Thread: How do I visualize myself awakening during sleep?

The most important thing is what's your intention when saying those phrases.

I think my favorite is "I'm alone" if you are simultaneously intending to dream about being alone. It's the phrase where I was feeling it the most and could most naturally start visualizing the intention.

But yes, these phrases are all "intentions" if they are paired with intentions. An intention, is actually kind of like an impulse. Imagine having the impulse to go get a snack. It's that feeling. During meditation, you can isolate impulses as they arise (the impulse to scratch yourself or to go do something). You don't need to say a phrase for the impulse to arise. So use any phrase, but the important thing is for the intention/impulse to be there.

Yes, expectation (belief) will come into play. If you are trying to dream about being alone to avoid the dream police archetype for example, it will not work because you are giving that expectation (belief) more strength ("I'm alone, so that I can avoid the dream police" --> *dream police finds you). In this case, you want to work on understanding/believing there are no rules, no police, no trespassing, no conflict... you are in fact alone: "I'm alone" ("I'm alone, because in a dream, I am truly alone" --> success).

Originally Posted by Occipitalred

The most important thing is what's your intention when saying those phrases.

I think my favorite is "I'm alone" if you are simultaneously intending to dream about being alone. It's the phrase where I was feeling it the most and could most naturally start visualizing the intention.

But yes, these phrases are all "intentions" if they are paired with intentions. An intention, is actually kind of like an impulse. Imagine having the impulse to go get a snack. It's that feeling. During meditation, you can isolate impulses as they arise (the impulse to scratch yourself or to go do something). You don't need to say a phrase for the impulse to arise. So use any phrase, but the important thing is for the intention/impulse to be there.

Yes, expectation (belief) will come into play. If you are trying to dream about being alone to avoid the dream police archetype for example, it will not work because you are giving that expectation (belief) more strength ("I'm alone, so that I can avoid the dream police" --> *dream police finds you). In this case, you want to work on understanding/believing there are no rules, no police, no trespassing, no conflict... you are in fact alone: "I'm alone" ("I'm alone, because in a dream, I am truly alone" --> success).

Excellent post. I feel like I just learned something from it. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Occipitalred

The most important thing is what's your intention when saying those phrases.

I think my favorite is "I'm alone" if you are simultaneously intending to dream about being alone. It's the phrase where I was feeling it the most and could most naturally start visualizing the intention.

But yes, these phrases are all "intentions" if they are paired with intentions. An intention, is actually kind of like an impulse. Imagine having the impulse to go get a snack. It's that feeling. During meditation, you can isolate impulses as they arise (the impulse to scratch yourself or to go do something). You don't need to say a phrase for the impulse to arise. So use any phrase, but the important thing is for the intention/impulse to be there.

I like that especially the impulse example. Which give me an interesting idea to mix the internal with external world

Yes, expectation (belief) will come into play. If you are trying to dream about being alone to avoid the dream police archetype for example, it will not work because you are giving that expectation (belief) more strength ("I'm alone, so that I can avoid the dream police" --> *dream police finds you). In this case, you want to work on understanding/believing there are no rules, no police, no trespassing, no conflict... you are in fact alone: "I'm alone" ("I'm alone, because in a dream, I am truly alone" --> success).

Actually I'm not believing in dream police, I want to be alone because in my dream journal I found when I'm alone at the starting of the dream I'm becoming lucid 90% of the time, when there are dream characters around, they always put me in their little schemes.

Today I was alone in my dream, but a trap was already set for me, a full table of sweet candy, pastry and apple pie together with soft drinks:burp:. I thought to myself I can eat as much as I want, because I can't get fat in a dream, but I still didn't get lucid.

Originally Posted by michael79

I like that especially the impulse example. Which give me an interesting idea to mix the internal with external world

Ohh, what do you mean, an idea to mix the internal with external world? I'm curious.

Originally Posted by michael79

Actually I'm not believing in dream police, I want to be alone because in my dream journal I found when I'm alone at the starting of the dream I'm becoming lucid 90% of the time, when there are dream characters around, they always put me in their little schemes.

Ah, I agree with you! I also realize that dreams where I'm alone and very little is happening, just walking around in a house or on the streets, are much more likely to be lucid. I was actually thinking of trying to use that to my advantage like you! But I'm not too sure how. I think I'll try your technique of setting an intention for a lonely dream too

Originally Posted by Occipitalred

Ohh, what do you mean, an idea to mix the internal with external world? I'm curious.

It's pretty simple actually, I intend to place a paper with sign on it "blue orb" and put it in a box on shelves in my living room. I will build an intention/impulse(strong desire) when I'm dreaming to go and see the orb and play with it, if it is there then I'm dreaming. During the day I will make random checks to see is the orb there, like a reality check. It will be like dream task.

Ah, I agree with you! I also realize that dreams where I'm alone and very little is happening, just walking around in a house or on the streets, are much more likely to be lucid. I was actually thinking of trying to use that to my advantage like you! But I'm not too sure how. I think I'll try your technique of setting an intention for a lonely dream too

That is another good idea, I also like exploring/walking dreams, which again spark a discovery. How to emulate lucid/awareness feeling during a dream? What we are doing when we exploring? We are searching for new interesting or strange things, so we have curiosity and we are observant about our surroundings which translates into pure awareness, increased awareness can lead to a Lucidity.
Both of these ideas I just have wrote them in my dream journal.