I've Noticed Something Rather Simple, Anyone Else?

[dreamship]

Hello, ya'll. Been reading through some stuff and I've noticed a common thread that others may have noticed also, so if you have then just ignore this thread. The reverse blinking, meditation, reality testing, dream yoga, being ill all these things have one thing in common: You are constantly aware of something. The illness keeps you agitated and though you are not concentrating on something like your breathing or a mantra during meditation, you are still aware of the discomfort thus you are not sleeping as we do normally. Thus you are more apt to be aware of dreams and your dreamsigns. I don't remember how I did it, and this was many years ago and I did not write it down because I am really lazy and quite naughty when it comes to writing my dreams on a regular basis, I had this 'technique' of seeing an image in my mind or feeling myself sailing backwards and I kept concentrating on this until I suddenly would be dreaming and aware. The only thing is though, techniques like this work and then you'll have dry spells. OR you'll think so much you'll be unable to sleep. So, I'd try this technique only on days or evenings or naps when you don't have to sleep for work or other activities and have the time to do it. I got so that I could not really concentrate, I guess the image I was using got boring or something or I got lazy thinking that I could just do it a few times and then I'd not have to worry or use any effort to LD. I also notice, as I wrote to a friend, that if I use LaBerge's induction tape or making up a dream senario and concentrating on it or dream sign review or reality checks or anything it usually is a three day incubation period before a dream with the content I want or an LD. I haven't been working on any techniques for a while but am motivated again to do so. Since I have a lot of real life stuff working good. Want to try meditation also and see if that helps. http://www.audiodharma.org http://www.meditationcenter.org or is it com ?

[Super Duck]

cool idea. yeah it is a common thread but never given in much detail there's this tech where you concentrate on a short story in your head that ends up in a DS or RC. for eg, you are walking up a hill and at the top is a billboard saying 'you are lucid dreaming' or whatever is this the same as laberge's dream scenario? i will try this tonight and get back to you... SUper Duck

[dreamship]

is this the same as laberge's dream scenario?[/b] Sorry, I think I wrote that confusingly :-) the LaBerge induction tape is a 15 minute relaxation and visualization technique. I guess it is like guided meditation. You are asked to visualize several scenes and such. It quiets the over active mind, I think, and keeps the mind aware. By that I mean YOU STILL HAVE TO USE SOME EFFORT. There is no magic pill that'll do all this for you and just put you in a dream. I'd like one but us lazy humans just have to stop being so lazy The dream scenario thing I noted was if I wanted to dream of particular characters or a story or something I'd concentrate on that. I was reading a thread on activating the mind. A good book to read might be Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain, I think that title is right. I don't know. I think the author is Betty Edwards. It explains how she teaches people to draw and she explains what she has learned of the brain. Must read this with a grain of salt though since she is NOT a scientist or doctor. Actually, I just had another idea: I was rereading my paragraph talking of the LaBerge tape and I think what makes this work is this: you are asked to visualize yourself sitting on a beach and drawing numbers in the sand. You breathe in, write a number, exhale and the ocean wave washes the number. Counting backwards from 100. Then you stop writing and let the numbers appear in the sand. Then you just relax and stop counting all together. Why I wanted to comment on that is: I think this method is what activates and relaxes the mind. You stimulate it by the imagery the counting, the effort. I suppose that is one hemosphere, then you feel that get tired by the time you are told on the tape by LaBerge's voice to stop counting and relax. You are still aware, yet you have quieted that busy part of your mind. I think it is this busy part that keeps me from sleeping at all if I think a lot or concentrate a lot. The brain is very awake I guess. I think this is the part that also makes you wake up if you try to control the dream. I think the counting and the relaxation stuff on the tape make that part of the brain relax. I don't know, I am no scientist. Sounds good though. I think I'll try some visualization stuff tonight. It might work best to try the 'concentrating on a single object thing and if the mind thinks of something else concentrate on the object again' thing after a few hours sleep when the REM periods get closer together. The 'concentrating on a single object thing and if the mind thinks of something else concentrate on the object again' thing is what I did sometimes also. It is simple meditation, though I did not know that at the time. The simpelist meditation is 'Vispasina', sp?, all you do is breathe and just concentrate on your breath. If other thoughts or images arise you just calmly note that they are there and then concentrate on your breathing again. EDIT: Just wanted to post a link: http://www.drawright.com/ you can read Betty Edward's theory.

[SKA]

Well having read some stuff on plotinus.com I learned that it is not actually as essential to Focus on SOMETHING as it is to FOCUS. The site has an article which teaches about training Concentration by first Focussing on the Tibetan letter A and then, when Focus is strong enough, Focussing without an object such as the Tibetan letter A. Interresting Topic. I would hate to see this Topic Disappear further and further below the ever groing list of BULLSHIT topics that have been flooding these boards lately. Keep us updated.

[dreamship]

You could also read your dream journal before sleeping. You could visualize the dream while reading and then see yourself saying 'this is a dream' 'this is a dream sign' in a calm way not concentrating really tensly. I think this is also a part of one of LaBerge's techniques. I think it is MILD. I am not certain. Haven't read the book in a good while or done any of his techniques other than just trying to recall and make that really good. The point is to be aware of something yet not tensed or anxious or upset. This is why I want to try meditation. Also, you could explore your mind and ask yourself why it is you want lucid dreaming and why you feel you are not able to do it. Once I realized that the reason I couldn't generate dreams concerning the world of Dragonlance, a series of novels, because I really did not want to and I really did not like the characters or the world any more I was able to relax and have nice dreams of other things and not feel all crazy all the time because I was trying to dream of stuff I really did not want to. I suppose our brains way down are more grown up than we might be.