A lucid dreamer from Florida, Luis M., feels that lucid dreaming opens up an infinity of possibilities for the adventurous explorer. Welcome Luis!
When did you first learn about lucid dreaming? What did you think when you heard about it?
Around the age of 10 in school, we were told that as we reached puberty we would have a wet dream. Fascinated by this, I would wake up every morning wondering why I did not have one.
One night I had a dream where a woman appeared to me and we had sex, which I had never experienced in the physical. But in the dream world I woke up [became lucid] and was in what I believed was the wet dream. Aware that I was dreaming, I changed the woman into someone else repeatedly, about 10 times, and made love to each.
In the end a man appeared, and I decided to change him into a woman because I did not have such feelings for men. When I woke up I was not only excited in having what I believed at the time to be a wet dream, but amazed that I could do anything that I wanted within the dream world.
Did you have immediate success with lucid dreaming, or did it take a while? What happened in your early lucid dreams?
In the beginning I did not induce lucidity within my dreams through techniques and such. I simply accepted the dream that was placed as a sign of what was to come in the future. Although I must admit that when I first started entering the lucid state, I told myself that I wanted to prepare for the next day within my dreams. I wanted to study everything possible that would prepare me for the following day. As a result, once a part of me knew of lucid dreaming’s potential, I decided to use it for internal growth and physical progression without digging any deeper.
As you went along, did you have lucid dreams that surprised you? Or led to unexpected events? Tell us about those.
After years of growing deep within the dream state I felt the urge to connect and examine the dream world lucidly. I began recording my dreams for the first time in a journal; doing so I was able to vividly recollect past and current dreams.
What surprised me the most about lucid dreaming was the fact that one can be conscious and aware at every level of the dream state. In addition, you could be within multiple dreams and have this feeling. I took note of this when I saw my self looking at my self within five different dreams, consciously aware of each and separate at the same time. This intrigued me and lead me to wonder if things go even deeper within the dream state.
What was it about lucid dreaming that fascinated you?
The link between physical reality and the dream world is what I found the most fascinating. The fact that one can learn and develop things lucidly within themselves and see significant changes - not only within their own temples but in the actual physical reality that is around them. I recall in one dream knowing exactly what time it was in the physical world. When I woke physically, the time transcribed in the dream and seen in physical reality matched exactly.
What techniques were you using to become lucid? Which did you find most helpful?
At first, I would place a liter of water next to my bed and drink from it before going to sleep so that the sensation of going to the bathroom would wake me up during REM sleep. After doing this for the first time, I realized that as I woke to go to the bathroom, I remembered everything that happened within my dreams. Furthermore, I took note that as I laid back down re-entering my dream was like diving into water (at least the sensation feels as such).
As for other techniques to induce lucid dreaming? Well I found the water to be enough at first, and when this stopped working I tried doing Don Juan’s techniques of looking at my hands. This resulted in a series of false awakenings and frustrated me.
In the end I realized that techniques where not needed to become lucid. Techniques were just tools used by the physical "representation" of ourselves to understand that they were always the master of dreams within. I reached this understanding while being in a lucid dream and acting upon pleasures that I learned to control and let go of. The energy in the dream felt as if it was not mine - the actions as well - even though it all seemed as a regular "lucid play".
In the waking world I said, "That is not me," and I closed my doors towards lucidity and asked my higher self to restore order within. I understand now that one viewing themselves as human within (without discipline) can easily lose themselves to the infinite temptations and curiosities that lay within.
Can you share some of those lucid dreams?
Here is one of the first lucid dreams I had when using the water technique:
The show is about to start and my band is preparing to get on stage. As the crowd shouts with anticipation, within my private room I'm being interviewed by a beautiful reporter with my hot manager by my side. As the interview progresses, I remember my fans and come to the realization that I am dreaming. The realization that in the physical world I am not a rock star hit me, and as it did, I saw both of the beautiful women smile. They were part of my subconscious. I grabbed the blond with passion and made love to both of the women, fulfilling one of my deepest fantasies.
I was completely lucid. Her hair, back, smell, passion was surreal and as I began to realize this, I saw my spirit pulling away and just wanting to watch. I immediately took note of this and forced myself to stay lucid. After making love to them I woke up from the couch I was sleeping on in Austria and used the restroom.
Amazed at what I experienced I thanked God and saw myself entering the dream again. As I stared at the couch, I pictured myself diving back into my lucid dream as if diving into a body of water. I laid on the couch, drank some water, remembered my dream as I closed my eyes and dived back in.
Within my dreams I woke up lucidly aware and staring at an apartment building with over 30 floors, which is similar to the penthouse my family had in the Dominican Republic. The urge to climb the building like Spiderman came over me and I began to jump from story to story. Pulling myself up with my hands to the next floor... and as I saw myself defy gravity the sensation and urge to fly engulfed me and I wondered how I could do this as I held on to the building half way up.
I looked around with amazement at what I was doing and realized that I am master of my dreams and all I needed to do was think and manifest it. So I said to myself out loud, "There is no Gravity," and thought that gravity only exists in the physical and not here. Immediately I began to float up towards the heavens and happiness filled me for achieving this. As my body reached the clouds, the fear of floating into space came over me and I imagined God in the heavens holding me down with his hands. As I did this, I gained control of my body and was able to move as if in water... I could fly!!!
I looked down and marveled at the beauty of Santo Domingo, my birth land from a bird’s eye view. Condos, houses, monuments, covered by pockets of tropical trees all around. Beauty! I flew away from the city and flew across towards a desert with many plateaus. When I stopped, I saw my old friend Benedict next to me and asked him if he ever made love to someone in the air. "I do it all the time bro," he responded with a smirk. "You should try it," he said as he flew off with his girlfriend. I called for my wife Nantja and we made love in the clouds in full lucidity.
The following is what I entered in my journal after learning the technique from Don Juan:
Since the age of 10 I have been teaching myself how to lucid dream with the help of an article I had read at the time which taught one how to find clues of the dream state while asleep. Before this, my Aunt Olga had taught me how to eliminate and prevent nightmares at the age of four.
For years my knowledge within the dream world has grown to the point of clairvoyance. In addition, the vividness of my dreams along with my recollection of them had grown. I've noticed that everything from my diet to the hobbies I carry out through the day have a significant effect on my dreams when they are not lucid. For the past 18 years of experimenting and growing within the dream state, I have never recorded my dreams as suggested by those that practice the art of lucid dreaming. I have always had the want in me to do so but never manifested the discipline until today 4/9/2014. In effect I will begin by recording my dream last night and proceed by recording all of the dreams I remember throughout my life. In addition, I will jot down the teachings used for prolonging REM sleep, initiating lucid dreams and interpretations of key dreams I've had throughout my life.
For the past few months I have lost control of my dreams and have let negative habits that I will speak of later control them. After realizing what was happening, I've begun to detox my body and filter the content that I exposed myself to. For the first time I've obtained a book to help me with my lucid dreaming titled, "Control Your Dreams". I have not dwelled far into it but decided to try one of the first steps it recommends taken from a passage within the book Journey to Ixtlan by Carlos Castañeda.
Briefly it states to look at your hands within the dream world and once they change to focus on another point, and then to look at one’s hands again. I meditated on this before I went to sleep and placed a liter of water next to my bed as I usually do when I want to practice lucid dreaming or wake up during REM sleep. As I would reach the point of entering my dream, I would tell myself to look at my hands, I would then realize that I was still awake and in the physical world. This happened three times before falling asleep towards profound sleep.
When I awoke, I had the eerie notion that one of the moments that I looked at my hands and dismissed it for the real world I was actually dreaming. I dreamt that I was attempting to lucid dream and some force within me did not want me to be king of my dreams but wanted me to be its queen and watch. I recalled the struggle throughout the night and felt it as I tried to recall my dreams. As I digged deeper into what had happened, the recollection of the dream I had last night returned. Apparently, I had a vivid dream after the struggle where I was in a medicinal marijuana shop, checking out the various exotic buds available. Within the dream I realized that I had been there, though I had never been there in the physical plane. I also remembered that the last time I was there I had stolen some weed from the shop before and wanted to do it again. As I thought this, my moral self felt conflicted and I told myself that I do not steal in real life and wondered why I was doing it within the dream?
The notion that I had done it before returned to me and I decided to repeat the step I took the last time I was here. I took a hand full of samples as the clerk looked away and proceeded to the bathroom. There I place the weed in my pockets and as I exited the bathroom took out 80% of the bud to put back on the shelf. As I did this the clerk came up to me and said that some merchandise was missing and asked if I knew anything about it? I immediately asked what was missing and she said, ‘Coke.’ I felt relieved because I had never done coke in my life and explained this to her. She then looked at my pockets and said, ‘Its ok I believe you.’ As she said this I looked towards the cashier and saw a tall man arguing. I knew it was the coke thief and used the distraction to escape. I was then in a room looking at the different buds of weed within my bag admiring them as if precious stones.
Did lucid dreaming seem to have rules? Or did it seem random and chaotic?
Yes, discipline of the mind, body, and soul is required to fully realize one’s potential within a lucid dream. It seems to be the key factor not only in the dream state but of also physical reality to achieve and attain one’s goals. If one does not have the discipline of self control to the point where they can identify where a desire or urge comes from then they could easily "fall" within.
For the LDE readers, Luis suggested this to me, “For the next set of questions ask yourself what the topic should be before going to sleep tonight and surprise me with the questions tomorrow.” So I fell asleep last night with the intent to naturally know the questions to ask when I awoke. My first dream had some surprising elements, which made me wonder if they connected with Luis. Then in my next dream, I became lucid, and initially flew around and had fun. At some point in a church hall, I recalled that I needed the questions for Luis, and asked a dream figure if it could help get those questions. The dream figure agreed. Later, that dream figure appeared and explained that he had placed the questions inside a letter, which he handed to me. There was some writing on the outside, and I recalled a look at it briefly and saw there is some word like 'Mercado' or 'Maceda' followed by another word, like 'Magrata' or something like that.
Because the setting of the lucid dream was a church hall, I will first ask about lucid dreaming and spiritual matters. Have you used lucid dreaming to explore spiritual topics? Can you give us an example of a lucid dream with a spiritual theme?
Well before I answer the question, I would like you to know that I am a trader (I analyze and trade the markets). So when you say ‘mercado’ which means market in Spanish, I am intrigued. I wish you would have read that letter! LOL!
Yes, in my dreams I searched for the relationship between the spiritual knowledge I had attained as a Christian and searched for the similarities shown in other religions and practices.
I awoke, full spirit, rejecting the flesh and all of its sins. I did not want to eat as before, I wanted to enjoy every texture and flavor that my tongue touched. I wanted to feel everything within my surroundings as a baby when born. But with the memories of old and the Knowledge and experience of all within my DNA... My ancestors. I felt the heart of all the souls around me,
I felt their wants, their needs, their pain, and I cried for their love, without tears, but with my heart. I told them to accept me as love, for that is all I was.
The world heard my cries and felt my chi rise as they played and toiled with the profound belief of God within. I touched the Soul of the earth and embraced all who rule it. The Dreamer within awoke and absorbed the hearts of all that it touched - seeing through their riddles and shielding me inside. The love child that was blinded by the world when he first saw light. I cherish those days and have now grown. I analyzed them all and learned from every Spiritual master that touched my Soul, saying Jesus is my heart and I am the Holy Spirit that lives within us all. I rearranged my dreams and placed order in a Universe plagued with Chaos.
As you see it, how does lucid dreaming (or being aware deep within the unconscious) assist spiritual growth? Does the depth of lucid dreaming make spiritual matters easier to access?
I believe that recognizing one’s dreams with any significance constitutes it as spiritual. I say this because since birth I have always been told by my parents that my dreams are God’s domain and have always seen that aspect of life as spiritual.
As for progressing in spiritual knowledge once lucid, I believe it opens up our worlds "ten times fold". We immediately take note that there is something clearly beyond what is physical.
Lucidity within the dream state made me realize that our universe is indeed infinite both within and without, which has led me to see the reason the majority of religions set moral boundaries around their character. I say this because while in the physical we are limited in the capacity that we can exceed certain wants, "needs," or pleasures, but within our dreams if we do not have certain boundaries established in ourself, we can easily get lost in all the wonders and curiosities that exist in the infinite.
This happened to me... I fell deep within the rabbit hole, saw myself infinite in personalities and noted that the only thing that was keeping me sane within the physical was the spiritual knowledge that I had learned within the physical and through lucid dreaming.
My higher self showed me how chaotic the universe within myself was and through many trials showed me how to discipline my spirit, my mind, my body, my soul... in all honesty growing spiritually felt like the physical was the donkey and my soul "higher self" was the one riding me using the "carrot on a stick" technique to push me forward in my progression (the carrot being knowledge and spiritual growth). Because at first things are not instant... the journey was frustrating at first... but in the end the rider always "feeds the horse" (that kept me going)
As you have gone deeper into lucid dreaming, how has your view of dream figures changed? In my lucid dream, I asked a dream figure to help me, and later, it returned with a letter (which now I wished I had opened and read!).
I no longer see dream figures. I see the reflection of those that I have touched, seen, smelled, heard, or connected with in various wavelengths. This is because after waking up as the dreamer within the physical and letting go of thoughts, I immediately began to understand that those that I see within my dreams are all guides that exist within this physical plane of existence but project themselves within our dreams. This is because of the fact that during my awakening I felt connected with all life forms and asked the infinite within to teach me from every "eyes" perspective. In essence, I truly believe that even you who reads this now has shared some knowledge to allow my spiritual growth.
Have you ever been surprised by a dream figure who seemed to know as much as you? Or maybe, even more than you?!
Yes, I’ll answer this with a lucid dream I had:
We - Richard and I - were promised the world by the masters, but we returned from battle disappointed and I felt surprised the Gates towards the kingdom were closed. Out of the fifty men with us was a giant as tall as three men and with the strength of Samson. Within I knew the gate was shut with crazy glue and our giant would have no problem opening the gates for us. He rushed towards the gate and with the help of every man broke the doors. Light seeped into the cave, towards the planes of divinity we've returned.
I jumped from life to life, exploring realms within my dreams. An archbishop approached me within the Gardens of Divinity. He asked what troubled me. I responded,
"I simply do not know when to think and when to know. I understand that there is a place for intellect and one for wisdom (Divinity) but I do not know how to use it at the same time." I looked at the bishop’s eyes as we approached our chairs within the garden and told him with my soul that I wished to speak as he did within both worlds at the same time. He smiled as he sat down. I sat next to him and pondered.
The fact that the bishop smiled as he sat down and stayed silent instead of answering me showed me that I already knew the answers to my troubles. The fact that it was a bishop that appeared showed me that I had been training with the divine within. The fact that I had jumped from life to life searching for my answers showed me that I was connected to all things but needed time to understand the truth that was within me. This tells me that it is the physical representation of oneself searching for the answers and not one’s true form.
At the end of my lucid dream, a young petite woman came and sensually hugged me. In your first lucid dream, you mention that the dream figure and you had sex (which is something that you had not experienced in the physical realm by that time). Does there seem some natural connection between lucid dreaming and sexual feelings? Or do the waking thoughts during the day appear in our dreams and lucid dreams, and we respond to the ‘energy’ of those daytime feelings?
I dreamt as such because my teachers were systematically repeating to their students that such an occurrence would happen. As for the dream figure approaching you in such way, I believe it is just what we expect from our instincts that triggered that scenario in your case. To clarify, we as humans tend to fall to our carnal desires easier than anything else - for is that not how man who tried to conquer the world fell? Through their carnal desires, like a woman that they craved, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and others fell? In effect our most vulnerable feeling as men is sex. I believe she was just trying to see if the sensuality would make you fall from lucidity or stay focused.
Final thoughts to share with other lucid dreamers?
A quote from Mary Shelley (1797-1851) In the Introduction to Frankenstein or, the Modern Prometheus; (1818)
My dreams were all my own!
I accounted for them to nobody;
They were my refuge when annoyed-
My dearest pleasure when free.
This article was released in issue from
March 2019
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