2 levels of Consciousness, and naturals

I believe that I have found the reason for naturals. Here is my explanation.


Consciousness

I believe there are 2 levels of waking consciousness. Here are the explanations for both.

Autopilot

I believe that most people go about there day as not being fully aware of what's going on around them. A sort of autopilot.
An example of this would be waiting for an event sometime in the future. When you think about it, it seems far away. But when it finally arrives you feel as if time went by really fast.I have an experiment for you to try that will take only a few minutes or so. I want you to get up from the computer and get a glass of water, and only think about getting the glass of water and the things you need to do to accomplish this act. Leave now.
Not that you're back did you think about only the glass or did your mind wander a bit? Did you think about where you were putting your feet or did you just walk there with out thinking?
This state of just acting and not really thinking about what you're doing is the autopilot frame of mind.
This is the way we think in normal dreams. We just go about our dream activity not thinking about what we are doing.


Higher awareness

There is a second stage of consciousness where one becomes more aware of things going on around them. At least with me I get hit with this second level of thought every once in a while and when that happens I seem to forget about things going on in the future or in the past and focus only on what's going on at that exact moment.
As an example, when you become lucid you can only think about what you're doing or going to do, and if you waver from this frame of mind you lose lucidity and re-enter the classic dream state.
I believe that naturals are in this sort of higher awareness state most of the time if not always.

conclusion
I think that if someone could train their mind to be in the hyper aware state they could constantly have the level of awareness in their dreams to consistently realize they're dreaming.



I am open for any kind of comment, be it good or bad. I would also like any information naturals could add on this subject.

I don't think you can make a clear distinction like that between "aware" and "unaware". At least in my own case, I'm never really fully on "autopilot" -unaware of what I'm doing-, awareness shifts around, focuses on one thing, then another thing, waxes and wanes... it certainly isn't an all-or-nothing kind of deal.

There is something called "dream yoga" though, which I believe has to do with increasing your awareness level so that you do carry it into your dreams, becoming lucid every time. I think there's a tutorial about it in the tutorial forum.

i think this is what the buddhists practice, among other things, there was some saying like 'when eating an apple, just eat the apple, when closing a door, just close the door' in other words practice just doing this act only and not thinking about how you are doing it or what will happen next or whats on tommorow kind of. ive practiced this for a whole day without stopping once, it was frustrating as so i dont anymore, its wierd because it requires no effort to have this awareness because it is an effortless state, yet we seem to put lots of strain and effort on aquiring it, but this is what stops us from having it because it is not 'something' to attain. i believe it would deffinately help lucid dreaming if it became natural, but then if you think about it if you were single minded all the time you would be even aware of the process of going to sleep so would just remain lucid throughout the entirety, i think this is what the tibeten monks practice and would be awsome to do!, ive tried to watch my sleep process but its hard, because the moment you feel yourself withdrawing or floating its a strong tendency to wake yourself up.

This sort of awareness was actually mentioned in star wars. The Jedi would practice being mindful, or just aware of every action they did. They would never let there mind wander.

I'm a natural. Most of my dreams are lucid.

I agree that in my own experience I tend to be more aware of what is going on around me. I sometimes feel that higher awareness you described. But I'm not sure that is what sets me apart.

I tend to think of what I do as "hyper vigilance." I am constantly monitoring my surroundings and my own thought processes for signs of inconsistancy. Do things make sense? Was that book there 30 seconds ago? Do I remember how I got here and what I was planning to do? What do I need to do next? Are my current thoughts logically based, emotionally motivated, or intuitive?

I suspect that this habit of constant analysis and re-analysis is what makes it so easy for me to realize when I'm dreaming.

I highly disagree.

But only because the naturals I know are the most unobservant people on the face of the earth so there's no possible reason that that could be why.

I also don't think that there's one SINGULAR reason for naturals. I'm sure there are all sorts of personal experiences and reasons and even possible biological reasons behind it.

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Originally Posted by seeker28

I'm a natural. Most of my dreams are lucid.

I agree that in my own experience I tend to be more aware of what is going on around me. I sometimes feel that higher awareness you described. But I'm not sure that is what sets me apart.

I tend to think of what I do as "hyper vigilance." I am constantly monitoring my surroundings and my own thought processes for signs of inconsistancy. Do things make sense? Was that book there 30 seconds ago? Do I remember how I got here and what I was planning to do? What do I need to do next? Are my current thoughts logically based, emotionally motivated, or intuitive?

I suspect that this habit of constant analysis and re-analysis is what makes it so easy for me to realize when I'm dreaming.

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The sort of analyzing frame of mind that you are describing is exactly what I'm trying to describe.

Maybe for some naturals they enter this state of higher awareness mostly in there dreams, and this would give them the ability to realize there dreaming nearly every time.

mustbe, I think you are right to a point, but it is extremely annoying to stay fully lucid all day because the hours seem like days.

Well your actually right. Did you know hypnosis is related to anything you automatically do. For instance, brushing your teeth in the morning, driving to work in the morning. Even making breakfast if you do that regularly in the morning.

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Originally Posted by lucid4sho

mustbe, I think you are right to a point, but it is extremely annoying to stay fully lucid all day because the hours seem like days.

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This state of mind is kinda like being really bored. You basically count the seconds as they go be making the day seem to last longer since your adding more memories to your day.

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Originally Posted by mustbe18

This state of mind is kinda like being really bored. You basically count the seconds as they go be making the day seem to last longer since your adding more memories to your day.

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Ya exactly. I think it would definitely work, but its not practical in our current society.

I have an hour glass and a minute glass which I occasionally use for one pointed meditation, its insane how slow these move when you are trying to be aware and stare at them, its like watching water boil, but slower.

I couldn't maintain that state of mind all day or I would go nuts. I try to do the exact opposite while at work, I keep busy and don't check the time so that I become unaware and time flies by.

Well, what I've heard is that naturals get Lucid all the time, with out even trying at all.

But the type of awareness your talking about is exactly what I do to induce my Lucids. It's a lot of work, but when I'm highly motivated, and doing a good job of it, I end up getting a ton of Lucids in a row, almost at will. It will get very easy until my focus starts to slide, then they slow down until I get back into it again.
For the first half of September I was pretty sure I would get Lucid every time I went to sleep. And more often than not I did.

But I ruined most of them by going after sex. :( That almost always makes me wake up. My next Lucid streak will be better.:)

Your completely right in what you are saying about bringing a higher awareness into your dreams with this technique. I will get so that even when not Lucid, I feel like I'm right on the edge of it.

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Originally Posted by Caradon

But the type of awareness your talking about is exactly what I do to induce my Lucids. It's a lot of work, but when I'm highly motivated, and doing a good job of it, I end up getting a ton of Lucids in a row, almost at will. It will get very easy until my focus starts to slide, then they slow down until I get back into it again.
For the first half of September I was pretty sure I would get Lucid every time I went to sleep. And more often than not I did.

Your completely right in what you are saying about bringing a higher awareness into your dreams with this technique. I will get so that even when not Lucid, I feel like I'm right on the edge of it.

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Do you just get into this state before going to bed or do you try to do this all day?

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Originally Posted by mustbe18

Do you just get into this state before going to bed or do you try to do this all day?

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I try to do it through my entire daily routine. And when I catch my thoughts wandering I question whether or not there was anything dream like about what I was just thinking about. I think of it as a kind of walking meditation.

When I'm at my highest level of motivation I'm able to keep it up about 90% of the day. That's when The Lucids really start coming. But like with any technique it can take a while for the awareness to carry over into the dream state. Just have to be patient and know they are coming, because they always do. :)

Also, I do WBTB's where I will get up and keep myself that focused for about ten to fifteen minutes before going back to sleep.

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Originally Posted by Caradon

I try to do it through my entire daily routine. And when I catch my thoughts wandering I question whether or not there was anything dream like about what I was just thinking about. I think of it as a kind of walking meditation.

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I should try this and see if it could work for me.

Ive been thinking about this type of thing lately. I was walking to my class and realized "my legs are moving" like im not consciously thinking about it. Its almost like it an involuntary action. It almost freaks me out lol.

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Originally Posted by mustbe18

I should try this and see if it could work for me.

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Yeah, in my opinion it's the only effective way to get the kind of Lucid numbers I'm working to get. Like getting Lucid nearly every night on a regular basis. I've been able to do it in streaks, but then I get tired of concentrating so hard and they start to slow down. But I'm planning to keep pushing it farther all the time. Just remember to keep questioning if there is anything dreamlike about all those things your staying aware of. It takes a lot of practice so don't give up if you have trouble at first. Just keep working at it. It's actually fun, it makes for a rich waking experience as well.

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Originally Posted by capoopy

Ive been thinking about this type of thing lately. I was walking to my class and realized "my legs are moving" like im not consciously thinking about it. Its almost like it an involuntary action. It almost freaks me out lol.

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Yeah, exactly. How many things can you stay aware of at one time, using every sense? and how long can you hold on to that awareness? I especially love doing that when I'm out walking at the parks.

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Originally Posted by Shift

I highly disagree.

But only because the naturals I know are the most unobservant people on the face of the earth so there's no possible reason that that could be why.

I also don't think that there's one SINGULAR reason for naturals. I'm sure there are all sorts of personal experiences and reasons and even possible biological reasons behind it.

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I know some naturals who are space cadets, too!

I think it is more than one thing that causes the difference between a natural and a non-natural.

Well, I don't think thats the reason for naturals, considering I always question or are "aware" of my actions but am not natural. Tough, it may easily help with estabilizing dreams and making them more logic. I wonder what are all those triggers for them.

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Originally Posted by Walms

Well, I don't think thats the reason for naturals, considering I always question or are "aware" of my actions but am not natural. Tough, it may easily help with stabilizing dreams and making them more logic. I wonder what are all those triggers for them.

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The way I'm looking at it is that naturals naturally enter this state of higher awareness when they dream not necessarily while there awake.

I'm not sure that there's really a direct link between these two things. I guess it's sort of similar with being in "autopilot" in the dream world like in the waking world, but it's a different kind of "autopilot". In the dream world, there are neurons in your brain firing to make you accept things for what they are and go along with the dream. When awake, it's just you being lazy or whatever reason :P

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Originally Posted by lagunagirl

In the dream world, there are neurons in your brain firing to make you accept things for what they are and go along with the dream. When awake, it's just you being lazy or whatever reason :P

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:shock: what neurons?