Dear Wolffe,

You have a great deal more respect for movie screen-writers than they deserve. They are not in the least trying to present any physical or moral Truth. They only wish to develop conflicts and tensions in order to give texture to what would otherwise be a shallow plot. The most compelling form of conflict and tension is the mortal kind -- the kind that may be dangerously fatal. So we are presented with scenarios in which a purely spiritual adventure can result in bodily death. Stupid, huh? But people are believing it.

No. The Truth is quite the contrary. In fact, one of the most common Dream Motifs among experienced Dreamers is the one where Death is to encountered, and overcome. All those dreams in which Dreamers try to escape threats, enemies and dangers, and where the legs slow to almost a paralysis -- it is these dreams where we are supposed to turn and face Death. We are supposed to die. Now, many people immediately wake up, and THAT is how one dies in a Dream, buy waking up prematurely.

The True Objective of this Dream Motif is to allow one's self to be killed and then stay in the dream long enough to come back to life. It only takes less than 20 seconds. If one can be killed in a dream, and not be demoralized into waking up, and simply be content to be 'dead', then before the clock can tick 20 times, Life will return to your dream frame and you will be able to get up and brush yourself off.

With this Graduation from Dreams of Terror, where one has conquered Death, comes the sense of proven Fearlessness. From then on one is automatically courageous in one's dreams. True Dreaming can then begin.