Dream Views Manual (Part 3)

Reality Checks - RCs, by gab
REALITY CHECKS
A reality check is a common tool used by dreamers practicing all techniques, but mostly DILD. They are practiced during the day, either spontaneously, or with help of some reminder.
Why do I need to do a reality check?
- Repetitive action of checking reality will start happening in regular dreams.
- Heightened awareness during practice helps gain awareness in regular dream.
- Once having awareness, it confirms lucidity.
How to do a reality check?
RC starts with an awareness question, something like "Wow, am I dreaming?" (When I ask this, I personally do believe that I'm dreaming. But even if you don't, do not ever think to yourself "Of course I'm definitely awake". If you believe that you are awake, then you will have same thoughts in your dream and you will not get lucid.)
Examine the nature of your current world. Analyze if you feel strange and if the visual field looks normal. Check your cognitive function. Ask yourself "Do I remember things from earlier in this day?" "Do I actually know what day this is and if I should really be here?" "How did I get here, what was I doing 2 hrs ago?"
Examine your surroundings and try to compare what you see with how you remember it should look like. Do a Reality check and fully expect it to work. Then you say your mantra. I use "Next time I'm dreaming, I realize I'm dreaming". Since it's not really the RC that will get you lucid, but the awareness question and questioning of your reality, it's very important that you believe you are dreaming and that your RC will work.
Important: Even if you come to the conclusion that you are not dreaming, don't acknowledge it. Don't say/think "I'm not dreaming". Instead, say a mantra "Next time I'm dreaming, I realize I'm dreaming", or "Next time I RC, I realize I'm dreaming." Otherwise, you may RC in your dream and out of habit you will acknowledge that you are not dreaming.
How often should I do a reality check?
You can RC every time you remember to do so. Or if you hear/see a reminder that you set. It can be a few times an hour to few times a day. In general, the more you do it, the better—as long as you don't do them mindlessly or as a routine chore, without paying attention to the real point of doing RCs which is questioning your reality and expecting to be in a dream.
Different Reality Checks
It's always best to practice at least 2-3 RCs at the same time. Some of the best RCs based on ease of practice in a dream and success rate:
- Looking at hands + Counting fingers Or without counting fingers - Very reliable
- Nose plug - Very reliable
- Thumb/palm - Very reliable
- Gravity - Very reliable
- Try to change something - Very reliable
- Switches - Less reliable
- Reading - Less reliable
- Make your own
- In Waking Life (IWL) Look at your hands, palms up and notice details. Count your fingers. Do they look normal (color, shape, size, can you make your finger longer?) Do you have the right amount? Don't expect to count 10 fingers. Don't expect them to be normal. This is a good RC because your hands are always there, IWL and in a dream, and you can practice this discreetly.
- IWL - pinch your nose shut with your hand and try to breathe. Fully expect to be able to breathe. If you can breathe, you are in a dream. Also a good RC because your nose is always there, little less discreet to practice.
- IWL - Try to gently push your thumb through a palm of your other hand. Pay attention to the sensation. Anticipate that it will go through. In the dream, do the same. If it goes through, you are dreaming. Good RC also because you don't have to go and look for them and quite discreet to practice.
- IWL - Say, "If this was a dream, I could levitate" and expect to float up. Gently push off and expect to start rising up. Do the same in a dream. Good RC, you can do it anywhere and totally discreet.
- IWL - look at something and try to change it. Say "if this was a dream, that [something] would be [something else]. You can think of an item being some other item, or try to change color, size, movement... It's fun and it transfers into your dream very well. Don't forget to use emotions when doing it - be sure you are in a dream, so the thing will change. If you have a dream goal, like summoning something, you can try to do that, as if you were in a dream.
- Try to turn on a light switch. In a dream, flipping a switch may/may not work. But people do report that they can turn on lights in a dream. And if there is no light switch near in a dream, you would have to look for one and waste your time.
- Try to read. In a dream, you can read, but when you take a second look, it will say something different, or gibberish. Also time on a clock may have letters instead of numbers. But it can also look correct. And you have to find a clock in a dream before you can do RC.
- Make your own. You can make pretty much anything into RC. Just make sure you preceed it with an awareness question and you genuinely believe you are dreaming. For example if you wear glasses, articles of clothing, how far can you throw something, try to summon something or make it walk through the door. If you have something that you only see in your dream, like a dream watch (BrandonBoss's RC), you can keep checking if you have that. The possibilities are endless.
If you have problems finding some item in a dream that you practiced RCs on in Waking Life, switch to something that doesn't require any external object. For example, if you RC on your bracelet, and you don't see it in your dream, that may stop you from RCing and losing your chance at becoming lucid. This is another reason why practicing 2-3 RCs is recommended. You may pick them from different categories. For example, 1 RC - [item], 2nd RC - your hands, 3rd RC - gravity.
Tools to remind yourself to RC
You don't have to limit yourself when and how and why you do RC. It is best to use all possible reasons to better your chance that some of them will work.
1. Use an activity reminder - something you do often. RC every time you:
- walk through doors
- use the restroom
- notice a specific color
- get a phone call
- get a drink
- and anything else you can think of
2. Use a physical reminder - audio or visual
- set your watch to beep every hour
- set your timer
- put some sticky notes all over your place, school books, laptop, door frame, wall above you bed, first thing you see in the morning
- put a rubber band or bracelet on your wrist
- and whatever else you can
All these are just to help you get into habit of RCing. Pretty soon you will find that you will start RCing even without them. And that's the best way to do it. Spontaneously. Whenever the feeling "OMG, what if this is a dream" strikes you.
3. Dream signs - anything that occurs often in your dreams AND in your waking life. You RC on these in WL every time you see it, think about it or say it out loud. Then, when they show up in your dream, you are likely to RC there as well.
Side note: Sometimes you get a dream sign that is not so common in your waking life. For example, a school you used to go to years ago, friends that moved away, deceased family members, or even things from movies, like dragons, actors, or anything similar. Obviously, if you don't see these in waking life, you can't RC on them. But, not all is lost. You can RC on photographs, even on pictures you draw or find on the internet. Also, every time when you think of the person/item/place, you can say it out loud and imagine how it looks.
4. When you notice something strange. It can be strange for real or you just pretend it is. Let's face it, our lives are not that strange, so we have to make up some stuff.
- a classmate shows up when you know he is at home sick
- you thought you still had some beer in your fridge but it's all gone
- it's lunch time, you should be hungry, but you are not
- boy/girl that has been ignoring you is suddenly talking to you
- you see or hear anything and you think to yourself "that's strange"
5. At random
- every time you get the sinking/exciting/freaky/exhilarating feeling in your stomach, that what if this was a dream and you didn't notice
Did your RC fail?
This is one of the most common questions about RCs. Why did my RC fail?
For example, you are in a dream, you get the urge to RC, or you decide to RC because you get suspicious that you could be in a dream. You RC and it doesn't work. Your thumb won't go through your palm, you can't breathe with pinched nose...
This can happen if during your waking life practice, you don't believe that your RC will do what it's suppose to do. If you think "I know I'm awake, so I know my thumb will not go through my palm". This thought will also happen in your dream. And since our dreams are ruled by our thoughts, what you say/think/believe, will happen. And since we know that it's not really the RC that gets us lucid (although sometimes it may seem so), it is absolutely critical that we believe that we are in a dream, and that our RC will do what it's supposed to when we are practicing during day. If you are not able to believe that you are asleep, then at least be opened to idea, that you are dreaming. Have some doubts, don't be sure that you are awake. Then, this thought "I'm dreaming and my RC works" will manifest itself in our dreams and it will get us lucid.
The truth behind "I never RC in my dream and yet I get lucid. So RCs are not needed."
You may notice that sometimes you get lucid and you didn't even do an RC. It may seem like you just got lucid out of the blue and RCs are not working, because you didn't even use it and got lucid. Important part of RC is the awareness question, when you ask yourself if you are in a dream and you truly believe that you are. So this belief may happen in your non-lucid dream, and you will suddently believe that you are in a dream. You may or may not follow that up with RC. But this realization didn't come from nothing. It came from your hard work of practicing awareness and RCs.
Conclusion
After practicing Reality Checks together with awareness and mantras, pretty soon these actions, and most importantly, feelings, will start to happen in your non-lucid dreams naturally. Awareness question and associated feeling will give you some awareness and possibly even make you lucid, and RC will either help you realize that you are lucid, or it will help you confirm it. Happy dreams.
Dream Signs Tutorial
Dream Signs
Dream signs are common elements that show up often in dreams, and that indicate you are dreaming. They can be used as a reality check to help you become lucid. For example, if you often dream of dogs, then in waking life, reality check whenever dogs are present. Hopefully you train yourself to question your surroundings when you see a dream sign that one day when dogs are present, you reality check and you realize you are actually dreaming. The best way to keep track of dream signs is to log them in your dream journal. It is a good idea to keep your list of dream signs separate from your dreams, perhaps in its own page or on the back portion of your journal. This way, you won't have trouble finding it for reference amidst your DJ entries. You may also keep a tally of how often they show up so you know which dream signs are more prominent among the others.
Can't Find Your Dream Sign?
Almost everyone has some sort of dream sign. Some people's signs are obvious, while others not so much. It can be something very obvious such as the ocean, or something very minor such as a piece of string—pay attention to details. If you can't find something in common with your dreams, have someone else take a look at your journal, as they can provide a different perspective. If you have a journal here on the site, message one of the Dream Guides and they will help you find it. First of all, if you want to identify your dream signs, it would only make sense to write down every little detail of any dreams you can recall. This is crucial because dream signs come in many shapes and forms, and if you don't write down even the slightest details, you can overlook a possible dream sign.
Here are some types of dream signs:
- Places - Where do your dreams usually occur? It can be in your old school, your house, the beach, or even somewhere you don't recognize**, such as alien planets.
- Objects - What things usually pop up in your dreams? It can be a broom, slipper, computer, or even a weird object you don't recognize.**
- People - Who are your usual dream characters? It can be your friend, your neighbor, a celebrity, or even your awful chem teacher who spits a lot in class.**
- Creatures - Do critters show up in your dreams? It can be a dog, snake, ants, or flies, etc. It can also be otherworldly creatures such as monsters, spirits, entities, etc.
- Events/Actions - Do you run a lot in dreams? Fall from high places, do sports, do homework, type on a computer? Do weddings happen a lot in your dreams? Or gore and death scenes? Does your TV suddenly turn off, or the lights always flicker or do appliances refuse to work properly?
- Time - Do your dreams often happen during daytime, night time, twilight, or at a certain time? Does it alway seem like you're in your childhood, or in a certain era?
- Emotions - Is there a certain emotion that prevails when you dream? It can be unexplained rage, passion, depression, fear, etc.
- Bodily Sensations - Do you often feel your dream body warming up? Or getting goosebumps, shivers, pain, or as if something is weighing you down, etc.?
- Sounds - What do you usually hear in dreams? Do you notice background music, nature sounds, static noise, people murmuring, etc.?
- Thoughts - Sometimes certain thoughts repeatedly pop up in our heads while dreaming. They can be totally random such as "the toaster is nice", or something like "I need more milk", etc.
- Odors - Do you detect any consistent odors in you dreams? They can be pungent, flowery, fruity, pleasant or unpleasant, even body odors (eeek!).
- Colors and Visual Quality - Do you notice any dominant colors in your dreams? Some may mostly see hues of red, or blue, as if the color settings of the dream have been adjusted. Haziness and blurriness may also count. (Some people even report having dreams that seem to be vibrating all throughout.) Physical alterations count too, such as always having an extra finger, or diffent color eyes than normal. Another one is text and numbers. Do you seem to be dyslexic in dreams or can you read well?
**When recalling dreams with places/things/people you don't recognize, it is helpful to include drawings or sketches of what they look like, for future comparisons (or for simple unleashing of artistic skills haha)
I found a dream sign, now what?
So you found a dream sign...congratulations! Now it's time to use that sign to your advantage. If your dream sign is something that you can see in real life, simply do a reality check whenever you come across it. The idea is that you establish a habit of thinking it might be a dream when you are seeing that dream sign, since it also appears often in your dreams, and this very moment might just be one of them.
But what if it's not something you see in real life? For example, a flying purple pig. There are three ways to go about this.
- First way is mantras. Tell yourself repeatedly "If I see a flying purple pig, I am dreaming." Do this over and over before bed, or also throughout the day so that the same thought will carry over into your dreams and when you do see it, you'll realize you are dreaming.
- The second way is to either google the picture, print it out, or draw it. It also helps if you say it out loud when you spot it, or acknowledge it. This way, you can still have them around with you.
- The third way is to incubate your dream signs, or make them appear by yourself by visualizing them. How?
- Go through your DJ and pick a dream sign you want to incubate, preferably a prominent dream sign. For this example, let's use snakes.
- Throughout the day, when you remember to do it, pause for a bit and imagine seeing the dream sign (snakes) pop up at random places. This part is good, since in dreams, objects often appear out of nowhere, and we don't really think about it. Training yourself to react to random appearing things would be good, and it would help build up awareness as well.
- Once you have imagined your dream sign popping up, do a reality check -- not just a mindless RC but an RC with conviction, so to speak -- as if it were really a dream and snakes really did pop up.
So that's basically it. Do it several times a day. The best thing about this is that if they don't appear randomly in your dream, you yourself can make them appear (even when non-lucid), since you are used to imagining them pop up on your own -- kind of like manifesting/summoning and using dream control. You can also do this with large-scale dream signs such as a beach, where you can imagine hearing/seeing ocean waves in the distance. You may also incubate emotions, or events as well, such as recounting the feeling of being chased, etc. then doing a reality check after. This may require a bit more effort than doing mantras before bed, but its effects are longer lasting and better (since visual perception is better retained), and it has other benefits too, such as enhancement of your visualization skills and your dream control.
Other Notes
Dream signs can change. You may be dreaming about flying purple pigs right now, but in a month or so, it could be different! You always have to keep your eye open and scan your dream journal for dream signs. You may even have a list of dream signs written up at the beginning of every month to keep track. You can also have more than one dream sign at once. Furthermore, dream signs are not completely necessary for attaining lucidity. There are many ways to achieve lucidity, and dream signs are merely one of them.
What are you waiting for? Open that dream journal and start looking!
Dream Recall, A Tutorial
Dream Recall
Recall is one of the most important aspects of lucid dreaming. Even if you have a great lucid dream, what's the point if you can't remember it? That's why it is recommended that dream recall be a top priority for those new to lucid dreaming.
Dream Journaling.
As with anything mental, the more you use something, the more neuro-connections your brain makes to it. So by focusing on remembering your dreams and practicing this, you will increase your dream recall. This works with regular memory too, the more you use it, the better it gets. When journaling, try to not only write down themes and plots, but smaller details too. The more details you can recall each time, the better your recall will become.
Middle of the Night
If you wake up in the middle of the night for any reason, it is recommended that you jot down a few words on paper before going back to sleep. Even though when you wake up, you may have no memory of your past dreams, seeing a few notes will bring those memories forwards and allow you to write them out in greater detail.
Dream Signs.
Many dreams have similar themes, objects, or people. We can use this to aid in recall of dreams. Go through your dream journal and find anything that repeats. Write a list of all of them out. Now there is a decent chance that dreams that you may forget will have these recurring elements in them. If you wake up and cannot remember a dream, go to your list. Ask yourself, "Did my dream involve this element?" If your dream did include that element it should trigger your memory and allow you to remember the dream. This works along the same principle of writing a few words about a dream in the middle of the night to trigger a memory.
Lying in Bed.
As soon as you wake up it is a good idea to lie in bed as still as possible with your eyes closed. Think about your last dream. If you can't remember it, just lay there. Your mind will think that you want to go back to sleep so it will turn on the parts of the brain that creates and remembers dreams. This allows you access to your last dream memory.
Memory Reinforcement.
When you wake up and remember a dream (or bring it back by laying still) you want to try and play it back through, remembering every detail. This is because your dream memory is designed to be extremely short term and you have to reinforce the memory in order to keep hold of it. By running through your dream once, you should have greater memory when you roll over and write it down because it is now stored in your regular short term memory, not your dream memory. Remember, moving the body (such as to write something down) tends to chase away dream recall.
Diet and Supplements.
Vivid dreams are dreams that are easier to recall. There are many chemicals that cause you to have more vivid dreams. B6 is the most commonly taken one, but others do too. Longer REM cycles also help create more vivid dreams so any chemical that acts as a REM suppressant (such as a sleeping pill) can produce vivid and easier to remember dreams. It is suggested that you use sleeping pills that are melatonin based because they are more natural.
Stress.
Stress kills dream recall. If you have had a stressful day and want to remember your dream the next morning then it is recommended to find a way to relieve that stress. This could be anything from working out, to playing video games, to meditating. Whatever you find relieves stress the best.
Dream Stabilization and Clarity Tutorial
Dream Stabilization & Clarity
Introduction.
Anyone familiar with lucid dreaming knows that wonderful moment when you realize you are dreaming and immediately take off like a bat out of hell, running or flying around, trying to get as much fun and craziness as you can squeeze into those few precious seconds before the inevitable awakening. When you find yourself in a lucid dream it is natural to be overcome with feelings of elation and excitement, yet if you do not follow a few simple steps, that lucid dream will disappear as quickly as it came. I have seen so many new dreamers fall victim to premature awakenings because they quite simply do not know about dream stabilization. This is why I am writing this tutorial. In the hopes that you can learn dream stabilization effectively from someone who uses it to great effect on a consistent basis.
So, what is Dream Stabilization anyway? Well, as the name implies, it is attempting to stabilize the lucid dream. You utilize Dream Stabilization techniques immediately after finding yourself in a lucid dream.
Ok so you find yourself in a lucid dream...what should you do?
Focus / Center Yourself.
Focus involves relaxing and bringing your attention to the task of Dream Stabilization. A lot of inexperienced lucid dreamers want to rush into the dream and start doing things very quickly fearing that the dream will end. You get really excited, your mind is racing, and your thoughts start tripping over one another...you wake up. Stop. Relax. Focus. Know that you do not need to rush because you have plenty of time. If you think that you need to rush because you could wake up at any second, you will...instead you want to firmly believe that you have plenty of time because you are in control of the dream. Everyone knows that a house built on solid ground will be much more sturdy than a house built on sand. It is extremely important to take your time and make sure you are doing these dream stabilization techniques properly in order to ensure your lucid dream has a sturdy foundation. If you don't, then it can easily be swept away. When you have a grounded, confident, focused frame of mind, it allows you to have a more stable base to start your lucid dream. This will also result in more dream control and more clarity.
Ok, so you took a few seconds to relax and focus. What next?
Initial Stabilization.
Dream Anchoring
In order to anchor yourself inside your lucid dream, you will use two techniques; Hand Examination and Verbal Commands. But first, let's consider this important word...Anchor. It's not just a word, it's more of a symbol or metaphor. This metaphor can be utilized to establish a very strong connection with your dream and prevent premature awakening. You really need to feel the word and appreciate the heaviness of it. You are acknowledging that this dream exists because of you, that you are in full control, and that because you are anchored, the dream cannot end until you are ready to leave it. When you are able to firmly believe this within your lucids, you will find that they last much longer and are more vivid.
So, how do you anchor yourself to the lucid dream?
Hand Examination
Look down at your hands. Hold them close to your face. Take your time when looking at your hands. You should not be thinking about what is happening in the dream world...only your hands. Do not rush. Know that the more attention you give to your hands, the more clear your dream is going to be when you stop. If you become excited to begin your lucid dream and rush this step...know that you are doing a disservice to yourself. Look at the wrinkles in your hands. Look at the little hairs. Turn them over, examine the other side.
Verbal Commands
While performing the Hand Examination Technique you should also be using Verbal Commands at the same time. While examining your hands, say outloud, firmly and confidently, "STABILIZE LUCIDITY NOW". If you are having trouble focusing on the details of your hands or if they look blurry, say firmly "INCREASE CLARITY" or just "FOCUS NOW". Once you have stabilized, imagine an anchor connecting you with the dream, say to yourself, "anchored in lucidity". Don't just say it, feel it. Once you have examined your hands in full detail for a few moments and used the above verbal commands, put them down and look up. The dream should be crystal clear. Congratulations, you have succeeded at stabilizing and anchoring yourself to the lucid dream!
At this point, you are free to proceed.
Re-Stabilizing.
If at any point during your dream things begin to blur even slightly...stop. Whatever you are doing. Just stop. Examine your hands again. Repeat the verbal command "stabilize lucidity". If you do not feel it stabilizing, try repeating it again "stabilize lucidity NOW" (the NOW is added for emphasis, use this if it doesn't work the first time). Once you have stabilized, look up...if things are clear, proceed. If not, do it again.
This method should be used when you have any level of visibility inside a dream. I use this technique often throughout a lucid dream to prevent waking and achieve crystal clear focus. You will find that there are some dreams you need to stabilize every minute or so, and others where you need to do it less frequently. I might use it several times over the course of a 45 minute dream. The key is just to remember to use it when you find the dream beginning to fade, or if things begin to lose focus. Remember, don't panic. Focus. Hands. Words.
Hand Examination with Verbal Commands is the only technique that has worked for me just about every time without fail for many years, therefore I highly recommend it as your go-to method for stabilizing your dream.
Preventing Premature Awakening.
Hand Rubbing
This isn't just about rubbing your hands together though...this is about stimulating your senses and involves any sort of physical touch sensation. Rubbing your hands together during a lucid dream can help to stabilize the dream, but if you do it too often, you may find that it's effectiveness quickly wears off. This can be typical of any technique however, so it is good to mix up your techniques or you may become immune to some of them.
If your dream is quickly fading out, try grabbing hold of anything. Any sort of physical sensation, especially when you can feel it AND see it with your eyes is helpful. So grab your shirt, look down at it and see it. Grab something in the environment around you...a doorknob...a tree...anything. Once you grab something, take a moment to examine it like you examined your hands. Use verbal commands like "stabilize lucid now". You can use the hand examination technique with anything else in your environment, so long as it is clear and you can really examine it up close in detail. Hands are usually easiest because they're always right there. Also hands help because you are looking at your dream body, thus reinforcing and strengthening your presence inside the lucid dream.
Dream Spinning
Dream Spinning should be used as a last ditch effort. If you have no visibility and therefore cannot examine your hands, if you find yourself in the "void" which is just infinite darkness, or if your dream is fading beyond control and even staring at your hands and verbal commands are not working. Do not spin wildly about. This is likely to wake you up. It might transport you into a new dreamscape, but the majority of the time it will result in premature awakening or false awakening. Instead of spinning wildly about in circles, try a short, controlled spin...like a figure skater.
Falling Backwards
Another technique similar to Dream Spinning is Falling Backwards. Simply letting go, and allowing yourself to fall. However don't just let your mind go completely blank or you are likely to wind up back in your own bed. You should be thinking of a new dreamscape that your fall will transport you into. Dream Spinning and Falling Backwards are notorious for landing you in a False Awakening. So always...always...perform a Reality Check after using these techniques. Even if you remain in a dreamscape, it's just good practice. You may think that you have woken up, but really, you have not. So do an RC after every Dream Spin/Fall Backwards.
Linear Acceleration
This is another technique that is useful for getting you out of the "void"; which is the vast emptiness that you might find yourself floating around in after a lucid dream ends but you have not yet woken up. Simply begin accelerating yourself forward through the blackness. Your goal is to accelerate at such speeds that you will tear through the blackness and find yourself in a new dreamscape. This has worked for me quite a few times but I've never heard of anyone else doing something similar, so I'm not as quick to recommend it. When using any of the above three techniques, make sure you are thinking that you will land in a new dreamscape. If you just let your mind go completely blank, you are more likely to wake up. Have a new destination in mind.
Reality Check & Re-Stabilizing
If you perform any of the above three techniques and find yourself in a new dreamscape...or in your bed...the first thing is to do a Reality Check. You may have landed in a False Awakening, which you can turn into a wonderful lucid if you do the Reality Check and it fails. If you find yourself in a new dreamscape, you should treat this like entering a completely new dream and your first priority should be anchoring by performing the hand examination technique with verbal commands.
What if you do wake up?
It's not such a bad thing...in fact, a skilled lucid dreamer knows that you can take advantage of this and use it to attempt to enter another lucid dream with a technique called DEILD. Basically this allows you to chain lucid dreams together for as long as you can handle it. I say "handle it" because I have often been able to chain lucids while I nap over and over for up to two hours, at which point I become completely exhausted and am not able to continue any longer. The only potential problem with this however is that you risk possibly forgetting your earlier lucid dreams. If you practice mindfulness within your lucids though and make an effort to remember things which are meaningful as they are occurring then this won't be such a problem. When you do finally wake up though, make sure you write everything down in your Dream Journal.
Useful Practice for Dream Stabilization
Here are a few visualizations/meditations you can do during the day or before bed to aid you in becoming more familiar with the best state of mind to become lucid and utilize these methods for dream stabilization.
Mindfulness Practice
It is important to train yourself to be prepared for the lucid state of mind. Essentially, being lucid in a dream is the epitome of living in the moment aka Mindfulness.
"When we're at work, we fantasize about being on vacation; on vacation, we worry about the work piling up on our desks. We dwell on intrusive memories of the past or fret about what may or may not happen in the future. We need to live more in the moment. Living in the moment—also called mindfulness—is a state of active, open, intentional attention on the present. When you become mindful, you realize that you are not your thoughts; you become an observer of your thoughts from moment to moment without judging them. Mindfulness involves being with your thoughts as they are, neither grasping at them nor pushing them away. Instead of letting your life go by without living it, you awaken to experience."
If you make an effort to practice Mindfulness in your waking life, you will be more prepared to handle your lucid dreams and also more likely to get lucid in general. Overcoming the tendency for distraction and awakening to the present takes intentionality and practice.
Concentration Practice
Basically the Hand Examination Technique is a form of concentration practice, whose goal is to focus the attention on a target (such as the hands) that keeps us anchored in the present moment. The target can be a physical object, or more commonly, the breath. We give the mind something consistent to focus on and this becomes the object of the meditation. Whatever is used as the object for the attention, the aim is to keep the mind focused as often as you remember to do so. As the mind starts to wander, we gently direct the mind back toward the object of attention.
Dream Anchoring
Visualization. Anchor yourself inside the dream. Actually feel the word..."anchor". Sense it. You are a part of the dream, get ahold of it. Don't let the dream runaway without you. You are anchored to it. The dream cannot disappear until you will it. Don't just think this...feel it...know it in your heart. You are in control.
Techniques Used in this Tutorial
Hand Examination
- Used: when you first become lucid and need to anchor/stabilize; anytime you need to re-stabilize during the lucid; should be used as often as needed; best when combined with verbal commands
- Technique: Look down at your hands. See them clearly. Hold them close to your face. Take your time. Think only of your hands, not your dream. Look at the wrinkles. Look at the tiny hairs. Turn them over if you like and examine the other side. Use verbal commands.
Verbal Commands
- Used: at any point during your lucid dream; highly effective when used along side another technique such as Hand Examination
- Technique: when doing the Hand Examination Technique, say with force and confidence, "STABILIZE LUCIDITY"
note: I prefer to use the two word verbal commands first...if for some reason it does not work as effectively as I would like, then I repeat the command and firmly add the "NOW" to the end of it. This usually does the trick.
Hand Rubbing
- Used: at any point inside the lucid dream; to increase vividness; attempt to stabilize
- Technique: continuously rub the palms of your hands together very quickly; may not be as effective if used too much
Dream Spinning
- Used: to keep from waking, when you are stuck in the void or do not have vision and are unable to use other methods to stabilize
- Technique: a quick 360 degree controlled spin, or attempt to pull your mass inwards and spin like an ice skater for a few full revolutions; if you choose to spin wildly about in circles instead, this may be effective at transporting you to a new dreamscape but has also been known to cause thee dreamer to awaken
notorious for creating False Awakenings, always complete a Reality Check after using this technique
Falling Backwards
- Used: to keep from waking up, when you can't do much else
- Technique: simply let yourself fall backwards while thinking that you will land in a new dreamscape
notorious for creating False Awakenings, always complete a Reality Check after using this technique
Linear Acceleration
- Used: to get out of the void (complete darkness) often after a lucid dream fades out to blackness
- Technique: will your body to accelerate forward, usually accomplished by just thinking it with a little imagination, continue accelerating linearly until you reach enormous speeds (you will feel very strong g-forces), imagine yourself moving so quickly you are able to rip through the fabric of time and space that is this dark void; all the while knowing that when you stop you will be in a new dreamscape
Reality Checking
- Used: to be performed after using a technique such as Dream Spinning or Falling Backwards that might wake you up or land you in a False Awakening
- Technique: use your RC method of choice, I prefer finger through palm, or holding my nose and trying to breath through it.
Dream Control
Dream Control, by Zoth
One of the best things about Lucid Dreaming is that it doesn't end once you get lucid. That is only the start of the adventure. Dream control refers to the act of manipulating the dream in its most varied aspects. From creating objects, to experiencing flight, summoning creatures or even teleporting to the top of the Empire State building, the options are limitless. Dream control can dictate your lucid dreaming experiences, thus being a tool that every lucid dreamer uses and hones. What's worth mentioning is that dream control while lucid is quite different from how we perceive it in non-lucid dreams. If you don't know you are dreaming and are completely submersed in the plot thinking it is reality, it's not surprising to see you doing things like winning battles against 10 guys, or flying, or exhibiting super powers. On the other hand, knowing that you are inside a dream gives you an automatic degree of control. Control is the product of lucidity. Let's view this principle in an example:
"I'm walking down a street, and I pass through several shops and people while talking to a friend of mine dressed in a bear suit. Suddenly, I become suspicious about his weird figure, and this results in me achieving lucidity. I look around trying to figure out where I am. Since I'm lucid, I can do whatever I want, so I decide to ignore my friend and just enter in a shop that sells ice cream. The man offers me a chocolate one, but I'm curious to see what will happen if I ask him for an exotic flavor, so I tell him I want lizard flavor."
As seen above, the sole act of being lucid provides the dreamer a minimal degree of control. He is no longer constrained by the plot and dream content, and he expresses this by ignoring his friend. The dreamer also realizes that since he's in a lucid dream, he can do whatever he wants, so he can choose to deviate from the previous situation of walking around through the city, and instead enter in a shop, changing both the scenario and the context.
How does Dream Control work?
Most dreamers gather some insight regarding Dream Control even before achieving lucidity. The famous example is when you spot a person in the distance while you're walking through the city at night. Your first thought may be "it's a thief!",though many people tend to expect meeting someone familiar. Then, that person turns out to be exactly who you were expecting it to be. Why is this?
The answer is simple: expectation. When you expect something to happen in a dream,there's a big chance that it will happen. This is particularly evident when beginners become lucid for the first few times, and can't do certain things like flying, or making something appear. Expecting something to happen will conduct your emotions towards the event, which makes the dream content much more likely to transform into what you're expecting to see. Fear to get get caught stealing from a shop, and maybe you'll find the seller running after you. Hope to spot a friend, and someone around you will show up and reveal himself as such.
Expectations can be the product of several things:
- Emotions - A good example of how emotions can dictate your expectations is fear: it's a very common emotion experienced when you're not quite used to lucidity. If you fear that you will fall if you start flying, it's probable that it will happen. On the other hand, being calm tends to result in better dream control, since your emotional state is less likely to interfere with your intention.
- Memory - Even in a lucid dream, memory might not be perfect. Some people actually cannot recall recent events prior to going to bed, which makes them wonder if they are really asleep. This is a natural barrier to Dream Control, since if you can't successfully understand that you are indeed dreaming, you are less likely to try out radical things like jumping off of buildings in order to fly, invocation, etc. Exercises that help you recall your lucid goals are good for Dream Control, because as you remember to perform them, you will be more focused on the task at hand.
- Mental Schemas - We all work under patterns. We are used to see the police with guns, but not priests. We know that our friends are friendly, but a criminal that escaped from jail should be dealt with caution. The point is, as we live, we get used to certain patterns and perspectives that allow us to interact with the world without much problem, thanks to our Mental Schemas. In one hand, they can limit your Dream Control if you cannot get rid of the thought that a celebrity has no interest in talking to you, but they can also help you realize that if you're near your school, it should be easy to find some friend of yours. Thinking about how the world usually works can be a powerful tool when it comes to influencing your expectations.
Performing Dream Control
It is often said that every dreamer has his/her own way of manipulating their dreams. This is quite true – your own personal identity influences the way you choose to achieve a certain goal, whether it's reaching the top of a mountain, or finding a necklace made of gold. Throughout the years, members of the ever-growing lucid dreaming community have the shared and developed popular ways of manipulating dream content. Let's review some of them:
Making use of Justification
Basically, the way justification works is that there's always a reason. If there isn't, then make up an excuse. If you're trying to invoke an object like the keys for the Ferrari standing right in front of you, convince yourself instead that the owner probably didn't lock the car. If he did, he must have dropped the keys nearby so look around! If you still can't find them, then check your pockets: maybe the car was lent to you and they're right there. This also works for finding someone. If you're in the city trying to find a celebrity you love, then enter somewhere and expect it to be there...after all, that celebrity is just visiting town today, big coincidence huh? What about that dragon you want to fight so badly? Well, maybe you are in some kind of video game reality so it makes total sense for one to show up.
The power of technology
Modern society has become so used to technology that we are no longer surprised when new innovations are produced. From telephones to televisions, fridges, cars, guns...inventions keep coming. Things once thought were impossible now show up at any moment. This is a great tool for Dream Control, especially since technology doesn't need to exist in waking life to exist in dreams. You know those machines present in the matrix movie? Or the sci-fi gadgets? This means you can fly with your own iron man suit, or use a teleportation machine to travel to another time or universe, something which many lucid dreamers already do.
Another option is to make use of dream characters. You could get some scientist to give you a potion that gives you superhuman strength, or calling the Hulk to help you reach your destination with style and speed. Learning tricks and powers from dream characters is another popular practice, because it adds realism and increases your expectations of achieving those skills.
Magic and other languages of command
Words are power, especially in a lucid dream. Sometimes yelling "increase vividness" to the dream can provide amazing results. This communication with a non-specific entity works because you're associating a certain characteristic or rule with the dream reality. Justification also helps here: imagine you are in a sandbox game whose commands are given by shouting specific sentences, like "Dream, create object RED CAR" or "Dream, change scenario to "Alien planet". Magic is quite a famous language of command, perhaps because we are so used to hear about exotic words providing exotic results. Inspiration in here can come from the simplest places, like books (Harry Potter, Eragon to mention two examples), movies, or once again, can be created by you. For example, if you learn to associate the word Omega to the creation of a blue shield that makes you immune to any form of aggression, chances are that you will create a powerful expectation that it will work in a dream. The more powerful and unique the association is, the better chances of it working all the time.
Travelling through the Wormhole
In a lucid dream, anywhere is just one step away...
Even when lucid, many dreamers tend to use material means to reach a destination, even when there is no material concept to make use of! There isn't a concept of space (or time for that matter) in a dream, since it's all a mental projection with no boundaries, rules, elements or any type of characteristic set in stone. Places you visit may show up again later in a completely different context, with different details, or in a different timeline. Although moving to another place might require some steps, remember that you're always in the same place all the time. In order to build expectations though, some of these mechanisms tend to facilitate the process of travelling around the world:
- Doors - behind a door is anything you can imagine. The fact that we expect to reach another place when opening a door makes this a very useful tool to arrive at a new destination. Sometimes it may not be exactly where you want, but you can always close it and re-open it until the desired scenario shows up.
- Elevators - elevators have the advantage of having buttons, and hopefully, loads of them. This is not only useful to quickly reach many destinations, but also for revisiting a certain place. If you decide to connect the "Dragon Planet" to the "floor" 6, then chances are that you will create a strong association that will serve you well in the future when you want to go there again.
- Mirrors - mirrors can work like doors in terms of transportation, but they possess a more special utility: transformation! That's right, you can use a mirror to act like you're redesigning yourself. You can change clothes, gender, grow limbs, or even do a full transformation.
- Turning around and spinning - turning around while expecting something to show up behind you (like the dream character you want to meet, or a big object), is a great way to make use of the ephemeral nature of the dream world. Spinning on the other hand, is not only useful for making the dream more stable, but also for teleportation: simply spin around and by the time you stop, chances are, a new dreamscape will appear in front of your eyes.
It all comes down to Expectation
Regardless of any of these techniques (or any other you might encounter or develop), Dream Control always comes down to the importance of expectations. That's why some people can simply make big objects show up in a blink of an eye, while others manage to perform great feats like visiting outer space right in their first lucid dream. There are no specifics when it comes to a certain action: what might work for one dreamer might not work for another. A person whose flight experience may be from watching Superman might result in a completely different Dream Control from a person who is a professional pilot instead. Working with your experiences is a great way of succeeding at control.
Failing at Dream Control
Every once in a while, Dream Control may fail or produce results that don't quite match your interest. This is not necessarily the result of a lack of skill. It is important to understand that even while lucid, the subconscious mind that is creating the dream can influence the outcome as well. Dream Control can certainly be improved with a continuous practice. This means that a dreamer who is accustomed to flying will start to do so without without much effort, even if once in a while he may find him/herself striking through the air at a different speed than intended. Still, why does Dream Control fail sometimes?
One reason might be because you are not lucid enough. Picture this situation: if you know you are dreaming but still move out of the road to not get hit by a car, perhaps it's not odd at all that you fail when you try to go through a wall or a solid object. In another example, if the dream is dark and you react by trying to go outside searching for sun light, then it's no surprise that have trouble changing the weather or even conjuring a fire ball. That's why increasing lucidity is such an important step when it comes to interacting with the dream world: you must work to continuously shatter the notion that the dreaming reality obeys the same set of rules as the waking one. This is not an easy task, which is why Dream Control is not static, but instead tends to improve over time. However, you must also have experiences that allow you to make this realization.
Do not over think it
If you happen to fail at something such as lifting an object with telekinesis, the best approach is not worrying about it. Associating negative responses with a dream action only leads to stress whenever you try it again. So the door doesn't open? Use the window. The dream character doesn't show up? Grab a telephone and call her asking where she is. There's always a way around it. Some dreamers even prefer to leave it alone and try again in another lucid, which is a wise way of not wasting your entire dream on a single purpose.
Another thing you want to be careful with is excuses—internal excuses like "maybe I just can't do this" or "I'm still a beginner"—making you feel bad that the problem lies in you. So whenever you fail at something, try to think along the lines of "It's okay, I'm just not focused enough this time" or "I'll just try again, otherwise I'll do something else". Basically, convince yourself that the failure has nothing to do with your skill, but some other factor that can be easily solved. Dream Control is an affirmation in all the uncertainty of an ever-changing reality. Don't wait for it to come to you, go ahead and grab it.
Dream Control: the complete tutorial, by BillyBob
Dream Control
The Complete Tutorial
Ever wanted to control your lucid dreams effortlessly and without having to worry about "accidentally" failing when you come apon a giant tirantula or something of the likes?
Well have no fear! Read on and you'll learn the two basic methods of controlling your lucid dreams. You'll also learn the ups and the downs of each way and get in-depth explanations and examples of each. Because being a god is alot easier when you know how
_______
Ok. First you have to understand what I mean when I say "theres two ways of controlling your dreams". It's pretty simple actually, first of all theres Forced Control, and secondly Passive Control.
So there it is, the two methods of controlling your dreams. You should know that these can be used together, just will the jetpack that you need for flying into existence and fly away, I warn you though, that jetpack willage will still adversely effect your dream. I advise against it
Summary:
- Only Force control when you have to, I only told you about it because sometimes its better to lose your dream than to remain in it.
- Use passive control techniques freely, they only add to your dream experience.
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Forced Control:
Aggressive impartation of will
Upside: Complete and total control
Downside: Loss of vividness/"concreteness" of dream.
Forced control is exactly what it sounds like, it can be best described as just exerting the whole of your will apon your dream. When you use this method of control your actually taking yourself a bit out of the dream and manipulating it then re-entering (I tell you this because you should know that this does actually make your dream very unstable).
Most people find it hard to simply say: "_____ will happen" and actually have something happen. This is because they're doing it wrong. They don't yet understand the nature of the dream that they're in. Here's what you have to know about your dreams before you can use this method:
____________
Ok, some of you may remember this, its an edited version of something I had in a previous post (note: edited extensively, the picture is pretty much the only "unchanged thing )
To help you understand the principles behind this, I'll start with this picture of a bathroom, I want you to imagine yourself standing inside of it: Now that you've imagined yourself standing in this bathroom, begin to think about where you are. If you just came out of a hotel into this bathroom then your in a hotel right? Wrong... you see, in a dream you never really move, unless your expecting something to happen, it doesn't. If you were to walk out the door of that bathroom who says your going to end up in the hotel room you just walked out of?
Your subconscious does. It says: "I just walked into this room from the hotel so I go to the hotel again" therefore you would walk right into the hotel due to the expectation brought on from real life.
If this really was real life then there's no chance you could walk out of the bathroom and end up on a beach in Hawaii, but this is a dream, and dreams don't happen in places, so there would be no difference in you walking out into the hotel then there would be in you walking out into the water on a beach. yes, this is impossible in real life but you aren't in real life, your in a dream, the dream has no restraints, you don't have to spin to teleport, you don't have to move to fly, you don't have to exert any power whatsoever into any of the actions you do, because you aren't doing it, you just "are"
Now back to the bathroom, why should that water faucet be there at all? why should the ground be there, why should there be walls there? the simple answer is that none of that really exists, its an illusion brought on by your brain to keep your mind busy while it makes repairs on your body, a dream is the farthest thing from a constant environment, its just memories of different experiences put together to create a pseudo reality for your mind to play in, normally in a dream most things are constants, but once the conscious mind wakes up you can begin to realize that nothing is what it seems.
If you were to grab that flower on the sink and smell it, what would it smell like? your first thought is it would smell like a flower, when in reality it wouldn't smell because there is no flower, thus you could make it smell like anything you wanted to just by barely thinking say, "wet dog" and activating your minds experiences of what wet dog smells like rather than what flower smells like, you would be smelling a wet dog.
Now put that flower down and touch the sink, think its going to be smooth? again the sink doesn't exist, until you touch it it has no previous experiences activated saying what its going to feel like, its just an optical illusion, so if you were to touch it expecting it to feel like bread, it would be bread, it may still look like a rock but it will conform and feel exactly like bread
with this in mind you can begin to see that a dream is non existent, all that exists within it is your consciousness, without you the dream is nothing, it isn't some other plane of existence you visit, its not anything, the dream is you and your experiences, it exists only for you and by you, nothing can visit and take it over without taking "you" over (evil spirits some see)
If you see a giant 500 ft beast ravaging a town just remember that that beast is only what you make it, if you wanted it that beast could be a small poodle, or a loaf of bread maybe, perhaps even a sheet of Saran wrap, its what you want, and that alone
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What you just read is the essence of the forced control technique. Every time you want something to happen just remember what your dream really is, and you'll find that you can easily do absolutely anything you want by simply changing whatever it is you want changed.
In-Depth Look At This Method:
Forcing control is something that should only be done when 100% necessary. Awhile back this was all I did to control my dreams, I felt that it was the only thing I'd ever need.
Soon I began to notice my dreams were less vivid, They started getting shorter, and shorter, and then even shorter. It got to the point that the second I got into the dream it would end without notice.
The reason that happened was because I had taken myself out of my dreams. I began to see them as fragile pieces of putty that I could re-arrange at will any time I felt the need. Though this is true, you should never get to that point, what happens is that you say: "darn, I hope I don't wake up" and guess what? nothing you do after that second will stop you from waking.
("darn, I hope I don't wake up every time I enter an LD!")
Use this sparingly (only use it to get out of horrific situations), it really takes away the "realness" that you experience in your dreams. Sometimes you just have to set back and enjoy the illusion (and all that comes with it).
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Passive Control:
Working with the environment
Upside: Dreams much more stable; Much more realistic
Downside: Control less "direct" than Forced controlling; some things impossible to control
If you just read the forced section then you'll be happy to know that this is much shorter and easier to comprehend .
Passive control is much more natural than its forced cousin. It involves guile and cunning to get around the obstacles that you may encounter in your lucid wonderings.
The principal is simple: find a way to work with the laws your dream already has to get what you want. Don't ever warp reality (unless you use some magical device that you happen to find). What I mean by "warp reality" is don't ever do something and tell yourself "I can do it because this is just a dream"
View your dream as a whole other plain of consciousness. Not as a "I'm leaving my body and astral traveling" plain, but as what it is. The level of dreams. The place you go to every night when you close your eyes. It does exist (even if only because you on some level make it exist) and even though your subconscious is the thing thats making everything around you, who cares? Its still here, and you don't have to keep thinking about it for it to remain. It's a world as real as the world your in now (when its here). Just look at it like that.
Ok heres some examples of "naturally"/"passively" controlling your dream:
- I'm standing in my house but yet I REALLY want to be having sex with my crush right now. What do I do?
Ok, this is pretty simple. close your front door for a second. Now think up a reason why your crush would come to your house (lets say, she/he was wondering if you had some sugar).
Now act like that scenario (him/her is coming to get some sugar) is happening right this second. Open the door. Guess what? he/she's standing there with a cup in his/her hand! - I'm in the middle of a field and really want to fly over it. How can I do this and still be within the bounds of reality?
Think about this for a second. Whats the most believable thing that you would attribute to being able to fly? radiation? Realize that that field of roses is actually an old A-bomb testing ground. Maybe you would be more likely believe that aliens left a pill that makes the user experience antigravity? theres one on the ground beside you (oh look! even a glass of water).
Don't make things appear, think up reasons why they should be there (aliens thought roses were cool awhile back, dropped pill. etc etc)
Ok a couple more examples for good measure:
Q: How do I turn into a wolf?
A: Your a werewolf.
Q: How do I make a building disappear?
A: look away, look back. WHOA! God just decided that he didn't like that buildings roof.
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The trick is to make it something that you believe will work. Always keep in mind that dreams aren't perfectly like real life, you can get away with alot more than you could probably imagine (without forcing anything at all)
In-Depth Look At This Method:
Though while reading this you may ask: "Why don't I just force everything? seems alot easier", I can tell you from first hand experience two things:
When you passively control your surroundings the results are alot more believable (when you force stuff the results seem very fake) and when you passively affect your dreams they have alot more meaning. You get to fully experience them in the way they were meant to be (and you can really feel the difference on every level)
Passiveness doesn't affect your dreams stability, it doesn't make them shorter, they aren't less vivid, and they're just all around 100x more fun. None of that can be said for Forcing control.
Flying
Flying Tutorial
Flying is undoubtedly one of the most amazing ways to travel. It's one of the fundamental powers needed to navigate the dream world efficiently along with summoning, telekinesis and teleportation.
The reason this can be hard for people to do, is because our surroundings in dreams are probably one of the most constant, stable, steady, encompassing elements; so it's hard to directly change that. But with practice, it definitely can be done; and certain methods can make it much easier to accomplish. You might wanna try altering your surroundings slightly before trying to remove yourself from them entirely. Teleportation is one of the fundamental powers needed to navigate the dream world efficiently along with telekinesis, summoning and flying.
Methods
Using doors: This is probably one of the most common (and easiest) means of teleporting (or summoning). The general premise, is that you open a door, and behind it, is the place that you want to go. You need to intend that your desired location lies just behind it. You need to know that it will be there. So if you were in a dream, and you didn't like where you were (say you were in a house, or a hotel) simply walk up to a door, think of where you want to go, open the door, and hopefully it will be a new dreamscape.
Closing your eyes/shifting focus from current environment: Usually it is not recommended to close your eyes in dreams, but this can be a good way to teleport. If you do shut your eyes, only do it for seconds, so you don't wake up (some people don't have to worry about that though). You can also just shift your focus to something instead of shutting your eyes. Just something so you don't see everything around you in its entirety. Look at the ground, or in the sky if you have to. And intend that your surroundings will change to whatever you want, once you open your eyes or look back. You can also try to fly up into the air, see only the sky. Imagine the world changing right underneath you to the place you want to be. These techniques are most helpful when you are in a dreamscape with no rooms or doors, because you don't need anything external (being able to summon things is helpful for situations like this) .Remember key point in teleporting (specifically like this) is not focusing or getting immersed in the current environment.
Vortexes/Wormholes/Portals: This is another good way to teleport, and is one of my personal favorites. Either you can summon a portal/create one, or open a door and intend for a portal to be there (because sometimes imagining the location to be right there once you open the door can be difficult). Like the other methods, intend on your location. Go in the portal/wormhole, this is usually a very fun thing and causes a rush, though it might take you to a different place; but honestly it will most likely be awesome either way. You can also imagine a mirror instead of a portal, think of a window, just walk through it to the new location.
Flying Tutorial (Alt)
Flying
Flying is undoubtedly one of the most amazing ways to travel. It's one of the fundamental powers needed to navigate the dream world efficiently along with summoning, telekinesis and teleportation.
How to do it
Flying is something great to try out when new to lucid dreaming. Most people agree that there is no greater feeling than soaring through the sky. The feel of the wind blowing through your hair and watching the landscape below can be breathtaking. Doing something that is impossible in real life can be tricky in dreams, but stay confident and don't ever worry about falling down or not being able to lift off.
Lift off
Jump! A very common dream sign is that the gravity in dreams is slightly off. This can be experienced by doing small jumps. You feel like you're on the moon already, so with a little bit of extra push you should be able to start flying. Who hasn't given a thought of what would happen if you jumped too high on the moon? Imagine a force pushing yourself off the ground. A very useful trick is bringing forth a feeling from real life. While doing small jumps have the mindset that anytime now you will be shot right up into the sky, like Superman. Have you ever been on an amusement park ride where you're being propelled higher and higher? Combine the memory, the force of the push and jumping and you'll be airborne in no time. Some people might find it easier to take off while running or jumping from heights to gain momentum. Find a high place and just throw yourself out into the sky or run really fast, just like an airplane takes off. You can use your arms to imitate wings. Use passive control. This includes jet engines, rocket boots, airplanes, helicopters, wings, magic brooms etc. This is a great way to start out since you know that flying is possible in real life when using any of them.
Airborne
Once in the air the most important thing is to stay confident and know you will stay in the air for as long as you want. Focus on where you're going or the landscape. A dream can destabilize quickly if you're not focused enough. As the dream scenery changes you want to keep your eyes on the destination you're heading towards or rub your hands to stabilize the dream. Flying too high can result in the dream collapsing. Maneuvering can be tricky if you're going fast. This is when using "pull" or "push" forces come in handy. You simply pull or push yourself in a direction using your hands and arms, invisible brakes or sheer willpower. This is also great for stopping or going really fast.
Last Notes
If you've ever flown before you know how amazing it can be. The freedom you will feel is unexplainable, so go and start practicing on your flying skills! Why not fly out into space and watch the planets up close?
Dream Flying Tutorial, by Amethyst Star
Dream Flying Tutorial
Thank you to all the people who have contributed their ideas to this.
Anyone Can Fly
If you're new to LDing, don't think that this is something only uber-special people can do. Anyone can fly. Just have confidence in yourself and if you have any questions feel free to ask. In the words of wasup, flying isn't hard in a dream, but some people have trouble comprehending the idea and being able to do it because they have never done it or anything like it before. Another good thing to remember is that these techniques are designed to help you get the feeling of flying so that way you will eventually get to the point where you won't have to use a set technique. It's just like anything with LDing. Once you've got the feel of it and the will to do it, it becomes no more difficult than walking down the street in real life.
Note: Don't get discouraged if you're having trouble flying. You may have more control in some LDs than others. Just keep working at it and you will get it!
Creativity
If one technique doesn't work for you, just work your way down the line and see if something else does. Another aspect of dream control in general is just being creative. Even if a method you come up with seems silly, try it!
1. Start with floating
To float, it often helps to start with your eyes closed. Then either jump into the air or imagine yourself just going up. Open your eyes and if you're off of the ground, try to concentrate on staying there and getting yourself stable and centered. If you have trouble getting in the air, imagine yourself climbing an invisible staircase and go up them.
2. Moving
Once you get yourself stabilized, go slowly in simple directions: up, down, forward, and backwards. If you can do those, then you can start combining up or down with forward and then add in turns. If that doesn't work, you can try to use a landmark near yourself and visualize yourself being pulled towards it.
3. Jump off of a building
If you can't seem to get off the ground, maybe a little desperation will inspire you. I've done this before and it requires that you know you're in a dream. And once you're sure you're dreaming, you have to know that you will not be harmed. Get up to a high enough place and then simply jump off. Close your eyes if you must and spread your arms. Then as you descend, imagine yourself going up. Imagine you're in a movie or something where they pull up right before hitting the ground. That may work. If you can't find a rooftop, a good cliff or pile of rocks will work just as well. Focus on pulling up.
4. Modes of assistance
a. Spiderman - I've had several dreams where I'm Spiderman and I'm swinging among buildings. Try getting comfortable with swinging around and then try going around without the webs/ropes.
b. Hand-helds - Imagine an object of some sort that you are touching (ie. a ball in your hands, a belt around your waist, a platform beneath your feet, etc.). The, try to move that object around with yourself attatched to it. When you grow comfortable with that, then try using a smaller object, and then a smaller, until you no longer use one and are able to move yourself around. This would also work with a broomstick.
c. Dream Guide or DC - Try summoning your dream guide or another DC (dream character) and have them fly you around or tell you how.
d. Wings - Either put on or grow a pair of wings. Now have fun!
Zooming Method:
Focus on an object that's some distance away, like a tree or a house. Then, imagine it pulling you towards it, like a magnet. You should end up going pretty fast. You can then work your way up to things like the moon.
Have a DC Throw you in the air:
Self-explanatory, really. Ask them politely, I guess.
Spring:
Crouch a little bit, and tense every muscle in your body. Then, jump up as high as possible, like a spring.
Suck Method:
Hold a Vacuum Cleaner Nozzle Turned On and Point it away from you while in the air.
Jump off of a building:
Fairly straight-forward. Find a building and jump off of it. If you can't find a rooftop, a good cliff or pile of rocks will work just as well. Focus on pulling up.
Magic:
In one of my dreams I found myself in a pool. It turned out to be magical and when I stepped out I could fly. So, try taking a swim in a magic pool and then start to soar Or a magic feather could work just as well.
The Douglas Adams Approach:
Aim to throw yourself on the ground and miss.
Before you hit the ground, get distracted so that you miss. You should find yourself hovering above the ground and so just take off from there. If you've seen the Animatrix, think of it like the scene in Beyond.
Breeze Method:
Just conjure up a nice breeze for yourself and go along for the ride.
Staircase Method:
Imagine yourself ascending a flight of stairs that are just going up. These stairs don't have to be visible and it might be better if they're not. This is good for getting you above the ground and eventually you should be able to go without the stairs and move yourself around.
Jet Pack
Enough said.
Reverse Gravity
You can flick a switch or yell out "GRAVITY OFF" or something similar to turn off the gravity and float in the air! If you want to come back down, just flick the switch again or press a button that turns it back on.
Superman
Just raise your arms into the air and WOOSH! If it helps (or makes it more fun), believe that you are a superhero who can fly!
LANDING
There are a few less tips on landing. For the most part, just take it slow and if you can, when you're first working on this just try floating down gently. You can also try diving into water (a pool, a lake, the ocean, etc.) or have something catch you (a trampoline, a DC).
And here are a few tips from our illustrious Seeker:
- Do NOT try to focus your Chi into an energy ball while flying! A crash usually results.
- Flying too high removes points of reference and usually ends up in a loss of lucidity.
- Sometimes running with a long, loping stride can help you become airborne. Also running down steps, you can often float down a whole flight of them.
- Using the attraction method on moving objects like airplanes can be interesting. It is kind of like being attached by a rubberband!
- Frustration will kill your ability to fly quicker than anything. I can remember getting a few feet off the ground and then getting frustrated because I could not go higher. That grounded me quickly.
- Spinning while flying usually does not help increase lucidity.
- Flapping your arms doesn't help (for me anyway), but swimming does (breast stroke seems to work best)
- It is difficult, but you can share your energy with someone(dream construct) in a dream and help them to fly.
- When in doubt about what to do next, just kind of hover DragonBall Z style and look around.
- Do not automatically assume that you will be able to fly through things like walls of ceilings. Sometimes you bounce and it can be quite embarrassing
- Desire and belief are the key ingredients. You must believe that you can fly and you must desire it enough to work at it.
- Some people pick up flying easily, for others they have to work at it.
Mancon's Guide to Lucid Flying + Techniques
Mancon's Flying Tutorial
Hi everyone . This tutorial is all about flying in your lucid dreams. I noticed a fair amount of people were having trouble with flying and how to do it. In this tutorial I will talk about all the basic and some advanced ways you can fly. Some ideas I got from others and some I have made up myself.
Step 1: Confidence! Confidence! Confidence!
Confidence is the key when it comes to any type of dream control. If you don't believe something will happen then it won't! You have to believe. Dreams have NO rules. It is your mind. You can do anything you want. If your feeling doubtful remind yourself that it is your dream and you can do it!
Step 2: The Jump
If you are going to start learning to fly from somewhere high up, like a roof, then you need to realize that gravity DOES NOT exist in a lucid dream. Rules don't apply. When you're starting out NEVER imagine yourself falling downwards. Just imagine yourself going up. Imagine the clouds are sucking you up. Forget everything you know about gravity and just go. If your trying to fly from the ground just jump up and imagine your legs are springs and shoot up high! Then imagine your self shooting forward, and then head the direction your going.
Step 3: Location. Where Do You Want to Go?
When your flying focus on where you'll be going. If your flying over a long distance then visualize the place and assume it will be there the next time you turn, or over the next mountain, or deep in the valley. If your flying short distance then look in the direction your heading for any objects. Then focus on that object and imagine yourself going towards it and it will make flight much easier.
Step 4: Choosing a Technique
This is my favorite part of flying. There are so many variations you can do! Here's a list of some of the ones I have made up or heard from others.
The Superman / Neo: Put your arms out and imagine yourself shooting forward!
The Iron Man: Put on jet boots that will shoot you across the sky!
The Platform: Imagine your standing on a platform and it's pushing you through the air.
Water: Stand in any type of water and imagine it wrapping around you. Then let the water push you up into the air, still wrapped around you. (This will work with earth or fire too)
The Hoverboard: Stand on a hoverboard, press the on button, and go!
Frozone: Stand on an ice platform and skate across the sky!
Swing!: Imagine ropes coming out of your wrists like spiderman and swing across the sky
Let the Clouds Do the Work: Imagine the clouds are sucking you up into the air and pushing you wherever you want to go.
Wind Power: Summon the wind to lift you up and go where you desire.
The Bird: Hold your arms out to your side and flap. Off you go!
The Animal: Summon an animal of your choice and command it to fly with you on it's back.
The Leg Length: Imagine your legs becoming very tall until your high in the sky. Then slowly bring your legs back to their normal height, while your still in the sky.
The Stranger: Ask a dream character to point at you and make you fly where you wish. Why should you do the work?
The Romantic: Go on a lucid date with someone really special to you. Tell her/him your going to take them on the flight of their life. You won't even think twice about flying with them there.
The Catapult: Go to the top of a building and assume a HUGE catapult will be there with a person operating it. Ask them to shoot you wherever you want to go. Hop in the catapult and enjoy! (This also works as a huge slingshot)
The Flying Car: Get in the nearest car you see and press the fly button. Lift Off!
Swimming: Imagine the air is water and swim through it!
Magic Object: A cap,watch,wristband, or anything else! When you put it on you'll start to fly!
The Button: Imagine a button appearing by you that says "Fly". Press it. Your in the air!
The Roller coaster: Sit in a roller coaster cart and imagine a track appearing before your eyes!
Wings: Grow some wings and flap them about!
Step 5: So...How Do I Land?
Confidence plays a big role in landing...just like being able to fly. Most people don't have much of a problem with this, but some do. There are many different ways you can land, just like with flying.
- One way is to imagine the ground actually rising up to where you are flying. Wait until the land touches your feet and then walk around!
- Another way is similar to my "Let the Clouds Do the Work" technique. Instead of imagining the clouds sucking you up, imagine the ground sucking you down!
- If you are flying like Iron Man, look at this bad animation of him landing.
- Pretend you are light like a feather and float down to the ground.
- If all else fails, imagine the ground is a trampoline and just free fall to the ground.
Again, CONFIDENCE is a huge thing when it comes to flying and landing. Keep at it and you will get it! Good luck!
Summoning Tutorial
Summoning
Making anything consciously appear in a dream is called summoning. Mastering this power isn't as tricky as you might think, and once you've done so, you can get your hands on anything you want. It's one of the fundamental powers needed to navigate the dream world efficiently along with telekinesis, flying and teleportation.
When summoning any object you want to use as much passive control as possible. Getting something enormous to appear in front of your eyes is almost impossible without major active control; however making it appear behind a building is much easier. This is also discussed in the Dream Control Tutorial.
Summoning Small Things
The easiest way to summon small things is by looking for them in your pocket. Search your pocket while expecting to suddenly feel the edge of the object and it will appear. Don't give up, you will find it. Placing things in your pocket in a dream and recovering them later is a great way of gathering up a bunch of cool items. Magicians snap their fingers and something appears in their hand. This is a familiar visual, so it works well in dreams. This is easier to attempt with small objects (keys, for example) than it is for objects larger than your hand. Using a wand a magician can summon any number of objects. This is called a summoning action. If you look at the spot you want something to appear, something must happen for it to appear there. Waving your hands or speaking magic words also works well to summon items. This is an example of Active Dream Control.
Summoning Large Things
When summoning larger things passive control is very important. What you want to do is expect things to be around the corner, or behind you. Closing your eyes and opening them again works well, too. Make up fake stories or pretend to hear/smell/feel anything that has to do with the object. In this manner you can trick yourself into believing it's actually going to be there.
Example: If you want to summon a red sports-car hold a firm image of it in your mind. Tell yourself that when you walk around a corner it will be there. "Hmmm, a red sports-car should be around this corner. I even think I can hear the engine roar."
Remember, the more likely it is for a thing to be in a certain place in reality, the more likely it is that it will appear there in your dream. That sports-car will most likely not be found under water.
Summoning People
Call out a person’s name as loud as you can and expect them to reply: "Yeah?" That person might not be near you the first time you shout, but he/she will definitely hear you calling. The second time you'll get a louder reply and all you have to do is locate where it's coming from. Opening doors and expecting people to be in the next room works just as well. The same thing applies with large objects; you'll find them behind you, around corners or behind doors. If you want to summon a pet you just have to whistle for it or call to it.
Last Notes
Confidence is the key to summoning objects. If you're having trouble with Dream Control try some passive summoning. With passive summoning you can bring forth objects to help with other powers; for example, a jet-pack for flying, a magic wand or a potion for transformation.
Telekinesis Tutorial
Telekinesis
Telekinesis is when you move an object without touching it. Whether you're using your mind, invisible hands or shouting commands it is called telekinesis. It's one of the fundamental powers needed to navigate the dream world efficiently along with summoning, flying and teleportation.
How to do it
As with all forms of Dream Control, telekinesis requires you to believe in yourself and your powers. Not to worry though, there are several tricks you can use to lift cars or gently lift up bad people and put them in another location where they can't hurt you. When choosing a method to achieve telekinesis consider any movie or series this power is used in. By watching a movie in which someone uses telekinesis you get "visual proof" that that particular way of doing it actually works. Harry Potter, X-Men, Star Wars, The Matrix and Heroes are all good examples of this power being used in different ways. Of course you don't have to watch these movies to be able to perform telekinesis, but using passive control sure can help. Doing it like you see in the movies gives you that extra boost of confidence you might need to succeed. If you've done it once, you will be able to do it forever.
These are different ways to approach this power:
- Reaching out with your hand, using "the Force."
- Using a wand.
- Imagining invisible hands.
- Verbal commands.
- Imagining the object being magnetic and your hands as well.
- Asking a Dream Character to do it for you.
- Pretend to be a fictional character with the power.
- Imagining rubber ropes attached to an object and your hands.
Possibilities of telekinesis
If you're thinking: "So, I can use this to lift things? Sounds like a waste of time!" you're wrong. Telekinesis can be used for so many things and with a little bit of imagination you will begin to see it. Here's a list of how useful telekinesis can be:
- Lifting objects and make them come to or go away from you.
- Levitating prior to flying.
- Creating protective barriers.
- Element manipulation; with telekinesis you can bend the air around the element and therefore manipulate it.
Telekinesis is so much fun! It's a power that will never get boring.
Last Notes
When you're starting out, remember to start small. Trying to lift an entire building the first try can be a struggle (not saying you can't) and our brains are used to the concept of first taking baby steps. Why not pick up a rock that is nearby? Or perhaps make some plants move. Once you've accomplished that, move on to bigger things. There's no limit to this power, and with practice you'll eventually be able to move planets.
That's all on telekinesis. I hope you succeed in your attempts and will have as much fun with it as I still do.