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THEORY &

PRACTICE

WORKSHOPS

BLOGS

METHOD

METHOD

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

On this page you'll nd step-by-step

instructions on how to begin and hone
your aware-dreaming practice. If you
haven't already done so, it's a good idea
to read the introduction page (The

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Phenomena) in order to familiarize

yourself with the basic concepts and
terminology. 

Before moving on to the method itself,

it's rst important that I provide some
background on the approach expounded here. Firstly, I did not personally invent or
discover the majority of the techniques you'll be learning, nor can I take credit for all of
the terminology. Most of the techniques and the basic architecture of the method were
developed by Michael Raduga and laid out in his book The Phase. This book is an
incredibly valuable resource that I highly recommend reading. In it he covers the tenets
of his method in exhaustive detail, leaving very few stones unturned. It was this book
that led to my personal breakthrough with lucid dreaming and astral projection, and for
that I owe Michael my sincere gratitude. What I have done in this section of the
website is provided a compact and condensed version of his method, repackaging it in
a way that covers what I believe to be the essential elements and most helpful
features. I have also taken the liberty of adopting my own terminology in many places.
The reasons for this are threefold: 1) to help clarify certain potentially vague ideas and
notions; 2) to put my own spin on the aesthetics of the presentation style; and 3) to
bring the method into accord with my own personal practice, which extends quite a
ways beyond Raduga's fundamentals and has a character and coherence that bene ts
from its own terminology. I have attempted to make clear where I deviate from Raduga
and where I am basically paraphrasing. Phrases and terms taken directly from Raduga
are given an asterisk (*).  

TWO PRACTICES

As explained in the introductory section, aware-dreaming practices split into two main
categories: lucid dreaming and astral projection. Once again, it's crucial to remember
that these are two versions of the same type of experience, differing from each other
only by their method of entry. Speci cally, astral projection is typically considered a
true out-of-body phenomenon, as the separation of the dream body from the physical
body is directly perceived as a distinct event. This does not occur in lucid dreaming. In
a lucid dream, one becomes aware they are in the Dream Space without remembering
how they got there, i.e. there is no perceived separation event. 

Since lucid dreaming is the more passive of the two practices, it's generally more
advantageous to learn astral projection rst and allow lucid dreaming to develop

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spontaneously in parallel. Correspondingly, this page presents astral projection rst

and at the end covers lucid dreaming on its own.

A S T R A L P R O J E C T I O N : T W O E N T R Y S T R AT E G I E S

The practice of astral projection further divides into two main entry strategies: pre-rest
and post-rest (roughly corresponding to Raduga's "direct" and "indirect" methods; my
usage of these two terms diverges slightly). These two strategies are based on when
they are performed in relation to the sleep cycle of the practitioner, whether before
(pre-rest) or after (post-rest) a full night of sleep. Of these two, the post-rest strategy is
by far the easiest for most beginners to master, with the main exception of individuals
suffering from frequent (at least once a month) sleep paralysis. For these people, the
pre and post strategies may prove equally accessible. Nevertheless, I would still
personally advise that everyone start with the post-rest strategy in order to maximize
the chances for quick success. 

L E V E R A G I N G T H E I N - B E T W E E N S TAT E

Between waking and sleeping there is a sort of intermediate zone where the content
and quality of thought is considerably altered from ordinary consciousness. You've
probably experienced this in-between state before. It's particularly noticeable when,
after drifting off to sleep and having something startle you back to waking
consciousness, you subsequently realize that you'd just been in a state of dream-like
thought. Perhaps your body had felt light and tingly. Maybe you vaguely remember
having seen a series of images or having heard someone yell your name. It's crucial to
understand that the mode of being underlying these perceptions—the phase, to borrow
Raduga's term—is precisely that which is leveraged in astral projection to effect the
separation of the dream body from the physical body. This being the case, the beginner
must learn to recognize the phase. The following list provides some hallmark
examples of the types of sensations and perceptions one might experience in this
state:

Tactile and Kinesthetic

• Feeling light and tingly

• Sensation of oating or hovering

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• Sensation of one's body being pushed in various directions (typically through a

black void)

○ Rising, sinking; sliding left, right, forward, or backward

• Sensation of rapidly falling (very common)

• Sleep paralysis

• Feeling of being touched by someone

• Feeling as if someone is tugging at one's limbs

Visual

• Hypnagogic imagery (vague, colorful forms and patterns oating across the
visual eld; sometimes more de ned and realistic)

• Seeing one's bedroom (or a dream version of it) through closed eyelids

○ Often there is a fuzzy or glowing quality to the objects seen.

• Dream-like scenes coming into focus (landscapes, interior environments, etc.)

• Dark, shadowy gures moving about in one's room or at the foot of the bed

○ This can be very frightening. However, they cannot harm you. If seen, you
must simply ignore them or risk being startled awake.

• The eeting image of someone's face (known or unknown)

Auditory

• Music, often of a strange character

• Voices chattering, people in conversation, people arguing

• Hearing one's name spoken or shouted

• Electric sounds (zapping, buzzing, etc.)

• A high pitched tone becoming louder and louder

• Loud commotion, clatter, or cacophony

○ It may sound as if something has fallen off a shelf in another room, or that
someone is banging pots and pans.

• Loud explosions

• Hearing the phone ring

• Hearing the TV when you know you turned it off

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Olfactory and Gustatory

Smell and taste perceptions in the in-between state are not particularly common.
However, any smell or taste which would be out of the ordinary in the setting one is
sleeping in could indicate the onset of dream consciousness. 

Mental and Extra-sensory

• Perception that one is telepathically communicating with a person lying in bed

beside them or with a dream entity

• Feeling of chemicals ooding the brain (we don't usually feel our brains)

• Heightened emotions

• Feelings of profound insight, typically about abstract concepts that turn out to
make little sense upon awakening

○ Ex: Becoming ecstatic about the revelation that "the seat of knowledge is in
the lower right corner"

A L R E A DY I N T H E D R E A M S PA C E

To clarify, the phase and the in-between state are not synonymous. Rather, the in-
between state is a subcategory of the phase, i.e. when one enters the in-between state,
the overarching state of being is that of the phase. The word Dream Space refers to the
place where events then occur within this state. Furthermore, when you realize you're
in this intermediate zone, you're in fact already in the Dream Space. It's just that (in
most cases) your dream body has not yet separated from the physical body—it is
superposed on top of it. All that is needed is to simply separate the dream body from
the physical body. For experienced practitioners, this can be as simple as getting up
and walking out. For beginners, this feat can be somewhat elusive, requiring the
application of separation techniques. Separation techniques come in two varieties:
primary and secondary (my distinction), both of which are detailed below. 

QUICK GUIDE
ESSENTIAL READING FOR ALL BEGINNERS
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ENTRY STRATEGY NO. 1: POST-

REST 
If you're planning to follow the advice on this site, optimum results will be achieved
through following the method exactly. Improvising, altering, and cutting corners will
most likely lead to poor results and frustration. That being said, you should begin
learning astral projection with the post-rest entry strategy. Performed upon awakening
from a nearly full night's sleep, it utilizes the body-mind's close proximity to dream
consciousness to effect a quick and easy separation from the physical body. It is
hands down the quickest and easiest route to aware dreaming, with an extremely high
success rate. Only after mastering this entry strategy should you attempt to move on
to the much more di cult pre-rest strategy. 

The following is a summary of the procedure: 

1. Go to bed at your normal time and set your alarm to wake you up 6 hours later.
Before going to bed, devise a mental plan of action for your projection. This
includes deciding which separation techniques will be used and what you will do
once in the Dream Space.

2. Upon awakening from your alarm, get up (we're talking physical body still), get a
drink of water, and go to the bathroom. If needed, review the steps of the
procedure.

3. After about 5-20 minutes, go back to sleep with the strong intention of projecting
the next time you awaken (naturally, without an alarm). Assure yourself that you
will not move your physical body or open your physical eyes upon awakening.

4. When you wake up, do not move your physical body or open your physical eyes.
Instead, immediately attempt a primary separation technique (getting
up/climbing out, rolling out, levitation—all detailed below). If this doesn't work,
move on to secondary techniques (phantom wiggling, hand rubbing,
visualization, etc.). Choose 2-3 secondary techniques and cycle through them,
performing each for 3-5 seconds. Perform no less than 4 complete cycles. If
separation does not occur after roughly a minute, discontinue the attempt and
fall back asleep with the intention of repeating these activities the next time you
awaken. Over the next few hours (up to 4), you will awaken more frequently than
usual due to the intention to project you've established within your body-mind. Go
through the entire process (primary attempt followed by cycling of secondary
techniques) upon each awakening, until separation occurs. This amounts to
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roughly 5-10 repetitions of the entire process (up to 10 minutes of actual

separation attempts).

5. Once you have separated from your physical body and have entered the Dream
Space, you must rst solidify lucidity. Do this by aggressively grabbing onto your
surroundings and rubbing your hands together (we're talking dream body now).
At rst, vision may be absent or impaired. The more lucidity is solidi ed through
physical contact with the Dream Space, the clearer dream vision will become. If
vision does not arise, there are other techniques to address this (discussed
later). 

6. Try not to lose yourself to bewilderment. Instead, collect your focus and
remember your plan of action. For rst-timers, this will be to look at yourself in
the mirror and accomplish at least one other item. Maintaining focus and a
sense of directed action will ensure that the experience won't fade back into an
ordinary dream.

7. Do not look directly at objects or scenery in the Dream Space. Instead, look
through and around them. This will clarify the images to an extraordinary degree,
to the extent that they may appear clearer and sharper than objects in the
physical world. Similarly, do not look too long in the same direction. Doing so
weakens lucidity, causing objects to morph or dissolve, and can lead to an early
termination of the entire experience. You must constantly shift your gaze and
maintain a determined, almost frenzied effort to keep moving.

8. Maintain physical contact with the dream environment at all times. Doing so
extends the duration of the experience. Failing to do so will either cause the
experience to dissolve or you to drift back into a non-lucid dream.

9. Most projections end with a dissolution of the experience (or dissipation). The
Dream Space fades away and normal waking consciousness returns. You may
feel your dream body sliding back into your physical body, or some similar
sensation. Upon awakening, immediately review your experience, either by
writing it down, speaking it into a recording device, or simply thinking about it.
Failing to do this or waiting a long time can cause the degree of recall to rapidly
diminish, often to the point of forgetting that you had the experience at all.

10. Do not practice astral projection more than 2-3 times per week. It is highly
preferable to practice when there is nothing pressing in your schedule the next
day, as you may feel somewhat drowsy after a morning of projection attempts.
Practicing the morning of a busy day can cause anxiety, minimizing the chances
for successful projection and possibly leading to frustration.

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PRIMARY TECHNIQUES

If your timing is right (if you've woken deeply in the phase) it's often possible to quickly
and directly enter the Dream Space immediately upon awakening. This is done using
primary techniques. These are techniques which, using a single coordinated
motion, effect a swift separation of the entire dream body from the physical body.
Primary techniques should always be attempted before anything else, even if the
phase doesn't seem strong enough. They are by far the quickest and easiest entry
point into the Dream Space, so to forego an attempt at using them can cause you
more work than may be necessary. 

The most crucial thing to remember, and perhaps the most di cult thing to initially
comprehend, is that this separation from the physical body is not an imagined action.
Rather, it will feel like a physical event, like there is a real body getting up from your bed
and walking (or oating/ ying/swimming/etc.) out. However, it must begin with an
intention—you must imagine what it will be like in order to will the action into actually
occurring. This is where many people run into trouble. Thinking that they have to
simply imagine separating from their body, they fail to make the transition to literally
feeling it. Separation of the dream body from the physical body is a matter of
transferring one's sensory-perceptual apparatus from one body to the next. 

It can be di cult to recognize that separation has occurred, due to the extremely
physical quality of the experience. When rst experimenting, many people mistakenly
think they have moved their physical body instead of the dream body. There are a
number of clues to help you determine whether or not you've successfully separated.
First off, if you have to even ask yourself whether or not you're in your physical body,
chances are you've separated. Unless you're prone to dissociation in your waking life
(and some people are), it's probably not often that you have to seriously ponder
whether or not you're dreaming. Other clues include, but aren't limited to:

• Strong feeling of vibration throughout the body

• Finding that you are ying, oating, or hovering

• Altered vision, no vision (ex: nding that it's much darker than usual in your room)

• Anomalous visual perceptions of any kind, such as strange images or objects

which aren't normally there

• Anomalous sounds or physical sensations

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• Anomalous occurrences of any kind, such as ipping the light switch and having
nothing happen

There are 4 main primary techniques (there certainly are others—these are just the
most obvious and effective):

1. Getting up - Simply sit up and walk out of your physical body. This sounds far-
fetched but it's something that every human being is capable of. When you do it
for the rst time you may even get an odd sense of déjà vu, meaning you've
probably done this before sometime in your life and not remembered it. It must
be done very swiftly and with rock-solid con dence.

2. Climbing out - This is essentially the same as getting up, but is a bit more labor-
intensive. Instead of sitting up and walking out, you are essentially pushing your
dream body out, typically by pressing your dream hands against the bed and
forcing yourself upward. Sometimes it may seem like there are invisible objects
around you which you can grab hold of and use as surfaces to push against or
pull on.

3. Rolling out - With this technique the idea is to roll your dream body to the left or
right along your body's vertical (head-to-toe) axis. This must be done incredibly
forcefully, but making sure not to move the physical body. The technique
sometimes requires priming, i.e. it may take a few back-and-forth rolling/rocking
motions to fully propel you out of your physical body and into the Dream Space.
However, it is highly preferable to shoot for separating in one uid motion, as
every second that passes diminishes the chances of success.

4. Levitation - Levitation is somewhat different from the other techniques in that it

is less overtly physical. Rather than forcing your way out of your physical body
through physical exertion, you must imagine that you are levitating/hovering
above your bed. It may seem less attainable than the other three, but it's actually
quite easy and natural, as most people will instantly recognize the sensation
from previous dream experiences. As with the other techniques, once you
imagine the action and project a strong intention to carry it out, you must
transition to feeling it or it will not happen. Once in the air, simply oat, y, or walk
into the Dream Space.

SECONDARY TECHNIQUES

Secondary techniques are performed if and when a primary technique fails. They are
essentially maneuvers to engage the dream body, or in other words to trigger
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awareness and physical control over it. In this regard, they are a sort of warm-up
mechanism. Typically, a primary technique will be required after this warm-up,
although this is not always the case. You may nd yourself fully in the Dream Space
after performing secondary techniques. 

The number of potentially useful secondary techniques out there is rather

large. Literally anything that helps a person gain active control over their dream body
quali es. Here's a list of some of the most obvious and effective ones: 

1. The Rope - This is probably the most commonly discussed and attempted of all
the secondary techniques. It is so popular that many instructors present it alone
as the method for astral projection (which is perhaps why the success rate of
their students is often comparatively low). You are to imagine that there is a rope
hanging right over your body. You then grab hold of this rope and pull yourself
out. Again, it begins in the imagination and transitions to a physical sensation.
Usually, once out of your body an additional step is needed to detach from the
rope and proceed into the Dream Space. This can be done by simply hopping off,
as you would a regular rope. However, it may seem that climbing the rope has
simply brought you to the point where your dream body is just barely separated
from the physical. In this case, reverting to a primary technique should do the
trick.

2. Phantom Wiggling* - The secondary technique I personally use most often when
primary techniques fail (which is rare these days). It entails moving/wiggling
one's body part back and forth (up-down, side-to-side, in etc.) or in a rotational
manner until this part of the dream body becomes fully dislodged from the
physical. Typically done with the hands, feet, arms, or legs, it requires a very
forceful, repetitive motion. Again, you must make sure not to move the physical
body by accident. Most people will intuitively know when they have engaged their
dream limbs instead of their physical limbs. Under the heavy vibrations of the
phase, the physical body is di cult to move in the rst place. Once phantom
wiggling has cued awareness of the dream body, you may use a primary
technique to fully separate (if of course you don't nd yourself already in the
Dream Space).

3. Swimming - According to Michael Raduga, "the swimmer" technique is the most

effective secondary technique for students attending his workshops. I have
included it third because it can leave the beginner in a di cult situation, namely
that you begin your projection experience in a body of water/liquid! While
treading dream water is certainly a legitimate projection experience, it can easily
become the entirety of the experience. What I mean by this is that it can be
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di cult for the novice to know how to get out of the water. Or it may seem like
you're swimming in an in nite ocean. In any case, it is a technique that many
people try and like, if for nothing else than the sheer fact that it provides entry
into the Dream Space. Simply engage your dream body in a forceful swimming
motion (with both arms and legs or arms alone) to utilize this technique. If you
get lucky this swimming motion, instead of dropping you off in some faraway
ocean, will be just enough to cause the dream body to detach. In this case, use a
primary technique to separate fully.

4. Visualization - Compared to the techniques above, this technique reverses the

order in which the senses arise in the dream body. With the rope, phantom-
wiggling, and swimming, the tactile-kinesthetic sense is the rst to manifest,
usually followed by vision. With the visualization technique, it is observing
images which causes the Dream Space to materialize. Simply imagine some
predetermined object in front of you. It could be anything. However, it should be
no more than a foot away from you. If it or something else appears, use a
primary technique to separate (if visualization hasn't propelled you directly into
the Dream Space). A more passive variation of this technique, which may be
more appropriately termed peering, involves staring into the blackness behind
your closed eyelids with the anticipation that something unspeci ed will appear.
This is essentially a kind of scanning of the environment with just enough focus
to recognize anything out of the ordinary. In either variation of the visualization
technique, once something appears it is crucial that you do not examine the
details of the object or scene too closely. Doing so will cause it and consequently
the phase to dissolve. Instead, look through or past it.

5. Hand Rubbing - Hand rubbing is an important technique for several reasons. For
one, it combines visualization with tactile-kinesthetic perception and so usually
causes vision and touch to arise spontaneously. Secondly, it factors heavily into
solidifying lucidity once in the Dream Space (discussed later). What you do is
visualize your hands (dream hands of course) in front of you, no more than a foot
away from your face. Rub them together while you do this. You should see and
feel them fading in simultaneously. Once enacted, use a primary technique to
separate.

6. Listening - This is probably the most passive and open-ended secondary

technique, in that it usually involves simply paying attention and waiting for
something to happen. If you hear anything out of the ordinary, latch onto it and
follow it. It could be an ambient hum, a group of people chatting, or an alien
symphony from hyperspace. Whatever it is, focusing on it will cause the Dream

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Space to materialize either placing you squarely in it or to the extent that a

primary technique will now be viable.

The musically inclined may nd a more active application of the technique

useful. This consists of imagining music that you already know. You may be
extremely surprised to hear a song playing in your mind's ear as if you were
tuning into a radio broadcast. This song may be reproduced in exact detail or be
altered in some way. Sometimes the music heard may be entirely different than
what you intended. In any case, it will seem like you are literally hearing the
music, not merely imagining it. 

BACKGROUND TECHNIQUES

There are several techniques which can be considered secondary, but which are better
placed in a separate category—what I call background techniques. Background
techniques are those which, when performed simultaneously with secondary
techniques, have an intensifying effect which increases the chances of successful
separation. The techniques themselves are Raduga's, although he doesn't categorize
them in this way. 

1. Straining The Brain* - This technique is somewhat di cult to describe, as it only

really makes sense while in the phase. Essentially it is a kind of intense
concentration on nothing in particular, accompanied by a physical sensation of
spasmodic pulsation in the head, almost as if the brain were being squeezed as a
muscle. Doing this results in increased vibrations in the dream body and often
causes noises to occur (most typically a high pitched tone or buzzing sound). It
can be performed in conjunction with any secondary technique or used on its
own.

2. Straining The Body* - The same concept as straining the brain, but with the
dream body. It may feel rather similar to squeezing the muscles of the physical
body, so be careful not to accidentally do so. You'll know you're doing it if
increased vibrations or noises occur.

3. Forced Falling Asleep* - Like straining the brain, this technique can be di cult to
conceptualize. However, while in the phase it seems natural and obvious. It is a
kind of latching onto the phase and consciously directing it to take you where it
normally would: to sleep. However, you must at the last minute catch yourself
and, instead of actually falling asleep, begin performing secondary techniques.

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Forced falling asleep can be done in between secondary technique cycles or

simultaneously with them.

T R A I N I N G W H I L E AWA K E

In the beginning stages of learning astral projection, it is both possible and highly
advisable to train the above-listed separation techniques (primary, secondary, and
background) while awake. This is especially important prior to your rst attempt. In
fact, it's best to train over a period of at least three days prior to trying them out in the
phase. 2 to 5 minutes per technique during the day is su cient for most people.
Practicing a technique for more than 10 minutes at a time is not advisable, as it can
lead to overanalyzation. You don't want to psych yourself out. Additionally, it is critically
important that you DO NOT TRAIN BEFORE GOING TO SLEEP the night before a
projection attempt. This is another common way people psych themselves out. It can
lead to a certain mental (and even physical) restlessness which will almost invariably
surface during the separation attempt, causing frustration and ultimately failure to
separate. It's always best to train well before going to sleep. It's even okay to brie y
practice in the morning right after waking up from your alarm (as per step 1 of the
procedure). 

The way to train the techniques is rather straightforward. Simply lie down, either in bed
or on some other comfortable surface, and imagine going through the motions of each
technique. If the technique is primarily tactile-kinestethic, you must imagine literally
feeling the movements without engaging your physical body. This can be somewhat
awkward, as you won't be able to truly feel them as one does in the phase. It may seem
silly and pointless, but you must simply trust that this will prepare you for the real deal. 

If the technique is primarily visual or auditory, you're basically just using your
imagination in the same way an artist or musician would. Lie down, close your eyes,
and scan the emptiness for any sort of content which may arise. This can of course
also be done in a more active manner where speci c sounds or images are imagined. 

If done properly and with focused intention, training while awake can greatly increase
the chances of achieving success on the rst or within the rst few attempts at astral
projection. 

Taking notes while reviewing the method on this site is also a good idea, as it is
admittedly a lot of information to absorb. Writing things down can help solidify the
concepts in your mind. 

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MINIMIZING EXTERNAL STIMULUS IN THE SURROUNDING

ENVIRONMENT 

In order to most effectively practice astral projection, it's crucial to procure or arrange
the most distraction-free environment as possible. Anything that could attract the
slightest bit of attention or cause one to wake up suddenly could become a potential
impediment to a successful experience, whether it be a light turning on, a car driving by
outside, or even the touch of one's partner lying next to them in bed. The ideal
conditions for astral projections are complete sensory isolation: no lights, no sounds,
no movement or vibration of any kind, perfect room temperature, etc. Most people
don't have the capability of setting up such conditions in their home. One should
simply try to come as close as possible. If you know that excessive light or sound will
be an issue, the use of comfortable ear plugs and/or eyeshades is highly
recommended. And while it's best to practice projecting while sleeping alone, this too
isn't always feasible. If sleeping with a partner, especially if physical contact with them
is typical during your sleep cycle, it's best to let them know of your intention to project
and the requirements involved. (If you can't speak openly about astral projection with
your partner, you're on your own!)

C O M M O N M I S TA K E S A N D H O W T O AV O I D / O V E R C O M E
THEM

The strategy (post-rest) laid out above is su cient for the vast majority of people to
achieve results within 2-3 days of attempts. If you nd yourself at this point and still
haven't had any success, chances are you're making one of several common mistakes.
Here's a list of those which are most common and some advice on how to avoid
and/or overcome them: 

• Improvising/deviating from the method - This point has been addressed above.
The obvious solution here is to simply follow the steps exactly. Once you learn
how to deliberately and consistently enter the Dream Space, you will be free to
improvise and explore all you want. But when rst learning, it really just makes
sense to go with the tried-and-true method.

• Making too many consecutive attempts - This issue was also raised above. It is
never a good idea to spend more than 2 or 3 days a week working on dream
practices. I won't recap the reasoning behind this. Su ce it to say that 2 or 3
days a week constitutes a healthy practice.
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• Forgetting to try primary techniques rst - Primary techniques (attempting to

separate immediately after awakening) are responsible for nearly half of all
successful astral projection experiences. After all, they are the quickest and
simplest way into the Dream Space. Despite this fact, some people get so caught
up in the details of learning secondary techniques that they forget to try primary
techniques upon awakening and instead move right to secondary technique
cycling. This really shouldn't be that big of a deal, since secondary techniques are
designed to work. However, passing up an opportunity to enter the Dream Space
more quickly and simply may cause some to feel overwhelmed by the complexity
of the endeavor. The easy solution of course is: always try primary techniques
rst!

• Fewer than 4 cycles* - If and when secondary techniques are used, it is critical
that you attempt no less than 4 cycles of 2-3 techniques. Although it's true that
the chances for separation diminish with time, it's still more likely that you'll
achieve success through repetition than by simply giving up after the rst few
cycles.

• Unnecessary change of technique* - It's incredibly important to recognize when

a technique has begun to work. Many beginners, in an effort to adhere strictly to
the prescribed method, stubbornly switch techniques after 3-5 seconds even
though the current technique has started working. If a secondary technique
begins to produce any of the characteristic signs/sensations discussed above,
go with it and try to use it as your separation vehicle.

• Unnecessary continuation of a technique* (or sole usage of a single

technique) - Similarly, it's also a mistake to continue using a technique that
hasn't worked after 3-5 seconds. Cycling is designed to counteract this problem.

• Attempting for longer than a minute* - Cycling techniques for longer than a
minute is typically a wasted effort. Much better results will arise from simply
going back to sleep and trying again upon the subsequent awakening.

• Incomplete separation* - Often, beginners will experience incomplete

separation. This usually takes the form of stuck body parts, the perception of
being in two bodies at once, or similar sensations. When this occurs, intensifying
your efforts in whichever technique got you to that point in the rst place will
typically effect a complete separation.

• Failure to recognize separation - Perceptions and interactions in the Dream

Space can feel so real that the practitioner fails to realize that separation has
occurred. It's also possible that you'll nd yourself transported to a dream scene
without the sensation of a distinct separation event. In the event that this occurs,
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refer back to the phase recognition clues under the primary techniques section of
this page.

• Passivity/lack of strong intent - When it comes down to it, will power really is
the most critical factor in achieving success with astral projection and lucid
dreaming. After waking up from your alarm, you must have a strong desire to
consciously enter the Dream Space and remain highly focused on achieving
results. Maintaining this level of focused intent can be di cult due to the fact
that it counteracts the extremely powerful natural impulse to drift back to sleep
and stay there until the full sleep cycle is complete. The di culty is further
compounded by the seemingly paradoxical fact that it is necessary to let go of
this focus for brief periods in order to actually fall back asleep, so that you may
awaken the next time in the phase.

Some people, though highly desirous of the astral projection experience,

unwittingly forego separation attempts due to the body's strong urge to continue
sleeping. The trick to getting around this is to simply tell yourself with absolute
conviction that you will separate no matter what. Tell yourself this both before
going to bed the night before and before falling back asleep after waking up from
your alarm. This will send a strong signal to your subconscious mind to pay
attention once the phase has arrived and will make it much more likely that you
will not forego an attempt. 

• Too much external stimulus in the surrounding environment - This isn't so

much a mistake as it is an unfortunate, often uncontrollable circumstance.
Remember, try to keep any and all distractions to a minimum.

YOUR FIRST SUCCESSFUL PROJECTION

Your rst successful astral projection will most likely be rather short (usually in the 30
seconds to 2 minutes range). Nevertheless, it will undoubtedly rouse a profound sense
of wonder, awe, and excitement. In fact, it is this very excitement which is usually the
cause of the brevity of the initial experience. The practitioner is so abbergasted by the
hyper-real nature of the Dream Space and the sense of the possibilities which await
them that the focus necessary for extending the duration of the experience is
compromised. There is nothing wrong with this. That human beings are capable of
leaving their bodies and entering into a free-standing parallel continuum is an
astounding fact worthy of absolute astonishment and reverence.
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Over time, through practice and repetition, you will begin to learn how to perfect the
solidi cation of lucidity and extend the duration of your projections. In my personal
experience, the upper limit seems to be around 45 minutes, although it seems
reasonable to assume that longer projections are possible. The Advanced
Techniques section of the site deals with these and other related topics. 

Remember, your rst projection should center around the basic 3-part plan outlined
above: separation, looking at yourself in the mirror, and accomplishing one other task
of your choosing. Once you have accomplished this, subsequent projections will be
more open to personalization and will inevitably begin to involve more tasks and more
elaborate planning. One thing to remember though is that the projector always bene ts
from having a clear plan of action. Entering the Dream Space without one almost
invariably results in a short-lived experience. 

E X I T I N G T H E D R E A M S PA C E

While it would perhaps be nice to have complete control over our AP experiences, the
unfortunate fact is that most projections end unintentionally. In most cases, this
ending takes the form of dissipation, in which one's astral senses become increasingly
blurred and seem to dissolve, giving way to ordinary waking consciousness.The best
one can usually hope for is to have completed their entire plan of action before this
happens. Often, especially for less experienced practitioners, a projection will terminate
prematurely, prior to the completion of all or any planned items. Raduga calls this a
foul. There are certain circumstances in which you might want to force the early
termination of the experience or abort the projection—for instance, if you experience
excessive fear, anxiety, or discomfort. Or perhaps you've collected a piece of important
information or seen an image you don't want to forget. Making a swift transition back
to waking consciousness in order to quickly record the event can be a prudent move,
as details from the Dream Space a have tendency to rapidly fade from memory. 

You can abort a projection at any time during the experience. It is, in effect, as simple
as making the decision to do so. In fact, it's far easier to end a projection than it is to
sustain one. The physiological and chemical forces of the human organism are
stacked heavily against sustained awareness during dreaming. So much energy and
effort goes into both projecting and remaining lucid in the Dream Space that the
experience is poised to give way at the slightest relaxation of the will.Therefore, simply
tell yourself you'd like to wake up. In the rare event that this doesn't work immediately,
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repeatedly shout out to your sleeping body, "wake up!" (like Alice at the end of the
Disney cartoon). It can sometimes help to aggressively ail about (with your dream
body) while doing this, as silly as that sounds. 

END OF ESSENTIAL READING

ENTRY STRATEGY NO. 2: PRE-

REST 
Through a combination of my own experience, my conversations with students and
other practitioners, and my study of the subject in general, I have become somewhat
convinced that the pre-rest entry strategy is: a) too di cult for most beginners, and b)
oddly well-suited for a tiny sliver of the population (and therefore likely to become their
preferred method of entering the Dream Space). As mentioned previously, the post-rest
strategy makes use of the "sweet spot" between waking and sleeping (the in-between
state). Still tired enough to fall back to sleep easily, but alert enough to achieve a
baseline of mental acuity, a perfect balance is struck engendering the conditions
necessary for a conscious separation of the dream body from the physical.

This is not the case with the pre-rest strategy. As its name implies, pre-rest entry is
done following a period of prolonged wakefulness, usually during a midday nap or at
bedtime. This means that one must enter the Dream Space after a long period of
separation from it—in other words, ipping cognitive modalities on a dime. Compared
to the post-rest strategy, the amount of effort and energy required to do this is
enormous, as is the amount of time typically required to achieve a successful
projection.

Although attaining the ability to project at any time of day or night is an alluring
concept (especially for the spiritually-minded), I strongly recommend that beginners
resist the temptation to try this strategy before achieving full mastery of the post-rest
strategy. For the majority of the population, failure to heed this advice will almost
surely result in frustration and disillusionment. 

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As previously mentioned, practitioners with a history of frequent sleep paralysis and/or

OBEs may be the exception to this rule. For these individuals, the pre-rest entry
strategy is far less di cult, stemming as it does from a regular, spontaneously
occurring state of mind and body. Additionally, the pre-rest strategy has the potential to
completely cure sleep paralysis and bring OBEs under conscious control. This has at
least been my personal experience—once the victim of an unsettling sleep disorder,
now an empowered explorer of endogenous altered states. In any case, I still
recommend that even sleep paralysis sufferers begin learning to project with the post-
rest entry strategy. It's a sure- re way to get results quickly. After achieving some level
of facility with the post-rest techniques, pre-rest techniques should become fairly
accessible and will most de nitely be utilizable in a spontaneous OBE or episode of
sleep paralysis. More detail on the sleep-paralysis/pre-rest strategy connection can be
found on the Spontaneous Out-of-Body States page.

P R I M A R Y P R A C T I C A L D I S T I N C T I O N S F R O M T H E P O S T-
R E S T S T R AT E G Y

THE TECHNIQUES USED IN THE PRE-REST STRATEGY ARE THE SAME AS THOSE
USED IN POST-REST. However, the primary method of implementation is considerably
different, as is the degree to which one must adhere to one set procedure. Being a
variegated strategy and assuming a certain level of prior experience, pre-rest entry is
more open to personalization and experiment. But, to reiterate: pre-rest projection is
almost invariably a more labored, time-intensive activity. The number of seconds spent
on each technique in post-rest can increase to roughly the same number of minutes in
pre-rest. The following guidelines are meant to serve as a general starting point for an
exploration into this more nuanced endeavor.

D I R E C T A N D I N D I R E C T I M P L E M E N TAT I O N

Moving into pre-rest territory, two methods of implementation (or ways of approaching
projection) become helpful to delineate: direct and indirect. Up to this point, we've only
concerned ourselves with indirect implementation—that is, performing separation
techniques after an initial awakening from sleep, an intervening lapse in
consciousness, and a subsequent awakening into the phase. On the contrary, with the
direct method one begins performing techniques while still awake, during the initial
period of falling asleep (or, more generally, moving toward dream consciousness). This
is the primary method utilized in the pre-rest entry strategy, involving a separate
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procedure for cycling techniques (detailed below). While indirect pre-rest entry is
possible, it relies on a keen familiarity with the phase and the utmost will power for
reliable effectiveness. This is due to the high probability of falling directly asleep or,
conversely, not being able to at all (the one or the other depending mostly on the timing
in relation to one's overall sleep schedule). For these reasons, indirect pre-rest
projection should be considered extremely advanced. 

TIMING

The Dream Space may only be entered through the phase. This places natural
limitations on the timing of pre-rest projections. Though technically possible at any
time of day or night, pre-rest techniques fall into three main categories, or windows of
opportunity (each involving a move toward dream consciousness): bedtime, napping,
and meditating. Each may be approached directly or indirectly, with varying degrees of
e cacy. 

1. Bedtime - Performed before going to bed in the evening (or whenever one
undergoes daily slumber), this window of opportunity varies in its potential based
on one's degree of fatigue/alertness. If you're too tired, you run the risk of falling
asleep before a separation attempt. If you're too alert, you may have trouble
achieving the necessary lapse in consciousness. Like in the post-rest strategy, a
certain "sweet spot" is sought after, allowing the practitioner to hover on the edge
of awareness while the body falls asleep.

When using direct implementation, lie down, relax the mind, and begin
performing secondary techniques (primary techniques will of course be
ineffective since they are designed to be used upon waking up directly into the
phase). The method of cycling techniques is different than in the post-rest
strategy and will be discussed fully below. 

When using indirect implementation, simply begin dozing off with the strong
intention of either catching yourself the moment before you fall asleep, or shortly
thereafter waking up already in the phase. The procedure at this point is less set
in stone. Depending on the intensity of the phase, you may be able to proceed
using the post-rest strategy. If the phase isn’t strong enough, further attempts
upon subsequent awakenings will be required (or you could simply switch to
direct implementation). Strong will power and the right balance of tiredness and
alertness are key. As previously mentioned, this approach is extremely passive
and far from 100 percent reliable for most people. In fact, I mention it here only
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for the sake of thoroughness. Practitioners with enough experience to try it will
probably be past the point of seeking guidance from this website! 

While attempting indirect implementation, you may nd yourself in disembodied

in a vast black expanse. This is what I call the void. See the Spontaneous Out-of-
Body States page (coming soon) for instructions on how to approach this
experience.

2. Napping - Basically the same idea as bedtime, but during the middle of the
day (or whenever you happen to take a nap). If the ambient lighting is too bright,
eyeshades can be very helpful. Similarly, if there is too much ambient noise, wear
comfortable ear plugs. 

3. Meditating - Perhaps the most variable window of opportunity for pre-rest

projection, meditation can be a perfectly viable route to dream consciousness,
often leading experienced practitioners to the phase. Its variability is due in part
to the vast array of meditative practice styles. Another contributing factor is the
deep philosophical and ideological associations many people hold in regard to
particular meditative traditions. For example, some traditions may refute the idea
that dreaming and meditation share a similar psychosomatic underpinning. Such
a belief would obviously impede one's ability to achieve astral projection through
meditation. 

Meditation also diverges signi cantly from the other two categories in terms of
posture, in that it tends to favor sitting over lying down. It is perfectly possible to
practice astral projection in an erect sitting pose. However, this should be
considered extremely advanced. Some forms of meditation allow lying down.
These will produce effects more easily for most people. 

When using direct implementation, simply begin meditating and at a certain level
of relaxation/concentration (these two things are usually seen as
complementary in most meditative practices) begin performing secondary
techniques as you would with the bedtime approach. The level of
relaxation/concentration referred to here is most noticeably recognizable by a
corresponding lightness of body, or a oating, weightless (almost physically
numb) sensation.  

When using indirect implementation, one's normal meditative procedure should

be carried out with the addition of a strong intention to project once the phase
has been reached. If and when, after a prolonged period of meditating, you nd
yourself in the phase, rst assess the intensity of the phase (this of course relies
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on a high level of familiarity with the state). If the phase is deep enough, you may
be able to proceed with separation using the post-rest strategy. If it isn’t deep
enough, further attempts upon subsequent deepenings of the phase will be
required.

PRE-REST CYCLING METHOD

Pre-rest cycling of secondary techniques (used with direct implementation only) is

divided into three variations: singular, slow alternation, and rapid alternation. These are
used in accordance with the level of fatigue at the time of application, from most alert
to most drowsy. 

1. Singular - This is the default variation, used when a practitioner is at his or her
average level of fatigue at the time of practice. It's best to start here unless you
feel more tired than usual. Quite unlike in the post-rest cycling method, it involves
the use of one technique over an entire attempt. Each attempt should last 3-5
minutes. The technique used can be switched after each attempt (use 2-4 total).
Remember, you're starting the techniques while still awake, BEFORE THE PHASE
HAS BEEN REACHED. Once you're there, the procedure is essentially the same as
in the post-rest method, albeit still usually a bit slower and choppier (with a stop-
and-go quality and a higher incidence of "getting stuck").

2. Slow alternation - Used when a practitioner is more fatigued than usual, which is
often the case in a napping scenario. Slow alternation can also be used if and
when the singular variation leads to falling asleep rather than the phase. Each
attempt is comprised of 2-3 techniques, which in turn are performed for 1-5
minutes each. This is effectively a kind of slow-motion version of the post-rest
cycling method. Again, it’s done while still awake, before the phase has been
reached.

3. Rapid alternation - Used when a practitioner is extremely fatigued (potentially

due to sickness, overworking, sleep deprivation, etc.). As with slow alternation,
each attempt is comprised of 2-3 techniques, this time performed for 10
seconds to a minute. Here we are even closer to the post-rest cycling method.
Again, this is done while still awake, before the phase has been reached.

T O TA L I M P L E M E N TAT I O N T I M E

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Naturally, the level of intensity one is able to sustain in performing techniques during
pre-rest cyling will rise and fall over the course of one session. Likewise, you may feel
as though you're completely drifting off one minute and completely alert the next. This
may lead to breaks of varying length between cycling attempts. It may also lead to
lapses in consciousness or periods of actual sleep. These lapses of consciousness are
not only desirable—they're necessary, as they are a kind of wind-up mechanism for the
phase. However, it's important that a strong intention to project overrides the natural
urge to give in to sleep (which is usually much greater during pre-rest practice
windows). 

All in all, cycling attempts together with breaks should best not exceed 20 minutes
(with a hard cut-off of 30 minutes as the absolute maximum). Doing so can lead to
frustration, restlessness, and insomnia. If you don't achieve results after this cut-off, it's
better to simply go to sleep (or resume napping/meditating) and pick it up again
another time. Remember, desire-driven stubbornness does not equate with shrewd will
power. It's also wise to avoid making multiple attempts in one day and practicing pre-
rest techniques more than 2-3 times per week (unless in correlation with sleep
paralysis or a spontaneous OBE). 

POSTURE

Traditional wisdom suggests a supine (lying on the back) posture as the most suitable
for astral projection. While this tends to hold true for me personally, it isn't assured for
everyone. In fact, the alteration of one's posture can be used as a counterweight to
excessive alertness or fatigue. Many people nd that the supine position keeps them
awake. If this is the case, a more comfortable position should be taken. If you believe a
certain position will be too comfortable, hence putting you too quickly to sleep, then a
less comfortable position should be tried. There is much room for experimentation in
this area. Just to be clear: IT IS NOT NECESSARY to lie on your back in order to
practice either pre-rest or post-rest astral projection. 

Q U A L I TAT I V E D I F F E R E N C E S I N T H E E X P E R I E N C E O F
P R E - R E S T V S . P O S T- R E S T P R O J E C T I O N

This is a topic in relation to which my personal experience differs considerably from

the notions of several other sources, including Raduga. For me, the quality of the
experience of pre-rest projection is often rather different from that of post-rest. Firstly,

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it tends to begin more slugglishly and take longer to fuller materialize. Solidifying
lucidity is almost invariably more di cult. Correspondingly, the spaces and scenarios
are darker and baser in quality, often exuding a subterranean or industrial essence. Pre-
rest projection is also sometimes occasioned by a very strange and unique physico-
mental state which I call "the nonsensical philosopher." This is a state of being quite far
removed from anything one is accustomed to in waking reality—so much so in fact
that it's very di cult to describe. In terms of its physicality, it can be de ned as a kind
of increased interaction the with geometry of one's surroundings, while at the same
time a narrowing of the distinction between oneself and those surroundings. Moving
through its space is rather like climbing a jungle gym made of one's own astral
material. Objects built into the darkness are slid, pulled, pumped, and bounced off of in
an oddly familiar, almost blissful manner. In this sense, it feels very much like a sort of
reconnection with a deep, forgotten but remembered part of oneself. 

The character of thought in the nonsensical philosopher's state—my reason for the
name—is a kind of ecstatic logic. In this bizarre mindset, great pleasure is taken in the
discovery of what seem to be logical maxims relating to the physicality of the space, or
rather, prescriptions of how to correctly approach interfacing with it. These maxims,
though utterly profound in the state, tend to lose their meaning in waking reality.
Therefore, it is a kind of logic (and a type of experience) that is nontransferable. It only
exists in the Dream Space. 

All this is not to say that pre-rest and post-rest projection experiences are always
widely divergent in quality. In fact, both pre-rest and post-rest strategies can lead to the
exact same experience. Moreover, what this seems to imply is that there are different
levels of lucidity and states of being within the Dream Space, and that these different
levels are very likely linked to the psycho-physiological processes involved in one's
sleep cycle and one's current point in that cycle at the time of projection. Pre-rest
projections tend to be darker and less lucid because they are occurring closer to the
waking state, without an intervening period of sleep. Post-rest projections tend to be
clearer and more overtly dream-like because they occur on the downward slope of the
sleep cycle. 

Though it isn't guaranteed that your experiments with the pre-rest entry strategy will
fall in line with the above description, my personal experience does seem to correlate
with certain traditional beliefs concerning the hierarchical arrangement conscious
states. 

More on this topic can be found in the blog section of the website. 

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LUCID DREAMING PER SE

At the risk of becoming a broken record, I feel it's necessary to repeat here what I have
said many times before at this point: astral projection is an immensely more reliable,
far more proactive, and all-around easier to master means of approaching aware-
dreaming than lucid dreaming proper. Again, the two practices lead to the same place:
the Dream Space. A dream essentially becomes indistinguishable from a projection
once an awareness of dreaming has occurred. As previously mentioned, learning astral
projection rst will lead to both increased spontaneous lucid dreams and an increased
ability to summon them on command. However, those who choose to learn lucid
dreaming on its own must be okay with leaving the results open to chance and accept
the greater possibility of frustration and lower rate of repeatability. 

Remember, the essential difference between lucid dreaming and astral projection is
the method of entry. Lucid dreaming is by de nition a more passive endeavor, as it
necessarily begins in the state of dulled awareness attendant upon the ordinary dream
experience. And while there are many ways to dramatically increase one's likelihood of
inducing a lucid dream, there is a limit to how deliberate this effort can ever become.
On the other hand, AP can be honed to the extent of attaining nearly 100% reliability.
Nevertheless, for those who, for whatever reason, wish to learn lucid dreaming on its
own, this section is for you. 

Due to its relatively passive nature, lucid dreaming cannot be boiled down into as
precise or concise a method as astral projection. Therefore, the following is more of a
framework of general tips and guidelines:

GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT DREAMS - PRELIMINARY

STEPS

It is a well documented fact that just about everybody dreams. However, for one
reason or another, the ability to remember dreams varies greatly from person to
person. Many people don't remember their dreams at all. For these people, the idea of
becoming aware in a dream may understandably seem like a far-off prospect. Others
may remember their dreams from time to time. Others still may remember their
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dreams every night. These people tend to become more preoccupied with their
dreams, spending more time thinking about them during the day and attaching
meaning and signi cance to dream contents and scenarios. Naturally, these people are
particularly favored in the endeavor of developing an active lucid dreaming practice.
This illuminates an important generalization: the ability to lucid dream is directly
proportional to the amount of time spent thinking about dreams. Often a friend will tell
me, after having merely talked to me about lucid dreaming once, that they had a lucid
dream that very night! This goes to show how effective simply thinking about dreaming
can be in getting one's practice up and running. 

Those who regularly experience spontaneous lucid dreams tend to have more vivid
dreams and better dream recall. However, individuals with little or no dream life need
not despair. With a little practice, even the most dream-impoverished can begin to
remember their dreams and eventually experience lucid dreaming. The following is a
list of essential preliminary steps one should take in order to bring about the right
conditions for lucid dreaming:

• Keep a Dream Journal - For those with an inactive dream life, this is the most
important rst step toward becoming a full- edged lucid dreamer. The main
point behind keeping a dream journal is to bring dream contents to the forefront
of one's conscious attention. As I've said before, individuals who claim to
experience few or no dreams are, more often than not, simply forgetting them.
Unless an effort is made to review dreams immediately after they occur, they
tend to become erased from memory. To get around this problem, keep some
sort of recording device next your bed. It could be a pad of paper and pencil, a
laptop, a phone, a voice-recorder—whatever works best for you. Anytime you
wake up, whether in the middle of the night or at the start of your day, commit
yourself rst and foremost to remembering "where you were" and what you were
thinking about immediately before waking up. If you do this the instant you wake
up, it's highly likely that some sort of imagery, or bits and pieces of dream
scenario, will still be imprinted upon your mind. (It's very rare for one to awaken
from complete nothingness.) The longer you wait, the more these images will
fade from memory. As you write (or speak) this information down, usually the
scope of your dream recall will widen, allowing you to trace the scenario farther
back in time and to remember more details. You may be surprised to nd this
exercise illuminating other dreams that occurred even earlier in your sleep cycle.

The more frequently you keep to this exercise, the more vivid your dream life will
become. It can at times be incredibly di cult to nd the energy to record your
dreams, especially when waking up in the middle of the night. That being said,
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don't push yourself too hard. If you nd yourself becoming exhausted from this
practice, there's no harm in tapering off a bit. Dream practices should never be
allowed to interfere with your physical or mental well-being. A healthy balance
can almost always be struck. However, there can of course be times in your life
that are simply not right for pursuing dream practices. Don't despair if this is the
case for you. Your dreams will still be there when you decide you're ready to pick
the practice back up. 

• Think About Dreaming Often - I mentioned this above, but I'll dive into it a little
more here. Once you begin journaling your dreams, start thinking about them
throughout the day. This will cause them to further solidify into your memory, to
the point that they'll become as easily accessible and vivid as your memories of
actual events. Start identifying common elements which tend to arise in your
dreams. Recurring objects, places, people, and scenarios should be noted and
categorized. Recurring elements of this sort are psychologically, and sometimes
archetypally signi cant and can be tapped into and consciously explored through
LD and AP.

Taking an interest in the extensive body of literature dedicated to dreaming, both

non ction and ction, can also get one's gears turning. Exploring the ideas of
Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, the modern pioneers of the psyche, can be a
good place to start. Similarly, familiarizing yourself with dream-based art
(particularly surrealism) can provide inspiration and further your appreciation of
dreams in general, in turn fueling your practice. 

• Focus on the Out-of-Place - Regularly analyzing the unusual, unlikely, and

paradoxical features of one's remembered dreams leads to a heightened
alertness to the bizarre which eventually carries over into one's dream life. The
more this is done, the more one is likely to recognize out-of-place features of
lucidity-prompting potential.

N U T S A N D B O LT S

Once you've laid the groundwork as suggested above, you can begin to hone in on
some of the more technical aspects of LD. You'll then be lucid dreaming in no time! 

• Form a Strong Intention and Plan of Action - Just like in AP, success with
intentionally induced lucid dreams is predicated upon forming a strong intention.
The intention to lucid dream on a given night must be periodically rea rmed

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throughout the day leading up to it. You must say to yourself repeatedly "I'm
going to have a lucid dream tonight," or something to that effect. Rea rm the
intention before going to bed. This should be done with even more focus and for
a longer duration than during the day (10-15 minutes should do). Between
rea rmations, review your dream journal and devise a plan of action for when
you nd yourself lucid in the impending dream. This step is crucial, for just like in
AP, the experience will disintegrate quickly if your focus isn't directed toward
accomplishing speci c tasks. Pick two to three tasks to carry out per dream. You
may not get to all of them, but simply having a structured plan will allow you to
avoid getting swept up in the excitement of the experience. These tasks can be
as speci c or general as you wish. For instance, you may choose to ask a dream
gure who they are or what they're doing. Or you may decide to nd a speci c
object or person. One of my favorite things to do is to shout out a question to the
dream. More on this topic can be found in the Advanced Techniques section.

After initially becoming lucid, it can be di cult to get one's bearings. Due to the
altered nature of thought in the Dream Space, it may be incredibly challenging to
recall your plan of action. If this happens, the best thing to do is to move about in
a deliberate manner, choosing a point in the environment to move toward and
setting off in that direction with determination. This will buy you some time as
you try to remember your plan of action. Grabbing onto your surroundings and
rubbing your hands together will help you solidify and maintain lucidity. 

• Select/Identify Triggers - Triggers are objects, environmental features, entities,

or events which, when perceived in a dream, cue the dreamer in to the fact that
they are dreaming, thus prompting lucidity. There are several categories of
trigger, the most commonly cited in lucid dreaming tutorials being the one I call
the real item trigger (sometimes called an anchor by other practitioners). This is a
common, everyday item found in one's environment during waking life which one
commits to habitually checking throughout the day while asking "am I
dreaming?" If you nd yourself doing this in a dream, the phenomenological
distinction should be apparent. Something about the trigger item will usually
seem odd or out of place. For instance, if your trigger is the clock above your
desk at work, then you might see the hands of the clock spinning faster than they
normally would. Or you might see two clocks. Or the clock might appear
completely differently in some other way than it normally does. The idea is that
habitually referencing certain items during waking life makes any changes to
those items during dreaming more noticeable. There are three other categories

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of trigger, which I've outlined below, along with the personal terms I ascribe to
them:

○ Imaginary item trigger - A pre-speci ed object not tied to anything in one's

waking life. This could be literally anything, but typically the stranger it is,
the better it will be at grabbing your attention in a dream. For instance, it
could be a oating bowling ball or a glowing orb. One conceives of this item
during waking life and summons it (while awake) to materialize at some
random point during a dream. When the item is noticed, it will typically
serve as a very effective trigger. An important aspect of implementation
regarding imaginary item triggers is that summoning them must be done in
connection with your projection of intent (described above). A strong
a rmation that the item will appear the next time you dream is
indispensable.

○ Action trigger - A pre-speci ed action, event, or scenario which, when

perceived abruptly and out of context, signi es that one is dreaming.
Typically this action takes place very close in one's eld of vision, often
right in front of the face. First popularized by Peruvian-American author
Carlos Castaneda in his 1968 book The Teachings of Don Juan, wherein
credit for the technique is given (rightly or not) to the Yaqui Indians of
northern Mexico, this type of trigger can likewise be real or imaginary. If real
(based in waking life), it can be primed. For example, in Castaneda's
account, Don Juan teaches him to habitually look down at his open palms
throughout the day, with the idea that his hands will then y up in front of
his face at some unspeci ed point during a dream. This procedure can be
done with any real object. What distinguishes it from the real item trigger is
the abrupt motion and out-of-context placement within the dream
narrative. When using an imaginary action trigger, the scenario can be
more elaborate, say, a rocket ship crashing into the earth right in front of
you. This of course can't be primed by staring at real objects; rather, it must
be summoned like an imaginary item trigger: in connection with your
projection of intent. You must say to your self repeatedly, "the next time I
dream, a rocket ship will crash down in front of me."

○ Natural trigger - Any unplanned oddity which could cue a dreamer into
realizing they're dreaming. This could of course be anything. However, there
are certain natural triggers which are extremely common:

■ Suddenly realizing that one is defying certain physical laws: ying,

levitating, walking through walls, etc.

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■ Seeing/interacting with deceased relatives or pets

■ Doppelganger scenarios: seeing two or more of the same person,

object, or animal

■ Noticing strange objects in the sky: multiple moons, symbols, strange

aircraft, odd constellations, etc.

■ Appearing completely different than usual to oneself in a mirror

TIMING AND FREQUENCY 

Due to the inevitably passive nature of lucid dreaming, it isn't possible to lay out a
precise plan for the practitioner to follow in terms of the the timing involved. Myriad
variables factor into the amount of time it takes for an individual to achieve initial
results and also into the likelihood of success on any given attempt after the process
has been su ciently mastered. These variables are too wide ranging to list
exhaustively, but a partial list includes one's:

• level of dream recall

• overall interest in dreams and similar subject matter

• level of physical and mental fatigue

• strength of will power and self-con dence

• creative potential

• physiology and brain chemistry (presumably)

For those with a natural aptitude for lucid dreaming (individuals with vivid dream lives
and occasional spontaneous LD experiences), results tend to come on rather quickly,
usually within a few days of practice with trigger selection/identi cation, and
sometimes even on the rst try. However, for reasons already described ad nauseam
(passivity and personal variables), this is not always the case. I know some highly
creative, highly dream-prone people for whom the initial learning curve of LD was a
signi cant struggle. Again, at a certain point in the process, it's inevitably out of one's
hands. When we unconsciously cross over into the dreaming modality, our
subconscious mind takes control. We then must rely on the strength of our
a rmations and projected intentions (in other words, the ability of our conscious
minds to shape the subsequent functioning of the subconscious). This is why I
strongly advocate learning astral projection. The crucial procedural steps in the
practice of AP remain almost entirely under the control of one's conscious volition. 

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Beginning at somewhat of a disadvantage, more will power and determination is of

course necessary for those who begin on the inactive side of the dream recall
spectrum, meaning that the likelihood of giving up or losing interest is greater. That
being said, the satisfaction of successfully mastering the practice is undoubtedly
greater still. For this group, keeping a dream journal for several weeks is usually all it
takes to bring about a more active, vivid dream life. Once this point has been reached,
the probability involved in both the time taken til initial success and the subsequent
frequency of successful attempts is roughly equivalent to that of the dream-prone
group. 

For seasoned practitioners, limits placed on the frequency of weekly practice can be
expanded slightly beyond those suggested for astral projection. Intentional lucid
dreaming is less physically and mentally taxing than AP and can therefore be
reasonably practiced 3-4 times per week with little to no noticeable side-effects in
one's waking life. If you notice any sluggishness or excessive fatigue, simply pull back
a bit and decrease the frequency accordingly. Spontaneous lucid dreaming will
become more frequent the farther along you get in your practice. Though uncommon,
it's possible for it to become a nightly occurrence. If this becomes bothersome, you
may choose to consciously abort a lucid dream (or astral projection) at any time,
potentially averting any exhaustion which may otherwise arise from choosing to
remain lucid through carrying out a plan of action in the dream. 

C O M M O N M I S TA K E S A N D H O W T O AV O I D / O V E R C O M E
THEM

Although I've spent quite a lot of time extolling the advantages of astral projection over
lucid dreaming, LD does have at least one advantage over AP, and that is its margin for
error. This is because, as lucid dreaming is much less of a step-by-step practice, there
are fewer things that can go wrong. Obviously, a failure to lay the groundwork as
outlined in the preliminary steps would most likely lead to shoddy results. These initial
steps are easy to take, so skipping them is less of a mistake and more of conscious
act of heedlessness. But if you've moved on to the nuts and bolts and are having
trouble, here are some of the most common mistakes and suggestions of how to
overcome them: 

• Passivity/lack of strong intent - Will power really is the most crucial element in
the art of lucid dreaming (and astral projection). And not just any kind of will
power, but will power to the point of self-persuasion. This can be a real stumbling

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block for ultra left-brained, rationally-minded, highly skeptical individuals. It can of

course also be a problem for the generally pessimistic and easily defeated.
However, it must be remembered that the subconscious mind is much more
powerful than is commonly thought. For instance, nearly everyone is familiar
with and accepts the idea of the placebo effect in medicine. The fact that the
mind can be tricked into bringing about actual sensations is a somewhat
counterintuitive, but extraordinarily amazing thing. The same kind of principal is
operative in the practice of lucid dreaming. One convinces oneself that a certain
perceptual effect will materialize, and the experience actually happens (and
generally to an in nitely more impressive degree than with the placebo effect).
When it comes down to it, the content of the subjective experience is all that
should really concern us. The potential mechanisms by which these experiences
occur are interesting topics of speculation, but ultimately unimportant to the
practice of aware-dreaming. There's really no need to rack your brain over how it
happens—just follow the steps and do it! If you project your intention strongly,
frequently, and wholeheartedly, you will achieve results.

• Failure to recognize a trigger - This mistake is extremely common. Often, a

trigger item seen in a dream is not out-of-place enough to catch one's attention.
This is to some extent out of one's control. However, there are a few preparatory
measures that can be taken to avoid this problem. In order to increase the
e cacy of a particularly real item trigger, make sure to choose something highly
regular and unvarying. For instance, a highly dynamic screen saver, or a chair that
often gets moved around—these types of items aren't regular enough to be easily
noticed in an unusual con guration. Something like a picture that hangs in the
same place on the wall everyday, or a stationary computer keyboard would work
much better. Imaginary item triggers and action triggers have the added
advantage that they are bizarre and attention-grabbing to begin with, so they tend
to be more effective (although they do rely on greater creative faculties on the
part of the practitioner as well as a heightened susceptibility to self-persuasion).

• Recognizing a trigger but incorrectly determining that one is not in fact

dreaming - One's clarity of thought and ability to exercise logical reasoning in the
Dream Space is often heavily impaired. For this reason, practitioners sometimes
report having recognized a trigger in a dream, only to determine the opposite
conclusion of what it was designed to lead to. The scenario goes something like
this: the person sees their trigger—say a green moon—and thinks, "Hmm...I
remember something about a green moon...am I dreaming? Nah, probably not."
Remember, if you nd yourself seriously questioning whether or not you're in a
dream, chances are you are in fact in a dream!
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• Too much external stimulus in the surrounding environment - Just like in AP,
this isn't so much a mistake as it is an unfortunate, often uncontrollable
circumstance. You may nd yourself, after having followed all the steps correctly
and taken all the appropriate measures, woken up by something in your
environment outside of you control. There's not much you can do about this.
However, do remember to keep distractions that are within your control to a
minimum during nights when lucid dreaming is planned. If you know that tra c
outside your home can get loud in the early morning, wear earplugs or use a
white noise machine. If you tend to get hot in the middle of the night, set the AC
to a more comfortable level. Etc.

AT T H I S P O I N T, Y O U ' R E A L M O S T R E A D Y T O B E G I N
PRACTICING LUCID DREAMING. BUT BEFORE YOU DO, GO
BACK AND REVIEW THE LAST TWO SECTIONS OF THE AP
QUICK GUIDE (TITLED YOUR FIRST SUCCESSFUL
P R O J EC T I O N A N D E X I T I N G T H E D R E A M S PA C E ) . T H E S E
S E C T I O N S A P P LY E Q U A L LY T O A P A N D L D A N D C O N T A I N
T H E L A S T B I T S O F I N F O R M AT I O N / I N S P I R AT I O N Y O U ' L L
NEED TO SET OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT WITH YOUR LUCID
DREAMING ADVENTURES. 

In the next section of the site, Advanced Techniques, we'll explore the more nuanced
aspects of practicing astral projection and lucid dreaming—namely, what to do once
you've gotten over the initial barrier of learning to reliably induce the experience. 

PROCEED TO ADVANCED TECHNIQUES

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Contact: [email protected]

© 2019 Kenneth M. Florence

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