LUCID DREAMING: RECESSION-PROOF
ENTERTAINMENT
For years now, I have been aware of my
ability to dream while I am awake.
More precisely, I could have nightmares while I was awake.
I could for instance clearly see rats running up and down
the bedroom wall.
Once a very old lady, holding an infant by the hand, stood
at the foot of my bed looking down at me.
When I tried to tell my partner, the old lady and the
child walked away.
When I told my friends about this, they
laughed and said ‘Thinking that you are awake is
just a part of the nightmare.’
I hate it when people don’t believe
me, so I started practicing, and discovered that I could
in fact induce nightmares, and be awake throughout.
But, not being one to pro-actively invite ridicule, I
kept this information to myself.
Years later, I learnt about lucid dreaming.
The first book to recognize the scientific
potential of lucid dreams was Celia Green’s 1968
study Lucid Dreams.
Even though it has only come to the attention of the general
public in the last few decades, lucid dreaming is not
a modern discovery. A letter written by St Augustine of
Hippo in 415 AD refers to lucid dreaming. In the eighth
century, Tibetan Buddhists and Bonpo were practicing a
form of Dream Yoga held to maintain full waking consciousness
while in the dream state. This system is extensively discussed
and explained in the book Dream Yoga and the Practice
of Natural Light
A lucid dream is a dream in which the
sleeper is aware that he or she is dreaming. When the
dreamer is lucid, he or she can actively participate in
and often manipulate the imaginary experiences in the
dream environment. Lucid dreams can seem extremely real
and vivid depending on a person's level of self-awareness
during the lucid dream.
Lucid dreaming has been researched scientifically,
and its existence is well established. Scientists such
as Alan Hobson, with his neurophysiological approach to
dream research, have helped to push the understanding
of lucid dreaming into a less speculative realm.
To date, I have not been able to manipulate
the dream, but now that I am aware that this is possible,
I look forward to a whole new world of recession busting
entertainment.!
Kader Khan
Editor
info@yummie.co.za
