Don Juan's Technique

[Manifold_Time]

This is out of the book Journey to Ixtlan. It's simple.

Look at your hands before you go to bed and say to yourself "I will look at my hands in my dream and realize that I am dreaming." Repeat this over and over as you fall asleep. Prior meditation practice will help this technique (and many others actually) so that you can concentrate on that statement without losing focus.

[ZNOFZ]

I just finished the first book in the series and can say personally that is the best book I have ever read. I am going to read A Separate Reality and then Journey to Ixtlan. If anyone one on these boards is interested in mysticism I highly recommend these books.

I have heard about this technique before. I have been a variation that involved drawing X's on your hand and using them as a dream symbol before you go to sleep. I have yet to read that book but I can’t wait to!

[Lucius]

Here's my 2 cents:

Techniques like that (basically repeating a certain message 'I will become lucid one way or another' tonight to get it stuck in your head) aren't necessarily bad.. its just that I think the way a lot of people will practise them they won't be very effective.

What most people would tend to do is just spam the message in their heads as much as possible, the more the better. Just jam it in. Maybe the first few times they know what they're saying, but over time it becomes more and more automatic and mindless. What I mean by that is you no longer really think about the true concept behind the 'I will become lucid this way', instead it's just a sentence you're jamming into your head. Like you're learning a foreign language (very bad way to learn by the way, ask any teacher.. but that's a different story ;) )

Now, you might actually dream about saying this to yourself.. but, you don't become lucid. Why? Because it became mindless repetition ;) When practising this technique, it's important to clearly consider everytime you say to yourself, I will become lucid. What does that really mean? It means I will become aware when I am dreaming, that I a dreaming. And in fact, maybe I'm dreaming right now? Yes? No? And why? Question reality right now. Now we're talking and we're making that sentence count! ^_^

I think it's better to maybe only repeat the sentence a couple of times and really think about what it means, get deeply into it and really become aware for a moment then to repeat it as many times possible. It'll become automated.. and even if it works at first, it's bound to fail overtime as you'll start dreaming the sentence, not the real meaning behind it. That's as annoying as dreaming about delicious food standing in front of you, instead of actually eating it XD

Now I know the particular technique involves looking at your hands, but I don't think that makes what I said more or less relevant. But I do agree, the hands, or any other symbol you could pick might help ^_~

Anyway, hope that was understandable :-P Just something to consider when practising techniques like these.. and many others. Reality checks are just the same, really. And I'm sure some people know this, but some might not :)

[Gwendolyn]

Originally posted by Manifold_Time
This is out of the book Journey to Ixtlan. It's simple.

Look at your hands before you go to bed and say to yourself "I will look at my hands in my dream and realize that I am dreaming." Repeat this over and over as you fall asleep. Prior meditation practice will help this technique (and many others actually) so that you can concentrate on that statement without losing focus.

Actually, I've been advocating that technique for both recognition and clarity. This is how I got my first LD. And while I was in the process of reading this book. It does work, that's for sure.

[ZenVortex]

The looking-at-hands technique was developed about 1,000 years ago by Sufi mystics in Iran. It was also used in the early 20th century by Gurdjieff and Ouspensky. I agree with Lucius's profound comments that "spamming" -- mindless repetition of an affirmation or activity -- is not very effective.

On the other hand, there is some evidence that subliminal messages can help lucid dreaming. There is a lot to be learned about lucid dreaming and the main thing I am getting from this Forum is an appreciation of the wide range of methods people are using. However, what we are basically doing regardless of technique is reprogramming the brain, probably the cerebellum, to generate consciousness during sleep. Developing the habit of looking at one's hands and doing a RC is a proven technique with a good reputation for effectiveness, so I encourage people to use it. Good luck.

[Manifold_Time]

About what Lucius said...

I think that using 3 or more sentences that basically say the same thing over and over in your head again and changing up the sequence will help. It doesn't become automatic, but you are rather thinking about what you are saying.

If that doesn't work, you could say the message in your head over and over for a while, then when you began to get closer to sleep, picture yourself looking at your hands and becoming lucid. Make the scene elaborate (but not too elaborate that you keep yourself awake), so that it doesn't become meaningless like the mindless repition of "I will become lucid."

[wombing]

well said lucius...that seems to be the biggest error people make when trying to induce lucidity..

when i started cutting back on quantity and focused on qualitity, a very noticable improvement in induction of lucids occured.

that being said, when used mindfully, the "hands" method seems to be one of the better ones...both for gaining lucidity,a nd maintaining it.

[Sarah]

I'm so jealous. The way you talk about it makes it sound so easy! Haha. Well. I'm gonna try the x's on the hands tonight and see how that works out. I hope I have even just a short LD soon, I'm getting so frustrated. AHH! :wink:

[Rainbow Werewolf]

That sounds almost like you are creating a dreamsign. If so, you could also write that down in your dream journal if it was successful, which would further reinforce it as something that works. I'll have to give it a test, because it seems so ordinary that might not work. On the other hand, even bizarre dreamsigns haven't worked for me yet.

Originally posted by Manifold_Time
This is out of the book Journey to Ixtlan. It's simple.

Look at your hands before you go to bed and say to yourself "I will look at my hands in my dream and realize that I am dreaming." Repeat this over and over as you fall asleep. Prior meditation practice will help this technique (and many others actually) so that you can concentrate on that statement without losing focus.

[think green]

I learned lucid dreaming through Don Juan's technique. Thought it was incredibly easy, but I haven't practiced in years. I'm going to have to read the books again. As for the books, some of them are total crap. I made it to a couple past "The Eagle's Gift," after that they sucked--I thought. "Eagle's Gift" was one of the very best for LD. It took such work though. It was easy, but it took work. My environment isn't stable anymore. Twenty years have passed. I'm afraid I'm too old to LD!! Jeez.