I woke up at about 8:00 am and took a cold shower, but was still unable to get into work mode. I decided to go back to sleep. Given that this would be a good time make attempts to enter lucid dreaming, I decided to try make a go of it. However, I wasn’t in the mood to try anything but phantom wiggling. Not really expecting anything to come of it, I half-heartedly and monotonously tried to "rock the boat" with one hand. That hand, in turn, quickly yielded and started moving, though initially with little amplitude. Already having practically fallen asleep, I noticed that the amplitude had increased dramatically and my hand began to literally slip out of my body. I decided to monitor the situation more closely, and was able to move my forearm further and further to each side. At some point, I was able to trace a full circle with it. It then occurred to me that there had been a marked change in my sense of bodily perception. Something clearly started to occur. I tried to roll out. That did not work, but vibrations arose upon attempting it. This served as a signal to try more actively to roll out. I tried again – and it worked. Granted, there was some difficulty and sluggishness involved, but it worked.

I rolled out off the bed, but the state was unstable: there were no distinct sensations, and I was drawn back into my body. I began erratically palpating everything. The pull on my body gradually disappeared, and after 5 to 10 seconds my sight started to return. I used it to deepen by peering. That proved to be the decisive factor. lucid dreaming became hyper-real.

I remembered right then and there what needed to be tried in this lucid dreaming, and I began from the most important item – experimenting with translocation. I had wanted to check once again how difficult it was to translocate in space using the door technique. First, I closed the door. I focused my attention on there being an auditorium behind it in which I was to give a lecture. I opened the door, walked into the auditorium, and closed the door once again behind me. I then focused my attention on the other side of the door being the weight-room of the gym that I go to. I opened the door, and looked in to the weight-room. Then, I shut the door and opened it again – the weight-room was still there. I went into it and closed the door behind me. I then focused on deep outer-space being behind the door. I opened the door, which led into the hallway that would have been there if I were really in the weight-room. I closed the door and concentrated even harder on outer-space being behind it. I started to open the door, but something seemed to be holding it back from the other side. I had to use force to get the door to budge. After that, it opened all the way easily. At that point, I noticed that lucid dreaming space began to blur. However, I managed to concentrate and restore its realism by straining the brain. Behind the door was deep outer-space.

I stood at the entrance to the weight room, and literally a step in front of me was endless expanse without beginning or end. I could breathe freely. An icy draft came in through the door. Experiments have shown that unless one is simply going from one room into another, translocating using doors is one of the more difficult methods. Such difficulty is probably only due to the internal psychological blocks that people have. While standing and analyzing what was happening, I was sucked into a stencil. The only thing that I could do at that very moment was grab at the door handle, which I did almost automatically.

I then felt myself lying in my body. However, my hand was clearly still grasping the door handle. I began moving the phantom hand on every plane, and soon felt that I would be able to separate. I easily rolled out and found myself in my room.

I quickly brought the state to a level of hyperrealism through peering interspersed with palpation. Realizing that I had already achieved my primary objectives, I gave in to a desire to meet with a girl whom I had not seen for a while, but still had feelings for. I went to the bathroom door, and opened it without a shred of doubt that she would be on the other side. And that’s just how it happened. I opened the door and saw behind her the interior of my old apartment where she used to visit me. I had of course hoped to have seen her naked in the bathtub, but this scenario was not bad at all.

She was sitting on the couch and looking out the window. I felt that she understood that I was close-by. I went up and sat down on the floor next to her. I cuddled up to and started being affectionate with her. Thanks to the hyper-realism of the experience, the sensations were incredibly intense and amazing. Simply stroking her skirt and jacket was a stunning experience, as it once was in reality. It was extremely pleasant to feel her soft and warm body under her clothes, pantyhose, and knee-high stockings.

Once I brought my hand to her head and began taking her hair away from her face, she turned toward me and smiled. After seeing the gaze of those same very eyes and that same smile, there was nothing I could do in response but smile. I continued to move my hands over her face, head, and body in order to maintain lucid dreaming. Her eyes were sad, her smile seemed to be amid tears. But all the while, her expression was more open and sincere than it had ever been in reality.

She also started to smooth my face and hands. She then came to ask me how I was doing and what I had been up to. Understanding that such communication was only a formality of secondary importance in lucid dreaming, I answered only in monosyllables, all the while enjoying the fact that I was next to her, could feel her touch, see her eyes, and hear her painfully familiar voice. Surprisingly, I was not overwhelmed by the unbridled sexual instincts that usually arise when contacting the opposite sex in lucid dreaming.

After spending some more time with her, I decided that it was time to bring the meeting to a close, as I could see her another time. Before me still remained the task of entering and exiting my body multiple times. Practicing that skill had been a part of my preliminary plan of action.

I intentionally returned to my body and immediately began trying to exit it. I was easily able to roll out. I returned back to my body, and then rolled out of it again. However, my connection to reality greatly increased after that last return, and it took a fair amount of effort to literally fly out of my body. I would also have to employ the technique of forced falling asleep.

Having found myself floating once again in the center of the room, I clearly understood that there was no point in returning back again to the body. Without even bothering to strengthen lucid dreaming through deepening, I nevertheless intentionally rushed back to my body in order to discover the limit of my own capabilities, and further refine my skill at exiting the body. Caught in a stencil, I was at first barely able to move, but then I was seized by a wave of awakening. I switched to forced falling asleep, and then on to observing images when forced sleep did not work. No images appeared. I again began to try to divide, but then arose the feeling of having fully awakened.

I started trying to move my hands down along my body and back. Phantom movement arose after several seconds, and my consciousness immediately submerged deeply, sinking away from the outside world. I focused even more on movement, and it occurred even further. I started to try to get up. I was able to, but very sluggishly. My body seemed to be several times heavier than it really was. Any relaxation on my part immediately nailed me back to the stencil. At some point I managed to completely separate, and found myself next to the bed. I tried chaotically to use all available deepening techniques, but nothing helped, and I was returned to my body. I was done for that session.

In order to use this technique, approach any door with the strong belief that it leads to the required location. After opening the door, the practitioner will see and be able to step into the destination. If the door was originally open, it must be completely shut before applying the technique.

A drawback to this technique is that its practice always requires a door. If there is no door, users of this translocation technique should create one using an object finding technique.

Techniques used to gain direct entrance to lucid dreaming are exactly the same as those used during indirect attempts. The only difference is in the method of implementation. However, since direct techniques mostly require passivity, not all techniques work equally well for both direct and indirect entries into lucid dreaming. For example, active techniques like straining the brain cannot be used to gain a smooth entrance into lucid dreaming.

Direct techniques differ from indirect techniques in their implementation because of the slow, halting production of results that occurs from the beginning of a direct attempt through the end of it. If upon awakening something happens to work, then this can practically always lead to entrance into lucid dreaming. For example, the same phantom wiggling before sleep can begin quickly enough, but range of movement will not be easy to increase, and the entire implementation of the technique will rely on protracted, rhythmic movement. Results take much longer: ten minutes instead of ten seconds. These differences also apply to every technique described in this guidebook.

Like with the practice of indirect techniques, to begin the practice of direct techniques, a practitioner should choose 2 or 4 of the most suitable techniques from those that prove most effective for the individual.

The primary difference in working with direct techniques is the time that it takes to exercise each. If testing a specific indirect technique takes only 3 to 5 seconds, then in this case several minutes will be spent. Duration varies depending on certain factors.

There are three primary ways of performing the techniques: classical, sequencing, and cycling – similar to the cycling used with indirect techniques. To understand which variant should be used, consider the following table:

Variations of Using the Techniques	When to Use It
Classical (passive) variation: One attempt of 1 technique. The technique may be alternated after each attempt.	– when learning direct techniques; – when a practitioner generally sleeps poorly; – if attempts lead to waking up; – if attempts with other variations occur without lapses in consciousness; – if the body and consciousness are in a relaxed state;
Sequencing (middle): One attempt with 2 to 3 techniques for 1 to 5 minutes. Techniques are alternated infrequently. Aggression fluctuates with the length of time that the techniques are performed.	– used if falling asleep occurs while using the classical variation, or if cycling results in becoming wide awake; – when a practitioner generally falls asleep quickly;
Cycling (active): Algorithm of cycling 3 techniques like with indirect entry to lucid dreaming, but performing each technique for 10 seconds to 1 minute, and not 3 to 5 seconds.	– if the classical and sequencing variations put one asleep; – when one generally falls asleep very quickly; – can also be employed when exhausted or sleep deprived;

A practitioner should always begin with the classical variation, i.e. using one technique over an entire attempt. Due to the unusual nature of the efforts involved, a beginner’s enthusiasm may sustain a completely alert state. Later, however, strong, prolonged lapses of consciousness into sleep may occur. Here, it may be necessary to increase the level of activity by transitioning to the sequencing variation.

Sequencing is the primary variation used for direct techniques because of its elasticity in application. It can be passive if a practitioner alternates two techniques for five minutes each over the course of 15 minutes. It may also be aggressive if three techniques are sequenced for one minute each. Everything between these two extremes allows for proper practice of the techniques and selection of the best variation to achieve a free-floating state of mind.

If falling off to sleep stubbornly occurs even with the active form of sequencing, then one should start cycling through indirect techniques, but performing each technique for 10 seconds to 1 minute.

As work over many months with the techniques is implied, one should not torment oneself if on one day one does not want to do something. Otherwise, one may quickly tire out. Everything should be a pleasure to do and not cause any excessive emotional tension.

Applying the as-needed sensory amplification technique is no different than constant sensory amplification. It is used only when a foul (a return to a wakeful state) is imminent or when lucid dreaming vision starts to blur and fade. For example, while traveling in lucid dreaming everything may start to blur, signaling a weakening of lucid dreaming. At this moment, the practitioner should touch every available object and observe everything in fine detail. As soon as everything returns to a clear and realistic state, actions may be continued without needing to perform amplification.

If the first cycle of 3 techniques does not yield any clear results, this does not mean that all is lost. Even if the techniques do not work, they still draw the practitioner closer to lucid dreaming state and it is simply necessary to continue using the techniques by again observing images, phantom wiggling, and listening in – and repeating this process at least three times.

Having performed one cycle of techniques, one can easily go on to doing a second cycle, a third one, a fourth one, and so on. It is quite probable that during one of these cycles, a technique will suddenly prove itself, even though it had not been working at all just a few seconds beforehand.

A serious practitioner should commit to a minimum of 4 cycles. The problem lies in the fact that it is psychologically difficult to do something that has shown itself not to work, and one may give up taking further action, even though one could be at the cusp of falling into lucid dreaming. Keep trying, and then try again, and again! There have been cases where it took ten cycles to produce results. A monumental effort, yes, but one worth the outcome. But don’t do it for more than one minute.