Lucid Dreaming Mask — Practice Effectively
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Do you want to achieve quick results and stable practice? Start with this section, and give it special attention without getting distracted by others until you achieve steady progress.
Characteristics
Indirect techniques are a simple and effective way to achieve a state of lucid dreaming. This type of technique is performed while awakening and is the first step for beginners. It’s important to concentrate on this method until you achieve stability; you shouldn’t switch to other techniques in search of an easy solution, as an easier solution might not exist.
Brief Description of Indirect Techniques
The essence of indirect techniques lies in the practitioner’s attempt to wake up without making physical movements and preferably already having rested. Then, attempts to separate from the body begin. If this doesn’t succeed within 3–5 seconds, you should alternate techniques for a minute: try visualization, observing images, rotation, the “mobile phone” method, listening in, phantom swinging, and forced falling asleep. As soon as a technique starts working, focus on it to try to enter the dream. If no result is achieved within a minute, you should return to sleep and try again when the opportunity arises.
Indirect techniques are among the best lucid dreaming techniques for beginners due to their simplicity and effectiveness.
Optimal Time for Practice
The effectiveness of practice can vary greatly depending on the time of awakening. The most suitable moments are morning awakenings and awakenings after daytime naps. Nighttime attempts to enter a dream can be the most challenging due to a strong desire to sleep, though it is not impossible. The problem is that it’s harder to concentrate on practice in the middle of the night.
If your goal is to make the maximum number of attempts per day, it’s helpful to use the “deferred awakening” method (if you don’t need to get up early). In this case, the practitioner goes to bed in the evening, wakes up to an alarm after 5–6 hours of sleep, and stays awake for 2–30 minutes. After that, they go back to sleep with the thought of having multiple awakenings and attempts to enter the dream, waking up naturally without an alarm clock. This method allows you to make many attempts in a short time, as after such an awakening, sleep becomes shallow. Thus, in one morning, you can perform anywhere from two to ten attempts to enter a dream, and on average, one out of five attempts brings results for beginners.
Conscious Awakening
When using indirect techniques, it’s often difficult to remember your intention to enter the dream immediately after awakening. This is especially important because with each second after awakening, the chances of entering the dream decrease. Several techniques can help you achieve conscious awakening, but special attention should be paid to one of them—the creation of intention at the moment of falling asleep.
It’s important to remember that the success of indirect techniques depends on how strongly you desire to achieve your goal. If you don’t focus on your intention before sleep, you’re unlikely to remember to make attempts upon awakening—and without this recollection, the practice may be futile. Therefore, before the awakenings during which you plan to use indirect techniques, it’s important to formulate a clear intention.
This intention should include the desire to wake up without making physical movements, as the fewer physical movements you make, the higher your probability of successfully entering the dream. If you’ve made any movement, don’t give up on your attempts. Although the chances decrease, there is still a chance, and every opportunity should be used, especially when difficulties arise.
Separation upon Awakening
You should start attempts to enter the dream immediately after awakening by separating from the body. If you make a physical movement upon awakening, you need to immediately proceed to cycling through techniques. However, if you wake up without making any physical movement, you should apply separation techniques such as rolling out, standing up, flying up, and crawling out. Most often, successful indirect entries into a dream occur at the moment when the practitioner tries to separate from their body after awakening.
This idea may seem surprising and strange to a beginner, but statistics of successful attempts confirm its importance. If you don’t start immediately with separation from the body, you can lose up to one-third of your opportunities for successful practice. At first glance, such an action seems too simple to be effective, but it’s precisely these simple steps that often lead to success. The problem is that many don’t realize that it’s so easy to achieve an out-of-body experience (entering the dream) and, therefore, don’t follow such approaches.
After awakening, the brain is in a state where many things seem possible. For example, an attempt to fly immediately after awakening may succeed, and beginners may even think they are physically flying.
Separation techniques are very simple to execute, yet many people assign too much significance to them, which often prevents them from succeeding, even when they’ve already entered the dream and just need to stand up. The essence of techniques such as rolling out, standing up, and flying up is to perform them literally without straining your physical muscles. You don’t need to visualize it; just try to do it. Visualization, in this case, is a big mistake that prevents you from achieving your goal.
It’s important to understand that separation doesn’t always look like dividing into two parts; more often, you just feel yourself starting to move without straining muscles. Therefore, the focus should be on your own body, not some etheric or phantom one. You just need to stand up or fly up without straining your muscles.
When using indirect techniques after awakening, it’s important to quickly try all available methods of separation. Either they will lead to success immediately, or they won’t produce any result (in which case there’s no point in spending more than 3–5 seconds on the separation attempt). If separation didn’t succeed, you probably missed the moment of awakening, and you should cycle through techniques to return to the desired state.
Sometimes, separation occurs only partially, and something prevents you from continuing. In such cases, it’s important to keep trying to exit the body, even if it seems difficult. The main thing is not to give up. Stopping even for just a few seconds to apply a technique after which separation becomes possible, or using forced falling asleep after awakening is the biggest mistake you can make.
If you managed to separate, immediately proceed to apply deepening techniques, which are described in detail in the third chapter.
Cycling Through Techniques
If you can’t separate from the body immediately after awakening or wake up with a physical movement, you need to immediately start cycling through indirect techniques. Although there’s no universal method that guarantees success, there’s an algorithm that can lead to positive results with the right approach—this algorithm is known as cycling.
For one minute, you should alternate among several techniques for 3–5–10 seconds each to assess their effectiveness. As soon as one of the techniques starts working, concentrate on it and continue using it until you deepen into the dream. If you haven’t noticed any changes after four to six cycles, you shouldn’t continue this approach. It would be better to fall asleep again with the idea of returning to the practice later.
It’s important that the set of techniques includes extremely clear actions that you’ve previously tested for effectiveness. Also, you shouldn’t limit yourself to one technique, as it’s better to use several methods within one attempt. Moreover, remember that different techniques can yield results on different days, so it’s important to have a variety of approaches at your disposal. For example, visualization may work today, but tomorrow, it may be unsuccessful, but rotation will work.
A common mistake is using only one or two cycles of techniques, as it’s recommended to perform at least four cycles since a technique that didn’t work the first time may work later. For example, you might have done a rotation in the first three cycles without success, but in the fourth cycle, it may suddenly lead to a dream. Limiting yourself to one or two cycles can cause you to miss a significant part of the experience, thus reducing the effectiveness of practice, including self-healing.
Let’s consider a specific example of cycling. Suppose I woke up and immediately tried to roll out or fly up. If nothing happens within 3–5 seconds, I start cycling with techniques like rotation, observing images, and phantom swinging. First, I try to visualize rotating around myself. If that doesn’t work, I move on to observing images. If that doesn’t yield results, I try phantom swinging. If I don’t notice movements after 3–5 seconds, I start a new cycle with rotation. I repeat this process at least four times. Suppose phantom swinging suddenly occurs in the third cycle, expressed as a slight movement of the hand. If this happens, I won’t move on to the next technique but will instead deepen the phantom swinging, striving to increase its amplitude. After a few seconds, the movement becomes more noticeable, and I can separate from the body or be thrown out of it. At this moment, I enter the dream and begin to deepen it to accomplish the set tasks.
Techniques
The techniques themselves are not as effective as their use within cycles of indirect methods. They should be considered only as part of the process of entering the dream. There are many techniques (literally hundreds), but we’ll limit ourselves to listing the most important and often effective ones. They all belong to different directions and represent key methods or their variations.
At first, you should pay attention to the first three techniques, which are the easiest to understand and apply for beginners. Gradually, you can add other methods as you understand and experience them during training.
Visualization
Upon awakening (preferably without moving or opening your eyes), you should spend 3–5 seconds trying to visualize and feel your palm in front of your eyes. You should pretend that it’s already there, but for some reason, you don’t see it and need to look more intently. If nothing happens during this time, then this technique isn’t working at the moment and should be changed. However, during this time, the hand often actually begins to appear in visualization very clearly, as if it’s really in front of your eyes. In this case, you should quickly enhance the perception and then immediately start separating from the body.
The “Mobile Phone” Technique
Upon awakening (preferably without moving or opening your eyes), you should spend 3–5 seconds trying to feel that you have a phone (or another object, like an apple) in your hand. You need to actively and persistently imagine that the object is there, but you suddenly stopped feeling it. If nothing happens during this time, then the technique isn’t working at the moment and should be changed. In most cases, however, during this time, the object actually begins to be felt in your hand so realistically that you might think it’s there. Right at this moment, you should try to touch it with your fingers and then, as you continue to hold it in your hand, either get up from your bed or start separating from your body in another way.
Rotation
Upon awakening (preferably without moving or opening your eyes), you should spend 3–5 seconds imagining yourself as realistically as possible rotating around your longitudinal axis. If nothing happens during this time, then the technique isn’t working at the moment and you should move on to the next method. If your visualized sensations begin to be replaced by real, not imagined, ones, you should stay with this technique and intensify the rotation until the sensations become as vivid as if you were really spinning. At this point, you can safely start separating from the body if an involuntary exit doesn’t occur.
Observing Images
Upon awakening (preferably without moving or opening your eyes), gaze into the void in front of your eyes for 3–5 seconds, trying to discern any images, pictures, or remnants from your dreams. If nothing appears, then this technique isn’t working at the moment and should be changed. If you start to see something like what you’re imagining, you should latch onto this image, carefully observing it as a whole rather than in detail. Usually, the image becomes brighter and clearer, as if you were watching TV. At this moment, you should abruptly apply the separation technique. If you hesitate, you might fall asleep, although beginners are sometimes simply drawn into the image and, thus, enter the dream without separation, where immediate action is required.
Listening In
Upon awakening (preferably without moving or opening your eyes), take 3–5 seconds to carefully listen to the sounds inside your head, trying to discern hissing, humming, roaring, ringing, and other sounds. If nothing happens during this time, the technique isn’t working at the moment and should be changed. If you start to hear a sound, you need to listen even more intensely so that it becomes clearer and stronger. After some time, the sound may become so distinct that it can be perceived as a roar. At this point, you can try to separate from the body.
Phantom Swinging
Upon awakening (preferably without moving or opening your eyes), spend 3–5 seconds trying to evoke the sensation of swinging your hand or another part of your body without straining your physical muscles. If nothing happens during this time, the technique isn’t working and should be changed. If slow swinging begins, increase its amplitude, investing all your attention and desire into this process. When the amplitude reaches 10 centimeters or more, you can try to separate from the body (if this doesn’t happen on its own). Sometimes, you can continue swinging until, for example, your hand starts moving freely. In such a case, all that’s left is to stand up.
Forced Falling Asleep
Upon awakening (preferably without moving or opening your eyes), you should spend 3–10 seconds pretending that you want to fall asleep again, repeating all the movements and sensations that usually accompany falling asleep. However, you shouldn’t actually fall asleep—instead, after the same time interval, “surface” and come to your senses. You can then try to separate from the body. When using this technique, it’s important to feel that if you do just a little more, you’ll switch off. Forced falling asleep creates a special sensation of “rollback,” making all subsequent actions more effective. Therefore, it’s recommended to start attempts with this technique if you wake du to a physical movement. You can also alternate this technique with others, and sometimes, you can even try to perform several techniques simultaneously. However, it’s important to remember that during forced falling asleep, there’s a risk that you will really fall asleep, which can interrupt your attempt to achieve the dream.
While performing one technique, another may often manifest. If you feel that the second technique works better, you can switch to it or even perform both techniques simultaneously. For example, phantom swinging is often accompanied by the perception of sounds or images.
It is important to understand the essence of the techniques and perform them correctly. For example, if you don’t clearly understand how to perform phantom swinging, it will be difficult to achieve a result upon awakening and using indirect techniques. The solution is simple: spend a few days practicing the techniques for 15–20 minutes to get a better understanding of them. This will help you choose the most effective techniques for cycles. It’s worth noting that all techniques are quite easy to manifest during training. For example, when listening in, it’s easy to hear sounds, and when observing images, you quickly see pictures, but this doesn’t always lead to a dream. Although these techniques are harder to start upon awakening, if you manage to do it, the experience will help you get into the dream.
Do not train with the techniques before sleep! If you still do it, do not do it for more than 10–15 minutes. This doesn’t apply to those who already have stable practice with indirect techniques and have decided to master direct techniques by performing them in the evening.
Tips
When awakening and using indirect techniques, cycling is a key element for quickly achieving the dream state. However, immediately after awakening, you can sometimes determine which technique is better to start with, and in this case, cycling can be skipped.
If immediately upon awakening, without opening your eyes, you see images, pictures, or dream remnants, start using the technique of observing images.
If immediately upon awakening, you notice internal sounds like a roar or music or you hear external sounds that cannot be real, proceed to the listening-in technique.
If immediately upon awakening, you feel humming or a high-frequency vibration in your body, activate these sensations in any convenient way. Once they become strong, try to separate from the body.
If immediately upon awakening, you notice numbness in some part of the body without an obvious reason, start performing the phantom swinging technique in that part of the body.
Activity, Passivity, and Confidence
When practicing indirect techniques, there’s often a risk of either falling asleep or fully awakening instead of achieving the dream. It’s important to remember one main rule: if you fall asleep while performing the techniques, it may indicate a lack of activity and aggressiveness. If you wake up too vividly during practice, you might be too active. You need to maintain control over the level of activity and assess its necessity, as each day may require a different approach.
Frankly, the problem usually lies precisely in insufficient activity. This not only leads to falling asleep but also significantly affects the results of the techniques. Most unsuccessful attempts by beginners are associated with sluggishness. Moreover, if the technique is performed without intense attention and focus, there’s almost a 0% chance that you’ll achieve the result you want. This is well observed at seminars of the School of Out-of-Body Travel, where on the second day, I ask about the degree of activity: those who act unenergetically rarely achieve success.
However, the key factor is your confidence in achieving a result. Doubts can deprive you of consistent success in entering the dream state when using indirect techniques. This doubt is like holding yourself in the physical body. During the execution of the techniques, you need to be confident that you will perform them, no matter what. This should be a deep and sincere conviction. Paradoxically, a lack of confidence often leads to failure.
Confidence in achieving the dream state is a key principle when performing indirect techniques.
Barrier
When practicing, you will likely encounter a situation where a technique starts manifesting but doesn’t progress enough for you to enter the dream. For example, during phantom swinging, movement may begin but then stall at a low amplitude (to enter the dream, you need to reach an amplitude of 10 centimeters or more). It would be a mistake to think the technique isn’t working and switch to others. If a technique starts manifesting during awakening, it’s already a signal that the dream is very close.
In such cases, you have several options. First and most often, you just need to increase the activity and your aggressiveness in working with the technique to bring it to completion. That is, you need to work with the technique more intensively and for a longer time. Second, the stall can often be overcome by an indirect route as you temporarily switch to forced falling asleep or observing images (provided images appear at that moment). As you distract yourself with these techniques for a few seconds, you often come out of the stall and continue working with the technique you had stopped on. If the improvement is not significant, you can repeat this workaround.
In any case, it’s important to understand that the manifestation of a technique during awakening unequivocally indicates the proximity of the dream, and this moment needs to be used decisively and persistently by utilizing all available methods.
