265 lines
13 KiB
Plaintext
265 lines
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Plaintext
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(word processor parameters LM=8, RM=75, TM=2, BM=2)
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Taken from KeelyNet BBS (214) 324-3501
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Sponsored by Vangard Sciences
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PO BOX 1031
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Mesquite, TX 75150
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There are ABSOLUTELY NO RESTRICTIONS
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on duplicating, publishing or distributing the
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files on KeelyNet except where noted!
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May 16, 1993
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DREAMS.ASC
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This file shared with KeelyNet courtesy of Brian Pressler.
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Design Your Own Dreams
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[THIS FEATURE IS PART OF AN EXPERIMENT BEING SPONSORED BY OMNI TO
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HELP SCIENTISTS REFINE CERTAIN DREAM TECHNIQUES NOW BEING STUDIED
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IN THE LAB. THE FULL EXPERIMENT APPEARS IN THE APRIL OMNI
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MAGAZINE. THE EXERCISES PRESENTED HERE ARE FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT
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WANT TO ATTEMPT A LITTLE LUCID DREAMING ON THEIR OWN.]
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Most people don't realize they've been dreaming until after
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they've awakened and the dream has come to an end. Some people,
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however, are conscious that they're dreaming. These people --
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called LUCID dreamers -- can literally direct the content of a
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dream, scientists have discovered, deciding perhaps to talk
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physics with Einstein, woo and marry a movie star, or assume the
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powers of Superman. For those who have acquired the knack of
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lucidity, the benefits can be enormous:
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Lucid dreaming gives one the chance to experience unique and
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compelling adventures rarely surpassed elsewhere in life. These
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experiences can enhance self-confidence and promote personal
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growth and self-development. By facing fears and learning to
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make the best of the worst situation imaginable, lucid dreamers
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can overcome nightmares. Because recent scientific studies have
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demonstrated a strong connection between dreams and the
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biological functioning of the body, lucid dreams might facilitate
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physical as well as mental health. And finally, because lucid
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dreaming allows us to tap the power of the unconscious, it may
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also be useful for creative problem solving.
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After nearly a decade of piloting these daring nocturnal flights,
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2 psychologists -- Stephen LaBerge of Stanford University and
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author of LUCID DREAMING [Ballantine], and Jayne Gackenbach of
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the University of Northern Iowa -- have begun to develop a series
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of techniques aimed at helping ordinary dreamers "turn" lucid and
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lucid dreamers gain greater control over the woolly behemoth of
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night. These special techniques, still under development, have
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never before been presented in a public forum. To direct your
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own nightly dream-time show, please attempt exercises one, two,
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three and four as outlined below. LaBerge and Gackenback suggest
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that you do the tasks as often as possible over a 2-week period.
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Some people may succeed in having a lucid dream the first night
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they use the techniques; others, the researchers note, may need
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Page 1
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to practice for several weeks before getting results.
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EXERCISE ONE
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A number of techniques facilitate lucid dreaming. One of the
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simplest is asking yourself many times during the day whether you
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are dreaming. Each time you ask the question, you should look
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for evidence proving you are not dreaming. The most reliable
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test: Read something, look away for a moment, and then read it
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again. If it reads the same way twice, it is unlikely that you
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are dreaming. After you have proved to yourself that you are not
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presently dreaming, visualize yourself doing whatever it is you'd
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like. Also, tell yourself that you want to recognize a nighttime
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dream the next time it occurs. The mechanism at work here is
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simple; it's much the same as picking up milk at the grocery
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store after reminding yourself to do so an hour before.
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At night people usually realize they are dreaming when they
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experience unusual or bizarre occurrences. For instance, if you
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find yourself flying without visible means of support, you should
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realize that this happens only in dreams and that you must
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therefore be dreaming. If you awaken from a dream in the middle
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of the night, it is very helpful to return to the dream
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immediately, in your imagination. Now envision yourself
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recognizing the dream as such. Tell yourself, "The next time I
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am dreaming, I want to remember to recognize that I am dreaming."
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If your intention is strong and clear enough, you may find
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yourself in a lucid dream when you return to sleep.
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EXERCISE TWO: DREAM FLYING
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Many lucid dreamers report dreams in which they fly unaided, much
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like Superman. Some lucid dreamers say that flying is a
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thrilling means of travel; others, that it has helped them return
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from one of the more harrowing dream experiences -- the endless
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fall. Flying is so important because it's a form of dream
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control that's fairly easy to master. It gives the dreamer an
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exhilirating sense of freedom. And it's a basic means of travel
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in the dream world. During the 2-week period of your experiment,
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try to focus on dream flight. If you're falling, turn that fall
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into flight: Remember, there's no gravity in dreams. And if
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you're simply going from here to there, do it with flight. This
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simple activity will cue you in to the fact that you are, after
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all, in a dream.
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How do you make dream flight happen at all? We suggest that
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before you retire for bed, you simply repeat these words:
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"Tonight I fly!" Then, while still awake, imagine that journey.
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If you find yourself flying, it will be a clear sign that you are
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in a dream. In any case, when you realize you're dreaming,
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remember that you want to fly. When you actually feel yourself
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flying, say, "This is a dream." Make sure you start modestly, by
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simply floating above the surface of your dream ground. As you
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gain confidence both in the notion that you are dreaming and in
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your ability to control that experience, you might experiment
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with flying a bit more. Run, taking big leaps, and then stay
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aloft for a few seconds, so that you resemble an astronaut
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walking on the moon. Try sustained floating and then flying at
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low altitudes.
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Page 2
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As your confidence increases, so will your flying skills. While
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asleep, work on increasing your altitude, maneuverability, and
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speed. As with speed sports, you should perfect height and
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maneuverability before speed. Of course, you couldn't really
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hurt yourself -- it's only a dream. But you COULD get scared.
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After you have become proficient in dream flying, remember to ask
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yourself these questions: "How high can I fly? Can I view the
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earth from outer space? Can I travel so fast that I lose
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awareness of my surroundings and experience the sensation of pure
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speed?" Throughout your efforts in dream flight, remember that
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you're in a dream. With this in mind, your fear will be held at
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bay, and your control over the dream will be greatly enhanced.
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EXERCISE THREE: DREAM SPINNING
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Even if you're a frequent lucid dreamer, you may not be able to
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stop yourself from waking up in mid-drem. And even if your
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dreams do reach a satisfying end, you may not be able to focus
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them exactly as you please. During our years of research,
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however, we have found that spinning your dream body can sustain
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the period of sleep and give you greater dream control. In fact,
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many subjects at Stanford University have used the spinning
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technique as an effective means of staying in a lucid dream. The
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task outlined below will help you use spinning as a means of
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staying asleep, and, more exciting, as a means of traveling to
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whatever dream world you desire.
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As with dream flying, the dream spinning task starts before you
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go to bed. Before retiring, decide on a person, time, and place
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you would like to visit in your lucid dream. The target person
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and place can be either real or imaginary, past, present or
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future. Write down and memorize your target person and place,
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then visualize yourself visiting your target and firmly resolve
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to do so in a dream that night. When following this procedure,
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it's possible that you might find yourself visiting your target
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in a nonlucid dream; you will be aware that this has happened, of
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course, only after you awaken. Nevertheless, you should strive
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for lucidity by following the techniques outlined in exercise
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one. Then proceed to your goal.
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To do so, repeat the phrase describing your target in your dream,
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and spin your whole dream body in a standing position with your
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arms outstretched. You can pirouette or spin like a top, as long
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as you vividly feel your body in motion. The same spinning
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technique will help when, in the middle of a lucid dream, you
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feel the dream imagery beginning to fade. To avoid waking up,
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spin as you repeat your target phrase again and again. With
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practice, you'll return to your target person, time and place.
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When spinning, try to notice whether you are moving in a
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clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
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EXERCISE FOUR: CREATIVE DREAMING
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Up until now we have had little control over the occurrence of
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creative dreams. But with lucid dreaming it may be possible to
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intentionally access the creativity of the dream state. You can
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help determine the feasibility of this idea by attempting to
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solve a problem in a lucid dream. Before bed, decide on a
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problem you would like to solve. Frame your problem in the form
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Page 3
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of a question. For example, "What is the topic of my next book?"
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"How can I become less shy?" If you have an illness, you might
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consider the problem, "How can I regain my health?"
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Once you have selected a problem question, write it down and
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memorize it. When doing the lucid-dreaming introduction
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exercises, remember your question and see yourself looking for
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the answer in your next lucid dream. Then, when in a lucid
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dream, ask the question and seek the solution. You might be most
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successful at problem solving if you try a direct approach. For
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instance, if your problem is health, try to heal yourself in your
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dream. Then reflect on how your dream solution relates to the
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waking problem. It may help to question other dream characters,
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especially if they represent people who you think might know the
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answer. You can even combine this task with the dream spinning
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and flying tasks, visiting an expert on your problem. You can
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also just explore your dream world with your question in mind,
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looking for any clues that might suggest an answer.
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If you have comments or other information relating to such topics
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as this paper covers, please upload to KeelyNet or send to the
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Vangard Sciences address as listed on the first page.
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Thank you for your consideration, interest and support.
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Jerry W. Decker.........Ron Barker...........Chuck Henderson
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Vangard Sciences/KeelyNet
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If we can be of service, you may contact
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Jerry at (214) 324-8741 or Ron at (214) 242-9346
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Page 4
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