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.. Cf) ~ z MAD SCIENTIST'S COOKBOOK: THE LUCID DREAM MACHINE by Peter Nielsen .. HANGING LUCID Everyone has dreams. We often remem­ ber them after we wake up. What makes lucid Ooo-syd') dreams so mind-blowing is that at. some point during the dream you know that you are dreaming-without physically waking up. By contrast, in a non-lucid dream everything seems unques­ tionably real to th.e dreamer. Just as in waking life, the awareness is 'locked up' by perceptions of a body which owes itself to its immediate environment. You can't ride a horse through a brick wall. Both are the same density, woven of the same stuff. What's needed instead is a quantum leap of awareness itself. This lights up the exit door, letting us step back inlo a wider per­ spective, away from ,the false impression of a fixed reality. The dreamer is no longer pan of the dream, but can choQs~e to rern.aID in it Imagine how you would feel if, while reading this magazine, you suddenly flashed, "This is incredible! I must be dreaming." What if you then knew, with, absolute cenainty, that nothing being per- AUGUST -SEPTEMBER 1994 IEN ceived had any ultimate reality, that your real s~elf was safe somewhere else in the real world, waiting for your return, and you could do anything with impunity without pain or consequence. Try to simulate this feeling now. Feel the elation rising in your chest? This is immonal life-energy, and we are sitting on it all the time, like a cork in a bottle of champagne. POWER DREAMING In lucid dreaming, another spooky thing happens: the recognition of unreality gives you instant power over your own percep­ tions. In other words, you can mould the content of the dream-and everyone in it­ as it takes shape. It's done the same as you would picture something in your mind right now. Let's check it out. Close your eyes and visualise a city street. Then change it to a deserted beach. Note the 'plastic' stage in between. Watch how your eyes project the image and interact with your concentra­ tion. We are the original virtual reality machine, not a passive viewing process at aU-yet, paradoxically, gripped by our environment. This meeting of inner and outer pressures defines each individual consciousness. Like a particle of dust in a raindrop, the body-self son of floats in the s .. -l1c... z E ~ CJ) '" middle. However, in a lucid dream, the ... scenery is reflected back to US mostly from ~. Anything seemingly 'out there' feels inherently 'riskless' or native to one's inner core. Ultimately" howeve~, .outside and inside arc the same. In lucid dreaming, ·we go everywhere by going nowhere. The sense of freedom is incredible. Time also moves faster in dreams. Think of all the heroics, psychodrama or animal instincts you could invite out of your sub­ conscious for a one-night stand. Steven LeBerge, the pioneer wh~o documented lucidity in the lab with prearranged eye sig­ nals from me dream-state, says "...when you dream, you do something to your brain that's as if you've actually done it. So, there are strong relationships between dream content and physiology." Dreaming is a softener, healer and mediator of both inner and outer selves. It was a key ele­ ment in 'primitive' cultures where both worlds were seen as one. Without this bal­ ance today, we are weighed down and embittered by ,the apparent finality of mate­ rial me. It's also the perfect space for over" coming self-doubt or fear. Mirroring their new sen'se of liberation, many dreamers fulftll a deep urge to fly. It seems to be a universal expression of totality. However, even a moment of doubt drags one down like lead leotards. Think of flying as natur­ al. That's all. 1'0 keep things light, ru let you fantasise about what others get up to. We've seen it all on TV. This is lurid dreaming. GETTING THERE IS BEING THERE If there is a destination, there must be a trip. Increased frequency of lucid dreams is a natural part 'Of spiritual growth. Here are a few proven techniques which can be used with a dream machine or on their own. "They should be done every day for a period of time. I) Set your alarm to wake up about two hours before, usual. Do 'mindfulness' medi­ tation, such as counting your breaths, for about thiny minutes. Returfi to bed and lie on ,yo.ur right side, as recommended in Tibetan 'dream yoga'. Let yourself drift off NEXUS·S3