Castaneda's stone

[AlexanderDeSt.Lys]

Hello , again , fellow dreamers . Have someone of you tried the experiment of Casteneda , which used a stone placed in his navel , to contain and/or sustain the images of his dreams ? Have someone succeed ? How ? Also , how can I keep the stone on my navel ? What kind of belt should I wear ?

[Abra]

Heh, does he think that dreams escape out of his belly button? XD Castaneda's pretty cool, I think, but this sounds more like a good luck charm (placebo) than a reputable technique. There's also some Hawthorne effect here: a positive (but not lasting) change in performance caused by something that shouldn't really have an effect. Usually the effect is caused by expectation, or simply because of the attention that the experiment creates. Also, everyone knows you're supposed to use a spongy pillow. The sponge absorbs the dream, and all you have to do is wring it out when you wake up! It helps if you spray some Ginkgo biloba on it, first. Actually, that was a complete fabrication. My point is, don't make it difficult on yourself. If a navel-stone seems uncomfortable to you, make your own charm. The best "charm," however, is to keep a dream journal, and read your best entries before bed and during awakenings (this gets your brain into dream-recall mode), affirming your intent to remember your dreams.

[The Cusp]

Castaneda's pretty cool, I think, but this sounds more like a good luck charm (placebo) than a reputable technique. Most of his techniques sound rather random, but damned if they don't work. He never explains much of the "Why" in his books, but by his own admission he was rather dense in regards to his training. I've never tired it, but may give it a shot someday.