Astral Dynamics (1999)

…I awoke at about two in the morning, lying on my back with my whole body vibrating. I could feel myself about to spontaneously project. My arms and legs were already starting to float out. However, I did not want to project. I was tired and had a busy day ahead of me, and just wanted to go back to sleep. I’d been having a very interesting dream up until then and wanted to go back into it if I could. I felt heavy and sluggish but managed to roll onto my left side. The vibrations stopped immediately and the heavy sinking feeling soon left me. Happy now, I snuggled down and relaxed back into myself, concentrating on the dreamscape I had just left and the name I had given it: “Advantage”. I hoped this would take me back into it, as this trick often seemed to work.

After only a few seconds, I popped directly into the dream I’d left earlier. The transition was breathtaking. There was a full continuance of waking consciousness. I did not fall asleep and then wake up within the dream, but projected directly into it from the full waking state. I suddenly appeared in a busy, brightly lit department store, just like the one I’d been dreaming of earlier.

In front of me, a dark-haired young woman was setting up a dining room display. I saw people everywhere, shopping, serving, packing shelves, etc. Everything looked and felt real, stable, and solid. It was simply mind-blowing! I jumped up and down few times to feel the weight of my body, then pinched myself, “Ouch!” This hurt just as it would in real life, and my body weight felt normal. I was fully dressed and could even feel the texture of my socks when I wiggled my toes inside my shoes.

I glanced at my hands. They looked normal and did not melt. I tried creating an apple in my hand, but nothing happened. The dreamscape I was in did not waver in the slightest. Curious, I thought, in a normal lucid dream the environment can be altered and anything can be created by imagining it. Regardless, I was fully aware that I was dreaming.

I walked over to the young woman and asked her what she was doing. She told me they were getting ready for the big day, whatever that was. I picked up a large vase of flowers from the table in the middle of her furniture setting. The china felt like real china and the flowers smelled like real flowers. I pulled a rose petal off and ate it. It tasted dry, scented, and faintly bitter, just as a rose petal should taste, but the taste did not linger in my mouth as it normally would, I tipped the vase and splashed some of the water into my hand. It felt cold and wet, just like real water.

I braced myself, hoping that I was truly inside a lucid dream as I believed. I yanked the linen tablecloth from under the main table setting in the display. It almost worked, but the vase and a couple of plates smashed noisily on the floor. A few people looked, but no one seemed to care about the breakage, not even the shop assistant whose display I had just ruined. She went on unpacking and arranging things as if nothing had happened, shaking out another linen tablecloth as she busied herself resetting the table.

More confident now, I walked down an aisle and pushed over several large pieces of cheaplooking pottery from the top shelf, one at a time. I looked around to see if anyone noticed. These made very loud smashing sounds and broken pieces flew in all directions. A few people looked over, but no one seemed to care. Reassured by this, I walked over to the checkouts and jumped up onto one of the benches. A few people looked at me, but no one seemed to care and no one said anything.

I slipped back into my body and rolled onto my back thinking, “Wow! That was incredible … so real!” I fought to control my excitement and settled back into myself again, trying to get back into the dream. This was getting really interesting. I held the store and its name in mind again and tried to sink back into it, but to no avail. The vibrations started up again and I felt myself starting to project. This time the projection reflex caught hold and buzzed me out of my body. I came to rest at the foot of my bed. The house was dim and quiet as I floated around my bedroom deciding what to do. I took a quick look at my hands. They looked strangely elongated and started melting away.

Not wanting to continue the OBE, I dove back into my body and opened my eyes. I lay there for a moment, then closed my eyes and tried to get back into the dream. The vibrations started up again and another wave of falling, floating heaviness came over me as I started projecting again. I fought it off and rolled over onto my right side. The projection symptoms stopped, but I couldn’t get back into my dream. I rolled over onto my left side and settled back into myself again. This position felt much better. Holding the image and name of the dreamscape in mind again, I soon found myself back there.

I reappeared in the store where I had started during my last visit, several minutes ago. The same shop assistant was busily setting up the same dining display. The vase I’d broken earlier was whole again and back on the table where it had been earlier. I walked through the store, looking for signs of damage from my earlier visit. Everything I had broken earlier was whole and back on the shelves again. It was like nothing had ever happened. This was incredible! No matter what I did, the scenario restored itself.

I slipped back into my body again and rolled over to my back, trying to settle myself and get back into my dream. I think my excitement had interrupted it. The vibrations started again, so I rolled over to my left side again. I was getting the hang of this now, and realized that projecting into the dream was much easier from my left side. Settling back into myself and holding the store’s image and name in my mind again, I slipped back into the store. Everything was normal and I was back where I had originally started from again, with the same young lady busily setting up her dining display. She

looked up and smiled as I waved, then happily went about her work. I decided to explore further afield before anything else happened, and walked out past the service desk into the mall. I walked for some time, exploring the huge mall. There were a fair number of people around.

Everyone seemed very busy shopping, or preoccupied with whatever they were doing. Of note, all the children I saw were very quiet and well behaved, walking like polite little robots beside their mothers.

There was some light background organ music playing and the usual noise of people quietly bustling about. A few people were talking on telephones here and there, but no one seemed to be chatting or talking to each other. People answered when questioned, but their replies were uninteresting and not very helpful. It seemed impossible to start a conversation that did not involve talking about the person’s immediate task at hand.

Everyone seemed to lack personality, like background characters in a movie. On the surface this dreamscape was incredibly real, maybe too real, but beneath the surface it lacked something.

This looked like real life, but was definitely not the same type of real life I am familiar with.

I had decided to look for a way out of the mall and do some further exploring when I suddenly felt weak and heavy. The strength flowed out of me and I felt like I was moving in slow motion. My legs floated slowly upward as I fell ever so slowly to the floor, settling there weak and paralyzed.

People stepped over and around me as I lay there, but no one paid any attention to me. I felt like a child’s balloon bobbing about on the floor. I was weak and heavy and could no longer feel the normal weight of my body, nor could I feel the floor beneath me.

I slipped back into my body again, coming wide awake this time. I rolled over to my back and lay there pondering the significance of these experiences. The vibrations did not start up this time, probably because I was pretty much wide awake now. It was obvious to me that my resting position had been affecting the different types of experiences I’d been having. I was far too excited and wide awake by now to do any kind of further exploration with this phenomenon, so I gave up and went to get a drink and record this experience in my journal…

It must be said that various diets, exercises, rituals, and so forth do not produce noticeable supplementary effects to proper practice of lucid dreaming. Naturally existent psychological and physiological comfort is of the utmost importance. Thus, methods recommending overeating, under-eating, or tormenting oneself with various diets and strange exercises are useless and ultimately detrimental to a practitioner’s wellness and balance, invariably producing a negative impact on the effectiveness of techniques taught in this guidebook. Additionally, no meaningful association has been found between practice of lucid dreaming and what may be construed as “bad habits”. Regardless of a lifestyle’s null effect on lucid dreaming achievement, a healthy, active lifestyle will always be recommended to enjoy a good quality of living.

Interesting Fact!

If one believes that it is necessary to position one’s bed with the headboard facing the northwest or some other direction in order to have more effective out-of-body experiences, then doing so will invariably have a positive effect on results. However, the issue at hand is not the positioning of the body, but a belief that is akin to an intention, which in turn is enormously important.

It has been observed that a regular and orderly lifestyle increases the frequency of genuine, lasting lucid dreaming experiences. Sleeping normally and soundly is the most basic example of a lifestyle choice that produces direct, positive impact on results, especially when a practitioner commits to a full night’s rest several times a week.

In order to better understand the proper approach to the practice, it’s worth enumerating four types of people who usually have the quickest and best results. First, people who are mathematically inclined. The more exactly the instructions given in this textbook are followed, the greater their effectiveness. People with mathematical minds immediately get and clearly understand the whole procedure in its entirety, which is why they have better success in carrying it out. Next are the athletes. Their practice is facilitated by their clarity of purpose as well as ability to focus and push themselves. Third are those who love to sleep. A successful practice can definitely be predicted for a person who falls asleep easily and can slumber for 10 to 12 hours, often waking up and then falling back asleep throughout. Finally, children. Their success is ensured not only by physiological factors, but also in much part by a clarity of mind yet to be encumbered with useless knowledge and hamstrung by excessive analysis. Practical instructions reach their minds unhindered and are easily followed unerringly.

There is absolutely no requirement to fall into the above categories in order to take up the practice of lucid dreaming states. You need only separate out and understand what exactly helps these types of people, try to find similar traits in yourself, and then accentuate them in your own practice.

Similarly, certain types can be singled out who often have difficulties in beginning their practice of lucid dreaming. First are those who have light, brief, or fitful sleep due to physiological traits, lifestyle, or their work. Next are active practitioners of esoteric techniques with many years of experience. The minds of such people are so weighed down by various theories and practices that it can be simply impossible to convey even the basics regarding techniques to them, as they immediately interpret everything in their own idiosyncratic way and synthesize it with other accumulated knowledge. Then there are people who are simply inattentive. Their problem consists in frequently focusing on secondary matters, all while blatantly ignoring what’s most important.

If a practitioner fits into one of the above categories, that doesn’t mean that nothing will work for him or that he’s better off not taking up this practice. The truth is that this practice works for everybody, it’s just that some of the habits of the above groups can interfere with their developmental path. If you recognize such tendencies in yourself, all that you have to do is to try to overcome or mitigate them.

One of the main criteria for a successful start to one’s out-of-body practice is to approach it with a blank slate. If a practitioner has read, heard, or tried out even something having to do with this phenomenon, he’s better off forgetting about it or at least putting it aside for now. And that blank slate should be carefully and exactly inscribed with these instructions, which have been proven to work by thousands across the globe.

A number of practices and pastimes have been found to have a positive effect on the practice of out-of-body travel. Sports help one learn to focus on goals, push oneself, and overcome weaknesses. The practice of stopping internal dialog allows one to concentrate intensely and avoid needless analysis when desired. Self-hypnosis and meditation also allow one to learn to concentrate, as well as have control over the mind and body. However, you should never exhaust your energies and enthusiasm by taking up an excessive number of practices at once. That usually leads to overall lack of results.

There should be no neuroticism or obsessiveness in approaching lucid dreaming – as they reduce odds of success to zero. All actions should be cool and self-assured, without letting the importance of the end-goal stir one up into a frenzy.

Sound sleep is one indicator of correctness of approach and following the instructions. If all of the methods are implemented correctly, the practitioner will always enjoy sound sleep. Conversely, fitful and chronically light sleep, as well as insomnia, always serve as symptoms of errors in one’s very approach to the practice. One’s general feeling of well-being is also a good indicator. Correct practice of lucid dreaming will never cause fatigue, nor bring out emotional or physical exhaustion. To the contrary, lucid dreaming should be emotionally invigorating and energizing. To put it simply, the practice should not cause any discomfort, even during unsuccessful attempts.

Observing images technique

lucid dreamingr peers into the void before his eyes without opening them. As soon as he begins to see any imagery, he tries to discern it better by defocussing his sight, as if he were looking beyond the imagery. This makes it become steadier and more realistic.

Technique of visualization

lucid dreamingr tries to realistically see and discern an object no more than 6 inches from his eyes.

The more a lucid dream is experienced by the sensory faculties, the deeper and longer lucid dreaming will be. Sensory amplification in lucid dreaming is the most effective deepening technique precisely because it allows the activation of primary internal sensations during the transition from reality to lucid dreaming. There are several ways to perform sensory amplification.

Palpation is the first deepening technique that should be recalled when entering lucid dreaming.

Vision may be absent at the beginning of a lucid dream experience, but the sensation of occupying a defined space is almost always present. In the case of a completely absent sense of sight, only tactile-kinesthetic perception is possible. That is, movement throughout a space and touching objects there is the only option when vision is absent. The sense of touch plays a key role in the perception of everyday reality. This is eloquently demonstrated by Penfield’s cortical homunculus featuring the parts of the body that correspond to cortices of the brain responsible for their operation. It demonstrates how our actual self-perception is completely disproportional to the size of parts of the body. Accordingly, if the sense of touch is actively used in lucid dreaming space, it is only natural that lucid dreaming will deepen and reach its maximum potential.

Palpation is performed by fleetingly touching anything that may be found in the immediate surroundings. This should be done by quickly but carefully perceiving the feel of surfaces and shapes. Hands should not remain on a particular place for more than one second, remaining constantly in motion to locate new objects. The goal of palpation is to touch and also to learn something about encountered objects or shapes. For example, if one feels a mug, one may touch it not only from the outside, but also from the inside. Once a practitioner has rolled out of the body, the bed may be touched, as well as the floor, the carpet, nearby walls, or a bedside table.

Another palpation technique is performed by rubbing the palms against each other as if trying to warm them on a cold day. Blowing on the palms also produces sensations that will help deepen lucid dreaming. Since tactile perception of the world is not limited to the palms, the hands should be moved over the entire body while in lucid dreaming to excite and fully activate the sense of touch.

As soon as palpation begins, the feeling that lucid dreaming is deepening and becoming fixed soon follows. Usually, it takes five to 10 seconds of palpation exercises to reach the maximum level of deepening. After performing this technique, the pseudo-physical sensations will be indistinguishable from those of everyday reality. If vision is absent on lucid dreaming entry, it quickly emerges during palpation.

Peering is the primary technical variation of sensory amplification. However, it is not always initially accessible since it requires vision, which may begin as absent in lucid dreaming. Once vision appears or has been created using special techniques (see Chapter 8), peering may begin. The effectiveness of this technique originates in the fact that vision is the human’s primary instrument of perception. Therefore, by exciting vision to its maximum potential within lucid dreaming, it is possible to attain a fully immersive lucid dreaming state that is completely apart from normal reality.

Peering should be done at a distance of four to six inches from objects within lucid dreaming. A practitioner should glance over the minute details of objects and surfaces to bring definition to lucid dreaming space while increasing the quality of vision. When looking at hands, the lines of the palm or the fingernail and cuticles should be examined. If observing a wall, study the texture of its wallpaper. When looking at a mug, one should look carefully at its handle, the curve of its rim, or any inscriptions. Attention should not remain on one area of an object for more than half a second. Active observation should constantly move to new objects and their minute details, approaching objects or picking them up to draw them nearer. It’s best when objects are near one another; otherwise, too much time is spent moving around.

Peering brings quick and clear results. Usually, if vision is blurry and there is a yearning to return into the physical body, with just 3-10 seconds of peering all of this will be gone without a trace. After peering, vision adjusts as quickly and clearly as if a camera lens was correctly installed in front of the eyes, capturing the image in the sharpest of focus.

Simultaneous peering and palpation provide the maximum possible deepening effect in lucid dreaming. This method of sensory amplification engages the two most important perceptions, thus the effect is twice greater than when the two actions are separately performed. If vision is present in lucid dreaming, simultaneous peering and palpation is an absolute necessity because it facilitates good lucid dreaming depth in the quickest and simplest manner.

The combination of palpation and peering must not only be performed simultaneously, but also upon the same objects. For example, a practitioner may look at his hands and simultaneously rub them against each other; or while looking at a coffee mug, all of its parts may be observed and touched at the same time. It is necessary to maintain dynamism of action, remembering that feelings should be experienced not half-heartedly, and remembering that full concentration on sensory amplification is an excellent means to a deep, quality lucid dreaming.

Sensory amplification comes intuitively when you remember a simple rule: if some sensations are lacking or if one of the five senses is dull and vague, then that sense needs to be heightened as much as possible using lucid dreaming space. The previously lacking sensation will become intense and highly-charged. In case of dim vision, for example, one ought to scrutinize something more and more fixedly from a close distance. When experiencing weak bodily perception, palpate your body and move it in as many different ways as you can.

Statistics show that in one-third of initial lucid dreaming experiences, a practitioner is faced with a degree of fear that forces a return to the body. Periodically, even experienced practitioners face situations that require an abrupt return to wakefulness. This presents a number of concerns.

In and of itself, returning to the body is almost always unproblematic; remembering and thinking about the body often suffices and within moments the practitioner is returned to the body from whatever location in lucid dreaming. Admittedly, it is advisable during this type of situation to shut the eyes and abstain from touching anything. As a rule, when these actions are performed, simply standing up in the physical world is all that is required to complete a return; however, this is not always simply achieved.

Sometimes after reentering the body, the practitioner suddenly realizes that physical functionality has ceased due to the onset of sleep paralysis, or the sensation that the body has been switched off. During sleep paralysis, it is impossible to scream, call for help, or even move a finger. In the majority of cases, it is also impossible to open the eyes. From a scientific point of view, this is a case of an abrupt, unnatural interruption of the rapid eye movement (REM) lucid dreaming of sleep, during which this paralysis is always present, and it can persist for some time after lucid dreaming is interrupted.

This is where it gets interesting. People in the physical world are accustomed to an important rule: if you wish to achieve something, then do it, and do it as actively as possible. This rule, though good, is not always applicable to certain conditions linked to lucid dreaming, and applies least of all to exiting lucid dreaming. Sometimes extreme effort makes it possible to break through sleep paralysis and resume movement, though most of these efforts tend to exacerbate immobility.

Due to the unusual nature of a negative situation following a deliberate, fear-induced return to the body, the depth of lucid dreaming may greatly increase because of the body’s natural, protective inhibition of functions originating in the cerebral cortex; this results in even greater agitation and greater fear. The paralysis grows stronger. This is a vicious circle that leads to unpleasant feelings and emotions, which may evaporate any desire to practice lucid dreaming.

Ignorance of correct procedures has led to the widespread opinion that such adverse situations may make it impossible to come back from lucid dreaming at all. These opinions suppose that it is, therefore, dangerous to get involved with the practice. However, the solution to this problem rests in very simple actions and procedures that can prevent a large number of negative experiences: