Critical Awareness

[Centroid]

Hello fellow dreamers! I was thinking about critical awareness, and would like to hear your thoughts about it. So, I noticed my uncle goes to sleep every time with his TV on. When I asked him why, he explained to me that he's always thinking or drawing conclusions about everything, and with the TV voices, he feels like someone else is doing the thinking for him, which helps him sleep better. I was reminded of lucid dreaming, and asked him if he ever had any. He told me that he did, but he usually forgets the details etc. (probably because he doesn't keep a DJ). So this made me think about LD induction. From Naiya's DILD and WILD secrets thread, I picked this bit out: "The easy way to LD is a state of constant awareness. Make your day one big long reality check. Only instead of a specific RC, begin to question everything around you at once." So basically, I'm talking about always questioning everything around you, and becoming constantly critical about reality. It's like Gravity RC, only about everything, not reducing your chances by only questioning gravity. In this forum people talk about awareness, like in ADA and self awareness, but I feel like little attention is paid to simply being 'critically aware', which (I believe) might be more beneficial than simply observing the environment or your 'self'. It's just a normal RC, but you're constantly doing it. I feel this should be an improvement for the current awareness techniques, and I would like to hear your thoughts and experience. Thanks!

[Valis1]

Your point is valid. The only trouble is that most people lack the focus to actually stay fully aware all day. It is only when you start to actually try to stay aware of your mind that you realise how unruly it really is. I for one don't think anyone can just jump into 24/7 awareness, the systems of the brain which uphold higher awareness or meta-cognition must be developed over time using specific methods, like Zazen or Zhine.

[Windhover@]

Hiya, I'd like to share from my experience. First of all, I don't mean to be rude but I don't get what 'critical awareness' is... I get the general meaning, but isn't awareness itself critical? I spent a lot of time pondering what awareness really was but I found out that nothing could describe it. Only you know what awareness/lucidity is. Nobody can explain it for you. I guess there is depth, yes. So by 'critical awareness' I assume that you are simply being aware of everything, including yourself, your thoughts and emotions. (that's what real awareness is!) However it can't be called this or that adding with other terms.. cuz it's just a state of being, it is what it is. This takes practice. It's a little hard at first, but once you're used to it, it's fairly easy like exercise. None of the words and advice for lucidity from DV never helped me. I'm not discrediting them. sure, there are lots of amazing people writing great threads with techniques and stuff, which helped me too. But so far none of it fundamentally helped me for LD. Maybe I'm weird. I'll be honest, stuff like ADA, questioning everything, confidence, etc worked only temporarily. It's because the fact that only you know what lucidity is, nobody's words or technique will fit into your basket because those are the ones that only fit themselves. All techniques are fine. RC is great tool. But relying on them is like standing on a crutch. They are still 'tools', not answers. When you utilize them, it can be a good 'cane'. So techniques 'will' work, here and there. It should be improvised based on your feelings which works better than trying to hold onto each of them. Do you think to dance? nope I'll share what I learned which hopefully brings resonance within you. I think 'conscious' is better term than being aware. I had an experience of almost immersed dreaming while meditating, sitting upright. So I was definitely 'awake' and dreaming at the same time. But, I was non-lucid all the time. This got me wondering what lucidity was, even though I was awake? So I asked my subconscious to remind me to be conscious in dream. I fall asleep, dream and try hard to be conscious, but seconds later I lost it. Then a DC appeared and suddnly it DID remind me to become lucid. I got a little surprised and woke up. Then right after I read a quote that said: 'You decide to do better tomorrow, but when a day goes by you realize at night you haven't changed anything. So doesn't feeling that the time has gone fast doing nothing, mean you weren't really conscious and let it flew in foggy water?' This was true. We don't carefully think how every moment is significant and meaningful. Every second that you're alive, breathing. Awareness isn't about creating the words of questions in your head 'is this dream?' or squeezing your head to concentrate on this and this. That's not what 'focus' is. Awareness is speechless. It's rather a 'feeling', a sense that you're conscious. Just being conscious of every moment. The whole thing should be opposite. Once you're conscious, then you're conscious. The thing that matters is 'maintaining' being conscious. So it's not 'trying to be lucid'. Primary focus should be on 'maintaining lucidity'. (exactly, what's the use if you become lucid in dream but you lose after a sec.) So there's no need to 'try' to get lucid or doing so many techniques to find what suits you. You are already lucid, for real. The key is maintaining it. You were lucid before bed, but as you fall asleep you lose it. Just as I was lucid right when the dream started while meditating, but I lost it shortly afterwards. There's no trying to turn a switch on so many times that is already 'on'. See, this is the problem. Get lucid 1 time, 2 times, 3 times? what?? lol.. if 'awareness' is un-explainable how come people are putting it into numbers and times? 'hey! I had 2 LDs last night! screw you! I've had 200 LDs! lolol' This kind of concept easily limits the lucidity! Stop bringing this insanity in your mind. Here's another problem. We expect lucidity in dream to happen instantly and suddenly. I did too. However the opposite is the natural and true way. So you try it one night, and doesn't work, and jump into conclusion right away that this advice or 'technique' didn't work or you blame on yourself. Which is not really a good thing to do. Lucidity in dream happens gradually, although it can suddenly happen 'sometimes' thru techniques and stuff. But since we're addicted to sudden stimulation, we attach onto quick-technique-solution. Mental attachment is another thing that blocks the motion of being conscious. So one night, you try, is non-LD. Second night, you're non-LD but tried a bit of dream control. Third night you're semi-LD. Like this. Happens gradually. During the process you 'might' have full lucidity thru techniques or by an accident. Later in the nights you're more aware and eventually become lucid, permanently. It's not like one day you are suddenly lucid and have LD all later nights. (at least this applies to people who are learning LD for first time) If you didn't become lucid one night after you expected it to, don't be discouraged. Your subconscious is telling you 'hey this is a test for your faith, do not have doubt'. It really is. If you realize this then you will be more patient. The light in your dream WILL come, just be patient. So if you wish to become conscious, don't think about doing it in reality or dream, since awareness is all about 'now'. Have you ever experienced a 'flow', especially when you discuss something with someone, which seems to bring greater ideas and full of 'wonders' and 'enchantment'? As if the energy is constantly flowing, there's no blockade. Because you and your friend are having a conversation with open-mindedness and non-judgmental state. Things like doubt, skepticism, fear, agitation, ego block this flow. Your mentality greatly affects lucidity. So consciously get into this flow. It can happen anytime. Awareness is flow. It's not about forcing yourself so hard onto paying attention to every detail. That's in your mind. And then 'feel' every moment is significant, every second should be taken slow. Awareness is all about feeling. So Naiya was right about that you have to be constantly aware. Just don't force it, don't fight the wave, ride the wave... notice that when you rush in dream, it ends right away, because you are trying to waste time. Don't make every second meaningless. (but it doesn't mean you have to or should do something, it simply means change in your consciousness) To be short, 'maintain lucidity' in reality 'for' the dream. That way you don't even have to question if this is dream because you already 'know' it's dream. You will naturally feel everything around and in you at the same time, considering every moment going by. The time will feel very slow. Hope this helped you and didn't overwhelm you with wall of text.. still, this isn't 'answer' for lucidity. The judge will be your experience because only you know what lucidity is!

[Gyalogos]

Great post Windhover@! "And then 'feel' every moment is significant, every second should be taken slow". I want to have back the slow times from my childhood. When the years-seasons were sooo looong. Peoples think, if they can doo many things one day, they have a rich day full with happenings. In this case, the time will run faster away, and you have just a bunch of periferical information. It is better to go with bicycle and walk to do two objectives than driving and running in hurry, to finish six aims. I have this experience, that slower (normal speed) motions help to hold awareness, and harder-faster motions are "pushing" more thoughts in my head. Another thing what I wanted to say is, that a little action, or "fight" at the start, helps me to get in the flow. I think this is the mental analogue of karate, kung-fu and other martial arts. You are in some sort of fight with your ego. Not in a aggressive meaning. A good fighter is not aggressive, and is not hating his enemy. Im staying in front of my ego, and when I loose my awareness, and the bla-bla begins in my head, my ego is punching me successfully. I need to be quite strong, without my mental lazyness, to get through the first wave off the egos distracting attempts. There are coming some "very important" or interesting thoughts. Forgotten "very important" memories...If I am soft in this stage, I am lost.

[Centroid]

Wow, windhover, that post was amazing and very inspiring. Thanks! Gyalogos, that's a great idea. I'll try and keep 'slow' in mind! Thanks you. Interesting things said about 'the flow'! I will take some time and reread these posts.

[Windhover@]

Great post Windhover@! "And then 'feel' every moment is significant, every second should be taken slow". I want to have back the slow times from my childhood. When the years-seasons were sooo looong. Peoples think, if they can doo many things one day, they have a rich day full with happenings. In this case, the time will run faster away, and you have just a bunch of periferical information. It is better to go with bicycle and walk to do two objectives than driving and running in hurry, to finish six aims. I have this experience, that slower (normal speed) motions help to hold awareness, and harder-faster motions are "pushing" more thoughts in my head. Another thing what I wanted to say is, that a little action, or "fight" at the start, helps me to get in the flow. I think this is the mental analogue of karate, kung-fu and other martial arts. You are in some sort of fight with your ego. Not in a aggressive meaning. A good fighter is not aggressive, and is not hating his enemy. Im staying in front of my ego, and when I loose my awareness, and the bla-bla begins in my head, my ego is punching me successfully. I need to be quite strong, without my mental lazyness, to get through the first wave off the egos distracting attempts. There are coming some "very important" or interesting thoughts. Forgotten "very important" memories...If I am soft in this stage, I am lost. Yes you're right! And do you know why we always felt time was slow in childhood? Because children are conscious every moment! Every second is new experience for them. They are very good at 'focusing'. But as grow older, we get weary of mundane things, so we become 'unconscious'. With this correct awareness practice, you can really control time too, not extremely but to some degree. I just feel every second is slow and give 'gratitude' to its significance, when I eat delicious food. I speed up the time, letting my conscious drift a little when I do a cardio exercise I hate. And it goes really fast lol Haha I know what you mean with that 'fight'. In my term I always thought of like 'training' a dog. This is why discipline is needed. If you can train a wolf, you're the coolest person! I don't mind my ego chatting a little, but I don't let it rule over me with negative thoughts and emotions. The strict inner discipline makes you conquer the world. When unconcious, an arrow hits you. If you're conscious then you can see an arrow flying. If you're conscious and dissolve the ego, you can see the arrow, catch it and break it. It's very important to think about those important memories and thoughts! Wow, windhover, that post was amazing and very inspiring. Thanks! Gyalogos, that's a great idea. I'll try and keep 'slow' in mind! Thanks you. Interesting things said about 'the flow'! I will take some time and reread these posts. Thanks for the comment! I felt a little that I talked too much lol. Yes, take time reading it. See what is right for you as you take action

[rastro13]

Yes, thank you windhover!! Very insightful you have definitely given me an exciting new perspective.