Read A Field Guide to Lucid Dreaming Online
Authors: Dylan Tuccillo,Jared Zeizel,Thomas Peisel
The natives don’t always look like human beings either.
Everything is alive and interactive in a dream. You can talk to a
flower, ask a teapot a question, or even speak to the dream itself.
A friend of ours once had an entire conversation with a bed frame.
Seldom do we stop and think about the characters that popu-
late our dreams, but the question must be asked: Who are these
people? It might be easy to write them off as random figments
of our imaginations, projections of our own minds that we cre-
ate subconsciously, but is that all they are? Are dream characters
merely background extras, or is there more to them? If you were to
speak to them, could they talk back? Might they have something
interesting to say?
Now that you’re aware inside a dream, it’s time to pay atten-
tion to the local population. Here you’ll discover:
b How dream characters differ from one another.
b Who these natives are.
b How and why you should interact with them.
I decide to spend my time in the dream world more construc-
tively and go look for chrissie (the woman whom I’d met as
a dream guide in the previous lucid dream). I see her across a
crowded street, stood in the shadows at the side looking like a
spy again . . . I say to her “What should I do next in life?” She
says, “All I can say is it’s got something to do with a charity shop
and something to do with decoration.” And I wake up. —JAck G.
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Meet the Natives
As in waking life, you’ll meet all sorts of characters in the
dream world, each character with a different level of aware-
ness. Some are conscious of what’s going on around them, some
have messages to give, some look like friends or acquaintances and
some are freakin’ morons. While you will see a wide range of per-
sonalities throughout your explorations, we’ve found that dream
characters (as well as nightmarish figures) gravitate
toward one of three basic personality types:
The Sleepwalker
Awareness: low
The Sleepwalker lacks awareness.
These characters walk around like
Deadheads after a jam-band concert.
Try to talk with them and they’ll spit
out some irrational gibberish. Despite
their lack of intelligence, treat the
Sleepwalkers as people and not props.
What if these characters are important parts
of your psyche? Or here’s a wild idea: Could
they be other dreamers, wrapped up in other
dream projections, their own inner worlds
invisible to you? Since we’re not sure what
dream characters are, give them a little respect,
will ya?
If your dream was a movie, they’d be the underpaid extras.
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The Friend
Awareness: medium-normal
This native doesn’t need to be a
waking world buddy of yours to be
a friend. These characters are eager
to talk and answer questions, and
they make excellent conversational-
ists. They may not understand when
you ask them if they know they’re
dreaming, but they are great allies
to have around if you need backup
in defeating a nightmare.
If your dream was a movie, they’d be
the supporting characters.
The Guide
Awareness: high
This type of native seems to know much more
than you do. They usually appear with some
important information to communicate, to help
guide you through the landscape of the dream
world or give you much needed advice to your
waking world problems. These natives will have
a quality about them that seems uniquely their
own; their presence is quite powerful. Often the
dream itself will be stable and sharp when you
are around them, as if your own focus and con-
sciousness is somehow affected by theirs. These
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SPIRIT GUIDES
historically, the term “spirit guide” generally refers to one or more entities who
protect, teach, and heal you on your physical journey into spiritual awareness.
The idea pops up in many cultures. It’s believed that an individual may have
more than one spirit guide, and a guide may change over the course of
someone’s lifetime. These beings are here to help us when we are in turmoil or
seeking assistance.
natives don’t necessarily need to take human form. Guides can
come in any shape or size.
If your dream was a movie, they’d be Yoda.
Why You Should Interact with Them
Sure, you can speak and interact with any kind of dream charac-
ter, but why should you bother? There are many other amazing
things to do in a lucid dream after all. We believe this activity is
worth your time for the following reasons:
b
Guidance.
Most notably, dream characters are an excellent res-
ervoir of knowledge and wisdom. Dreamers will benefit greatly
by speaking with the natives and asking questions. Go on, ask
them something about themselves, about you, or about the
dream world. Think of them as your tour guides. They prob-
ably have a thing or two to teach you.
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b
healing.
Besides guidance, a run-in with a dream character
is an opportunity to heal and learn more about yourself. Say
you’re dreaming about your father who has passed away many
years ago. Speaking to him, asking him questions you may
have always wished to ask, could have profound effects on your
waking life. Not only that, but facing and confronting aggres-
sive or hostile dream characters can likewise lead to integration
and healing.
b
dream sex.
Here we go. Nearly every lucid dreamer has had
dream sex. Even the more spiritual practitioners have gotten
down and dirty from time to time. Given the freedom to do
whatever you please without limitation, it’s completely under-
standable to follow your natural urges. We won’t judge you
or try to make you feel guilty, we’d be hypocrites if we did.
The lifelike detail of a lucid dream means that dream sex is no
exception.
Having sex while lucid can be an incredible experience,
but it can also be very distracting. Don’t get us wrong, have as
much dream sex as you like. Sleep with all the celebrities, rock
stars, and crushes you can get your hands on, but just keep
an eye on the bigger picture. Remember that you’re conscious
in the landscape of your own inner world. There is much to
explore and discover here, so at some point you’ll want to zip
up and move on.
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Conversing with the Natives