MacEwan Open Journals (MacEwan University)
Not a member yet
2252 research outputs found
Sort by
Reflections on Lucid Dreaming and Out-of-Body-Experiences
No full textThe following are excerpts from a series of letters written primarily to Charles Tart with a few to Stephen LaBerge by “Father X” from 1982 to 1988. In them, he describes his lucid dreams and OBEs which commenced in 1974 and have occurred in some periods as frequently as 3 to 4 times per week. These experiences were not deliberately sought but occurred spontaneously. In fact, initially Father X assumed he had a neurological problem which was causing these and underwent extensive testing. When he discovered that he was not alone in these experiences, he began his fascinating correspondence to Tart and L.aBerge always sending copies to Jayne Gackenbach. In these letters he details his experiences, struggles with their possible meaning or significance, and speculates about their origin. With Father X’s permission I (guest editor Kathryn Belicki) have organized the following excerpts around several themes which emerge from his letters
Mental Models in Sleep: Why Do We Feel More Conscious in Lucid Dreams?
No full textWhy do I seem to be more conscious in a lucid dream? I mean, that\u27s what happens, isn\u27t it? There you are dreaming away, ridiculous and quite unaware that it is a dream and suddenly you seem to be there. It\u27s as though you\u27ve woken up in the middle of a dream, only of course the body hasn\u27t. What has changed? I realize that I can\u27t come to grips with what this question means. To ask, "why am I more conscious in a lucid dream?", begs a whole load of questions about consciousness, about "I", the nature of self, and about what it could possibly mean for something to be more or less conscious. It\u27s a horrible question. Nevertheless, I will have a go at answering it
Overview of the Development of Lucid Dream Research in Germany
No full textAs in other countries there were various reports of lucid dreams recorded through the centuries by German philosophers, poets and occultists. But these, as well as the investigations carried out by serious researchers, were completely ignored by scientists because they were based on personal experiences (see Schriever, 1935; Moers‑Messmer, 1939).
It wasn\u27t until 1959 at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University that an effective technique for inducing lucid dreams was developed and the first systematic investigations involving several subjects took place. In this article I will discuss the beginnings of this research as well as its further development. Aside from the purely chronological ordering of the individual steps of the development of the research, I would also like to provide a basic outline of the inner connections of the particular areas within the overall research program. This will require analyzing the development of individual branches of research abstracted from their actual chronological order
Letter from the Senior Editor
No full textJayne Gackenbach, Senior Editor of Lucidity Letter, introduces Kathryn Belicki, Guest Editor, and the cases featured in this issue
Interview With Englishwoman Celia Green, Author of the 1968 Classic, "Lucid Dreams"
No full textI first became aware of lucid dreams when I was writing my Oxford post‑graduate thesis on unusual states of consciousness with Professor H.H. Price as my supervisor. I was aware of them from the start as something that was closely related to OBEs and they were just one among a very wide range of special states which I included in my thesis. I knew one or two people who had had quite a number, but they were not talked about much in those days
Limitations in the Utility of Lucid Dreaming and Dream Control as Techniques for Treating Nightmares
No full textIn the past several years I have been studying nightmares and in that context have examined the factors that prompt people to seek treatment for these experiences. Given that several articles in this issue of Lucidity Letter address the positive and negative aspects of lucidity and dream control. I thought I would add my reflections on this issue with respect to treating nightmares
Mutual Lucid Dreaming
No full textLucidity can inspire a willful intent to connect with other people, although being lucid doesn’t insure it. As with nonlucid dreamers, the default mode for most lucid dreamers is to remain within private psychological space rather than to socialize. Because there are variations in degree of lucidity ranging from passive dream witnessing to active manipulation of the dreamscape, types of correspondences can vary considerably. Take, for example, the following dreamer’s response to a dream telepathy experiment which took place during The Lucidity Project, a mutual dream experiment which I facilitated between 1984 and 1987
Letter from the Editor
No full textThe reader will be immediately struck upon receiving this issue with its improved look. We have received several letters about the difficulty readers were having with the small type and thus, with the help of Stephen LaBerge, we have redesigned the layout to "breath". Another difference may not be as apparent. That is the editorial contribution of Kathy Belicki of Brock University. She will be continuing with Lucidity Letteras the associate editor. Thanks to both Steve and Kathy for helping us produce a more readable Lucidity Letter
What is Possible in a Lucid Dream? Results of the April, 1987 OMNI Experiment
No full textAbout 1,000 people from across the nation responded to us about an experiment we designed for OMNI Magazine on lucid dreaming which appeared in the April 1987 issue. In the experiment we suggested that the participants do the tasks as often as possible over a two week period before they filled out the accompanying questionnaire (a copy of the questionnaire is available in Table 1 of the Appendix to this article). It was also pointed out that some people may need to practice the technique for weeks before getting results, while others may succeed on the first night. Finally we asked the OMNI readers to fill out the questionnaire whether they managed to have a lucid dream or not. We asked the readers to try four exercises: inducing lucid dreams by waking suggestion and dream reliving; flying in lucid dreams, spinning while lucid in order to stabilize it and/or reach a target and creative problem solving. The exact instructions for each exercise are given in Table 1 in the appendix of this article