Dreams of Fancy

December 05, 2012

It all started in the plains of Wyoming. I jumped into the train engineer’s seat and--after verifying everyone was on board--pushed the throttle, and we were on our way. Though I knew we were traveling forward, the train was actually moving backwards. Either way, I checked my watch to make sure we weren’t late: 9:15 a.m. exactly. I nodded to my assistant and looked back at my watch: 12:15 p.m. We were late already! Obviously, I had to take care of this gap in time. So, I got on my giant horse and chased the train into Indiana. Suddenly, I was being shot at by a mysterious figure. My only hope was to hide in the cargo container at the dock, where I met Carol…

If you’re like me, this is the narrative of most of your dreams. Things are just thrown together, and I remember them in an even stranger order. It would be great if we could have a clearer picture of our dreams. What if we could experience dreams more fully or even control what happens?

Believe it or not, it is possible through what is referred to as lucid dreaming. What is that, you say? Lucid dreaming is being aware that you are dreaming. During lucid dreams, dreamers can even have some control over the dream or how they directly experience it. These dreams are typically realistic and vivid, too. Many people become lucid in their dream state but soon awaken. In my experience, it’s similar to "Hey, I’m dreaming! This is so great! I’m going to go--" *POP* and I’m awake. Through training your brain, though, you can experiment and find your way into lucid dreaming so that maybe this won’t happen next time.

There are different methods, but it is best to start with a dream journal. By recording your dreams as soon as you awaken during the night, you can start to train your brain to remember things more accurately. You can also pick up on trends in your dreams that are indicators of your dream state. Combining this technique with "reality checks" can really put you on your way. A reality check is something you can do that has a distinct result in the waking world that has a distinct opposite result in the dreaming world, like breathing through your nose if you hold it shut. You can’t breathe through your nose if it’s closed in reality, but you can in a dream state. This may sound similar to totems from Inception, too.

Anyway, there is a plethora of information on lucid dreams and dreaming online, and some available through the Library. A great starting point is the Lucidity Institute. Reddit, a social media/news site, has an entire forum dedicated to the subject as well.

There has been substantial scientific research on lucid dreaming, and it is widely accepted by psychologists and parapsychologists. There is so much more information on the subject, and I have just scratched the surface. I am in no way an expert; I am just a dabbler starting out. It is fascinating, and I hope someday that I’ll be able to explain my dreams in ways that others can actual understand. Until then, I shall continue to drive trains backwards and jump time while riding my giant horse. Sweet dreams, and maybe someday you can become a dream maker.

Dan B.
Red Bridge Branch