Lucid Dreaming and OBE Discussion Board

Being an avid reader of Newscientist, I learned how to make the best cups of tea in the world!

But this wasn't the only valuable info I came across.  I found that green tea, combined with red light, could reinforce brain connections and help to prevent degenerate diseases like Alzheimer's.

I told my wife but she didn't seem to care.  My brother-in-law Gary caught me drinking green tea once and he said: "What the hell are you drinking?" - I replied: "Green tea."  He laughed at me and said that it was shit - adding that his conventional tea was way better!

Today I have the last laugh...

Apart from the info I found months ago on Newscientist, I discovered some more on green tea from a different source a couple of days ago.  There's no smoke without fire, right?  The Maya Newspaper published that green tea alone, according to scientists, boosts memory!  Green tea alone is good for the brain because it is seen to improve memory and spatial learning.

It apparently also helps to prevent cardiovascular diseases apart from chemically effecting the production of brain cells  - what a bonus!  Green tea contains an antioxidant called epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG) which has beneficial effects on age-related degenerative diseases.  More on the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research reports.

According to professor Yun Bai, at the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China, EGCG boosts the production of neural progenitor cells - which like stem cells can adapt, or differentiate, into various cells - in the hippocampus (the part of the brain which processes information from short-term to long-term memory).

This bears repeating: green tea boosts memory!!
And since memory and consciousness are interrelated, you can see where I'm going with this...

We want a good memory because:

• We want to remember phase experiences well
• We want to remember dreams (particularly if we are using the dream consciousness method)
• We want to remember what to do upon awakenings (indirect method)
• We want to remember plans of action
• We want to remember our SOBT revision
• We want to consolidate memory in order to increase our chances of phase entry

If green tea won't do it for you chemically in terms of producing immediate and noticeable results, then at least your placebo effect might kick in to begin with.  In any case one should also exercise their memory.  Trying to remember a phone number from the yellow pages 5 minutes after having looked at it is an example of exercising memory.  Repetition in your mind can help, hehehe!

Yep...

Happy cuppa GREEN TEA

Well I guess that means we should slightly alter page 182 of the practical guidebook where it talks about strange diets

"It must be said that various diets, exercises, rituals, and so forth do not produce noticeable supplementary effects to proper practice of the phase. Naturally existent psychological and physiological comfort is of the utmost importance. Thus, methods recommending overeating, under-eating, or tormenting oneself with various diets and strange exercises are useless and ultimately detrimental to a practitioner’s wellness and balance, invariably producing a negative impact on the effectiveness of techniques taught in this guidebook. Additionally, no meaningful association has been found between practice of the phase and what may be construed as “bad habitsâ€

LOL!

Well, I'd say that section of SOBT is still applicable.  People don't have to drink green tea to have a good memory and/or be adroit at phase practice.  In fact, I don't want to give people the wrong idea here.  They should still make the effort of working through techniques diligently and confidently.

Another thing I'd like to emphasise is that green tea does not propel you into the phase.  It merely boosts memory.  What you do with it is what counts.  I also wouldn't recommend abusing green tea as it is still tea, and, as a diuretic, it can still cause dehydration.

This thread is more like a suggestion where, if you occasionally drink tea, perhaps you might want to try green tea instead.  In fact, don't start drinking copious amounts of it - especially prior to a phase entrance attempt.

Lucky you that you like it!! Just the smell of it makes me want to vomit!! 

Luna wrote: Lucky you that you like it!! Just the smell of it makes me want to vomit!! 

Well you had better not take Sumerlander's advice and torment yourself by drinking the strange stuff he calls "green tea". It could negatively affect your phase attempts

"tormenting oneself with various diets and strange exercises are useless and ultimately detrimental to a practitioner’s wellness and balance, invariably producing a negative impact on the effectiveness of techniques taught in this guidebook."

Try some multivitamins instead
http://www.memory-improvement-tips.com/ ... emory.html

Yeah, no wont be drinking any anytime soon!!
I have been taking fish oil these past few days...Which aids Brian function!! will see what happens.

Luna wrote: I have been taking fish oil these past few days...Which aids Brian function!! will see what happens.

I take fish oil tablets about once a week... I hate trying to remember to have them every day

12padams hit the nail on the head there, Luna.  If it's not compatible with you, don't even go there.  On the other hand, fish is another great brain booster.

Btw, guys, I have developed an acronym to remember what to do to maintain a successful phase practice: EDMAR...

Enter the phase
Deepen the phase
Maintain the phase
Action in the phase
Reenter the phase (in the case of a foul)

Personally I dislike having the idea that I must deepen the phase as soon as I enter it. Just the thought that it must be deepened upon entry makes the state very unstable and hard to maintain. I personally prefer deepening when required since if you are always thinking about it as unstable that concept will become a reality.

I would love Michael to do an experiment in which he explains to new practitioners that the phase state is hard to exit. Then he could tell them that you can only leave the phase by palpating. Since the phase is heavily influenced by your thoughts it would be interesting to see if their phase state actually mimics Michael's altered explaination.

But hey, the phase is limited only by your own imagination. In fact you can make up your own devices within the phase that can do whatever you want. A great example of a useful device would be a APM (Automatic Phase Maintainer). It's a small phone-like object that you can either hold in your hand or keep in your pocket. It's awesome because as soon as the phase starts fading away it vibrates intensely which instantly deepens the state without any effort on your part. Simply switch it off when you want to exit the phase. Be careful though... If it malfunctions and doesn't turn off then you are stuck in the phase forever

Personally I dislike having the idea that I must deepen the phase as soon as I enter it. Just the thought that it must be deepened upon entry makes the state very unstable and hard to maintain. I personally prefer deepening when required since if you are always thinking about it as unstable that concept will become a reality.

In some cases deepening may be bypassed but when the phase is shallow it is a necessity that must be applied if you want to increase your chances of staying in the state longer.  Deepening and maintaining should be something that you enjoy doing (not seen as chores) and without the fear of a foul.  It is all about intensifying your sensations through action.  Once you reach a deep phase you can maintain as needed and focus on your plan of action which, in itself, is tied to sensations.  Once you develop a good flow it won't even bother you.

I would love Michael to do an experiment in which he explains to new practitioners that the phase state is hard to exit. Then he could tell them that you can only leave the phase by palpating. Since the phase is heavily influenced by your thoughts it would be interesting to see if their phase state actually mimics Michael's altered explaination.

This has already been researched thoroughly.  It doesn't work like that.  A lot of novices fear getting stuck in the phase forever but a lot of their experiences are very brief.  Another thing that we must also acknowledge is the fact that fear itself can prolong the state - though there are less unpleasant ways to prolong it - and attempts to return to the body due to fear can lead to unpleasant false awakenings.

It is true that there is a lot of unconscious programming going on in the phase but if you are not careful you might be swayed into an ordinary dream state and thus lose many of your mental faculties.  For example, a while ago I entered the phase and found my wife milling about in a simulation of my bedroom.  The phase appeared to be quite stable and I decided to not do any deepening.  The environment began to lose some of its colour and when I was about to deepen, "Stacey" approached me and said, "in here you don't have to do that, trust me".  I asked her, "will I lose the phase, though?" she smirked and replied, "of course not, trust me".  Before I knew it I fell asleep.  When I awoke I vaguely remembered that, as the phase faded and I entered a dream, I had forgotten what we had been talking about initially. 

I had distinctly lost the critical faculties that are fundamental for full consciousness and self-awareness.  In hindsight, the Stacey simulation and what she was saying was most likely what I wanted to hear as I was seeing deepening as a burden rather than something interesting to do.  That cost me and I got lost in a dream state.  Develop an interest for the sensations you experience in the phase.  Crave to intensify them.  Your planned actions can also be used to do deepening.  For instance, if you want to play a guitar in the phase, you can use an object-finding technique and then pay attention to how the object feels against your body, on your hands, pluck the strings and listen to the sounds in produces, observe the strings vibrating, etc. etc. 

Give it your all, and not for the sake of appearances.  But as mentioned in SOBT, techniques only have their maximum effect when you have focus and confidence. 

We must remember, however, that the phase is a brain state where we can consciously program certain activities.  Sensory perception also plays a big role in phase maintenance.  The intention or desire to remain there alone are not enough unless you are expressing that through action.  This is conveyed in the guidebook. 

For instance, counting in the phase and trying to reach the highest number possible, no matter what, before a foul, activates certain areas of your brain to do with language and maths and keeps you focused on your goal.  Likewise, actively palpating and peering at objects maintains the existence of phase environments and adjourns the interference of real world stimuli on our sensory organs.  As long as we are focusing on and keeping the phantom sensations of the phase state alive, then the electrical buzz responsible for that will continue to have leeway.

But hey, the phase is limited only by your own imagination. In fact you can make up your own devices within the phase that can do whatever you want. A great example of a useful device would be a APM (Automatic Phase Maintainer). It's a small phone-like object that you can either hold in your hand or keep in your pocket. It's awesome because as soon as the phase starts fading away it vibrates intensely which instantly deepens the state without any effort on your part. Simply switch it off when you want to exit the phase. Be careful though... If it malfunctions and doesn't turn off then you are stuck in the phase forever

LOL!  No.  You can't get stuck in the phase forever.  The real challenge (i.e. not a "problem") is to remain in it.  The phone vibrating sounds like a personalised version of using vibrations.  It is worth remembering this from SOBT:

"For vibrations to appear, it often suffices merely to think about them.  During the first experience, one should experiment with them for a while by rolling them around the body and its parts, as well as strengthening them and weakening them.  However, one should not think that the presence of vibrations is a necessary condition for being in the phase.  Many novices often strive not for the phase but for vibrations, after which the former must supposedly follow.  That should not be the case.  There are indeed specific techniques that make it possible to get into the phase by creating vibrations, but in all other cases they are not necessary and some practitioners may never have them at all." - p327 (The Essence of Primary Skills: Vibrations)

More relevant to the topic, I'd like to include a few of things about tea here - and you may find them in some packages:

Tea is created using the young growth of leaves from the Camellia Sinensis.  It was first discovered in China.  Legend has it that it was in 2737 BC when leaves fell into water being boiled for the emperor Shen-nung.

Tea in general can also calm your mind, keep you alert and aid the practice of meditation.  It also promotes alpha brain waves.  The tannins, however, are not compatible with iron but you can get this from fish!  I love fish!

There is something though, that you find in both tea and fish.  Does anyone know what that is?





 

Simply switch it off when you want to exit the phase. Be careful though... If it malfunctions and doesn't turn off then you are stuck in the phase forever

LOL!  No.  You can't get stuck in the phase forever.  The real challenge (i.e. not a "problem") is to remain in it.

Lol didn't you realize that I was being sarcastic at the end? If the phase state had that kind of possibility I don't think Michael would tell people how to enter the state... I intended to write about that device in the form of a a fake but slightly humorous advertisement for the product. Lol I bet you've been reading all my posts searching for something "wrong" so you could finally say "no!" or "wrong!". You really enjoyed it too because your first word was lol followed by no... Glad I made you laugh lol

Anyway I agree, lets stay on topic about the green tea...

There is something though, that you find in both tea and fish.  Does anyone know what that is?

Well I don't but I will be interested to find out the what others answer to the same question question you posted here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index ... 544AA2a1QR

Some of them there seem pretty clueless but you gotta laugh at some of those answers...

What is found in both tea and fish?
Answer: "Molecules" - you could pretty much say that about anything except for the things that molecules are made of themselves... This includes atoms, subatomic particles and quarks.
Answer: "water!? I don't know" - So you don't know yet you will yell out water unconfidently (shown by the use of the exclamation mark and question mark together). It's almost like you w're asking a riddle rather than a question the way he was attempting to answer lol

Anyway why do you ask? Have you heard it before or are you just testing us?

Lol didn't you realize that I was being sarcastic at the end? If the phase state had that kind of possibility I don't think Michael would tell people how to enter the state... I intended to write about that device in the form of a a fake but slightly humorous advertisement for the product. Lol I bet you've been reading all my posts searching for something "wrong" so you could finally say "no!" or "wrong!". You really enjoyed it too because your first word was lol followed by no... Glad I made you laugh lol

Sorry, I suck at sarcasm live and it is harder for me to detect it in written form.

Btw, I wasn't looking for errors in what you posted - although I do enjoy correcting people (at least the ones that can take being corrected and don't give me a hard time for innocently correcting them  )

What is found in both tea and fish?
Answer: "Molecules" - you could pretty much say that about anything except for the things that molecules are made of themselves... This includes atoms, subatomic particles and quarks.
Answer: "water!? I don't know" - So you don't know yet you will yell out water unconfidently (shown by the use of the exclamation mark and question mark together). It's almost like you w're asking a riddle rather than a question the way he was attempting to answer lol

Anyway why do you ask? Have you heard it before or are you just testing us?

Nah, not testing anyone.  Although I was curious to see if people were aware of it.  I'm glad I posted it there - the answers made me laugh too.  The answer is taurine and it is beneficial to the nervous system.

Wow, this thread is rich!  Mission accomplished.

Edit:



Actually, I've blundered!  I was wrong.  It is only found in green tea!!

Never mind!  At least we know now that green tea is the best!

ps. 12padams, if karma is real those people on yahoo answers will point out where I've gone "wrong"!