Lucid Dream Meditation Syllabus

Lucid Dream Meditation Syllabus

Introduction
Lucid Dream Meditation is a technique that integrates meditation with lucid dreaming. There are many advantages, from a meditative viewpoint, the sleep state offers a meditator. While asleep, the mind is fully disconnected with information streaming in from the body. This disconnection between mind and body is perfect to foster a meditative reflection. During long meditation sessions a similar disconnect can also occur, but this requires long hours of practice. By learning the basics of both meditation and lucid dreaming, while practicing both methods, the practitioner is allotted a fully relaxed body, a heightened awareness, and armed with a sharpened mind.

Format
The course will go four weeks. Over that time I plan to focus each week on one meditative technique with a schedule for daily meditations. Depending on the type of meditation, lengths will vary. I assume most students will be taking other DVA classes so Im sure you will all be saturated with information about recall, control, and various techniques.

Requirements
All that is required is a willing mind, and a pair of shoes.

Meditation Techniques
This course will focus on quickly learning the basics of meditation. Id say 80% of this technique is in the meditation prep and 20% in the dream- because once you do the work, the dream will take care of itself. Personally there are four meditations that I believe are the ones to work on, and they somewhat go in order:

1) Meditation to clear the mind.

This is where to begin. If you don't have experience with meditation I suggest checking out "Be Here Now" by Baba Ram Dass and "An Open Heart" by the Dalai Lama- both have insights into meditation and are both aimed at the beginner. (Id suggest reading them both)

In this section we will focus on clearing the mind. Meditations will include focusing on the breath, listening, basic stretching, and deep relaxation. Eventually this meditation will become the "war-up" aspect of future meditations.

Just like keeping a Dream Journal, don't move on to the second phase until you have a strong base to work off of in the previous section.

2) Meditation to focus single-pointed concentration.

In this phase, one is exercising concentration and single-pointed focus. This would make sense- if you want to explore a thought or a different dimension you can't be losing your focus on it. Placing all your concentration on a single object and holding that concentration is the goal here.

3) Meditation to explore abstractions/analytical meditation.

This meditation is difficult because, well, its abstract!! Im also combining two meditation techniques in this one- not so much that they are so similar, more that they both hold a similar importance- opening the mind.


4) Meditation on the nature of self/emptiness.

This is where its really at.

Lucid Dream Techniques
Next time you are in a lucid dream begin to meditate.

Practicing Mindfulness
This course will give best results while cultivating awareness. Be mindful of your surroundings as much as possible. With the added focus on your dreaming, the meditation practice, and practicing mindfulness you will see your inner-world reshape itself in many ways. Meditation has always helped to clear up my dream focus and increase my recall. While practicing all these techniques simultaneously any and all efforts you place towards making gains in these genre are amplified (imo). Any and all progress made will depend on the amount of effort put in. Those who practice moderately will have moderate gains. Those who practice with full conviction gain the prize. (Im only telling you as I was told)

Tentative Schedule
I hope to have at least two or three days a week where everyone will make an effort to meet for live chat. Twice a week I will plan a talk on a subject that will probably go about a half hour to hour long (and we can adjust as we go). I would hope to have one chat a week devoted to questions and keep it more of a check-in day.

Week One
Class one: Introduction and General Discussion. Assignment: Begin reading An Open Heart, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Class two: Introduction into meditation. First group meditation session.

Week Two
Class three: Meditation to Clear the Mind. Second group meditation. Assignment.
Class four: General Discussion Q/A Third group meditation.
Class five: Meditation to focus single-pointed concentration. Fourth group meditation. Assignment.

Week Three
Class six: Meditation to explore abstractions. Fifth group meditation. Assignment.
Class seven: Meditation to explore analytical thought. Sixth group meditation. Assignment.
Class eight: Group Meditation. Seventh group meditation.

Week Four
Class nine: Meditation on the nature of self/emptiness. Eighth group meditation.
Class ten: Group Meditation. Ninth group meditation.
Class eleven: Group Meditation. Tenth group meditation.

This class will be introductory, everyone meet and greet. We will decide on when is a good time to conduct class in general and schedule the next class.

On the first day I will go over basic meditation, why one would be interested in doing it, and really hammer in: its like riding a bicycle: the only way to learn is to start trying and like all little kids, everyone one picks it up at a different pace.

The first assignment will be to check out the book: An Open Heart, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Also, I will ask students to watch the video "My Stroke of Insight" by PhD Jill Bolte Taylor as an example of how someone with NO meditation background was able to achieve nirvana ACCIDENTALLY- I hope to showcase here that this state of mind is PRE-EXISTING AND FULLY FUNCTIONAL for everyone. Its not a state of mind we are trying to develop, because it is already fully formed. We are merely trying to quiet the mind to ALLOW IT TO SURFACE. We are using dreams as a way to readily access this mind.

Answer questions.