After one of many morning awakenings, I hadn’t moved at all physically, and immediately began trying to separate from the body. I realized after a couple of seconds of trying that separation would not happen right then, and so I peered into the void before my eyes, trying to discern any images. There weren’t any, and so after a few seconds I started with phantom wiggling, which manifested itself somewhat in the feet: both feet inched up somewhat, and them came back down. Meanwhile, my ears were filled with a soft noise, and there was a slight “buzz” in my body.

I tried to increase the amplitude of the motion for 5 to 10 seconds, but was still unable to achieve anything. In order to overcome this barrier of some sorts, I decided to switch to the technique of observing images for some time, and then continue with phantom wiggling. However, the images came on so strong that I realized that I could skip phantom wiggling, as it would be much easier to simply use the images. Before my mind’s eye appeared a river, and behind it a steep hill wooded with tall trees. I began to peer into it, trying to take in the whole picture. It immediately became sharper and sharper. I realized after 2 to 4 seconds that I was viewing the picture just as if from a window in real life. As soon as that realization came, I rolled out of my body and into the room.

I quickly got to my feet and started palpating and trying to see. My vision returned at once. lucid dreaming was sufficiently deep that I could see everything as clearly as in reality. Meanwhile, using the deepening techniques led to everything becoming much more visually intense and colorful than I was accustomed to in real life. This startled me a bit. The thought of returning to the body even flashed through my mind, but I was able to overcome it, and immediately concentrated on the goals that I had set: treating high blood pressure, conducting an experiment on the viscosity of fluids, and some items of fun to improve my mood.

I opened the door of my wardrobe, which in reality contained a box of medicines. I looked for the drug that was to help me lower my blood pressure or at least make it easier to deal with my condition. Delving into the package, I took out the various tubes of ointments, packages, and spray-cans, peering at them in order to maintain lucid dreaming. I also tried to figure out what the medicines were, and whether or not I needed them.

It took some time, as for 15 to 20 seconds I couldn’t find anything worthwhile. Then I suddenly pulled out some blue bottle with pills. On it was written, "LifeMix – Life without Hypertension. All the best products in one". This was very close to what I was looking for, so I immediately took two tablets, chewed them, and swallowed. They were awfully bitter and distasteful. At one point, that bitter taste even made me forget that I was in lucid dreaming and that I definitely needed to do something to keep it from being over. Instead of letting that happen, I bent down and covered my face with my hands.

Suddenly, a strange wave of unusual sensations coursed through my body. My head and entire face started to fill up with blood, causing swelling in my lips, nose, cheeks, and eyelids. It goes without saying that this was an unpleasant sensation. It was more than unusual. This was especially true of the sensations I felt inside my head. It was as if it were heating up and expanding. I figured at that point that I had done something wrong.

As soon as I thought that, I felt as if a balloon filled with cold water had burst in my head. Here the heat turned to cold, and my head and body "decompressed" back down to size. I felt an uncommon lightness and freshness inside. I had the sensation of having tapped a new reserve of strength and life-energy.

In order to not have to search for that blue bottle again, I set it on the right corner of the lower shelf. Afterwards, I decided to cement the effect by performing a physical exercise that had always caused pain in my head due to heightened blood pressure. I ran into the hallway and sat on the floor, with my back against one wall and feet towards the other. I pushed off with my legs while pressing my back against this wall, thus simulating bearing a physical load. All the while, I tried to peer at all around me, concentrating on my position. The wall wouldn’t give, and I had to make Herculean efforts to somehow straighten my legs. I bent my legs back again, and then returned to trying to straighten them out.

I had physically exerted myself more than once in lucid dreaming, which had always been accompanied by increased blood pressure in the head. This was often painful, and the discomfort would even last throughout the morning after awakening. This time, my head felt easy and light. I just concentrated on the physical effort, and not on how hard this exercise was to perform. In addition, I tried to deliberately relieve my head of that heaviness and pressure, trying to create subconscious programming for the physical world. In addition to all of the above, I did my best to give myself hypnotic suggestions.

That done, I moved on to the next items in my plan of action….

To apply this technique, a practitioner in lucid dreaming will start rotating on an axis while simultaneously concentrating on a belief that a desired location will be reached once rotation is stopped. The eyes must be shut during the rotation, or vision must not be focused on anything in particular. As a rule, two to five revolutions on an axis are sufficient. Once again, everything depends on the ability to fully concentrate on a desired goal without any distractions.

Upon awakening, without moving or opening the eyes, immediately try to separate from the body. The separation attempt should be carried out without any imagining, but rather with the desire to make a real movement without straining the muscles (rolling out, levitation, standing up, etc.).

If separation does not occur within three to five seconds, immediately try alternating several of the most effective techniques for three to five seconds each. When one of the techniques works, continue it for a longer period of time:

Observing images: Try to examine and discern the pictures arising before closed eyes.

Listening in: Attempt to hear sounds in the head and make these louder by listening in or strengthening the will;

Rotating: Imagine rotating around the head-to-foot axis;

Phantom wiggling: Try to move a part of the body without straining the muscles, and try to increase the range of movement;

Straining the brain: Try straining the brain, which will lead to vibrations that may also be intensified by further straining the brain.

As soon as one technique clearly starts to work, continue with it as long as progress is apparent, and then try to separate. If separation fails, return to the technique that was working.

Do not give up alternating through techniques until one minute has elapsed. Separation from the body may be attempted periodically, especially if interesting sensations occur.

There are three main elements that, with the help of lucid dreaming, may influence the physiology in very beneficial ways. First, it is possible to contact the subconscious mind to learn how to influence physiology. Second, the brain reacts more strongly to sensations than to real events. For example, if running while in lucid dreaming, the physical processes of the body would be consistent with the processes occurring in the body of a person running in reality: respiration accelerates, blood pressure increases, the heartbeat quickens, and even blood flow to the feet becomes greater. Third, while the practitioner experiences profound changes of consciousness in lucid dreaming, this is where all direct and indirect forms of autosuggestion are most effective.

Not all influences on physiology are 100% effective. However, even without a guaranteed rate of success, the effort to influence physiology is worthy of attention because amazing results can be obtained. Always remember that achieving a good result may require repeated influence from lucid dreaming. Even in the physical world, medications require repeated ingestion.

If the goal is to affect the course of a disease, do not place all your hopes on lucid dreaming. The services of medical doctors must be the first recourse. The more serious the illness, the more strongly this rule applies.

Obtaining Information

Information on health problems may be obtained using the same techniques used for obtaining information. It is also possible to learn methods to remedy health problems, if such methods exist. Both of these possibilities apply to third parties being helped by efforts in lucid dreaming. Information gathering is the only proven way to influence the physiology of other people by using lucid dreaming. For example, it is possible to find a well-known healer in lucid dreaming and ask about personal health problems or the problems of a friend or family member. A clarified answer may be used in the assistance of traditional medical treatment.

Attention from Doctors

Find a doctor in lucid dreaming by using the technique of finding objects and ask the doctor to take examine or treat a known illness or other health problem. For example, in case of abdominal pains the doctor may palpate the belly, apply pressure to various points, and perform a special massage. Any actions are possible, including an operation. After leaving lucid dreaming, the practitioner will feel a positive result.

Taking Medicines

The placebo effect is much stronger in lucid dreaming than in reality since all actions occur in a highly modified state of consciousness and are perceived directly. Object locating techniques may be used to find medications used to treat existing problems. It is also possible to create self-made substances to produce the desirable effect. For example, in case of an acute headache in reality, a practitioner may take a painkiller while in lucid dreaming and its effect will be partially felt in the wakeful state.

Direct Effect

An illness or problem may be directly affected by actions in lucid dreaming. For example, a sore throat may be warmed by envisioning a burning sensation in the throat or by moving to a hot location, like a sauna. If a practitioner would like to increase physical flexibility, then stretching in lucid dreaming will cause the body to adjust to the nonexistent action by relaxing and tensing the corresponding tendons and muscles.

Programming

This is nothing more than normal autosuggestion or auto-training in lucid dreaming, which is more potent in lucid dreaming than reality. A practitioner should repeat a desired goal silently or aloud and, if possible, should imagine experiencing the desired result. For example, if the aim is to alleviate depression, a practitioner should attempt to recreate a happy mood in lucid dreaming, experiencing it to the fullest extent possible. Simultaneously, silent repetition of a goal with complete understanding and expectation that everything will be alright and that everything is wonderful will undoubtedly produce the desired effect.

Useful Experiences

Everything with useful properties in reality should be experienced as useful in lucid dreaming since the body will react in practically the same manner. Useful experiences may include exercising, going to the gym, having a massage, taking mud or salt baths, and experiencing pleasant emotions.

Psychology

Practicing lucid dreaming-related techniques favorably affects the psychology because it offers new opportunities and evokes new emotions. However, there are specific applications of lucid dreaming that produce differing psychological effects. For example, it is possible to use lucid dreaming space as a bridge for dealing with phobias by facilitating a setting where a practitioner may confront and deal with certain fears. Various complexes may be defeated in a similar manner. The use of a well-known technique called re-visiting (recapitulation), where a person re-experiences adverse events while trying to relate to them in a new way, has been used successfully in lucid dreaming.

Richard Webster was born in New Zealand, where he still resides.

He is the author of about 50 publications that have sold many millions of copies around the world. Some of them, like Astral Travel for Beginners, are completely devoted to lucid dreaming state. However, the book is saturated with widespread misconceptions about lucid dreaming phenomenon and misguided theories trying to explain it. The technique-related aspect of the book is also presented ineffectively.

It is quite likely that the author himself has no practical experience, which can also be said for the contents of his other dozens of books devoted to various topics.