Read A Field Guide to Lucid Dreaming Online
Authors: Dylan Tuccillo,Jared Zeizel,Thomas Peisel
dream body. Venture one hundred feet into the air. Come back
down and do it again. Think of slowing down, and you’ll slow down.
Think of going faster, and you’ll soar. As long as you’re in control
of your thoughts, the sky is the limit. Well, we take that back, the
sky has no limits either.
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Agility
As a novice flier, try to avoid turns—a straight flight will require
less control and will be much more stable An erratic flight
pattern could cause the dreamer to wake up. When you’re confi-
dent enough, turning can be easy, as long as it’s gradual. Leaning
your weight in the desired direction will be sure to pull you into
that turn. As with riding a bike, if you want to turn left, simply
lean to the left. It’s that simple.
Uh-oh, there’s a building ahead and you’re about to smash into
it! If you need to make sharper turns or if you’re going really fast,
it’s always easiest to lead with your head. To turn quickly, stay
calm, then turn your head and focus on moving in the new direc-
tion. Your body will follow. It’s also important to stay active and
engaged while lucid. If your head is in the clouds, you may get too
caught up in flight and lose awareness altogether. During flight,
continue to perform reality checks and stay aware by reminding
yourself, “This is a dream, this is a dream!”
Landing
You’re soaring four hundred feet above ground, and it’s incred-
ible. Up ahead you see something familiar: your old house. As
you lower your altitude you realize that your speed is not decreas-
ing. You try to cut to the side, but it’s too late. Bam! Like a Looney
Tunes character you smack right into the building, little bluebirds
circling around your head.
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Fortunately you can’t actually be harmed in dreams, but the
shock can definitely wake you up. Sorry to say, there’s no flying in
the waking world, even if your bed is in the shape of a spaceship.
Flying is not only a form of entertainment but a means of getting
somewhere specific, so while staying in the air is fun, it’s good to
know how to land. Landing allows you to continue your adventure
without getting carried away with the addictive fun of flight.
How to Land
1.
Think of a place where you want to go. Knowing where you want
to go next will ensure that you are actively engaging the dream; the
risk of fading is lowered.
2.
Descend slowly at the angle an airplane would.
3.
Lean back like you’re pull-
ing on the reins of a horse.
I look up at the stars and take off. I could
Pull your weight back and
have just teleported, sure, but I didn’t trust
try to float into a nice speed
my ability to teleport at the time. The stars
for landing.
and galaxies shoot by me like bullets until
I decide I’m there. I see a planet approach
4.
Hit the ground as softly
and I land on it, finding myself surrounded
by snow and lights. —MArk r. W.
as possible, moving your
feet like you’re walking.
5.
Go explore! You didn’t come here for nothing.
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Flying doesn’t have to be limited to Earth. In dreams, outer space
has plenty of oxygen, and the temperature is quite nice. Take a tour
around the solar system, barrel-roll above the moon, venture into
the darkness of space. Who knows what you might find out there?
Other Methods of Travel
Flying may be the most exhilarating form of dream travel, but
sometimes it’s not the most efficient. Lucid dreams don’t last
forever, so you may be look-
ing to save a little time, to
I’m in Times Square with some kid. I’m
arrive at your destination
in the middle of teaching him how to fly
before the alarm sounds.
when I realize that we are dreaming. I
Since the dream world is
tell him to look directly into my eyes. his
malleable, it’s possible to
eyes were weird—like the pupil was mis-
manipulate space in order
shapen. I try to connect with him. “This
to expedite your travels.
is a dream,” I say and fly up on top of a
large advertisement. The kid mirrors me
Want to go somewhere spe-
exactly, and flies with me to the top of the
cific ? Skip the red-eye flight
billboard. —GAry P.
and choose a form below of
instantaneous travel.
Gateways
Anything can be a gateway to another location in a dream.
Doors, caves, walls, mirrors—a friend of ours even imagines
a giant tube to get to new places (think Mario Brothers). These
objects are simply visuals to convince your logical mind that
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instantaneous travel is possible. Pick a gateway that you feel will
work.
Before you step through your desired gateway, set your inten-
tion on where you want to go. Even say it out loud to the dream
itself: “Take me to the moon.” Make sure your intention is pas-
sionate by connecting your desired location with an emotion: I am
going to the moon to see the Earth from a distance.
Want to roll the dice? We recommend this option: let the
dream’s wisdom guide you to your next destination. When you
walk through the gateway, say “Take me where I need to go” and
walk on through. There’s no telling where you’ll end up.
Teleportation
Think it and you’re there. Teleportation is like the gateway tech-
nique, but without the
actual gateway. After all,
I wonder if I can create a portal. I use
gateways are just a visualiza-
my right index finger to trace a circle on
tion aid; all you really need
the mirror-wall. I don’t know what exactly
to get anywhere is a strong
made me pick this destination, but in my
intention. Remember Le
thoughts, I pick “heaven” as the destina-
Marquis Saint-Denys, the
tion that I want to be on the other side of
nineteenth-century lucid
the portal. When I’m finished drawing the
dreamer?
circle, the area inside it doesn’t transform
into a portal; instead, it swings inward, like
He had a trick to get
a door on a hinge. I go through the door-
to a new place. He would
way. —AMy B.
simply put his dream hands
in front of his eyes until
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the picture went black. He would then intend to be somewhere
else and remove his hands. Sometimes he didn’t even have to take
his hands away. The new scene would simply appear out of the
blackness.
Here are three teleportation tips:
1. Focus and intention.
You must have your intention muscle fully
toned for teleportation to work. Since you don’t have any visual
aids, your mind must be 100 percent focused on where you want
to go. For that reason, teleportation is a fun way to hone your
intention skills.
2. close your eyes.
Even without a portal to walk through you can
still use a little trick to help you out. Try closing your eyes—or
cover them like Saint-Denys—saying, “When I open my eyes, I’ll
be standing at the top of the Empire State Building.”
3. Spin in a circle.
The act of spinning in a dream has many ben-
efits. Find a stable location and begin spinning with your eyes
open. Think about what your desired location looks like and feels