# Lucid Dreaming > Attaining Lucidity >  >  Dream Yoga

## BillyBob

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**Dream Yoga**

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 First things first. Let me make it clear that I in no way claim to be a 'master' of Dream Yoga. I'm just some guy that used to be extremely into the various facets of meditation, consciousness, etc. I've read some books on Dream Yoga, looked it up for long hours on the internet, and have experimented with it extensively in the past. Unfortunately Dream Yoga wasn't my thing. I'm using all the knowledge and experiences I gained in my studies of this interesting induction method to write this tutorial, hopefully you will find it more to your liking than I did.


 .OverviewTraditional Dream Yoga is a constant awareness of your current state of being. The goal of professional Dream Yogis is to attain a state of nonstop reality check - that is, a state of mind wherein the Yogi never loses consciousness of his environment and mental/biological processes.

It would take an incredible level of devotion to get anywhere near that. I'm just going to go over the environmental-focus aspects of the practice. If you're serious about getting into Dream Yoga you should probably go out and buy some books, as I've cut out a lot of the complicated stuff. From here on out when I say 'Dream Yoga' I mean this tutorial's version of it.
.Basic premise: stay aware of whats around you in real life, and you'll become aware of whats around you in your dreams. .
I want you to close your eyes and take a mental walk through the room you're currently sitting in. Without looking around beforehand, try to make the room as close to reality as you possibly can and then notice as many details as possible. Do it, then read on.
Now that your eyes are open, look around and see how accurate your mental map was. Did you see that sock laying by your bed? That paperclip on the desk in front of you? More than likely you just saw huge vague outlines of a bed, dresser, and desk (or whatever big items are in the room).

Now watch this:

You see, we usually trust our subconscious to keep track of whats going on in our environments as we focus on certain tasks. It takes a lot of energy to stay completely aware of what exactly is happening around us, which is why we never do it.
If you were _fully_ conscious of what was happening in your vicinity at any given moment, it would be pretty simple to spot the dreamstate. This is the idea behind Dream Yoga, you train yourself to keep track of your surroundings during the day, then this behavior follows through into the night.


.The Practice
So lets get down to business. It would be futile for most people to just jump right into a full Dream Yoga mindset, so I've tried to make a small program to ease you into it. This is by no means perfect, its just what I did when I first started getting into this -- if you want to skip a step, or stay on one for longer than I have down, go for it. Theres no magical secret contained in here, just common sense.


*Step One.*
Length: a few days
 Just start to pay more attention to the objects that surround you in your day to day life. Notice the location of the watercooler at work, the grotesque looking stains on the wall in your living room, etcetera. 

Just begin to let yourself examine the details of your day to day life. Let go of feeling like you're wasting time when you stop to smell the proverbial roses.
This just helps you to become more naturally observant and critical of your environment. A lot of the following steps actually go against your natural biological tendencies; this step is like a warm up, it can make the rest less intimidating.


*Step Two.*
Length: a week or two
Every time you walk into a new room, scan it. Start with the ceiling/sky, then work your way down. Your objective is to notice and then be able to remember every little detail of every room you enter. Notice where each thing is in relation to all other things, try to build an accurate three dimensional map.

Once you build this map, take a moment to float through the room in your imagination and view it and all of its details from various angles. Relate each room you enter to the room you were just in. Space and time are connected, you don't teleport, and things have a logical progression.
At the end of each imaginary viewing of a room, zoom out and take a look at the big picture. This room is in x building (see all the rooms of the building in relation to one another), which is in x county (see landmarks around the building).
This step is critical. You begin to see the interconnectedness of locations and objects. All things are related and follow concrete logical rules. You can't be in your room if you were just at work - you never experienced a car ride.

Equally as important, you create a habit of being much more critical of your surroundings.


*Step Three.*
Length: as long as you want
 Finally, keep a seamless mental map that is perfectly in alignment with the real world in your mind at all times. As you walk around in your day to day, stay conscious of your location continuously. Keep both the big and little picture: the guy that was sitting in the chair over there just got up and walked to the service desk (don't say that in your mind, see it), at the same time your noticing this, also continuously contemplate your location in this building your in, and in this region your in.

Your mental map must be updated continuously. A piece of paper was moved when you left the room? Make a conscious visual note of it to update the map, and continue about your business, always keeping aware of your surroundings.
Obviously it would take a very devoted person to summon the kind of willpower it would take to do this step. This was what a perfect Dream Yoga user would do; its what you should shoot for, even if you never attain it.
Just stay as aware of your environment as you possibly can. Make sure you scan and cache each room in its entirety every time you walk into it, and be aware as often as you possibly can.

.Summary
So in conclusion, Dream Yoga is a form of continuous awareness. If we teach ourselves to be aware of where we are all the time, we'll be more aware of where we are in dreams. Also when using Dream Yoga we critically study each new room we enter. These two habits combine to give the practitioner unparalleled opportunities to attain Dream Induced Lucid Dreams on a nightly, and even dream by dream, basis.





*Tools.*
Do you have trouble visualizing? How about concentrating? Here are some tools you can use to improve these abilities, which will in turn make it easier for you to break into your Dream Yoga practice.


Image Streaming  --  Visualization

 Meditation  --  Concentration 


Thanks for reading.

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## BillyBob

---posted here for later use---



(note: this tut is in its beginning stages, I&#39;ll update it to make it more readable and intelligent as I think of more ways to do so  :wink2: )

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## Gwendolyn

I&#39;ve heard of dream yoga before. I actually have an audio book on it. I really like the principles, and it is definately worth a try.

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## dragonoverlord

dam your good at making tutorials  :smiley:  

Ill give it a try but i ll probably forget about real quick i tried pictruing the rooma nd stuff and i cant concentrate at all or make much of a picture. only times i can do that is when im not focused.

So do you yo urself have tons more vividness and lucids 9 out of 10 tiems?

and if you can plz post some of yoru results with dream yoga im gonna rite dj on my arm or something  to help me get into the habit of this

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## BillyBob

> dam your good at making tutorials  
> 
> I&#39;ll give it a try but I&#39;ll probably forget about it real quick, I tried picturing the room and stuff and I can&#39;t concentrate at all or make much of a picture. only times I can do that is when I&#39;m not focused.
> 
> So do you yourself have tons more vividness and lucids 9 out of 10 times?
> 
> and if you can please post some of your results with dream yoga I&#39;m gonna write dj on my arm or something  to help me get into the habit of this[/b]



As I said, I&#39;ve yet to be able to totally put this technique into action in my life. I still have trouble every now and then remembering to build a model of the places I enter (I find it particularly hard driving my car, its very hard to constantly update your memory on the environment that your passing through.)

That said, I have been reaping tons of benefits from practicing this, All my normal dreams are *much* more vivid, I get loads more DILDs than I used to (I used to get one a week, now I get about 3-4), I have a much more vivid imagination, my LDs are much easier to keep stable, and I just generally feel healthier since I don&#39;t have to get up at 3 AM to WILD anymore.


I hope to be pretty adept at it by the end of the year. Some day I&#39;ll be having LDs like a natural (every single dream  ::D: )



Hope that answered all your questions  :smiley:

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## Virtuozo

Wow this seems like an amazing technique to use. Especially for people like me, who mostly have DILDs. &#39;Cause no other method really works for me. Even for people who use other techniques, this method is much better because it kind of  makes you more aware of your surroundings as well as making your dreams more vivid and helping you become more conscious in your dreams AND IRL. 
Definitely going to start this from tomorrow and I&#39;ll tell you the results in a short while.

PS: I really like the way you write your posts. Informative and easy to understand.   :smiley:

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## lupo7

Very good job with the tutorial. Congratulations.
Keep updating very interesting I... like more the way you describing it that the text I read so far.

How much experience should one have before trying it? some months, some years, or just a big number of lucids?
I guess it&#39;s different for anybody but what is your opinion?

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## person-person

WOW&#33;&#33;  That was great&#33;   Dream yoga sounds like the true way to go, I&#39;m about to start school holidays (about 24 days) so I&#39;m going to really try and get into this.  Perfect timing.

  A few questions: 
How long do you meditate for, and when is the best time to do this?
Do you construct a mental room for EVERY room you enter and leave?
How detailed? as in; would you account for every shelf and the books on it? or just look and see a &#39;bookshelf&#39;.

Thanks a heap BB, 
          P P

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## ShYne123

Billybob, great totorial, im deffinatily going to give this a try.

I normally read your topics because they are generally very enlightening lol.

I never really knew what dream yoga was before, sounds great.

Im just starting to do Rcs ALOT, like when anything weird happens...(driving in my car, its not raining, and somone flickes their windshield wippers on) I have had 4 LD&#39;s in two weeks. That alot compaired to my 6 from ALL of last year.

Im going to try and incorperate this.

Thanks alot for the time you put into this post, it makes alot of sense

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## pawstalker

> [*]Now I cache the object in my mind, remembering exactly the space that it filled in my room.[*]I hold onto the object in the back of my mind until I leave the room, I&#39;ll do this whole process over again when I come back into the room (thats much easier to do when its a whole room your doing instead of one object)[/b]



great tut. 
Some questions though. what you mean with the cache the object/room in your mind. You keep thinking of this all the time. adjusting it when stuff moves and all. i don&#39;t get it...
Holding thoughts in the back of your mind ? What ? How do you do that ? 
Maybe i just baka..

Xtra Q: Why is this not for beginners ??? Sounds great for better recall. 

and good luck with your feet  ::wink::

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## yoast

Great, an understandable tutorial about dream yoga. I&#39;ll check it every now and then.
Probably need some more experience and time to start doing it.
Where did you learn this stuff?
I&#39;ve got a book about it &#39;The Tibetan yogas of dream and sleep&#39; by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, but I guess you have to know a lot about Buddhism to understand it. Lots of talk about chakra&#39;s, energy body&#39;s, samsaric dreams, zhine, etc etc, I lost interest during reading it.
You have a better source?

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## skuruza

ok, so basically, you try to notice everything in the room?

also, nothing weird happens around me-so how do you do RCs when "something weird happens"?

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## DrTechnical

I understand how there are aspects of traditional Dream Yoga techniques embedded in your tutorial.
But I&#39;m curious to know who you studied with or what books you read?

My understanding of Dream Yoga is significantly different - being closely tied to Tibetan/Buddhist philosophy
and religion really.

I think there&#39;s a lot of value in the technique you&#39;re proposing, but I would hate to give people the wrong impression
on what traditional dream yoga is. Just my 2 cents. Here&#39;s a capture of a book I would suggest for a traditional
perspective on the topic. This book is to Dream Yoga what "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming" is to the
western point of view on lucidity in dreams:



 Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep 
By Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
 &#036;16.95 Order  
  Detailed instructions for dream yoga, including foundational practices done during the day, and the more advanced practice of sleep yoga.
Paperback, 219 pages.

For foreign editions, please click on category books and subcategory Books in Foreign Languages by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche.

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## sea bee

Billy Bob 001:

Thanks  for the tutural on dream yoga.  I have been meditating for years but never thought of this 3-D process. 

I&#39;ll check it out&#33;

 :yumdumdoodledum: sea bee  :yumdumdoodledum:

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## juroara

I think I like this tutorial because I am actually getting tired of all the garaunteed instant lucid dream techniques&#33; This takes some time and patience   ::content::  

also, even if said instant techniques gave me a lucid dream, the reality in my lucid wasn&#39;t necessary what I wanted. And even when I consciously tried to bring back the level of reality in my dreams, sometimes &#39;I&#39; forgot what reality was. One time for example, I was trying to transform into wolf - only realizing I forgot what a wolfs face looks like. All those details, you just dont remember them&#33;

I think this is good for a hyper reality life   ::wink::

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## Adanac

Ah yes this sounds great. I&#39;m starting now.

P.S. I also did pretty good with the remember you room thing lol.

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## skuruza

ok, so i walk into a room, look around and RC whenever i see something weird?

i do not see anything weird.

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## Never

Ah, nice tutorial. I have been doing dream yoga and mindfulness for a good while and the results are amazing as I have said before. I barely ever do reality checks in my dreams because I simply do not need to; when something weird happens, I know it.

One thing I&#39;d like to add is that one of the greatest benefits of all from mindfulness is that negative thoughts turn to dust. Anger disappears; you will never have a misunderstanding with someone again. You will be able to view any situation objectively and respond appropriately. Relationships improve because your ability to listen is insane. Things that used to bother you no longer will. In fact, they might make you laugh.

Don&#39;t just take in your surroundings, but also sounds; pay attention to all your senses as you get better at this. The more you do this, the more life _does_ seem like a dream.

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## ShYne123

Somone asked you how do you meditate billybob, im also wondering this? I am going to start daily meditation.

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## Bushido

> Somone asked you how do you meditate billybob, im also wondering this? I am going to start daily meditation.[/b]



I found this was the most helpful guide for me, and he knows what hes talking about which always helps&#33;&#33;
http://www.bswa.org/modules/icontent/index.php?page=93

I would just focus on the first two parts to start with and then move on when your ready.

Bushido  ::ninja::

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## skuruza

another question in additioin to my previous one-

would it work if you just did a simple daily meditation- using so hum as a mantra, coz i went to a class, and the teacher told me to use that.

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## BillyBob

Wow, thanks for all the replies everyone  :smiley: 

I guess I should just systematically go through all the questions (excuse any crazy ass mistakes, its pretty late  :wink2: ):





> How much experience should one have before trying it? some months, some years, or just a big number of lucids?
> I guess it&#39;s different for anybody but what is your opinion?[/b]



Really the point I was trying to make in saying: "you should be very experienced in lucid dreaming" was that this technique is for people who want to go beyond the average one or two lucids a month, and venture into the one or two a night.

If your new to lucid dreaming then you should probably go with easier, quicker methods of gaining lucidity.
Theres no reason a newbie couldn&#39;t do dream yoga, I just doubt they would put this much effort into getting something they hadn&#39;t had the time to savor yet.






> A few questions: 
> *1)* How long do you meditate for, and when is the best time to do this?
> *2)* do you construct a mental room for EVERY room you enter and leave?
> *3)* How detailed? as in; would you account for every shelf and the books on it? or just look and see a &#39;bookshelf&#39;.[/b]



Wow, excellent questionsI meditate for 30 minutes a day; usually just before bedI try my damnedest to  :wink2: For something that has a ton of repetitive objects on/in it I usually just see the object as a whole (I just see "a bookshelf", but of course, the mental image of it has "books" in it, just in no particular order).
Thats only if theres like 30 books though, if there were only say... 5, then I would probably notice each one.



> what you mean with the cache the object/room in your mind. You keep thinking of this all the time. adjusting it when stuff moves and all. i don&#39;t get it...
> Holding thoughts in the back of your mind ? What ? How do you do that ? 
> 
> Xtra Q: Why is this not for beginners ??? Sounds great for better recall.[/b]



When I say "cache it in your mind" I mean that you shouldn&#39;t just look at everything in the room and five seconds later not be able to remember where stuffs at. 
An example of caching something in your mind: Your boss walks up to you and says: "Ted, I&#39;m gonna need you to go ask Sally when she&#39;s gonna get that emblem in from the art department". You don&#39;t have a pen or anything nearby so you just cache it within your head for later remembrance.
Five minutes later your at the water cooler when Sally walks by, Instantly, you call up that cached memory from earlier and repeat your bosses words.

So caching basically means putting something into your short term memory for possible later use.  :tongue2: 

Xtra Q answer:

I didn&#39;t want any noobs to start off with this technique and get discouraged by how difficult it can seem at times 





> Where did you learn this stuff?
> I&#39;ve got a book about it &#39;The Tibetan yogas of dream and sleep&#39; by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, but I guess you have to know a lot about Buddhism to understand it. Lots of talk about chakra&#39;s, energy body&#39;s, samsaric dreams, zhine, etc etc, I lost interest during reading it.
> You have a better source?[/b]



From various internet sources and also that book you mentioned  ::wink::  

Really all this tutorial is, is a compilation of all my knowledge into one document. 
I&#39;ve tried to take out all the religious and needless BS that most people attribute to dream yoga and just leave the core exercises and techniques.

If I left anything out thats needed for this to be called dream yoga then don&#39;t hesitate to tell me <--to anyone who read this tut






> ok, so basically, you try to notice everything in the room?
> 
> also, nothing weird happens around me-so how do you do RCs when "something weird happens"?[/b]



I guess if you wanted to strip it down to one sentence then yes, thats exactly what it is  ::content::  

If you *really* look around every room you enter then there&#39;s no doubt you&#39;ll see _something_ that strikes you as a bit "odd" (it doesnt have to be something insane like a car sitting on your bed or something, just something thats seems a little "out of place")






> I understand how there are aspects of traditional Dream Yoga techniques embedded in your tutorial.
> But I&#39;m curious to know who you studied with or what books you read?
> 
> My understanding of Dream Yoga is significantly different - being closely tied to Tibetan/Buddhist philosophy
> and religion really.
> 
> I think there&#39;s a lot of value in the technique you&#39;re proposing, but I would hate to give people the wrong impression
> on what traditional dream yoga is. Just my 2 cents. Here&#39;s a capture of a book I would suggest for a traditional
> perspective on the topic. This book is to Dream Yoga what "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming" is to the
> ...



As stated earlier in this post, I&#39;ve tried to take out all the "religious" parts of dream yoga that I&#39;ve heard about and just strip it down to the foundational procedures that are necessary for it to work.

I decided to call it "Dream Yoga" because thats where I got all everything that I wrote from... (although I admit that I did leave a considerable amount of stuff like praying to Buddhist deities and the like out)


Thats the book I got about 80% of the content for the tutorial from (content meaning techniques for doing dream yoga and everything)
It was a very excellent read (although a bit tormenting at times due to all the Budaic words)






> One thing I&#39;d like to add is that one of the greatest benefits of all from mindfulness is that negative thoughts turn to dust. Anger disappears; you will never have a misunderstanding with someone again. You will be able to view any situation objectively and respond appropriately. Relationships improve because your ability to listen is insane. Things that used to bother you no longer will. In fact, they might make you laugh.
> 
> Don&#39;t just take in your surroundings, but also sounds; pay attention to all your senses as you get better at this. The more you do this, the more life _does_ seem like a dream.[/b]



Yes, mindfulness meditation has definitely made me a better person, I no longer hold grudges or get angry at anyone. Life is pretty much all around easier. (I&#39;ve been doing it for about 3 years)

Good idea, I think I&#39;ll add this to the tutorial
__________________________________________________  __________________________


Thanks for all the replies/ questions, hope that cleared some things up for you  ::D: 

Feel free to ask more questions or just comment, the more feedback I get the easier it&#39;ll be to update the tutorial with useful information  :smiley:

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## skuruza

ok, so about the odd thing- if i see (for example) atoy dog on a table- would that be odd or is it whatever i think of as odd?

also, about the meditation- my yoga teacher- also the teacher of the meditation class i went to- said for beginners to meditate like 5 mins a day, because she said (I do not remember exactly) something about the mind being able to go to higher stages of meditation when it is more experienced. she also said that if u meditate as a beginner like a half hr, its just hallucinating about the higher stages.

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## Never

Not sure about all that, but meditating a full half hour at first can be a problem for some people. The biggest barrier is that you often fall asleep, or you spend the whole time wondering if you can stop meditating, or wondering how long it has been since you started.

The saltcube LD and OBE timer can help such people: Click here

Posture is another problem if such a thing concerns you, especially if you sit on the floor. Beginners often cannot get into the full Lotus which helps with posture and comfort. Keeping a straight back is nearly impossible for most without being in agony. If you start at 5 minutes day and use a wall to lean on when you get sore, your back will get stronger gradually. If you go too far you will just injure yourself.

Everything depends on the type of meditation as well; for insight or concentration meditation, the longer you do it, the faster you will get better at it, no matter the level of experience. Still, 5 minutes is a good place to start if you are worried about your own willpower or abilities. If you jump into it with too much force for your will, you may lose interest entirely.

I am not sure what meditation your teacher was talking about...

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## person-person

Update:   So far I have been doing DYoga for about 3 days.
   Im getting better at &#39;recalling&#39; visuals (certain objects in rooms) and sometimes even whole rooms.

   Last night I became lucid (did the nose reality check, after I considered I might be dreaming)  -  wasn&#39;t very good, but it&#39;s a start&#33;

  Overall quality of vividness of dreams has increased slightly.


I&#39;ll keep working on it.

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## skuruza

> Not sure about all that, but meditating a full half hour at first can be a problem for some people. The biggest barrier is that you often fall asleep, or you spend the whole time wondering if you can stop meditating, or wondering how long it has been since you started.
> 
> The saltcube LD and OBE timer can help such people: Click here
> 
> Posture is another problem if such a thing concerns you, especially if you sit on the floor. Beginners often cannot get into the full Lotus which helps with posture and comfort. Keeping a straight back is nearly impossible for most without being in agony. If you start at 5 minutes day and use a wall to lean on when you get sore, your back will get stronger gradually. If you go too far you will just injure yourself.
> 
> Everything depends on the type of meditation as well; for insight or concentration meditation, the longer you do it, the faster you will get better at it, no matter the level of experience. Still, 5 minutes is a good place to start if you are worried about your own willpower or abilities. If you jump into it with too much force for your will, you may lose interest entirely.
> 
> I am not sure what meditation your teacher was talking about...[/b]



thanks for that, but what are you talking about with all the types of it- insights, concentration, etc.

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## Never

Well there are many ways of meditating with different purposes. What I meant was for concentration meditation or insight meditation you get better with practice; there is no set time to start with.

If you are asking what the different types mean, insight is mindfulness meditation (Vipassana) performed by buddhists, and concentration is focusing on one thing, such as an object, the breath, etc. Dream yoga is  a form of low intensity insight meditation performed all day with a twist. The twist is the reality checking. Instead of focusing on the nature of reality or merely what one is doing, they are super aware of their surroundings and of which reality they are in.

Here is a good place to learn about meditation from the monks; more than you ever wanted to know:

Scroll down to the meditation section

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## anomanderis

I read a buddhist text about attention today and decided to start applying it and dream yoga as well. I found it pretty hard to maintain constant attentiveness of my actions, since many times i noticed that for the last 10-15 minutes or so my attention had wavered and gone off somewhere  :smiley: .
Do you (billybob 001) use just the dream yoga technique or do you incorporate other techniques as well?

Like a few have mentioned before, for the last few lucids i&#39;ve had i haven&#39;t needed the use of rc&#39;s, since i _know_ if i am dreaming or not and for some weird reason, doing an rc will drastically shorten my lucidity (i&#39;ll wake up real fast)

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## taltho

Awesome&#33; Dream yoga can be very useful.

I guess you could start by paying particular attention to the things that don&#39;t matter, I think you would still see the things that are important. By paying attention to the things that don&#39;t matter you start to notice more.

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## anomanderis

yes. dream yoga is constant attention to your environment, but what i do is add attention of self to attention of environment. Don&#39;t know if that was what Billybob meant.

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## sea bee

> *When you hear the words:* "Dream Yoga" you may think something along the lines of: "OMFG&#33;&#33;&#33;1&#33;one&#33;&#33;&#33; Thats a time consuming and painfully hard-to-adjust-to method of attaining lucidity&#33;&#33;&#33;"
> If that is indeed what you thought, then guess what? your right.
> 
> Dream yoga has been the most daunting and painstaking approach to lucid dreaming that I&#39;ve ever had the liberty of trying.
> Its hard, hugely annoying, mentally draining, and worst of all: extremely time consuming (at first that is).
> Whats that you say? Your no longer interested? Keep reading.
> Dream yoga is one of those things that really pays off in the end (heres the good of it):
> Your *normal* dreams become infinitely more detailed and rich (usually on the first night of using this yoga).Your lucid dreams become more intense, more logical, and easier to hold on to.You get a whole new outlook on waking reality, life becomes more alive and extraordinarily detailed.Your "minds eye" (imagination) is more easily controlled; the images you see in it are vivid beyond anything you&#39;ve ever thought possible.No interruption of nighttime sleep&#33;
> Other benefits I can&#39;t think of right now (  )If that caught your interest then keep reading, just remember, Dream Yoga is very hard, you shouldnt really even think for a second of using this first thing (before having many LDs via other methods).
> ...




{warning}I guess I&#39;ll start by telling you that I&#39;m in no way an epic expert in this area, though I do know all the steps to becoming a dream yoga master, I&#39;ve yet to complete them. In fact, the main reason I&#39;m writing this topic is for myself; that is, I want to put down all my collective knowledge on the subject into one easy to read block of text for future reference. (much like I did with my WILDing tutorial){/warning}
<span style="color:#000000">Thats not to say that I know nothing on the subject, just that I don&#39;t know everything (yet).
expect me to be updating this topic as I run into new problems or find new solutions to already existing problems that I&#39;ve come across.
Ok, now for the goods. just to get you a bit educated before I go into detail on them, here&#39;s all the steps that I&#39;ll be going over:
</span>Overview of how to think of this method of lucid induction
meditating daily.Becoming acquainted with your surroundings.Before bedThe morning afterI know what your thinking: "What the hell? five steps? I thought he said this would be hard&#33;&#33;"
You&#39;ll see...*Overview of how to think of this induction method:*I was just BSing about this method being incredibly hard. In truth, I adapted to it pretty quickly. What I meant was that _when compared with other induction methods_ this one is probably the hardest for the average person to get into and become adept at. 

Keep in mind the benefits that I stated earlier, if that doesn&#39;t get you through the initial pattern setting stages of this technique, nothing I could really say will.*Meditating daily:*daily meditation is practically a must for the concentration needed for this procedure.

<<How to Meditate>> <---(note: ignore the new age pictures, just take the meditation for what it is)

The reason your meditating daily is to improve your ability to consciously control your mind, and also your learning the ability to let go of the emotional impact you receive from viewing objects (more on that soon)*Becoming acquainted with your surroundings:*This is the core of Yogic Meditation, the step that sets this method apart from any others that you may have read or heard of: nonstop reality checking.

I&#39;m sure when you read that you had at least one goose bump pop up, I mean, thats just epic, a reality check that lasts forever? thats a pretty incredible thing, but really, what did you expect? this is the method used by the gods of the human mind: yogis
Ok, enough ranting, heres what to do (as well as why you do it):

begin by taking a moment to look around the room your in right this moment (do it).

Did you see anything interesting? If you didn&#39;t then don&#39;t worry, the reason you didn&#39;t see anything interesting is because you probably didn&#39;t really see anything at all. Without looking back around the room try building a 3d model of the locations of all the items in the room with your imagination.
Now look around the room and see how accurate you were. How many things did you miss? Probably alot eh? The reason you missed so many items is because throughout your life you&#39;ve conditioned yourself to only see what needs seen. You see the lion creeping in the bushes (but not the weed thats growing two feet to its left), you see the brightly colored painting thats hanging on your wall (but yet you don&#39;t ever seem to notice that book thats lying on the desk beside it), etc.

Back in the day when we had to hunt our food and look for any dangers that we may be walking up on we couldn&#39;t afford to see (and consciously remember) _every_ single object that happened to come into our view. but now we can (thank you civilization), and as it turns out, consciously viewing every object you see in real life in your minds eye is an excellent way to increase dream clarity and realism.

Getting your world view to change:

<span style="color:#000080">Look at something in front of you. I myself am looking at an "Odor-Eaters foot and sneaker spray powder"

If the thing your looking at has text then don&#39;t even worry about reading it. just go through the objects attributes in your head (try to use words as little as possible) here&#39;s an example of what goes through my head when I look at the above image in front of me:
"Tube shaped" (I see a tube with its dimensions in my head)"Green lid, white bottom" (the tube now has a green lid/white bottom that looks exactly like the real one)"Foot spray"Now I fill in the details that I think will be on the back and "move behind" the can in my mind, imaging what it would look like if I were on the other side (if you were taking in a whole room you would move through the room as a whole in your mind after you had already built a complete model of it within your head)Now I cache the object in my mind, remembering exactly the space that it filled in my room.I hold onto the object in the back of my mind until I leave the room, I&#39;ll do this whole process over again when I come back into the room (thats much easier to do when its a whole room your doing instead of one object)When applying this to complete rooms your going to want to recognize each object as an individual in the whole. Each object corresponds to the objects around it.
You&#39;ll undoubtedly find this technique hard to pull off for even a small amount of time at first, but soon you&#39;ll get better and better, until you finally do it no matter what (that is, your build a 3d model of every room you enter, every time you enter it. Then keep the model in your short term memory)

You may remember hearing Dream yoga described as "realizing reality is a dream". The meaning of this statement is that you should realize that the objects your seeing around you hold no real value. if they suddenly phased out of your reality then nothing would really be lost. The only value that objects hold is what we give them with our emotions and memories.
Just like a dream.
Don&#39;t look at the stuff your building your 3d model by with a sense of: "that trophy I won at the fair last year", look at them with the mindset that says: "a trophy plated in fools gold, with the model of a cow on the top of it"
I know that this is probably very confusing, let me lay it out in bullet formYou walk into a roomnotice and remember every object in the room in a passive way (start at one side of the room and work your way around, remember to look at the ceilings, floors, and everything in between.)As your looking at objects don&#39;t let yourself get carried away in memories about said object (like if you see a bicycle and suddenly you get a flash of that time you broke your leg bike-riding) 
If you let yourself get carried away in these thoughts then you&#39;ll forget what you were doing and lose your focus.Remember to do Reality checks when you notice something weird in a room.
The whole point of doing this is to make it so that you instantly notice screwups in your dreams and become lucid (thus allowing lucidity in _every dream of the night_)This entire process should take at max 5 seconds a room (thats after you&#39;ve done it about 20 times)When your done reading this topic feel free to ask questions if you didn&#39;t get that, I&#39;ll amend this section to make it more logical  :smiley:  *Before Bed:*Reality check more than usual between the time you take a shower and the time you go to bed.
As your lying in bed don&#39;t forget to remind yourself that your about to enter another reality.*The Morning After*Get up and write down all your dreams, include all the new extraordinary details you just witnessed. 
Start the constant observance of your surroundings all over again.
__________________________________________________  _________________________
If your thinking: "Dream yoga is pretty worthless, I could get the same results doing normal DILD every night" then let me be the first to tell you: your wrong.

Dream Yoga is better than DILD because it teaches you to be aware of your reality *all the time* all DILD does is teach you to reality check when you happen to randomly gaze around your reality.
Though its probably the hardest of all methods, dream yoga is also the most rewarding.
You can be carrying on a conversation and also examining the space your in at the same time, its very non intrusive, and gives you the best possible chance of becoming lucid

Its very common for users of this to be lucid in every 9 out of 10 dreams they have.
Whew, comments?[/b][/quote]

Billy Bob 001:
I would like your opinion regarding a method which is somewhat of an off-shoot of your dream yoga tutorial?
I kind of made it up after reading your tutorial. Although a friend of mine used to do it just for fun not for dreaming etc.
The method is similar to yours except I mentally manipulate the objects in my room or my current enviornment, street, elevator or some other building.  What I do is mentally change the form of the object I&#39;m working with briefly into an unusual shape, or cause it to do something it was not designed for. Like I will change a hanging lamp into  a completly different object, say a hanging tree.  I will also imagine a large object turning very small and perhaps changing color. I will take a picture on a wall and cause it to fall to the floor and break into pieces.  Also cause liquid gold to pour out of a hole in the wall on to the floor.  It&#39;s somewhat fun and I am trying to use it to become more aware of my current place in the enviornment.
There are no end to the possibilities of the things you can make up in your imagination.  It causes you to look around more and be more aware.
I can&#39;t say how usefull it is in helping in Lucid Dreaming as I just started this a few weeks ago after reading your tutorial. I have had a few LD&#39;s
since doing this method but I can&#39;t say if this method has helped or not.  As I just get them from time to time anyway.  My question is is this a waste of precious time, or should I put more effort into some other method?  I think I am using my inner wisdom regarding this any way but I would like your opinion.
Thanks for your attention for my request,
sea bee (a sailor forever)

----------


## sea bee

> {warning}I guess I&#39;ll start by telling you that I&#39;m in no way an epic expert in this area, though I do know all the steps to becoming a dream yoga master, I&#39;ve yet to complete them. In fact, the main reason I&#39;m writing this topic is for myself; that is, I want to put down all my collective knowledge on the subject into one easy to read block of text for future reference. (much like I did with my WILDing tutorial){/warning}
> <span style="color:#000000">Thats not to say that I know nothing on the subject, just that I don&#39;t know everything (yet).
> expect me to be updating this topic as I run into new problems or find new solutions to already existing problems that I&#39;ve come across.
> Ok, now for the goods. just to get you a bit educated before I go into detail on them, here&#39;s all the steps that I&#39;ll be going over:
> </span>Overview of how to think of this method of lucid induction
> meditating daily.Becoming acquainted with your surroundings.Before bedThe morning afterI know what your thinking: "What the hell? five steps? I thought he said this would be hard&#33;&#33;"
> You&#39;ll see...*Overview of how to think of this induction method:*I was just BSing about this method being incredibly hard. In truth, I adapted to it pretty quickly. What I meant was that _when compared with other induction methods_ this one is probably the hardest for the average person to get into and become adept at. 
> 
> Keep in mind the benefits that I stated earlier, if that doesn&#39;t get you through the initial pattern setting stages of this technique, nothing I could really say will.*Meditating daily:*daily meditation is practically a must for the concentration needed for this procedure.
> ...



Billy Bob 001:
I would like your opinion regarding a method which is somewhat of an off-shoot of your dream yoga tutorial?
I kind of made it up after reading your tutorial. Although a friend of mine used to do it just for fun not for dreaming etc.
The method is similar to yours except I mentally manipulate the objects in my room or my current enviornment, street, elevator or some other building.  What I do is mentally change the form of the object I&#39;m working with briefly into an unusual shape, or cause it to do something it was not designed for. Like I will change a hanging lamp into  a completly different object, say a hanging tree.  I will also imagine a large object turning very small and perhaps changing color. I will take a picture on a wall and cause it to fall to the floor and break into pieces.  Also cause liquid gold to pour out of a hole in the wall on to the floor.  It&#39;s somewhat fun and I am trying to use it to become more aware of my current place in the enviornment.
There are no end to the possibilities of the things you can make up in your imagination.  It causes you to look around more and be more aware.
I can&#39;t say how usefull it is in helping in Lucid Dreaming as I just started this a few weeks ago after reading your tutorial. I have had a few LD&#39;s
since doing this method but I can&#39;t say if this method has helped or not.  As I just get them from time to time anyway.  My question is is this a waste of precious time, or should I put more effort into some other method?  I think I am using my inner wisdom regarding this any way but I would like your opinion.
Thanks for your attention for my request,
sea bee (a sailor forever)[/QUOTE]
Billy Bob 001

Perhaps you overlooked my request for an opinion on my last request, or I don't know where to look for it.

Thanks,
sea bee

----------


## skuruza

what if my visualization skills aren't so great? also, how is it possible no notice every tiny dtail?

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## Never

You do not have to notice every detail. The idea is to train your mind to focus on the present moment. It takes constant vigilance. What I do is switch between methods.  For example if I am walking around I will focus on what I see around me. If I am doing a small task, I will focus on that. If I am standing still, I will focus on my breathing. Anything you can think of to keep your mind from wandering is good.

Your visualization will improve over time if you practice this. Just look around and see what you see without putting words to it such as "tree", "cup"; "person". Just pretend you are memorizing everything.

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## skuruza

What if you are moving somewhere, like in a car?

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## Never

Well if you are driving, I suggest paying attention to the road lol

If you are in the front seat, just continue taking everything in. If you are a back seat rider then breathing meditation is probably the best bet again. The first goal is to learn to concentrate. Once you can do that well, dream yoga will be much easier.

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## Drake

I've been reading the book Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep.. And I haven't seen anything even remotely similar to this technique of constant mindfulness of surroundings that BillyBob has outlined here... Does anyone know where he got this from? Do the Tibetan Yogis themselves use this technique as it seems most of their time is spent convincing themselves everything is a dream and not making mental maps of their surroundigs...

 Not to say this technique doesn't sound interesting I would just like to know a little more about it, perhaps research it directly from an official source...

 Thanks for any responses!

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## Never

Yes in the tradition the idea is to constantly be reminding yourself about how life is a dream, and observing your surroundings is a part of this. This tutorial obviously focuses on visuals, but smells, sounds, etc are also supposed to be part of this for advanced practitioners.

Dream yoga is meditation of reality but with the added reminder that life is like a dream at every moment. At least that is my take on it.

Last night in my dream I put clothes in the dryer and they were done in 3 seconds. I said "no I don't think so". That moment the color of the dryer changed and I instantly became lucid. You train your mind to always be aware of surroundings and events so even when your "life is a dream" mentality is not fully honed, you will still pick up on the obvious.

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## VenusBlue

I had always heard people mentioning dream yoga, but had yet to see any solid principles of it laid out, Thank You. I only seem to have DILDS (Just 2) so I figure I might as well give this a try, I'll tell you how it works out :p.

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## JCDenton

Sounds great! I've thought of starting meditation for a long time... Now I feel even more motivated! Also, using this, can you remember all the dreams you had that night or just the latter ones? It would be great since I can only remember my last dreams. =|

BillyBob_001 you rule!  ::D:  Your tutorials are simple and easy to understand, yet detailed. They've helped me a lot. Thanks again  :smiley:

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## LucidInCuB!zt

This in some way contributes to the Self-Awareness Reality Check...co0ll:p

very nice explanation :smiley:

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## lucidfruit

Is there any specific way to meditate or any mantras you have to repeat or is it just good old regular meditaton?   :Confused:   oh by the way great tutorial   ::D:

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## Never

> Also, using this, can you remember all the dreams you had that night or just the latter ones? It would be great since I can only remember my last dreams. =|



You will remember more dreams with this technique. In fact, as your dreams get better, they will be impossible to forget. When I become lucid it feels as though there is an unshakable force keeping the dream going. Even on my worst days when I have a hard time not blacking out, I still end up dream spinning for a long time. Once I spun through what seemed like over 50 dreams.

The more you do this, the more real your dreams will be. The more real your dreams are, the more you will remember, and the reality of dreams is often the glue that holds your mind in that moment.

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## LucidApple

I  am a lucid dreamer that practise dream yoga over 20 years now, invented it myself and learned later that such a thing existed. I also started then to meditate inside my lucid dreams*several types* and do also dream yoga from inside my lucid dreams. Its a great thing and you can do marvelous things with it inside the lucid dream for control.

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## Nar

> You may remember hearing Dream yoga described as "realizing reality is a dream". The meaning of this statement is that you should realize that the objects your seeing around you hold no real value. if they suddenly phased out of your reality then nothing would really be lost. The only value that objects hold is what we give them with our emotions and memories.
> Just like a dream.



I've often read in various internet site that "realizing reality is a dream" means that that all experience is delivered to the individual via the brain and nervous system, and is therefore a product of the mind. E.g, if you see something, your brain uses the signals it gets from the eyes to make an image. Actually even your head and the rest of your body (or rather the sensation of it) is inside your. The whole point in seeing real life as an dream is that you are more conscious and mindful. When your're more conscious in RL than your also more conscious in your dreams (what means that all your dreams are lucid). I did this for just one day and had two lucid dreams in one night (one was just barely lucid), though I usual get only 1-3 LDs a month.

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## james-25:22pm

i understand the whole making an image of a room...but after you have....what do you do with it?

review them all at the end of the day?

and the demonstration with the odor-eater....are you supposed to do that to everyobject in a room?? because thats mega time-consuming?

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## Never

Don't take it too literally. The idea is to be as aware as possible of your environment, just as you do when attempting to enhance the clarity of a lucid dream. Focus on the five senses. Stay in the moment.

In your dreams you will do the same and when something odd happens; *bam* you are lucid, and with unmatched clarity.

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## james-25:22pm

thank you so much for this tutorial....i followed it pretty closely for about 4 hours before I went to bed (Id never even heard of it until 4 hours before bed!) and I had my first lucid (albeit a muddy one..but I think it was way early in my REM cycle) in like 2 months....dild

thanks again billybob

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## DreamChaser

Firstly I don't want to wake up in my boring room. No offence.
Secondly it would create unneccessary confusion whether I was awake or not awake.
Why not visualise a cool place to start your dream?
There would be no question, or less questioning if it is a dream.
Please tell me.

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## james-25:22pm

> Firstly I don't want to wake up in my boring room. No offence.
> Secondly it would create unneccessary confusion whether I was awake or not awake.
> Why not visualise a cool place to start your dream?
> There would be no question, or less questioning if it is a dream.
> Please tell me.



Dream chaser, you may have missed the point

1 - what do you mean 'wake up' in your boring old room? you dont HAVE to sleep in your room? :S

2 - there is no confusion. if you are always observing. and you notice something wierd; you do a reality check. It works in real life and fails in a dream

3 - It's not about visualising dream-scapes. It's about getting into practice of knowing your surroundings; so you can tell if they are real

the point is you become more observant as a habit; so it carries over into your dream. THEREFORE you are more likely to spot tell-tale signs that you are dreaming

atleast, thats the way I interpretted it.

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## Xaqaria

In another thread, oneiraut_jeff777 mentioned sitting in a dark room for half an hour before bed to let your eyes relax. This would be a good way to practice dream yoga meditation just before bed. I like to sit in the lotus position (difficult and not for everybody) and focus my energy along my spine and through my "third eye" imagining the world as a dream. If successful you can bring yourself to the very edge of the hypnagogic state this way before you even begin to try to sleep. This also does away with the distractions of trying not to move or swallow and allows you to just focus on becoming lucid.

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## DreamChaser

I must admit trying to WILD and imagine places like your room in your mind is an example of meditating, if you haven't before.
I spent 90 mins trying to WILD early this morning and realised I was at least meditating for that time.
It made my daytime meditating today quite easy. It is hard for me to fall asleep sitting up, so it was a good experience.
You shouldn't worry about coming out of meditation if you have an alarm.
It's not like a bad trip or anything...you do have control.

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## DreamChaser

I suppose I just never dream of my room at any time, so it seems pointless to me.
Should I be trying to start my dreams in my room?
I always have them somewhere else, or they are initiated from my willfull thoughts.
That's the reason for the question of why start in the boredom of your room.
Obviously if it is that familiar, you may pick up unfamiliarities in a dream.
I would like to know the thinking behind memorising your room/house rooms further.
Please continue.

 ::D:

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## james-25:22pm

as far as I can see, its not 100&#37; about memorising. 

I think its like: IF YOU are being observant enough to memorise places and observe them in detail, then you should be observant enough to spot dream signs...as a habit

anyone please, correct me If im wrong...just how i interpretted the guide

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## Never

Correct. The idea is maintain _complete_ awareness through all hours of the day; sleeping and waking. We usually walk through life as zombies in our own heads; this is to stop that and be aware at all times. Just as you sleepwalk in dreams, you sleepwalk in life. If you wake up in life, you wake up in dreams.

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## DreamChaser

Very profound Never.

 ::D:

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## Swank

Similar concept to A Course in Miracles, if anyones ever heard of it - a 365 day course in freeing of the mind - one of the core concepts is seeing every object as objective and not subjective, so as to free yourself from attachment to material things. Very buddhist-y, lol.

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## george

Thank you for this thread!

I have researched Buddhism for quite a while now but never have started meditating daily. This dream yoga is basically mindfulness meditation - being aware of your surroundings, being in the moment. The realization that this will help me become lucid is extra motivation for me to start doing it. And the little twitch of attempting to reconstruct images of the rooms you've been in is great aswell - my imagination is not very good so it would be good to train it. 

This kind of meditation, if I was to call it thus, is very helpful toward an all around balanced life. Thank you for reminding me to start meditating  :smiley:

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## james-25:22pm

Hey never, or billybob but I havent seem him in this thread for ages....

in the tut it says this should end up taking 5 seconds per room...
well how is it a non-stop reality check?
is it the fact that you try to remember to ATLEAST LOOK at everywhere you are, to easily catch dreams?

thx

----------


## Xaqaria

> Similar concept to A Course in Miracles, if anyones ever heard of it - a 365 day course in freeing of the mind - one of the core concepts is seeing every object as objective and not subjective, so as to free yourself from attachment to material things. Very buddhist-y, lol.



Actually, buddhists have a very subjective world view.

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## Never

> Hey never, or billybob but I havent seem him in this thread for ages....
> 
> in the tut it says this should end up taking 5 seconds per room...
> well how is it a non-stop reality check?
> is it the fact that you try to remember to ATLEAST LOOK at everywhere you are, to easily catch dreams?
> 
> thx



In a way, but it is more than that. When you look around the room you make a subconscious memory of it. In time you will always know when something is out of place. You can get so good as to know who is in any given room, what they are saying, and how everything is positioned; but this is not necessary; I am just saying it is possible. Have you ever set your body clock to wake you up at an exact time? If so, then use the same principle in mapping rooms. Just know that you will remember. My method is not quite the same though. I really don't map rooms myself but just stay in the moment as much as I can.

It is a reality check in the sense that as you go about your day you will in time know immediately when something is not right. Have you ever thought you were missing money or something but weren't sure if you had just misplaced it somewhere? Well that won't be a problem. You will know. In dreams the wondering is completely bypassed to the point where dreams almost start lucid. Most of the time for me lucidity is not a big surprise anymore; your mind is saying "yup, this is a dream" just as normally as anything else.

I have really become lazy with the mindfulness over the last 6 months, because of my focus on literature lately; but even so I am lucid most of the time. In other words, once you learn this ability, it never really goes away. That is the bright side of all the hard work. You do not have to be super aware forever.

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## james-25:22pm

ah, thank you very much.

also, during meditation...is there anything I can do to increase chance of lucidity? remember all the things I've seen in the day?

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## Never

Depends on the meditation. If you are doing concentration or insight meditation then it automatically helps in lucid dreams. I made a post earlier in this thread I think with meditation techniques. These can really help you in all aspects of life.

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## james-25:22pm

i was just wondering too Never...how much success do you get with this? Like, i presume you are very observant out of Habit....so DILDs every night?

and how long does it take you to get to this point?

Thanks for your help, you've been quite helpful

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## Merlock

> I have really become lazy with the mindfulness over the last 6 months, because of my focus on literature lately; but even so I am lucid most of the time. In other words, once you learn this ability, it never really goes away. That is the bright side of all the hard work. You do not have to be super aware forever.



I've thought about constant awareness and training it but one thing came to my mind that added to laziness and other problems I've had so I didn't...doesn't it cause mental exhaustion?

I find that with physical exhaustion, I gain mental fatigue as well. Or, perhaps, it's the other way around. Either way, it seems like actions/events/happenings throughout the day exhaust me to an extent.

Being constantly aware seems even physically exhausting to me by the end of the day (or, like I said, maybe it's vice-versa). But what I'm not sure of is whether such awareness is what causes it or if it's a flaw of mine that can be fixed with this very awareness training.

Any thoughts?

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## Never

James -

Actually, I am a very internal person; usually in my own thoughts more than being observant of anything, but I practiced mindfulness intensely for months. It started to work after only a few weeks, and after about a month I was having DILDs every night. I never kept a dream journal, so I probably have more than I am even aware of.

I usually WILD most of the time; as many times as I can per night because they are clearer and easy to remember without having to get up and write it down. Nonetheless, even though I make no effort to remember dreams or become lucid I still get at least one DILD per night and sometimes more (that I can remember). There is never a need to do a reality check. When you see a flying monkey you just know it is a dream.

Above all else, in my experience (not just with dreaming) I have learned to control my mind in unusual ways through simply believing I can do things. Hard to explain, but if you sincerely go about mindfulness with the intent of staying lucid while asleep, it will just work. Most of the time people think "this isn't working" or "it's too hard" etc etc. You are literally telling your subconscious to fail. Think that it will be easy, and think about dreams all day long for at least a few weeks; comparing them to reality. Now I will admit that mindfulness is a pain. I don't keep it up anymore unless I am in the woods or otherwise in nature, when it is fun; but you need to get a good start by doing it all the time, even during boring work or school days when you would rather be somewhere off in fantasy land, and of course regular concentration meditation is easy and should be kept up for a few minutes a day.

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## Never

> I've thought about constant awareness and training it but one thing came to my mind that added to laziness and other problems I've had so I didn't...doesn't it cause mental exhaustion?
> 
> I find that with physical exhaustion, I gain mental fatigue as well. Or, perhaps, it's the other way around. Either way, it seems like actions/events/happenings throughout the day exhaust me to an extent.
> 
> Being constantly aware seems even physically exhausting to me by the end of the day (or, like I said, maybe it's vice-versa). But what I'm not sure of is whether such awareness is what causes it or if it's a flaw of mine that can be fixed with this very awareness training.
> 
> Any thoughts?



Interesting. It is hard to say. I know that in my case mindfulness never really caused physical exhaustion; in fact it makes you rather peaceful. The problem is that it is hard to keep up because you _REALLY_ want to just let go and think about other things. I suppose for some this tug of war can cause mental fatigue, which of course leads to physical fatigue; but if you are stubborn you can bypass the strain altogether.

Perhaps the best thing I have gained from mindfulness is the knowledge of it's uses. If ever I am frustrated or angry (I mean to a great point), all of it can be shut off by just being aware. Many of the things that bring mental exhaustion can be bypassed with mindfulness. Worry is a great example. Let us say you are incessantly worrying about some perceived illness you may have. Instead of going over it a million times and killing yourself, you simply make a decision about what to do about it, and immediately switch to being aware. The worry goes away and the problem is eventually fixed. You "switch off" the nonsense.

Yes at first it is annoying, and like I told James; ultimately I am a thinker; an escapist; as I find more in my own head of worth than what society has to offer, but I can become "super aware" now when I choose, like when I need to or want to in nature, etc. The idea is to give yourself the experience so that you may switch it on and off when you want to and always be "relatively" free of stress.

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## james-25:22pm

thanks again, really helpful!

i guess, its just practice makes perfect  :smiley:

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## Lelangir

Holy crap I _just_ realized the implications of the "continuous conscious" thing. Wow, I was already perturbed by how much time we "waste" sleeping, but now if I can master this I can be "productive" 24/7!

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## BillyBob

Hey guys,

Just sent a pm to a mod to update the tutorial.


I've beautified it a bit, as well as added some links to places that talk about image streaming.
Hopefully these new links will help those of you out that are having extremely hard times with the visualization.  :smiley: 

Expect more updates in the near future, I'm about to really start working hard at this again.

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## philquiet

I'm definitly going to start practicing dream yoga. I discovered the tutorial today and I like it. I feel that it's exactly what I need. I mean I'm usually very inattentive, and only for that I have a lot of difficulties to do LDing!
And I definitly have to practice my visualisation skills...
Thank you for that very pratical guide of dream yoga!

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## Robot_Butler

This is exactly what I used to do.  Only I studied with people who made it much more difficult than it should be.  Religious traditionalists and such.

If you've got the time, give this a try.  It completely enhances the way you experience your waking and dreaming life.

I like to describe it as similar to speed reading vs normal reading.  You sort of have to take in everything all at once, hold it in your mind, and just trust that your brain can handle it all.  If you've experience with speed reading, try to speed read your life as you cruise around.

One added long term benefit-  I am now incredibly unbelievably amazingly good at finding things.  I know people who will call me from across town to help them find things they have misplaced.  Everyone's good at something, right?

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## BillyBob

> This is exactly what I used to do.  Only I studied with people who made it much more difficult than it should be.  Religious traditionalists and such.



Wow, its comforting to see that someone that was actually religiously trained in Dream Yoga approves of the tut  :smiley: 


Thanks a lot for the replies everyone.

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## westonci

im kind of confused you say that you have to do a non-stop reality check right? So do i have to look at my hand all the time? Or where you refering to looking around your surroundings and noticing anything weird as your reality check

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## BillyBob

> im kind of confused you say that you have to do a non-stop reality check right? So do i have to look at my hand all the time? Or where you refering to looking around your surroundings and noticing anything weird as your reality check



The act of being constantly aware of your environment is itself a reality check.

Before all the "scientific" research that was used to find out about various reality checks, people had to rely on only this method: recognizing mess ups in their environments.


The principal behind this is the same one that people used to use, except on crack; by constantly being aware of your environment while awake, you'll also be constantly aware of it while asleep (eventually), thus allowing for nonstop reality checking.
Notice that you don't have to *try* to think about where your at all the time. Constant lucidity of your environment just comes naturally after you've been practicing dream yoga for a good amount of time.

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## westonci

how often will you have Lucid Dreams on any given night now?

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## sea bee

> how often will you have Lucid Dreams on any given night now?



westonci;  In an answer to your question if it is addressed to me, "sea bee " I am still a newbe in many ways. I have been having lucid dreams perhaps one or two a week at this time. I have had one OBE, kind of just happened and perhaps twenty or more regular LDs in the last year.  I still sleep right on through many of my regular dreams to my dismay, as I try to do as many reality checks as I can remember throughout the day. I try to WILD but have not had much success at this method yet. I lie there for sometime over an hour not moving etc. and nothing happens but frustration. I don't give up easily so I will* "keep on, untill I catch on" I haven't found the perfect method for me at this time.But I am still experementing.  Thanks for your post.  sea bee (a sailor forever)*

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## lucidboarder

ok, im really confused about a very generic idea. Visualizing. I think i am good at visualizing but i don't know if im doing it the way it is described. I tone out my actual visual intakes, and create my own in my head. So i am not creating the vision in front of my eyes, trying to make themm appear in front of the darkness. But i am very good at creating things and imagining things in my head, like a day dream, is this the same thing?

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## ilovefrootloopz

I probably won't try this until after football is over, but how does the added awareness affect sports?  If in Hockey you have the puck, and in Football you have the ball, it's probably not important to memorize the advertisements on the boards or where people watching the game are.  I think awareness would help knowing where people are at what time and who is going to come up from behind and kill you. 

Is there a way to tone down your awareness, or at least limit it, so you don't get distracted by dumb things during sports but maintain an awareness of where your team members, and members of the opposing team are located?

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## Never

Actually Mega, being in the moment will enhance your performance and not limit it. This is what is called being "in the zone" in sports terms; when athletes cannot seem to mess up. They are literally completely absorbed in the moment; time slows down for them and the activity becomes simple. With training of focus your ability to access this state will improve; but to maintain such a state is very difficult. You are not paying attention to scoreboards and random thoughts like "I hope I play better this quarter". 

I have been in it a few times when I used to play baseball _for fun_ (key here as my thoughts were free of wanting to win). The ball would slow down as it was pitched to me and I could see even the small marks on the surface of it and knew I could not miss. Perfect hits each time. In football I was cornerback and could not seem to run a play without getting an interception; it was like I knew every time where the ball would be and I was like a magnet. Very weird state to be in, but euphoric. You literally shut out all but what is important. I am sure you have been there at least once if you can remember.

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## aklyatne

This seems like a really good idea.  I'm good at visualizing things in my head in 3D, so right now I have my living room inside my head...  :smiley: 

Normally, I'll remember something like, "Oh, somebody told me to tell you to go to the mall!"  Doing this, I might be able to say, "Oh, Mark told me to tell you to go to the mall!"  I forget who tells me things, or gives me things.  I don't pay attention to that kind of stuff, so this should improve my general life, too!

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## lucidboarder

> Correct. The idea is maintain _complete_ awareness through all hours of the day; sleeping and waking. We usually walk through life as zombies in our own heads; this is to stop that and be aware at all times. Just as you sleepwalk in dreams, you sleepwalk in life. If you wake up in life, you wake up in dreams.



I think this is what explained it best to me, thank you Never

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## Nightmare

Ok.  So I've seen info on the image streaming thing before, and I finally gave it a shot, and WOW, can I ever see how this could improve one's visualization skills over a long period of time.  The one thing I have always wondered about image streaming is: what are you supposed to do with the recordings once you are done with them?  No website has ever mentioned anything about that, it just says "You will need a digital or analog recorder or someone to listen as you describe your images. This is a very important step and is the major difference between image-streaming and day dreaming. More on this shortly. If you decide this is unnecessary, you may miss out on much of the benefit of the technique."  It never says what you are supposed to do with the recorded material.  Does anyone know?

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## BillyBob

> Ok.  So I've seen info on the image streaming thing before, and I finally gave it a shot, and WOW, can I ever see how this could improve one's visualization skills over a long period of time.  The one thing I have always wondered about image streaming is: what are you supposed to do with the recordings once you are done with them?  No website has ever mentioned anything about that, it just says "You will need a digital or analog recorder or someone to listen as you describe your images. This is a very important step and is the major difference between image-streaming and day dreaming. More on this shortly. If you decide this is unnecessary, you may miss out on much of the benefit of the technique."  It never says what you are supposed to do with the recorded material.  Does anyone know?



I usually listen to the recording I made afterwards.

I try and pinpoint the perceptions that I'm not using (ex. smell), and then make a mental note to myself to try and smell more things in my next session.
Also listen to them to gauge how well you presented the information -- the main thing about image streaming, it teaches you to verbalize and look logically at your mental images.


Using a recorder keeps you sharp and in the moment when streaming.

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## Headlong Flight

What's up everyone...my first post here! I just wanted to say that I have been putting a lot of effort into this dream yoga the past few days since I first read the thread, and just last night for the first time I entered a dream and realized that I was dreaming. I think this technique is amazing, everyone should try this for at least a few weeks.

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## Jamal

Good tutorial!! I'm going to try and learn this technique... It sounds VERY useful

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## ilovefrootloopz

I am definitely going to try this method. I just have a question about the order I should do things.  Should I learn to meditate and boost my visualization before trying to maintain awareness and store rooms in my short term memory, I should I try to do it all at the same time?

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## Never

Whatever you prefer. Personally, I started by being aware for only one hour per day and then increased that by one hour each week (something like that). I hardly even noticed it being an effort until it became the whole day. If you go into it with too much force, you may get frustrated and lose interest entirely; almost like the guy who picks up the guitar and practices all day to be Hendrix, and then gets tired and quits.

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## Oneironaught

> ...and just last night for the first time I entered a dream and realized that I was dreaming.



Welcome to our world. May your success continue to flourish.

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## lagunagirl

> I meditate for 30 minutes a day



 ::o:  ... that's a lot of meditation

is it really vital to meditate _that_ long?

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## james-25:22pm

i was just popping back with another question...

...is "memorising" your surroundings simply a technique to force you to be observant?

Like...the last few days when Ive thought about memorising...it gets so intense...i just try having a really good look around my surroundings instead....like detail observation without trying to memorise....because its easier...

or...is memorising integral to the entire process?

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## Never

> ... that's a lot of meditation
> 
> is it really vital to meditate _that_ long?



No, but 15 minutes is about a good minimum. You don't have to meditate at all, but it really helps your concentration.





> ...is "memorising" your surroundings simply a technique to force you to be observant?



Pretty much. As a result of being observant, you make an automatic imprint on your subconscious mind. There is no need to try to memorize it consciously; such is impossible. Through repetition you will memorize only those areas you frequent the most consciously.

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## james-25:22pm

great, because its much easier to hold onto "waking life lucidity" without memorising so deeply, and less time consuming. careful observation week begins now!

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## DreamChaser

I rarely go out as I work from home. I never dream or start a dream from home.
Can I still use this technique to an advantage?

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## Never

Yes, no matter where you dream, you will still be aware of surroundings, but I would suggest a corresponding reality check. I hardly ever go out myself unless it is in the woods or to work; in fact I never go anywhere else. What I do when I do any reality check is to first and foremost check where I am. I think "Am I home? In the woods? At work?" If the answer is no, then I usually become lucid immediately. Get in the habit of asking those very questions constantly. As it is obviously easy to figure out where you are, they take no effort.

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## Spoof

So, I have been trying this technique today.  I am not sure if I am doing it right.  Correct me if I am wrong, but after reading this amazing tutorial I got that the main concept that I got was this:  Look around every room you enter and see where everything is.  If you notice anything weird or out of place, immediately question your reality by doing a reality check.  After looking around the same room every time you enter it for like 10 ten times, you should know the overall layout, making it easier to see if anything is changed the next time you look around the room.

That is what I have been doing all day, and I am just wondering if it was right.  Thank you billy bob for this amazing tutorial.  I plan on practicing dream yoga for the rest of my life.  :smiley:

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## StephenT

About being experienced to use this method, I'm no where near experienced.  I actually have only had one lucid dream, and that was two years ago before I knew anything about it except hearing the day before that I could control my dreams.

I've read 3 of your guides, and they are very good!  You seem to be very very learned in this whole world of dreaming.

Anyways, I just started to get into this about a week ago, and I would like to do Dream Yoga.

I've gone on and off with meditation, so I can definitely do that.  I'll do image streaming and everything, and over the past couple days, I've tried to practice examining the rooms and all.

So I'd be committed and go through with this, but do you think that I should because I'm so inexperienced and wait until I get better at lucid dreaming, or could I start out full throttle?

Would it inhibit my learning to LD or abilities at all?  With my absence of knowledge, I assume it would only be good for it.  ::lol:: 

Thanks,
Stephen

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## Spoof

I think that you should go full throttle and just put up the effort right away. It is amazing. After like a week of just being aware and looking around rooms as I enter, I had three close calls in some dreams where I did an RC, but didn't know that I was dreaming. Also after that first week, it was way easier to keep my awareness almost constant. I just had a LD after like my second week of doing this.

I say that if you stick with this from the beginning, only good things may come of it. Good luck.  ::banana::

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## Shamrox

awesome as usual billy bob i will definately be commiting myself to this

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## Xaqaria

> ... that's a lot of meditation
> 
> is it really vital to meditate _that_ long?



30 minutes is really not very long for meditation.

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## Oneironaught

Stephent91, my personal opinion is that you should go for it. The idea of having to be experienced is just words. The only way to become experienced is to get experience. You get experience only by doing. Experience may help you gain better focus and attention to detail but, don't let its lack-of stop you. As you practice you'll get better.

The two biggest things I know of (besides not sleeping) that will hinder your efforts to LD are: 1) Feeling that you're somehow not experienced enough to try a technique and 2) saying "It's too hard".

I see so many posts from people thinking WILD (for example) is too advanced for them. That's the very train of thought that makes it so. Don't defeat your efforts before you even start.

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## Never

Someone should write a book saying that same thing on every page. In LDs, as in all life, there is nothing more valuable than confidence. Know it will be easy, and it will be, it is that simple.

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## Splitter X

Hey Never, 

I have  read through this post roughly 12 times just to understand what to do during the dream yoga process.. I understand everything of course, and have taken your advice as well as Billy's. 

However my issue lies in dream recall, some days I will remember 2 dreams, and other times I will go days without recalling but a small hint of what may have happened. That hint isn't worth a penny, because after I pursue the hint during the day, it means nothing and offers me no further info on my dreams. The odd thing though is that during these days which I get small hints, I feel way differently, like it was more detailed when I was there. Perhaps it is a symptom of dream yoga, but none of that matters because I can't remember specifics. I just feel like deep inside I knew the dream was detailed and where I was, but I cannot consciously recall the content.

I am wondering if dream yoga will maybe fix this problem on its own while I am observing constantly and all, or will I have to start practicing my recall every morning? Also, if practicing is the case, should I start a focus meditation session each time I wake up? By meditation, I concentrate on my breathing and allow all noise to flow through me hopefully bringing pieces of my dream back to me. =)

Let me also add that I have been doing dream yoga for about 3 days now, and I am very adjusted to this as well as patient. The only reason I am asking this question is because no one mentioned anything about recall except for dreams were more memorable. I assumed this meant that over time they would automatically become more memorable, less forgettable. This is pretty much the only question I need answered.

Although I was wondering some small things such as, is it ok to not focus on things while watching tv, searching the internet, listening to music? Also I am curious if I day dream while practicing observation, I usually block it out, was wondering if that was normal.

Thanks so much for the knowledge Never. I appreciate it. A thanks to you as well BillyBob, I love the IS you introduced here and the way you left out the religious aspects of dream yoga. ^_<

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## Never

Recall is a tricky thing, and in my experience always seems to be a conscious endeavor. Dream Yoga can help recall detail, but only if you remember what is detailed to begin with. So yes, I would practice recalling dreams vigorously and with as much excitement as you can muster. Another important thing is to remember to convince yourself that you will recall your dreams _before_ you fall asleep. 

I am not the greatest for dream recall, as I do not keep a journal. It is such a pain to me. Nonetheless, when you have great detail in lucids as a result of dream yoga (and this is the greatest part) you tend not to lose the dreams. You can sustain lucidity forever, or until you wake up. Often, I will have such vivid and amazing lucids that I will just say "let's wake up on this note" and I remember it fully; even if I don't do this, I usually wake up anyway when I fulfill a goal or have an otherwise amazing breakthrough. As I said before, I have dream spun through dozens of dreams in a single night. If you can combine dream yoga (best becoming lucid technique) with WILDs after you wake up, you will have more than enough material to keep your recall fresh. My most amazing dream was out of a 2 hour sleep before work and completely unexpected (an OBE type). I woke up in such awe that I could barely contain myself. I may forget many of my regular dreams for lack of a journal, but I remember _all_ of my lucids upon awakening.

Meditation in the morning, they say, is the best time for it. It is entirely up to you. If it is recall you desire, it will certainly help; but only if you focus on remembering. This is best done before you even rise or move if possible.





> Although I was wondering some small things such as, is it ok to not focus on things while watching tv, searching the internet, listening to music? Also I am curious if I day dream while practicing observation, I usually block it out, was wondering if that was normal.



Hahaha. That made me laugh because I was worried about that at first myself. An excellent question. The monks tell you to not get involved with music or what you are reading too much, but I disagree.

In truth, being focused all the time is the best idea, but that doesn't mean you should stop enjoying things unless you are searching for the Buddhist Nirvana. Such dedication to awareness is essential in Vipassana (supposedly), but not so for our goal of lucid dreams, provided that you don't watch TV all day or anything. Immerse yourself in the music and the book, and immerse yourself in life; just make sure to break the spell now and then; for example, if you are reading, have a timed reality check thing going, so that your dreams will not fool you if they take on the life of a book. If you can do without becoming fully immersed in art and literature, not to mention great philosophical discussions, than by all means, stay in the now, but I do not think it imperative to maintain this state 24/7; just almost that much for the longest stretch you can manage.

About daydreaming; yes, blocking it out is the idea, but some things (like important matters such as health concerns) cannot just be blocked. When this happens, simply make a choice of what to do about the situation, then block it out with all your might. Resolve, and move on to awareness. This practice is a great tool for mental health anyway; it teaches you to not wallow in needless nonsense and worries. Just gently bring your mind back to the moment, again and again.

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## Splitter X

I appreciate the answers Never. =) 

I have a few more questions. 

1) Is it possible to have lucid dreams and not to remember you had it and did things in it?

2) When you say be aware of your surroundings, do you mean to passively look at one object analyzing each object as you pass? Or do you mean seeing with your peripheral vision and seeing everything? I have been seeing one thing around the room, moving to the next, then the next with no thought. It isn't a slow process, I just find myself passively analyzing each object one after another in that room with no thought. Take into consideration that I never leave home hardly, so it's not like I travel to different environments and rooms a lot. 

Thanks for your answers and time.  :wink2:

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## Never

> 1) Is it possible to have lucid dreams and not to remember you had it and did things in it?



Yes indeed. If your interest in the subject dwindles, you may very well forget all of them. There is a weird process we go through when we wake. In my most vivid lucids I would wake up, and for a second it would seem like my mind was shut off or taken from me; I would be drawing a blank. Then suddenly the memory of the lucid would be impressed on my mind, but without all the clarity that the actual dream had. It is hard to explain. It is almost like your brain seems too primitive to fully remember the beauty of what you just experienced; like the difference between a live show and a live recording. I believe there is a moment after waking when if you do not focus on storing it all in conscious memory, all can be lost, and remain the sole property of the subconscious.





> 2) When you say be aware of your surroundings, do you mean to passively look at one object analyzing each object as you pass? Or do you mean seeing with your peripheral vision and seeing everything?



Yes.

Both are good. the main point is that you are in the now. I would often switch between both methods at a pinch, and when standing still or sitting I would focus on not the room, but my breath. Anything that can prevent senseless thoughts from entering and taking you away from the now. Do whatever is most comfortable for the situation.

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## Splitter X

I really appreciate your replies Never, thanks man. =) I will come back if I have any more questions. Thanks again.

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## sdlac

If it's all about staying in the moment, would focusing on and being aware of all my senses work the same?  I think I'll try that starting now  ::o:

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## sdlac

Sry, off topic, how do I edit a post?

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## Lucretius

I've never quite understood where I should be seeing these images when I visualize things.  It sounds from reading those two sites on visualizing, that I should expect to see these things as if theyre right under my eyelids in the blackness.  However, when I seem to visualize things, it's as if it's somewhere else that can't even be located, in my mind's eye.  But it's never as if I'm actually looking at a place.  I can conjure things up in my head, but it's never right in front of my eyes like I'm looking at it.

So, is that what visualizing normally IS or should I see things right in front of my eyes when I have my eyes closed?

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## Never

I may be wrong, but it sounds like you are simply over-thinking the matter. If you can see images or even vague outlines in your mind, then you are doing well.

Literally, you cannot possibly see images behind your eyelids; it is all from the brain; aside from light input...yeah I am getting too technical hehe.

The brain, even when you daydream, can see images as clear as though you were seeing them with your eyes; it is only because it is a danger to you that such vivid daydreams are kept out of reach; to allow you to discern "reality". Your dreams, daydreams, and visualizations are just as real to your brain, as input from the eye. All come from the same source. With work it will become clearer and more real.

Sdlac: Not really; focusing on images improves images, focusing on hearing improves hearing...etc. It is all beneficial and will help you become lucid, but in different ways only. Choose a different sense for each situation. Images are recommended merely because they work best at the beginner and intermediate stages; they are harder to dismiss.

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## Lucretius

Hah, no I do definitely overthink things.  I always get images "in my head" but, I never "see" them.  I had a lucid dream (my first) a few nights ago, but in my dream it was almost pitch black, fuzzy, and hard to see anything — pretty much horrible clarity.  I've been trying this dream yoga stuff for a few days now, last night I had a fairly clear dream.  Also, I was listening to one of those subliminal lucid dream MP3's, and I even gave myself a damn reality check in the dream!  But I just reasoned my way out of it  :Sad:

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## Never

Yeah, it sounds like you just need practice with images. Do keep up the dream yoga. You will eventually have dreams so vivid it will blow your mind  :wink2:

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## james-25:22pm

> Although I was wondering some small things such as, is it ok to not focus on things while watching tv, searching the internet, listening to music? Also I am curious if I day dream while practicing observation, I usually block it out, was wondering if that was normal.



Whenever I'm trying this technique...but decided to watch a TV show or movie, I try to do a reality check every time I notice a somebody move from one place to another (ie...inside to outside or one room to another), or when the show cuts to another scene. I figure its good non-intensive practice!

don't know if this adds anything...but it may be helpful...maybe lol

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## Techno

After I first read this last night I was really interested, so I went ahead and tried it. If it wasn't for me waking up twice, I think I actually would have completed the task of the month (finding your dream name)! It was hilarious, though, since I was telling myself a couple times when I wasn't lucid to do the tasks of the month, which I think actually helped me get lucid in the first place. No, wait, wasn't it because I realized was in a rocket ship?  :Cheeky: 

To anyone who's quite skeptical of this technique, just try it for one night! You'll see for yourself that it works.

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## Spiderweb

What iv´e noticed while practising this method is how much we actually take our enviorment for granted.
Me for example, i take to bus to school everyday, and all i do is listen to music and stare outside, i don't see the enviorment with my eyes but more with my brain because i have seen it hundreds of times alreaddy, when even the slightest thing is out of order i notice it.
Lately though, iv'e been focussing more on actually "seeing" things and stop assuming it is there (what we all often do), when i enter my room now i "check" it out as if somebody from enother dimension could have messed with it.
I think for this method to be succesfull you must get into the habit of checking everything out, exactly the same way you check girls out automaticly you don't think about it you just do it because it is encrypted in your mind.
At first i thought why is Billybob saying it's so hard, but after a few days i realised how difficult this actually is, and i'm not only talking about the part of remembering to actually look at things, but also the fact that "looking" at things can be quite tiring because you are thinking while you do it.
I am still a noob at lucid dreaming, but iv'e had a Mild, Wild, and FILD and i must say the method that i liked most was the Mild so i'm gonne keep training this method, and hopefully get ld's more often... one thing is for sure i wont quit until i reach my objective; get lucid whenever i want!!

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## Splitter X

It was amazing how vivid things seemed in real life when I paid attention and didn't take things for granted. I tried it out for about 3 days and ended up giving up for a while until now, when I recently had a thought. Dream Yoga is the only method in which I can 'master' my dreaming, keeping them stable, and inducing several a night without much effort other than staying aware. 

I find I just need to get used to it, so those whom are thinking about throwing in the towel, don't. Think of it like a game, like one said here on this page... When you are walking around, purposely always look to see if anything is weird or out of place and realize the natural beauty and wonder of things around you. This is hard to do during the Winter, but do your best inside. =) Also pay some attention to sound, feel, taste, these can be fun to do sometimes. I like to pay attention to taste especially while eating, appreciating the sensation of what I am eating more so than daydreaming while eating! I notice things taste better when I pay attention to the goodness, mmmm. =P Notice the sound of your washing machine, oven, heater/AC, car, pay attention when someone is talking, a slam of something, and anything else you can think of! 

I hope I inspired some of you, think of waking life like this... It is a dream, just try to see it as a dream and attempt to pick odds out of it, and even appreciate it's beauty. Or like I suggested before, think of it like a 24 hour game! ^_^

Good luck!

Hey, your PC is running! NOTICE IT! =D

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## Splitter X

I have another technique I would like to share with you guys, I just came up with it. It is like VILD only mine is a bit different and convenient for Dream Yoga. It is different in the sense that you don't have to sit there and make yourself go through creating a situation and dream for yourself to do an RC in. Instead it is making use of your roaming thoughts through the day, a mix of dream yoga and VILD. DYVILD if you will. =D

In my technique, when a thought comes along, treat it like a dream. Visualize yourself becoming lucid in your daydream thought, feel the excitement of the accomplishment. After this, go back to being lucid in life, letting your mind stay silent of thought unless one pops back up! If another pops, use it as another becoming lucid chance, become lucid in thought. 

Here is a small example, I am daydreaming about learning to drive, ok. I then remember to become lucid in my thought, so I do. I then say, this is a dream, not happening. Wow I am lucid, I know your really not, play along. When you daydream during the waking life, it is the same as drifting in dreams, so lets excersize that area in waking lifes thoughts, until we are able to really realize we are lucid in a real dream! =)

This mostly works for fantasy daydreams, which I am sure everyone has during each day. Perhaps it is one where you recieve a job you have been wanting, maybe it is having the courage to talk to a chick, being aggressive and making that goal in soccer next game. Just imagine becoming lucid while scoring that girl, goal, or job and saying, this is not real! I am dreaming! 

One tip, don't spend too much time in fantasy land. Spend maybe a few seconds realizing lucidness in your daydream, and then let it flow away. Lucid daydreaming ftw. =D

Good luck fella's.

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## Simply.Complex

up up and away..

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## Simply.Complex

the preliminary practices alone are helping me (from the Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep), coupled with the constant mindfulness meditation where I'm strengthening my awareness by being aware of every action that I make. ..life seems so much richer, my grasping towards my emotions are decreasing, I'm just enjoying life even more and I just started up my dream yoga practices again 2 days ago but I'm gonna do it right this time..to everybody practicing this keep at it. .seeing you guys motivated motivates me to continue with my practices. .stay up everybody and keep living life. 1ne

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## Never

> Also pay some attention to sound, feel, taste, these can be fun to do sometimes. I like to pay attention to taste especially while eating, appreciating the sensation of what I am eating more so than daydreaming while eating! I notice things taste better when I pay attention to the goodness, mmmm. =P Notice the sound of your washing machine, oven, heater/AC, car, pay attention when someone is talking, a slam of something, and anything else you can think of!



Hehe. Indeed; sounds are one of my favorite things to focus on, and I find that such also can lead to an unexplainable kind of inspiration that sight cannot; it is a matter of changing perspective from that of the ordinary I suppose.

I think it's great that you guys are really getting into this. BTW, I will respond to your PMs shortly, I have just been busy for the last week or so.

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## Hesiod

Not sure if you folks are interested in this,
The Lucidity Institute are looking for people to help with "Dream Yoga" related research.

http://www.lucidity.com/DreamYoga.html

Specifically influence of posture and breathing on dreaming.  Also difference between the sexes.

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## Blµb

Really nice  :smiley: 
I've been holding on to the empty glass with the clown painted on it for since I read your post up to finishing reading, writing the reply and pressing "post" xD
Just some time ago I started to notice that doing something like this kind of increases lucidity not only in dreams but also in real life (if I make any sense)
You start noticing and remembering things you would have never remembered/seen. Also when talking to people, you remember their every words they said sometimes.
Like reality becomes "more real".

Now I see that I was only at the beginning of some older/bigger technique, hehe.  :smiley: 

Now I feel like having my mind split into 2 parts, lol
The object i'm holding on to, and the "rest". Strange feeling, and somehow exhausting at first.

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## Timothy Paradox

Wow, this sounds like the perfect method for me. Now I realise that i've been doing this for years without knowing it. I've always had the idea that reality might be just a dream. I got these ideas of what would happen should I become lucid in the dream I call reality...unlimited power...

Since I've been doing this for a long time for about 6 years I'm going to give this method a go. I know I can do it and I don't care what people will think because they're not real anyway  ::D: 

I more question: Does dream yoga mean that you should never again show emotions? Because if you showed emotions (laughing with a joke) then you'd be accepting what you just saw/heard as if it was real.
I find that a scary thought.

----------


## Never

> I more question: Does dream yoga mean that you should never again show emotions? Because if you showed emotions (laughing with a joke) then you'd be accepting what you just saw/heard as if it was real.



No, no need to take it that far. As long as you are aware of _which_ reality you are in all the time, you will wake up in dreams. Just go through the day with the thought "everything is a dream; but which dream am I in?". Waking life has the obvious natural laws that dreams do not, so often just asking this question is enough if you mean it.

----------


## Robot_Butler

> I more question: Does dream yoga mean that you should never again show emotions? Because if you showed emotions (laughing with a joke) then you'd be accepting what you just saw/heard as if it was real.
> I find that a scary thought.



If you are following dream yoga, you need to create a dualistic view of the world.  On the one hand, you want to focus on fully experiencing everything.  Emotions, games, jokes, fears.  Try to experience them all more fully and deliberately than you normally would.  

On the other hand, you need to know that everything is an illusion.  Let no emotions rule you.  Do not let yourself get swept up in any situation, or ever get carried away.

Think of it like being a movie critic.  To be a movie critic you need to really get absorbed into the plot, love the characters, jump when something pops out, enjoy all the jokes.  But a movie critic must also always be a bit removed.  He must always be thinking ahead, analyzing, checking the cinematography, figuring out why something works and why something else does not work while it is all happening real time.  

You need to critique your life real time.  Always be experiencing everything fully, but at the same time always be analyzing it and not letting it get to you.

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## Simply.Complex

> If you are following dream yoga, you need to create a *non*dualistic view of the world.  On the one hand, you want to focus on fully experiencing everything.  Emotions, games, jokes, fears.  Try to experience them all more fully and deliberately than you normally would.  
> 
> On the other hand, you need to know that everything is an illusion.  Let no emotions rule you.  Do not let yourself get swept up in any situation, or ever get carried away.
> 
> Think of it like being a movie critic.  To be a movie critic you need to really get absorbed into the plot, love the characters, jump when something pops out, enjoy all the jokes.  But a movie critic must also always be a bit removed.  He must always be thinking ahead, analyzing, checking the cinematography, figuring out why something works and why something else does not work while it is all happening real time.  
> 
> You need to critique your life real time.  Always be experiencing everything fully, but at the same time always be analyzing it and not letting it get to you.



you have to create a nondualistic view...just a slight change :wink2:

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## -Blakren-

Just a dumb question from an all time NooB. Do you need to have good dream recall do do this "dream yoga" well, cause I never been good at it, even with practice...

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## Robot_Butler

I don't know how I missed your response, Simply.Complex.  Sorry for the late reply.  

Its a little confusing to explain, but you do need to create a dualistic view of the world.  You need to purposefully separate your differing experiences in order to consolidate them. It seems a bit hyppocritical until you think about it.  To leave the dualism behind, you need to first identify it and experience it fully.  Then you will not be fooled by it, because you have already defined it.  I hope that makes sense. 

When people refer to dualism as a negative thing, they are referring to the experience of being fooled by the dualism, or being swept away by it.  The only way to beat it is to recognize it, experience it,  and then accept it.

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## PaleRider

Is it enough to be "aware" of your surroundings, to pay attention to them, without actually forming a mental image in my mind that I could actually use to reconstruct a drawing, for example?  In practical terms, is it good enough to pay attention to a room when you enter, make a mental note of what you are seeing, look for oddities, but not be memorizing it as much as you possibly can?

Also, what are some indications that you are doing it correctly, how do I know if I am starting to believe everything is a dream?

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## Namwan

> Is it enough to be "aware" of your surroundings, to pay attention to them, without actually forming a mental image in my mind that I could actually use to reconstruct a drawing, for example? In practical terms, is it good enough to pay attention to a room when you enter, make a mental note of what you are seeing, look for oddities, but not be memorizing it as much as you possibly can?
> 
> Also, what are some indications that you are doing it correctly, how do I know if I am starting to believe everything is a dream?



I think it is ok to only be aware of your surroundings but not entirely map out the rooms you enter. From what I read in Rinpoche's book, he wants us to "vividly experience sensory objects without judgement". So when we look at things, we look at them as they are rather than judge them on their image/smell/scent etc. This is because if we think that these objects are projections of our minds (like what dreams are), then we become lesser attatched to them. I don't think you have to memorize anything, just observe your surroundings more carefully.

When you start getting lucid or when you notice that you're more aware of your surroundings in your dream, that's when it's a sign that you're doing it right  :wink2:

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## Barefooted Student

I wonder how long it will take me to experience more lucid dreams from this method. Ah well, must wait and see.

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## PaleRider

Thanks for the advice Namwan, I'll work on it!

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## Namwan

No problem  :smiley:  Tell me how it works out  ::D:

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## Sean999

Today is the third day of practicing dream yoga, but last night I had a crazy vivid dream. Everything was extremely realistic, even the electronics worked flawlessly. I am definately pleased with the results that I and others have had so far. Props to BillyBob for another wonderful technique!

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## Timothy Paradox

I have no idea how anyone can keep doing dream yoga for 3 days...
I constantly forget it because what happens around me is more important than a crazy hobby like dreaming. It's frustrating that everybody can do this and I can't. Oh well, bad luck I guess  :tongue2: 




> Today is the third day of practicing dream yoga, but last night I had a crazy vivid dream. Everything was extremely realistic, even the electronics worked flawlessly. I am definately pleased with the results that I and others have had so far. Props to BillyBob for another wonderful technique!

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## Namwan

I can't either. It's really hard to do constantly and nearly all the time. I can do it for only a while and then forget all about it because I have to pay attention on something else.

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## PaleRider

> I can't either. It's really hard to do constantly and nearly all the time. I can do it for only a while and then forget all about it because I have to pay attention on something else.



I got the impression from reading the tutorial and the posts that we don't have to make it a constant practice, all the time, certainly not at first.  I think that like anything, with practice, we'll get better at it, and it will become more constant.  I also found it extremely hard to do when I first started last week.  It took lots of constant attention which was hard to muster, and I frequently found I had gone long periods without "paying attention."  Now, it is becoming more second nature and intuitive for me.  I'm still far away from it being automatic, I still have to work at it, I wouldn't say I'm good at it yet.  But it is definitely becoming easier and more frequent.  I think persistence is the key -- just keep at it, don't be discouraged when you find you aren't being attentive as you'd like; that's all part of the normal learning process.  It would be like trying to learn to drive a car and being discouraged after 5 minutes because you still have to consciously think brake, steer, clutch, turn signal, etc.  Keep it up, and it will become natural.

By the way, I had my most vivid and longest lucid dream ever after working on this approach for just 4 days.  I've also had some "near misses" that will soon become regular lucid dreams I believe.  And, my overall dream vividness and recall have skyrocketed with this approach.  I feel confident that keeping up with it will show very positive results and much more frequent and vivid lucid dreaming.  Like all the others have said, thanks to BillyBob, Never, and the others who posted and helped explain this technique!

Namwan and Timothy Paradox: Don't give up yet!  I followed your advice about not overdoing it and found it to be much easier.  That is, I don't completely study every detail of every room, I just "pay attention."  I make a conscious attempt to notice things, that might be enough.  (I'm not the expert here, I can just tell you it's working for me, and it's not been too hard to spend 5 secs. every once in a while looking around for oddities and paying attention.  I still get all my normal daily activities accomplished, I just take a few seconds periodically to "wake up" and pay attention).  Hope you also get some results soon!  "Never" said it took him a few weeks to see results, and it sounded like he is now lucid very often without hardly trying.

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## Namwan

I think it's hard because I'm not sure how much effort I'm supposed to put into it. If it's the case that I have to stop walking or walk 2 times slower in order to really notice things then it gets really frustrating. If I don't stop at all, then it doesn't seem like I'm more aware, it's more like I'm glancing at stuff.  ::embarrassed::  So it's pretty hard for me I guess

----------


## Who I Am

I stumbled into dream yoga naturally. It wasn't until afterwards that I found out what it is called. I have practiced Kundalini and various forms of yoga for over 35 years,... but I don't think I'll ever consider myself an expert.

http://www.plotinus.com/zhine_tibeta...yoga_part2.htm

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## Barefooted Student

> I have no idea how anyone can keep doing dream yoga for 3 days...
> I constantly forget it because what happens around me is more important than a crazy hobby like dreaming. It's frustrating that everybody can do this and I can't. Oh well, bad luck I guess



I came up with an easier approach to Dream Yoga, you know how the Tibetans say you get carried away with karmic emotions within the dream? The answer is simple, think of it like monitoring your emotions each day every second. Sounds hard, but you would be surprised, it is actually easier than I thought it would be. The idea is to examine all of your incoming thoughts for useful information, then let them go before they could get 'emotionally charged'. When they become charged with emotion, is when things become important. I have noticed my thought flow has slowed down since I began doing this, I rarely have floods of thought coming at me. If I think of an idea for an article, I will write it down and let the thought go.

Think of it in a step process whenever you get lost...

Examine thoughts + Make decision -> Let it go -> Return to your task at hand. 

I did it for 2 whole days and let me tell you that your day slows down a lot, and you feel emotionless. Very bland and boring, but it is easy to maintain. Read this and it will inform you in more detail why you should control your emotions, they destroy us. <- That is why I began it, and it wasn't until a day later I thought about how this might help me dream-wise. 

I hope I helped.  ::D:

----------


## Never

That practice may make you seem emotionless for a while, but you are actually finding yourself through this practice by not living reactively. In time you will be able to embrace all of your passions without completely losing control like most people; these reactive actions are robotic programs and do not define who you are. You will be more human than before in a manner of speaking by learning to observe yourself.

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## Captain Sleepalot

I have been practicing dream yoga for a few months now, but have known about it for years. As my study of Buddhism deepens it is becoming more natural for me to follow the techniques the Tibetans have developed, not only for dreaming but while awake.

It has been mentioned in the beginning of the thread but it is worth repeating that "The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep" is a good book to get some basic information on the practice of dream yoga.

There is also a companion audio CD sold separately by the author of the book (Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche), but I would recommend passing on that as it doesn't really add anything useful to what is discussed in the text.

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## RockNRoller123

I get to lucid dream AND RAISE MY IQ MORE THAN 20 POINTS!
I gonna get RIGHT on this!

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## StephenT

Damn.  I can never make time for 40 minutes of meditation and visualization.  :Sad: 

I've only been able to do it every third day or so.

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## ZmillA

This is some pretty intense stuff. And here I was about to make a thread about how I found it somewhat disturbing how quick I was to take up the habit of RCs to every little thing that happened without a second thought. (well I now know that I shouldnt be doing RCs out of habit) Now I learn that I would have to question EVERYTHING. I would rather not do this. Since starting this journey into dreams I have found myself to have more dreams and that they are more vivid. I also find myself being more aware of my surrondings in real life, yet at the same time more distant than I was before.

Perhaps when I finally achieve an LD and I get as much out of it as I hope, I will consider this more.

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## anomanderis

Finally, after months and months of not quite having the will to persist with Dream Yoga in the waking state, 2 weeks ago I decided that I would put my imaginary foot down on myself and start doing this.
After not having any lucid dreams for several months, I've already had a little less than 20 in these 2 weeks. And they are much longer than before (because a week ago i learned how i can stabilize my lucidity ::banana:: ).

On the third day I got pretty worn out, so i've tried to do this more lightly. Not a hard focus, but soft.
I've also noticed from previous experience that after a few days of good going the progress starts reversing as being aware becomes a habit and I start letting control over it go. Then I have to start over again by being fully aware. That much harder.

Though what I don't understand is how doing this could make your life boring or bland. I truly enjoy the moments when I am aware of my surroundings and myself in real-time. My thoughts drift away... It is as if my soul is _happy._

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## ChaybaChayba

> I have no idea how anyone can keep doing dream yoga for 3 days...
> I constantly forget it because what happens around me is more important than a crazy hobby like dreaming. It's frustrating that everybody can do this and I can't. Oh well, bad luck I guess



Dreaming isn't just a crazy hobby. Real life is a dream. If you want to master real life, you need to master your dreams. Everything you see and perceive is ALL in your mind. Nothing is real. Reality gets filtered first, and your brain transforms reality into a dream. I assume you have seen the movie the matrix? Well it's very similar. But it's not the robots who create the matrix, but your mind. And the matrix is actually nothing but 01001010, like reality is nothing but waves of energy. These waves of energy resonate with your senses and thats how you build your perception of the world. Your mind is like  a computer who renders a 3D game. But much much much more powerful.

Anyway thanks for the tutorial, this seems like the ultimate reality check! Always check everything. I'm going to use this for sure.

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## ZmillA

> Dreaming isn't just a crazy hobby. Real life is a dream. If you want to master real life, you need to master your dreams. Everything you see and perceive is ALL in your mind. Nothing is real. Reality gets filtered first, and your brain transforms reality into a dream. I assume you have seen the movie the matrix? Well it's very similar. But it's not the robots who create the matrix, but your mind. And the matrix is actually nothing but 01001010, like reality is nothing but waves of energy. These waves of energy resonate with your senses and thats how you build your perception of the world. Your mind is like  a computer who renders a 3D game. But much much much more powerful.
> 
> Anyway thanks for the tutorial, this seems like the ultimate reality check! Always check everything. I'm going to use this for sure.



There is something thats real, it just happens to be seen as the same thing by the vast majority of people. Real life is just another way of saying waking life. You dont "master" real life by mastering dreams. Dreams are all subjective, they are whatever you (meaning your body and mind) decide. Real life (dont get so hung up on the word real) is made from everyones subjectiveness coming together. Okay so it is true everything we experience is made up from our body, that doesnt mean its not real (drats! theres that word again). Your body is "rendering a model" of what is truly real and it happens to do it very accuratly (and I can say that as confidently as you might come back and say the opposite). 


Reality is nothing but waves of energy? waves of energy are used to build reality. Your saying people are the house, when the house is built by people

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## ChaybaChayba

I think we mean the exact same thing, we just use different words...

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## anomanderis

The night before yesterday as I was meditating, I suddenly realized that the state of consciousness I was in at that time was what I was trying to achieve throughout the day. Almost completely effortless awareness of myself and my surroundings. 
This find was boosted by the next morning when I had to wake up at 5 am!! :Eek: 
This being 4-5 hours earlier than my usual time for getting out of bed, I was in a rather different state of mind than I usually am in the morning. I noticed that awareness was a natural part of that consciousness I was in. Opposed to the hard focus of intentionally and willfully overriding the oblivious nature of my day-in-day-out "normal" consciousness.

So, I realized, rather than wanting to _merely_ be aware, I wanted to reach the consciousness of being aware without effort. It just comes very naturally in that state to be aware of everything (_everything_ being a gross overstatement  :smiley:  ).
This, I believe, is a basic foundation of Zen and Bushido as well: doing your daily activities in a state of consciousness where you are relatively thoughtless and aware.

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## C-lion

I have been wondering about this myself...
Actually, what I have been wondering about Yoga Nidra, which means yoga of sleep, not dream yoga. Maybe they are two different things.

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## anomanderis

> I have been wondering about this myself...
> Actually, what I have been wondering about Yoga Nidra, which means yoga of sleep, not dream yoga. Maybe they are two different things.



Yes, they are different in as much as they are not exactly the same. Put simply, dream yoga means awareness in dreams and sleep yoga awareness all the time, even in the deepest parts of sleep where one does not dream.

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## DNK

Great thread, worth a bump. It's right along the lines of how I feel about LDing and life as well.

I've always been a bit confused over the meditation you're speaking of, though. Basically, it goes like this when I try it:

1. Sit down and relax
2. Start detaching myself from my thoughts and feelings
3. Detach for 3 seconds
4. See a thought or feeling in a new light and spend the next 30 minutes thinking about it.

I can't stop thinking for more than 5 seconds I've found. Or am I not supposed to stop thinking? I'm very confused as to how I'm supposed to look at thoughts without thinking or getting caught up in a thought, as the former seems logically impossible and the latter is extremely difficult since I'm basically experiencing something completely new at that moment. The better I detach, the more interesting my observations become, and I can't let them go.

Anyway, I love this approach. It gets right to the heart of lucidity, cutting down the barrier of sleep/awake, and connects that to the duality of mind, the constant struggle between being aware and having an objective, perceptive eye of your surrounding reality; and being lost in a thought or feeling, only thinking of and seeing the closed conceptual system and its components.

In dreams, it is the aware and objective mind that sees the dream for what it is and becomes conscious and lucid; it is the unaware mind that becomes lost in the conceptual walls of the dream world, itself an ever-shifting character of that world.

Quite fun. But with all these fun thoughts, it's hard to stop thinking...

----------


## DNK

And a curious question:

Do you think humans have been historically less or more lucid than today?

I mean, prior to computers and TVs, etc, there were far less distractions and things to immerse oneself in. Being left with just the bare world in front of them, were humans far more aware of their surroundings, almost dream yogaing without trying due to lack of anything else to do? How lucid were our ancestors?

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## alfa

> Great thread, worth a bump. It's right along the lines of how I feel about LDing and life as well.
> 
> I've always been a bit confused over the meditation you're speaking of, though. Basically, it goes like this when I try it:
> 
> 1. Sit down and relax
> 2. Start detaching myself from my thoughts and feelings
> 3. Detach for 3 seconds
> 4. See a thought or feeling in a new light and spend the next 30 minutes thinking about it.
> 
> ...



I think I understand your dilemma, cuz I am in that position too. Most people would say you shouldn't try to stop thinking (which is impossible, anyway), rather stop indulging in thoughts. That is, we simply try not to entertain thoughts, we just allow them to come and go, without doing anything about them. 

This is the basis of dream yoga, and basically any Buddhist tradition, I guess. Very valuable, even from the LD point of view. I've had limited success, but that's because I suck at these things anyway. :smiley:

----------


## lozbritt

when image streaming to you have to keep your body completely still, or do you not have to worry about this too much?

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## gsoldi

Cool article I found about the Buddhist perspective on LD and Dream Yoga
http://www.spiritwatch.ca/abuddhis.htm

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## nightflyer

I also read 2 or 3 tibetan dream yoga books and I think that the main thing that they have in common are the day time reality checks (RC).  I think the more RC you could manage to do during the day the better.  Just like an alchololic for example.  The more you drink the more neurons you created in your brain to tell you to drink more. (by the day I do not suggest that you try to drink to find this out :-).   So the more RC you do the more neurons are recruited to gear you toward being able to recognizing a dream as a dream when your are dreaming at night.  It's that simple.  All the books that I've read about Tibetan Dream Yoga suggested for day time practice is that you look around your environment during the day and suggest to yourself that all that you senses in the morning (see,hear,touch,smell)..."All of this is a dream"...and the more serious you are willing to do this the faster your neurons will reward you with this mental remembering during your night dream and thus push you toward the edge of Lucidity.  It's that simple.  To me it's so simple.  I don't care who you are.  In term of being gifted with doing LD, meditation, visualization...or simple can't sit still for 5 minutes or can't even visualize your hand.  If you do at least 100 RC per day...everyday for 30 days.  Then at least by the end of 30 days, you will have retrain and recruite enough neruons in your brain to give you at least one or two lucid dreams.  And the most you could get is a lucid dream every night.  And if you keep at it, who knows...maybe a lucid dream in every dream...or what the tibetan call the dream of "clear light"
Best wishes to all :-)

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## BillyBob

I just updated this old POS. Tell me what you think.

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## juroara

more steps more steps!

I'm still just a newb at this dream yoga stuff, but I think the processing of the day as you fall asleep is an important step. so we don't dream of samsaric nonsense. let's cut to the cheeese

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## Naiya

Thank you for writing this!  ::D: 


I started to do this a couple of years after learning about LDing. Doing reality check now and then evolved into one never-ending reality check. 

I would always be asking myself "where am I? how did I get here? what was I last doing?" And every time I looked at my watch I would RC, since I looked my watch almost constantly (I was time-obsessed for a while, counting the exact number of minutes to get to school, to do this or that so I could maximize my sleep/fun time). So eventually I internalized it. 

I believe that naturals do this on some level without ever having to learn it, too. 

However, when I'm at a point of being overworked, stressed, or depressed, I mostly stop being aware because I'm focused inward on feelings or problem solving. A busy life may help, but a stressful life makes it hard to stick to dream yoga, imo.

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## BillyBob

> more steps more steps!
> 
> I'm still just a newb at this dream yoga stuff, but I think the processing of the day as you fall asleep is an important step. so we don't dream of samsaric nonsense. let's cut to the cheeese



I don't understand.

EDIT:




> However, when I'm at a point of being overworked, stressed, or depressed, I mostly stop being aware because I'm focused inward on feelings or problem solving. A busy life may help, but a stressful life makes it hard to stick to dream yoga, imo.



Yeah definitely. This tech is certainly not for your average Joe, most people are forced into their heads all the time for their jobs/social lives/etc.
Thats one of the reasons I didn't like it; it works well, but takes a lot of dedication.

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## Mysteryhunter

You've have the highest star rating possible for this thread, but you should get another star, srsly.

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## BillyBob

> You've have the highest star rating possible for this thread, but you should get another star, srsly.



Thanks  ::D:

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## stateofmind

Hey BillyBob (or whoever else has experience with this), when you do your image streaming do you report what you actually see (as in the fuzzy colored light in the back of your eyelids) or the vague visual thoughts that you get when you read or listen to poetry (also the stuff you're supposed ignore while meditating)?

I've had a few instances now where I've been conscious during the hypnagogic imagery we all get before we go to sleep.  It's crystal clear and more like a dream than it is a thought, unlike the images I get from reading.  It's as clear to me as the fuzzy colored light I see whenever I shut my eyes.

So basically should I be reporting the fuzzy light until I get hypnagogic imagery or should I report the passing vague thoughts that you ignore during meditation?

Thanks and great tutorial!

----------


## BillyBob

> Hey BillyBob (or whoever else has experience with this), when you do your image streaming do you report what you actually see (as in the fuzzy colored light in the back of your eyelids) or the vague visual thoughts that you get when you read or listen to poetry (also the stuff you're supposed ignore while meditating)?
> 
> I've had a few instances now where I've been conscious during the hypnagogic imagery we all get before we go to sleep.  It's crystal clear and more like a dream than it is a thought, unlike the images I get from reading.  It's as clear to me as the fuzzy colored light I see whenever I shut my eyes.
> 
> So basically should I be reporting the fuzzy light until I get hypnagogic imagery or should I report the passing vague thoughts that you ignore during meditation?
> 
> Thanks and great tutorial!



'Hypnagogic Imagery' is just the high end version of what you're shooting for with image streaming. Those fleeting vague images you see when reading a story are the low end.

When image streaming you want to start by explaining whatever you can about one piece of that fleeting imagery. What will most likely happen is that that image will become slightly more vivid the more you talk. 
A good session begins with you laying on the bed forcing words, and ends with you exploring incredible detailed vistas within your mind (this type of transition can take anywhere from ten seconds to thirty minutes, depending on your mood).

Heres the first minute of a recent brutal image stream I did (quoted exactly):




> Closing my eyes....
> 
> I see a squirrel tail... Its, uh, brown and has gray hairs in it. It looks, poofy and... soft.
> 
> ...(silence)...
> 
> Um, its making an arc downwards...
> 
> ...(silence)...
> ...




It took a minute for me to say that... If nothing is coming to you then just say everything you can about the last image you saw. Notice that I went into the 'gray hairs' and arc of the tail. If nothing is coming, just expand on the most recent thing.
If nothing comes at all (no vague images whatsoever) then you're not looking hard enough.

----------


## stateofmind

"Closing my eyes....

I see a squirrel tail... Its, uh, brown and has gray hairs in it. It looks, poofy and... soft.

...(silence)...

Um, its making an arc downwards...

...(silence)...

Ok... I see a... tree limb. Its uh, about, three inches in diameter... "

Lol!  Yah I had something similar to that.  The main difference between hypnagogic imagery and regular thoughts for me is that I kind of have to force regular thoughts.  Hypnagogic imagery is effortless.  In one of the sessions I was doing it in the way you described and I fell into a sort of dusty ranch themed place and was exploring it in my mind.  My mind would come up with something to add on to it that would logically be there (like an old man in a straw hat napping in a rocking chair on the porch) and then I would have to think about and fill in the finer details for it.  I'd sometimes notice myself squinting my eyes closed in that brooding sort of way.

I think I get it now though.  Anyway, how long have you been doing it now and have you had anything close to hypnagogic imagery yet?

-Peace

----------


## BillyBob

Yeah I've been to the pyramids, enchanted forests, mountains, and a bunch of other exotic locales. Image streaming is pretty much just guided daydreaming. I'm naturally ok with visualization though, so I don't image stream a whole lot. I've done it maybe twenty times total in the past year.


They can get pretty vivid if you roll with one theme for long enough. I've found that if you examine each thing you 'see' in great detail, then move on to the next thing, then the next, etc. you'll eventually have a scene as rich and vivid as any hypnagogia. You can even watch a story play out in logical detail like a dream.
I remember a few of the places I've image streamed like I was actually there. One in particular was this lake: it had a red boat that gently bobbed up and down at the end of a small homemade dock, the sky was whitish blue, and all around me was an elven-like forest of red and orange trees. I walked around in this forest hearing the leaves crunching under my feet and smelling the cool autumn air for at least fifteen minutes.

That was back when I was image streaming on a daily basis.

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## qwerty

dumb question but ah.. did this increase your dilds?

p.s. you said you werent writing any more tutorials :wink2:

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## BillyBob

Nah, I made it all up to screw with you.

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## BillyBob

:smiley: 

Dream Yoga significantly increased the logic of my dreams, which then gave a noticeable increase in my DILD rate. All of my dreams became much more vivid, and in all of them I was 'in my body' so to speak - no third person views. I got up to probably around four DILDs a week, this compared to my previous one (I used WILD a lot).
I only used it for about a week or two.

If you just continue reality checking during the day while also doing Dream Yoga I'm sure you'll see a quick exponential increase. Most people don't get lucid because they don't even have a body in their dreams. DY brings dreams more in alignment with reality, which allows you many more chances to catch your state. Also the thinking about where you are all the time is a reality check in itself.


EDIT:
Technically I didn't write a new tutorial, I just modified an old one  :wink2:

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## qwerty

coolbeans

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## Mariano

hello!
*oooh , he is bumping! be careful!!!
I just wanted to know, what is the difference between this technique(billybob's method of mapping rooms) and the tibetan method, of recognizing life as a dream, being aware, not getting lost in thoughts, remaining in non-dual awareness(with the use of "wake life is an illusion on our mind")... ????
which technique could be better? which technique brings more lucid dreams? more awareness?

thanks!

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## MaxMeents

Very clear cut and well worded. I had a hard time with this as well, I haven't thought about these mindsets in years. It may be worth another shot now.

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## rynkrt3

Bump - For some fresh reading for this community.

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## Spyguy

This is very similiar to ADA. I LOVE this tutorial. Thanks for the creation to Billybob and thanks for the bump to Rynkrt3  ::D:

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