Software Vault: The Diamond Collection/The Diamond Collection (Software Vault)(Digital Impact).ISO/cdr50/dreams01.zip/DREAMS01.TXT

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Archive-name: dreams-faq/part1
Revision: version 1.4,  last changed 1994/09/18 23:59:48
Posting-Frequency: biweekly

This is the first  in a series  of  four postings of  Frequently Asked
Questions  for  the alt.dreams   and alt.dreams.lucid  newsgroups.  It
contains general information about dreams and dream interpretation, as
well as FAQ administrative info.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Contents:
  (New/changed sections are marked #)

-PART ONE-

  0. Administrivia

  1. General
  1.1. Does everybody dream? Why is it that I don't remember my
dreams?
  1.2. How do external stimuli affect my dreams?
  1.3. How do my dreams interact with my waking life?
  1.4. What causes dreams, anyway?
# 1.5. How long do dreams last?

  2. Dream interpretation and symbols
  2.1. What does this <symbol> mean?
  2.2. Can you interpret this dream for me?
  2.3. Is this <dream scene> common?
  2.4. Can people dream of their own death?
  2.5. What are common misconceptions? What is wrong with these?
  2.6. Why do I keep dreaming the same thing over and over?

-PART TWO-

  3. Sleep paralysis, night terrors, nightmares
  3.1. What causes sleep paralysis?
  3.2. What causes nightmares?
  3.3. How can I relieve myself of these?
  3.4. What is a myoclonic jerk?

  4. Out-of-body experiences
  4.1. What are out-of-body experiences?
  4.2. How do I find out more about out-of-body experiences?

  5. Paranormal issues
  5.1. Do dreams predict the future?
  5.2. Can people share dreams?
  5.3. How can I tell actual paranormal experiences from self-
delusion?

-PART THREE-

  6. Lucid dreaming
  6.1. What is lucid dreaming?
  6.2. If you are lucid, can you control the dream?
  6.3. Does lucid dreaming interfere with the function of "normal"
       dreaming?
  6.4. Does everybody dream?
  6.5. Why would you want to have lucid dreams?
  6.6. How do you have lucid dreams?
  6.7. Is there a way to prevent yourself from awakening right after
       becoming lucid?
  6.8. How can I find out more about lucid dreaming, or get involved
       in lucid dreaming research?

-PART FOUR-

  7. Research, further reading, dreaming help etc.
  7.1. What are the various gadgets to help you in lucid dreaming?
  7.2. How do various drugs/nutritional components influence dreaming?
  7.3. What about the dream experiments on alt.dreams?
# 7.4. Books, articles and other stuff to read
# 7.5. Organizations, etc.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

0. Administrivia

This  document is intended to  provide answers to  the most frequently
asked questions on  alt.dreams and  alt.dreams.lucid.  **It does   not
claim  to be   authoritative.**   Some  answers   are   controversial.
Discussion over controversial topics about dreaming is always welcome.
Don't let  the fact that a topic  is discussed in  this FAQ discourage
you from posting about it  at all - the purpose  of the FAQ is just to
cut down on easily-answered questions that occur often.

This  document was compiled by  Olaf Titz <[e-mail]>, to
whom questions,  error  corrections, suggestions  for improvements etc
about this documents should be directed. Most answers are summaries of
statements posted on alt.dreams by various people.

This document is now  split into  four  parts for convenience and  for
clear distinction of the various sources. Part one and two are general
information written into prose by me with some  help from others. Part
three is the original older Lucid Dreaming FAQ by Lynne Levitan.  Part
four is  mostly  collected  quoted  input  from   a large   number  of
contributors. Many  thanks  to all  who have  helped to  compile these
thoughts.

The  particular   order  of    sections   is   a result   of   several
reorganizations and renumberings and as such somewhat chaotic. I don't
claim  any  special meaning  in this  order   and in the  cuts between
sections.

This is  posted biweekly on alt.dreams, alt.dreams.lucid, alt.answers,
news.answers and is available from the archives via FTP at
rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers
and via WWW at
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/dreams-faq/top.html

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1. General

1.1. Does everybody dream? Why is it that I don't remember my dreams?

A: [cf. section  6.4] Everybody dreams.   Not only all humans, but  in
fact all mammals are shown to have REM sleep, which is associated with
dreams. It is a normal and necessary  function of the body (though the
details,  especially the   exact   reason why   it is  important,  are
unknown).  So if  you think you  don't  dream you probably just  don't
remember.

People vary greatly  in how much they remember  of their  dreams.  The
perhaps most  important reason why people forget  their dreams is that
they don't care. Western culture does  not regard dreams as especially
important,  rather it  regards  getting out of   the bed in  time as a
prevalent survival factor. This is bad in two  respects as most dreams
occur at the end of the sleeping cycle and  are often interrupted, and
the necessity of  getting  up fast and keeping   up with the  schedule
occupies  peoples' minds and  prevents them  from thinking about their
dreams in the morning.

Dream recall  can  be trained. Try to   think over all what  you  have
dreamed  for some   time  before getting  up and  write  it down  soon
afterwards. More info in section 6.

1.2. How do external stimuli affect my dreams?

A.  Sensual "input" while sleeping is  incorporated into dreams.  Most
notably, while sleeping,  you hear as well  as while waking - the ears
are never turned off. This leads to the consequence that what you hear
while sleeping, you'll hear in your dreams. The sound is always coming
from "somewhere".  Common   experiences of this  kind  are a telephone
ringing or music from the radio.  The same holds for the other senses.
Note  that it is not important  how loud some noise  is to get noticed
while sleeping -  even  an otherwise  unnoticed  sound, like  a  mouse
running over your   floor,  can wake you  up  if  it  is   uncommon or
otherwise alarming to you - on the  other hand, you can get accustomed
to   high levels  of  noise,  like construction   work nearby.   (What
definitely will wake you up is someone knocking  at your window if you
live at the 10th floor ;-)

It is an  interesting experience  that you can  hear  exactly what  is
going on, but  will forget it on  waking up along with  forgetting the
rest of your dream. This includes things  such as news broadcast heard
on the radio - after waking up, you have  forgotten it. It is like you
have dreamed the news broadcast as well - but distinguishing this fact
is a  good  clue to  lucid  dreaming and   the way  "lucidity inducing
devices" work.

1.3. How do my dreams interact with my waking life?

[Section by [e-mail] (The Dreamer)]
Dreams seem to  be  a way for the  subconscious  mind to sort  out and
process all the   input and problems   that are encountered in  waking
life.  Therefore, a  scientist could be working on  a problem ...  say
the structure of the DNA  molecule.  Then said  scientist could have a
dream in which he  sees  two snakes  entertwining in a  double  helix.
When he  wakes, he has discovered  the  structure of the  DNA molecule
(true story).

Students who study and get some  good REM sleep retain the information
better and for longer periods of time  than students who study longer,
but have no sleep.  This  is because the  brain needs time to  process
the information, form sensible pattern out of it, and place it in long
term memory.

Dreams can also   improve  your emotional well-being,   reduce stress,
improve your creativity, and provide a  playground for your mind while
your body recovers and repairs itself.

[Comment by Brian Hostetler <[e-mail]>]
> dream in which he  sees  two snakes  entertwining in a  double
helix.
> When he  wakes, he has discovered  the  structure of the  DNA
molecule
Actually, this isn't true.  You are confusing this with the widespread
(and unproven)  story about how the  structure of the benzene ring was
discovered.   Supposedly  the scientist in  question had  a dream of a
snake biting its  tail.  Anyway,  Watson  and Crick  'discovered'  the
structure of DNA using models, not dreams.

[If I remember Chemistry lessons in school  correctly, the dream story
was indeed  about Kekul'e and the benzene  molecule, I  think. Anyway,
even if this is a  legend, it *could* well  be true. Many people  gain
creative impulses from dreams. -ot]

1.4. What causes dreams, anyway?

A.   Good  question...  Many  different  theories,  nothing for  sure.
According  to  the  Freudian   school,  dreams   are   the result   of
subconscious thoughts and desires. The other extreme attributes dreams
to random "noise" in the neurons without special meaning.

My own understanding is  that dreams are  made out of many small parts
of memory  and  imagination that  get combined  to form dream imagery.
This  is  a process  that  runs both consciously   (cf. section 6) and
subconsciously. I don't know  and leave to  speculation the reason why
this is so.

1.5. How long do dreams last?

A.  REM sleep  periods,  and therefore dreams,  last  typically in the
range of 5 to 45 minutes (cf.  section 6).  Often, the subjective time
spent  in a dream is much  longer.   One possible explanation for this
time-stretch effect  is  that  dreams are  combined  from  pieces (see
preceding   paragraph)  that   have their   own   different setting in
time.  You first dream of  something that occurred  a year ago, then -
following - of  something that occurred  just recently, mix them up  a
bit and are left with the rememberance of a dream that lasted a year.

But experiments suggest that dreamed actions run in "real time" - what
you do in your dream  takes exactly this time  to dream. With external
influences like the radio  running in the  morning, you have  both the
real time in which  you hear something  and - sometimes -  the feeling
that  it   lasted considerably longer.  Anyway,  time  is  one  of the
perceptions that are heavily distorted in dreams.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

2. Dream interpretation and symbols

2.1. What does this <symbol> mean?

A. Symbols are one way of interpreting dreams.  Researchers have tried
to find,  for each common dream  occurence, a  psychological situation
that matches the   dream in  some  way and  link  it as  a cause.    A
well-known example of this approach  is Freud's interpretation. Asking
for  symbols allows for (sometimes  too easy) interpretation of dreams
by given rules.

Other people question this approach.  Dream interpretation by  catalog
of  symbols doesn't take  into  account individual differences between
dreamers.  You can  imagine this flaw  by taking into account that the
cultural  background  is  an   important  point  that  should  not  be
neglected. Freud's theories, that give high importance to hidden signs
of  sexual desires,   are  based on  a  society   that  has suppressed
sexuality. And so on.   In a more  global context, asking  for special
symbols is of dubious value.  Nonetheless, in a certain given context,
these symbols can have a valuable meaning.

2.2. Can you interpret this dream for me?

A. Dreams are made up of the dreamer's thoughts. It is very difficult,
if not impossible, to interpret dreams if  you don't know the dreamer,
since to recognize the meaning of dreams (if there is one) you need to
know the "background".  So dream interpretations given  on the Net are
(IMHO) of   questionable value,   either  they deal   with "reasonably
obvious"  meanings or they rely on  symbols (cf. 2.1).  I recommend to
take these  with a  grain of salt  and not  expect  too much.  [Anyone
disagrees on this point?  It's controversial,  I'd like input from the
other side.] Of  course, if you want  to post your dreams,  dont't let
this discourage you. Sharing dream experiences with others and getting
response is a  nice thing anyway  and may  help  you to  find out more
about yourself.

2.3. Is this <dream scene> common?

A. Yes. :-) Specifically, if people ask the newsgroups about a certain
dream experience, in the overwhelming majority of cases others  answer
that they  know this from  their dreams.  Sometimes the reaction comes
up, "And I've thought I was  the only  one to dream this weird thing!"
"Weird" is the most  inappropriate  word  when  dealing  with  dreams,
anyway.  Dreams  are  not to be measured by  real life standards, they
have their own.

It can be assumed that much, if not most, dream imagery follows common
patterns  in  all  people. Most  important, we should not  forget that
dreams are based on actual experiences and imaginations, some of which
are just widespread. We all think about how nice it would be  to  fly,
for example. On the other hand, people  who report flying dreams use a
number  of  different   flying  techniques   in  their  dreams,   from
breaststrokes like in  swimming to simply lifting off, Superman-style.
It is imagination that sets the limits.

An  oft-cited example  is  that  of teeth    falling  out. The  common
"symbolistic" interpretation  associates   this with fear of   loss of
something,  perhaps someone, valuable.  The next common explanation is
rememberance of losing teeth during childhood, which could have been a
somewhat traumatic  experience. But it can  also be easily linked to a
sleeping position where  some external pressure or muscle contractions
cause your teeth to grind against each other,  or toothaches caused by
illnesses (cf. section 1.2.)

2.4. Can people dream of their own death?

A. Yes. This has been reported many times. The  reports vary widely in
what actual  experiences are made when  dreaming of dying; there seems
to be  no  common pattern.   Most probably  the prevalent influence is
again  the  thoughts of  the individual about  death.  It   can not be
figured out whether dream-death experiences which match patterns given
in actual  near-death  experiences are  just   based on reading  about
near-death experiences.   Also,  for instances of  talking to deceased
people, God(s)  or other "supernatural"  entities after dreamed death,
it can not  be figured out whether they  are "real"  or just based  on
peoples' religious belief (see  also  the  FAQ  for  alt.atheism).   A
widespread old  wives tale is  that when you  dream of your own death,
you  will  soon die.  Given  the   usual understanding of "soon"  (and
considering section 5.1), experience has proven this false.

A sharp line  has to  be  drawn  between  dreams of death  and  actual
near-death  experiences.   The  latter  occur  in  people  with  blood
circulation  failure just before they actually die, and  sometimes are
reported when medical  art brings  these  people  back  to life.  What
constitutes  the  real source of these experiences is still  not known
for  sure. Dreams of death have no  connection to this, they are  like
all dreams just imagination.

2.5. What are common misconceptions? What is wrong with these?

A.  We   occasionally  hear sayings  about  "you can't   do/see XXX in
dreams". Where  XXX is seeing colors,  seeing lights, seeing your face
in  a  mirror,  or  perhaps  a  large  number   of   variants on  this
theme.  Experience clearly proves this  tales of unknown origin wrong.
(It   may  well  be   that  people   who  actually  believe  in  these
misconceptions do have the mentioned "handicaps" in their dreams. What
they believe about dreams comes true. It's very hard to tell the cause
from the result in such cases...)

2.6. Why do I keep dreaming the same thing over and over?

A.  Recurrent dreams are  a sign of  thoughts  that occupy the dreamer
much, consciously or unconsciously.   Such thoughts have influence  on
the dreams  and they are often  remembered better than "random" dreams
since  you somewhat know of  their importance.  Sometimes those dreams
are unpleasant, a  sign or symbol of  some conflict situation that you
still have  to  overcome. Ask   yourself  what the dream signifies   -
probably you can interpret it better  than anybody else, since you are
the one who knows yourself best.

Of  course, there are  also nice  recurring  dreams. Some people build
their own  dream world which they explore,  meeting friends there etc.
Some claim they are in fact entering a different world (cf. sections 4
and 5), others attribute this to  rememberances of old dreams creating
new ones.  At first, it's  up  to  yourself to   believe  a reason  or
another. For either one, probably the most important thing is that you
- again - take these dreams as valuable for looking at yourself.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

To be continued...


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From: [e-mail] (Olaf Titz)
Newsgroups: alt.dreams,alt.dreams.lucid,alt.answers,news.answers
Subject: Dreams FAQ Pt.2/4: Nightmares, OOBEs, paranormal issues
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Summary: This document tries to answer some frequently asked questions
on the
        alt.dreams and alt.dreams.lucid newsgroups. Main contents are
about
        sleeping and dreaming in general, dream interpretation, lucid
dreaming.
Keywords: FAQ dreams
Xref: news.channel1.com alt.dreams:23517 alt.dreams.lucid:5401
alt.answers:6276
 news.answers:34500

Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: dreams-faq/part2
Revision: version 1.4,  last changed 1994/09/18 23:59:48
Posting-Frequency: biweekly

This is the second  in a series of four  postings of  Frequently Asked
Questions for  the  alt.dreams and   alt.dreams.lucid newsgroups.   It
contains stuff  on nightmares and  related topics, and something about
OOBEs and "paranormal" issues.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

3. Sleep paralysis, night terrors, nightmares

3.1. What causes sleep paralysis?

A.  Conventional wisdom: REM atonia is  a normal function of the body.
The muscles   that move the  body  are "turned  off" during REM sleep,
which prevents   you from acting   out  dreamed actions   in  reality.
Non-REM  sleep paralysis after  waking up  ("old hag") is  caused by a
failure   to   re-activate the  muscles   immediately.   Normally this
condition lasts only a few   seconds, but sometimes it   can go for  a
minute, which causes  a very scary  feeling.  You are damn sure you're
awake  now  but you  can't move. This  is  extremely unpleasant but at
least not dangerous.

3.2. What causes nightmares?

A.  There is  the dark side  of dreams -  nightmares,  dreams of fear,
pain,  irrational bad feelings that often  cannot  be explained. These
can  become a serious  peoblem when you  often wake up terrified, when
you even don't sleep because of fear of nightmares... Nightmares occur
mostly  because   some   problem   disturbs  you  unconsciously    but
seriously. Some nightmares  carry  obvious symbols that may   indicate
where your problems are, but often it is not that easy. Sometimes they
can indicate really  serious problems like depressions, sometimes just
an inadequacy of getting along with yourself. It's difficult.

3.3. How can I relieve myself of these?

A.  It's  really hard  to  give an answer,  since  so much depends  on
yourself. Moreover, it's always risky to give or follow advice on what
could be a serious problem from far away, and it's ultimately  you who
has to decide whether it is just a nuisance you want to get rid of, or
if  you really  suffer from depressions or  health problems  and it is
necessary to consult professional help.

The common "light" nightmares of permanently missing exams, falling or
being chased can often be  overcome with learning lucid dreaming  (see
section 6). Basically, if you learn to  deal with them, they are not a
problem  anymore. Or, from  a slightly different point of view, you're
facing the problems that cause your dreams and thus overcoming them.

3.4. What is a myoclonic jerk?

This term denotes a common experience with  sudden contractions of the
big body muscles while falling asleep. This mostly causes a feeling of
stumbling,  falling or similar and subsequently  waking up again.  The
exact  cause  is not  known, it probably  is   some disturbance in the
brain's functions  in the first  stage of sleep.  Surely it is common,
and does not cause serious problems unless it  stops you from sleeping
(but then you have general sleeping problems as well).

[From: Corey Thompson <[e-mail]>]
In  my Psycology   class,  the professor    said something  to   like:
"...you're  heart rate gets  very slow, and  and  your breathing slows
down quicker than normal.   You brain may interpret  this as your body
dying, so it sends  an electrical pulse  to your muscles.  Like a jump
start.  This is similar to a Night Terror, when you wake up absolutely
terrified about something, but have no idea why...."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

4. Out-of-body experiences

4.1. What are out-of-body experiences?

A.  [This is a section of Jouni Smed' alt.out-of-body FAQ]

Out-of-the-body  experiences  (OBEs) are   those  curious, and usually
brief, experiences in which person seems to himself  to leave his body
and to observe the world from a point of view other than that which he
would have  were he still 'in' his  body. In some cases the experients
claim that  they 'saw' and  'heard' things (objects  which were really
there, events  and conversations which  really took place) which could
not have seen or heard from the actual positions of their bodies.

OBEs are surprisingly common; different surveys have yielded some what
different results, but  all in all one would  not be too  far wrong if
one said  that somewhere between  one person in  ten and one person in
twenty   is   likely  to  have  had    such  an  experience   at least
once. Furthermore it seems that OBEs can occur to anyone in almost any
circumstances.   They   are   most   frequent  during  sleep,   during
unconsciousness   following anaesthesia or  a  bang  on  the head, and
during stress. Not all OBEs occur spontaneously.  Some people have, by
various  techniques, cultivated the faculty of   inducing them more or
less as desired,  and number have written  detailed  accounts of their
experiences. These accounts do not  always in all respects square with
accounts given by persons who have undergone spontaneous OBEs.

OBEs, especially spontaneous ones, are  often very vivid, and resemble
everyday, waking  experiences rather than dreams,  and they may make a
considerable impression on those  who undergo  them. Such persons  may
find it hard to believe that they did not in  fact leave their bodies,
and may draw the conclusion that we possess  a separable soul, perhaps
linked  to  a second  body, which  will  survive  in  a state  of full
consciousness,  perhaps  even    of enhanced    consciousness,   after
death. Death would be, as it were, an OBE in which one did not succeed
in getting back into one's body.

Such conclusions present themselves even  more forcefully to the minds
of those who have undergone the variety of  OBE known as a 'near-death
experience' or NDE. It  is not uncommon  for persons who have  been to
the brink of death and returned -- following, say, a heart stoppage or
serious injuries from an accident -- to report an experience (commonly
of a  great vividness and impressiveness) as  of leaving their bodies,
and traveling (often in a duplicate  body) to the  border of a new and
wonderful  realm. Reports suggest  that the conscious self's awareness
outside the body  is not only  unimpaired  but enhanced: events  which
occurred  during    the period of     unconsciousness are described in
accurate detail and confirmed by those present.

4.2. How do I find out more about out-of-body experiences?

A.  There  is  a  newsgroup  dedicated  to   out-of-body  experiences,
alt.out-of-body.  [e-mail] (Jouni  Smed)  maintains  an
extensive FAQ file.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

5. Paranormal issues

5.1. Do dreams predict the future?

A. This, like many other things  commonly referred to as "paranormal",
is to  be considered unknown.   There is much  evidence against it, it
would contradict the laws  of nature as  recognized by most scientists
today.  (Any information getting from   future to past would have   to
break the  speed of light, which is   impossible. More on this  can be
found in the  sci.physics FAQ postings.)   However, many people insist
on having experienced "deja-vu" like situations where they came into a
setting they  already had dreamed of.  Could  they prove it?  Probably
not   (cf.  section   5.3)  but  this  fact alone   doesn't  prove the
experiences invalid.    (Proving  a subjective  experience  *wrong* is
impossible.)

Now,  how  come the many  deja-vus?   A common  explanation is a small
misfunction of the brain. Some piece of information,  like the look of
a particular place where you haven't been before, gets from short-term
into long-term memory  via  some sort  of  "shortcut" rather than  the
usual rememberance mechanism. (How this exactly works is currently not
known in detail.)   Then,  when matching short-term against  long-term
memory, you  think that you  have  the piece in long-term  memory from
somewhere in the   past while  it has  entered   long-term memory just
recently.

This could explain  some of  the instances, but the possibility of the
mind  "travelling  in time"  (or place, cf. section  4.1)  can  not be
dismissed - many people claim they have done it and can do it again.

5.2. Can people share dreams?

A.   Again, an unanswered question.  Many people  believe that such  a
possibility  exists,  but  the   lack  of   a  sufficient   scientific
explanation  is  obvious. The  often claimed experiences of this kind,
like in  the above case, mostly are not  thoroughly enough  documented
and examined. It is rather plausible that people "meet in dreams" just
by dreaming *roughly* of similar  things,  and fuzzy  memory  does the
rest when they tell each other. (Write down your dreams!)

But again, whether actual telepathic interaction  is possible  remains
unanswered for now, and some  people are doing research about it under
lab conditions.   [There  has been  an institute for this  at Freiburg
University  in  Germany;  I've been told  that it doesn't operate  any
more, but perhaps I can collect some of their research, sometimes...]

One trivial case of interaction in dreams is  people who sleep in  the
same room talking to each other in their sleep. Yes, that does happen.

5.3. How can I tell actual paranormal experiences from self-delusion?

A. If  you plan to prove actual paranormal experiences, most important
is  that you are honest towards yourself.  All efforts to match dreams
against real occurences are  moot if they are reported after the fact,
since then it can't be proven any more that you actually dreamed this,
and  are vulnerable to the argument that the recall  of  the dream  is
just a self-delusion. So the most important thing is to write down all
of your dreams immediately. Make sure that no obvious external sources
of  information have had influence  on  your dreams  (i.e. don't sleep
with the radio on  if you  want to  match  dreams against news items.)
Don't interpret too much into your dreams in the moment you write them
down, log only what you really remember.  When matching the dream  log
against other things  use only  the log, not  anything you  think  you
would remember from  that particular dream.  Remember that recall of a
dream gets  worse with the time, not better.  If you want to  document
shared  dream experiences,  all  people involved should  follow  these
strict  standards. (Cf. question 7.3.)   Refer to  the sci.skeptic FAQ
for obvious traps you should not get caught in.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

To be continued...


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Summary: This document tries to answer some frequently asked questions
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        alt.dreams and alt.dreams.lucid newsgroups. Main contents are
about
        sleeping and dreaming in general, dream interpretation, lucid
dreaming.
Keywords: FAQ dreams
Xref: news.channel1.com alt.dreams:23518 alt.dreams.lucid:5402
alt.answers:6277
 news.answers:34501

Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: dreams-faq/part3
Revision: version 1.4,  last changed 1994/09/18 23:59:48
Posting-Frequency: biweekly

This is  the third in a  series  of four  postings of Frequently Asked
Questions for  the alt.dreams and  alt.dreams.lucid newsgroups.  It is
the reproduction  of  an  earlier regular  posting  on  lucid  dreams,
written   by Lynne  Levitan <[e-mail]>  and  originally
titled: Answers to these frequently asked  questions on lucid dreaming
brought to you by THE LUCIDITY INSTITUTE.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

6. Lucid dreaming

6.1. What is lucid dreaming?

A. The term "lucid dreaming" refers to dreaming while knowing that you
are dreaming. The "lucid" part refers to  the clarity of consciousness
rather than the vividness of the  dream. It generally happens when you
realize  during the course of a  dream that you  are dreaming, perhaps
because something weird occurs. Most  people who remember their dreams
have experienced this at some time, often  waking up immediately after
the  realization.  However, it is possible   to  continue in the dream
while remaining fully aware that you are dreaming.

6.2. If you are lucid, can you control the dream?

A. Usually lucidity brings with  it some degree   of control over  the
course of the dream. How much control is possible varies from dream to
dream and from dreamer  to dreamer. Practice can apparently contribute
to the ability to exert control over dream events. At the least, lucid
dreamers can choose   how they wish to respond   to the events of  the
dream. For example,  you can decide to  face up to a frightening dream
figure, knowing it  cannot harm you, rather than  to try to avoid  the
danger as you naturally would if you did not know it was a dream. Even
this amount of control can transform the dream  experience from one in
which   you  are    the  helpless victim    of frequently  terrifying,
frustrating, or maddening experiences to one in  which you can dismiss
for a while the cares and concerns of waking  life. On the other hand,
some people are able   to achieve a level   of mastery in  their lucid
dreaming where  they  can  create any  world,   live any fantasy,  and
experience anything they can imagine!

6.3.  Does lucid dreaming interfere with the function of "normal"
      dreaming?

A.  According  to  one way  of  thinking,  lucid dreaming  _is_ normal
dreaming. The  brain and  body  are  in the same  physiological  state
during lucid  dreaming as they are  in during most ordinary non- lucid
dreaming, that is, REM sleep. Dreaming is  a result of the brain being
active,  at the same time  as the sense organs  of the body are turned
off to the  outside  world.  In  this condition,  typically during REM
sleep, the mind creates experiences out  of currently active thoughts,
concerns, memories and  fantasies.   Knowing you are  dreaming  simply
allows you  to direct the dream  along constructive or positive lines,
like  you direct your thoughts  when you are awake. Furthermore, lucid
dreams can  be even more  informative   about yourself than  non-lucid
dreams, because you  can observe the  development of the dream out  of
your feelings and tendencies, while being aware  that you are dreaming
and that  the  dream is coming from  you.  The notion  that dreams are
unconscious  processes that should  remain  so  is false.  Your waking
consciousness is  always present in your  dreams.  If it were not, you
would not be able to remember dreams, because you can only remember an
event you have  consciously experienced. The added "consciousness"  of
lucid  dreaming  is nothing more  than the  awareness  of being in the
dream state.

6.4. Does everybody dream?

A.   Everybody dreams.   All  humans  (indeed,  all mammals) have  REM
sleep.  Most dreams occur in REM  sleep. [REM=Rapid Eye Movements - in
this sleeping stage  the eyeballs move  around like when awake.]  This
has been  demonstrated by awakening   people from different stages  of
sleep and asking if they  were dreaming.  In  85 percent of awakenings
from REM sleep, people report having been  dreaming. Dreams are rarely
reported following awakening  from other types  of sleep (collectively
called  non-REM sleep). REM sleep alternates  with non-REM sleep in 90
minute  cycles throughout the  night. In a  typical  8 hour night, you
will spend about an hour and a half total time in REM sleep, broken up
into four  or five  "REM   periods" ranging in   length  from 5  to 45
minutes. Most dreams  are forgotten. Some  people never recall  dreams
while  others recall five or  more each  night.   You can improve your
ability to recall dreams.  Good dream recall is necessary for learning
lucid dreaming.  There are two basic things to do  to get started with
developing dream recall.   Begin a dream  journal, in which you  write
everything you  remember of      your dreams,  even  the     slightest
fragments. You will remember the most if you record dreams right after
you awaken from   them.   Before falling  asleep  each   night, remind
yourself  that   you want to  awaken from,   remember  and record your
dreams.

6.5. Why would you want to have lucid dreams?

A. The laws  of physics and society are  repealed in  dreams. The only
limits are  the reaches of your  imagination. Much of the potential of
dreams is  wasted   because people do   not  recognize that they   are
dreaming. When we are not lucid in a dream, we think  and behave as if
we  are  in waking reality.  This  can lead  to pointless frustration,
confusion  and  wasted energy,   and  in the  worst   case, terrifying
nightmares. It is useless to  try as we do to  accomplish the tasks of
waking  life  in dreams.  Our misguided  efforts  to  do so result  in
anxiety  dreams    of  malfunctioning   machinery,  missed  deadlines,
forgotten   exams,  losing the way,  and   so on.  Anxiety  dreams and
nightmares can be overcome through lucid dreaming, because if you know
you are dreaming you  have nothing to fear.   Dream images cannot hurt
you.  Lucid dreams,  in addition to  helping  you lead your dreams  in
satisfying    directions,   enjoy fantastic  adventures,  and overcome
nightmares,  can   be  valuable  tools for    success  in your  waking
life. Lucid  dreamers  can  deliberately employ  the  natural creative
potential   of     dreams   for   problem     solving  and    artistic
inspiration.  Athletes, performers, or  anyone who gives presentations
can prepare, practice   and   polish their performances   while   they
sleep. This  is only a  taste of the variety of  ways people have used
lucid dreaming to expand their lives.

6.6. How do you have lucid dreams?

A. There are several methods of inducing lucid dreams. The first step,
regardless of method,  is to develop your  dream recall  until you can
remember at least one dream per night. Then, if you have a lucid dream
you will  remember it. You  will also become   very familiar with your
dreams, making   it easier learn   to recognize   them while they  are
happening. If  you recall your dreams you  can  begin immediately with
two   simple techniques for  stimulating  lucid dreams. Lucid dreamers
make  a  habit of  "reality  testing."  This  means  investigating the
environment to decide whether you  are dreaming or awake. Ask yourself
many times a day,  "Could I be dreaming?"  Then, test the stability of
your current  reality by reading  some words, looking away and looking
back while trying to will them to change. The instability of dreams is
the easiest  clue to use for distinguishing  waking from  dreaming. If
the words  change, you are dreaming. Taking  naps is a way  to greatly
increase  your chances of having lucid  dreams. You have to sleep long
enough  in  the nap to enter  REM  sleep. If you  take  the nap in the
morning (after getting up earlier than usual), you are likely to enter
REM sleep within a half-hour to an hour  after you fall asleep. If you
nap for 90  minutes to 2  hours you will have plenty  of  dreams and a
higher probability of becoming lucid than  in dreams you have during a
normal night's sleep. Focus on   your intention to recognize that  you
are dreaming as you fall asleep within the nap.

External  cues to help people attain  lucidity in dreams have been the
focus of Dr. Stephen LaBerge's  research and the Lucidity  Institute's
development efforts for several years. Using the results of laboratory
studies, they have designed a  portable device, called the DreamLight,
for this  purpose. It  monitors sleep  and when  it detects  REM sleep
gives a cue -- a flashing light -- that enters the dream to remind the
dreamer to become lucid. The light comes  from a soft mask worn during
sleep that  also contains the  sensing apparatus  for determining when
the sleeper is in REM sleep. A small custom  computer connected to the
mask by a cord decides when the wearer is in REM and when to flash the
lights.

6.7. Is there a way to prevent yourself from awakening right after
     becoming lucid?

A. At  first,  beginners may have difficulty   remaining in  the dream
after they attain lucidity. This obstacle may prevent many people from
realizing   the  value of   lucid    dreaming, because they  have  not
experienced more than the flash of knowing they are dreaming, followed
by immediate  awakening. Two simple techniques  can  help you overcome
this problem. The first is to remain calm in the dream. Becoming lucid
is  exciting, but expressing the   excitement can awaken you. Suppress
your feeling  somewhat and turn your   attention to the  dream. If the
dream   shows  signs of ending,  such   as the  disappearance, loss of
clarity or depth of  the imagery, "spinning"  can help bring the dream
back. As soon as the dream starts to "fade," before you feel your real
body in  bed, spin your  dream body like  a top. That is, twirl around
like  a  child trying to  get dizzy  (you probably  will not get dizzy
during dream   spinning because  your physical  body   is not spinning
around).  Remind yourself, "The next scene will be  a dream." When you
stop  spinning, if it  is not  obvious  that  you  are dreaming,  do a
reality test. Even if you think you are awake, you may be surprised to
find that you are still dreaming!

6.8. How can I find out more about lucid dreaming, or get involved
     in lucid dreaming research?

A.  Contact the Lucidity Institute, an   organization founded by lucid
dreaming researcher  Dr. Stephen LaBerge  to support research on lucid
dreams   and to  help  people  learn  to  use  them to   enhance their
lives. The Lucidity Institute's mission is  to advance research on the
nature and  potentials of consciousness  and  to apply the  results of
this research to the enhancement  of human health and well-being.  The
Lucidity Institute    offers a   membership society,  whose  quarterly
newsletter, NIGHTLIGHT,  discusses   research and development in   the
field of  lucid dreaming, and  invites the participation of members in
at-home  experiments.   Workshops and  training programs are available
periodically.    The   Institute  sells    books,  tapes,   scientific
publications and the DreamLight.

Write or call:
The Lucidity Institute
P.O. Box 2364
Stanford, CA 94309
[phone]

Or email: [e-mail]

For additional information:
LaBerge, S., LUCID DREAMING (Los Angeles: Ballantine, 1985).
LaBerge, S. & Rheingold, H. EXPLORING THE WORLD OF LUCID DREAMING
(New York: Ballantine, 1990).

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

To be continued...


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Subject: Dreams FAQ Pt.4/4: Research, Help, reading recommendations
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Summary: This document tries to answer some frequently asked questions
on the
        alt.dreams and alt.dreams.lucid newsgroups. Main contents are
about
        sleeping and dreaming in general, dream interpretation, lucid
dreaming.
Keywords: FAQ dreams
Xref: news.channel1.com alt.dreams:23519 alt.dreams.lucid:5403
alt.answers:6278
 news.answers:34502

Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: dreams-faq/part4
Revision: version 1.4,  last changed 1994/09/18 23:59:48
Posting-Frequency: biweekly

This is  the last in  a series  of four  postings  of Frequently Asked
Questions   for the alt.dreams  and  alt.dreams.lucid  newsgroups.  It
contains a lot of  bibliographic and other  "pointer" info from a wide
variety of sources.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

7. Research, further reading, dreaming help etc.
   [See also section 6.8]

7.1. What are the various gadgets to help you in lucid dreaming?

[by [e-mail] (Pamela Ryan)]
These  descriptions  are   staight   from   the Lucidity   Institute's
newsletter:
DreamLink:  Computerized  mask   provides a  convenient  state-testing
procedure   and delivers  light  cues  when   you   estimate you   are
dreaming. $195
NovaDreamer: New  computerized biofeedback  mask provides a convenient
state-testing  procedure  and delivers     light  cues when   you  are
dreaming. $245
DreamLight:  Computerized  biofeedback device moniters  your sleep and
delivers light and sound cues when you are dreaming. $1200

These devices are  not a means for  "automagically" getting  you lucid
dreams. Rather they provide signs  that help you recognize your dreams
by means of external influence. Using these dream-signs is still up to
yourself and requires quite some amount of training.

Software to make   your  computer screen   act as   a  flashlight: the
hyperreal.com  (not techno.stanford.edu  any more)  WWW/FTP server has
this, among much other  interesting stuff. I  know of an MSDOS program
called "flasher" which can be  found  there and another similar  thing
for  Linux  that someone  has promised to   upload.  Such programs can
perhaps be  used as a replacement for  the less sophisticated  sort of
eqipment as described above.

7.2. How do various drugs/nutritional components influence dreaming?
[Section compiled from answers by various people]

[By [e-mail] (Michael Turner)]
AMINO ACIDS & SUPPLEMENTS
Saw  some mention of Taurine recently.   B vitamins (6  and 12)?  I've
used Choline+Inositol combo w/some success.
Inositol  is  a B-vitamin (12?)  that  aids in  the uptake of Choline,
which is a precursor  to the neurotransmitter  acetylcholine.  Choline
is present  in lecithin, which is  itself  present in egg  whites, soy
products, and other sources of protein.   One would have to constantly
glut oneself with tofu in order to get the  equivalent of 500mg tablet
of Choline+ Inositol, however.

FOODS
Fish contains some substance that also helps, forget what it's called,
though.   Cheese (esp. cheddar,  for  some  reason) and  bananas to  a
lesser extent, contain  some stuff that can  cause wild  dreams.  Soy,
eggs, etc., as mentioned above.

TEAS and HERBS
Have tried various teas and herbs, but most were either ineffective or
unspeakably vile.  (DON'T like  vivid dreams  of large bugs  burrowing
through my head, thank you very much.)   Would be willing to try again
with some guidance, though.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Prescription drugs of various kinds can have dream effects; so much so
that  most  sleep/dream labs have  some  kind of  funding  from pharm.
companies, if they aren't owned and operated by them outright.  Never-
theless, prescription drug labels seldom warn of "nightmares"; perhaps
that all falls under "sleep disturbances."
Barbiturates can suppress   REM.   Don't know  about   tranqs  & anti-
depressants, though.  New Wave antidepressions (Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil)
are serotonin- effecting, so some effect might be expected.

LEGAL PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS
Both caffeine and alcohol  can suppress REM -  odd, since one is a CNS
stimulant, the other a CNS depressant.  Nicotine?  Don't know.

ILLEGAL PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS
Controlled/illegal substances have  been studied vis-a-vis dreams, but
hazy on the details I  learned.  (Was high at  the time, I  guess....)
THC can suppress REM somewhat.  Various psychedelics effect aspects of
serotonin   metabolism.  Speed  keeps  you  from sleeping; amphetamine
psychosis might be  drug-induced-anxiety   + REM deprivation.    Newer
stuff, such   as illegal/controlled  "smart drugs",  "designer drugs",
etc. I don't  know about, but it would   be surprising if they had  no
dream effects.

[By [e-mail] (Pamela Ryan)]
Someone  posted a while back  that  a combination of  Choline (600 mg,
equals 1429  mg Choline Bitartrate)  and Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5,
500 mg) boosts dream recall.

[By [e-mail] (P. ZINKEN)]
Point is i am at one side a notorious  coffee-addict, and on the other
side one who  smokes  a joint or   a hookah from  time to  time.  I'll
describe  my  states of dreaming   for both,  because  they are rather
different.

Caffeine:
Under influence of  caffeine (and i mean  rather much, after drinking,
for example, 10 to  15 0.25l cups), i  tend to sleep  very light. If i
get  to dream it  usually is a lucid dream.    Thus, it seems caffeine
changes the  conciousness while  sleeping. Also,  i tend  to have more
nightmares if i drink too much coffee.

Hasjiesj:
There are times when i like to smoke some weed or hasjiesj and then go
to bed stoned  (on  these days i  usually  smoke between 0.5 and  0.75
grams) It does influence the dream  state very heavy. Hasjiesj has the
tendency of relaxing you,  and also has  a  tendency to make  emotions
stronger. While dreaming this results in very real-feeling dreams.
Last night i smoked about a half gram of  Noorderlicht, a kind of weed
grown here in Eindhoven, and after  going to bed  and falling to sleep
(almost instantly) i  dreamt  something rather  silly, but  i couldn't
help thinking it was the real-world instead of a dream.
Thus,  hasjiesj  makes the  dream stronger, more  deep. Problem  is, a
nightmare will  seem more real  too.  Also, it  seems  to make it more
difficult to dream lucid (i am able to dream lucid).

Combination:
Well, this  one is the  one  i get at  the most.  After a long  day of
working  and coffee-drinking,  i sometimes let  myself  go and  make a
blow.  This  results    in  a  combination   of  an   up-drug  and   a
down-drug.   And, strangest  of  things, this   combination does never
result in no-drug.
The caffeine still leaves the property  of easily getting into a lucid
dream, while the  hasjiesj makes the   sleep very deep and  the dreams
very intense. I've yet  to wake up  from  getting into lucidity  while
under influence of hasjiesj.
Overal conclusion from my side thus is, drugs do have a certain effect
on dreaming. And there  is quite a big  difference between  uppers and
downers.

[By [e-mail] (Bryan Byun)]

My  method isn't the  healthiest,  so  it's not   something I  want to
experiment on often, although reading your FAQ  reminded me of it, and
I might try it again sometime.
Anyway, this is the exact method I use:
1. Stay up late,  past your normal  sleeping time, until you are very,
very tired.  Do not get into bed until you are ready to sleep.
2. Just before getting into bed, take from 2-4 caffeine tablets of the
dosage included  in Vivarin brand  stimulants (I don't  know the exact
dosage), depending on your tolerance for caffeine.

It's my  personal  theory that what happens   is that your body  falls
asleep and  begins the REM cycle...then,  the caffeine stimulates your
brain (or at least irritates it) so that  your conscious mind awakens.
Normally, so would your body, but if  you sleep late enough, your body
will be so fatigued  that the  fact of your  brain awakening  won't be
enough to rouse it; and, if you take the right amount of caffeine, the
stimulant effect will  be just enough to  wake  up your mind,  without
forcing it completely awake.

Anyway, I  don't know   if I would   recommend  this as a   method  of
attaining lucid dreaming, but it has worked for me.

7.3. What about the dream experiments on alt.dreams?

A.  Several experiments have been conducted  to find out whether there
are shared dream experiences.  On alt.dreams  was posted a description
of a particular place,  and people encouraged   to get there in  their
dreams.  Dream logs were collected via e-mail by a person not involved
in the  actual  experiment, who compared the   reports and  looked for
similarities.   Of  course,    reports  of different  people    having
conversation about the same  topic, or people  leaving items there and
others picking  up the  same  items (as suggested in  the experiments)
were  what  was looked  after.    The last of  these  experiments ("SS
Dreamers"), held   in Dec.92-Jan.93, was  a failure.   The most recent
"Cafe Dreamers"  experiment [Dec.93]   results are still  unpublished.
(We should get them out soon, I'll take the necessary steps...)  Other
experiments,  especially "Dream  Train"  of [when   was that exactly?]
have been more successful.  [Does anybody archive the reports?]  These
experiments  do not meet all strict  scientific criteria (cf.  section
5.3.).   However, for the   people   involved, they have always   been
interesting experiences.

7.4. Books, articles and other stuff to read

Here comes a random  collection of  references contributed by  various
people. I don't know the bigger part of them...

[Recommendation by [e-mail] who is also
[e-mail]]

Carlos Castaneda: THE ART OF DREAMING, 1993

Another  very valuable  part of  Castaneda's  work,   written from  an
extraordinarily lucid  viewpoint   and  with   extraordinarily healthy
spirit. It is  a  self-beneficent act  to read  this  one, and for  an
open-minded person, there are many words that  will surely function as
a trigger.
A diary-type document   that contains clear   explanations of powerful
dreaming  sessions and    journeys, and descriptions   of  Castaneda's
conversations with his own teacher.
Statements pointing the universe in which  we are dwelling. Statements
that  feed the  flame  of   hope, telling  about  the living   beings'
possibilities giving practical, abstract advices how to reach them.

Highly recommended not  only   for those who use   their  dreams as  a
playground, but for everyone.

1st edition
ISBN 0-06-017051-4 (cloth)
   USA $22.00
CANADA $29.50
260 pages, approx. 6,25x9,5 inches
For information, address:
HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022.
A leatherbound signed first edition of the
book has been published by The Easton press.

[Recommendations by [e-mail] (Emily Stroppa)]
Two books I have found invaluable: I  wanted to mention The Dream Game
by Ann   Faraday,   published 1974.  Also, Breakthrough    Dreaming by
Dr. Gayle Delaney published 1991 by Bantam.  A third book I have found
very interesting is  Where People Fly And  Water Runs Uphill by Jeremy
Taylor published 1992 by Warner Books.

[Contributed by Jouni Smed, article reference]
    Blackmore, S. J. 1988. A Theory of lucid dreams and OBEs.  In
Conscious
                     Mind, Sleeping Brain, 373-387, ed. J. Gackenbach
and S.
                     LaBerge. New York: Plenum.
    --------- 1991. Lucid Dreaming: Awake in Your Sleep?. Skeptical
Inquirer,
                    15:362-370
    Delage, Y. 1919. Le Reve. Paris: Les Presses Universitaires de
France.
    Fox, O. 1962.    Astral Projection. New York: University Books.
    Gackenbach, J., and J. Bosveld. 1989. Control Your Dreams. New
York:
                    Harper & Row.
    Gackenbach, J., and S. LaBerge, eds. 1988. Conscious Mind,
Sleeping Brain.
                    New York: Plenum.
    Green, C. E. 1968. Lucid Dreams. London: Hamish Hamilton.
    Hearne, K. 1978. Lucid Dreams: An Electrophysiological and
Psychological
                     Study. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of
Hull.
    --------- 1990.  The Dream Machine. Northants: Aquarian.
    Irwin, H. J. 1988. Out-of-body experiences and dream lucidity:
Empirical
                      perspectives. In Conscious Mind, Sleeping Brain,
353-371,
                      ed. J. Gackenbach and S. LaBerge. New York:
Plenum.
    LaBerge, S. 1985. Lucid Dreaming. Los Angeles: Tarcher.
    LaBerge, S. and W. Dement. 1982a. Voluntary control of respiration
during
                    REM sleep. Sleep Research, 11:107.
    --------- 1982b. Lateralization of alpha activity for dreamed
singing and
                     counting during REM sleep. Psychophysiology,
19:331-332.
    LaBerge, S., W. Greenleaf, and B. Kerzierski. 1983. Physiological
responses
                     to dreamed sexual activity during lucid REM
sleep.
                     Psychophysiology, 20:454-455.
    Price, R. F., and D. B. Cohen. 1988. Lucid dream induction: An
empirical
                     evaluation. In Conscious Mind, Sleeping Brain,
105-134,
                     ed. J. Gackenbach and S. LaBerge.  New York:
Plenum.
    Schatzman, M., A. Worsley, and P. Fenwick. 1988. Correspondence
during
                     lucid dreams between dreamed and actual events.
In
                     Conscious Mind, Sleeping Brain, 155-179, ed. J.
Gackenbach
                     and S. LaBerge.  New York: Plenum.
    Tart, C. 1988. From spontaneous event to lucidity: A review of
attempts to
                     consciously control nocturnal dreaming. In
Conscious Mind,
                     Sleeping Brain, 67-103, ed. J Gackenbach and S.
LaBerge.
                     New York: Plenum.
    Tholey, P. 1983. Techniques for controlling and manipulating lucid
dreams.
                     Perceptual and Motor Skills, 57:79-90.
    Van Eeden, F. 1913. A study of dreams. Proceedings of the Society
for
                     Psychical Research, 26:431-461.

[Reference by [e-mail] ( gj student 156879)]
          "Consciousness and Abilities of Dream Characters Observed
During Lucid Dreaming", Perceptual and Motor skills, 1989, vol 68(2)
pages 567-578

[Recommendation by [e-mail] (Glenn Engstrand)]
By the  way, LUCID DREAMING  IN 30 DAYS is an   interesting book and I
recommend  it highly but only to   those who can  tolerate the new-age
packaging. It combines modern dream   techniques of LaBerge et.    al.
(like   dream  incubation,   self-hypnosis   and  other   "key-phrase"
conditioning techniques) with the  ancient traditions of  the Tibetans
(ostensibly),  Yaqi Indian  Shamanism,   totemic  art and  sympathetic
magick.  I  cannot say that I  have  lucid  dreamed  (in the bottom-up
sense) since reading the book but I can say that my dream-life is much
richer because of reading the book.

_Lucid Dreams In 30 Days: The Creative Sleep Program_
Keith Harary, Ph.D. and Pamela Weintraub
St. Martin's Paperbacks
ISBN 0-312-92487-9

[Recommendation by [e-mail] (Matthew Parry)]
   Freud, S.; Ed. Strachey,  J. & Richards, A.;  INTRODUCTORY LECTURES
ON PSYCHOANALYSIS, and  THE INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS; Trans. Strachey,
J., (London, Penguin books Ltd., The Penguin Freud library, 1991).
   The  Introductory Lectures is   probably the best  read  of the two
books as it also has sections on parapraxes  (slips of the tongue etc)
and neuroses. The Interpretation of Dreams however,  is more suited to
someone who is interested  in  Freuds theories, Freud  considered this
his  greatest work because of  its complete exposition of his theories
at that time.

[Recommendation by: [e-mail]]
Here's a book that some may like or find helpful: Dreams, Symbols, and
Psychic Power; by Alex Tanous & Timothy Gray;  Bantam books, 1990.  It
was  fairly informative,  although  personally,  i  found some  of the
symbol interpretations a bit unusual/far fetched. Most are interesting
and offer at the least some insight .  It deals more with interpreting
dreams as opposed to lucid ones, though.

[Recommendation by Gary S. Trujillo]
/Oneirocritica   of   Artemidorus   Daldianus/   (2nd   Century   AD).
Oneirocritica is the most comprehensive, the most sought after and the
most quoted book on  dream interpretation  to have  been written  from
antiquity to the present  times.  This  is  more than  a comprehensive
dream  dictionary....   The  extensively  revised index pages of  this
second edition are designed to be of help to curious readers trying to
make sense of  their dreams.  Also from  a desire to be helpful, dream
subjects  or symbols of which Artemidorus wrote  have been highlighted
in bold face by the publisher.
THE INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS
Oneirocritica of Artemidorus Daldianus (2nd Century AD),
translated by Robert J. White
2nd Edition, 9" x 6", 344 pages, 2.5 Lbs.,
Hardcover $36.50, ISBN 0-944558-03-8,
(To appear 10/90)
ORIGINAL BOOKS, INC.
P.O. Box 2948
Torrance, CA 90509, USA

[Recommended by Jay E. Vinton <[e-mail]>]
i just wanted to mention another very good book by jeremy taylor (the
faq mentions a different one of his).  the one i have read is 'dream
work, techniques for discovering the creative power in dreams',
paulist press, ramsey, n.j., 1983.
it talks about techniques for recalling dreams, working on them by
yourself or in groups, lucid dreaming etc.  it is very practical and
insightful and full of wonderful examples.  it also has an extensive
bibliography.

[Recommended by [e-mail] (Matthew Parry)]
Rycroft, C.   THE  INNOCENCE OF  DREAMS,  (London: The  Hogarth press,
1979).   Has a good introduction to  and  critcism of Freud and Jung's
theories with some  Physiological  research  into dreaming.  He   then
introduces  his own  theory   of dreaming and   gives a  list of dream
symbols.

[References by [e-mail] (Pamela Ryan)]
"Dreams That Come  True" is a  book by David  Ryback, PhD and  Letitia
Sweitzer, a   report of  some  research into   the subject of  psychic
dreams.   Originally  a skeptic, Dr.  Ryback  administered a survey to
more than 400 students, and   discovered that more than two-thirds  of
the  group   reported having a   psychic  dream.   After  studying the
accounts, and applying  some very   strict  criteria to  them,  Ryback
determined that, at the very least, one in twelve people experiences a
psychic dream compelling   enough  to  convince most people   of   its
reality.  Informal   surveys of  people  I  know have borne   out this
finding.

Dream Periodicals: I'm pretty sure the addresses  are current, but the
subscription rates might not be.  The  first two are mythic, mystical,
personal   approaches to  dreams and  dream   work; the  latter  is  a
professional journal covering  new findings  in   the field  of  dream
study.

DREAM NETWORK: A JOURNAL EXPLORING DREAMS & MYTH
1337 Powerhouse Lane, Suite 22
Moab, UT 84532
$22/year (4 issues) in the US
$28/year Canada, Library or Mexico
$36/year Foreign Air
Telephone: [phone]

NIGHT VISION: A DREAM JOURNAL
P.O. Box 402
Questa, NM 87556
$10/year (4 issues) in the US, Canada, or Mexica
$22/year -- all other foreign subscriptions

DREAMING: JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF DREAMS
Subscription Department
Human Sciences Press
233 Spring Street
New York, NY 10013-1578
4 issues $40 in the US (if the subscription is for personal use)
Outside the US, $47
For professional/library use: $110 in US
Outside of US $130
*FREE if you join the ASD... [see below]

There is also an on-line newsletter  about dreams (it  may turn into a
private mailing list, but is currently in newsletter format):
ELECTRIC DREAMS
To subscribe, e-mail    [e-mail]    or
                        [e-mail]


[recommendation by [e-mail] (Keimo Leppihalme)]
Donner, Florinda.
   Being-in-dreaming / Florinda Donner. -- 1st ed.
   ISBN 0-06-250233-6 (alk. paper)
   1. Witchcraft--Mexico.  2. Donner, Florinda.  I. Title.
   BF1584.M6D66  1991
A  natural   dreamer's autobiographical     account  of her   personal
involvement with    a group  of  rigorously    disciplined -  but  not
routinized - people, who  are highly developed and thoroughly  devoted
practicioners of   one of the   most sophisticated  Arts,  the Art  of
Dreaming.
Fairly inspiring, defiantly  challenging. Practice,  a  hang-up for  a
lazy dreamer. But reading of these possibilities can't ever injure.

[Reference by ot]
What  readers in and  around Germany might  check out: Ulrich Schmitz,
"Ich denke also   bin  ich", iX  7/1994,  p.118.  [iX  is   a computer
magazine.]   Interview with   a  prize-winning  young  researcher  who
explores  the possibilities  of making  real-world   use out of  lucid
dreaming.  Most interesting  is that this seems  to hit the scientific
mainstream.

[I'm still looking for more book recommendations. If you know a piece
of literature that should be mentioned here, let me know! -ot]

Two other  rather  extensive FAQ documents are  worth mentioning here:
The ones  from  alt.atheism  and sci.skeptic (both posted regularly in
news.answers  and archived on rtfm.mit.edu). The former contains stuff
about religious experiences, as well  as  a very well-written guide to
logical reasoning (worth reading for  all USENET  participants!).  The
latter tells much about scientific methods, how  to  back up  research
results and  avoid  obvious  and not-so-obvious traps, recommended  to
anyone who goes into dream research.

7.5. Organizations, etc.
See also section 6.8 on The Lucidity Institute.

[Recommended by [e-mail] (Pamela Ryan)]

Association for the Study of Dreams (ASD).

The ASD is a nonprofit, international, multidisciplinary organization
dedicated to the pure and applied investigation of dreams and
dreaming.
Members include people from many different fields: anthropology,
literature, education, fine arts, medicine, psychology, religion,
and social work.  Laypeople are invited to join.  They publish a
scientific journal (Dreaming) and sponsor annual conferences, which
are usually attended by most of the major "dream personalities".....
LaBerge, Taylor, Garfield, Delaney, Hobson, Krippner, etc.

Association for the Study of Dreams
P.O. Box 1600
Vienna, VA 22183
[phone]

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