Intention is crucial to the success of any technique. With regard to dream consciousness, its significance is multiplied. The creation of intention is inextricably linked to the creation of internal aspiration, which has reverberations in both conscious and unconscious states. In reality, an elevated degree of intention operates as a powerful method of mental programming.

This technique is performed before falling asleep by affirming a strong desire to become conscious while dreaming. For best results, alongside a strong, clearly defined intention, think through what actions will be taken when dream consciousness is achieved.

This technique is used to maintain constant, strong vibrations in lucid dreaming. As previously noted, vibrations are generated by straining the brain or tensing the body without using muscles. Maintaining strong vibrations will have a positive effect on the length of lucid dreaming.

To ensure that dream consciousness leads to a fully developed lucid dreaming experience, one of three specific actions must be taken.

The best is the techniques for deepening, which should be immediately applied once dream consciousness occurs. Deepening must be performed within the dream episode before all other techniques. Doing so virtually guarantees entrance to lucid dreaming. The choice of actions that follow deepening is dependent upon a practitioner’s predetermined plan of action in lucid dreaming.

When becoming conscious while dreaming, it is quite dangerous to try to return to one’s body in order to roll out of it right away unless one has deepened beforehand. This could result in a situation where, after having easily returned to one’s body, one would not be able to separate from it, as lucid dreaming becomes significantly weaker when physical sensations coincide with the position of a real body. If one is to employ such an option, then in order to return to one’s body one should simply think about it, which is often sufficient to make the transition occur almost immediately.

Another option is the use of translocation techniques to arrive at a desired place within lucid dreaming world. It is also dangerous to employ this variation without first deepening; translocating in a shallow lucid dreaming makes a return to the wakeful state very likely. Translocation is often accompanied by a substantial decrease in the depth of lucid dreaming state.

Two problems may surface while conversing with animate objects in lucid dreaming: silence or a return to the body. In view of the fact that many lucid dreaming applications are based on contact with people for one purpose or another, it is necessary to understand how to correctly manage contact with living objects.

In order to avoid a foul (ejection from lucid dreaming into reality), the elementary rules of “maintaining” must be observed. For example, actively observe the facial features or clothing of a person you want to communicate with. While communicating, the practitioner should constantly rub the hands together or maintain strong vibrations by straining the brain. Remember to perform the techniques to avoid becoming absorbed in communication.

A more complex problem is overcoming the communicative unresponsiveness of objects in lucid dreaming. In many cases, the speech of an object is blocked by the internal stress of the practitioner. Sometimes the problem stems from an expectation that an object will not be able to communicate in lucid dreaming.

It is important to treat the objects in a calm manner. There is no use trying to shout or beat the object to force communication. On the contrary, it is much more effective to treat the object gently, without applying pressure. Do not peer at an object’s mouth expecting sounds to emerge. It is better to look elsewhere; taking a passive interest in communication generally yields the best results.

As a rule, after the first time that communication with a living object is successful, future attempts go unhindered.

Communication methods in lucid dreaming should be no different than those used in ordinary life: talking, facial expressions, gesturing with the hands, body language. Telepathy may be used too.

Saint Petersburg, Russia

I woke up at early in the night after some difficulties with falling asleep. Blurred images started to float before my eyes and I realized that I could enter lucid dreaming. I started to discard unnecessary images, and after getting ahold of one of them, I emerged in some kind of a yellow corridor. The level of general realness and awareness of the experience was about 80% to 90% of that of reality. I remembered about the methods for deepening, which is why I started to look at everything going on around me, but this did not yield any serious results. I started to touch myself, but all sensation seemed somewhat dampened. I realized that I was losing awareness. I came round, but nevertheless fell asleep in about 20 seconds (M.R.: no plan of action and no maintaining).