265 lines
14 KiB
Plaintext
265 lines
14 KiB
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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June 23, 1991
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LUCID1.ASC
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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This information was taken from OMNI magazine, April or June 87,
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so I'm sure that it is copywrited.
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Do not reprint as your own work or charge!
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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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 lucid dreamers,
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scientists have discovered, can literally direct their actions and
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change the content of a dream, deciding perhaps to talk physics with
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Einstein, woo and marry a movie star, or assume the powers of
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Superman.
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After nearly a decade of piloting these daring nocturnal flights,
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two psychologists - Stephen LaBerge of Stanford University, author
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of LUCID DREAMING (Ballentine), and Jayne Gackenbach of the
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University of Northern Iowa - have begun to develop a series of
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techniques aimed at helping ordinary dreamers "turn" lucid, and
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lucid dreamers gain greater control over the wooly behemoth of the
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night. These special techniques, still under development, have never
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before been presented in a public forum.
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For those who have aquired the knack of lucidity, the benefits
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can be enormous. Lucid dreaming gives one the chance to experience
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adventures rarely surpassed elsewhere in life. These experiences can
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enhance self-confidence and promote personal growth and self-
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development. By facing fears and learning to make the best of the
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worst situation imaginable, lucid dreamers can overcome nightmares.
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Because recent scientific studies have demonstrated a strong
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connection between dreams and the biological functioning of the
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body, lucid dreams might facilitate physical as well as mental
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health. And finally, because lucid dreaming allows us to tap the
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power of the unconscious, it may also be useful for creative problem
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solving.
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To direct your own nightly dream-time show, attempt exercises
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one, two, three and four as outlined below. LaBerge and Gackenbach
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suggest that you do the tasks as often as possible. Some people may
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succeed in having a lucid dream the very first night they use the
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techniques; others, the researchers note may need to practice for
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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 for
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evidence proving you are not dreaming. The most reliable test: Read
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Page 1
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something, look away for a moment, and then read it again. If it
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reads the same way twice, it is unlikely that you're dreaming. After
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you have proved to yourself that you are not presently dreaming,
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visualize yourself doing whatever it is you'd like.
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Also, tell yourself that you want to recognize a nighttime dream
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the next time it occurs. The mechanism at work here is simple; it's
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much the same as picking up milk at the grocery store after
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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 find
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yourself flying with no visible means of support, you should realize
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that this only happens in dreams and that you must therefore be
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dreaming.
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If you awaken from a dream in the middle of the night, it's very
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helpful to return to the dream immediately, in your imagination. Now
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envision yourself recognizing the dream as such. Tell yourself, "The
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next time I am dreaming, I want to remember to recognize that I am
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dreaming." If your intention is strong and clear enough, you may
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find yourself in a lucid dream when you return to sleep.
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EXERCISE TWO
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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 thrilling
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means of travel; others, that it has helped them return from one of
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the more harrowing dream experiences --- the endless fall.
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Why is dream flying so important ? It's a form of dream control
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that's fairly easy to master. It gives the dreamer an exhilarating
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sense of freedom. And it's a basic means of travel in the dream
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world.
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How do you make a dream flight happen at all? We suggest that
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before you retire for bed, you simply repeat these words: "Tonight I
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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, remember
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that you want to fly. When you actually feel yourself flying, say,
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"This is a dream." Make sure that you start modestly, by simply
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floating above the surface of your dream ground.
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As you gain confidence, both in the notion that you're dreaming
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and in your ability to control that experience, you might experiment
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with flying a bit more. Run, taking big leaps, and stay aloft for a
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few seconds so that you resemble an astronaut walking on the moon.
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Try sustained floating, and then flying at low altitudes.
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As your confidence increases, so will your flying skills. While
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asleep, work on increasing altitude, maneuverability, and speed. As
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with speed sports, you should perfect height and maneuverability
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before speed. Of course, you couldn't really hurt yourself --- it's
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only a dream. But you could get scared.
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After you get 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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Page 2
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earth from outer space ? Can I travel so fast that I lose awareness
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of my surroundings and experience the sensation of pure speed ?"
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Throughout your efforts in dream flight, please remember that
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you're in a dream. With this in mind, your fears will be held at
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bay, and your control over your dream will be greatly enhanced.
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EXERCISE THREE
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Even if you're a frequent lucid dreamer, you may not be able to
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stop your-self from waking up in mid-dream. And even if your dreams
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reach a satisfying end, you may not be able to focus them exactly as
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you please.
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During our years of research, however, we have found that
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spinning your dream body can sustain the period of sleep and give
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you greater dream control. In fact, many subjects at Stanford
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University have used the spinning technique as an effective means of
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staying in a lucid dream. The task outlines below will help you use
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spinning as a means of staying asleep and, more exciting, as a means
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of traveling to 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 you
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would like to visit in your lucid dream. The target person and place
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can be either real or imaginary, past, present or future.
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For instance, Sigmund Freud, Vienna, 1900; Stephen LaBerge,
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Stanford, the present; or the president of the solar system, Galaxy
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Base, 2900. Write down and memorize your target person and place,
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then visualize yourself visiting your target and firmly resolve to
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do so in a dream that night.
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When following this procedure, it is possible that you might find
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yourself visiting your target in a non-lucid dream; you will be
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aware that this happened only after you awaken. Nevertheless, you
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should strive for lucidity by following the techniques 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 arms
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outstretched. You can pirouette or spin like a top, as long as you
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vividly feel your body in motion.
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The same spinning technique will help when, in the middle of a
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lucid dream, you feel the dream imagery beginning to fade. To avoid
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waking up, spin as you repeat your target phrase again and again.
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With practice, you'll return to your target person, time, and place.
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EXERCISE FOUR
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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 help
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determine the feasibility of this idea by attempting to solve a
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problem in a lucid dream. Before bed, decide on a problem you would
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like to solve. Frame your problem in the form of a question. For
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example : "What is the topic of my next book ?" "How can I become
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less shy ?" If you have an illness, you might consider the problem
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"How can I regain my health ?"
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Page 3
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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-dream-induction exercises,
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remember your question and see yourself looking for the answer in
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your next lucid dream. Then, when in a lucid dream, ask the
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question, and seek the solution.
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You might be most successful at problem solving if you take the
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direct approach. For instance if your problem is shyness, be less
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shy in your dream. If your problem is health, try to heal yourself
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in the dream. Then reflect on how your dream solution relates to the
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waking problem.
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It may help to question other dream characters, especially if
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they represent people who you think might know the answer. For
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example, if you were trying to solve a physics problem, Albert
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Einstein might be a good dream character to query. You can even
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combine this task with the dream spinning and flying tasks, visiting
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an expert on your problem. You can also just explore your dream
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world with your question in mind, looking for any clues that might
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suggest an answer.
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---Stephen LaBerge and Jayne Gackenbach
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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For those of you who have made it this far, I have just a couple of
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comments. Lucid dreaming is the absolute MOST fun I've ever had,
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and that's saying a lot, since I've had some terrific times while
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awake.
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I can't dream lucidly every night, and if I stop the exercises, it
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takes a couple of days to get things lucid again. If you do try
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lucid dreaming, don't expect results the first night. Give it a few
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days, and keep up the exercises. They really work.
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I've found that it helps me to write down every detail I can recall
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from a dream as soon as I get up in the morning. Then before bed the
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next night, I read those details, making them fresh in my mind. It
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seems to help bring on dreams that night.
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If you have questions or comments about this article, you can leave
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a message on MENHIR BBS at (609)-263-2861. Just leave a comment to
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the sysop.
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PLEASANT DREAMS!
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DAVID
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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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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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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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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