Experiments in Systems Process Book by Brooke Mays

EXPERIMENTS IN SYSTEMS

EXPERIMENTS IN SYSTEMS Design 403 By: Brooke Mays

PROJECT ONE

THOUGHT AS SYSTEM

Thought as System by: David Bohm

QUOTES I FOUND INTERESTING “...there is always the danger of destruction.” [in reference to technology]

source of trouble is in thought

“...it looks as if the thing we use to solve our problems is the source of our problems.” “The more technology develops, the more people depend on each other.” “...what we are doing is establishing boundaries where really there is a close connection – that’s what is wrong with fragmentation.”

KNOWLEGDE IS FRAGMENTED. thought•body•emotions “We experience them as different because we think of them as different.” “felts” are feelings which have been recorded

“There is a profound connection between the state of the body and the way you think.” “That’s the major sign of incoherence: you want to do something but it doesn’t come out the way you intend. That’s usually a sign that you have some wrong information somewhere.” “We are constantly producing situations and things which we don’t intend and then we say ‘look, we’ve got a problem’. We don’t realize that it is our deeper, hidden intentions which have produced it, and consequently we keep on perpetuating the problem.”

“So I’m wondering whether the brain naturally wants to frature and analyse, or is it part of the way we teach ourselves?” “A certain amount of thought; some distinctions have to be made. But we carry them too far without knowing. We slip over.” “...whenever we repeat something it gradually becomes a habit, and we get less and less aware of it.” “...the way you think determines the way you’re going to do things.” “Unless their thinking changes their action won’t be corrected.” proprioception = self-perception of thought

“A system means a set of connected things or parts.” “Thought as system includes the whole of the society.” “...certain features of the system which become relatively fixed. We call this structure.”

“...a systemic fault... it is a fault that is throughout the sytem. It is everywhere and nowhere.” “...science is aimed at seeing the fact, whether the scientist likes what he sees or not...” “We don’t see that our intentions are incoherent – that perhaps they are arising out of the pollution.” “It seems we have to become aware of certain assumptions, which we aren’t even aware we have.” SYSTEM IS EVERYTHING “...if you confuse part of the system as not being part of the system then you’re lost.”

“A wrong question is one which already assumes the very thing that ought to be questioned. It’s called ‘begging the question’.” “Therefore, when you question the question itself, you may be questioning a deeper assumption. But that’s done non-verbally. Do you see what I mean? To question the question eventually has to be a non-verbal act, which you can’t describe.” “...the kind of thought... a sudden feeling of waking up a bit.” “Even in science to raise fundamental questions can be disturbing.”

“The system wants to relive the pressure without actually getting to the root of the thing.” “It’s conditioned somehow to move as fast as it can toward more pleasant feelings, without actually facing the thing that’s actually making the unpleasant feeling.” “...we have a lot of bad experiences one way or another connected with not having the answers, and consequently there is a reaction immediately – we want the answers right away. It’s the memory of all unpleasant experiences of not having the answer. Those ‘felts’ bob up.” “But the point is that if you look at it differently you can see that this is just what you’ve got to learn – what is actually going on, what it means.” “...rather we acknowledge that things which we think we ought to get rid of are actually the clue to what we need to learn.”

THOUGHT effects EVERYTHING CREATES an impression runs YOU divides itself from feeling AND from the body is not different from EMOTION INFLUENCES emotion does not disappear leaves a trace is the response from MEMORY doesn’t want YOU to know what it is doing CAN never be complete is an active set of moments, a reflex is in chaos becomes habit is active and participating is possessive is pervaded by this systemic fault can PRODUCE experiences produces something and says, ‘it didn’t produce it. It’s really there.’ likes TO HAVE answers and explanations too fast can be painful is never just THOUGHT is the bodily state, the feelings, the nerves

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, there may be gut feelings, or feelings straight from the heart, but memory can produce something very similar.â&#x20AC;?

MY REFLECTIONS ON THE ARTICLE My questions for David Bohm would be: Can people really change the way they think about something?

How could someone change their thoughts on a particular thing?

I don’t think he really addresses what someone can do to change their thoughts. He is pointing out what is wrong, but not how to fix it. Of course maybe later at this seminar he addresses my question, but it was not on this night. I agree with a lot of the things he is saying. I have always had an interest in the brain and how we think. I have the tendency to separate matters of the heart and matters of the brain. I find myself saying, “My head says this, but my heart says that.” This idea is fragmented. So, which one is it that I truly believe. It creates a contradiction in thought. Can we believe this and believe that? Are we repressing what we know to be true? It’s a complicated system and a complicated thought. Which according to David Bohm, thought is a system. So, it is a complicated system of thought. A question that we don’t have the answer to, but we want to know. Knowing is different from understanding. You can know information about something, but lack the understanding how how that information fits into the universe.

At first I was going to do something with astrology and horoscopes. After a conversation with Deb we decided there would not be enough time for me to learn and develop horoscopes within a week. Through conversation we got to my assumption that everything happens for a reason. So, I decided to do an experiement where I tried to look for meaning in the events of one day. The following is the journaling from that day.

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON February 11, 2012

11 am to 5 pm at Remedy Coffee

a symposium about finding meaning and making connections in things that happen everyday

What I was thinking: I took some pictures during the day that I was journaling about events that happened. So I used them for my poster by cutting parts of some of the pictures and connecting them as a visual for finding connections. This visual failed to stand up to the statement, everything happens for a reason. It needed to be a powerful image. One that I most likely was not going to have by Wednesday. So, in critique we decided I should change my statement to: Finding Everyday Connections.

Speakers: Deepak Chopra Mira Kirshenbaum Jeff VĂŠzina Gail Lynne Goodwin

What I was thinking: I realized that I wanted to make a journal for my symposium to transform it into a workshop. This developed from my experiment of taking the time to find meaning within the events of a singular day. So, I began to develop questions that would be relevant if someone was doing this experiement. I ended up making a journal instead of a poster.

REWORK UNFINISHED

PROJECT TWO

MAPPING THE COSMOLES

What I was thinking: For this project, I wanted to study something that I hadn’t spent a lot of time studying before. My friend Nikki bought me an inblot test kit for Christmas, and I had yet to have the chance to study it more in depth. So, I thought this would be a good opportunity. At first I was sure what I wanted to do with it, but I made a discovery through reading “A Short History of Inblots” by Will Hobson which was in the handbook of the inblot kit and talking to Deb.

During an indiviual meeting with Deb we were discussing what I wanted to explore for my personal project. I was really sure of my direction, but I shared with her what I was studying about Inblot tests. Ambigious stimuli was brought up because it was something I found interesting in the article which lead me to think about what other types of stimuli there are besides the ones discussed in the article. Moles on the body was one of the things I thought of and Deb told me I had to map my moles for the project, and I was totally pumped.

meaning of moles But what does a mole by nature really mean? The mole on the right side of the forehead indicates at the bright, astute mind, rush to comprehensive knowledge. The mole on the left side of the forehead points at weak will, easy-fall-under-the-influence, and inclination to extravagant acts. The mole on the out-eye-side-area means that she or he is a very even-tempered, modest person. She doesn’t spend money in vain and is unshowy in clothing. The mole near the right brow indicates constant affections of the person. Usually such people choose their life’s companions very early. Their love doesn’t fade after their long life together. The mole near the left brow points at unfortunate marriage. Such people trust their feelings much more than to the mind. They realize the mistake they’ve done too late but still have enough courage to break off relations. The mole on the ear betrays a reckless person. The mole on the right cheek promise success, luck and happiness in marriage. The mole on the left cheek testifies the fact that she /he has to overcome the difficulties all the time. She/he is always in the condition of struggle even with himself. The mole at the mouth area belongs to the person of good character. She/he is always well-wishing to other people. The mole located on the nose promise great future, lots of traveling. Such person possesses some magic attractiveness and sexuality. The mole on the upper or lower jaw signals that there is some disease in the body. The mole at throat zone means that a person is ambitious enough, pushing and always gets what she/he wants. Such people usually marry somebody in convenience.

The mole on the neck belongs to the person who should work hard to achieve something in youth. She/he is not given anything just for nothing. But at a mature age the person successfully harvests everything she/he worked for. The moles on the hands or right forearm promise success in life. The moles on the left forearm mean the financial difficulties. The moles on the shoulder foresee a hard and complicated life. The mole on the right breast – frequent ups and downs. The mole on man’s left breast – luck and happiness. The mole on woman’s left breast shows that she is of bright temperament. She changes the partners often that sometimes lead to unwise relations. The mole in the middle of the chest promise well-to-do and secure life. It’s necessary to remember that the larger the mole is the more significant its influence on the fate is. Small moles spread all over the body don’t matter almost anything.

What I was thinking: First, I printed out each set of moles to draw the shape of the constellation by connecting the moles with pencil. Once that part was complete, I began to name each one. As I was developing names and information about my cosmoles. I would think about characteristics of myself, my sun symbol in astrology, things that I am interested in, activites, and people in my life. Ultimately, things I consider to revolve around my personal universe. I began to look up phrases in Latin as well, so they would have a similar quality to the names of actual constellations.

inspiration

What I was thinking: I felt that if I did not use a layer of vellum over the constellation cards, they would fall flat. The vellum provided a way to isolate the markings of the moles. They also visually nice and a good constrast to the cards below them. It was tough having to print on vellum with my printer at home because it was being super finicky. I was ultimately very happy with the way this project turned out. It was a way for me to generate meaning out of the placement of my moles. It was a successful way to create a system for something have no control. I need to figure out a way to present/display this project in a way that makes more sense than just having them spread out on the table. If they were in a gallery, I would probably line them up one by one horizontally along the walls. They would definitely have to hang so that people could still lift the vellum up.

PROJECT THREE

SEVEN DEADLY SINS {part one}

I worked with Emma, Tommi, and Stacy for the 7 Deadly Sins project. We developed our rules in class. We all gravitate towards working with our hands on projects, so we decided to take the opportunity to make a rule of using no computers. I knew right away that I would like to use stamping to create my pattern. I had previously worked on a project in 351 where I used stamps and ink on envelopes, so I already had the materials for this project.

We decided to have 5 in by 5 in samples for each of the sins that we were doing for our project, for the following class. They were: envy, gluttony, lust, sloth, and wrath.

We critqued what we had and began to form more rules as a group. One extra rule was that we had to use stamping as process in which we made our patterns. The second one was we has to use a shade of one particular color for each sin.

The third and final rule we added, was that we had to stamp our pattern on craft paper. These rules were a way to create a system that would create some type of unity to our wrapping paper set, but still allow us to make our own design choices when it came down to the imagery used for our papers. For my wrapping paper in particular we decided that the way that I laid out the pattern for each letter should reflect the sin in some way.

The sloth paper was humorous. It was as if a sloth made that wrapping paper. To push the idea more I should have crinkled the paper or folded it in a way so that it was flat and clean like the other papers.

The gluttony paper felt very full and gluttonous with the way I stamped the g. It was a very gluttonous g to begin with. Very plump.

The wâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of wrath felt very angry. To layer them in such a way that they were battling eachother created a good amount of vibration that is needed to represent anger.

For lust, I wanted the pattern of the Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to feel intimate in their placement. I think the consistency in spacing is where the pattern for this paper is lacking which makes it unsuccessful in conveying lust. They might even need to be closer together. I love the curves in the negative space of the paper. Having a more consistent pattern of stamping the Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s would be a way to revise this paper.

For envy, I wanted the pattern to create the illusion that the e’s were watching eachother. I think the color of the ink was spot on for “green with envy”. It seems as if we did not avoid that cliché. We embraced it, which was debatable in whether that was a good idea or not.

I was happy with the way that my wrapping papers turned out. I had fun making them, I love when I get the chance to use materials outside of the computer. I think the ones that are most successful are wrath, gluttony, and sloth. The way I stamped all three of those papers were the most successful at reflecting the three sins. Envy and lust are the two that I think could use the most revision. Overall, as a whole I really enjoy my wrapping papers. They each have their own little qualites of quirkiness.

PROJECT THREE

SEVEN DEADLY SINS {part two}

What I was thinking: Envy and Wrath were the two sins I was most interested in exploring with their vice. I was thinking about using envy because I think it is one of the sins that I struggle with the most. I have a tendency to be very envious of others. I wanted to use wrath because the relationship between wrath and patience are two extremes where I feel like I have the most balance. I think it is because I keep my wrath bottled up, which is a dangerous thing. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an internal battle for me. So, I decided to explore wrath vs. patience.

Celtic knots are perhaps the most notorious and recognizable artwork in Celtic history. They started appearing in history after about 450 AD; the Celtic knots meaning is sketchy at best, because there is little written history documenting their purpose. However, repetition of their appearance through history in conjunction with other various human interpretations give us insight, and allow us to infer some basic information relating to the Celtic knots meaning. The Celtic knot symbol, is also referred to as the mystic knot, or the endless knot. The more esoteric or spiritual meaning of this symbol eludes to beginnings and endings. In viewing these beautiful knots, we cannot see a beginning or and end, and therefore we are reminded of the timeless nature of our spirit. This translation harkens to our most primal selves as we contemplate the infinite cycles of birth and rebirth in both physical and ethereal realms. A less spiritual representation is also related to the knots endless nature. Due to itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infinite path, the Celtic knot can represent an uninterrupted life cycle. Some may use this symbol as a charm of sorts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; warding against sickness or setbacks that might interfere with an otherwise calm and stable life. In this vein, these knots are used as emblems, which can be found in jewelry, clothing, or home dĂŠcor. In ancient times, gifts adorned with mystic knots would be given with best wishes of longevity, or luck with new endeavors.

What I was thinking: A paper mandala as representation of the duality of wrath and patience was a strong idea. Mandalas represent a spiritual journey, and I feel that finding a balance between wrath and patience is a spiritual journey. Both require strength and a type of release. Wrath builds and has a quick release of strong anger, while patience is a continual release of strength to keep calm. There was a certain amount of difficulty to turn the pieces of the mandala, so it required a certain amount of patience and ability to figure out the rythmn of rotation of the pieces so they would not stick to one another. I think the tan pieces were a bit more complicated, so if I redid it I would make them less rigid and active.

What I was thinking: After I made my paper mandala, I had a discussion with Deb. We talked about what was working for the mandala and what was not. A saw blade was brought up as a representation of wrath, which is what my largest piece of my mandala resembled. I talked about the dabate I had with myself in whether I should hang the pieces separately. Deb asked why, and I spoke about how a back and forth movement would benefit the idea of wrath and patience because it made me think of time; like the ticking of a clock. A pendulum movement. Wrath and patience are very time dependent. There is a build up for both. Then Deb suggested: what if you put a saw blade at the end of a pendulum of a clock. It was a fantastic idea.

What I was thinking: The biggest problem was I had all the parts to make the project, but I didn’t know exactly what I was trying to say. I wasn’t thinking about the project with a lot of depth. It requires another element: motion. At the time I had no mechancism of motion because the pendulum could not move on it’s own. Someone would have to swing the pendulum to make it move, and even then it wasn’t a sturdy motion. I did not have a good reason for why it did not move except for the fact that I couldn’t figure out a way to do it. This caused the piece to fall short. Sound would be an interesting component to add to the piece as well. But, motion is the most important element to figure out for the success of this appropriation of wrath and patience.

PROJECT FOUR INFOGRAPHIC

IDEA BRAINSTORM

Frequently Asked Questions about Dreams

The word dream stems from the Middle English word, dreme which means "joy and music”

How Much Do Animals Sleep? Most animals have a daily pattern of rest and activity. Some animals are more active during the day (diurnal) and some are more active during the night (nocturnal). How much time do animals spend sleeping? Well, it depends on the animal: Species

Questions about Dream “Language”

1) What does Research show about the Dreaming Brain?

a) Most of the Brain is active when we dream, only the executive and sensory functions are off line (the rational thinking and sensing parts). b) Dreams seem to process unresolved emotions – the Limbic system (that associates emotions with sensory information) is highly active in the dream state. c) Language centers on the left side of the brain are off-line, but the same centers on the right side, responsible for processing associations are ON in dreams. Therefore the Language of Dream is that of association, in particular emotional associations, not the literal naming by which we identify things in waking life.

2) Why do I call it a “Dream Language”?

If we see something when we are awake, we use Language to identify it by name. Lets say you see a person you know – you immediately identify them by name – say Joe for example. This identification or naming is performed primarily by a center in the left hemisphere that processes speech. There is also an unconscious emotional identification, and associated feelings, images and memories, that takes place with objects we see in waking life. For example with Joe: seeing him triggers memories of past encounters with Joe and we have an emotional reaction to Joe (lets say we fear and avoid him because of his verbally abusive manner). This emotional identification of Joe takes place unconsciously in the right hemisphere and other parts of the brain such as the limbic system which associates emotion with sensory input as an instinctual protection mechanism.

When we DREAM the speech center is off line so when we see Joe in our dreams – it is NOT Joe – the name is meaningless to the dreaming sleeping brain. The other parts of the brain, however, that process the emotional memories associated with Joe in waking life become active while dreaming (centers in the right hemisphere and limbic system). So the Joe we see in a dream is the memories and emotions we associate with the image of Joe. Our brain borrows the image of Joe to represent an emotion (in this example perhaps the fear of verbal abuse).

Brown Bat

Average Total Sleep Time Average Total Sleep Time (% of 24 hr) (Hours/day) 19.9 hr

82.9%

Giant Armadillo 75.4% North American Opossum 75% Python 75%

18.1 hr 18 hr 18 hr

Owl Monkey Human (infant) Tiger

70.8% 66.7% 65.8%

17.0 hr 16 hr 15.8 hr

Tree shrew Squirrel

65.8% 62%

15.8 hr 14.9 hr

Western Toad Ferret

60.8% 60.4%

14.6 hr 14.5 hr

Three-toed Sloth Golden Hamster Platypus

60% 59.6% 58.3%

14.4 hr 14.3 hr 14.0 hr

Lion Gerbil Rat

56.3% 54.4% 52.4%

13.5 hr 13.1 hr 12.6 hr

Cat Cheetah Mouse Rhesus Monkey Rabbit Jaguar Duck

50.6% 50.6% 50.3% 49.2% 47.5% 45% 45%

12.1 hr 12.1 hr 12.1 hr 11.8 hr 11.4 hr 10.8 hr 10.8 hr

Dog Bottle-nosed dolphin Star-nosed Mole

44.3% 43.3% 42.9%

10.6 hr 10.4 hr 10.3 hr

Baboon

42.9%

10.3 hr

European Hedgehog

42.2%

10.1 hr

Sleep Positions Find Out The Best Sleep Positions. Sleep.com Has All The Sleep Info. www.sleep.com/sleep-position Contour BackMax Wedge Official Full Body Zero-Gravity Wedge Cushions. Buy Now Free Pillow www.ContourLiving.com

Sleep Positions Sleep Positions Studies have revealed that there are 6 common types of Sleeping Positions including Foetus, Log, Yearner, Soldier, Freefaller, and Starfish. A further study revealed that the six most common sleeping positions are indicative of personality types. What do they mean and what do they mean about you? This study by Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service theorises that sleep positions can be analysed much as Body Language. Professor Chris Idzikowski stated that: "We are all aware of our body language when we are awake but this is the first time we have been able to see what our subconscious posture says about us. What's interesting is that the profile behind the posture is often very different from what we would expect." This section details facts and information about Sleeping positions and what they mean about our personality together with a definition of all of the Sleep Positions.

Sleep Positions - Common Sleeping Positions The most common sleeping positions are as follows: Foetus (41%) Log (15%) A huge obstacle to happiness for all of us is anxiety about the future. Kimberly Eclipse, M.A., M.S.Ed

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Why Do We Dream? Five modern theories for dreams and nightmares. Published on November 11, 2009 by Ilana Simons, Ph.D. in The Literary Mind

Freud said that whether we intend it or not, we're all poets. That's because on most nights, we dream. And dreams are lot like poetry, in that in both things, we express our internal life in similar ways. We use images more than words; we combine incongruent elements to evoke emotion in a more efficient way than wordier descriptions can; and we use unconscious and tangential associations rather than logic to tell a story.

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Ilana Simons, Ph.D., is a literature professor at The New School as well as a practicing therapist. more...

Sleep Positions Freud essentially called dreams those poems we tell ourselves at night in order to experience our unconscious wishes as real. Dreams allow us to be what we cannot be, and to say what we do not say, in our more repressed daily lives. For instance, if I dream about burning my workplace down, it's probably because I want to dominate the workplace but am too nervous to admit that aggressive drive when I'm awake and trying to be nice to the people who might give me a raise.

Tempur-Pedic® Pillows Build Your Best Night's Sleep with the Pillow That's Perfect for You. www.TempurPedic.com

We all know that body language in our waking lives is an important way to gauge how other people are feeling.

Freud certainly had a catchy theory about dreams, but it was also limited. For him, every single dream was the picture of an unconscious wish. But people who have had boring dreams or nightmares might feel something missing from that formulation. In turn, recent theorists have tried to give a more accurate account of why we dream. In the following post, I'll list some of the current theories on why, at night, our brains tell strange stories that feel a lot like literature. I'd like to know if any of these theories resonate with you, or if you have your own belief about why we dream. (Many great literary minds were obsessed with their dreams. Samuel Coleridge wanted to write a book about dreams--that "night's dismay" which he said "stunned the coming day." Edgar Allan Poe knew dreams fed his literature, and he pushed himself to dream "dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.") Modern Theories on Why Dreams Exist:

But did you know that your sleep positions can also give away clues as to who you really are? According to recent studies 6 popular sleeping positions were seen to be linked to particular personality traits. And these particular traits were actually quite different from what was expected. The 6 main positions studied were:

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• • • • • •

Foetus Log Yearner Soldier Freefall Starfish

Foetus

Theory #1

We learned to talk before we learned to playtalk.

The Evolutionary Theory: We Dream to Practice Responses to Threatening Situations Ever notice that most dreams have a blood-surging urgency to them? In dreams, we often find ourselves naked in public, or being chased, or fighting an enemy, or sinking in quicksand. Antti Revonsuo, a Finnish cognitive scientist, has shown that our amygdala (the fight-or-flight piece of the brain) fires more than normal when we're in REM sleep (the time in sleep when we dream). In REM sleep, the brain fires in similar ways as it does when it's specifically threatened for survival. In addition to that, the part of the brain that practices motor activity (running, punching) fires increasingly during REM sleep, even though the limbs are still. In other words, Revonsuo and other evolutionary theorists argue that in dreams, we are actually rehearsing fight-and-flight responses, even though the legs and arms are not actually moving. They say that dreams are an evolutionary adaptation: We dream in order to rehearse behaviors of self-defense in the safety of nighttime isolation. In turn, get better at fight-or-

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Those who tend to curl up in the foetal position to sleep are described as being tough on the outside but soft and sensitive on the inside. They can be shy on first meeting but warm up pretty quickly. More men than women sleep in this position and it is the most common position reported.

Log Those who enjoy lying on their sides with both arms down either side are described as easy going and sociable, liking to be part of the cool crowd. However they can be seen as gullible and trusting of everybody.

Yearner Those people who sleep on their sides with both arms stretched out in front of them are described as being distrustful and at times pessimistic.Being open natured these people tend to take a long time to come to any decision however stick firm to their decisions once they have arrived. Very unlikely to change their minds.

Soldier

How to Lucid Dream

Preparatory Exercise

Icubating a Specific Lucid Dream

note your achieved degree of lucidity When you wake up note the time and whether you remember having been lucid. Also note how long you think you were in a state of lucidity.

prepare the focus of your dream

set up dream recall

spinning

Before you go to bed take the time to formulate a single idea or query which states clearly the subject of your dream. Write the phrase down and use a visual image such as a picture or appropriate symbol to fix the idea. Memorize the phrase and image. Say your dreamscape out loud. Remind yourself that when you dream of the event you will know that you are dreaming. Repeat to yourself at least three times.

Learn to wake up from dreams and to recall them. Initially you may need to use an alarm clock, soft music or diffused light. Eventually you will be able to wake up at will be giving yourself the instruction to do so. When you do wake from a dream, try to recall it as fully as possible and, if necessary, write it down.

As your original dream begins to fade, but before you become properly awake, try spinning on the spot. You should do this as rapidly as possible and begin in an upright position. You should find that you either reenter your own dream or spin to a new scenario.

Checking your hands and feet for size and normality helps to stabilise the dream. If they seem larger or smaller than normal, then you are probably dreaming. In your dream try to move them and watch what happens.

This could be anything from jumping into the air for a huge distance, to rolling up a hill. The important thing is that it is an action which goes against the normal permeters of everyday life. If you perform the action, you are dreaming.

if there are bizarre elements in either of these you are probably dreaming. If you do not believe that what you are perceving is real, then you are probably dreaming, You might ask yourself the question, ‘Is this real?’

continuing an activity focus your intent

go to bed

It is important not to let anything else intrude on your concentration. So, without further ado, go to bed and make yourself comfortable.

see yourself become lucid

3. meditate on the phrase

Keep your objective to become lucid in focus until you fall asleep. If at all possible don’t let any other thoughts come between thinking about your issue and falling asleep. If your thoughts wander, just revert to thinking about your phrase and become lucid.

Perceive, using your imagination, that you are back in a dream you have had, whether it is the last one or another one that you remember. Tell yourself you recognize it as a dream. Look for something odd or out of place that demonstrates plainly that it is a dream. Tell yourself, ‘I’m dreaming’ and, knowing what it feels like to be dreaming, continue to remember your chosen dream. Next, imagine what your next lucid dream will feel like. See yourself carrying out your chosen plan. Not when you would ‘realize’ you are dreaming. See yourself carrying out a dream action like flying or spinning around.

repeat until your intention is fixed follow your focus in the lucid dream

When you feel you have achieved lucidity and are satisfied that you are considering your issue, carry out your aim, e.g. ask whatever question you wish to have answered, request ways to represent yourself, try your new responses or contemplate your position. Note your impressions and be aware of all contents of the dream.

When you find yourself in the middle of a lucid dream and it is beginning to fade, carry on with what you were doing in the dream but ignore the fact that the dream is losing clarity. As you continue with your activity, repeat over and over again to yourself. ‘The next scene will be a dream.’

run your (dream) hands together

Concentrate on your phrase and aim to become lucid. Imagine yourself dreaming about the issue and progressing into lucidity. If there is something you want to try in the dream, such as flying, concentrate on the idea of doing it once your are lucid.bed and make yourself comfortable.

remind yourself that you are or have been dreaming If you can, during the dream remind yourself that ‘This is a dream.’ Gradually you will come to recognize very quickly what a dream and what is not.

As you go back to sleep, concentrate intensely on the fact that you intend to recognize that you are dreaming. Use an expression to fix this idea in your mind such as: ‘Next time I am dreaming, I intend to remember I’m dreaming.’ Keep focused on this idea alone and don’t allow yourself to be distracted by stray thoughts.

keep the phrase or image in your mind

look at the ground or the dream scenario

Prolonging a Lucid Dream

The most sensible question to ask is, of course, ‘Am I dreaming?’ The simple asking of the question may initially be sufficient to chase away the dream, and you may well wake up. In time you will be able to apply other techniques to allow you to stay within the dream.

carry out an action that you know is impossible in real life

The Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams Technique

ask yourself a question

look at your hands and feet

hold your intent in mind keep your mind on your intention, and then allow yourself to drift off into sleep.

prepare yourself for sleep Form an affirmation of intent along the lines of a very simple statement such as ‘Tonight my dream will be lucid.’ Keep the statement simple because you are simply learning to ‘go lucid.’ Content of the dream should not matter.

Lucid dreaming is becoming aware that we are dreaming and then gaining an element of lucid control within the dream. When you sleep, you will enter a point where you begin to dream. This phase of sleep is called the REM stage. You will enter the REM stage roughly every 90 minutes during the night, giving approximately four or five REM stages per night. This means you have four or five chances to have a lucid dream every night.

Reality Check

repeat your affirmation Repeat your simple, postive affirmation either out loud or to yourself as many times as you need to in order to fix it in your own mind. This is helpful in itself, since it is teaching you how to focus your mind on one thing at a time.

what is it?

Repeat steps 2 and 4 until your intention is fixed; then drift off into sleep. Sometimes while falling asleep your mind wanders. If so, repeat the steps, so that the last thing in your mind before falling asleep is the though that you will remember to appreciate the next time you are dreaming.

When you become aware that you are dreaming lucidly and the dream, begins to fade, try rubbing your hands together very hard - you should experience the movement and friction. Keep rubbing your hands together until you wake up or the dream scenario shifts. Keep repeating a phrase which ensures you stay with the dream, such as ‘I am continuing to dream.’

flying Flying has much in common with the process of spinning. You are inhibited only by your imagination. Experiment with flying in your own way, according to what you find most comfortable.

sensory manipulation Use the senses to help you stay with the dream. Concentrate on each of the senses in turn and expand your awareness of each one. Listen, for instance, to your own breathing and then become aware of other inner sounds and voices. Try holding a conversation with one of your dream characters.

keep the dream active and sustain it if you can To sustain the dream, learn to use the techniques in the next two exercises. Initially, lucidity will only occur in short flashes.

come out of lucidity

When you acquire a good enough answer in the dream, come out of lucidity and make a point of rousing yourself into full consciouness. Before everything disappears, lie quite still thinking about what you have achieved.

record the dream

BASIC

Record the dream as shown preciously, deciding exactly how it has answered your question or intent.

ADVANCED

NOT A GOOD IN CLASS CRITIQUE... I DUN GOOFED I agreed with everyone about what was discussed. I think I failed to realize those things for myself, but I knew something wasn’t right about it. It was cute, but it wasn’t suppose to be. It’s a complex process. I didn’t do it justice. It was way too childish and this isn’t something for kids. So, is back to the drawing board. I should be happy because I get to use brain imagery, and I love brains.

night, giving night, approximately giving approximately four or fivefour REM orstages five REM per stages night. perper night. night, giving approximately four or five REM stages night. This meansThis youmeans havemeans four you or have five four chances or five chances have a lucid to have a lucid This you have four ortofive chances to have a lucid dream night. dream every dream night. everyevery night.

Preparatory Exercise Preparatory Preparatory Exercise Exercise

you go to bed take the time to formulate a The most sensible question is, of course, Before you go Before your simple, postive affirmation either The most sensible to bedBefore you takego the totime bed totake formulate the time a to formulate a The most question sensible to ask question is, of course, to ask is,toofask course, Repeat your simple, Repeatpostive yourRepeat simple, affirmation postive either affirmation either or query which states clearly the ‘Am I dreaming?’ The simple asking of the out loud or to yourself as many times as you ‘Am I dreaming?’ single idea or single query single idea whichoridea states query clearly whichthe states clearly the ‘AmThe I dreaming?’ simple asking The simple of the asking of the out loud or to yourself out loudas ormany to yourself timesas asmany you times as you subject of your dream. Write the phrase down question may initially be sufficient to chase away need to in order to fix it in your own mind. Thisquestion is subject of yoursubject dream.of Write yourthe dream. phrase Write down the phrase down may initially question bemay sufficient initiallytobe chase sufficient away to chase away need to in order need to fix to itininorder your to own fix mind. it in your Thisown is mind. This is and use a visual image such as a picture or apthe dream, and you may well wake up. In time helpful in itself, since it is teaching you how to the dream, andthe and use a visual and image use asuch visual asimage a picture such oras ap-a picture or apyou dream, may well andwake you may up. In well time wake up. In time helpful in itself,helpful since itinisitself, teaching sinceyou it ishow teaching to you how to propriate symbol to fix the idea. Memorize you will be able to apply other techniques to focus your mind on one thing at a time. propriate symbol propriate to fix the symbol idea. to Memorize fix the idea. Memorize you will be able you to will apply be other able to techniques apply other to techniques to focus your mind focus on one yourthing mindaton a time. one thing at a time. the phrase and image. Say your dreamscape allow you to stay within the dream. the phrase andthe image. phrase Sayand your image. dreamscape Say your dreamscape allow you to stay allow within youthe to stay dream. within the dream. out loud. Remind yourself that when you dream out loud. Remind outyourself loud. Remind that when yourself dream when youare dream of the event you you will that know that you dreaming. of the event you of will the know event that you will are know dreaming. aretimes. dreaming. Repeat to you yourself at that leastyou three prepare yourself for sleep Repeat to yourself Repeat at least to yourself three times. at least three times. look at your hands and feet prepare yourself prepare foryourself sleep for sleep Form an affirmation of intent along the lines of look at your look hands atChecking your and feet hands and and feetfeet for size and noryour hands Form an affirmation Form of anintent affirmation along of theintent lines along of the of a very simple statement suchlines as ‘Tonight my Checking yourChecking hands and your feethelps hands for size and and feet norfor and Ifnormality to stabilise thesize dream. they seem a very simple statement a very simple such statement as ‘Tonight such my as ‘Tonight my dream will be lucid.’ Keep the statement simplemality helps tomality stabilise helps theto dream. stabilise If they the seem dream. If they go to bed larger or smaller than normal, thenseem dream will be dream lucid.’ Keep will be thelucid. statement ’you Keep simple the statement simple because are simply learning to ‘go lucid.’ larger or smaller larger than or normal, smaller then than normal, then you are probably dreaming. In your dream try to go to bed go toItbed is important not to let anything else intrude on because you are because simplyyou learning are simply to lucid. ’ should to ‘go not lucid. ’ Content of ‘go thelearning dream matter. you are probably you dreaming. are probably In your dreaming. dream In try your to dream try to It is important It not is to important let anything not to else let intrude anything onelsefurther intrudeado, on go to move them and watch what happens. your concentration. So, without Content of the Content dream should of the dream not matter. should not matter. move them andmove watch them what and happens. watch what happens. your concentration. your concentration. So, without further So, without ado, go further to ado, go to bed and make yourself comfortable. bed and makebed yourself and make comfortable. yourself comfortable.

hold your intent in mind carry out an action that you know is hold your intent hold your in mind intent mind keep the phrase or image in keep your in mind on your intention, and then allow carry out an carry action out that an action you know isyou impossible inthat real lifeknow is yourself drift off into sleep. keepyour the or image phrase keep your mind keep on your your intention, mind on to your and then intention, allow and then allow mind inor image in impossibleimpossible in realThis lifecould in real life from jumping into the air keep the phrase be anything yourself to driftyourself off into to sleep. drift off into sleep. mind on your phrase and aim to for a huge distance, to rolling up hill.air The im- your mind your Concentrate This could be anything This could from be jumping anything into fromthe jumping air intoathe

1. 1.

The Mnemon Th of Lucid Dream of L

prepare the focus of your dream prepare theprepare focus ofthe your focus dream of your dream

ask yourself a question ask yourself ask a question yourself a question

repeat your affirmation repeat yourrepeat affirmation your affirmation

Icubating a Specific IcubatingIcubating a Specific a Specific Lucid Dream Lucid Dream Lucid Dream

Reality Check Reality Check Reality Check

note your achieved degree lucidity degree note your achieved note yourof degree achieved When you wake up note the time and whether of lucidity of lucidity

portant thing that is an action which for a huge distance, for a huge to rolling distance, up a hill. toisrolling Theitimup a hill. The im- goes against thewhich permeters of goes everyday life. portant thing isportant that it isthing an action is that itnormal is angoes action which If you perform the action, you are dreaming. against the normal against permeters the normal of everyday permeters life. of everyday life. If you performIfthe you action, perform youthe areaction, dreaming. you are dreaming.

youtime remember having lucid. Also note When you wake When up note you the wake upand notewhether the time been and whether look at the ground or the howlucid. long Also you think you were a state of lucidity. you rememberyou having remember been having been notelucid. Also in note scenario look at the look ground atdream the or the ground or the how long you think how long you were you think in a state you were of lucidity. in a state of lucidity. if there are bizarre elements in either of these

lucid. Imagine yourself dreaming about Concentrate onConcentrate your become phraseonand your aim phrase to and aim to thelucid. issueImagine and progressing into lucidity.about If there become lucid.become Imagine yourself dreaming yourself about dreaming is something you want to lucidity. try in theIfdream, the issue and progressing the issue andinto progressing lucidity. If there into there such asto flying, of doing is something you is something want tryyou inconcentrate the want dream, to tryon such inthe theidea dream, such it once your areoflucid.bed andofmake yourself comas flying, concentrate as flying, onconcentrate the idea doing on theitidea doing it fortable. once your are once lucid.bed your and are lucid.bed make yourself and make comyourself comfortable. fortable.

dream scenario dream scenario

meditate on the phrase you are probably dreaming. If you do not believe if there are bizarre if there elements are bizarre in either elements of these in either of these your objective to become lucid in focus that what you are perceving is real, then you are meditate on meditate the Keep phrase on the phrase you are probably youdreaming. are probably If you dreaming. do not believe If you do not believe until you fall asleep. If at all possible don’t let any probably dreaming, You might ask yourself the Keep your objective Keep your to become objective lucid to become in focus lucid in focus that what you are thatperceving what you are is real, perceving then you is are real, then you are other thoughts come between thinking about question, ‘Is this real?’ until you fall asleep. until you Ifyour atfall allissue asleep. possible If don’t at all possible let any don’t let any probably dreaming, probably You dreaming, might ask You yourself might the ask yourself the and falling asleep. If your thoughts other thoughts other come thoughts between come thinking between about thinking about question, ‘Is this question, real?’ ‘Is this real?’ wander, just revert to thinking about your phrase your issue andyour falling issue asleep. and Iffalling your asleep. thoughts If your thoughts and become lucid. wander, just revert wander, to thinking just revert about to thinking your phrase about your phrase remind yourself that you are or have and become lucid. and become lucid.

been dreaming remind yourself remind that yourself you arethat or have you are or have If you can, during the dream remind yourself that been dreaming been dreaming ‘This is a dream.’ Gradually you will come to rec-

If you can, during If you thecan, dream during remind thequickly dream yourself remind thata dream yourself ognize very what andthat what ‘This is a dream. ‘This ’ Gradually is a isdream. you’ Gradually will come you to recwill come to recnot. ognize very quickly ognizewhat veryaquickly dream and whatwhat a dream and what is not. is not.

follow your focus in the lucid dream When you feel you have achieved lucidity and

follow yourfollow focus in thefocus lucid in dream the lucid dream areyour satisfied that you are considering your issue,

When you feelWhen you have youachieved feel lucidity and lucidity and carry outyou yourhave aim,achieved e.g. ask whatever question are satisfied that areyou satisfied are wish considering thattoyou are your considering issue,request yourways issue, you have answered, to repcarry out yourcarry aim, e.g. out ask your whatever aim, e.g. ask whatever question resent yourself, tryquestion your new responses or contemplate your position. Note impressions you wish to have youanswered, wish to have request answered, ways to request rep- your ways to repand be aware of allnew contents of the dream. resent yourself,resent try your yourself, new responses try your or conresponses or contemplate your template position. Note your position. your impressions Note your impressions and be aware of and allbe contents aware of the all contents dream. of the dream.

keep the dream active and sustain it if you can keep the dream keepTo active the dream and sustain active and itto use sustain it sustain the dream, learn the techniques

set set up dream setrecal up up d

Learn Learn to wake Learn up from to d w recall t recall them. Initially recall you them m alarm alarm clock, soft alarm music cloc o Eventu Eventually youEventually will be ab be giv be giving yourself be giving the ins When When you do wake Whenfrom you as fully as fully as possible as fully as i itand, down it down. it down.

1. 1.

focus focus your focus intent yo As you

As you go back Astoyou sleep, go on the on the fact thaton you the intend fact you are you are dreaming. you idea are Usedr an in idea in your mind ideasuch in you a dream dreaming, I intend dreaming, to rem Keep f Keep focused Keep on this focu ide yourse yourself to be distracted yourself to

see y Perceiv see yourself see becom your

back Perceive, usingPerceive, your imain u the las back in a dream back you inhav ad Tell on yo the last one or the another last on Look fo Tell yourself you Tellrecogni yourse Look for something Lookdemon for oddso self, ‘I’ demonstrates plainly demonstra tha tod self, ‘I’m dreaming’ self,like ‘I’m and, chosen like to be dreaming, like to cont be d Next, i chosen dream.chosen dre feel lik Next, imagine Next, what your imag chosen feel like. See yourself feel like.car S are dre chosen plan. Not chosen when pla y action are dreaming. are Seedream yours action like flying action or spinn like

repea

Repea

repeat untilrepeat your then in du

Repeat steps 2Repeat andfalling 4 unt ste then drift off into then sleep. drift So the ste falling asleep your falling mind asle before the steps, so that thethe steps, last remem before falling asleep before fall th areis dre remember to appreciate remember are dreaming. are dream

our dream try to ens.

you know is

It is important not to let anything else intrude on you are dreaming. Use an expression to fix this night, night, giving giving approximately approximately four orfour fiveor REM fivestages REM stages per night. per night. your concentration. So, without further ado, go to idea in your mind such as: ‘Next time I am bed andThis makemeans yourself comfortable. This means you have youfour haveorfour fiveor chances five chances to have toahave lucid a lucid dreaming, I intend to remember I’m dreaming.’ dreamdream every every night. night. Keep focused on this idea alone and don’t allow yourself to be distracted by stray thoughts.

keep the phrase or image in your mind

run your (dream) hands together

close up of text 3. on info graphic

ping into the air a hill. The imReality Reality CheckCheck which goes everyday life. e dreaming.

continue with your activity, repeat over and over again to yourself. ‘The next scene will be a dream.’

Icubating Icubating a Specific a Specific Concentrate on your phrase and aim to become lucid. Imagine yourself dreaming Lucidabout Lucid Dream Dream

When you become aware that you are dreaming

The Mnemonic The Mnemonic Induction Induction lucidly and the dream, begins to fade, try see yourself become lucid Prolonging Prolonging a Lucid a Lucid Dream Dream of Lucid ofyou Dreams Lucid Technique Techniquerubbing your hands together very hard - you Perceive, using your imagination, that are Dreams

should experience the movement and friction. the issue and progressing into lucidity. If there back in a dream you have had, whether it is Keep rubbing your hands together until you is something you want to try in the dream, such the last one or another one that you remember. wake up or the dream scenario shifts. as flying, concentrate on the idea of doing it as a up dream. prepare prepare the focus theof focus yourofdream your dreamTell yourself you recognize set upit set dream dream recall recall kelf yourself a question a question spinning spinning Keep repeating a phrase which ensures you stay once your are lucid.bed and make yourself comortoout of place that dreams Before you Before go toyou bed gotake to bed the time take the to formulate time to formulate a Look for a something odd Learn Learn wake up to wake from up from and dreams to and to nsible most sensible questionquestion to ask is,to of ask course, is, of course, As your dream originalbegins dreamtobegins fade, but to fade, but with the dream, suchAs asyour ‘I amoriginal continuing fortable. demonstrates plainlyrecall that itthem. isrecall a dream. Tell yoursingle idea single or query idea or which query states which clearly statesthe clearly the Initially them. you Initially mayyou need may to use need anto use an ing?’ I dreaming?’ The simple Theasking simpleofasking the of the before you before become you become properlyproperly awake, try awake, spinning try spinning to dream.’ self, ‘I’m dreaming’ and, knowing what it feels subject of subject your dream. of yourWrite dream. theWrite phrase thedown phrase down alarm clock, alarm soft clock, music soft ormusic diffused or diffused light. light. ystion initially maybe initially sufficient be sufficient to chase to away chase away on the spot. on the Youspot. should Youdo should this asdorapidly this asas rapidly pos- as poslike to be dreaming, continue to remember your and use aand visual use image a visualsuch image as asuch picture as aor picture ap- or apEventually Eventually you will be youable will to bewake able up to wake at willup at will dream, nd you and mayyou wellmay wake well up.wake In time up. In time sible andsible begin and in begin an upright in anposition. upright position. chosen dream. ither ofapply these propriate symbol to symbol fix theto idea. fix the Memorize idea. Memorize be givingbeyourself giving the yourself instruction the instruction to do so. to do so. ble will to be able to other apply techniques other techniques to to You should Youfind should that find you either that you reenter eitheryour reenter ownyour own meditate on thepropriate phrase u do not believe flying Next, imagine what your next lucid dream will the phrase theand phrase image. andSay image. yourSay dreamscape your dreamscape When you When do wake you do from wake a dream, from atry dream, to recall try to it recall it w stay youwithin to stay thewithin dream. the dream. dream ordream spin toora spin new to scenario. a new scenario. Keep your objective to become lucid in focus al, then you are feel like. See yourselfascarrying out out loud.out Remind loud. yourself Remind that yourself whenthat youwhen dream you dream fully asaspossible fullyyour as possible and, if necessary, and, if necessary, write writeFlying has much in common with the process until you fall asleep. If at all possible don’t let any k yourself the chosen plan. Not when you would ‘realize’ you of the event of the youevent will know you will thatknow you are thatdreaming. you are dreaming. it down. it down. of spinning. You are inhibited only by other thoughts come between thinking about are dreaming. See yourself carrying out a dream Repeat toRepeat yourself to at yourself least three at least times. three times. your imagination. Experiment with flying in your your issue and falling asleep. If your thoughts continuing continuing an activity an activity action like flying or spinning around. k urathands your hands and feet and feet own way, according to what you find wander, just revert to thinking about your phrase When you When find you yourself find in yourself the middle in theofmiddle a lucidof a lucid most comfortable. ecking ur hands your and hands feet and for size feetand for size nor-andand norbecome lucid. focus your focusintent your intent dream and dream it is beginning and it is beginning to fade, carry to fade, oncarry with on with ity to stabilise helps to stabilise the dream. theIfdream. they seem If they seem what youwhat wereyou doing were in doing the dream in thebut dream ignore but ignore As you go Asback you go to sleep, back to concentrate sleep, concentrate intenselyintensely are or have go to bed go to bed aller er or than smaller normal, than then normal, then the fact that the the fact dream that the is dream losing is clarity. losing As clarity. you As you on the fact onthat the you fact intend that youtointend recognize to recognize that that repeat bably are probably dreaming. dreaming. In your dream In yourtry dream to try to It is important It is important not to letnot anything to let anything else intrude elseon intrude on until your intention is fixed continuecontinue with yourwith activity, yourrepeat activity,over repeat andover overand over you are dreaming. you are dreaming. Use an expression Use an expression to fix thisto fixsensory this manipulation Repeat ind yourself thathappens. follow your focus inconcentration. the lucid dream ve and them watch and what watch what happens. your your concentration. So, without So,further withoutado, further go to ado, go to steps 2 and 4 until your intention is fixed; again again yourself. yourself. ‘The next‘The scene next will scene be will be idea in your ideamind inwhile your such mind as: ‘Next such as: time ‘Next I amtime I amUse the senses to help youtostay withtothe dream. then drift off into sleep. Sometimes will come to recbed achieved and bed make and yourself make comfortable. yourself comfortable. When you feel you have lucidity and dream. ’a dream. dreaming, dreaming, I intend I intend remember to remember I’m dreaming. I’m dreaming. ’ Concentrate ’ on eacha of the senses in ’turn and falling asleep your mind wanders. If so, to repeat m and what are satisfied that you are considering your issue, focused Keep on focused this idea on this alone idea and alone don’tand allow don’texpand allow your awareness of each one. Listen, for the steps, so that theKeep last thing in your mind carry out your aim, e.g. ask whatever question to yourself be distracted be distracted by stray thoughts. by stray thoughts.instance, to your own breathing and then rry an out action an action that you that know youis know before falling asleepyourself is the though thattoyou will youis wish to have answered, request ways to repkeep the keep phrase theor phrase or image or image in in become aware of other sounds and(dream) voices. remember to appreciate the next time you runinner your run (dream) your hands hands together together possible le in realin life real life resent yourself, try your new responses conTry holding a conversation with oneyou of your are dreaming. your mind your mind Note your impressions When you When become become aware that aware you are thatdreaming you are dreaming ecould anything be anything from jumping from jumping into the air into template the air your position. dream characters. and be aware of all contents of the dream. lucidly and lucidly the dream, and thebegins dream,tobegins fade, try to fade, try Concentrate Concentrate on your phrase on yourand phrase aim and to aim to astance, huge distance, to rollingtouprolling a hill. up Thea imhill. The imsee yourself see yourself become become lucid lucid rubbing rubbing your hands your together hands together very hard very - you hard - you become become lucid. Imagine lucid. Imagine yourself dreaming yourself dreaming about about gant is that thing it is is an thataction it is an which action goes which goes Perceive,Perceive, using your using imagination, your imagination, that you are that you are should experience should experience the movement the movement and friction. and friction. the issuethe andissue progressing and progressing into lucidity. into Iflucidity. there If there inst ormal thepermeters normal permeters of everyday of everyday life. life. back in aback dream in ayou dream haveyou had, have whether had, whether it is it is Keep rubbing Keep rubbing your hands your together hands together until you until you is something is something you wantyou to try want in the to try dream, in thesuch dream, such m u perform the action, theyou action, are dreaming. you are dreaming. the last one the or lastanother one or one another that one you remember. that you remember. keep the dreamasactive and sustain it idea wake upwake or theup dream or thescenario dream scenario shifts. shifts. flying,as concentrate flying, concentrate on the on the of doing idea of it doing it Tell yourself Tell you yourself recognize you recognize it as a dream. it as a dream. if you can Keep repeating Keep repeating a phrase a which phrase ensures which you ensures stay you stay once your once are your lucid.bed are lucid.bed and make and yourself make comyourself comLook for Look something for something odd or out odd of or place out of that place that with the dream, with thesuch dream, as ‘Isuch am continuing as ‘I am continuing To sustain the dream,fortable. learn tofortable. use the techniques demonstrates demonstrates plainly that plainly it is athat dream. it is aTell dream. your-Tell yourto dream.to ’ dream.’ in the next two exercises. Initially, lucidity will ek ground at the ground or the or the self, ‘I’m self, dreaming’ ‘I’m dreaming’ and, knowing and, knowing what it feels what it feels only occur in short flashes. eam enario scenario like to belike dreaming, to be dreaming, continuecontinue to remember to remember your your

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

ere izarre areelements bizarre elements in either in of either these of these meditate meditate on the on phrase the phrase bably are probably dreaming. dreaming. If you doIfnot youbelieve do not believe Keep your Keep objective your objective to become to become lucid in focus lucid in focus uwhat are perceving you are perceving is real, then is real, youthen are you are out of lucidity come until you until fall asleep. you fallIfasleep. at all possible If at all possible don’t let don’t any let any eaming, bably dreaming, You might You ask might yourself ask the yourself the When you acquire a other good thoughts enough answer income the between other thoughts come between thinking thinking about about this stion, real?’ ‘Is this real?’ dream, come out of lucidity and make aand point your issue your and issue falling asleep. fallingIfasleep. your thoughts If your thoughts of rousing yourself into full consciouness. Before wander, wander, just revert just to revert thinking to thinking about your about phrase your phrase everything disappears, quite thinking andlie become andstill become lucid. lucid. about what you have achieved.

4. 4.

mind ourself yourself that you that areyou or have are or have aming en dreaming

repeat repeat until your untilintention your intention is fixedis fixed

uring u can,the during dream theremind dreamyourself remind that yourself that follow follow your focus yourin focus the lucid in thedream lucid dream sam. is ’aGradually dream.’ Gradually you will come you will to come rec- record to rec- the dream When you When feel you have feel you achieved have achieved lucidity and lucidity and Record the dream asare shown preciously, deciding ize quickly verywhat quickly a dream what aand dream whatand what satisfied are satisfied that you are thatconsidering you are considering your issue, your issue, exactly how it has answered ot. carry outyour carry yourquestion out aim,your e.g. aim, ask whatever e.g. ask whatever questionquestion or intent. you wishyou to have wishanswered, to have answered, request ways request to repways to represent yourself, resent yourself, try your new try your responses new responses or con- or contemplatetemplate your position. your position. Note your Note impressions your impressions and be aware and be ofaware all contents of all contents of the dream. of the dream.

chosen dream. chosen dream. Next, imagine Next, imagine what your what nextyour lucid next dream lucidwill dream will feel like. feel See like. yourself See carrying yourself carrying out your out your chosen plan. chosen Notplan. whenNot youwhen would you ‘realize’ would you ‘realize’ you are dreaming. are dreaming. See yourself See carrying yourself carrying out a dream out a dream action like action flying like or flying spinning or spinning around. around.

5. 5.

keep the keep dream the dream active active and sustain and sustain it it if you can if you can To sustain Tothe sustain dream, thelearn dream, to use learn the totechniques use the techniques

Repeat steps Repeat 2 and steps 4 until 2 and your 4 until intention your intention is fixed; is fixed; then driftthen off into driftsleep. off into Sometimes sleep. Sometimes while while falling asleep fallingyour asleep mind your wanders. mind wanders. If so, repeat If so, repeat the steps,the sosteps, that the solast thatthing the last in your thingmind in your mind before falling before asleep fallingisasleep the though is thethat though you will that you will remember remember to appreciate to appreciate the next the timenext youtime you are dreaming. are dreaming.

4. 4.

flying flying Flying has Flying muchhas in common much in common with the process with the process of spinning. of spinning. You are inhibited You are inhibited only by only by your imagination. your imagination. Experiment Experiment with flying with in your flying in your own way,own according way, according to what you to what find you find most comfortable. most comfortable.

sensory sensory manipulation manipulation Use the senses Use thetosenses help you to help stay you withstay the dream. with the dream. Concentrate Concentrate on each of onthe each senses of theinsenses turn and in turn and expand your expand awareness your awareness of each one. of each Listen, one.for Listen, for instance,instance, to your own to your breathing own breathing and thenand then become become aware ofaware other inner of other sounds innerand sounds voices. and voices. Try holding Try aholding conversation a conversation with onewith of your one of your dream characters. dream characters.

ADVANCED

Imagery I made while working on my revised info graphic I made this graph and brain imagery but, I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find a way to incorporate it into my information graphic on lucid dreaming.

AWAKE

REM

STAGES OF SLEEP

STAGE ONE

STAGE TWO

STAGE THREE

STAGE FOUR

10 pm

11 pm

12 am

1 am

2 am

3 am

4 am

5 am

6 am

7 am

When you sleep, you will enter a point where you begin to dream. This phase of sleep is called the REM stage. You will enter the REM stage roughly every 90 minutes during the night, giving approximately four or five REM stages per night. This means you have four or five chances to have a lucid dream every night.

Wake Initiated Lucid Dreams

Preparatory Exercise

set an early alarm

repeat your affirmation Repeat your simple, positive affirmation either out loud or to yourself as many times as you need to in order to fix it in your own mind. This is helpful in itself, since it is teaching you how to focus your mind on one thing at a time.

prepare yourself for sleep

Before you go to bed, set an alarm for 4 to 5 hours into the night from the time that you are going to sleep.

Reality Check ask yourself a question

Form an affirmation of intent along the lines of a very simple statement such as ‘Tonight my dream will be lucid.’ Keep the statement simple because you are simply learning to ‘go lucid.’ Content of the dream should not matter.

hold your intent in mind

look at your hands and feet

Keep your mind on your intention, and then allow yourself to drift off into sleep.

note your achieved degree of lucidity When you wake up note the time and whether you remember having been lucid. Also note how long you think you were in a state of lucidity.

The Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams Technique

Checking your hands and feet for size and normality helps to stabilize the dream. If they seem larger or smaller than normal, then you are probably dreaming. In your dream try to move them and watch what happens.

carry out an action that you know is impossible in real life This could be anything from jumping into the air for a huge distance, to rolling up a hill. The important thing is that it is an action which goes against the normal perimeters of everyday life. If you perform the action, you are dreaming.

set up dream recall

Incubating a Specific Lucid Dream prepare the focus of your dream Before you go to bed take the time to formulate a single idea or query which states clearly the subject of your dream. Write the phrase down and use a visual image such as a picture or appropriate symbol to fix the idea. Memorize the phrase and image. Create your dreamscape verbally now. Remind yourself that when you dream of the event you will know that you are dreaming. Repeat to yourself at least three times.

go to bed It is important not to let anything else intrude on your concentration. So, without further ado, go to bed and make yourself comfortable.

look at the ground or the dream scenario

keep the phrase or image in your mind

If there are bizarre elements in either groung or the dream scenario you are probably dreaming. If you do not believe that what you are perceiving is real, then you are probably dreaming, You might ask yourself the question, ‘Is this real?’

remind yourself that you are or have been dreaming

meditate on the phrase

If you can, during the dream remind yourself that ‘This is a dream.’ Gradually you will come to recognize very quickly what a dream and what is not.

follow your focus in the lucid dream When you feel you have achieved lucidity and are satisfied that you are considering your issue, carry out your aim, e.g. ask whatever question you wish to have answered, request ways to represent yourself, try your new responses or contemplate your position. Note your impressions and be aware of all contents of the dream.

keep the dream active and sustain it if you can To sustain the dream, learn to use the techniques in the next two exercises. Initially, lucidity will only occur in short flashes.

come out of lucidity When you acquire a good enough answer in the dream, come out of lucidity and make a point of rousing yourself into full consciouness. Before everything disappears, lie quite still thinking about what you have achieved.

record the dream Record the dream as shown preciously, deciding exactly how it has answered your question or intent.

focus your intent As you go back to sleep, concentrate intensely on the fact that you intend to recognize that you are dreaming. Use an expression to fix this idea in your mind such as: ‘Next time I am dreaming, I intend to remember I’m dreaming.’ Keep focused on this idea alone and don’t allow yourself to be distracted by stray thoughts.

see yourself become lucid Perceive, using your imagination, that you are back in a dream you have had, whether it is the last one or another one that you clearly remember. Tell yourself you recognize it as a dream. Look for something odd or out of place that demonstrates plainly that it is a dream. Tell yourself, ‘I’m dreaming’ and, knowing what it feels like to be dreaming, continue to remember your chosen dream. Next, imagine what your next lucid dream will feel like. See yourself carrying out your chosen plan. For example, not when you would ‘realize’ you are dreaming. See yourself carrying out a dream action such as flying or spinning around.

repeat until your intention is fixed Repeat steps 2 and 4 until your intention is fixed; then drift off into sleep. Sometimes while falling asleep your mind may wander. If so, repeat the steps, so that the last thing in your mind before falling asleep is the though that you will remember to appreciate the next time you are dreaming.

relax the mind and body Once you have woken up, enter a light state of meditation by focusing on breathing and relaxing every muscle in the body. Then repeat the mantra: “One. The next scene will be a dream. Two. The next scene will be a dream. Three...” etc.

observe the hypnagogic imagery After 5-10 minutes, hypnagogic imagery will appear behind the closed eyelids. Observe it, play with it, or ignore it. Do whatever feels best to keep the conscious mind entrained while allowing the body to relax deeply.

fall asleep consciously Hold on to this thin strand of awareness while the body falls asleep and enters sleep paralysis (the person remains aware while the body shuts down for REM sleep). This might or might not be noticeable. At first it may seem surprising, or even scary, but it is not dangerous. Ignore any sounds or vibrations and focus on staying completely relaxed.

enter the lucid dream world Soon, the body will be completely asleep. There are two ways to enter a lucid dream from here. Firstly, simply move into the scene by allowing it to become three-dimensional. Alternatively, imagine having a separate physical body and dream body, then sink, float or roll out of body.

eat your affirmation

at your simple, positive affirmation either out loud or to yours many times as you need to in order to fix it in your own mind. s helpful in itself, since it is teaching you how to focus your on one thing at a time.

pare yourself for sleep

Reality Check

THIS IS BAD... I DUN GOOFED again

m an affirmation of intent along the lines of a very simple statesuch as ‘Tonight my dream will be lucid.’ Keep the statement le because you are simply learning to ‘go lucid.’ Content of the m should not matter.

d your intent in mind

your mind on your intention, and then allow yourself to drift to sleep.

e your achieved degree of lucidity

ask yourself a question

look at your hands and feet

I had this for the Monday in which the info graphics were due, but I an action that you knownot is impossible real lifeit. just couldn’t bring myself to turn carry it in.outI absolutely was happyin with This could be anything from jumping into the air for a huge distance, But, that was a mistake on my part because this means I got a zero on it. to rolling up a hill. The important thing is that it is an action which against the normal perimeters of everyday life. If you perform I don’t know why I handled thegoes situation in this way. I know I should the action, you are dreaming. have discussed this with Deb, but I was too disappointed in myself. I look at the ground or the dream scenario made the assumption that it wasIf there tooarelate to do anything about that bizarre elements in either groung or the dreamit, scenario you are probably dreaming. If you do not believe that what you are I made my bed and I had to lie in it. No pun intended. I was ashamed perceiving is real, then you are probably dreaming, You might ask the question,the ‘Is this real?’ for not turning anything in, so yourself I avoided situation completely. yourself that you are that or haveifbeen dreaming This was a failure in my thought remind system. I assumed it was never If you can, during the dream remind yourself that ‘This is a dream.’ discussed, there was nothing Gradually wrong. I made the situation worse. you will come to recognize very quickly what a dream and whatis is not. I believe that one of my weaknesses the inability to speak up when I am in the wrong, when I messed up. It was a stubborn move that I can’t make while I am out in the design world. I was ashamed and I let that get in the way of being strong. This was a bad call on my part. It is too late to apologize.

n you wake up note the time and whether you remember haveen lucid. Also note how long you think you were in a state cidity.

This info graphic was a struggle for me. I think I should have picked a different topic, because what I was researching wasn’t going to open up the opportunity for me for me to get to graph data in different ways. It could only lead to a chart of some sort.

go to bed It is important not to let anything else intrude on your concentration. So, without further ado, go to bed and make yourself comfortable.

keep the phrase or image in your mind Concentrate on your phrase and aim to become lucid. Imagine yourself dreaming about the issue and progressing into lucidity. If there is something you want to try in the dream, such as flying, concentrate on the idea of doing it once your are lucid.

meditate on the phrase Keep your objective to become lucid in focus until you fall asleep. If at all possible don’t let any other thoughts come between thinking about your issue and falling asleep. If your thoughts wander, just revert to thinking about your phrase and become lucid.

keep the dream active and sustain it if you can To sustain the dream, learn to use the techniques in the next two exercises. Initially, lucidity will only occur in short flashes.

record the dream Record the dream as shown preciously, deciding exactly how it has answered your question or intent.

Preparatory Exercise repeat your affirmation Repeat your simple, positive affirmation either out loud or to yourself as many times as you need to in order to fix it in your own mind. This is helpful in itself, since it is teaching you how to focus your mind on one thing at a time.

hold your intent in mind Keep your mind on your intention, and then allow yourself to drift off into sleep.

note your achieved degree of lucidity When you wake up note the time and whether you remember having been lucid. Also note how long you think you were in a state of lucidity.

Reality Check ask yourself a question The most sensible question to ask is, of course, ‘Am I dreaming?’ The simple asking of the question may initially be sufficient to chase away the dream, and you may well wake up. In time you will be able to apply other techniques to allow you to stay within the dream.

look at your hands and feet

Incubating a Specific Lucid Dream prepare the focus of your dream

carry out an action that you know is impossible in real life

Before you go to bed take the time to formulate a sin which states clearly the subject of your dream. Write and use a visual image such as a picture or appropri the idea. Memorize the phrase and image. Create yo verbally now. Remind yourself that when you drea you will know that you are dreaming. Repeat to y three times.

This could be anything from jumping into the air for a huge distance, to rolling up a hill. The important thing is that it is an action which goes against the normal perimeters of everyday life. If you perform the action, you are dreaming.

It is important not to let anything else intrude on you So, without further ado, go to bed and make yours

go to bed

look at the ground or the dream scenario

keep the phrase or image in your mind

Concentrate on your phrase and aim to become luc self dreaming about the issue and progressing into lu something you want to try in the dream, such as fly on the idea of doing it once your are lucid.

remind yourself that you are or have been dreaming

meditate on the phrase

If you can, during the dream remind yourself that ‘This is a dream.’ Gradually you will come to recognize very quickly what a dream and what is not.

Keep your objective to become lucid in focus unti If at all possible don’t let any other thoughts come b about your issue and falling asleep. If your thoug revert to thinking about your phrase and become l

follow your focus in the lucid dream

When you feel you have achieved lucidity and ar you are considering your issue, carry out your aim ever question you wish to have answered, reques sent yourself, try your new responses or contempla Note your impressions and be aware of all content

keep the dream active and sustain it if yo

To sustain the dream, learn to use the techniq two exercises. Initially, lucidity will only occur in sh

come out of lucidity

When you acquire a good enough answer in the dre lucidity and make a point of rousing yourself into fu Before everything disappears, lie quite still thinking have achieved.

record the dream

Record the dream as shown preciously, deciding ex answered your question or intent.

Wake Initiated Lucid Dreams set an early alarm Before you go to bed, set an alarm for 4 to 5 hours into the night from the time that you are going to sleep.

The Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams Technique set up dream recall

ncubating a Specific Lucid Dream

epare the focus of your dream

fore you go to bed take the time to formulate a single idea or query ich states clearly the subject of your dream. Write the phrase down d use a visual image such as a picture or appropriate symbol to fix e idea. Memorize the phrase and image. Create your dreamscape rbally now. Remind yourself that when you dream of the event u will know that you are dreaming. Repeat to yourself at least ee times.

o to bed

s important not to let anything else intrude on your concentration. , without further ado, go to bed and make yourself comfortable.

ep the phrase or image in your mind

ncentrate on your phrase and aim to become lucid. Imagine yourf dreaming about the issue and progressing into lucidity. If there is mething you want to try in the dream, such as flying, concentrate the idea of doing it once your are lucid.

editate on the phrase

ep your objective to become lucid in focus until you fall asleep. t all possible don’t let any other thoughts come between thinking out your issue and falling asleep. If your thoughts wander, just vert to thinking about your phrase and become lucid.

llow your focus in the lucid dream

hen you feel you have achieved lucidity and are satisfied that u are considering your issue, carry out your aim, e.g. ask whater question you wish to have answered, request ways to reprent yourself, try your new responses or contemplate your position. te your impressions and be aware of all contents of the dream.

ep the dream active and sustain it if you can

sustain the dream, learn to use the techniques in the next o exercises. Initially, lucidity will only occur in short flashes.

me out of lucidity

hen you acquire a good enough answer in the dream, come out of cidity and make a point of rousing yourself into full consciouness. fore everything disappears, lie quite still thinking about what you ve achieved.

cord the dream

cord the dream as shown preciously, deciding exactly how it has swered your question or intent.

what is it?

hold your intent in mind

Keep your mind on your intention, and then allow yourself to drift off into sleep.

prepare yourself for sleep

note your achieved degree of lucidity

When you wake up note the time and whether you remember having been lucid. Also note how long you think you were in a state of lucidity.

ask yourself a question

carry out an action that you know is impossible in real life

look at your hands and feet Checking your hands and feet for size and normality helps to stabilize the dream. If they seem larger or smaller than normal, then you are probably dreaming. In your dream try to move them and watch what happens.

prepare the focus of your dream Before you go to bed take the time to formulate a single idea or query which states clearly the subject of your dream. Write the phrase down and use a visual image such as a picture or appropriate symbol to fix the idea. Memorize the phrase and image. Create your dreamscape verbally now. Remind yourself that when you dream of the event you will know that you are dreaming. Repeat to yourself at least three times.

keep the phrase or image in your mind

go to bed It’s important not to let anything else intrude your concentration. So, without further ado, go to bed and make yourself comfortable.

Concentrate on your phrase and aim to become lucid within your dream. Imagine yourself dreaming about the issue and progressing into lucidity. If there is something you want to try in the dream, such as flying, concentrate on the idea of doing it once your are lucid.

follow your focus in the lucid dream

set an early alarm

After 5-10 minutes, hypnagogic imagery will appear behind the closed eyelids. Observe it, play with it, or ignore it. Do whatever feels best to keep the conscious mind entrained while allowing the body to relax deeply.

keep the dream active and sustain it if you can

When you acquire a good enough answer in the dream, come out of lucidity and make a point of rousing yourself awake into full consciouness. Before everything disappears, lie quite still thinking about what you have achieved.

To sustain the dream, learn to use the techniques in the next two exercises. Initially, lucidity will only occur in short flashes.

see yourself become lucid

Perceive, using your imagination, that you are back in a dream you have had, whether it is the last one or another one that you clearly remember. Tell yourself you recognize it as a dream. Look for something odd or out of place that demonstrates plainly that it is a dream. Tell yourself, ‘I’m dreaming’ and, knowing what it feels like to be dreaming, continue to remember your chosen dream. Next, imagine what your next lucid dream will feel like. See yourself carrying out your chosen plan. For example, not when you would ‘realize’ you are dreaming. See yourself carrying out a dream action such as flying or spinning around.

enter the lucid dream world

observe the hypnagogic imagery

come out of lucidity

set up dream recall Learn to wake up from dreams and to recall them. Initially you may need to use an alarm clock, soft music or diffused light. Eventually you will be able to wake up at will be giving yourself the instruction to do so. When you do wake from a dream, try to recall it as fully as possible and, if necessary, write it down.

Before you go to bed, set an alarm for 4 to 5 hours into the night from the time that you are going to sleep.

look at the ground or the dream scenario If there are bizarre elements in either groung or the dream scenario you are probably dreaming. If you do not believe that what you are perceiving is real, then you are probably dreaming, You might ask yourself the question, ‘Is this real?’

Soon, the body will be completely asleep. There are two ways to enter a lucid dream from here. Firstly, simply move into the scene by allowing it to become three-dimensional. Alternatively, imagine having a separate physical body and dream body, then sink, float or roll out of body.

record the dream Record the dream as shown preciously, deciding exactly how it has answered your question or intent.

repeat your affirmation

hold your intent in mind

Repeat your simple, positive affirmation either out loud or to yourself as many times as you need to in order to fix it in your own mind. This is helpful in itself, since it is teaching you how to focus your mind on one thing at a time.

Keep your mind on your intention, and then allow yourself to drift off into sleep.

prepare yourself for sleep

note your achieved degree of lucidity

When you wake up note the time and whether you remember having been lucid. Also note how long you think you were in a state of lucidity.

What I was thinking: ask yourself a question The most sensible question to ask is, of course, ‘Am I dreaming?’ The simple asking of the question may initially be sufficient to chase away the dream, and you may well wake up. In time you will be able to apply other techniques to allow you to stay within the dream.

I’m still not completely satisfied with my information graphic; I think it is because I can’t get it to function right in the format of a large poster. I envision it as something in a magazine article. The nueron form with the information is the part I am actually satisfied with. I might try and do a magazine layout with my information. look at your hands and feet

prepare the focus of your dream

keep the phrase or image in your mind

follow your focus in the lucid dre

Before you go to bed take the time to formulate a single idea or query which states clearly the subject of your dream. Write the phrase down and use a visual image such as a picture or appropriate symbol to fix the idea. Memorize the phrase and image. Create your dreamscape verbally now. Remind yourself that when you dream of the event you will know that you are dreaming. Repeat to yourself at least three times.

When you feel you have achieved lucidity are considering your issue, carry out yo question you wish to have answered, re yourself, try your new responses or co Note your impressions and be aware of

go to bed It’s important not to let anything else intrude your concentration. So, without further ado, go to bed and make yourself comfortable.

Ultimately, I would like to continue to polish this information graphic up. I wish I would have realized that my information wasn’t the best for this project sooner. rawr. meditate on the phrase

PROJECT FIVE

SYSTEMS OF NATURE

TRIP TO IJAMS

branching

helix What I was thinking: On the hike at Ijams I found myself drawn to smaller flowers, because once I got close to them I was able to notice the intricate details from the pedals to the stem. They became mesmerizing as I got closer. I think it was because we so easily overlook nature. We become so wrapped up in our material world that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t spend a lot of times outdoors. The internet becomes our nature, which is an extremely scary idea.

helix

tessellated: 4â&#x20AC;&#x201C;sided shapes

spiral spiral

spiral tessellated: 4â&#x20AC;&#x201C;sided shapes

meandering

spiral

branching

spiral

MY MOTHER’S GARDEN

my mother’s garden I went home this weekend (4/13) to Georgia and I was able to admire my mother’s garden. She enjoys getting out and working in it on the weekends when she can once it is spring. Since it was a beautiful weekend she was able to spend Saturday afternoon working in it and planting little things here and there. She said a lot of the time she feels like it looks like she hasn’t even been working in the garden all day, because a garden has a gradual change. It’s taken a couple of years to get it to the beautiful garden/backyard that it is today. I asked her, “How do you decide the different places to put certain plants or flowers in your garden?” She said, “When I find something I like, I just stick it in the ground.” My mother has different tasks that she has to perform to keep up the maintenance in her garden: picking weeds, watering the plants with a hose, planting bulbs of plants, and refilling bird feeders. I have a memory of this one time that I was out shopping with my mother and she saw a couple of weeds in a plant bed outside of Bed Bath and Beyond. She asked if I minded if she picked the weeds to throw them away. I told I didn’t mind and she proceed to pick the weeds.

I wondered around in our backyard and took pictures of plants, spider webs, mushrooms, flowers, and leaves that I found visually interesting. I even got to go around with my mom and ask what the names of certain flowers and plants were. It was a nice way to bond, because when I was in high school I never really took the time to admire the transformation that my parents had made to the backyard. I wish I had a picture of what it looked like when we first moved in. There is probably one somewhere in our house.

Iris

It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species.

Cabbage Plant

Columbine

Intricate little flowers, they are most commonly a combination of red, peach, and yellow but also blues, whites, pure yellows, and pinks; they look almost like folded paper lanterns. Columbine thrives in sun or partial shade in moist, well-drained soil. Plants tend to be short-lived but self-seed readily, often creating natural hybrids with other nearby columbines. Plant Type: Perennial Bloom Time: Blooms spring and summer Special Features: Flowers,Cut Flowers,Attracts Hummingbirds,Attracts Butterflies,Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow

For this project, I began the process by finding forms within the pictures that I took at Ijams and of my motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s garden that I found interesting. I would pull that form out and begin to play with it by repeition and scale.

At first, I was nervous that I would not be able to come up with anything successful for this exercise. But, when you take the time to sit down and continually sketch, you will get somewhere with your drawings that lead you to genereate other ideas or other forms for the words I was working with. I think this is a helpful exercise to know when starting to work will developing logos for branding. I feel like I will definitely keep the exercise in mind whenever I will be working on branding in my design career.

MONDAY READING TIME NY TIMES

For the most part, I enjoyed reading the NY Times every Monday. There were some days were I felt like it really cut into our time for critique, because I class is so large. I formed a kind of system of reading where I would read an article from the particular sections I was interested in. It took about two to three weeks to figure out what sections of the paper were able to hold my interest; that I would make sure to read an article from. The technology section was my favorite section to read, which I think really ended up surprising me. It surprised me because I thought I wouldn’t be able to follow the jargon, but it really was not that bad. The politics section was the section that I would try to read, but was unable to really gain an understanding because I wasn’t fluid in the subject. It’s not that politics are not interesting to me, but I think I need to do more personal research to be able to appreciate and understand the NY Times articles on the subject.

Overall, I really enjoyed this class. It gave me the opportunity to explore topics that were personally interesting to me. I’m use to certain limitations in my classes, but this one really opened up what I could get into. I started with the assumption that everything happens for a reason, but I don’t think I fully agree with that anymore. I think that not every little thing that happens is going to have a reason. There is so much repetition in our lives in things that happen that if we try to find meaning in everything it will become wasted energy. We need to be able to let things happen without trying to find a reason. In my manifesto last semester one of the statements from it was live it. I believe that is what we need to do. I think we can question things that happen when we don’t fully understand, and that is the moment when a person can try to find meaning. They cannot rely on having the answer right away.