Inducing Lucid Dreams We were introduced to autosuggestion above. Here, let’s get deeper into this topic. Autosuggestion is like intention; it is a widely used psychological technique with which we are all familiar. Dr. Patricia Garfield first introduced it to the public in her book on dream work back in 1974. Stephen LaBerge calls it a “laid-back” technique because it is so simple and easy. The Autosuggestion Technique removes all pressure to succeed. The key to using autosuggestion is to feel confidence in yourself. So relax, smile, think good thoughts about yourself and follow the steps below. Use this technique whenever you like when you wish to have lucid dreams, but feel you cannot give any extra mental effort. Exercise: Autosuggestion Technique 1. Autosuggestion A. Establish a feeling of self-confidence. Think of something you are really good at. It could be anything, significant or trivial, such as writing poems, designing greenhouses, cooking healing meals, growing flowers and herbs, mountain climbing, computer games, fixing things, or throwing wads of paper into the wastebasket across the room. Remember how you feel when you are doing this thing you are really good at. What is it like to feel completely sure of yourself, confident of your ability? When you’ve got that feeling, you are ready to go on to the next step, which may be done either at bedtime or during an awakening in the night. B. Relax and create a feeling of confidence in yourself. When you are in bed, release your tensions by doing a relaxation exercise. Then, bring to mind the feeling of being fully confident in your ability that you discovered in step A. above. Immerse yourself in feeling good about your competence. Hold that feeling; and go on to step C. C. Suggest to yourself that you will have lucid dreams. While maintaining the feeling of calm confidence you called up in the last step, tell yourself “I can have lucid dreams, and I look forward to my next one.” Don’t assert that it must happen tonight or at any specific times. Be happily expectant of having a lucid dream and picture yourself, in your next lucid dream, engaged in enjoyable and inspiring activity. Create a feeling of certainty that you will have lucid dreams in the future. 2. Practice for Counting into a Lucid Dream Relax. Lie down or sit comfortably. If you are sleepy, sit rather than lie down. Use a relaxation exercise, such as the Ball of Light or the 61-Points described on pages 168 through 170 in chapter 9, to release all physical tension. A. Breathe. Do the Pot-Shaped Breath Exercise described on page 171 in chapter 9. Continue with it for a few minutes, until your Pot-Shaped breathing is smooth, regular and automatic. B. Count Your Breaths. As you inhale, think “One” and build up a mental picture of the number 1 floating before your mind’s eye. Make it as solid an image as you can.
C. Exhale. As you exhale, focus on the number 1 you have imagined and think of nothing else. D. Inhalation. On your next inhalation, release the number 1, let it disappear, then think “Two” and build up an image of the number 2. E. Exhalation. As you exhale, focus on the number 2 in your mind and think of nothing else. Think only of it. F. Continue this process. Continue up through the number 9 and then start again with the number 1. Repeat until you are satisfied with your progress. G. Reject Distractions. Other thoughts are likely to pop into your mind, asking for your attention. Don’t give in to them. Ignore the other thoughts. Do this passively; that is, don’t get upset about them or try to forcefully eject them from your mind. Just acknowledge, “that’s a thought”, then ignore it and return to your counting/visualization. H. Continue. Keep up the concentration as long as it feels comfortable or until you need or want to stop. Each day you should try to extend the time you spend in these concentration exercises, until you can easily do any of them for 20 minutes.