Questions

Which techniques should be mastered before proceeding to direct techniques?

Should results from the use of direct techniques be expected after several days or a week?

Is it better to practice direct techniques during the day or in the evening?

Is it correct to perform three direct attempts per day?

Which body position should be assumed when suffering from insomnia?

Which body position should be used by a person who falls asleep quickly?

How much time should be spent on a single direct attempt?

When can direct attempts be made for a longer period of time than usual?

What is the best way for an inexperienced practitioner to relax?

Can direct techniques substitute relaxation techniques?

Can relaxation techniques substitute direct techniques?

How many variations for performing direct techniques are there?

In what case is the variation of sequencing with direct techniques employed?

Which technique may not be used for direct entrance to lucid dreaming with the goal of creating a free-floating state of mind?

What happens to consciousness while in a free-floating state during direct techniques?

Should awakening be attempted if falling asleep occurred while using direct techniques?

What is the probability of entering lucid dreaming without a free-floating state of consciousness?

What do unsuccessful attempts using direct techniques most often end in?

Is sexual activity before an evening attempt using a direct technique beneficial?

Task

When performing direct techniques, try to achieve no less than three lapses in consciousness before 20 minutes elapse, or before you fall asleep. Repeat this challenge until lucid dreaming entrance is achieved.

Chrille_pk@hotmail.com

I woke and started to apply the indirect techniques after an attempt to separate. Nothing happened…

I remembered to keep doing cycles, and once I reached the fourth cycle and was really struggling to not fall asleep, I noticed that I was hearing a beeping noise, and so I started listening in. I don’t really remember, but I think I tried to separate in my bedroom at that point. I teleported and suddenly found myself standing in a shopping mall.

I sort of knew it was a dream, but my mind couldn’t accept it, and so I was both aware and unaware at the same time. But then my “aware half” decided to touch the ground and everything I saw around. The dream was now perfectly clear.

I tried to summon a person.I thought, "around that corner I will meet my friend Johanna." Once I walked past it, I saw her! She had on different clothes than usual, but her face looked all the same. I talked to her while simply admiring the vivid world and projections of people I know. She then gazed at me for several seconds and kissed me! I was shocked, because I don’t have feelings for her. However, here I lost lucidity (M.R.: no maintaining)…

It is useless to attempt entering lucid dreaming using a direct technique by lying in bed and resolving neither to sleep nor get up until lucid dreaming occurs. Such coarseness in handling the delicate nature of the mind will produce nothing besides rapid emotional exhaustion.

Rigid timeframes apply while performing direct techniques before a sleep or in the middle of the night. Direct techniques attempts should only last 10 to 20 minutes. Longer durations inhibit sleepiness because the mind will concentrate too long on the techniques, and the desire to fall asleep will dissipate, resulting in insomnia that often lasts several hours. Overdone efforts negatively affect natural enthusiasm due to lost sleep and being tired the following day, which is compounded by the reality of a growing number of failed attempts.

If direct techniques produce no effect over the course of 10 to 20 minutes before sleep or in the middle of the night, then it is better to go to sleep with the thought that everything will work out another time. This is the positive outlook a practitioner ought to always maintain.

The Art of Dreaming (1993)

…I had a most unusual dream. It started with the appearance of a scout from the inorganic beings’ world. The scouts as well as the dreaming emissary had been strangely absent from my dreams. I had not missed them or pondered their disappearance. In fact, I was so at ease without them I had even forgotten to ask don Juan about their absence.

In that dream, the scout had been, at first, a gigantic yellow topaz, which I had found stuck in the back of a drawer. The moment I voiced my intent to see, the topaz turned into a blob of sizzling energy. I feared that I would be compelled to follow it, so I moved my gaze away from the scout and focused it on an aquarium with tropical fish. I voiced my intent to see and got a tremendous surprise. The aquarium emitted a low, greenish glow and changed into a large surrealist portrait of a bejeweled woman. The portrait emitted the same greenish glow when I voiced my intent to see.

As I gazed at that glow, the whole dream changed. I was walking then on a street in a town that seemed familiar to me; it might have been Tucson. I gazed at a display of women’s clothes in a store window and spoke out loud my intent to see. Instantly, a black mannequin, prominently displayed, began to glow. I gazed next at a saleslady who came at that moment to rearrange the window. She looked at me. After voicing my intent, I saw her glow. It was so stupendous that I was afraid some detail in her splendorous glow would trap me, but the woman moved inside the store before I had time to focus my total attention on her. I certainly intended to follow her inside; however, my dreaming attention was caught by a moving glow. It came to me charging, filled with hatred. There was loathing in it and viciousness. I jumped backward. The glow stopped its charge; a black substance swallowed me, and I woke up.

These images were so vivid that I firmly believed I had seen energy…

I woke up. I needed to go to the bathroom, but decided to ignore the need. I felt light vibrations and did forced falling asleep. I knew I was in lucid dreaming. I could feel myself moving, but the vibrations weren’t there anymore. I thought to myself, "that’s odd… oh well, just roll out!" So I did!

I was on my husband’s side of the bed and I couldn’t see properly. My eyes felt stuck together. After some straining, I could see out of my left eye fine and noticed a whole lot of pillows and blankets piled on the floor. I thought, "how did all that get there??"

I tried to open my right eye, but the eyelids were stuck together. I tried physically opening it with my fingers, but it was stuck like glue. I thought, "what if I rip my eyelid," but knowing full well I couldn’t. Then, I realized that the reason my eye was not opening was because I had to deepen! I closed my eyes and frantically started touching everything I could. I touched the walls, my husband’s bedside table, and knocked over everything. I could hear glass hitting the table. I’d knocked over a glass of water. I still couldn’t see! I sort of stalled, and didn’t know what to do.

Then, I remembered that while in lucid dreaming, I had wanted to stick my head out of my closed bedroom window, look out, and jump! (my bedroom is on the 2nd floor) I ran excitedly to the window and stuck my head out! Argh!! It works! So cool!

I jumped out, and before I hit the ground I said, "I want to fly." I took off and flew around my house and the others around it. Ahhh so this is what it feels like. It was amazing! Then all of a sudden – SPLAT! I fell out of the sky! How rude!

I jumped up and tried again. I didn’t take off, but sort of hovered and then fell again. I did this twice, and on the third time I took off. I flew down the road. I still couldn’t see out of my right eye, and thought, “I wonder if I can make it rain?” I said, "I want it to rain," and it started raining! As soon as it had started raining, I could see out of both eyes. I wiped my face. There were beautiful cool rain drops as I was flying! It was so peaceful. I didn’t want it to end.

It did however end, and I found myself sitting on the side of the road a block over from my house. I realized I needed to go to the bathroom! Damn it! I woke up.

This was the coolest thing I have ever experienced in my life – so much fun! I can’t wait for more OBE’s – bring it on!