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Observe: Pay attention to anything absurd or ridiculous in your dream. That alone may be enough to immediately catch your conscious attentlon.

While dreaming, we let so many unusual things pass by our awareness that otherwise would seem odd and out of place if we were awake and seeing the same things. A flock of penguins could be roller skating backwards down a freeway and the sight would barely phase most dreamers.

Touch something in a dream.

If you see a rock, a person, or some object, reach out for it. Grasp it. Feel it.

The realization of the sens of touch in a dream is enough to bring on the awareness of this other world. The conscious use of the senses will help you to realize the unusual quality of this place far removed from our bedrooms. In most dreams, we do not usually notice if we feel something when it is touched.

In a conscious-dream, it is a profound feeling.

Awareness during the dream enables the dream body to separate itself from the hasslies and conflicts of the usualy mundane dreams. The magical power to create your own environment is at your fingertips. Take yourself flying to new, exciting places you though never had existed.

Lucid Dreaming

A lucid dream occurs when the dreamer becomes aware of dreaming while the dream is taking place. In the normal dream, the dreamer is usually unaware of the dream environment.

When the dreamer reacts in a conscious manner to the surroundings of the dream, a phenomenal change takes place in the dream experience. This feeling is known as dream consciousness or lucid dreaming. The Hindus call this state Svapna.

Lucidity means a clearness of thought or style.

To dream lucid is to have full use of one's faculties, unlike in the average dream. Lucidity also refers to clairvoyance or acuteness of perception.

When a lucid dream occurs, the whole experience becomes surrealistic. Momentarily, the dream becomes almost indistinguishable from oridinary waking reality.

Descartes believes that while dreaming we reason and judge exactly the same way as we do when awake. On close examination of the waking state, the amount of awareness utilized reflects the amount of awareness given to the dream.

If we give little attention to what we are consciously doing while awake, responses in the dream become just as automated.

The Hermetic doctrine of "as above, so below" implies that the waking state has its counterpart in the dream state and visa versa.

The phenomena of lucidity arises when habituated patterns are broken and the consciousness begins to perceive from a new perspective. This experience is similar to what is describes as a "peak" or "enlightened" state. Awareness goes beyond normal attentiveness.

In most dreams, the dreamer is carried along a continuous flow of situations and reacts to them automatically. The dreamer rarely cogizes the fat of being in a dream epsiode and continues to operate as a puppet in a show. When the dreamer realizes he is dreaming, absurd incogruities are carefully noted and a feeling of "reality" begins to encompass the dreamer.

Some psychological causes which may initiate lucid awareness that one is dreaming are;

• Emotional stress within a dream. This is the most common type experienced and is usually brougnt on by a nightmare.
• Recogition of incongruity. The arousal of rational, analytical or intellectual processes can bring on Iucidity. Developing the critical faculty in the dream state, as it is developed in the waking state, may initiate dream consciousness.
• Realization of the "dream-like" quality of the experience. This factor is usually spontaneous and is sometimes caused by noticing odd things in the dream environment When the dreamer asks, "Is this experience of the texture of dreaming or waking life?" or "Am I dreaming that I am dreaming?" the dream can be observed more objectively as it unfolds. Conscious awareness In the dream state is not unlikeconscious awareness while awake.
• Initiation of lucidity from the waking state. This technique is used to practice "projections" by those who enter the dream state without losing mental awareness, ie. through the hyponogogic phase. By following the train of thought while drifting into sleep, and maintaining mental awareness, one can "project" or displace' their consciousness into the oncoming dream environment and proceed in operating in that state.

The last practice is known by esoteric philosophies as astral projection. Don Juan taught Carlos Casteneda to look at his hands while he was dreaming to bring on a dream consciousness. He called this act "dreaming" and talked how a "warrior" is able to dream true (or consciously dream).

He discussed with Carlos "seeing," an act which enables one to penetrate an object's inner essence to understand its nature. This is not the same as merely "looking" at it.

"Seeing" implies insight, a deep, penetrating experience.

Human nature allow us to mentally and emotionally "take the role of another". This gives us the potential to "see" or experience the essence of an object, whether animal, vegetable or mineral.

To displace or project our awareness into any type of object and to perceive as though one's consciousness is a part of the object is within our immediate ability.

To "feel" is to be conscious of an internal impression, state of mind, or physical condition. To experience any object, manifestation or idea, is to take on its role and personality and identify with it as though it were ones own self.

This Is the initiation of lucidity in any state of consciousness, whether awake or dreaming.

Next: Chapter 3: When the Astral becomes Lucid