Although the general tone of this learning material has so far kept to a sufficiently materialist tack, it is not theorizing about lucid dreaming that brings people together, but its practice. Practice is indisputable, while theory always leads to contention. For that reason, it makes no difference at all what the practitioner considers the nature of the phenomenon to be, including if he sees esoteric or mystic motifs in it. Everyone has the right to their own outlook and it is by no means the aim of this book to influence any life philosophy or encourage it towards some theoretical bent. What’s most important is that the reader be able to get real practice with the phenomenon.

Unfortunately still, there is no clear definition of the phenomenon in esoteric culture, nor an unambiguous term for it. Depending on the esoteric practice, lucid dreaming state is alternatively lumped in with astral projection or out-of-body travel, and sometimes with lucid dreaming. Postulated is some essence (the soul or astral body) leaving the physical plane and finding itself somewhere in a) the physical world, b) the dream world, or c) the astral plane, etc. Meanwhile, the number of worlds that can be visited varies depending on the mystical school. For example, the astral plane can be the higher one or the lower one, or also the mental plane, etheric plane, and so on and so forth. In some mystical schools this is considered a higher experience in terms of one’s personal practice and state of being, while in others it is equated to the physical world, and is but a layer between more ethereal realms. Just the same, explanations of the nature of the phenomenon and its significance also vary widely.

It is also often considered to be the same state that people experience when dying. In many Eastern practices and religions, like Buddhism for example, where the main goal is to stop the cycle of reincarnation through remaining conscious while dying, it is believed that conscious dying can only be accomplished through ability to enter lucid dreaming, which would be a form of training for the moment of death and remaining conscious during it.

There are endless disagreements regarding how lucid dreaming (i.e. dream consciousness) actually differs from so-called "out-of-body travel" and whether its classification under lucid dreaming is justified. The same controversy extends to another esoteric term – astral projection. However, such doubts only trouble novices and those whose acquaintance with lucid dreaming is superficial. Not a single experienced practitioner can unequivocally differentiate these phenomena, although explanations for this may vary. For example, when classifying all these phenomena together, one practitioner will conclude that it’s indeed a parallel world, while another might maintain that it’s all generated by the mind.

There are many reasons to classify lucid dreaming (i.e. dream consciousness) together with out-of-body travel. This is not only because existing research and a massive number of peoples’ experiences easily prove it. There are a number of questions that adherents of dividing lucid dreaming phenomena into various states cannot answer. First, why do lucid dreamers and out-of-body travelers use the very same techniques to achieve their states, but merely call the result by different names? Second, why are the fundamental properties of the out-of-body plane and lucid-dreaming world exactly the same? Third, if the world of dreaming can take on any external form with any properties, then how does one differentiate real exit of the soul from the body into the physical world – or a parallel astral one – from a simulated dreamscape? Many can offer theoretical explanations, but not one that can be applied or proven in practice.

People usually encounter extreme physiological difficulty in leaving behind the idea of there being a myriad of worlds that they can fall into. This is usually tightly interwoven with their life philosophy and worldview, which can be pulled at the seams by such questioning. However, even opponents of classifying lucid dreaming experiences together can easily use the techniques to achieve them in a way compatible with their outlook. This again demonstrates the secondary role of theory and the overriding importance of practice.

As with other lucid dreaming entrance methods, the best time for becoming consciousness while dreaming occurs when using the deferred method. That is, it’s necessary to sleep for 5 to 7 hours, then wake up and perform physical activities for 3 to 50 minutes in order to consolidate the effect of the awakening, and finally go back to sleep with the intention of becoming consciousness during dream episodes to follow. The longer the interlude before going back to sleep, the higher the odds of success. There are some practitioners who are able to fall back asleep after a long interruption. Meanwhile, others are unable to fall asleep after only several minutes of being awake, and so they should make the break as brief as possible.

Consciousness while dreaming also arises easily during a daytime nap. It can also occur in the middle of the night, but for physiological reasons such experiences tend to be brief and are usually marginally lucid.

There are a variety of other procedures to test for the occurrence of a foul. However, since any situation, any quality, or any function can be simulated in lucid dreaming, these procedures are not always applicable. For example, some suggest that it is sufficient to attempt doing something that is realistically impossible, and, if a practitioner is in lucid dreaming, the impossible action will be possible. The problem with this suggestion is that the laws of the physical world may be simulated in lucid dreaming, and so flying, passing through walls or telekinesis may not be possible in even the deepest lucid dreaming. It has also been suggested that looking at a clock twice in a row may help a practitioner determine whether or not lucid dreaming is intact; allegedly, the clock will display a different time each time it is observed. Here again, the clock’s display may not change in lucid dreaming.

One of the most undeservedly popular reality checks consists of trying to breathe out through a pinched nose. If you are able to do so, consider yourself in lucid dreaming. However, if there is serious doubt regarding the nature of the space you are in, this method may yield a false positive over one-third of the time. That is, you may be unable to breathe out through a pinched nose even when in lucid dreaming.

Of all the auxiliary procedures, one deserves mention and works in the majority of cases: searching for inconsistencies with reality in the surroundings. Although the usual surroundings of a practitioner may be 100% accurately simulated in lucid dreaming, it is very rare. Therefore, it is possible to figure out whether a lucid dream is intact by carefully examining the room where everything is taking place. In lucid dreaming, there will be something extra or something will be missing; the time of day or even the season will be inconsistent with reality, and so on. For example, when verifying whether a foul occurred, a room may be missing the table supporting a television set, or the table may be there, but be a different color.

There is also a quite logical method for determining whether or not a practitioner is in lucid dreaming. If an experienced practitioner experiences doubt as to whether lucid dreaming has really ended, then that one doubt is nearly always sufficient to conclude that everything around is still lucid dreaming.

An experienced practitioner will translocate within lucid dreaming and find objects in it upon first attempt when using any technique, or just pure willpower without using techniques at all. It’s not hard at all for him to lift a house or a mountain with one finger, as his mind no longer harbors the biases and patterns of the everyday world. He can take on any bodily form and conjure any sensation, including those alien to human existence or human knowledge. In other words, if there is something a practitioner can’t do in lucid dreaming, that means he hasn’t reached a high level of control over it, and has something to work on.

The things he has to work on are quite clear: intention, self-assurance, and desire. Those are the very factors that determine every facet of controlling lucid dreaming. If something doesn’t work out, then mistakes are to be sought not in one’s technique, but in how it is performed internally, inside one’s subconscious mind – which will never grow accustomed to the fact that the limitations of the physical world no longer always apply.

Robert Monroe was born in the United States in 1915. In 1937, he graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in Engineering. He worked for some time as a radio program producer and director until he established his own radio company in New York, which rapidly expanded.

In 1956, his company also conducted a study about the effect of sound waves on the abilities of the mind.

In 1958, Monroe had an accidental personal experience with lucid dreaming phenomenon, which strongly stoked his interest in the subject to which he would devote his entire career. In 1974, he founded the Monroe Institute, which was entirely devoted to studying unusual states of consciousness and the ability to influence them through audio stimulation and other technologies. One of its main achievements was the creation of the Hemi-Sync system, which was designed to help a person reach altered states of consciousness, including out-of-body states, by synchronizing the two hemispheres of the brain.

His first book, Journeys Out of the Body, was published in 1971. Two books then followed: Far Journeys (1985) and Ultimate Journey (1994).

Robert Monroe has, so far, made the largest contribution toward popularizing lucid dreaming state. However, he understood lucid dreaming more as an actual exit of the mind from the body, which is why the term “out-of-body experience” (OBE) was introduced. The book Journeys Out of the Body was such a massive success that Monroe quickly became an undisputed authority in the field.

However, the large influence of mysticism on Monroe’s work and views cannot be ignored. This is especially apparent after his second book. The majority of phenomena described in the book have not been verified in practice. The only attempt at conducting a full-fledged scientific experiment proving that the mind left the body was unsuccessful. In the end, typical misconceptions about lucid dreaming became widespread, as did awareness of the existence of out-of-body experiences.

Robert Monroe passed away in 1995.