Lucid Dreaming Tips

Lucid Dreaming Tips – How to do Reality Checks

As a result of the movie Inception, there has been a surge of interest in lucid dreaming.  The following video has some nice tips for becoming lucid in dreams by learning to distinguish between waking and dreaming reality.

More information on Lucid Dreaming

Robert Waggoner’s website and book Lucid Dreaming – Gateway to the Inner Self. Robert is a past president of the International Association for the Study of Dreams.

Robert Waggoner’s blog

More links from Ryan Hurd’s Dream Studies

The Lucid Dream Exchange

When the LDE began almost a decade ago, it was mostly a place for lucid dreamers to share their experiences to learn from and inspire each other. Now it also has monthly interviews with lucid dream experts, as well as dozens of excellent articles for beginners, pros, and those seeking new perspectives.

World of Lucid Dreaming
This is a comprehensive website on lucid dreaming with good content and a focus on technologies that can help with learning how to lucid dream.  Also some unique info on how binaural beats can induce lucidity.

Lucitopia
A lucid dreaming database with scholarly articles, educational outreach and a unique documentary on lucid dreams.

Stephen LaBerge
LaBerge is the American psychophysiologist from Stanford who scientifically validated lucid dreaming in the lab. His site can be difficult to navigate, but it’s worth it.  His specialty is lucid dreaming induction techniques, and his message for the masses is that lucid dreaming is a learnable skill.

Beverely D’Urso
Beverely D’Urso has been writing thoughtful articles about lucid dreaming and what she calls “lucid living” for many years. She also was one of Stephen LaBerge’s first “star dreamers” in the sleep lab.

Scott Sparrow
Psychologist Scott Sparrow wrote the first lucid dreaming book published in the US in the 1970s. His website contains the full text of this book: Lucid Dreaming: Dawning of the Clear Light as well as several presentations that detail his unique perspective on lucid dreaming.

Robert Waggoner
Waggoner is the president of the International Association of the Study of Dreams and also an expert lucid dreamer. This website also has a great Q & A style blog.

Lucidity Letter
This is lucid dream researcher Jayne Gackenbach’s site. She has scrupulously archived all the articles from the now defunct academic journal Lucidity Letter. The LL is a treasure of scientific and psychological research into lucid dreaming from 1981-1991. Many of these articles are now classics in the field.

George Gillespie
George Gillespie is one of the core lucid dream researchers from the 1980s who did some ground-breaking work with his own dreams. While Gillespie does not maintain a website, some of his most influential articles can be found here.

Lucid Dream Forums

One of the best ways to learn more about lucid dreaming is by discussing it with others. Different forums attract different audiences, but each are moderated by folks who are enthusiastic to share their techniques, experiences, and advice.

Mortal Mist
The dedicated moderators to this forum say that Mortal Mist “may not be the biggest lucid dreaming forum out there, but we strive to be the best.”  I have found that this forum has a more mature perspective on lucid dreaming than some of the bigger forums, and attracts dreamseekers with a flexible and open viewpoint.  Their dream journal system is unique: choose your privacy level, and tag and search for dreams like you own.

Lucid Dreaming 4 All
This is the oldest forum on the web – almost seven years of discussion, tips, advice, and outlandish stories have been archived by the site’s faithful moderator Pasquale.

Lucidipedia
A forum based in the Netherlands with a strong international community of dreamers.  Tim Post and his merry crew also are experts in using technology-assists for lucid dreaming induction. The site also offers articles, videos, and lucid dreaming workshops.

DreamViews
DreamViews is a very active forum with an impressive list of topics on lucid dreaming, including how to use technological aids as well as many mnenomic techniques to increase lucidity levels.

Lucid Dreaming Forum
This forum is attracting a lot of attention, and already boasts over a thousand registered members.  A good site for beginners to test the waters.

IASD Code of Ethics for Dreamworkers

Dreams are big news these days. There’s an article on dreaming in the New York Times comparing the spread of dream groups over the past five years to book clubs. The author points out that the leadership for such groups ranges from skilled professionals to self-proclaimed experts.  If you are thinking of leading a dream group or joining one, the International Association for the Study of Dreams is an excellent resource for developing your skills.  As dream groups become more popular, it is more important than ever for dreamworkers and dreamers to familiarize themselves with the ethics of working with dreams.

IASD ETHICAL CRITERIA FOR DREAM WORK TRAINING

We, the Board of The International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD), therefore adopt and recommend the following fundamental principles and elements as necessary for any adequate training program for professional work with dreams.

We define dreamwork in the following way: any effort to discover, speculate about, and explore levels of meaning and significance beyond the surface of literal appearance of any dream experience recalled from sleep. This would include anyone serving in the role of psychotherapist, counselor, educator, or group facilitator in the interpretation or exploration of dreams for the purposes of providing psychotherapy, personal growth, or spiritual guidance for others.  The ETHICAL CRITERIA FOR DREAMWORK TRAINING published herein are suggested basic criteria for those engaged in, or aspiring to undergo approved training in, working with dreams, and IASD assumes no responsibility in connection therewith.

These criteria are designed to apply to practitioners whose practice is exclusively or mainly focused on work with dreams. To the extent that other practitioners include work with dreams as part of their practice, these guidelines should also apply to them.

Formal human service work utilizing dreamwork, as defined above, should conform to all existing regional and national laws regulating the practice of health, mental health, pastoral counseling or spiritual direction. The publication of these criteria is not to be considered as an endorsement by IASD of a particular training paradigm, nor are they to be considered as qualifications or grounds for certification for serving the role of psychotherapist, counselor, educator, or group facilitator in interpretation of dreams for the purposes of providing psychotherapy, growth, or spiritual guidance for others.

(1) Any program training people to work with dreams should have a clearly stated ethical component. We recommend the “Statement of Ethics for Dreamwork” adopted by the IASD as a foundation for ethical components of dreamwork training.

(2) In accordance with this basic Statement of Ethics, any program training people to work with dreams should emphasize that all dreams may have multiple meanings and layers of significance. Programs which offer to train people to work professionally with dreams (i.e., responsibly, for pay) are free to emphasize one particular technique or theory over others, but in order to achieve minimum standards for adequate professional training, these programs must expose their students and trainees to a representative variety of different techniques and theoretical models that include an overview of current approaches in the field, and a historical and cross-cultural perspective of human studies and therapeutic approaches to dreams.

(3) Any program training people to work with dreams should include a significant component of an adequately supervised practicum, face-to-face work with dreams, both one-to-one with individuals, and facilitating group experiences. As electronic media become more and more a feature of our lives, IASD wishes to encourage dreamwork training programs to extend this supervised practicum component to include telephonic, computer-linked, and other “media” as well, always making sure that these training experiences are carefully supervised by thoroughly skilled practitioners.

(4) At the outset, any program training people to work with dreams should have clearly stated written goals, as well as clearly stated written policies regarding the evaluation of student/trainee progress and performance. Professional training programs should provide written evaluations of students’ and trainees’ progress and performance in a timely fashion.  Evaluations of student/trainee work and progress should be applied equally to all students regardless of background. Written descriptions of educational goals and requirements, ethics, and evaluations policies should be made available to students prior to registration for the training program.

(5) Any program training people to work with dreams should focus serious attention on the universal propensity of people to naively attribute their own less-than-conscious values, feelings, ideas, and judgments to others.  Sometimes called “projection”, or “transference” and “counter-transference”, this universal tendency must be addressed directly and made more conscious in the process of professional work with dreams.

(6) Any program training people to work with dreams should require its students to have done substantial work on their own dreams with qualified practitioners, and to commit themselves to ongoing personal dreamwork with qualified practitioners and supervisors.

(7) A program should assure that the practitioner has at least some basic knowledge of related fields, such as group dynamics, psychology, psychiatry, medicine. These additional areas of knowledge should be detailed enough to ensure as far as possible that no harm is done to the dreamer or group member through errors of omission or commission by the practitioner. In addition, any program training people to work with dreams should require its students or established practitioners to be alert to signs of and to obtain assistance for their personal problems at an early stage, in order to prevent significantly impaired performance. When students or established practitioners become aware of personal problems that may interfere with their performing work-related duties adequately, they should take appropriate measures, such as obtaining professional consultation or assistance, and determine whether they should limit, suspend, or terminate their work-related duties.

(8) When dreamwork is done to help persons with any psychological problems, the practitioner should have an appropriate professional degree and license in addition to the dreamwork training.

(9) Any program training people to work with dreams should offer and require a minimum familiarity with the history of dreamwork, not just as a preoccupation of Western culture, but as a world-wide phenomenon. Once again, professional dreamwork training and education programs are free to emphasize one element of this diverse history over others, (e.g., the Western medical/psychiatric tradition of dream exploration), but they must also present the student/trainee with a sufficiently diverse historical overview that includes exposure to at least some of the aboriginal and non-European traditions that view dreaming as means of communion with realms of spirit. It is recognized that the meaning and use of dreams may differ across and within cultures. When there are ethnic and/or cultural differences between the dreamer and the counselor, psychotherapist, dreamwork teacher, or spiritual guide these should be attended to and respected. Discussion of, sensitivity to, and respect for cultural differences both within and among cultures should not only be observed but considered an opportunity for greater communication and understanding.

(10) Although dreamwork training for specialists (such as medical practitioners, therapists, social workers, etc.) will require further training beyond these basic areas, even specialized education and training in working with dreams should conform to the fundamental principles outlined here. Those who are licensed or regulated by regional or national requirements must follow those requirements for training and practice in specialty areas in addition to the guidelines described herein.

(11) Those trained in dreamwork must demonstrate continued formal and informal study in their areas of expertise to refresh old skills and keep abreast with important developments in the field. It is recommended that a minimum of 15 hours per year be devoted to enhancing or reviewing areas of skills. Formal course work at accredited institutions, workshops with highly qualified practitioners, or continuing education offered by the Association for the Study of Dreams are ways to meet this requirement.

(12) Professional practitioners of any skill have an ethical obligation to pass on to succeeding generations the substance of their specialized knowledge in a coherent and accessible fashion. This is as true for those who work with dreams as it is for many other professional group.

(Adopted by the 2001 IASD Board of Directors)

Responding to the Press About Dreams

There is an good article in USA Today about dreams entitled Like ‘Inception’, psychologist Dr. Marcia Emery enters your dreams.

I was particularly impressed with how well Marcia Emery responded to the interviewer’s request to interpret the dreams of others. Marcia deftly addressed this issue by focusing on the universal nature of dreaming while staying squarely within the IASD code of ethics.

In the article she points out how presumptuous it would be to assign meaning to the dreams of others.  Given the incredible complexity of dreams and their very specific and intimate relationship with the dreamer, she models how dreamworkers can respond to such requests by focusing on naming and describing the type of dreams presented, such as precognitive dreams and nightmarish experiences like being held hostage by threatening intruders.  She also addresses the emotional nature of dreaming by offering questions that can help take the dreamer and reading audience into a deeper relationship with their dreams.

What I particularly like about this article is Marcia’s ability to speak directly to her audience in a clear, warm manner that invites curiosity while at the same time revealing her profound love and respect for dreaming.  At a time when the movie Inception is creating so much interest in dreaming, articles like this help make dreaming accessible to the general public in a non-threatening way.

My Presentation at Inception Opening

I only wish Marcia could had been by my side this week when I was invited to speak in front of a full house at the IMAX theater for the opening of Inception.  The organizers of the event asked me to prepare a general talk on dreaming which would address some of the topics in the film, such as lucid dreaming and mutual dreams.  The audience was full of energy and clearly enthusiastic about the film.  In the hour before I spoke, I had the opportunity to mingle with the crowd and answer some of their questions about dreaming as they waited to enter the theater.  To my surprise, the audience was comprised primarily of young men in their late teens to early 30s, with only a handful of women.  Not surprisingly, there was a great deal of interest in lucid dreaming.

Toilet Dreams

When it came time to speak, I was introduced by a DJ from a local heavy metal station.  He was full of energy and was really interested in getting the audience all riled up, which he did to the best of his ability before I spoke.  After handing out a variety of goodies from his station, hen he introduced me by asking the following question.

“I had this dream recently.  I’m looking everywhere for a toilet.  I really have to pee.  I wake up and find that I have wet the bed.  How many beers did I have?”

Stay With The Dream

I almost died.  By then the crowd was hooting and hollering and I just wanted to crawl under the carpet.  Then I remembered dear friends at the International Association for the Study of Dreams like Marcia and decided to answer by focusing on the universal nature of dreaming, in which toilet dreams are very common.  I asked the audience how many people had ever had toilet dreams and of course many hands went up.  I then asked how many had heard of lucid dreams and even more raised their hands.  Impressive.

Having finally gotten their attention, I asked if anyone could prove if we were dreaming or awake.  I then went on to introduce the technique of looking at text, looking away and then looking back to see if it had changed as a kind of reality check.  Well, up until this point, the words IMAX had been up on the screen without changing.  So I asked everyone to look at the word IMAX, close their eyes and then look back to see if it had changed.  I added confidently that if  they had changed then we were probably dreaming.

Then, to my horror, as the audience sat with their eyes closed, the words DID CHANGE!  Apparently the slides before the movie had been set in action and started to change every few seconds.  So in the end, I had to admit that I couldn’t prove to anyone one way or another if we were dreaming or awake and asked them to hold that thought as they watched the movie Inception.  I think the director would have been pleased with how it all turned out in the end.

Movie Inception – IASD Reviews & Commentary

Several IASD members have written essays in response to the new Christopher Nolan movie Inception.

In this thought-provoking collection, Robert Waggoner addresses the topic of lucid dreaming while Deirdre Barrett focuses on the differences between the surreal world of dreaming and the tightly scripted world of thriller films.  Jean Campbell writes about the experience of shared dreaming, as a form of mutual dreaming while Dale Graff shares his experiences with remote viewing as the former Director of the Stargate unit located at Fort. Meade, MD.  As you can see, the film raises some very interesting questions about dreaming.   Click here to see all of the essays.

Some Rules of the Road for Shared Dreaming

Here are some fun suggestions from IASD for working with shared dreaming in an ethical way.

1. Just for fun, if you dream clearly about a partner or friend, ask that person what their dreams were on the same night. You might be surprised. Spontaneous shared dreams are fairly common.

2. Pick a friend to practice with if you are interested in mutual dreaming. Dream ethics are same ones we practice in waking life.

a. Never be invasive; always ask permission.
b. Be as gentle and kind as possible to “the other” both in and out of the dream.
c. Be honest with yourself and those with whom you dream.
d. Set growth and creative exploration as priorities.

3. Trying to get lucid? Several useful suggestions can be found in the lucid dreaming section of this page.

4. Shared dreams can be incubated just like any other dream. Set a place to meet that you both (or all) know, and see what happens.

5. Remember there are other dreamers who have had these or similar experiences. There are a number of excellent online forums where questions can be discussed. Visit  IASD’s discussion forum for a special thread on the film Inception.

For more reviews of dream inspired movies, click here to go to the IASD index of movies and documentaries.

Presentation on Dreaming at Inception Opening

Join me for my presentation on dreaming before the opening of Leonardo DiCaprio’s new movie Inception at the Great Clips IMAX Theatre at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley this Thursday (July 15) evening at 11 PM! If you can stay awake that late, I look forward to seeing you there!

For a good discussion of some of the issues the movie raises, click here to visit Robert Waggoner’s blog.  In his recent essay, he considers questions such as:

• If you become consciously aware of dreaming, can you lucidly enter another’s dream and/or bring them into your dream?

• If dream characters share unknown information with you, would this provide evidence for a shared or mutual dream?

• And if that information proves to be valid, what does that say about the nature of dream
• reality?

• Do dreaming minds have access to an individual or collective unconscious where they share information?

Dream Salons are Back!

This is spur of the moment, but I hope that some of you will be able to join me for an afternoon dream salon this Tuesday.

My friend Robert Waggoner just called to let me know that he will be passing through the Twin Cities this week.  He has offered to stop by Monkey Bridge to talk about lucid dreams, the upcoming movie Inception with Leonardo Dicaprio and his recent book on lucid dreaming.

Date:  Tuesday July 13
Time: 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Place:  Monkey Bridge Arts, 6801 W. Lake St., St. Louis Park, MN 55426
Cost:   Donation ($5 – $10 suggested)
RSVP:  952-412-4786 or e-mail sheilaasato@comcast.net

About Robert Waggoner
Author, Robert Waggoner is past President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD). For the past ten years, he has been the co-editor of the online magazine, The Lucid Dream Exchange, the only ongoing publication devoted specifically to lucid dreaming. Robert has a regular show on Iowa Public Radio, discussing dreams and lucid dreams.

Robert frequently speaks on lucid dreaming at national and international dream conferences, workshops and college classrooms, like Sonoma State University, Iowa State University, University of Washington and Evergreen State College.

Edge Articles on Dreaming

I just returned from the IASD conference in Asheville and was so pleased to find out that an article I wrote was published in the Edge News this month. Articles by several other IASD members were also included in this month’s issue on dreaming.  To see a list of all of the articles on dreaming, click here.

Articles by IASD members are:

Breaking out of the Psychic Cast by Judith L. White

Dream Guidance – The Way of Embodied Imagination Work by Sheila McNellis Asato

Dreams and Creative Problem Solving by Deirdre Barrett

How to Increase Dream Recall by Craig Sim Webb

Physical Healing in a Lucid Dream? by Robert Waggoner

Drawing the Dream Awake

I saw a wonderful film today at the IASD conference by Uma Markus. She is a dream artist who has been drawing out her dreams with colored pencil and then created this lovely short film from the drawings. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

For more information on Uma Markus, click here for her website.

Staying with the Creative Tension

“Much of the beauty that arises in art comes from the struggle an artist wages with his limited medium.”  – Henri Matisse

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These are photos of some of the books I am in the process of making for my upcoming show at St. Mary’s University in October.  Today I am at the International Association for the Study of Dreams conference in North Carolina where I will be speaking about this project and how the process of making these books relates to dreams.  Once I have given my presentation, I’ll post the Power Point slides up on my website.

May the Clay Dance to Balance You

Celtic Blessing

On the day when the weight deadens on your shoulders and you stumble,
may the clay dance to balance you.

And when your eyes freeze behind the grey window
and the ghost of loss gets in to you,
may a flock of colours, indigo, red, green, and azure blue
come to awaken in you a meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow wind work these words of love around you,
an invisible cloak to mind your life.

From Thomas A Clark’s Twenty Blessings, adapted from the original Celtic