It's important to remember to always turn your TV off before you go to sleep. (And don't turn it on until you are truly awake). I've mentioned this in the past but after what happened to me this morning I figured I would mention it again. I woke up about 7:00 this morning, turned the TV on and fell back into a light sleep. Waking up briefly and then going back to sleep (without turning the TV on) is actually a good method for practicing lucid dreaming, dream control and future probing. I quickly fell back into REM sleep and started dreaming. I was thrilled with the fact that I found myself in a lucid dream state fully conscious of my surroundings, the only problem was that I was now at the bail bonds store with Dog Chapman and his family! (Yes, thunder tits and all!) I was never a huge fan of the show but lately I've been putting it on early in the morning as I wake up and get my day rolling.
Finding myself in a lucid dream like this is strange because even though I have the ability to change the dream, it just feels right so I don't. I feel like I belong there and my curiosity runs wild. I will usually choose to "ride out" whatever dream I'm having unless I am frightened or frustrated. I stayed in this dream as a willing participant because I was curious to see what kind of "hunt" we would go on. Everyone was eating and getting prepared for the day but I was more interested in exploring the surroundings and interacting with strange characters on the outskirts of the dream. When Dog finally said it was time to go I was in the middle of putting my cereal away, (I had a box of my own special cereal for some reason??). I finished up and hurried out to the SUV but everyone had already gone! They freakin' ditched me!
I continued interacting with the people on the "sidelines," who were mostly previously captured criminals, criminals that were still trying to stay hidden and cops. The cops were rounding up the scattered criminals and for a moment they thought I was a criminal too. I was surprised how they instantly left me alone by just telling them that I was a bounty hunter with Dog Chapman. I felt like a double agent because I was also helping the criminals! That probably had something to do with what was happening on TV. Dog always acts like such a bad ass while sticking his giant can of mace in your face and then a moment later he gives you a cigarette to smoke (whether you actually smoke or not!), says a prayer for you and becomes your best friend. By the end of the show he ends up bailing you out again!
As I was exploring the office and talking with various people a large group of thugs stormed the building. Although they were separate from the original group, they did merge with some of the original criminals. The new thugs thought I was a criminal as well so it gave me an opportunity to use my “double agent” status and assist the police in busting them. I was thrilled with all the excitement and couldn't wait for everyone to come back to discover that I saved the office! BBBBRRRRIIIINNNNGGGGG!! - The phone rang and instantly ripped me out of the dream. I was disappointed that Dog and crew would never know about my heroic performance.
Using the TV or music to manipulate your dreams like this can be fun but it's probably best to just leave the TV off. These days I try to base my dreams in reality (the material world) whenever possible but I might decide to experiment with this phenomenon a bit more. I know it might earn me the "Geek of the Week" award but when I was a kid I used to try to have Star Trek dreams. I never had much luck and to this day I only remember one or two dreams that actually took place on the Enterprise, or within the realm of the Star Trek universe. I suppose if I put a Trek episode on when I first open my eyes I might find myself in a Trek dream. The whole concept might actually help me with “future probing.” Lord knows there have been numerous amounts of Trek stories that involve time travel. Naturally I will post any interesting results. With my luck I'll end up swimming with William Shatner and a whale! Or stuck in the temporal Nexis with Whoopi!
Thanx for reading...
Friday, September 23, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
"THE DREAM WE ALL DREAM OF"
A few years ago I discovered that dreaming of future events was possible. I always believed that it was something people could do but I wondered if it was something that was controllable. In a previous blog post I wrote about a premonition dream that I had which actually came to pass. I dreamed about a job that I didn’t get yet. It had people and locations that I was not yet aware of in my life. While I was working at that job several years later I experienced an intense Déjà Vu feeling and everything clicked. I realized that I had dreamed about working at that company long before I actually got the job.
Since that experience I’ve attempted to dream about future events many times. The problem is, how do you force your mind to dream of future events? Normally when I try to dream about anything specific I am unsuccessful, but then sometime later when I’m not even thinking about the subject I end up having the dream. I figured that future dreams might work the same way. For several nights I would just think about what future event I would like to see and then simply wait for the dream. I would keep the topic of the dream in my background thoughts a bit but nothing too intense.
At first I wondered how to decide on a future event to witness if it hasn’t happened yet? How do you choose a place to visit in the future? That certainly is a valid question and I really don’t have an exact answer. The trick is to visit a time in the future, not a place. For example: Suppose you decide that you want to see the next car you are going to own (or a future vehicle that you will someday own). Currently you might not have any intention of buying a new car but at some point in the future you will inevitably find yourself purchasing a new car; before you go to sleep at night and in the background of your daily thoughts think about that future moment. You won’t have any reference points but try to think about the possibilities, for example; you might think about seeing the dealership where you will find this new car, or you might think about seeing your new car out in the driveway. Maybe you will see yourself putting gas in that car that you might own in the future. You might notice the price of gas while you are filling up this new car. Details like this can provide a clue as to when the event you are seeing is taking place. (Not to mention it can help you wake up inside the dream). The important thing to remember is to always be skeptical. You might have the dream you are concentrating on but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a future event. When you dream about a future event there is a unique feeling that comes over you. If you wake up inside the dream (a lucid dream) you might feel it right away or you might not realize it until you wake up from the dream, but either way you will notice that the details are easier to remember and more vivid than normal. There will also be a feeling of uncertain familiarity around the events that take place in the dream. You will actually feel a similar sensation to Déjà vu during the dream!
When I first realized that it was possible to dream about events that had not taken place yet one of the first things that crossed my mind was the thought of looking ahead to see the Lotto numbers. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s had silly thoughts like that but believe me, they aren’t so silly. I’m no time traveler or special person, we all have these dreams. It’s just a matter of staying aware of your dreams, writing them down and noticing certain nuances. The thing that concerned me most was time itself, the few times that I was able to connect a dream to future events it took years for the event to actually come to pass. I was also thinking about how much money I could end up spending playing long shot Lotto numbers that could take years to come up, if they ever come up at all! And what if I happen to forget to play or I’m too busy to play Lotto that one crucial day?
Several months ago I was lying sound asleep on the living room couch. I suddenly found myself being woken up in a very harsh way. Piper (my dog) had jumped on to the couch and was climbing all over me! As I was pulled away from my dream I realized that a second earlier I was in a dream checking my Lotto numbers and they all matched. I was dreaming that I was hitting the Lotto numbers! I quickly turned down the volume on the television and silenced all distractions. The first thing that I remembered was that there were four single digit numbers. This was very strange seeing that it’s not too common for four single digit numbers to be drawn out of 59 possibilities, but that was my dream. I couldn’t remember the numbers exactly but I had a pretty good idea of those four. I remembered there was another number somewhere in the forty’s, and I was pretty sure the last number was in the teens. As I concentrated on the dream I wrote down all the numbers that first came to mind. I made out a five dollar / ten game lottery form and combined all of the possible numbers. I played the ticket (along with my regular lottery numbers) every Wednesday and Saturday from that point on. Seeing that the numbers that I dreamt about were so odd I rarely hit any of the actual Lotto numbers drawn. Sure I would see one or two of the numbers come up here or there but what were the odds that four single digit numbers would actually be drawn? About 2 or 3 months after I started playing the “dream numbers” I was planning to go upstate for the PHISH shows at Bethel Woods for Memorial Day Weekend. I wasn’t sure If I would have a chance to play Lotto, or if I’d even remember to play so I made sure to play my numbers before I left.
When I got home on Monday I was anxious to check the lotto numbers. The Memorial Day weekend was so perfect that I just had a feeling that Saturday’s numbers were special. It’s hard to explain but I felt a little bit of that “feeling” I had during that Lotto dream several months earlier. When I got to my laptop and pulled up the Lotto numbers I was half shocked and half expected to see what I saw. The winning numbers were 02-03-07-09-12-57 and the supplementary number was 14. The numbers I played were 02-03-06-09-14-47. On another line I had 02-04-07-09-14-56. I played other combinations as well, like switching the 14 for 17 in one game and the 14 for a 13 in another. Although my numbers didn’t win me any significant Lotto prizes, I can’t help but to consider this as a very near hit. Since then I actually hit four numbers on two separate drawings in a row but I have yet to experience another Lotto dream, (as far as I can remember). I’m still playing the Lotto form from the dream because I can’t be 100% sure that the Lotto of 5/28/11 was the one I was waiting for. As much as I think it was, I couldn’t live with myself if I stopped playing it and then one of the other combinations I chose on that form came in. It’s just not often that four single digits come in so I might literally be chasing a dream at this point. When I woke from that dream I was trying desperately to recall all the numbers properly but they were fading fast. I wrote down the possibilities and then tried to play them in multiple combinations. I was extremely close and at the same time extremely far from playing the correct numbers. I’m hoping I can initiate a more accurate dream (or recall the numbers more accurately).
If you’re a person who typically remembers your dreams I recommend trying this for yourself. You don’t have to concentrate on numbers every night, just think about having that dream once in a while, the dream about the time when you first found out that you hit the Lotto. Time doesn’t always work in the order that we are accustomed to. Hey, you never know…
Thanks for reading…
Since that experience I’ve attempted to dream about future events many times. The problem is, how do you force your mind to dream of future events? Normally when I try to dream about anything specific I am unsuccessful, but then sometime later when I’m not even thinking about the subject I end up having the dream. I figured that future dreams might work the same way. For several nights I would just think about what future event I would like to see and then simply wait for the dream. I would keep the topic of the dream in my background thoughts a bit but nothing too intense.
At first I wondered how to decide on a future event to witness if it hasn’t happened yet? How do you choose a place to visit in the future? That certainly is a valid question and I really don’t have an exact answer. The trick is to visit a time in the future, not a place. For example: Suppose you decide that you want to see the next car you are going to own (or a future vehicle that you will someday own). Currently you might not have any intention of buying a new car but at some point in the future you will inevitably find yourself purchasing a new car; before you go to sleep at night and in the background of your daily thoughts think about that future moment. You won’t have any reference points but try to think about the possibilities, for example; you might think about seeing the dealership where you will find this new car, or you might think about seeing your new car out in the driveway. Maybe you will see yourself putting gas in that car that you might own in the future. You might notice the price of gas while you are filling up this new car. Details like this can provide a clue as to when the event you are seeing is taking place. (Not to mention it can help you wake up inside the dream). The important thing to remember is to always be skeptical. You might have the dream you are concentrating on but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a future event. When you dream about a future event there is a unique feeling that comes over you. If you wake up inside the dream (a lucid dream) you might feel it right away or you might not realize it until you wake up from the dream, but either way you will notice that the details are easier to remember and more vivid than normal. There will also be a feeling of uncertain familiarity around the events that take place in the dream. You will actually feel a similar sensation to Déjà vu during the dream!
When I first realized that it was possible to dream about events that had not taken place yet one of the first things that crossed my mind was the thought of looking ahead to see the Lotto numbers. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s had silly thoughts like that but believe me, they aren’t so silly. I’m no time traveler or special person, we all have these dreams. It’s just a matter of staying aware of your dreams, writing them down and noticing certain nuances. The thing that concerned me most was time itself, the few times that I was able to connect a dream to future events it took years for the event to actually come to pass. I was also thinking about how much money I could end up spending playing long shot Lotto numbers that could take years to come up, if they ever come up at all! And what if I happen to forget to play or I’m too busy to play Lotto that one crucial day?
Several months ago I was lying sound asleep on the living room couch. I suddenly found myself being woken up in a very harsh way. Piper (my dog) had jumped on to the couch and was climbing all over me! As I was pulled away from my dream I realized that a second earlier I was in a dream checking my Lotto numbers and they all matched. I was dreaming that I was hitting the Lotto numbers! I quickly turned down the volume on the television and silenced all distractions. The first thing that I remembered was that there were four single digit numbers. This was very strange seeing that it’s not too common for four single digit numbers to be drawn out of 59 possibilities, but that was my dream. I couldn’t remember the numbers exactly but I had a pretty good idea of those four. I remembered there was another number somewhere in the forty’s, and I was pretty sure the last number was in the teens. As I concentrated on the dream I wrote down all the numbers that first came to mind. I made out a five dollar / ten game lottery form and combined all of the possible numbers. I played the ticket (along with my regular lottery numbers) every Wednesday and Saturday from that point on. Seeing that the numbers that I dreamt about were so odd I rarely hit any of the actual Lotto numbers drawn. Sure I would see one or two of the numbers come up here or there but what were the odds that four single digit numbers would actually be drawn? About 2 or 3 months after I started playing the “dream numbers” I was planning to go upstate for the PHISH shows at Bethel Woods for Memorial Day Weekend. I wasn’t sure If I would have a chance to play Lotto, or if I’d even remember to play so I made sure to play my numbers before I left.
When I got home on Monday I was anxious to check the lotto numbers. The Memorial Day weekend was so perfect that I just had a feeling that Saturday’s numbers were special. It’s hard to explain but I felt a little bit of that “feeling” I had during that Lotto dream several months earlier. When I got to my laptop and pulled up the Lotto numbers I was half shocked and half expected to see what I saw. The winning numbers were 02-03-07-09-12-57 and the supplementary number was 14. The numbers I played were 02-03-06-09-14-47. On another line I had 02-04-07-09-14-56. I played other combinations as well, like switching the 14 for 17 in one game and the 14 for a 13 in another. Although my numbers didn’t win me any significant Lotto prizes, I can’t help but to consider this as a very near hit. Since then I actually hit four numbers on two separate drawings in a row but I have yet to experience another Lotto dream, (as far as I can remember). I’m still playing the Lotto form from the dream because I can’t be 100% sure that the Lotto of 5/28/11 was the one I was waiting for. As much as I think it was, I couldn’t live with myself if I stopped playing it and then one of the other combinations I chose on that form came in. It’s just not often that four single digits come in so I might literally be chasing a dream at this point. When I woke from that dream I was trying desperately to recall all the numbers properly but they were fading fast. I wrote down the possibilities and then tried to play them in multiple combinations. I was extremely close and at the same time extremely far from playing the correct numbers. I’m hoping I can initiate a more accurate dream (or recall the numbers more accurately).
If you’re a person who typically remembers your dreams I recommend trying this for yourself. You don’t have to concentrate on numbers every night, just think about having that dream once in a while, the dream about the time when you first found out that you hit the Lotto. Time doesn’t always work in the order that we are accustomed to. Hey, you never know…
Thanks for reading…
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Uninvited Guests (Supplement)
Jimmy and I have been continuing our exploration of local Long Island and New York cemeteries. We have been capturing many strange anomalies and we have plans to visit more locations at night. Jimmy knew about the Davis Cemetery for a long time but we could never pinpoint its exact location. The other night (June 3rd) we set out late at night to try to find it. We only had vague directions and no flashlights but that never stopped us before. We knew about The Davis House on Route 112, (which is also known for paranormal activity) but we didn't realize how close it actually was to the cemetery. The house has recently been under renovation and it's all fenced off, the town is planning to restore it and eventually open it to visitors.
We walked around in the dark for quite a while looking for a dirt path or driveway as mentioned in our directions. We thought it was much further down the road from The Davis House. We entered the woods at several points which turned out to be dead ends or private property. We were going around fences, climbing over boards and walking through tall grass. It was already after 2:00AM so we decided to save it for another night. We walked back to the car, which was parked next to a little church (or schoolhouse) that almost looks fake. (It could be a replica or possibly a house that was moved from another location and rebuilt and restored here. Coincidentally we had passed this church several months ago and took a few pictures as we passed. To our surprise, when we looked at the pictures we discovered an orb or two floating around the building).
We continued walking towards the car but decided to walk just a little bit past the car just in case the path we were looking for was closer to the Davis House than we thought. As it turned out, there was a dirt path just like the one we were looking for almost directly across the street from the car! We walked down the path and noticed the silhouette of a small house directly ahead of us. We almost turned around but we hesitated because we soon realized the house was boarded up and vacant. We couldn't see a thing so we were literally snapping pictures in order to light up the woods to see where we were going. I slowly walked around to the right and Jimmy walked around to the left. Within a few seconds I heard Jimmy call out, "Hey Jim, come over here." He had walked around the house snapping pictures and when he looked at the LCD screen he noticed that there was a cluster of gravestones right before him. It wasn't a big cemetery but it had good number of old headstones and they were actually in pretty good shape.
There are quite a few of these forgotten cemeteries around Long Island and searching for them is half the fun. I included some of the pictures in this post, including the original picture of the small church / school building with the orbs from 4/29. We were always curious why orbs appeared in that picture. We attributed them to the haunted Davis property across the street but now we learn that the whole time there was also a hidden cemetery just a couple of hundred feet away. If you would like to hear more, and see more pics of The Davis Cemetery (including more orb shots and other anomalies), please visit our new Facebook page at J & J Paranormal. The Davis pics might not be up yet but they will be soon. I believe Jimmy may have already posted some of those pics through his regular site as well(Jimmy Reardon).
- This is the original pic from 4/29 of the small church (or schoolhouse). You can see at least two orbs floating about, One directly on the building and one that was cut off on the right edge of the pic.
- Here's a shot of Jimmy walking towards the vacant house, just before he discovered the cemetery. (6/3/11)
- Below are several pics of the forgotten, Davis Cemetery from our visit on 6/3/11.
- Below is a view from the other side of the cemetery looking back towards the house and path where we came in.
We walked around in the dark for quite a while looking for a dirt path or driveway as mentioned in our directions. We thought it was much further down the road from The Davis House. We entered the woods at several points which turned out to be dead ends or private property. We were going around fences, climbing over boards and walking through tall grass. It was already after 2:00AM so we decided to save it for another night. We walked back to the car, which was parked next to a little church (or schoolhouse) that almost looks fake. (It could be a replica or possibly a house that was moved from another location and rebuilt and restored here. Coincidentally we had passed this church several months ago and took a few pictures as we passed. To our surprise, when we looked at the pictures we discovered an orb or two floating around the building).
We continued walking towards the car but decided to walk just a little bit past the car just in case the path we were looking for was closer to the Davis House than we thought. As it turned out, there was a dirt path just like the one we were looking for almost directly across the street from the car! We walked down the path and noticed the silhouette of a small house directly ahead of us. We almost turned around but we hesitated because we soon realized the house was boarded up and vacant. We couldn't see a thing so we were literally snapping pictures in order to light up the woods to see where we were going. I slowly walked around to the right and Jimmy walked around to the left. Within a few seconds I heard Jimmy call out, "Hey Jim, come over here." He had walked around the house snapping pictures and when he looked at the LCD screen he noticed that there was a cluster of gravestones right before him. It wasn't a big cemetery but it had good number of old headstones and they were actually in pretty good shape.
There are quite a few of these forgotten cemeteries around Long Island and searching for them is half the fun. I included some of the pictures in this post, including the original picture of the small church / school building with the orbs from 4/29. We were always curious why orbs appeared in that picture. We attributed them to the haunted Davis property across the street but now we learn that the whole time there was also a hidden cemetery just a couple of hundred feet away. If you would like to hear more, and see more pics of The Davis Cemetery (including more orb shots and other anomalies), please visit our new Facebook page at J & J Paranormal. The Davis pics might not be up yet but they will be soon. I believe Jimmy may have already posted some of those pics through his regular site as well(Jimmy Reardon).
- This is the original pic from 4/29 of the small church (or schoolhouse). You can see at least two orbs floating about, One directly on the building and one that was cut off on the right edge of the pic.
- Here's a shot of Jimmy walking towards the vacant house, just before he discovered the cemetery. (6/3/11)
- Below are several pics of the forgotten, Davis Cemetery from our visit on 6/3/11.
- Below is a view from the other side of the cemetery looking back towards the house and path where we came in.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Uninvited Guests - Part 3
Long ago, before shows like T.A.P.S and Paranormal Investigators first premiered, My Friend Jimmy and I used to joke about becoming paranormal investigators and opening some type of paranormal service someday. At the time we were really only half serious and we laughed it off as a dream job or something like that. Lately Jimmy and I started hanging out again and to my surprise he had continued reading about ghosts, as did I, and he came up with a book of the most haunted cemeteries on Long Island, (Long Islands Most Haunted Cemeteries by Joseph Flammer & Diane Hill, 2010). We decided to try to visit each of these cemeteries. (Actually it was Jimmy’s idea but I was happy to be on board). I also know of a few haunted locations around Long Island from articles and books I have read so we decided to start checking them out. I decided to write about some of these places because some of the stories are really cool, and some of you might be as curious as we are about paranormal activity and might enjoy hearing about these experiences. If you want to visit any of these places I recommend going at night, when you can really get a good “feel” for the place. On the other hand you can plan a pretty nice day trip around some of these cemeteries as well. Most of us have hang-ups about hanging out with dead people (understandable) but you would be surprised how beautiful some of these places are. On the other hand, you might be surprised how creepy some of these places can get.
The Huntington Rural Cemetery on New York Avenue in Huntington, N.Y. is an extremely beautiful, well kept, quiet cemetery where a person can really go to relax, forever! The feeling here is one of peace and tranquility, a living, breathing person can go there to unwind and leave feeling refreshed and full of life. I don’t think there are too may restless spirits at Huntington Rural, but sometimes the most well groomed, quiet cemetery can transform into a much different place after dark. We have yet to return to Huntington Rural at night so until we go back and discover something different I will continue to hold it in high regard as a nice place to visit and maybe a nice place to visit again (in a box) someday.
Union Cemetery on Middle Country Road (Route 25) in Middle Island, N.Y. is somewhere on the other side of the scale. It is well kept and holds a lot of history but the feeling there is not quite so blissful. The twisted trees reach out in an eerie way and sometimes you would swear that one moved towards you. The headstones are old and weather beaten and many of them are broken. Some of them are so far gone that it’s impossible to tell who was buried there and when they were laid to rest. Local urban legend tells of a “woman in white” (who is actually naked but appears as a white apparition). The woman is normally seen hitchhiking along the road between the hours of two and three AM (the witching hour) but only to drivers who are alone and while there is no one else on the road. If the driver actually stops to assist the helpless woman, they soon realize that she disappeared and that they have just seen a ghost! Many legitimate paranormal investigators considered this story nothing more than folklore; that is until one night when TWO well respected ghost hunters from ESP (Eastern Suffolk Paranormal) both saw a ghost that looked very much like the elusive lady in white. They described their sighting as a woman wearing a long skirt. They both witnessed this woman standing by a tree (AKA: The Haunted Tree) as their camera flash lit up the night sky revealing the ghostly apparition. The first time Jimmy and I decided to go on a night trip we went to Union Cemetery. The night was damp and foggy, the air was thick and the feeling in the cemetery was one of restlessness. We entered the cemetery on the eastern side, closest to the older, historic part of the cemetery. We both had an anxious, uneasy feeling; besides possible spirits, we were also concerned about possible security. We walked quickly through the shadows snapping pictures as we walked. We weren’t thinking about how are pictures were going to turn out, we were thinking about running as fast as we could back to the car! The fog was thick in some parts of the cemetery and non-existent in others. We captured many unusual images that night but there was a heavy mist in the air which would ultimately make it difficult to differentiate between true anomalies and moisture effects in the air. That doesn’t mean that we didn’t capture anything interesting, the pics from that night speak for themselves. According to some paranormal investigators, the conditions were actually perfect for a sighting of the “Lady in White.” (You can view these pictures in my Facebook Profile, in the “April 23, 2011-Union/Midnight” album).
The cemetery that made us feel uneasy more than any other was definitely Lake Ronkonkoma Cemetery. This cemetery is located on the west side of Hawkins Avenue, about a quarter mile north of the “five corners,” across the street from “Joe’s.” When we first walked into Ronkonkoma Cemetery we didn’t think much of it because it’s on a very busy corner. At first glance it’s not what you would picture when you think of a haunted cemetery, but there are some very interesting stories of paranormal activity surrounding this cemetery so we were anxious to get in and start taking some pictures. Once I got to the back area I felt a little apprehensive. Even though the church and cemetery is on a relatively busy road, when I went into the back area I might as well have been in the middle of the woods. After a few clicks of the camera I glanced at the LCD screen and realized right away that I was capturing orbs and that this was an active location. Jimmy went off to explore the other side of the cemetery and to keep an eye out for any security guards who might not appreciate us taking pictures in the cemetery late at night. As I walked further into the back of the cemetery I started having camera problems, my pictures were coming out dark or completely black. I figured I must have inadvertently reset one of the settings or something but everything was set correctly. I tried turning the flash on high and re-adjusted the camera to allow more light in but it hardly made a difference. Objects that were very close to me were showing in the pictures but the darkness quickly engulfs everything else. I struggled with it for a few minutes and then decided to go back to the area where I originally started. I took another picture and noticed that the pictures were now coming out much too bright. I knew then that the camera was working properly and that the back lot of the cemetery had an unusual darkness that the camera’s flash could barely pierce. I didn’t like the feeling that I felt back there but overall it is what we were there for. I was curious and wanted to proceed, so I reluctantly walked back into the darkness. I can’t exactly explain the feeling I had back there but it was similar to feelings of loneliness and isolation. I continued to take pictures with limited success until my cell phone rang out and I nearly jumped out of my socks! I looked at my phone and saw that it was Jimmy calling? “Where are you?” he asked. I assumed that he was going to say something like, ‘stop taking so many pictures, the flash is drawing attention to you.’ In reality my flash wasn’t penetrating the darkness at all, he couldn’t even see it! He was calling because he didn’t know where I was! I thought to myself, "it’s time to get out of this place." I wanted to go back out to the front of the cemetery and discuss some of the things we were experiencing. We decided that it was time to move on. It was getting late and we still wanted to get over to the First Congregational Church, also in Ronkonkoma. As we pulled away I realized I had not taken a picture of the church. I pointed the camera out of the open car window and snapped a photo. Looking at the LCD I immediately realized I captured something odd. There was a hazy mist hovering over the church! I took another pic or two and off we went. I couldn’t wait to get home to see what I captured on that photo. The photo indeed had a large, ghostly swirl of mist that literally wrapped around the church. Other photos from this night show peculiar red mist, assorted orbs of different sizes and densities and even the unexplained dark mass.
Some people might think that it’s easy to capture orbs in pictures but in reality it’s not quite that simple. I spend almost as much time debunking photos as I do taking them. One night I took over two hundred pictures around my house and in the neighborhood and did not capture any orbs or anomalies. I take some pictures in cemeteries during the day and I’ll use the flash sometimes just to see if I will find an orb on the picture due to the flash or something like that. So far I have not been able to capture a daytime orb with or without the flash although professional paranormal investigators have captured orbs in daylight. When we capture an unusual anomaly we will note it and go back to the area where the picture was taken to see if we can determine what caused it. We have actually debunked quite a few anomalies. It’s important to always remain skeptical. Only when all other possibilities have been dismissed is there a true POSSIBILITY that an anomaly is genuine. A follow up to this post will be coming soon and will feature stories about some of our other interesting cemetery and haunted location visits, including The First Congregational Church.
Please feel free to visit any of the cemetery albums in my Facebook Profile.
Thanks for reading.
The Huntington Rural Cemetery on New York Avenue in Huntington, N.Y. is an extremely beautiful, well kept, quiet cemetery where a person can really go to relax, forever! The feeling here is one of peace and tranquility, a living, breathing person can go there to unwind and leave feeling refreshed and full of life. I don’t think there are too may restless spirits at Huntington Rural, but sometimes the most well groomed, quiet cemetery can transform into a much different place after dark. We have yet to return to Huntington Rural at night so until we go back and discover something different I will continue to hold it in high regard as a nice place to visit and maybe a nice place to visit again (in a box) someday.
Union Cemetery on Middle Country Road (Route 25) in Middle Island, N.Y. is somewhere on the other side of the scale. It is well kept and holds a lot of history but the feeling there is not quite so blissful. The twisted trees reach out in an eerie way and sometimes you would swear that one moved towards you. The headstones are old and weather beaten and many of them are broken. Some of them are so far gone that it’s impossible to tell who was buried there and when they were laid to rest. Local urban legend tells of a “woman in white” (who is actually naked but appears as a white apparition). The woman is normally seen hitchhiking along the road between the hours of two and three AM (the witching hour) but only to drivers who are alone and while there is no one else on the road. If the driver actually stops to assist the helpless woman, they soon realize that she disappeared and that they have just seen a ghost! Many legitimate paranormal investigators considered this story nothing more than folklore; that is until one night when TWO well respected ghost hunters from ESP (Eastern Suffolk Paranormal) both saw a ghost that looked very much like the elusive lady in white. They described their sighting as a woman wearing a long skirt. They both witnessed this woman standing by a tree (AKA: The Haunted Tree) as their camera flash lit up the night sky revealing the ghostly apparition. The first time Jimmy and I decided to go on a night trip we went to Union Cemetery. The night was damp and foggy, the air was thick and the feeling in the cemetery was one of restlessness. We entered the cemetery on the eastern side, closest to the older, historic part of the cemetery. We both had an anxious, uneasy feeling; besides possible spirits, we were also concerned about possible security. We walked quickly through the shadows snapping pictures as we walked. We weren’t thinking about how are pictures were going to turn out, we were thinking about running as fast as we could back to the car! The fog was thick in some parts of the cemetery and non-existent in others. We captured many unusual images that night but there was a heavy mist in the air which would ultimately make it difficult to differentiate between true anomalies and moisture effects in the air. That doesn’t mean that we didn’t capture anything interesting, the pics from that night speak for themselves. According to some paranormal investigators, the conditions were actually perfect for a sighting of the “Lady in White.” (You can view these pictures in my Facebook Profile, in the “April 23, 2011-Union/Midnight” album).
The cemetery that made us feel uneasy more than any other was definitely Lake Ronkonkoma Cemetery. This cemetery is located on the west side of Hawkins Avenue, about a quarter mile north of the “five corners,” across the street from “Joe’s.” When we first walked into Ronkonkoma Cemetery we didn’t think much of it because it’s on a very busy corner. At first glance it’s not what you would picture when you think of a haunted cemetery, but there are some very interesting stories of paranormal activity surrounding this cemetery so we were anxious to get in and start taking some pictures. Once I got to the back area I felt a little apprehensive. Even though the church and cemetery is on a relatively busy road, when I went into the back area I might as well have been in the middle of the woods. After a few clicks of the camera I glanced at the LCD screen and realized right away that I was capturing orbs and that this was an active location. Jimmy went off to explore the other side of the cemetery and to keep an eye out for any security guards who might not appreciate us taking pictures in the cemetery late at night. As I walked further into the back of the cemetery I started having camera problems, my pictures were coming out dark or completely black. I figured I must have inadvertently reset one of the settings or something but everything was set correctly. I tried turning the flash on high and re-adjusted the camera to allow more light in but it hardly made a difference. Objects that were very close to me were showing in the pictures but the darkness quickly engulfs everything else. I struggled with it for a few minutes and then decided to go back to the area where I originally started. I took another picture and noticed that the pictures were now coming out much too bright. I knew then that the camera was working properly and that the back lot of the cemetery had an unusual darkness that the camera’s flash could barely pierce. I didn’t like the feeling that I felt back there but overall it is what we were there for. I was curious and wanted to proceed, so I reluctantly walked back into the darkness. I can’t exactly explain the feeling I had back there but it was similar to feelings of loneliness and isolation. I continued to take pictures with limited success until my cell phone rang out and I nearly jumped out of my socks! I looked at my phone and saw that it was Jimmy calling? “Where are you?” he asked. I assumed that he was going to say something like, ‘stop taking so many pictures, the flash is drawing attention to you.’ In reality my flash wasn’t penetrating the darkness at all, he couldn’t even see it! He was calling because he didn’t know where I was! I thought to myself, "it’s time to get out of this place." I wanted to go back out to the front of the cemetery and discuss some of the things we were experiencing. We decided that it was time to move on. It was getting late and we still wanted to get over to the First Congregational Church, also in Ronkonkoma. As we pulled away I realized I had not taken a picture of the church. I pointed the camera out of the open car window and snapped a photo. Looking at the LCD I immediately realized I captured something odd. There was a hazy mist hovering over the church! I took another pic or two and off we went. I couldn’t wait to get home to see what I captured on that photo. The photo indeed had a large, ghostly swirl of mist that literally wrapped around the church. Other photos from this night show peculiar red mist, assorted orbs of different sizes and densities and even the unexplained dark mass.
Some people might think that it’s easy to capture orbs in pictures but in reality it’s not quite that simple. I spend almost as much time debunking photos as I do taking them. One night I took over two hundred pictures around my house and in the neighborhood and did not capture any orbs or anomalies. I take some pictures in cemeteries during the day and I’ll use the flash sometimes just to see if I will find an orb on the picture due to the flash or something like that. So far I have not been able to capture a daytime orb with or without the flash although professional paranormal investigators have captured orbs in daylight. When we capture an unusual anomaly we will note it and go back to the area where the picture was taken to see if we can determine what caused it. We have actually debunked quite a few anomalies. It’s important to always remain skeptical. Only when all other possibilities have been dismissed is there a true POSSIBILITY that an anomaly is genuine. A follow up to this post will be coming soon and will feature stories about some of our other interesting cemetery and haunted location visits, including The First Congregational Church.
Please feel free to visit any of the cemetery albums in my Facebook Profile.
Thanks for reading.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
TWO HOURS EARLY
Welcome back dreamers. I wanted to share with you a dreaming technique that I recently re-discovered. I actually found it in a book that I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, Lucid Dreaming for Beginners by Mark McElroy. I read this book a couple of years ago but I found myself thumbing through it again recently because lately I’ve been having trouble remembering my dreams. I have poor sleep habits and although I do recall dreams every so often, most of the time I sleep to deeply to remember them. The technique is actually a bit of a pain in the ass but the results are worth the trouble, especially if you’re the type of person who always burns the candle at both ends. When you are constantly working or just too busy you become so exhausted that when you sleep you don’t remember anything. People like this sometimes say things like, “I never have dreams," or “it’s impossible for me to remember my dreams.” Those type of statements are just cop outs, everyone has the ability to remember their dreams, it's just a matter of making a commitment and finding a technique.
Your sleep cycle also plays a big part in whether or not you recall any dreams in the morning. For someone interested in practicing lucid dreaming it’s essential to have good, healthy sleep habits, but even then it’s possible that your current sleep pattern causes you to always wake up from deep, fourth cycle sleep in which you don’t dream. Naturally it’s easier to remember your dreams when you are waking up from 3rd cycle, REM sleep. Personally I have horrible sleep habits, I usually stay up too late watching TV, I wake up periodically through the night for no reason and I get less sleep than I should. Sound familiar? If so the following technique might help you as it did me.
This technique is rather simple but for some it’s also a pain in the ass. Others won’t even entertain the thought of it! You have to be willing to wake yourself up two hours early each day, stay awake for a half hour, and then go back to sleep for 90 minutes. If you can’t commit to this it’s no problem, it is kind of extreme! Just try to pick a few days, or even one day a week that you can do it. It’s really not bad at all, when you do it you will realize that when you wake up from the 90 minute sleep session you feel very refreshed and invigorated. Hopefully you will also have some dream content to write down. If this technique works for you, it’s a good time for you to practice lucid dreaming. Once you are comfortable with the fact that you are waking up from dreams and remembering at least some details, start trying some exercises. Start with simple observation. What you want to do is find dream cue’s using some of the techniques I have mentioned in previous posts. Observe clocks and writing, any object that might make you realize that you’re dreaming. Just remember to write everything down and keep track of your progress.
In the next post I will discuss how to create an effective dream journal. I will also post images of some of my journals.
Thanks for reading….
Your sleep cycle also plays a big part in whether or not you recall any dreams in the morning. For someone interested in practicing lucid dreaming it’s essential to have good, healthy sleep habits, but even then it’s possible that your current sleep pattern causes you to always wake up from deep, fourth cycle sleep in which you don’t dream. Naturally it’s easier to remember your dreams when you are waking up from 3rd cycle, REM sleep. Personally I have horrible sleep habits, I usually stay up too late watching TV, I wake up periodically through the night for no reason and I get less sleep than I should. Sound familiar? If so the following technique might help you as it did me.
This technique is rather simple but for some it’s also a pain in the ass. Others won’t even entertain the thought of it! You have to be willing to wake yourself up two hours early each day, stay awake for a half hour, and then go back to sleep for 90 minutes. If you can’t commit to this it’s no problem, it is kind of extreme! Just try to pick a few days, or even one day a week that you can do it. It’s really not bad at all, when you do it you will realize that when you wake up from the 90 minute sleep session you feel very refreshed and invigorated. Hopefully you will also have some dream content to write down. If this technique works for you, it’s a good time for you to practice lucid dreaming. Once you are comfortable with the fact that you are waking up from dreams and remembering at least some details, start trying some exercises. Start with simple observation. What you want to do is find dream cue’s using some of the techniques I have mentioned in previous posts. Observe clocks and writing, any object that might make you realize that you’re dreaming. Just remember to write everything down and keep track of your progress.
In the next post I will discuss how to create an effective dream journal. I will also post images of some of my journals.
Thanks for reading….
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Uninvited Guests (part 2)
Since the invention of cameras many people have discovered strange images of objects which have become known as "orbs" on their photographs. Orbs are translucent spheres that appear to be freely floating in the air. Many paranormal investigators believe that these “orbs” could be evidence of spirits. Skeptics claim that these orbs are simply photographic glitches, or a trick of light. I tend to side with the paranormal explanation because I have taken photographs that contain orbs and they were taken in buildings that are known to be haunted. I have taken hundreds of photographs in my own house and other places and never found an orb in any of those pictures. If these orbs are actually just “tricks of the light” wouldn’t it make sense that they would appear in photographs taken everywhere and not just those taken in cemeteries and old haunted buildings?
I have also seen images in photographs that look very similar to orbs but are not precisely the same. Pictures taken outdoors at night sometimes contain anomalies which look like orbs but are actually insects or even raindrops that are illuminated in a strange way by the flash, making them appear circular and similar to an orb but not exact. The picture below was taken in Upstate New York and shows hundreds of orbs. On the night I took the picture I was at an outdoor wedding and had walked away from the party for a bit. When I noticed the orbs in the picture I looked around but there were no insects (at least not hundreds of insects) and there was no heavy fog or dew in the air. I had taken several other pictures in the same area, some contained an orb or two but no other picture showed this many orbs. (The pictures posted here have not been enhanced or edited in any way. They are shown here the exact way they were taken).
I don’t know what to make of this picture. I do believe that spirits can exist just about anywhere and that they can be caught on film, but I find it hard to believe that all of these orbs are spirits. Is it possible that one powerful spirit can be seen as multiple orbs? Many of the pictures taken at the wedding that night contained orbs, the entire time I was there I felt a little uneasy and several times I thought I had seen somebody out of the corner of my eye but no one was there. While I was continuing to take pictures I didn’t think much about the orbs but the next day when I downloaded the photographs, I looked at the full size versions and noticed that many of the pictures from that night contained orbs. However the most unusual images from that night were two pictures that I took of people on the dance floor. These pictures show a somewhat human shaped anomaly made up of extremely bright light. The image had very defined edges and almost looked like a woman wearing a wedding dress! The lights around the dance floor were not very high-tech, in fact they were pretty standard. I’m not an expert, but from what I can tell there was no way these lights were capable of creating such an anomaly. I took many other pictures around the dance floor that night and no other pictures had this effect or anything close to it. Below are the two pictures of the strange “being of light” and another picture that contained an orb. I included this "orb shot" because it is one of the clearest orb pictures I have seen. Again, these photos have not been doctored in any way.
This final experience took place last Christmas when Matt and I went out to Oklahoma to visit my family. When we went to my sister’s house she showed us a picture that had a strange aberration on it. There was an image in the glass door that was simply unexplainable; it’s what most paranormal investigators would define as a vortex or portal. When she first showed it to me I was skeptical, I assumed I would solve this mystery in two minutes. I figured that it had to be a reflection or double exposure of some sort but the more I looked at this picture the more my curiosity grew. The structure was not something in her yard because her yard is just flat grass in that area. It was definitely not a reflection because there was nothing in her yard or kitchen that looked anything like this structure. That whole night I kept thinking about the image and what could possibly have caused it. To this day the image in this picture remains one of the most mysterious anomalies I have ever seen.
Below is a picture of the strange vortex. Believe it or not this was just a picture of a window, that fuzzy little creature must have come through the portal! (I’m joking of course). Look directly above the little dog (Elvis): there is a strange object that looks like an entrance way (or ramp) leading up to a doorway. The doorway itself looks like it’s made of thick, carved wood or something. If you look all the way to the left it looks like there is a similar object, or part of the same object with that same type of carved notch. It sort of looks like a reflection, but it’s not. It doesn’t really look like a solid object either. We looked around the area for anything, of any size, that looked like this but there was no explanation. The object looks distinctive enough that if it was a reflection from something in the house or yard it wouldn’t be difficult to figure out what it was.
I don’t have answers to explain any of these pictures. I don’t claim that they are evidence of spirits or anything paranormal, I simply offer them as a curious phenomenon. If you have had similar experiences or if you have any thoughts on the subject, feel free to post your ideas, I value any comments you may have.
Thanks for reading...
I have also seen images in photographs that look very similar to orbs but are not precisely the same. Pictures taken outdoors at night sometimes contain anomalies which look like orbs but are actually insects or even raindrops that are illuminated in a strange way by the flash, making them appear circular and similar to an orb but not exact. The picture below was taken in Upstate New York and shows hundreds of orbs. On the night I took the picture I was at an outdoor wedding and had walked away from the party for a bit. When I noticed the orbs in the picture I looked around but there were no insects (at least not hundreds of insects) and there was no heavy fog or dew in the air. I had taken several other pictures in the same area, some contained an orb or two but no other picture showed this many orbs. (The pictures posted here have not been enhanced or edited in any way. They are shown here the exact way they were taken).
This final experience took place last Christmas when Matt and I went out to Oklahoma to visit my family. When we went to my sister’s house she showed us a picture that had a strange aberration on it. There was an image in the glass door that was simply unexplainable; it’s what most paranormal investigators would define as a vortex or portal. When she first showed it to me I was skeptical, I assumed I would solve this mystery in two minutes. I figured that it had to be a reflection or double exposure of some sort but the more I looked at this picture the more my curiosity grew. The structure was not something in her yard because her yard is just flat grass in that area. It was definitely not a reflection because there was nothing in her yard or kitchen that looked anything like this structure. That whole night I kept thinking about the image and what could possibly have caused it. To this day the image in this picture remains one of the most mysterious anomalies I have ever seen.
Below is a picture of the strange vortex. Believe it or not this was just a picture of a window, that fuzzy little creature must have come through the portal! (I’m joking of course). Look directly above the little dog (Elvis): there is a strange object that looks like an entrance way (or ramp) leading up to a doorway. The doorway itself looks like it’s made of thick, carved wood or something. If you look all the way to the left it looks like there is a similar object, or part of the same object with that same type of carved notch. It sort of looks like a reflection, but it’s not. It doesn’t really look like a solid object either. We looked around the area for anything, of any size, that looked like this but there was no explanation. The object looks distinctive enough that if it was a reflection from something in the house or yard it wouldn’t be difficult to figure out what it was.
Thanks for reading...
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Uninvited Guests (Part 1)
I have always had a secret fascination with spirits and ghosts. I know there are many people who consider a ghost to be nothing more than a kid with a sheet over his head at Halloween. For many people seeing is believing, and if they never actually saw a genuine spirit they simply don’t believe that they exist. My last few posts have been about astral projection and if you have any experience in the astral you have seen and possibly interacted with spirits. If people can travel on the astral planes, it’s logical to assume that spirits can sometimes manifest themselves on the mundane or material plane. Personally I have never seen a ghost but I have experienced many odd occurrences and I've also had the feeling of being watched. When I was a kid my friends and I used to explore the Eastern Military Academy located in the Cold Spring Hills of Huntington, New York (now known as OHEKA Castle). The place used to be completely dilapidated and abandoned so it wasn’t difficult to find a way in. So many strange incidents happened in that building that I wouldn’t be surprised if strange occurrences are still happening there today. We would walk around exploring demolished classrooms, the abandoned bowling alley, the rifle range in the basement and endless, pitch black corridors. The place was absolutely magnificent but I would usually find myself running out of there as fast as I could with all my friends right beside me!
One night we formed a rather large group and went exploring the castle. Of course there was no electricity so we would have to walk through the halls with candles and flashlights. At one point we were in the basement and all the candles blew out simultaneously. This would have been odd enough in itself, and could possibly be explained had there been a breeze or a draft, but that wouldn’t have explained why the flashlights all went off as well! For a short time (which felt like an eternity) we stood in the pitch black hallway trying to re-light the candles or turn a flashlight back on. But lighters didn’t work and the flashlights wouldn’t turn back on either. We were ready to run for our lives but as fast as they went off, the flashlights came back on and the lighters worked again. This incident was just one of many strange things that happened inside that building. I had a friend who was attacked and bitten by a bat up on the top floor, near one of the towers. On another occasion several of my friends decided to visit the castle during the day. While they were there a cadet hat flew down from the top of the large spiral staircase in the grand entrance. Of course this was a very large building and we would sometimes hear or come across other groups of people doing the same thing we were. I suppose it’s possible that some of these strange happenings were carried out by other explorers (vandals), but in a building that size it would have been difficult to get close to us or run away without making any noise. Below is an image of the grand staircase before the castle was renovated. There are also pictures of one of the hallways, a bathroom and the front entrance just after workers arrived to begin the renovations. Enjoy the pictures and thanks for reading. "Uninvited Guests" will continue in the next post.
One night we formed a rather large group and went exploring the castle. Of course there was no electricity so we would have to walk through the halls with candles and flashlights. At one point we were in the basement and all the candles blew out simultaneously. This would have been odd enough in itself, and could possibly be explained had there been a breeze or a draft, but that wouldn’t have explained why the flashlights all went off as well! For a short time (which felt like an eternity) we stood in the pitch black hallway trying to re-light the candles or turn a flashlight back on. But lighters didn’t work and the flashlights wouldn’t turn back on either. We were ready to run for our lives but as fast as they went off, the flashlights came back on and the lighters worked again. This incident was just one of many strange things that happened inside that building. I had a friend who was attacked and bitten by a bat up on the top floor, near one of the towers. On another occasion several of my friends decided to visit the castle during the day. While they were there a cadet hat flew down from the top of the large spiral staircase in the grand entrance. Of course this was a very large building and we would sometimes hear or come across other groups of people doing the same thing we were. I suppose it’s possible that some of these strange happenings were carried out by other explorers (vandals), but in a building that size it would have been difficult to get close to us or run away without making any noise. Below is an image of the grand staircase before the castle was renovated. There are also pictures of one of the hallways, a bathroom and the front entrance just after workers arrived to begin the renovations. Enjoy the pictures and thanks for reading. "Uninvited Guests" will continue in the next post.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Out of Body Experiences - 0002A - (Protection & Technique)
(continued from OBE 0002)
There are many different opinions and beliefs regarding protection. As I mentioned earlier, if nothing else it offers you and your body peace of mind. The Canterbury Institute strongly recommends the following physical protection technique because it’s a technique that your physical body (“Me”) understands. For this technique all you will need is a pound of salt and a squeeze bottle. Mix the salt with a half gallon of water and fill the squeeze bottle with this salt water solution. (Store the rest in a convenient location). Create a circle with a radius of just under 5-1/2 feet(5.44 ft.). Stand inside your circle at the eastern rim and with your squeeze bottle make a complete, unbroken, clockwise circle. As you do this say the following;
Spirits of mischievous intent, Spirits of lower entities, You may not pass this sacred line. As I will, so mote it be.
When you have finished the circle, you should end up facing east. Put the squeeze bottle down and while still facing east make the sign of the cross in the air before you. (An equal armed cross if you are Pagan or a traditional, sword shaped cross if you are Christian). While making the cross you should say affirmations that are appropriate for your religion. After you finish you will turn to the south and repeat the steps, then west and north. An example of simple protective Christian affirmations would be;
EAST: Jesus, son of man, help me find my future. I have no fear, I am strong. Jesus protects me all day long.
SOUTH: Mary, mother of God, Surround me with protection. I have no fear, I am strong. Jesus protects me all day long.
WEST: Michael, angel of the west, As I lie secure my rest. I have no fear…. (same as above).
NORTH: Raphael, angel of the north, come with me as I travel forth. I have no fear… (as above).
UPWARD: Jehovah, from your throne, Protect me with mighty power. I have no fear… (as above).
Once you have completed the cardinal points of the circle, lie down with your head to the east and gesture an upward spiral in the air above you with the fingers on your right hand held closely together. Recite the final (upward) affirmation. Now you can continue your exercise feeling no fear, knowing that you are protected from any harm. (G. & Y. Frost, 1982)
(Note: If you are not comfortable squirting the salt water solution on to your floor you can look for an alternative such as an unbroken circle of pure salt or sulfur. Another alternative is to soak a length of heavy cotton twine in the highly concentrated salt water solution mentioned above. Create your unbroken circle using the string while reciting the affirmations in the same manner, just be sure to connect or tie the ends of the string to close your circle. You can store the string after each use (re-soaking it occasionally to keep it fresh).
Step 1:
Relax your body, both mentally and physically. A good way to do this is with breathing exercises. Don’t concentrate too much on breathing but full, steady breathes are very effective. Be sure your “Me” self is satisfied for the moment. If you are hungry, horny or uncomfortable in any way “Me” will not let you go. It might take several practice runs before you figure out all the things that “Me” is going to do to try to keep you from leaving. Don’t be frustrated if you have to get up and change something in the room or use the bathroom. Be patient and persistent, eventually “Me” will realize that you are not going to neglect any of his needs and will let you go.
Step 2:
As you fall into deeper relaxation clear your mind of any thoughts and concentrate on the darkness before you. (If you accidently fall asleep don’t be discouraged. Simply continue as soon as you wake up). After a short while you may notice light patterns. This is actual residual energy from your neural synapses. They have no important function or effect but they can assist in keeping you from falling asleep. Now you have entered an even deeper state of relaxation and you will begin to lose awareness of your senses, you will be alone with your thoughts. (There is no time limit here. You may reach this state on your first or second attempt or it may take a few weeks, don’t even worry about time, it’s irrelevant).
Step 3:
Eventually you will become aware of what is known as the vibrations. The vibrations are what I consider the onset of projection. Nobody really knows what the vibrations are but you will certainly know when you feel them. Your first instinct is fear and curiosity simply because it’s something new. Don’t be afraid, embrace the vibrations knowing that astral travel is imminent.
Step 4:
Practice controlling the vibrations mentally by moving them around your body. The sensations will intensify and become sort of wave like. (At this point your mind will say things like; ‘I can’t believe this is actually going to happen, but seeing that I arrived here rather easily I am going to wake up now because I can do this again anytime I want.’ This is just your fear trying to bail out at the last second. It’s “Me’s” last ditch effort to keep you from leaving so just assure yourself that you are safe and continue your experiment).
Step 5:
As the vibrations surge through your body, try extending an arm and feeling for the bed table or the wall, if you do feel an object or the wall try pushing your hand through it. Your movements will feel completely normal until you feel your hand go through the object. If you feel like your arm went straight through the object bring it back to your side just as if it was physical. At this point you may want to slow down the vibrations and gradually return to normal. Now that you have been to the threshold of an out of body experience and your experiment was a success you might want to stop here and celebrate your achievement. This will prepare you for full separation and boost your confidence. Slowly cease the vibrations and return to normal. Be sure to log your success!
It’s important to realize that at any time after you start feeling the vibrations your body might separate and you may float up to the ceiling (or through the ceiling) or drop through the floor. You might see flashing lights, hear strange noises or even explosions, don’t be afraid, try to ride it out and see what happens. The first time will be very scary and your instinct (or even reflex) will be to instantly return to your body. If you do find yourself popping out of it and you can’t do anything about it don’t be discouraged, your experiment was a success.
Step 6:
At this point you either ended your experiment, and then repeated it to end up back at the vibrations, or continued from the last step. Over time you will find it easier and easier to initiate the vibrations. Most people develop what is sometimes known as a “key step” which is your own way of initiating the vibrations. For some it might be a low buzzing that you sense in your forehead, for others it might be a tingling sensation in your fingertips which slowly evolves into the vibrational state. (You will eventually discover or develop your own key step). Once you’ve entered the vibrational state and are semi-comfortable with it, start to detach by thinking about floating up to the ceiling. Do not let your thoughts stray at all, you should be in complete control and completely aware of what’s happening. Keep remembering that what you are doing is completely natural and your guardian is with you and will protect you and your body. Think about the freedom of floating weightlessly through the air as you lift out of your body.
If you’ve reached this vibrational state but are having trouble detaching, there are several different techniques that may help. The “roll” method is another technique that may help you detach. What you want to do is roll over as if you are rolling out of bed. (Be careful not to actually roll onto the floor). Start with your head and try twisting your neck up and over, then continue with the rest of yourself until you are completely out. Sometimes people have difficulty knowing if they are actually separated because our “I” self, or astral vehicle, is identical to our physical body. The reason for this is simply because that is the way we are used to seeing it. While you are projecting your astral body will typically look as you would expect it to look. You might also see a silvery cord which attaches you to your “Me” self, or mundane body. Over time you may find that your astral vehicle is adapting to suit your needs. You don’t really need legs when you are a floating entity! You may also discover that you are capable of modifying your “vehicle” to suit whatever it is you are doing. Maybe you are in a liquid medium and can get around better with fins? I know it sounds bizarre, and maybe it’s not the best example but it’s really not that far-fetched. If you were to stay in your astral vehicle permanently it would eventually just appear as a ball of light.
Another image you never get used to seeing is your “Me” self lying in bed without you inside. It’s a very odd feeling and there’s a good chance that the first time you see this you will jump right back into your body. There’s really no reason to be afraid, your body will be completely safe while you are away. Everyone undergoes what’s known as sleep paralysis while they are sleeping. This natural mechanism is what keeps our bodies from acting out our dreams. It will also keep your body safe and sound while you are projecting. The first time I projected I thought I had just woken up normally. I don’t have my first dream journal handy but if I remember correctly I woke up and had an odd view of my room. I looked across to the mirror but the mirror was much lower on the wall than it was supposed to be. (I might have looked at myself in the mirror for a short while but I’m not 100% sure, I might be mixing this experience with another). I looked down and saw myself lying there in bed in a fetal position sleeping. It took a moment for me to completely grasp what was happening but I soon realized that I was floating up near the ceiling! It was the strangest thing I ever experienced because I didn’t know what was happening. Once I realized what was going on I freaked out and woke up in my bed a second later. I don’t remember why I panicked, I’m pretty sure it was just reflex. Somehow I knew that I wasn’t dead but I knew that I had somehow left my body. Once I read up on it I figured out that I had an out of body experience and I was instantly hooked on the subject.
My first out of body experience is what compelled me to explore the phenomenon further. I never discussed these interests and experiences with outsiders because of the stigma surrounding these subjects. To this day many people consider lucid dreaming and astral projection topics of mythical fantasy, however, once a person experiences a true lucid dream or astral trip their doubts disappear forever and they awaken with a refined sense of awareness.
Thanks for reading….
JC
The protection technique of The Canterbury Institute was taken from the book "Astral Travel - Your Guide to the Secrets of Out-of-the-Body Experiences"
Weiser, 1982
There are many different opinions and beliefs regarding protection. As I mentioned earlier, if nothing else it offers you and your body peace of mind. The Canterbury Institute strongly recommends the following physical protection technique because it’s a technique that your physical body (“Me”) understands. For this technique all you will need is a pound of salt and a squeeze bottle. Mix the salt with a half gallon of water and fill the squeeze bottle with this salt water solution. (Store the rest in a convenient location). Create a circle with a radius of just under 5-1/2 feet(5.44 ft.). Stand inside your circle at the eastern rim and with your squeeze bottle make a complete, unbroken, clockwise circle. As you do this say the following;
Spirits of mischievous intent, Spirits of lower entities, You may not pass this sacred line. As I will, so mote it be.
When you have finished the circle, you should end up facing east. Put the squeeze bottle down and while still facing east make the sign of the cross in the air before you. (An equal armed cross if you are Pagan or a traditional, sword shaped cross if you are Christian). While making the cross you should say affirmations that are appropriate for your religion. After you finish you will turn to the south and repeat the steps, then west and north. An example of simple protective Christian affirmations would be;
EAST: Jesus, son of man, help me find my future. I have no fear, I am strong. Jesus protects me all day long.
SOUTH: Mary, mother of God, Surround me with protection. I have no fear, I am strong. Jesus protects me all day long.
WEST: Michael, angel of the west, As I lie secure my rest. I have no fear…. (same as above).
NORTH: Raphael, angel of the north, come with me as I travel forth. I have no fear… (as above).
UPWARD: Jehovah, from your throne, Protect me with mighty power. I have no fear… (as above).
Once you have completed the cardinal points of the circle, lie down with your head to the east and gesture an upward spiral in the air above you with the fingers on your right hand held closely together. Recite the final (upward) affirmation. Now you can continue your exercise feeling no fear, knowing that you are protected from any harm. (G. & Y. Frost, 1982)
(Note: If you are not comfortable squirting the salt water solution on to your floor you can look for an alternative such as an unbroken circle of pure salt or sulfur. Another alternative is to soak a length of heavy cotton twine in the highly concentrated salt water solution mentioned above. Create your unbroken circle using the string while reciting the affirmations in the same manner, just be sure to connect or tie the ends of the string to close your circle. You can store the string after each use (re-soaking it occasionally to keep it fresh).
Step 1:
Relax your body, both mentally and physically. A good way to do this is with breathing exercises. Don’t concentrate too much on breathing but full, steady breathes are very effective. Be sure your “Me” self is satisfied for the moment. If you are hungry, horny or uncomfortable in any way “Me” will not let you go. It might take several practice runs before you figure out all the things that “Me” is going to do to try to keep you from leaving. Don’t be frustrated if you have to get up and change something in the room or use the bathroom. Be patient and persistent, eventually “Me” will realize that you are not going to neglect any of his needs and will let you go.
Step 2:
As you fall into deeper relaxation clear your mind of any thoughts and concentrate on the darkness before you. (If you accidently fall asleep don’t be discouraged. Simply continue as soon as you wake up). After a short while you may notice light patterns. This is actual residual energy from your neural synapses. They have no important function or effect but they can assist in keeping you from falling asleep. Now you have entered an even deeper state of relaxation and you will begin to lose awareness of your senses, you will be alone with your thoughts. (There is no time limit here. You may reach this state on your first or second attempt or it may take a few weeks, don’t even worry about time, it’s irrelevant).
Step 3:
Eventually you will become aware of what is known as the vibrations. The vibrations are what I consider the onset of projection. Nobody really knows what the vibrations are but you will certainly know when you feel them. Your first instinct is fear and curiosity simply because it’s something new. Don’t be afraid, embrace the vibrations knowing that astral travel is imminent.
Step 4:
Practice controlling the vibrations mentally by moving them around your body. The sensations will intensify and become sort of wave like. (At this point your mind will say things like; ‘I can’t believe this is actually going to happen, but seeing that I arrived here rather easily I am going to wake up now because I can do this again anytime I want.’ This is just your fear trying to bail out at the last second. It’s “Me’s” last ditch effort to keep you from leaving so just assure yourself that you are safe and continue your experiment).
Step 5:
As the vibrations surge through your body, try extending an arm and feeling for the bed table or the wall, if you do feel an object or the wall try pushing your hand through it. Your movements will feel completely normal until you feel your hand go through the object. If you feel like your arm went straight through the object bring it back to your side just as if it was physical. At this point you may want to slow down the vibrations and gradually return to normal. Now that you have been to the threshold of an out of body experience and your experiment was a success you might want to stop here and celebrate your achievement. This will prepare you for full separation and boost your confidence. Slowly cease the vibrations and return to normal. Be sure to log your success!
It’s important to realize that at any time after you start feeling the vibrations your body might separate and you may float up to the ceiling (or through the ceiling) or drop through the floor. You might see flashing lights, hear strange noises or even explosions, don’t be afraid, try to ride it out and see what happens. The first time will be very scary and your instinct (or even reflex) will be to instantly return to your body. If you do find yourself popping out of it and you can’t do anything about it don’t be discouraged, your experiment was a success.
Step 6:
At this point you either ended your experiment, and then repeated it to end up back at the vibrations, or continued from the last step. Over time you will find it easier and easier to initiate the vibrations. Most people develop what is sometimes known as a “key step” which is your own way of initiating the vibrations. For some it might be a low buzzing that you sense in your forehead, for others it might be a tingling sensation in your fingertips which slowly evolves into the vibrational state. (You will eventually discover or develop your own key step). Once you’ve entered the vibrational state and are semi-comfortable with it, start to detach by thinking about floating up to the ceiling. Do not let your thoughts stray at all, you should be in complete control and completely aware of what’s happening. Keep remembering that what you are doing is completely natural and your guardian is with you and will protect you and your body. Think about the freedom of floating weightlessly through the air as you lift out of your body.
If you’ve reached this vibrational state but are having trouble detaching, there are several different techniques that may help. The “roll” method is another technique that may help you detach. What you want to do is roll over as if you are rolling out of bed. (Be careful not to actually roll onto the floor). Start with your head and try twisting your neck up and over, then continue with the rest of yourself until you are completely out. Sometimes people have difficulty knowing if they are actually separated because our “I” self, or astral vehicle, is identical to our physical body. The reason for this is simply because that is the way we are used to seeing it. While you are projecting your astral body will typically look as you would expect it to look. You might also see a silvery cord which attaches you to your “Me” self, or mundane body. Over time you may find that your astral vehicle is adapting to suit your needs. You don’t really need legs when you are a floating entity! You may also discover that you are capable of modifying your “vehicle” to suit whatever it is you are doing. Maybe you are in a liquid medium and can get around better with fins? I know it sounds bizarre, and maybe it’s not the best example but it’s really not that far-fetched. If you were to stay in your astral vehicle permanently it would eventually just appear as a ball of light.
Another image you never get used to seeing is your “Me” self lying in bed without you inside. It’s a very odd feeling and there’s a good chance that the first time you see this you will jump right back into your body. There’s really no reason to be afraid, your body will be completely safe while you are away. Everyone undergoes what’s known as sleep paralysis while they are sleeping. This natural mechanism is what keeps our bodies from acting out our dreams. It will also keep your body safe and sound while you are projecting. The first time I projected I thought I had just woken up normally. I don’t have my first dream journal handy but if I remember correctly I woke up and had an odd view of my room. I looked across to the mirror but the mirror was much lower on the wall than it was supposed to be. (I might have looked at myself in the mirror for a short while but I’m not 100% sure, I might be mixing this experience with another). I looked down and saw myself lying there in bed in a fetal position sleeping. It took a moment for me to completely grasp what was happening but I soon realized that I was floating up near the ceiling! It was the strangest thing I ever experienced because I didn’t know what was happening. Once I realized what was going on I freaked out and woke up in my bed a second later. I don’t remember why I panicked, I’m pretty sure it was just reflex. Somehow I knew that I wasn’t dead but I knew that I had somehow left my body. Once I read up on it I figured out that I had an out of body experience and I was instantly hooked on the subject.
My first out of body experience is what compelled me to explore the phenomenon further. I never discussed these interests and experiences with outsiders because of the stigma surrounding these subjects. To this day many people consider lucid dreaming and astral projection topics of mythical fantasy, however, once a person experiences a true lucid dream or astral trip their doubts disappear forever and they awaken with a refined sense of awareness.
Thanks for reading….
JC
The protection technique of The Canterbury Institute was taken from the book "Astral Travel - Your Guide to the Secrets of Out-of-the-Body Experiences"
Weiser, 1982
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Out of Body Experiences - 0002
Welcome back to Dreawad1. Thank you for your patience. With the old forum I was able to rant and rave about anything that tickled my fancy but now my blogs are about more complex topics and they take a little longer to research and write. Although I have been logging my dreams and practicing astral projection on and off for years, it’s important to me that the information contained within is accurate. If I use information from an outside source I will cite it accordingly.
Astral projection is a topic that fascinates people on countless levels but many people are skeptical about actually trying it. It’s important that a person practicing these techniques is 100% confident that nothing bad can come of it. I have researched many different sources and there is no record of anybody ever having a negative experience. On the contrary I read a story about a paraplegic veteran who was contemplating suicide because he was forced to live out his days in a wheelchair. Once he learned how to project, his life was once again fulfilling. He spent much of his time exploring the astral planes and it even enabled him to once again travel on the mundane (material) plane. In the beginning he was apprehensive but his fears were quickly conquered, as was his fear of death. (Frost, 1982)
Astral travel requires the traveler to separate the “Me” self form the “I” self. The physical body, or the “Me” self, is what grounds people to this existence. It’s “Me” who always wants to be fed, it’s “Me” who wants to get laid and who wants a new car. On the contrary it’s “I” who has no need for these things but as long as “Me” keeps making worldly demands, “I” can never get out! Think of “I” as a mother who wants to break away from her child for a few minutes in order to have some time for herself. She may never get the opportunity to do this because the child (“Me”) is always watching and holding on to her legs. Every time the mother leaves the house the child screams and hollers forcing the mother to come back and pick it up. The child fears the unknown and therefore try’s to avoid it at any cost. When the mother finally manages to get away for a few minutes and then comes back with ice cream, the child begins to realize that mother breaking away isn’t so bad after all. In the same way you need to convince your “Me” self that “I” leaving from time to time is beneficial, because while “I” is away traveling it will also be looking for things to satisfy “Me’s” appetites.
Exploring the astral planes allows the traveler to see the real world, and to see people as they actually are. It breaks down all barriers and gives you the ability to find out what really happened in history and even what is yet to come. In the following paragraphs I will discuss some techniques for a beginner who wants to attempt astral travel. In upcoming blogs I will explore different techniques for achieving astral projection. The first one I discuss here today has withstood the test of time. It is the same technique that I first learned years ago and thousands of people have used it with great success and no negative side effects. Whatever technique you use it is wise to keep your dream journal close by so you can record your results or lack thereof. (Some people use a single book and others prefer to use separate journals for dreams and astral projection, whichever works best for you is fine, just be sure to record every detail possible and log the date and time of every journal entry).
Location is an important factor when deciding to practice astral projection. Choose a place that is relatively free of clutter. If you are most comfortable in your bed that’s OK, but seeing that you and your body normally associate your bed with sleep, you might find it difficult to avoid. It’s best to have a mattress that does not contain any metal or springs, they may become magnetized and interfere with your experiments. Also try to avoid bedding that contains animal by-products like goose down and feathers, these animals may have died in terror which can also have a negative effect on your experiments. Do not wear any jewelry or tight fitting clothes. It’s best to wear loose, comfortable clothes or even a robe. Be sure there are not going to be any interruptions. Turn your phones off, tend to your pets and anything else that might cause an interruption.
The next topic I’m going to discuss is protection. Even seasoned astral travelers still begin their trips with protection rituals. Opinions on psychic protection vary greatly but when you break it down they are simple procedures that serve multiple purposes. They assure “Me” that nothing will threaten the mundane body while “I” is temporarily away. It also erects a psychic barrier around your body so that malicious spirits, who would love to have a physical body to run around in, will be warned off. I realize that sounds scary but these exercises are also meant to relieve you of those types of fears. Keep in mind that if you feel that there will be something looking to harm you in the astral world, you will probably make it happen. It’s also important to be mentally healthy before you begin astral travels. If you are not happy with your life and you always look for ways to escape, astral projection might not be wise. You might prefer mingling with astral beings over living people and ultimately become obsessed with astral travel. Although these protection techniques are very simple, they are also very important. Some people use prayer rituals, some rely on mental protection by forming a sort of “love bubble of light” around themselves and others attempt to make contact with their spirit guides. There are many good spirits and guardians who dedicate themselves to helping projectors. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help. If you are unfamiliar with psychic process, prayer will suffice. The Canterbury Institute, renowned for its extensive studies into astral projection, strongly recommends the following protection techniques. I’m noting several different protection techniques here but you should use a protection technique that YOU are comfortable with.
Due to the length of this post I have broke it into two entries. Please proceed to OBE 0002A
Thanks For reading.
Astral projection is a topic that fascinates people on countless levels but many people are skeptical about actually trying it. It’s important that a person practicing these techniques is 100% confident that nothing bad can come of it. I have researched many different sources and there is no record of anybody ever having a negative experience. On the contrary I read a story about a paraplegic veteran who was contemplating suicide because he was forced to live out his days in a wheelchair. Once he learned how to project, his life was once again fulfilling. He spent much of his time exploring the astral planes and it even enabled him to once again travel on the mundane (material) plane. In the beginning he was apprehensive but his fears were quickly conquered, as was his fear of death. (Frost, 1982)
Astral travel requires the traveler to separate the “Me” self form the “I” self. The physical body, or the “Me” self, is what grounds people to this existence. It’s “Me” who always wants to be fed, it’s “Me” who wants to get laid and who wants a new car. On the contrary it’s “I” who has no need for these things but as long as “Me” keeps making worldly demands, “I” can never get out! Think of “I” as a mother who wants to break away from her child for a few minutes in order to have some time for herself. She may never get the opportunity to do this because the child (“Me”) is always watching and holding on to her legs. Every time the mother leaves the house the child screams and hollers forcing the mother to come back and pick it up. The child fears the unknown and therefore try’s to avoid it at any cost. When the mother finally manages to get away for a few minutes and then comes back with ice cream, the child begins to realize that mother breaking away isn’t so bad after all. In the same way you need to convince your “Me” self that “I” leaving from time to time is beneficial, because while “I” is away traveling it will also be looking for things to satisfy “Me’s” appetites.
Exploring the astral planes allows the traveler to see the real world, and to see people as they actually are. It breaks down all barriers and gives you the ability to find out what really happened in history and even what is yet to come. In the following paragraphs I will discuss some techniques for a beginner who wants to attempt astral travel. In upcoming blogs I will explore different techniques for achieving astral projection. The first one I discuss here today has withstood the test of time. It is the same technique that I first learned years ago and thousands of people have used it with great success and no negative side effects. Whatever technique you use it is wise to keep your dream journal close by so you can record your results or lack thereof. (Some people use a single book and others prefer to use separate journals for dreams and astral projection, whichever works best for you is fine, just be sure to record every detail possible and log the date and time of every journal entry).
Location is an important factor when deciding to practice astral projection. Choose a place that is relatively free of clutter. If you are most comfortable in your bed that’s OK, but seeing that you and your body normally associate your bed with sleep, you might find it difficult to avoid. It’s best to have a mattress that does not contain any metal or springs, they may become magnetized and interfere with your experiments. Also try to avoid bedding that contains animal by-products like goose down and feathers, these animals may have died in terror which can also have a negative effect on your experiments. Do not wear any jewelry or tight fitting clothes. It’s best to wear loose, comfortable clothes or even a robe. Be sure there are not going to be any interruptions. Turn your phones off, tend to your pets and anything else that might cause an interruption.
The next topic I’m going to discuss is protection. Even seasoned astral travelers still begin their trips with protection rituals. Opinions on psychic protection vary greatly but when you break it down they are simple procedures that serve multiple purposes. They assure “Me” that nothing will threaten the mundane body while “I” is temporarily away. It also erects a psychic barrier around your body so that malicious spirits, who would love to have a physical body to run around in, will be warned off. I realize that sounds scary but these exercises are also meant to relieve you of those types of fears. Keep in mind that if you feel that there will be something looking to harm you in the astral world, you will probably make it happen. It’s also important to be mentally healthy before you begin astral travels. If you are not happy with your life and you always look for ways to escape, astral projection might not be wise. You might prefer mingling with astral beings over living people and ultimately become obsessed with astral travel. Although these protection techniques are very simple, they are also very important. Some people use prayer rituals, some rely on mental protection by forming a sort of “love bubble of light” around themselves and others attempt to make contact with their spirit guides. There are many good spirits and guardians who dedicate themselves to helping projectors. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help. If you are unfamiliar with psychic process, prayer will suffice. The Canterbury Institute, renowned for its extensive studies into astral projection, strongly recommends the following protection techniques. I’m noting several different protection techniques here but you should use a protection technique that YOU are comfortable with.
Due to the length of this post I have broke it into two entries. Please proceed to OBE 0002A
Thanks For reading.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Letting Go
First I want to mention that the continuation from last week’s post, “Out of Body Experiences - 0001” is on its way. I had written most of this current post a while ago and figured now would be an appropriate time to publish it.
I would like you to imagine your mind as a single drop of water. Now imagine that the ocean is a pool of life where all minds are born and also where they return to at death (The Universal Mind). Your life-span is the time that it takes the drop of water (your mind) to fall from the clouds back to the ocean. Once that drop of water reaches the ocean it will never exist in the same form again. Sure, you can take another drop of water from the ocean, it looks the same and it might even contain a bit of the original drop but you cannot extract the original drop from the ocean once it dissipates. Your mind is similar to the drop of water. Once you leave your earthly body behind, your mind may never be able to exist in the same form again no matter what you do, who knows? BUT, we all might have the tools to learn how to keep it intact. If you learn to use your mind in other realms, you might be able to hold it together through the spirit world and into your next existence.
Regardless of religion many people believe that we are here to learn or accomplish something so that we can “graduate” to the next level of existence. Unfortunately many people also believe that making money and acquiring possessions is the main purpose of life. An employee may feel that they are doing well in life by going to work early every day and never taking a day off. Sure, it’s noble and respectful to your employer but is it really helping YOU in any way? If you die with a million dollars in the bank is that going to help you somehow? It might help the people you leave behind bear the cost of burying you, and guarantee that your corpse will have a nice place to rot with a lovely view of the ocean but that’s about it.
Everyone’s heard the saying, “you can’t take it with you,” well maybe that’s true about material possessions but maybe there is something you can take with you, your most important and only true possession, your mind. It’s one of those things that is just so simple and obvious that we take it for granted. You might say, if it’s so obvious how come science hasn’t discovered it or proved this in some way? Well, there are many things that are yet to be discovered and by design this theory is one of those subjects that is nearly impossible to prove. To date the closest that science has come to proving anything like this is true is with the people who remember past lives through hypnosis. Some people even talk in foreign languages that they never learned to speak in waking life. Let’s face it though, nobody is going to believe it completely until somebody dies and comes back with their mind intact, and proves it somehow. Even then most people would probably just dismiss it as bullshit! There’s also a paradox issue; if someone does master the ability to control their mind after death, they might not have to come back. If that’s what they were here to learn and develop in the first place, why would they have to come back?
Society doesn't necessarily consider self exploration of the mind and psyche a useful endeavor, there is no profit in self improvement. (Except of course on the material level such as; weight loss, lip injections, face pulls, penis pills, breast implants, hair products, etc, etc…). There are lots of people who make a living as psychics and fortune tellers but unfortunately they aren’t always the most reputable people, which creates a stigma around the whole issue. There is also a lot of room for corruption in these fields because it’s so easy to take advantage of desperate people. True psychics and healers get lumped in with a bunch of greedy con men (and women) and are all labeled shady. If you look into it yourself you’ll find that there are many true psychics who do wonderful things with their abilities. True psychics typically don’t charge for their services because they usually want to help others with their abilities, not use them to get rich. Even Edgar Cayce (The Sleeping Prophet) didn’t charge for his readings and healing sessions, and he wasn’t a rich man at all, in fact he was often broke. (There is a new post coming soon dedicated to the life of Edgar Cayce which will explore his life and abilities in great detail). There are many psychics who help the police and FBI solve cold cases. Psychics are also brought into cases when the detectives have little evidence to go by. There are even ”remote viewers” who astral project themselves into top secret organizations to gather intelligence. These certainly aren’t the same psychics who cheat innocent and elderly people out of their life savings, or the ones who give readings for twenty five bucks on the street corner, they are legitimate psychics who have discovered, or were born with, special mental abilities. If you meet one of these people you will find that they appear very comfortable with their place in the universe. They usually have strong ethics and a unique view of the world. They don’t seem to let the stress and heartache of daily life get to them like most people do.
The point of all this is that it’s essential to put some time aside for yourself. These days especially most people are so busy living life that they hardly have time to sleep at all, waking up peacefully and writing down their dreams is a pipe-dream in itself! If it’s at all possible try to find a little time for yourself. If mind expansion isn’t your thing make time to do something you enjoy. Spend some time playing with the kids, taking the dog to the park or even just reading a book. If your boss told you to come in a half hour earlier each day for two weeks Lord knows you would probably find a way to make it happen, so doing something for yourself should be even more important. Giving yourself time to re-energize should be a priority. Many people go “full throttle” all day long, skip lunch, stay late and then come home with a whole list of chores to do. By the time they go to bed they are so stressed out that they blink once, then get up to do it all over again (at least that’s how it feels to them). What I described here is a horrible existence and it’s not the way it’s supposed to be. Doing this will eventually result in poor mental and physical health. We are all busy and have important responsibilities that must get done but you don’t have to be a hero. Take the time to get out of the office (or whatever) and unwind, even if you aren’t hungry it’s essential to take a break and recharge your energy. During this time your mind also sorts out the information from the morning and organizes the plan for the rest of the day. Working straight through lunch is not healthy and it is more likely to affect your performance in a negative way. Things will start to fall through the cracks and you will be working harder but accomplishing less. If you have one of those jobs that simply doesn’t permit you to leave the office and demands your undivided attention, try to give yourself time at night to unwind or pursue your own interests. You will find that letting go of some of the stress and monotony of the day will have a profound effect on all aspects of your life and your personality.
Thanks for reading...
The next post, "OBE 0002," will continue last weeks discussion with tips and methods for the beginner practicing astral projection.
I would like you to imagine your mind as a single drop of water. Now imagine that the ocean is a pool of life where all minds are born and also where they return to at death (The Universal Mind). Your life-span is the time that it takes the drop of water (your mind) to fall from the clouds back to the ocean. Once that drop of water reaches the ocean it will never exist in the same form again. Sure, you can take another drop of water from the ocean, it looks the same and it might even contain a bit of the original drop but you cannot extract the original drop from the ocean once it dissipates. Your mind is similar to the drop of water. Once you leave your earthly body behind, your mind may never be able to exist in the same form again no matter what you do, who knows? BUT, we all might have the tools to learn how to keep it intact. If you learn to use your mind in other realms, you might be able to hold it together through the spirit world and into your next existence.
Regardless of religion many people believe that we are here to learn or accomplish something so that we can “graduate” to the next level of existence. Unfortunately many people also believe that making money and acquiring possessions is the main purpose of life. An employee may feel that they are doing well in life by going to work early every day and never taking a day off. Sure, it’s noble and respectful to your employer but is it really helping YOU in any way? If you die with a million dollars in the bank is that going to help you somehow? It might help the people you leave behind bear the cost of burying you, and guarantee that your corpse will have a nice place to rot with a lovely view of the ocean but that’s about it.
Everyone’s heard the saying, “you can’t take it with you,” well maybe that’s true about material possessions but maybe there is something you can take with you, your most important and only true possession, your mind. It’s one of those things that is just so simple and obvious that we take it for granted. You might say, if it’s so obvious how come science hasn’t discovered it or proved this in some way? Well, there are many things that are yet to be discovered and by design this theory is one of those subjects that is nearly impossible to prove. To date the closest that science has come to proving anything like this is true is with the people who remember past lives through hypnosis. Some people even talk in foreign languages that they never learned to speak in waking life. Let’s face it though, nobody is going to believe it completely until somebody dies and comes back with their mind intact, and proves it somehow. Even then most people would probably just dismiss it as bullshit! There’s also a paradox issue; if someone does master the ability to control their mind after death, they might not have to come back. If that’s what they were here to learn and develop in the first place, why would they have to come back?
Society doesn't necessarily consider self exploration of the mind and psyche a useful endeavor, there is no profit in self improvement. (Except of course on the material level such as; weight loss, lip injections, face pulls, penis pills, breast implants, hair products, etc, etc…). There are lots of people who make a living as psychics and fortune tellers but unfortunately they aren’t always the most reputable people, which creates a stigma around the whole issue. There is also a lot of room for corruption in these fields because it’s so easy to take advantage of desperate people. True psychics and healers get lumped in with a bunch of greedy con men (and women) and are all labeled shady. If you look into it yourself you’ll find that there are many true psychics who do wonderful things with their abilities. True psychics typically don’t charge for their services because they usually want to help others with their abilities, not use them to get rich. Even Edgar Cayce (The Sleeping Prophet) didn’t charge for his readings and healing sessions, and he wasn’t a rich man at all, in fact he was often broke. (There is a new post coming soon dedicated to the life of Edgar Cayce which will explore his life and abilities in great detail). There are many psychics who help the police and FBI solve cold cases. Psychics are also brought into cases when the detectives have little evidence to go by. There are even ”remote viewers” who astral project themselves into top secret organizations to gather intelligence. These certainly aren’t the same psychics who cheat innocent and elderly people out of their life savings, or the ones who give readings for twenty five bucks on the street corner, they are legitimate psychics who have discovered, or were born with, special mental abilities. If you meet one of these people you will find that they appear very comfortable with their place in the universe. They usually have strong ethics and a unique view of the world. They don’t seem to let the stress and heartache of daily life get to them like most people do.
The point of all this is that it’s essential to put some time aside for yourself. These days especially most people are so busy living life that they hardly have time to sleep at all, waking up peacefully and writing down their dreams is a pipe-dream in itself! If it’s at all possible try to find a little time for yourself. If mind expansion isn’t your thing make time to do something you enjoy. Spend some time playing with the kids, taking the dog to the park or even just reading a book. If your boss told you to come in a half hour earlier each day for two weeks Lord knows you would probably find a way to make it happen, so doing something for yourself should be even more important. Giving yourself time to re-energize should be a priority. Many people go “full throttle” all day long, skip lunch, stay late and then come home with a whole list of chores to do. By the time they go to bed they are so stressed out that they blink once, then get up to do it all over again (at least that’s how it feels to them). What I described here is a horrible existence and it’s not the way it’s supposed to be. Doing this will eventually result in poor mental and physical health. We are all busy and have important responsibilities that must get done but you don’t have to be a hero. Take the time to get out of the office (or whatever) and unwind, even if you aren’t hungry it’s essential to take a break and recharge your energy. During this time your mind also sorts out the information from the morning and organizes the plan for the rest of the day. Working straight through lunch is not healthy and it is more likely to affect your performance in a negative way. Things will start to fall through the cracks and you will be working harder but accomplishing less. If you have one of those jobs that simply doesn’t permit you to leave the office and demands your undivided attention, try to give yourself time at night to unwind or pursue your own interests. You will find that letting go of some of the stress and monotony of the day will have a profound effect on all aspects of your life and your personality.
Thanks for reading...
The next post, "OBE 0002," will continue last weeks discussion with tips and methods for the beginner practicing astral projection.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Out of Body Experiences - 0001
Out of body experiences are one of the most interesting and mysterious human phenomenons. Although it’s been studied and practiced for thousands of years, most people today tend to dismiss these subjects as unimportant and unrewarding. Many are too caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life to be bothered exploring their dreams or practicing mind expansion techniques. Let’s face it, most of us don’t have the time or patience to commit to investigating strange new ideas that we’re not even sure if we believe. I’m afraid we have abandoned an important part of life and the human equation. Ancient Egyptian writings plainly show that the ancients were practicing astral projection thousands of years ago. Ancient Egyptians healers were known to separate a seriously injured patient’s consciousness from their physical body while the body healed; a sort of ancient form of the induced coma. It’s quite possible that ancient scientists had a better understanding of the mind than modern humans. There is a theory that ancient man gained advanced knowledge through astral visits with higher beings, also that ancient people may have shared information with each other through astral visits. This would explain why many ancient ruins appear to be constructed using the same technology. Personally, I always felt that we don’t give ancient people enough credit when it comes to traveling. It’s possible that ancient artists and architects traveled around the world teaching people their skills. They also may have had better communication systems in place than we give them credit for. However, it is intriguing to think that long ago high kings or priests may have been communicating using only the mind, possibly even communicating through the barriers of time and space.
I know it sounds fantastical to think that people have an ancient, lost ability to use their minds to travel outside of our own dimension but it only takes one experience to turn a person into a believer. Once you meet a spirit or explore life without its earthly limitations, you might start to feel that your priorities are out of wack. Of course it’s important to keep your earthly affairs in order but it’s also important to keep your mind fine tuned and prepared for everything. When an accident victim finds themselves outside of their body, or suffers through a near death experience, they will usually discover that they now have a fresh, new, appreciation for life. Things that were important priorities the day before the accident are now considered trivial and unimportant. Before the accident they may have been planning a makeover for the living room and afterward they decide that the living room looks fine the way it is and they decide to use the money to buy the kids martial arts lessons instead. The accident victim ultimately decides that the furniture in the living room is adequate and the martial arts lessons will teach the kids courage and self discipline. After a serious trauma the victim might even be left with some type of residual side effect like being able to see auras, seeing spirits, or some level of psychic awareness. It’s not uncommon for a person experimenting with lucid dreaming and astral travel to experience a similar epiphany. They may feel more content with their place in the universe and cut loose the minutia of daily life, which causes nothing but damaging stress. They may also adapt a simpler way of living life and appreciating things that are more spiritually fulfilling.
When a baby is first born into our world it is confused and afraid. It has just come from a place where everything was warm and friendly and all of a sudden it was pulled into a bright, cold place and wrapped in a strange fabric. The baby doesn’t have any idea what is going on in life and is 100% completely dependent on its mother (and others) to feed, protect and teach it everything it needs to know to survive. Humans are probably the most dependent babies born on the planet. OK, maybe most babies share the same basic attributes at birth but Human babies stay dependent longer than almost any other species. After we’ve lived our entire life, when we finally pass from this world, many people who have had near death experiences report that we go into a bright light and recap our life along the way. When we pass into this light, people have reported warm, peaceful bliss, reuniting with lost family and friends and all sorts of wonderful things. In our next reality it might be helpful to have some type of mind skills. It wouldn’t make sense if everything we do and learn in this life simply ends and something new starts back at “square one”. Of course life doesn’t always make sense either… I suppose it’s equally possible that our energy gets redirected in so many ways that it’s impossible to hold it all together but if we do move on, it might be helpful to be able to keep our conscious mind in-tact long enough to choose a path or to pick our next life, whatever it may be. If you have no abilities and simply let yourself get swept away to the next plateau, you might find yourself back in a place where you are dependent on others to survive. You might even end up in a situation where it’s hard to hold yourself together, literally! If you can’t hold your mind together it might just get swept into a large energy field and disperse, who knows?
There is a fine line separating out of body experiences (OBE’s), near death experiences (NDE’s) and astral projection. Most OBE’s are experienced by ordinary people who suffer some sort of trauma. For example; the victim of a car accident who is pinned beneath a truck might feel their consciousness separate from their body, they would virtually watch the events unfold as a spectator or even float out of their body and watch the scene from above. Some people can leave their bodies at will, this is known as Astral Projection. I’ve heard of cases where a person who becomes paralyzed or looses their legs gains the ability to travel outside of their body. Most people have to practice often to experience astral travel and everyone has the ability to learn. Astral projection is sometimes confused with lucid dreaming. Even though a lucid dreamer is “waking up” inside of their dream and exploring those realms, they are usually still in a dream. It is believed that astral projection actually takes place in what’s known as “A” sleep rather than R.E.M. or “D” sleep. An astral traveler’s consciousness is free to explore dream worlds, the astral planes, the material or mundane plane (our reality), anywhere …yes anywhere. Astral travelers have even been known to explore space. (You knew space had to get in the picture sooner or later!).
When you first decide to attempt astral projection you should plan it for a time when you know that you are not going to be disturbed, a time that you can be truly relaxed. Turn the ringers off on your telephones, make sure there are no visitors, the less distraction the better. If possible get a wake up device that can be set to wake you up to soft music. You never want to be woken up by a loud bell or buzzer, even a clock radio can startle you with the blare of a loud DJ or commercial. Remove any earthly anchors (jewelry) and leave them on the nightstand. Try not to cross any of your limbs. What you are trying to achieve is the right level of meditation, the correct frequency to bring on the vibrations. Many colors will begin flashing in brilliant patterns before you begin to detach. Some people hear explosions when they break free. When you separate from your body you may float up to the ceiling or you might feel the bed drop out from beneath you. You’ve probably felt the sensation of abruptly falling just before you ”fall” to sleep, this is no different. The truly difficult part is riding out that initial detachment so that you don’t just wake-up instantly. As with anything, a little practice can go a long way.
This topic will continue in the next post, “OBE 0002”
Thanks for reading…
I know it sounds fantastical to think that people have an ancient, lost ability to use their minds to travel outside of our own dimension but it only takes one experience to turn a person into a believer. Once you meet a spirit or explore life without its earthly limitations, you might start to feel that your priorities are out of wack. Of course it’s important to keep your earthly affairs in order but it’s also important to keep your mind fine tuned and prepared for everything. When an accident victim finds themselves outside of their body, or suffers through a near death experience, they will usually discover that they now have a fresh, new, appreciation for life. Things that were important priorities the day before the accident are now considered trivial and unimportant. Before the accident they may have been planning a makeover for the living room and afterward they decide that the living room looks fine the way it is and they decide to use the money to buy the kids martial arts lessons instead. The accident victim ultimately decides that the furniture in the living room is adequate and the martial arts lessons will teach the kids courage and self discipline. After a serious trauma the victim might even be left with some type of residual side effect like being able to see auras, seeing spirits, or some level of psychic awareness. It’s not uncommon for a person experimenting with lucid dreaming and astral travel to experience a similar epiphany. They may feel more content with their place in the universe and cut loose the minutia of daily life, which causes nothing but damaging stress. They may also adapt a simpler way of living life and appreciating things that are more spiritually fulfilling.
When a baby is first born into our world it is confused and afraid. It has just come from a place where everything was warm and friendly and all of a sudden it was pulled into a bright, cold place and wrapped in a strange fabric. The baby doesn’t have any idea what is going on in life and is 100% completely dependent on its mother (and others) to feed, protect and teach it everything it needs to know to survive. Humans are probably the most dependent babies born on the planet. OK, maybe most babies share the same basic attributes at birth but Human babies stay dependent longer than almost any other species. After we’ve lived our entire life, when we finally pass from this world, many people who have had near death experiences report that we go into a bright light and recap our life along the way. When we pass into this light, people have reported warm, peaceful bliss, reuniting with lost family and friends and all sorts of wonderful things. In our next reality it might be helpful to have some type of mind skills. It wouldn’t make sense if everything we do and learn in this life simply ends and something new starts back at “square one”. Of course life doesn’t always make sense either… I suppose it’s equally possible that our energy gets redirected in so many ways that it’s impossible to hold it all together but if we do move on, it might be helpful to be able to keep our conscious mind in-tact long enough to choose a path or to pick our next life, whatever it may be. If you have no abilities and simply let yourself get swept away to the next plateau, you might find yourself back in a place where you are dependent on others to survive. You might even end up in a situation where it’s hard to hold yourself together, literally! If you can’t hold your mind together it might just get swept into a large energy field and disperse, who knows?
There is a fine line separating out of body experiences (OBE’s), near death experiences (NDE’s) and astral projection. Most OBE’s are experienced by ordinary people who suffer some sort of trauma. For example; the victim of a car accident who is pinned beneath a truck might feel their consciousness separate from their body, they would virtually watch the events unfold as a spectator or even float out of their body and watch the scene from above. Some people can leave their bodies at will, this is known as Astral Projection. I’ve heard of cases where a person who becomes paralyzed or looses their legs gains the ability to travel outside of their body. Most people have to practice often to experience astral travel and everyone has the ability to learn. Astral projection is sometimes confused with lucid dreaming. Even though a lucid dreamer is “waking up” inside of their dream and exploring those realms, they are usually still in a dream. It is believed that astral projection actually takes place in what’s known as “A” sleep rather than R.E.M. or “D” sleep. An astral traveler’s consciousness is free to explore dream worlds, the astral planes, the material or mundane plane (our reality), anywhere …yes anywhere. Astral travelers have even been known to explore space. (You knew space had to get in the picture sooner or later!).
When you first decide to attempt astral projection you should plan it for a time when you know that you are not going to be disturbed, a time that you can be truly relaxed. Turn the ringers off on your telephones, make sure there are no visitors, the less distraction the better. If possible get a wake up device that can be set to wake you up to soft music. You never want to be woken up by a loud bell or buzzer, even a clock radio can startle you with the blare of a loud DJ or commercial. Remove any earthly anchors (jewelry) and leave them on the nightstand. Try not to cross any of your limbs. What you are trying to achieve is the right level of meditation, the correct frequency to bring on the vibrations. Many colors will begin flashing in brilliant patterns before you begin to detach. Some people hear explosions when they break free. When you separate from your body you may float up to the ceiling or you might feel the bed drop out from beneath you. You’ve probably felt the sensation of abruptly falling just before you ”fall” to sleep, this is no different. The truly difficult part is riding out that initial detachment so that you don’t just wake-up instantly. As with anything, a little practice can go a long way.
This topic will continue in the next post, “OBE 0002”
Thanks for reading…
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Dreams 0003
Did you ever wonder where dreams come from? Did you ever wonder why dreams occur at all? Are dreams a doorway to other dimensions, a taste of the afterlife, or could dreams simply be the “residue of the day?” (Demhoff, 2001,2003) a bi-product of the active mind from making decisions and being awake all day?
I like to think that dreams are more than just a by-product. Not all dreams are alike, some have the feeling of fantasy and others feel more like reality. I feel that dreams are not only reflections of our inner consciousness but places that we can visit and interact with while in our waking consciousness.
The characters in our dreams are more likely to be friends and acquaintances rather than thieves and scary monsters. Dreams often have a unique set of rules which apply only to that particular dream. The rules in dreamland are governed by the fears and limitations of the dreamer. Did you ever have a dream that should be a nightmare but your mind is treating it like a game or TV program? Something that should be very scary seems perfectly normal for some reason. Then you’ll have a simple dream about the most trivial little thing and it will feel like a horrible nightmare! I guess any rules that exist in dreamland are loosely written.
Many people believe that we act out forbidden fantasies in our dreams, but there isn’t actually any evidence to back that up. Sigmund Freud theorized that dreams express unconscious wishes and urges, impulses that we “sensor” during waking life. This isn’t always the case but I'm sure it's accurate for some people. The more control you have of your dream world, the more you will be able to control their content and indulge in hidden desires. Personally, If I wake up inside a dream I tend to stay within the current dream scenario instead of instantly changing my surroundings. If I start changing things too fast or thinking too much I may instantaneously wake up in bed. One time I found myself driving in a dream and I started realizing that I didn’t have to drive, I knew that I was in a dream and I could just think myself to wherever I was going. I know that I instantly arrived at my destination but I don’t remember anything more. Sometimes that type of experience will initiate a lucid dream and other times I’ll just have that one moment of clarity and then get pulled back into a standard dream. Just as it’s easy to wake up while attempting to gain consciousness in a dream, it is just as easy to get pulled back into deeper sleep. Achieving lucidity really requires a fine balance. Once you identify where your personal line is, it eventually becomes easier to reach your goal.
When trying to interpret a dream it’s best to do it yourself. With a little practice you can learn to interpret pretty well. Only the dreamer knows what certain objects and places within their dream world might signify. An outsider can only tell you what certain images symbolize. Maybe you dream about water frequently because you were an Arctic fisherman in your past life or maybe it's simply because you have a weak bladder! A common mistake when trying to interpret your dreams is to look too deep for hidden meaning, you can usually find your answer right on the surface. If you are looking forward to a tropic vacation in the near future, you may start dreaming about the beach but it’s more common to dream about places after you’ve been there and the event has already happened.
I believe people can dream of places and events that haven’t happened yet but it’s not commonplace. Our minds simply aren’t accustomed to delving into future matters. A person who has an open mind about time and what “time” is, might experience dreams and premonitions of future events more often. A few years ago I had a lucid dream that left me with a weird feeling. As with most lucid dreams, when I woke up I remembered everything very clearly. There were many strange people in this dream, I knew that I never met any of these people but also knew somehow that they were my friends. I noticed how everything felt far removed from present day life but everything felt right. I was working at a job that I never actually had and when I woke up I wondered why I was dreaming about working in a weird office and doing a different job? I wasn’t sure exactly what my position was but I remembered thinking that it was a job that I wouldn’t typically apply for. About seven years later, while I was working for Waldner’s Business Environments as the Service Dispatcher, I was suddenly hit with an intense Déjà-vu sensation. I immediately knew what my mind was flashing back to that weird dream from long ago about that strange job. The people who were standing around me in the dream were the same people who I now worked with at the office. While I was working at that job I never thought back to that dream or connected the two experiences. It wasn’t until I felt the intense Déjà-vu feeling that day that my mind connected the two events.
What many people don’t realize is that everyone dreams differently. Some people experience lucid dreams much more frequently than others. For these people the dream world is more like an amusement park than a movie. They are typically unaware of their gift because from their perspective everyone can control their own dreams. They don’t realize that others, like myself, have to work much harder to achieve a lucid dream. Everyone has the ability to achieve lucid dreaming. It starts by making a conscious effort to remember your dreams. Writing them down is essential and it’s also a good idea to include brief comments about the dreams. You would be surprised how much those little comments help when you go back to read that dream years later. Some people also like to draw images from their dreams. Drawing images helps the dreamer to recall more details about a dream.
The next step is to try manipulating your dreams. This can be done with music, television or even just by repeating an idea in your head as you fall asleep. Once you figure out how to manipulate your dream you can try to use that manipulation as a cue to wake up inside your dream. I will get into some techniques and exercises in future posts, but the most important thing is to have patience, don’t be discouraged if you don’t remember anything for a month, or even longer. Lucid dreams may not happen often but when they do they usually leave the dreamer with an exhilarating, refreshing feeling that might even last all day.
Thanks for reading…
I like to think that dreams are more than just a by-product. Not all dreams are alike, some have the feeling of fantasy and others feel more like reality. I feel that dreams are not only reflections of our inner consciousness but places that we can visit and interact with while in our waking consciousness.
The characters in our dreams are more likely to be friends and acquaintances rather than thieves and scary monsters. Dreams often have a unique set of rules which apply only to that particular dream. The rules in dreamland are governed by the fears and limitations of the dreamer. Did you ever have a dream that should be a nightmare but your mind is treating it like a game or TV program? Something that should be very scary seems perfectly normal for some reason. Then you’ll have a simple dream about the most trivial little thing and it will feel like a horrible nightmare! I guess any rules that exist in dreamland are loosely written.
Many people believe that we act out forbidden fantasies in our dreams, but there isn’t actually any evidence to back that up. Sigmund Freud theorized that dreams express unconscious wishes and urges, impulses that we “sensor” during waking life. This isn’t always the case but I'm sure it's accurate for some people. The more control you have of your dream world, the more you will be able to control their content and indulge in hidden desires. Personally, If I wake up inside a dream I tend to stay within the current dream scenario instead of instantly changing my surroundings. If I start changing things too fast or thinking too much I may instantaneously wake up in bed. One time I found myself driving in a dream and I started realizing that I didn’t have to drive, I knew that I was in a dream and I could just think myself to wherever I was going. I know that I instantly arrived at my destination but I don’t remember anything more. Sometimes that type of experience will initiate a lucid dream and other times I’ll just have that one moment of clarity and then get pulled back into a standard dream. Just as it’s easy to wake up while attempting to gain consciousness in a dream, it is just as easy to get pulled back into deeper sleep. Achieving lucidity really requires a fine balance. Once you identify where your personal line is, it eventually becomes easier to reach your goal.
When trying to interpret a dream it’s best to do it yourself. With a little practice you can learn to interpret pretty well. Only the dreamer knows what certain objects and places within their dream world might signify. An outsider can only tell you what certain images symbolize. Maybe you dream about water frequently because you were an Arctic fisherman in your past life or maybe it's simply because you have a weak bladder! A common mistake when trying to interpret your dreams is to look too deep for hidden meaning, you can usually find your answer right on the surface. If you are looking forward to a tropic vacation in the near future, you may start dreaming about the beach but it’s more common to dream about places after you’ve been there and the event has already happened.
I believe people can dream of places and events that haven’t happened yet but it’s not commonplace. Our minds simply aren’t accustomed to delving into future matters. A person who has an open mind about time and what “time” is, might experience dreams and premonitions of future events more often. A few years ago I had a lucid dream that left me with a weird feeling. As with most lucid dreams, when I woke up I remembered everything very clearly. There were many strange people in this dream, I knew that I never met any of these people but also knew somehow that they were my friends. I noticed how everything felt far removed from present day life but everything felt right. I was working at a job that I never actually had and when I woke up I wondered why I was dreaming about working in a weird office and doing a different job? I wasn’t sure exactly what my position was but I remembered thinking that it was a job that I wouldn’t typically apply for. About seven years later, while I was working for Waldner’s Business Environments as the Service Dispatcher, I was suddenly hit with an intense Déjà-vu sensation. I immediately knew what my mind was flashing back to that weird dream from long ago about that strange job. The people who were standing around me in the dream were the same people who I now worked with at the office. While I was working at that job I never thought back to that dream or connected the two experiences. It wasn’t until I felt the intense Déjà-vu feeling that day that my mind connected the two events.
What many people don’t realize is that everyone dreams differently. Some people experience lucid dreams much more frequently than others. For these people the dream world is more like an amusement park than a movie. They are typically unaware of their gift because from their perspective everyone can control their own dreams. They don’t realize that others, like myself, have to work much harder to achieve a lucid dream. Everyone has the ability to achieve lucid dreaming. It starts by making a conscious effort to remember your dreams. Writing them down is essential and it’s also a good idea to include brief comments about the dreams. You would be surprised how much those little comments help when you go back to read that dream years later. Some people also like to draw images from their dreams. Drawing images helps the dreamer to recall more details about a dream.
The next step is to try manipulating your dreams. This can be done with music, television or even just by repeating an idea in your head as you fall asleep. Once you figure out how to manipulate your dream you can try to use that manipulation as a cue to wake up inside your dream. I will get into some techniques and exercises in future posts, but the most important thing is to have patience, don’t be discouraged if you don’t remember anything for a month, or even longer. Lucid dreams may not happen often but when they do they usually leave the dreamer with an exhilarating, refreshing feeling that might even last all day.
Thanks for reading…
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