Lucid Dreaming

(This is an updated & extended version of a posting I wrote back in April.)

My thoughts on Lucid Dreaming

Through my childhood and young adult years I was an avid lucid dreamer and shared dreamer. I was never one to prepare before I began my travels through my nightly dreams. I am not sure if I put much thought to what was happening at night when I was a young child. I would awake within my dreams often exploring the details of the dimensions I resided in, while dreaming. As nights passed, I would drift often beyond the sun to a starry dark space that I imagined to be the galaxy. Here I would drift along in space feeling at peace, looking down at myself, looking down at my house, knowing I was asleep but I was also awake within my dream realm. I enjoyed this type of traveling, I never wondered how I got there, how any of this worked, I just accepted that I could detach from my body and float. I learned quickly how to manipulate my dreams in my favor, this technique, once mastered in my teens, became very handy during nightmares and creepy dreams.

Over time I realized I felt so safe in these types of dreams, in the space between waking and the afterlife, that I practice going there during my waking hours also. Without knowing what mediation was as a child, now I look back and that was exactly what I would be doing during my waking hours when I longed to lucid dream. I found a physical hiding place within my childhood house where the chattering stopped, where quiet existed, where I could be alone (like when I am sleeping). I spent hours some days drifting off here in my quiet waking spot, feeling complete peace. I noticed the more relaxed I became the farther away I could watch my body drift, just like in my dreams. I noticed how a part of me would be up above floating through the ceiling, and my physical body would be lying on the floor snuggled in my blankets. Once I became used to this happening, when I decided this felt good and fear was not an option to feel, I would just drift, drift, drift up to the roof of my house, and then eventually I found mySelf drifting up above my house and into the sky; out past the clouds in to a dark universe where sparkling color lights existed. I look back now and I realize that lucid dreaming came so natural for me because I practiced this almost everyday during my waking hours.

In my lucid dreams, I learned to change scenarios, interact with characters, use all my senses to move through my dreams. It was fun for a while, but at some point I noticed that after awhile my controlling of my dreams seemed to affect parts of my waking life destiny. What I eventually discovered (over several years) was that I was missing out on messages and guidance I had been asking for. By manipulating my dreams I never gave many of my dreams a chance to play out in the way that was designed. I hid from monsters in my nightmares that were symbolic to a childhood trauma my dreams created to help me heal. I changed the way characters spoke to me if I did not like what they were trying to tell me. I stopped myself from crying when I needed to shed tears. I chose the colors and smells I wanted to appear since I felt I was locked in a prison in my growing up years. Everything I did I did with no guidance because at such a young age I was in control of my dream world – it was mine! This was all fine and dandy until, as I grew older, I read more, gained more knowledge, soaked in all information about dreams… and realized one day I had been missing out on something because I did not always let my dreams play out as they should have.

As I grew older, I began to change my view on how I dealt with waking up within my dreams. When I moved to Alaska at the age of 25 I found spirituality within nature. And although I had always been a spiritual human being, during my late teenage years and early 20’s I lost for a moment my purpose, the purpose of my dream world, and used my dreaming mind to my own selfish advantage rather than for healing & guiding. Moving to Alaska, finding myself within nature, gave me a new idea of how to view waking up in my dreams. I no longer would wake up and manipulate or change the dream, but rather I began waking up and becoming present within the light & darkness of these dreams. Instead of changing what was taking place, I made it clear to the spirits, creatures, and the energies that I was fully aware I existed in this dimension with them. I accepted the fact I was here to be taught as well as guide and heal others. I learned quickly that every symbol, every object, every sense, every spirit, creature, human, anything good or bad had a reason to be there; appearing within my dream for a higher purpose. I realized that the knowledge I was given, and the messages I received about others to pass on, was not a psychic tool to be played with but rather a gift of channeling in order to help heal others.

And as the years continue to pass, my dreams become more a piece of my reality, I continue to open up to my dreams awakening into them not changing anything presented before me. As I stopped moving things around I let the energies guide me where I needed to go, fully awake and aware within my dream. I use my mind as a camera and created snapshots of my surroundings. I speak to those of both dark and light energies that approached me rather than filling with fear, running away, or taking control of them. At times I authorize myself to be eaten, I grant others to tear me apart if that is the purpose of my dream presented. I allow the earthbound spirits to approach and speak with me before I inquire from them what they need from me. I relished in passionate sex with my soul mates, embracing those who ask for my embraced. I permit my vibration to rise to a higher frequency as I initiate the meeting and gatherings of my spirit, animal, and dream guides. I establish listening techniques in order to embody the teachings; and I finally enable myself to leave my fear behind.

I now am able to translate the meaning of my nightmares and dreams that once left me in a state of disorientation. I embrace the messages given to me and allow myself the burden to pass on certain messages without question. I allow myself to lavish in my own faith that I once perceived to only exist within my nightly dreams, in my visions, and the messages I was given. My nightly dreams had always felt more authentic to me then waking reality. And at some point during my young adult years, I realized that it was very profound for me to learn to wake up within my dreams and not change anything; but rather to just be aware and receive.

I encounter so many other dreamers that have an abundance of questions around lucid dreaming, I could never understand the fascination of them since this was a natural gift I was given at birth. Why was dreaming lucid so much more important for people to experience rather than just dreaming. Why do we have a hard time letting our dreams twirl us through the myths of our truest self? Why do we want the control lucid dreaming offers us as dreamers? I think these questions are answered differently for each dreamer, we are all on our own individual journey’s inward. Neither having control or not having control is good or bad, it is how you use your time while lucid dreaming that is most important. Use your time wisely, and don’t let anything pass you by.

Having a hard time waking up in your dream world?

Just how extensively should you prepare for your night time travels? For some people dreaming comes naturally, drifting through the realms beyond the physical plane, between dimensions that many are unaware actually exist parallel to our waking lives. For others waking up within the dream is a natural occurrence, without much thought, they are lucid dreaming and move forward through their dream in the way that works best for them. The best way to prepare for your dreamtime and to begin lucid dreaming is to create a calm comfortable space before bed; light candles and incense, play soft music, set and intention about what it is you would like to do or discover within your dream state.. and try the following:

Before going to bed relax and meditate inward.
Imagine a key that is familiar to you (your house key or car key for example – or another object you are very familiar with in your waking life).
Visualize this key before falling asleep.
Now visualize holding your key in your primary hand.
As you are falling asleep tell yourself 7 times that when you see your key in your hand in your dream you will become aware that you are dreaming.
When you come to that moment that you are aware you are dreaming remain still, be present, or react, just flow for a moment with what is happening in your dream.
Try this for 3 to 7 consecutive nights.
Write down every dream or part of your dreams you can remember from each night.
Take a break for a couple of nights. Then go back and follow the steps again.
Once you begin to wake up in your dream world, you can take small steps with interacting with your dreams. (Picking up objects, choosing what to say and who to interact with, confronting a fear rather then fleeing from it, etc..)

There are many excellent resources on Lucid Dreaming, here are some I recommend:

Listen to my interview with Robert Waggoner on the topic of Lucid dreaming on the Flash of Spirit Show!!

Ryan Hurd: www.dreamstudies.com

Robert Waggoner: http://www.lucidadvice.com/

The Lucid Dream Exchange online magazine

Clear Dreaming: http://cleardreaming.com/

Lucid Dreamers Community: http://www.ld4all.com/