Lucid Dreaming

Quite long ago now, I remember doing some “research” on developing psi and men-

tal powers. I read something about lucid dreaming, and taking control of one’s

dreaming.  One piece of advice given in that article went something like this:

If you become aware that you are dreaming, you should attempt to assert control of the dreaming.  An advised first step was: Do something simple but intentional in the dream.  For example, look at your hands.  Force yourself to look at your hands.  If you do this successfully, then you will become able to observe the dreamscape intentionally after that step.  Tell yourself to remember what you see, and then write down your observations

after you wake up.  But first, you have to be able to look at your hands in the dream.

Of course, I took this advice to heart or attempted to.  However, I mostly did not notice that I was dreaming, during the dream. Instead, I woke up and then recalled that I had had a dream. And as quickly as I remembered, any dreamscape details would fade. Often the “write it down” step captured only vague feelings and impressions.

Then of course, my persistent intention unexpectedly paid off.  There came a dream wherein I suddenly realized that I was dreaming. “Look at your hands”, I thought, and immediately sought to do so.

I started to look down to see my hands! And rather than any triumph of small control… I immediately awakened from my sleeping state! I remember feeling acute dismay.  And I remembered only the part of the dream wherein I looked down at my hands (and before seeing them), I woke up. Whatever the prior part of the dream was not retained or lucid, at all.

So much for lucid dreaming. By the same token, however, that was the most vivid and memorable, dream-related experience I that I can readily recall. Perhaps I should try again, just for that effect.