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Subject: Lucidity Institute FAQ
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The following is posted in response to recent inquiries. :)

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LUCID DREAMING FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Version 2.0, January 1, 1995
(c) The Lucidity Institute

This FAQ is a brief introduction to lucid dreaming--what it is, what
it takes to do it, and what can be done with it. Please note that
this is not the full extent of knowledge available in this area.
References to more comprehensive sources are given below. If you are
serious about learning to have lucid dreams yourself, then consider
taking advantage of the excellent resources.

The goals of the Lucidity Institute are to make lucid dreaming known
to the public and accessible to anyone interested, to support
research on lucid dreaming and other states of consciousness, and to
study potential applications of lucid dreaming. We have a membership
society with a quarterly newsletter (NIGHTLIGHT) and a product
catalog to keep interested people informed of the latest
developments, and to enroll them in participating in ongoing
research. You are invited to get involved! Email comments and
inquiries to [e-mail].


*** WHAT IS LUCID DREAMING?
Lucid dreaming is dreaming while knowing that you are dreaming. The
term was coined by Frederik van Eeden (see Green, 1968), using the
word "lucid" in the sense of mental clarity. Lucidity usually begins
in the midst of a dream, when the dreamer realizes that the
experience is not occurring in physical reality, but is a dream.
Often this realization is triggered by the dreamer noticing some
impossible or unlikely occurrence in the dream, such as meeting a
person who is dead, or flying with or without wings. Sometimes
people become lucid without noticing any particular clue in the
dream; they just suddenly realize they are in a dream. A minority of
lucid dreams (according to the research of LaBerge and colleagues,
about 10 percent) are the result of returning to REM sleep directly
from an awakening with unbroken reflective consciousness.

The basic definition of lucid dreaming requires nothing more than
becoming aware that you are dreaming. However, the quality of
lucidity varies greatly. When lucidity is at a high level, you are
aware that everything experienced in the dream is occurring in your
mind, that there is no real danger, and that you are asleep in bed
and will awaken shortly. With low-level lucidity you may be aware to
a certain extent that you are dreaming, perhaps enough to fly, or
alter what you are doing, but not enough to realize that the people
are dream representations, or that you can suffer no physical
damage, or that you are actually in bed.

Lucidity and control in dreams are not the same thing. It is
possible to be lucid and have little control over dream content, and
conversely, to have a great deal of control without being explicitly
aware that you are dreaming. Nonetheless, becoming lucid in a dream
is likely to increase your deliberate influence over the course of
events. Once you know you are dreaming, you are likely to choose
some activity that is only possible in dreams. You always have the
choice of how much control you want to exert, and what kind. For
example, you could continue with whatever you were doing when you
became lucid, with the added knowledge that you are dreaming. Or you
could try to change everything--the dream scene, yourself, other
dream characters, etc. It is not always possible to perform "magic"
in dreams, like changing one object into another or transforming
scenes. A dreamer's ability to succeed at this seems to depend a lot
on the dreamer's confidence. If you believe that you cannot do
something in a dream, you will probably not be able to.

On the other hand, the easiest (and perhaps wisest) kind of control
to exert in a dream is control over your own behavior. This comes in
especially handy in nightmares. If you become lucid in a bad dream,
you could try to do magic to escape the situation, but many times
this does not work very well. It is generally much more effective,
and better for you psychologically, to recognize that, because you
are dreaming, nothing can harm you. Your fear is real, but the
danger is not. Changing attitude in this way usually defuses the
dream situation and transforms it into something positive.


*** IN WHAT STAGE OF SLEEP DO LUCID DREAMS OCCUR?
Lucid dreams usually happen during REM sleep. Sleep is not a uniform
state, but is characterized by a series of stages (1, 2, 3, and 4,
and REM) distinguished by certain physiological markers. REM sleep,
stands for "Rapid Eye Movement" sleep, and is pronounced to rhyme
with "them", not "R. E. M." Stages 1 through 4 are often lumped
together under the label non-REM (NREM) sleep. Stages 3 and 4 are
both referred to as "delta" sleep, for the large, low frequency
brain waves evident in these stages. Although this is certainly a
gross oversimplification of the complexity of the physiological and
mental events in sleep, research has demonstrated that most vivid
dreaming occurs in REM sleep. It is characterized by an active
brain, with low amplitude mixed frequency brain waves, suppression
of skeletal muscle tone, bursts of rapid eye movements, and
occasional tiny muscular twitches.

The sleep stages cycle throughout a night. The first REM period
normally happens after a period of delta sleep, approximately 90
minutes after sleep onset, and lasts from about 5 to 20 minutes. REM
periods occur roughly every 90 minutes throughout the night, with
later REM periods occurring at shorter intervals and often being
longer, sometimes up to an hour in length. Much more REM sleep
occurs in the second half of the night than in the first.

How do we know that lucid dreaming happens in REM sleep? Dr. Stephen
LaBerge and his colleagues at Stanford University proved this with
deliberate eye movement signals given in by lucid dreamers during
REM sleep. Most of the muscles of the body are paralyzed in REM
sleep to prevent us from acting out our dreams. However, because the
eyes are not paralyzed, if you deliberately move your "dream" eyes
in a dream, your physical eyes move also. LaBerge's subjects slept
in the laboratory, while the standard measures of sleep physiology
(brainwaves, muscle tone and eye movements) were recorded. As soon
as they became lucid in a dream, they moved their eyes in large
sweeping motions left-right-left-right, as far as possible. This
left an unmistakable marker on the physiological record of the eye
movements. Analysis of the records showed that in every case, the
eye movements marking the times when the subjects realized they were
dreaming occurred in the middle of unambiguous REM sleep. LaBerge
has done several experiments on lucid dreaming using the eye-
movement signaling method, demonstrating interesting connections
between dreamed actions and physiological responses. Some are
described in his books (see below).


*** WHAT PURPOSES CAN LUCID DREAMING SERVE?
Upon hearing about lucid dreaming for the first time, people often
ask, "Why should I want to have lucid dreams? What are they good
for?" If you consider that in dreams, *if* you know you are
dreaming, you are in principle free to do anything, restricted only
by your ability to imagine and conceive, not by laws of physics or
society, then the answer to these questions is either extremely
simple (Anything!) or extraordinarily complex (Everything!). It is
easier to provide a sample of what some people have done with lucid
dreaming than to give a definitive answer of its potential uses.

The first thing that attracts people to lucid dreaming is often the
potential for adventure and fantasy fulfillment. Flying is a
favorite lucid dream delight, as is sex. Many people have said that
their first lucid dream was the most wonderful experience of their
lives. A large part of the extraordinary pleasure of lucid dreaming
comes from the exhilarating feeling of utter freedom that
accompanies the realization that you are in a dream, where there
will be no social or physical consequences of your actions.

Unfortunately for many people, instead of providing an outlet for
unlimited fantasy and delight, dreams can be dreaded episodes of
limitless terror. As is discussed in the books LUCID DREAMING
(LaBerge, 1985) and EXPLORING THE WORLD OF LUCID DREAMING (EWLD)
(LaBerge & Rheingold, 1990), lucid dreaming may well be the basis of
the most effective therapy for nightmares. If you know you are
dreaming, it is a simple logical step to realizing that nothing in
your current experience, however unpleasant, can cause you physical
harm. There is no need to run from or fight with dream monsters. In
fact, it is often pointless to try because you have conceived the
horror in your mind, and it can pursue you wherever you dream
yourself to be. The only way to really "escape" is to end your fear;
as long as you fear your dream, it is likely to return. (For a
discussion of reasons for recurrent nightmares, see p. 245 of EWLD.)
The fear you feel in a nightmare is completely real; it is the
danger that is not.

Unreasonable fear can be defused by facing up to the source, or
going through with the frightening activity, so that you observe
that no harm comes to you. In a nightmare, this act of courage can
take any form that involves facing the "threat" rather than avoiding
it. For example, one young man dreamt of being pursued by a lion.
When he had no place left to run, he realized he was dreaming and
called to the lion to come on and get him. The challenge turned into
a playful wrestling match, and the lion became a sexy woman
(NIGHTLIGHT 1.4, 1989, p. 13). Monsters often transform into benign
creatures, friends, or empty shells (see Saint-Denys, 1867/1982)
when courageously confronted in lucid dreams. This is an extremely
empowering experience. It teaches you in a very visceral manner that
you can conquer fear and become stronger thereby.

Lucid dreaming can also help people achieve goals in their waking
lives. EWLD contains many examples of ways that individuals have
used lucid dreams to prepare for some aspect of their waking
activities. Some of these applications include: rehearsal (trying
out new behaviors, or practicing them, and honing athletic skills),
creative problem solving, artistic inspiration, overcoming sexual
and social problems, coming to terms with the loss of loved ones,
and physical healing. If the possibility of accelerated physical
healing, suggested by anecdotes from lucid dreamers, is born out by
research, it would become a tremendously important reason for
developing lucid dreaming abilities.


*** IS LUCID DREAMING LEARNABLE?
The ability to have lucid dreams may be within the reach of most
human beings. Research on individual differences has not turned up
any factors of personality or cognitive ability that substantially
predict lucid dreaming frequency. So far, the only strong predictor
of frequent lucid dreaming is high dream recall. This is good news
for would-be lucid dreamers, because it is fairly easy to increase
dream recall (more below).

One question frequently asked about learning lucid dreaming is: How
long does it take? The answer, or course, is that it varies
depending on the individual. How well does the person recall dreams?
How much time is available for practicing mental exercises? Does the
person use a lucid dream induction device? Does the person practice
diligently? Is the person's critical thinking well developed? And so
on. Case histories may provide a more tangible picture of the
process of learning lucid dreaming. Dr. LaBerge increased his
frequency of lucid dreaming from about one per month to up to four a
night (at which point he could have lucid dreams on demand) over the
course of three years. He was studying lucid dreaming for his
doctoral dissertation and therefore needed to learn to have them on
demand as quickly as possible. On the other hand, he had to invent
techniques for improving lucid dreaming skills. Thus, people
starting now, although they may not be as strongly motivated as
LaBerge, have the advantage of well-developed techniques, complete
training programs, and electronic biofeedback aids that have been
created in the 16 years since LaBerge began his studies.

Lynne Levitan, staff writer for NIGHTLIGHT, describes her
experiences with learning lucid dreaming as follows:
"I first heard of lucid dreaming in April of 1982, when I took
a course from Dr. LaBerge at Stanford University. I had had
the experience many years before and was very interested to
learn to do it again, as well as to get involved in the
research. First I had to develop my dream recall, because at
the time I only remembered two or three dreams per week. In a
couple of months I was recalling 3 to 4 or more per night, and
in July (about three months after starting) I had my first
lucid dream since adolescence. I worked at it on and off for
the next four years (not sleeping much as a student) and
reached the level of 3 to 4 lucid dreams per week. Along the
way, I tested several prototypes of the DreamLight lucid dream
induction device and it clearly helped me become more
proficient at realizing when I was dreaming. In the first two
years we were developing the DreamLight, I had lucid dreams on
half of the nights I used one of these devices, compared to
once a week or less without. In considering how long it took
me to get really good at lucid dreaming, note that I did not
have the benefit of the thoroughly studied and explained
techniques now available either, because the research had not
yet been done nor the material written. Therefore, people now
should be able to accomplish the same learning in far less
time, of course, given sufficient motivation."

DEVELOPING DREAM RECALL
As mentioned above, the most important prerequisite for learning
lucid dreaming is excellent dream recall. There are probably two
reasons for this. One is that if you do not remember your dreams,
you are unable to study them to discover what about them could help
you realize that you are not awake. Another is that you might have
lucid dreams without knowing it, because you do not remember them.

The procedure for improving your dream recall is fully detailed in
EWLD, and A COURSE IN LUCID DREAMING (see below) as well as many
other books on dreams. The core exercise is keeping a dream journal,
and writing down everything you recall about your dreams, no matter
how fragmentary. You must not wait until morning to take notes on
dreams recalled in the middle of the night because, no matter how
clear they are at the time, they are apt to disappear entirely from
your memory by the time you get up in the morning. You also should
write them down first thing in the morning, before you even think
about anything else. In A COURSE IN LUCID DREAMING we advise that
people build their dream recall to at least one per night before
proceeding onto lucid dream induction techniques.

Another dream-recall related exercise introduced in EWLD, and
further developed in A COURSE IN LUCID DREAMING is identifying
"dreamsigns." This is a word coined by LaBerge referring to elements
of dreams that indicate that you are dreaming. (Examples: miraculous
flight, purple cats, malfunctioning devices, and meeting deceased
people.) By studying your dreams you can become familiar with your
own personal dreamsigns and set your mind to recognize them and
become lucid in future dreams. The COURSE also provides exercises
for practicing noticing dreamsigns while you are awake, so that the
skill carries over into your dreams. This exercise also relates to
lucid dream induction devices, which give sensory cues--special,
artificially-produced dreamsigns--while you are dreaming. To succeed
at recognizing these cues, you need to practice looking for them and
recognizing them while you are awake (more below).


*** LUCID DREAM INDUCTION TECHNIQUES

THE REALITY TESTING TECHNIQUE
This is a good technique for beginners. Assign yourself several
times a day to perform the following exercise. Also do it anytime
you think of it, especially when something odd occurs, or when you
are reminded of dreams. It helps to choose specific occasions like:
when I see my face in the mirror, when I look at my watch, when I
arrive at work or home, when I pick up my lucid dream induction
device or the NIGHTLIGHT. The more frequently and thoroughly you
practice this technique, the better it will work.

1. Carry some text with you or wear a digital watch throughout the
day. To do a reality test, read the words or the numbers on the
watch. Then, look away and look back, observing the letters or
numbers to see if they change. Try to make them change while
watching them. If they do change, or are not normal, or do not make
sense, then you are most probably dreaming. Enjoy! If the characters
are normal, stable, and sensible, then you probably aren't dreaming.
Go on to step 2.

2. If you are sure you are awake, then say to yourself, "I may not
be dreaming now, but if I were, what would it be like?" Visualize as
vividly as possible that you are dreaming. Intently imagine that
what you are seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling is all a dream.
Imagine instabilities in your environment, words changing, scenes
transforming, perhaps you floating off the ground. Create in
yourself the feeling that you are in a dream. Holding that feeling,
go on to step 3.

3. Pick something you would like to do in your next lucid dream,
perhaps flying, talking to particular dream characters, or just
exploring the dream world. Continue to imagine that you are dreaming
now, and that you try out the thing you plan to do in your next
lucid dream.


MNEMONIC INDUCTION OF LUCID DREAMS (MILD) TECHNIQUE
(Modified from EWLD, p. 78)

Developed by LaBerge and used by him to induce lucid dreams at will
during his Ph.D. study, MILD is practiced during the night.

1. Setup dream recall.
Set your mind to awaken from dreams and recall them. When you awaken
from a dream, recall it as completely as you can.

2. Focus your intent.
While returning to sleep, concentrate single-mindedly on your
intention to remember to recognize that you're dreaming. Tell
yourself: "Next time I'm dreaming, I want to remember I'm dreaming."
Try to feel that you really mean it. Focus your thoughts on this
idea alone. If you find yourself thinking about anything else, let
it go and bring your mind back to your intention to remember.

3. See yourself becoming lucid.
At the same time, imagine that you are back in the dream you just
woke from (or another one you have had recently if you didn't
remember a dream on awakening), but this time you recognize that it
is a dream. Look for a dreamsign--something in the dream that
demonstrates plainly that it is a dream (see NIGHTLIGHT 1.3 & 1.4
for more about dreamsigns). When you see it say to yourself: "I'm
dreaming!" and continue your fantasy. Imagine yourself carrying out
your plans for your next lucid dream. For example, if you want to
fly in your lucid dream, imagine yourself flying when you come to
the point in your fantasy that you "realize" you are dreaming.

4. Repeat until your intention is set.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until your intention is set; then let yourself
fall asleep. If, while falling asleep, you find yourself thinking of
anything else, repeat the procedure so that the last thing in your
mind before falling asleep is your intention to remember to
recognize the next time you are dreaming.


*** LUCID DREAM INDUCTION DEVICES
The Lucidity Institute offers several electronic devices that help
people achieve lucid dreams. They were developed through laboratory
research at Stanford University by LaBerge, Levitan, and others. The
basic principle behind all of these devices is as follows: The
primary task confronting someone who wishes to have a lucid dream is
to remember that intention while in a dream. We often remember to do
things while awake through reminders: notes, strings around fingers,
alarms, and so on. However, such reminders are of little use in
dreams, although there are other kinds of reminders that are in fact
helpful. The observation that some sensory events are occasionally
incorporated into ongoing dreams (like your clock radio or the
neighbor's saw appearing disguised in your dream rather than
awakening you) led to the idea of using a particular sensory
stimulus as a cue to a dreamer to become lucid. For example, a tape
recording of a voice saying "You're dreaming" played while a person
is in REM sleep will sometimes come through into the dream and
remind the person to become lucid. In our research we settled on
using flashing lights as a lucidity cue, because they had less
tendency to awaken people than sound and were easy to apply. The
DreamLight and NovaDreamer devices also have a sound cue option,
which is useful for people who sleep more deeply.

The DreamLight, DreamLink, and NovaDreamer all work by giving users
flashing light cues when they are dreaming. Users work with their
devices to find an intensity and length of cue that enters their
dreams without awakening them. In addition, device users should
practice mental exercises while awake for the best preparation for
recognizing the light cues when they appear in dreams. The devices
are based around a soft, comfortable sleep mask, which contains the
flashing lights. The DreamLight and NovaDreamer detect the rapid eye
movements of REM sleep, when the wearer is likely to be dreaming,
and give cues when the level of eye movement activity is high
enough. The DreamLink lacks the eye movement detection circuitry;
the user sets its timer to trigger the cues at times likely to
coincide with REM periods.

These lucid dream induction devices offer a second method of lucid
dream stimulation. This method arose out of the discovery that while
sleeping with the DreamLight, people frequently dreamed that they
awakened wearing the device, and pressed the button on the front of
the mask to start the "delay," a feature that disables cues while
you are drifting off to sleep. Ordinarily, the button would cause a
beep to tell you that you had successfully pressed it. However,
people were reporting that the button was not working in the middle
of the night. Actually, they were dreaming that they were awakening
and pressing the button, and the button did not work because it was
a dream version of the DreamLight. Dream versions of devices are
notorious for not working normally. Once people were advised that
failure of the button in the middle of the night was a sign that
they were probably dreaming, they were able to use this "dreamsign"
reliably to become lucid during "false awakenings" with the
DreamLight. This "reality test" button turned out to be so useful
that it became an important part of all the lucid dream induction
devices developed by the Lucidity Institute. Research suggests that
about half of the lucid dreams stimulated by the devices result from
using the button for reality tests.

FEATURES OF THE LUCIDITY INSTITUTE LUCID DREAM INDUCTION DEVICES
--------------------------------------------------------------------
FEATURE                       DreamLight     DreamLink   NovaDreamer
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Eye/Body movement sensing     EYE & BODY     NONE        EYE
Color of light cue            WHITE          RED         RED
Sound cue option              YES            NO          YES
Cue brightness adjustment     YES            YES         YES
Cue duration adjustment       YES            YES         YES
Cue rate and style adjustment YES            NO          YES
Dream Alarm (helps recall)    YES            NO          YES
Data storage                  All sleep data NONE        Cues given
Digital readout               YES            NO          NO
Power                         AC             AAA-cells   AAA-cells
Approximate cost (1/95)       $990           $95         $275*
--------------------------------------------------------------------
(* Lucidity Institute Student Member price: $175)

All three devices come with A COURSE IN LUCID DREAMING, EWLD, and
membership in the Lucidity Institute, with subscription to the
NIGHTLIGHT, and telephone (and Email) product support.

HOW WELL DO LUCID DREAM INDUCTION DEVICES WORK?
The Lucidity Institute's lucid dream induction devices are designed
to help people achieve lucidity by giving them cues while they are
dreaming and a reliable means of testing their state of
consciousness. They do not *make* people have lucid dreams any more
than an exercise machine makes people have muscles. In both cases
the goal, muscles or lucid dreams, result from practice. The
machines just make it easier to get the desired results. Several
factors enter into success with one of these devices. One is how
well the device (or in the case of the DreamLink, the user) catches
REM sleep with the sensory cues. Another is how reliably the cues
enter into the dream without awakening the sleeper. A third factor
is how well the device user does at correctly recognizing cues in
dreams and becoming lucid. Finally, the user's commitment to
performing reality tests every time upon waking up wearing the
device has a lot to do with success. All four of these factors are,
to some extent, controllable by the device user: adjustment of eye
movement sensitivity to catch REM sleep, selecting a cue that enters
dreams without causing awakenings, mental preparation to recognize
cues in dreams, and resolution to do reality tests. Therefore, it is
difficult to obtain a truly representative measurement of the
effectiveness of the devices. Nonetheless, research with various
versions of the DreamLight have shown that it definitely helps
people have more frequent lucid dreams.

The most recent study was done with the current model of the
DreamLight. A complete write-up of the experiment is in NIGHTLIGHT
5.3. In brief, fourteen people who were well-versed in DreamLight
use compared two conditions. They believed they were trying two
different types of cues. However, in fact in one condition they
received no cues at all, as a sort of "placebo" condition. It was
possible for the subjects to not know they were not getting any
cues, because the DreamLight generally does not give cues when the
wearer is awake (the result of the body movement sensor). Thus, the
study examined how much the DreamLight's light cues contributed to
the achievement of lucid dreams. Nights on which the DreamLight gave
cues were called "CUED" and no-cue nights were called "PLACEBO".

The average number of lucid dreams per person in the CUED nights was
0.17 (one lucid dream per 6 nights) versus 0.06 for PLACEBO nights
(one lucid dream every 17 nights), a statistically significant
nearly three-fold increase in lucid dreaming frequency. Clearly, the
DreamLight cues help people to become lucid. Altogether, the
subjects had a total of 32 lucid dreams, 22 in the CUED condition
and 10 in the PLACEBO condition. Eight of the lucid dreams were the
result of reality tests with the button, as described above. More
reality-test button lucid dreams happened on CUED than on PLACEBO
nights (six versus two) even though the button was fully functional
under both conditions. A possible explanation for this is that
DreamLight cues sometimes caused false awakenings. Subjects reported
about nine times more cue incorporations on CUED than on PLACEBO
nights (CUED: 73 total, 0.90 per night average; PLACEBO: 9 total,
0.11 per night average). Dream recall was also higher on CUED
nights; subjects recalled an average of 3.2 dreams per night in the
CUED condition, versus 2.6 per night in the PLACEBO condition.

An earlier study with a different version of the DreamLight showed a
five-fold increase in lucid dreaming frequency when people used the
Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreaming (MILD) mental technique in
conjunction with the device, compared with using no device and no
mental technique. Using the device without mental techniques worked
about as well as just using the mental technique, which was in both
cases an improvement over using nothing.

In summary, at this stage the lucid dream induction devices can
definitely help people learn to have more lucid dreams, or to have
lucid dreams in the first place. Important factors contributing to
success are good dream recall (and the DreamLight and NovaDreamer
also can be used to boost dream recall), diligent mental preparation
by the user, and careful adjustment of the device by the user to fit
individual needs for cueing and REM detection. No device yet exists
that will *make* a person have a lucid dream.


*** DREAM SPINNING
Q. Is there a way to prevent yourself from awakening immediately
after becoming lucid?
A. At first, beginners may have difficulty remaining in the dream
after they become lucid. This obstacle may prevent many people from
realizing the value of lucid dreaming, because they have not
experienced more than the flash of knowing they are dreaming,
followed by immediate awakening. Two simple techniques can help you
overcome this problem. The first is to remain calm in the dream.
Becoming lucid is exciting, but expressing the excitement can awaken
you. Suppress your feeling somewhat and turn your attention to the
dream. If the dream shows signs of ending, such as a loss of detail,
vividness and apparent reality of the imagery, "spinning" can help
bring the dream back. As soon as the dream starts to fade, before
you feel your physical body in bed, spin your dream body like a top.
That is, twirl around like a child trying to get dizzy (you don't
get dizzy during dream spinning because your physical body is not
spinning around). Remind yourself, "The next scene will be a dream."
When you stop spinning, if it is not obvious that you are dreaming,
do a reality test. Even if you think you are awake, you may be
surprised to find that you are still dreaming!


*** WHERE TO FIND LUCID DREAMING TRAINING
Over the past decade, exercises, techniques and training materials
have been developed and refined to the point where most anyone
should be able to learn to have more lucid dreams if they are
willing to give it some time and effort. The Lucidity Institute
offers lucid dreaming training through several modalities. To start,
most bookstores carry (or can easily get) the book EXPLORING THE
WORLD OF LUCID DREAMING by LaBerge and Rheingold (Ballantine, 1990),
or you can order it from the Lucidity Institute. It presents a step-
by-step training program with exercises and an introduction to the
various possible applications of lucid dreaming. The basic structure
in this book is greatly expanded and augmented by the Lucidity
Institute's workbook A COURSE IN LUCID DREAMING. The course is five
units, taking a minimum of 4 months to complete, and it guides you
through completing a series of progressive exercises to build up
your lucid dreaming ability. It uses EWLD as a textbook.

An intensive overview of lucid dreaming techniques is presented at
Lucidity Institute Lucid Dreaming Training Programs. These workshops
are often offered as a package with the purchase of a Lucidity
Institute lucid dream induction device (DreamLight or NovaDreamer).
So far, most of the Training Programs have been held in California,
but the Lucidity Institute will give one wherever there is enough
interest. Dr. LaBerge also gives weekend seminars at the Esalen
Institute in Big Sur, California about once a year, as well as
occasional lectures and workshops at other venues. To find out about
upcoming events, contact the Lucidity Institute (via Email at
[e-mail] or telephone at 415-321-9969).


*** RECOMMENDED BOOKS ON LUCID DREAMING
This is a selection of some recommended books and tapes on lucid
dreaming. The titles marked with an asterisk (*) are available from
the Lucidity Institute.

*LUCID DREAMING, by Stephen LaBerge, Ph.D., (Ballantine, 1986)
This is the seminal work that first brought lucid dreaming to the
attention of the general public and legitimized it as a valuable
field of scientific inquiry. It is still the best general reference
on lucid dreaming, and a pleasure to read. The phenomenon of lucid
dreaming is explored from many angles, beginning with the history of
the practice in human cultures. LaBerge describes the early days of
the scientific research and tells the story of his successful
challenge of the established school of thought in sleep research,
which held that awareness while dreaming was impossible. He
discusses many methods of lucid dream induction, including the way
he taught himself to have lucid dreams several times in one night.
Other topics covered include: applications of lucid dreaming, the
relationship of lucid dreaming to out-of-body and near-death
experiences, and the possibility of lucid dreaming serving as a
gateway or stepping stone on the path to spiritual enlightenment.

*EXPLORING THE WORLD OF LUCID DREAMING, by Stephen LaBerge, Ph.D.
and Howard Rheingold (Ballantine, 1990)
A practical guide for lucid dreamers. The first half of the book
establishes a basic understanding of sleep and dreams, followed by a
progressive series of exercises for developing lucid dreaming
skills. These include cataloging "dreamsigns," your personal
landmarks that tell you when you are dreaming, the Reflection-
Intention and MILD techniques for becoming lucid within the dream
and methods of falling asleep consciously based on ancient Tibetan
Yoga practices. After presenting the lucid dream induction
techniques, Dr. LaBerge explains his understanding of the origin of
dreams, founded on current views in the sciences of consciousness
and cognition. This provides a foundation for the methods of
employing lucid dreams to enhance your life, which are detailed in
the second half of the book. The applications considered are:
adventures and explorations, rehearsal for living, creative problem-
solving, overcoming nightmares, healing, and discovery of expanded
awareness and spiritual experience. Many delightful and illuminating
anecdotes from lucid dreamers illustrate the use of lucid dreams for
each application.

*CONSCIOUS MIND, SLEEPING BRAIN, edited by Jayne Gackenbach, Ph.D.
and Stephen LaBerge, Ph.D. (Plenum, 1990)
Nineteen dream researchers and other professionals contributed to
this scholarly volume. It represents a wide spectrum of viewpoints
in the field of lucid dreaming study, and is an essential reference
for anyone interested in studying lucid dreams or applying them in
clinical practice. Topics include: literature, psychophysiology,
personality, therapy, personal experience, related states of
consciousness, and more.

LUCID DREAMS, by Celia E. Green (Hamish Hamilton, London, 1968)
This is the book that inspired Dr. LaBerge to begin his studies of
lucid dreaming. Green reviews the literature on lucid dreaming up
through the 50's, including the Marquis de Saint-Denys' work
described below. She also presents case histories of lucid dreamers
and well characterizes much of the phenomenology (subjective
experience) of lucid dreaming.

DREAMS AND HOW TO GUIDE THEM, by The Marquis d'Hervey de Saint-
Denys, edited by Morton Schatzman (Duckworth, London, 1982)
A great pioneer of the art of lucid dreaming, the Marquis first
published this exploration of lucid dreaming in 1867, yet this is a
very modern, and, yes, lucid, thesis. He describes his personal
experiments, and the development of his ability to exercise control
in his lucid dreams.

PATHWAY TO ECSTASY: THE WAY OF THE DREAM MANDALA, by Patricia
Garfield, Ph.D. (Prentice Hall, 1989)
Delightfully told story of Patricia Garfield's transcendent and
erotic adventures with lucid dreaming.

*CONTROLLING YOUR DREAMS, by Stephen LaBerge, Ph.D. (Audio
Renaissance Tapes, Inc., 1987, 60 minutes)
This audio cassette tape captures the essence of Dr. LaBerge's
public lectures on lucid dreaming. It is highly informative and
inspirational. Use it as an excellent introduction to the topic or a
concise refresher. Dr. LaBerge begins by portraying the experience
of lucid dreaming. He then presents methods for learning the skill,
including the powerful MILD technique. The descriptions he gives of
possible applications of lucid dreaming, from creative problem
solving and rehearsal for living, to overcoming nightmares and
achieving greater psychological integration, will encourage you to
learn this valuable skill.

*TRANCE INDUCTION OF LUCID DREAMING, by Stephen LaBerge, Ph.D.
(The Lucidity Institute, 1993, 40 minutes)
Dr. LaBerge's trance induction is designed to help you create a
mind-set in which lucid dreaming will happen easily. The hypnotic
induction begins with progressive relaxation accompanied by guided
visualization of calming images. Once you have attained a peaceful
state of mind, Dr. LaBerge gives you suggestions for creating your
own certainty that you will succeed at having lucid dreams. You will
come up with a personal symbol for conjuring your confidence in your
ability whenever you desire.


*** LUCIDITY INSTITUTE CONTACT INFORMATION
Email: [e-mail]
The Lucidity Institute maintains an anonymous ftp site at the URL
address below. Currently available files include the Lucidity
Institute Catalog, workshop announcements, this FAQ, and various
articles from NightLight. Files can also be emailed on request.
ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/lucidity
Telephone: [phone] or 800-GO LUCID * Fax: [phone]
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*** COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Copyright 1994 by The Lucidity Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
Permission for non-commercial use is hereby granted, provided that
this file is distributed intact.
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