Xref: utzoo rec.arts.sf-lovers:10683 alt.cyberpunk:248
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!ukma!psuvm.bitnet!cok
From: COK@PSUVMA.BITNET (The Pentagonal Potentate)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf-lovers,alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Hedonic Engineering (was Re: thomas covenent [sic])
Summary: I hate trying to come up with nice concise summaries.
Keywords: "Bob" Jell-O flavored mescaline neat-o keen
Message-ID: <31531COK@PSUVMA>
Date: 30 Jan 88 09:18:58 GMT
References: <892@xn.LL.MIT.EDU>
Distribution: rec.arts.sf-lovers
Organization: Syd Barrett Cabal--POEE
Lines: 51

In article <892@xn.LL.MIT.EDU>, jim@XN.LL.MIT.EDU (Jim L. Washburn) says:
>
>        I don't really think it is reasonable
>to condem somebody for what they dream.  As far
>as I know it is not possible to control your
>dreams.  If it was I would sure like to know how
>as often my dreams are unpleasant.
>
Oh boy.  I decided to crosspost to cyberpunk.  Self mind-alteration
is such a ripe topic for this group.  In the [garble] issue of Omni
you will find an excellent article on lucid dreaming.  Lucid dreaming
is, of course, the ability to have both the knowledge that one is dreaming
and the capability of altering the dream.
     
The way to start a lucid dream is to arrange to realize in mid-dream:
"Hey, this is just a dream!"  The best way of arranging this is doing an
occasional 'Reality Check' during the day, preferably at intervals of
a few minutes.  Make it a regular habit; don't go more than five minutes
without asking yourself:  "Am I dreaming?"  After a week or so of this,
the habit will become a common action, and you will be sure to do a
Reality Check during a dream.  Then the fun starts.
     
Try flying during a dream sometime.  First concentrate on hovering a
few feet above the ground.  Then progress to actual flight, but be
careful with your progress.  If you attempt to fly too high during a dream,
you may end up losing control and 'crashing.'  When you feel the sensation
of falling, it will very probably cause you to wake up unpleasantly.
     
Getting back into a dream:  If you feel the dream fading and become aware
of your actual surroundings, concentrate on spinning your dream body.  This
will serve to push wakefulness away and allow you to remain in the dream.
     
If Reality Checks start failing to work properly:  Generally, the mere mention
of the word "dream" in a dream gives away the whole show.  However, your
subconscious becomes more and more devious in its attempts to prevent you
from dreaming lucidly.  From personal experience I know that this is true in
certain cases.  After a while, even Reality Checks may fail to turn up a
correct result.  The one completely reliable method of checking reality,
as given by Omni, is, after asking, "Am I dreaming?" and receiving a negative
response, to look at an object of printed material, read it, look away,
and re-read it.  If it's the same the first as the second time, you are
NOT dreaming.  It hasn't failed for me yet.
     
Does anyone else have any interesting experiences with lucid dreaming?
     
Post replies, or email if you're that sort of person.
-------
cok%psuvma@psuvax1.psu.edu      "I'd love to, m'lad, but this fine Havana
UUCP:. . .rutgers!psuvax1!       magic wand is a bit too short to grant
 psuvma.BITNET!cok               wishes with."  Jackeen J. O'malley