Thread: 'NEW' Technique Respawned for 2015!

Originally Posted by Sageous

^^ I'm glad that you've checked out my fundamentals thread, Ezzo (though honestly I already had a feeling that you Had! ).

Your RC routine sounds like a good one -- as long as it hasn't become too routine, of course, and still has your interest and sincerity when you're doing them. Hopefully your meditation includes things like contemplating upcoming dreams, practicing a form helpful to LD'ing (like Vipassana), or perhaps opening yourself to a dreamlike feeling; but even if it doesn't, meditation is always a good tool for getting your mind in the right place.

About the only other things I can think of right now are things you very likely are already doing as well:

You ought to be spending time during the day thinking about your upcoming LD and DEILD attempt; thinking about what you'll be doing, where you'll be going, etc. These thoughts might help to build up a place in your mind that is ready to work with your conscious processes during the DEILD, to establish an expectation to DEILD, and to hold onto the dream after you do.

Also, while falling asleep for the first time on the night of your DEILD attempt, you should be sure to set an intention that sounds something like "I will remember my dream when the alarm sounds, and I will return to that dream right away," possibly stated more specifically to your plans.

Thanks again for all the great advice. Ive been looking to spice up my seated meditation. Is vipassani a good method for lucid dreaming? If so, why is this more beneficial over, say, breathif meditation?

Thanks
Ezzo

Originally Posted by ezzolucid

Thanks again for all the great advice. Ive been looking to spice up my seated meditation. Is vipassani a good method for lucid dreaming? If so, why is this more beneficial over, say, breathif meditation?

Thanks
Ezzo

I personally recommend Vipassana yoga/meditation, because its focus seems to be mainly on calmly centering your mind on your presence in the moment, including (through observation) your presence and participation in reality. This is an excellent state of mind to establish for LD'ing because it ties right into the experience of lucidity (and dreaming in general), perhaps giving you a leg up in both appreciating your presence in the dream, and helping with dream control as well: when lucid you are experiencing a potentially pure here & now moment within a "reality" with which you are not only interacting, but is actually all "You;" I think Vipassana yoga is a good practice to help prepare you to comfortably note your presence in that interaction, and to acknowledge that the dream is all you... in other words, it seems to hit just the right buttons for lucidity without taking you to places that might not be very helpful.

Most Vipassana meditations generally use breathing as well, so it won't be too alien for you, though its practice works just as well -- if not better -- while not seated.

For me, the trouble with breath meditation on its own is that the focus tends to be on using your attention to breathing to relax you, to basically empty your mind of everything except the action of that breathing. This is great for settling your mind, clearing it of unwanted thoughts, and getting you to a peaceful place consciously, and I certainly have no problem with that. However, lucidity depends on your thoughts: dreaming is thought, and anything you can do to elevate thoughts related to your dream, or the actual state of dreaming (as Vipassana does) will be most helpful; pushing those thoughts aside, and getting good at pushing those thoughts aside, might prove a deterrent to successful lucidity.

Also, on a more practical note: breath meditation tends to keep you awake, so it is not the best thing to do, say, during a WILD/DEILD attempt -- I know you don't do this, but thought it worth mentioning.


tl;dr: The experience of Vipassana meditation tends to line up nicely with the experience of LD'ing, while straight breath meditation tends to take a step away from the experience of LD'ing.

Originally Posted by Sageous

I personally recommend Vipassana yoga/meditation, because its focus seems to be mainly on calmly centering your mind on your presence in the moment, including (through observation) your presence and participation in reality. This is an excellent state of mind to establish for LD'ing because it ties right into the experience of lucidity (and dreaming in general), perhaps giving you a leg up in both appreciating your presence in the dream, and helping with dream control as well: when lucid you are experiencing a potentially pure here & now moment within a "reality" with which you are not only interacting, but is actually all "You;" I think Vipassana yoga is a good practice to help prepare you to comfortably note your presence in that interaction, and to acknowledge that the dream is all you... in other words, it seems to hit just the right buttons for lucidity without taking you to places that might not be very helpful.

Most Vipassana meditations generally use breathing as well, so it won't be too alien for you, though its practice works just as well -- if not better -- while not seated.

For me, the trouble with breath meditation on its own is that the focus tends to be on using your attention to breathing to relax you, to basically empty your mind of everything except the action of that breathing. This is great for settling your mind, clearing it of unwanted thoughts, and getting you to a peaceful place consciously, and I certainly have no problem with that. However, lucidity depends on your thoughts: dreaming is thought, and anything you can do to elevate thoughts related to your dream, or the actual state of dreaming (as Vipassana does) will be most helpful; pushing those thoughts aside, and getting good at pushing those thoughts aside, might prove a deterrent to successful lucidity.

Also, on a more practical note: breath meditation tends to keep you awake, so it is not the best thing to do, say, during a WILD/DEILD attempt -- I know you don't do this, but thought it worth mentioning.


tl;dr: The experience of Vipassana meditation tends to line up nicely with the experience of LD'ing, while straight breath meditation tends to take a step away from the experience of LD'ing.

As I see it: the purpose of Samatha (focus meditation, on e.g. the breathe) meditation is to build the ability to focus attention. I'd say it is a prerequisite to vipassana, which I like to summarize as "focused attention on awareness." When one can not yet focus the mind effectively on something simple like the breath, trying to focus on something as complex as awareness will be much harder or ineffective.

Also, breath meditation is a great way to start a session and then move on to vipassana once your mind is settled .

So I think both are useful. Samatha as a lead-in to Vipassana, and samatha also as a great way to combat insomnia, and get your WILD attempts started. In neither approach is one supposed to fall asleep, so some adaptation for LD practice is needed to tip the balance towards relaxation, say in a WILD dive.