SD1 Part 3: Dream Control
SD1 Part 3: Dream Control
First I want to apologize for the lateness of these two postings, I have been having a lot of difficulty with a chronic illness I have been fighting for quite a few years, the past few weeks have been really hard for me. That being said, I will be catching up on both parts 2 and 3 of the shared dreaming postings right now.
So now on to Dream Control:
"Visualize your dream, Record it in the present tense, Put it into a permanent form, If you persist in your efforts, You can achieve dream control... Dream control… I'll do better than that… Dream control… Dream control… Dream control… Dream control… Help me…" - Queensr˙che, Silent Lucidity
An excerpt from a song by Queensr˙che entitled Silent Lucidity. There really isn't a lot to explain about controlling dreams, it all has to do with focus. If you focus on what you want the dream to be, visualize it clearly, your own energy will respond to make it a reality. What I would also tend to address here are dream powers, dream skills. Anything you can imagine yourself doing, you can do in a lucid dream… no matter what it is. There are a few different ways I have seen of doing this focus, but the number of methods to focus is countless, and yet they all follow the same basic idea.
Archetypes
Say there's a character in a movie, television show, video game, or book that has a power that you would really like to be able to use. This is where archetypes come in to play, whatever they can do, you can also do. Were you watching Superman fly and use super strength? Focus on going through the motions in a dream, and it will work. Did you watch a show such as Dragonball Z and think you would really like to do Goku's Kamehameha or Vegeta's Final Flash? Watch the motions they go through, visualize yourself doing it, then when in the dream state, go through the same motions. This opens up a huge variety of skills, anything you have seen someone do in television, games, books, etc. is something you can do. Don't limit yourself to one archetype. Use a Final Fantasy spell such as Blizaga and then, if that's not enough, form your hands into claws like Alex Mercer does in Prototype and rush in to finish the job. Or maybe you need healing, if you've seen the anime series Sailor Moon, pull out your crescent moon wand and cast a moon healing spell… or pull out one of the futuristic medical devices like those used on Star Trek and heal with that. The only limit is your own imagination. As for the items you might need to use, if you visualize them being there and expect them to be there, they will be.
On Your Own
You don't have to have seen someone else use an ability to use it yourself, if you can imagine yourself doing it, you can do it in a dream. In my case, when I was younger I would often times be listening to some of my favorite songs and imagine what might happen if the song was magic, what kind of effect would it have? Over time I got some strong associations in my mind with certain songs, which I now use as song spells. The song Whiplash by Metallica, for example, had me visualizing sending an attack back at the attacker. So when I got into a lucid dream, I focused on Whiplash in the dream and it did what I had imagined it would. Doing this, you can design your own spells and effects, your own abilities and devices. Design an amulet in waking life, then visualize the amulet surrounding you with an impenetrable barrier. Visualize yourself wearing the pendant all the time… or you can even use a real pendant, just pick something you like and will wear often then visualize the effect being associated with the pendant. I did this with a bracelet. I focused on the bracelet allowing me to control the flow of time, so when I found myself in the dream state, that's what it was able to do. Unfortunately I have since lost that bracelet… :( And I have yet to associate time control with another spell or item.
Not a Visual Person?
So what if you aren't good at visualizing things? These techniques still aren't impossible for you. As long as you can imagine it, you can do it… even if the expression of your imagination isn't in the form of a mental image. Use whatever you do best for it. Are you artistic? Draw or paint a picture of yourself (or someone representing you) using the skill you want to use. Use the computer to generate images of what you want to do. Are you better at writing than at visual arts? Write a story that details you using the skill you want to use. "As my opponent approaches, I realize I have the powers of Vegeta from Dragonball Z. Before my opponent even has an idea of what I am about to do, I jump into the air and fly to a position above him before releasing a Final Flash directly at him. There is a large explosion where my energy blast hits, and when the blast is over I can see my opponent is down for the count. I win." Once again, there are many options, just choose the one you are most comfortable with and go for it!
