%e& E3ERCI'E 04UR Up "ntil now we have had little %ontrol over the o%%"rren%e o# %reative drea s& *"t with l"%id drea in! it ay be possible to intentionally a%%ess the %reativity o# the drea state& @o" %an help deter ine the #easibility o# this idea by atte ptin! to solve a proble in a l"%id drea & *e#ore bed( de%ide on a proble yo" wo"ld li$e to solve& 0ra e yo"r proble in the #or o# a ."estion& 0or e1a ple 5 /6hat is the topi% o# e ne1t boo$ 7/ /8ow %an I be%o e less shy 7/ I# yo" have an illness( yo" i!ht %onsider the proble /8ow %an I re!ain y health 7/ 4n%e yo" have sele%ted a proble ."estion( write it down and e orize it& 6hen doin! the l"%id)drea )ind"%tion e1er%ises( re e ber yo"r ."estion and see yo"rsel# loo$in! #or the answer in yo"r ne1t l"%id drea & Then( when in a l"%id drea ( as$ the ."estion( and see$ the sol"tion& @o" i!ht be ost s"%%ess#"l at proble solvin! i# yo" ta$e the dire%t approa%h& 0or instan%e i# yo"r proble is shyness( be less shy in yo"r drea & I# yo"r proble is health( try to heal yo"rsel# in the drea & Then re#le%t on how yo"r drea sol"tion relates to the wa$in! proble & It ay help to ."estion other drea %hara%ters( espe%ially i# they represent people who yo" thin$ i!ht $now the answer& 0or e1a ple( i# yo" were tryin! to solve a physi%s proble ( Albert Einstein i!ht be a !ood drea %hara%ter to ."ery& @o" %an even %o bine this tas$ with the drea

spinnin! and #lyin! tas$s( visitin! an e1pert on yo"r proble & @o" %an also :"st e1plore yo"r drea world with yo"r ."estion in ind( loo$in! #or any %l"es that i!ht s"!!est an answer& )))'tephen La*er!e and -ayne Ga%$enba%h( 4MNI Ma!azine 0or those o# yo" who have ade it this #ar( I have :"st a %o"ple o# %o ents& L"%id drea in! is the absol"te M4'T #"n I've ever had( and that's sayin! a lot( sin%e I've had so e terri#i% ti es while awa$e& I %an't drea l"%idly every ni!ht( and i# I stop the e1er%ises( it ta$es a %o"ple o# days to !et thin!s l"%id a!ain& I# yo" do try l"%id drea in!( don't e1pe%t res"lts the #irst ni!ht& Give it a #ew days( and $eep "p the e1er%ises& They really wor$& I've #o"nd that it helps e to write down every detail I %an re%all #ro a drea as soon as I !et "p in the ornin!& Then be#ore bed the ne1t ni!ht( I read those details( a$in! the #resh in y ind& It see s to help brin! on drea s that ni!ht& I# yo" have ."estions or %o at +A>=,)?AB)?CA<& -"st leave a %o ents abo"t this arti%le( yo" %an leave a essa!e on MEN8IR **' ent to the sysop& DLEA'ANT DREAM' 9 DA;ID T46N