Napping

[MAO]

Twice in my life I've had what I'd consider a lucid dream. In both situations I felt asleep on a particular sofa in my home for some quick shut eye. In both cases I then had some strange mangled distant seeming dreams and then went into a more stable dream in which I was doing everyday things, but had complete control over the situation. Strangely enough I recognised that I was dreaming right away. I've never worked ever much on training myself to realize I'm asleep, but in these dreams (although they were relatively normal) I knew it instantly. I've come to the conclusion that my experiences have more to do with taking a nap over the area, as I've tried sleeping at night on the sofa as well. I'm wondering if anyone else has experience this, or if there is a good reason why I can lucid dream so easily taking a nap and not when I actually sleep.

[Leo Volont]

Dear Mr. Chairman, Often people write in and ask whether it is possible to dream about having to lucid dream, that is to dream that one thinks one is Dreaming. It is like Lucid Dreaming but only insomuch as the person is dreaming that he is Lucid, but not really Lucid. it is like being one step away. It is similar to what a Psychologist once explained to me... or rather he gave me one of his Papers which he wanted me to proof before Publication... wanted to know what I thought of it. It was regarding FIRST ORDER, SECOND ORDER AND THIRD ORDER PERSONALITIES. The First Order Personality is what a person is and does along with his inventory of knowledge and abilities. The Second Order Personality is what a person wishes to be, what he is working and studying for. The Second Order Personality does not yet have the Inventory of Knowledge and Abilities to actually be what he wishes to be, and that is what separates the Second Order from the First Order. The Third Order is a bit difficult to understand -- it is what a Person wishes he wanted to be. In this case the wish is entirely in the potential and the person has done nothing to advance the wish toward any actuality. My Psychologist friend elucidated the concept by reminding me that I always wished I was more fluent in several foreign tongues, but that I had no books and never even planned to set up a program of study. My interest in Linguistics was merely Third Order (so I ran out and instantly plunged into both Mandarin Chinese and French). Anyway, having a Lucid Dream is First Order. Dreaming that one is having a Lucid Dream is Third Order. Perhaps it is better to want to have a Lucid Dream, and to work toward having a Lucid Dream, than to not want to have a Lucid Dream and merely dream that one is Lucid Dreaming. it is better to be 2nd Order than 3rd order.

[Leo Volont]

Dear Mr. Chairman, Often people write in and ask whether it is possible to dream about having to lucid dream, that is to dream that one thinks one is Dreaming. It is like Lucid Dreaming but only insomuch as the person is dreaming that he is Lucid, but not really Lucid. it is like being one step away. You see, a true Lucid Dream is characterized by vividness and intensity. Before they even had the concept of Lucid Dreaming, they used to call such things "Vivid Dreams" or Jung used to call them simply Big Dreams. Your're dreams aren't very big and they aren't very vivid. It is similar to what a Psychologist once explained to me... or rather he gave me one of his Papers which he wanted me to proof before Publication... wanted to know what I thought of it. It was regarding FIRST ORDER, SECOND ORDER AND THIRD ORDER PERSONALITIES. The First Order Personality is what a person is and does along with his inventory of knowledge and abilities. The Second Order Personality is what a person wishes to be, what he is working and studying for. The Second Order Personality does not yet have the Inventory of Knowledge and Abilities to actually be what he wishes to be, and that is what separates the Second Order from the First Order. The Third Order is a bit difficult to understand -- it is what a Person wishes he wanted to be. In this case the wish is entirely in the potential and the person has done nothing to advance the wish toward any actuality. My Psychologist friend elucidated the concept by reminding me that I always wished I was more fluent in several foreign tongues, but that I had no books and never even planned to set up a program of study. My interest in Linguistics was merely Third Order (so I ran out and instantly plunged into both Mandarin Chinese and French). Anyway, having a Lucid Dream is First Order. Dreaming that one is having a Lucid Dream is Third Order. Perhaps it is better to want to have a Lucid Dream, and to work toward having a Lucid Dream, than to not want to have a Lucid Dream and merely dream that one is Lucid Dreaming. it is better to be 2nd Order than 3rd order.