Lucid

It is challenging to achieve and maintain lucid awareness. Using psychic energy (third chakra) for personal desires often confuses the matter, we may fool ourselves to satisfy and perpetuate attachments rather than attain true sight (sixth chakra, intuition).

I desire to be lucid. I look at the palms of my hands and tell myself “This is a dream” and ask myself what I want to do or change. Then I assess where I can adjust the waking dream. It may be my thoughts, emotions, or actions, I may invoke change through prayer. I do this throughout the day. We often dream of what we do during the day, so I also look at my palms in dreamtime and go through this process. In waking and dreamtime, first and foremost I want to fly. When I fly, I often travel to be with my spiritual teachers.

I sometimes act lucid while asleep in the dream. In these cases, I behave as I would in waking time. As a result, I make dreamtime decisions that appear like lucidity. Some examples are using protection mantras when facing a nightmare, or burning white sage when a ghost is present (it eliminates conflict through oneness, bringing peace).

In dreamtime, I may prove to myself I am awake. Here are some ways you might realize you are dreaming: having trouble with technology (find the light switches), people looking weird, or atypical events happening. Attached to lucidity, I fly in dreamtime and prove to myself I am awake—elated to have finally achieved waking time flight! Only to wake and realize I was dreaming.

The nature of maya or illusion, is so thick and deceptive that we constantly have to question ourselves and assumptions. It may be necessary to assume we know nothing of truth and observe. A goalless, silent meditation practice is an important part of ludicity training. In silent meditation, we are not trying to achieve anything beyond focus and presence. This act results in many positive things: awareness of our emotional reactions, detachment, and unconditional love, which may appear as the ability to observe ourselves compassionately and open-heartedly hold space for others. Eventually, it may bring enough detachment that we may truly become lucid or at least realize where we are not. It is not possible to live in a body without some attachment. This can be tempered through spiritual practice and emotional and relational maturation.

Photographs from Fly Awake art exhibit, 2005.