Lucid Dreams Essay, Research Paper

Limpid Dreams:

the First Virtual

World

Psychological

Sean Pasinsky

LibEd 316-2

5 Feb. 1997

For ages people have thought of dreams as expletives or approvals that we could non forestall

nor manipulate. This topographic point called our dreams has invariably puzzled us, because it is here

where all things are possible and seem to happen. In our dreams we perform superhuman and

fantastic efforts that would usually be impossible in the awake universe. We find the work forces or

adult females of our dreams, depending on our sexual orientation. While we dream, these wonderful

things become our impermanent world. Yet sometimes while woolgathering we may see the most

dismaying events conceivable, called incubuss. Everyone has their ain version of horror, my

most terrifying incubus has been where my household and friends have been taken control of by

evil monsters that can non be stopped. Rather than kill me they make me watch old 1970 s

telecasting shows over and over. For old ages, work forces have thought that there should be a manner of

forestalling or commanding these every night events.

Worlds must, like any animate being, sleep. We do non to the full understand why we must kip. We

merely know that if we are deprived of slumber long plenty that we will most surely die. The same

is true for dreams and woolgathering ( 1 ) . If we sleep long plenty we will make an advanced phase of

slumber where our organic structure begins to see rapid oculus motion ( REM ) . It is during this REM

period that we experience most of our dreams. Many scientists try to theorize the grounds for

woolgathering through biological our psychological agency. This proves to be really frustrating for

person seeking to happen empirical significance and truth about his or her dreams.

There are infinite books written about dreams with merely as many different

readings and significances for specific dream mentions. For psychics, astrologers, or

psychologists who attempt to construe dreams, there are legion factors that must be

considered when endeavouring to happen significance in a dream. Because of these legion factors that

contribute to the status of woolgathering, many different waies have been created for geographic expedition.

From Freud s sexual symbolism to the current random remembrance theories diverseness in dream

reading abounds. However, there is a manner to woolgather and non be at the clemency of your

subconscious head.

For the past 10 old ages a bright psychologist at Stanford University, by the name of Steven

Laberge, has been analyzing dreams and the physiology of the human organic structure during the dream province.

His research may sound platitude if it weren T for the added fact that he is developing people to

command their dreams. His topics are larning to go cognizant of their dream experience as it is

go oning. Once they are cognizant of their dream they can merely take complete bid of their

dream and can consciously do anything to go on. To the semi-conscious head the experience

is virtually indistinguishable to being wake up. This construct is nil new, in fact many of us will

experience at least one of these dreams in our life-time.

There are a assortment of stimulations that he uses to bring on this province of head. One method is

playing a tape recording of the phrase & # 8220 ; This is a dream & # 8221 ; during the sleeper s REM. He may besides

usage conditioned haptic stimulations. Light, nevertheless, appears to be the best stimulation agencies of

supplying an external cue to the slumberer that they are woolgathering. This is because environmental

visible radiation seems to be easy incorporated into dreams and, when pro

perly conditioned, reminds

dreamers that they are woolgathering ( 6 ) . Use of a particular visible radiation device has been assuring: 55 % of 44

topics had at least one limpid dream during one survey ( 5 ) . The possibilities for homo

patterned advance that this construct creates seem to hold no bounds.

For old ages psychologists and others have sought to happen a perfect semi-conscious province of

head where a topic will hold a strong nexus with their subconscious and may even interact with

an interviewer utilizing this frame of head. Another name for this province of head is called hypnosis.

Although the limpid province of head that Dr. Laberge s patients experience is non wholly

witting or subconscious, they are still asleep, and the universe that they are in is really elaborate

and merely every bit realistic as our waking universe. That is what puzzles most people who look into his

research. Although non mentioned by Dr. Laberge in his surveies, I think that there is a definite

chance for a great unlocking of the secrets of the human head.

Many practical applications exist for lucid dreaming. There are of class the obvious,

incubus therapy, assurance enhancing, and general mental wellness betterments, but at that place

are so many more thoughts non yet explored. Some of these may include depression therapy for

physically disabled people leting them a really existent kind of phantasy fulfilment. Paralytics

can walk, dance, fly, or do as they wish sexually whenever they choose. The possibilities for

originative job work outing seem to be evidently enhanced. There even seems to be a great sum

of possible sensorimotor pattern that could perchance be used by shot or other nervus damaged

patients. And eventually to cite Dr. Laberge ( 1 ) ,

lucid woolgathering can work as a & # 8220 ; universe simulator. & # 8221 ; Just as a flight

simulator allows people to larn to wing in a safe environment, lucid dreaming could

allow people to larn to populate in any conceivable universe ; to see and better choose

among assorted possible hereafters.

What makes worlds extraordinary in the carnal land is our consciousness of being. It is

an consciousness of our life and being coupled with our advanced capacity to ground that makes

us different than the other animate beings of the Earth. I believe that it may non merely be our consciousness of

idea, but the exact capableness of being cognizant somehow of our subconscious motives. A

strong sense of our subconscious can be obtained in a province of slumber where the slumberer is to the full

cognizant non merely that he or she is woolgathering, but that he or she is really kiping. Worlds can

now do this on a regular basis without any type of act uponing hypnotic suggestion given by a hypnotizer.

This province of head seems to be more powerful than any sort of hypnosis, even self-hypnosis. I

believe that someplace locked inside our heads is an empirical apprehension of our being

non merely an consciousness.

Mentions

1. LaBerge, S. ( 1985 ) . Lucid woolgathering. Los Angeles: J. P. Tarcher.

2. LaBerge, S. & A ; Rheingold, H. ( 1990 ) . Researching the universe of limpid woolgathering. New York:

Ballantine.

3. Llinas, R. & A ; Pare, D. ( 1991 ) . Of woolgathering and wakefulness. Neuroscience.

4. Watson, J. ( 1928 ) . The ways of behaviourism. New York: Harper.

5. LaBerge, S. , Kahan, T. & A ; Levitan, L. ( 1995 ) . Cognition in woolgathering and waking. Sleep

Research, 24A, 239.

6. LaBerge, S. ( 1990 ) . Limpid dreaming: Psychophysiological surveies of consciousness during

REM slumber. In R.R. Bootsen, J.F. Kihlstrom, & A ; D.L. Schacter ( Eds. ) , Sleep and Cognition.

Washington, D.C. : American Psychological Association ( pp. 109-126 ) .