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Electric Dreams Volume 02 Issue 15
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Electric Dreams
Volume 2 Issue #15
30 December 1995
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Electric Dreams on Web:
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~mettw/edreams/home.html
-- Send dreams and comments on dream to:
Bob Krumhansl <bobk829887@aol.com>.
--Send general comments, replies and articles to:
Richard Wilkerson: <rcwilk@aol.com>
--For back issues and other access see
ELECTRIC DREAMS ACCESS INFORMATION AT BOTTOM
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CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE:
Poem - Waltzing with Bears : A poem for dreamers
Web Review - Cyberdreams - Richard Wilkerson
Adventures with the NovaDreamer - By Keelin
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Questions , Answers and Notes From the Net on Dreaming
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Thanks for your interesting observations on the medicine cards.
Stanley Krippner.
For the past two weeks my dreams have been filled with images of different types of horses. Usually, they appear just before falling to sleep. I would like to know the symbology and iconography of the horse. Thank you for your attention in this matter.
Thank You, GP
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Poem - Waltzing with Bears : A poem for dreamers
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waltzing with bears
i went to his room in the middle of the night
i tiptoed inside and turned on the light
but to my dismay he was nowhere in sight
and i'm sure uncle walter went waltzing that night
Chorus:
he goes wa-wa, wa-wa-wa, waltzing with bears
raggy bears, shaggy bears, baggy bears, too
and there's nothing on earth uncle walter won't do
so he can go waltzing, wa-wa-wa waltzing
so he can go waltzing, go waltzing with bears
i bought uncle walter a new suit to wear
but when he comes in, it's all covered with hair
and lately i've noticed there's several new tears
and i'm sure uncle walter's been dancing with bears
(chorus)
i told uncle walter that he should be good
and do all the things that i said that he should
but i know that he'd rather be off in the woods
and i'm afraid that i'll lose him, lose him for good
(chorus)
i begged and i pleaded with uncle walter to stay
and i managed to keep him inside for a day
but the bears all barged in and they took him away
now he's dancing with pandas, and i can't understand it
but the bears all demand at least one waltz a day!
that night when the moon rose we crept down the stairs
he took me to dance where the bears have their lair
we danced in a bear hug with nary a care
it all feels like flying, there is no deneying
and now my pajamas are covered with hair
(chorus)
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i just love everything about the song including the tune. it says so much how i feel about the dream stuff. i love walter's compulsion to dance with the bears, and the bears compulsion to dance with him. i love his naughty resistence to being proper and doing what he's supposed to do (as seen by others). i love the sheer uninhibitted
joy he has dancing with the bears. i love that the bears are raggy and shaggy and baggy. i love the nocturnalness of it all. i love that he subverted the singer into dancing too.
other than that it's not a bad song. ;-) jay
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Keelin is a long-time friend and member of the Lucidity Institute. Her dedicated passion for lucid dreaming inspires her to offer workshops in the Portland area, where she also facilitates a support/sharing group for equally enthusiastic oneironauts. Keelin freely admits to an unrestrained passion for lucid dreaming that borders on the
obsessive. If addressed, any time of day or night, she is quite likely to respond: "I'd rather be lucid dreaming!"
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Adventures with the NovaDreamer
By Keelin
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Although I've been a lucid dreamer since childhood, the thrill of being awake within my dreams has never diminished. Throughout the years of exploration, I've encountered a vast array of "dreamsigns" (anomalies within the dream) which can be effective lucidity triggers -- when I manage to catch them. And though I can become lucid without the aid of an external cueing device, using the NovaDreamer adds a pleasurable anticipation and challenge to the night's adventures.
The NovaDreamer is one of the lucid dream induction devices developed by Dr. Stephen LaBerge, founder of the Lucidity Institute. Photoelectric sensors, positioned above the dreamer's eyes in a comfortable sleep mask, detect Rapid Eye Movement and alert the device's microprocessor to send a signal by way of pre-set cues. These cues of light and sound patterns, determined by the dreamer from a variety of possible combinations, enter the dream to encourage lucidity.
There's a certain comfort and advantage to knowing that the NovaDreamer will deliver a definite light-related cue. Whether or not it's recognized, of course, is a different matter. But one of the benefits of utilizing light as a signal is that training to become aware of the cue in dreams can be done while awake. Rehearsing is essential because the NovaDreamer is simply a tool, a provocative nudge from the outside world. It cannot force or guarantee lucidity. Awareness must be cultivated, intended. Since working with the NovaDreamer, I've found it helpful to keep a written notation of reality checks inspired by waking life occassions in which any change of light has caught my attention. Not only has this discipline increased my chances of catching a cue incoporation while dreaming, it has enhanced my enjoyment and awareness in waking life as well.
A frosty, Winter morning. The sun breaks through a darkening sky and suddenly my attention is captivated by a sparkling chandelier lying amongst the folliage before me. It's as if someone had flipped on the light switch. In the next instant, it is transformed into a cascade of slender branches, each one delicately encased in ice. The simple, quiet beauty is so mesmerizing, it takes my breath away! Am I dreaming? Could this be a cue from the NovaDreamer? A reality check declares not this time. Even so, I feel the same rush of joy as at the onset of lucidity in a dream.
Habitual reality checking in waking life pays off in the dream world.
I'm with some friends when the room light begins to flicker. Though I assume there's a logical reason for it, I explain that I have to do a reality check as part of my training to catch NovaDreamer cues. As I examine a digital clock, the numbers begin to transform right before my eyes. My companions look at me like I'm crazy, but I've become lucid and realize they are dream characters.
Light cues from the NovaDreamer have taken on a variety of forms in my dreams. Incorporations such as blinking traffic lights, flash cameras, lightning and fireworks seem a bit more obvious than geometric patterns in brilliant color, a dozen full moons, neon pink flamingos in sudden flight or the shimmering tail of a mermaid. With the possibilities being limitless, my curiousity remains piqued. I know the cues will appear, but will I be alert enough to recognize them? In one instance, two soft, pulsing lights a short distance away from where I was standing led me to conclude that someone very nearby must be dreaming! It never ceases to amaze me how clever the mind can be when inventing rationalizations for incorporated cues.
A light in the kitchen is blinking off and on. I think someone who knows how the NovaDreamer cues can appear is playing with the switch, trying to get me to do a reality check. I watch a red brick wall illumine and darken a couple of times before realizing it is the cue and I am dreaming!
Sometimes the first few cues in a dream slip by undetected.
While swimming with dolphins, I visualize scooping water with my hands. I think the streaks of bubbles might entertain them. The imagined movement becomes very vivid as my visual field is suddenly filled with bands of shimmering water...
A short while later, though I see a bright flashing within the dreamscape, I fail to become lucid, as my attention is detoured by a totally new scene. I'm with some people from the Lucidity Institute. One of them notices I've fallen asleep and makes a little alarm noise. I "wake" slowly (still within the frame dream), to the apparent amusement of those nearby...
Again there is a bright flash, but this time I recognize the cue and attain lucidity. Spinning stablizes my sense of dreambody and soon another scene emerges. I fly easily through walls and window glass, then swoop low to shadow the course of a clear, meandering river.
As illustrated above, when the cue does not incorporate in disguise (e.g.: flashes of light fill the entire visual field as compared to cues which blend well into the dream scenario), it can disrupt the current scene. Spinning and other techniques that actively engage the dreambody encourage the continuation of the dreamstate and help stablize lucidity. Since false awakenings can be common in these situations, reality checks become all the more important. This is where the Reality Testing Button on the sleep mask can be especially helpful. Electronic machines are notorious for misbehaving in dreams, but the NovaDreamer takes full advantage of this quirky tendency. Although the following example does not include a false awakening, it demonstrates this exceptional feature.
Lying in a bed on the beach, I'm wearing the NovaDreamer and trying to get to sleep in order to do a dream experiment. Loud music is coming from an apartment next to a cafe situated on the cliff above. I climb up and enter the cafe through a window, scrambling across a table at which some people are dining. The partiers next door are
oblivious to my shouting at them to turn down their music, so I return to bed. Thinking I'm awake, I press the reality testing button. When there is no corresponding flash, I realize I'm dreaming!
If the cue leads to true awakening, this can be a perfect opportunity to attempt a wake initiated lucid dream.
The ceramics studio appears to have been drastically rearranged and expanded to include other arts and crafts programs. A bright light flashes repeatedly from a nearby area. I assume the new curriculum now includes photography and that someone is using a flash camera. Then I awaken and realize it was the cue, so I lie very still and visualize spinning. A new scene emerges in which I am standing infront of a simple wooden door. Knowing that I'm dreaming, I tell myself that the ceramic studio is on the other side, turn the door knob and re-enter the previous dream scene.
Awareness and resolve can increase throughout the night. In the first dream, one particular evening, the cue appeared as flickering room light. In the second dream, it was a candle flame that refused to be extinguished. Finally, in the third dream:
A man sets a large portfolio on the floor so that it opens like a standing book. After turning a few pages, he stops to demonstrate a row of flip up windows. He snaps each one up quickly, revealing bright, red squares beneath. For some reason, I feel exceptionally tired and decide to recline on the futon where I've been sitting during the presentation. Casually reflecting on the red squares, I suddenly realize this could have been a cue from the NovaDreamer!
Immediately, I become lucid and proceed to carry out an experiment I've been wanting to try.
More like a spectrum of awareness than a fixed state, lucidity can waver dramatically within dreams. Another advantage the NovaDreamer offers is that it continues to repeat the cue every few minutes during a REM cycle.
I'm cavorting in the air, thoroughly enjoying the awareness of dreaming, when I notice a sparkling, rainbow-colored fish flying a short distance away. Fascinated, I gently capture it in my hands. It flutters and buzzes, creating a slight vibratory sensation. Its effervescent radiance becomes a pulsing white light which I recognize as the NovaDreamer, cueing to remind me that I'm still dreaming.
When I first began using the NovaDreamer, I was very sensitive to the cue and kept the brightness factor set relatively low. As the years have passed, I've become more conditioned to the light and achieve better results with a higher setting. In working with the adjustable cue settings in Mode One, the acronym "NIRTS" helps me remember the dial number/setting relationships, where N=number of cues, I=intensity, R=rate, T=type and S=sensitivity. It has taken some experimentation to find my optimum, personal settings and I will probably need to continue making slight adjustments as time goes by. The mask, which didn't take long to get accustomed to, is also convenient for sleeping in past sunrise (perfect for those nap experiments) or whenever my companion chooses to read in the middle of the night.
Lucid dreaming is a magnetic mystery to which I am passionately attracted. Throughout the years, I have found countless opportunities to apply what I've learned specifically from lucid dreaming to my waking life, particularly in the areas of creative decision making and alternative thinking. It is this blending of dream and waking worlds that continues to intrigue and inspire me. By observing how things manifest in lucid dreams, I can better comprehend how my impression of waking reality corresponds to my perception, expectations, intentions and actions. Now, when I am confronted with a challenging situation (and when I am living lucidly) I can ask, "If this were a dream, what would I do?" It is personally empowering to realize that getting sucked into the on-going drama is optional! Of course, this reflective state takes practice, and more often than not, I am seduced into habitual reaction as opposed to more mindful response. Still, that awareness, be it in the waking or dream world, is worth striving for. Working with the NovaDreamer helps keep me focused on this intention by reminding me of the magic, wonder, humor and
lightness that can be found in both realities.
A patch of brilliant sunlight catches my eye. I reach for
it, pulling myself towards its radiance...
Keelin is a long-time friend and member of the Lucidity Institute. Her dedicated passion for lucid dreaming inspires her to offer workshops in the Portland area, where she also facilitates a support/sharing group for equally enthusiastic oneironauts. Keelin freely admits to an unrestrained passion for lucid dreaming that borders on the
obsessive. If addressed, any time of day or night, she is quite likely to respond: "I'd rather be lucid dreaming!"
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ELECTRIC DREAMS ACCESS INFORMATION
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Subscriptions:
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twice a month. You can have ED delivered right to your
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Submitting Dreams and Comments about Dreams: EASY!
Electric Dreams will publish your dreams and comments
about dreams you have seen in previous issues. If you can, be clear what name you want or don't want. Most people use a pen name. Please include a title for your dream. Email to: Bob Krumhansl <bobk829887@aol.com>.
Submitting Articles, projects and letters-to-the-editor.
Electric Dreams is responsive and experimental. If you
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especially interested in creative interpretive approaches
to dreams, including verbal, dramatization, and mixed
media approaches. Send to:
Richard Wilkerson <rcwilk@aol.com>
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Thanks to our many web links!
The Electric Dreams Staff:
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+ The wonderful anonymous Core who respond each issue to your dreams!
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All dream and article text are considered (C)opyright by the writers & dreamers themselves. Anyone other than the authors may use or reprint the text for non-commerical use, but all other use must be with the permission of the writer or Electric Dreams dream editor.
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Electric Dreams is distributed via light to protect the environment:
Dead Trees Don't Dream.
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Electric Dreams is an independent electronic publication not affiliated with any other organization. The views of our commentators are personal views and not intended as professional advise or psychotherapy.
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