Has anyone tried retrievals using lucid dreaming (http://www.lucidity.com/LucidDreamingFAQ2.html#LD) ? I ask because I've tried the imagination methods outlined in Bruce's books on and off with no success.

However, it seems that a lucid dream is a perfect gateway and alternate method to achieve the same goals.

I've had maybe 6 lucid dreams over the last 25 years. Not exactly a common occurance for me but I discovered an awesome book a week ago, "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming" - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/034537410X/ref=pd_pym_ka/002-0657177-4678443.

One week later, after practicing the Stanford research-backed, practical techniques outlined in this book, I had two lucid dreams last night! This is the first time I've found a practical book on learning lucid dreaming techniques based upon research that *anyone* can use and mold based upon their own dreams and dreamsigns.

By the very nature of lucid dreams, being able to control your dream, it seems this would be a perfect vehicle to substitute for the imagination techniques that some people have difficulty with. In a lucid dream, while fully conscious and indistinguishable from a waking state, you can talk to anyone you desire.

Has anyone tried this approach? As I become more adept in having lucid dreams at will and with the content I specify before falling asleep, I'm going to try retrievals during a lucid dream.

Hi Jeff,

I've never had a lucid dream but now I've got that book on my Wish List at amazon.  That makes 19 books on my Wish List. LOL  This one is fairly inexpensive, especially used, not much difference from their new price, so will probably be getting it next.  Thanks for this info.  ;)

Love,
Mairlyn   :D

:D funny you should bring this up ;D yes I've done retrievals via intention setting before sleep with a specific person in mind and it worked ok, even got verification from a family member I had found the right person. however I practiced the imagination method for 6 months before attempting the lucid dream method and then I just stumbled into the lucid area while sleeping without knowing for sure my intention was stated strongly enough. usually I have to concentrate for two minutes or more on the intention before anything will happen in the dream. sometimes I would work a week or more to make the intention strong enough meaning I'd have to really think about what I was doing, what the need was here, what they retrievee might be thinking, feeling and if I didn't have answers to questions the state of being super curious tends to draw me to the situation to look around ;D as one person may think a retrieval is needed, then when you actually get to the area you might find out no retrieval is necessary. on the other hand, guides will take you there if you want to find out what's up. motivation appears to be part of your intention. getting movivated was part of my reason for meditating on it as I don't like to be meddlesome ;D lucid dreaming was my method after I fell into the habit of it so easily and seemed more real than imagination, but yet imagination was what made me lucid dream, so they work hand in hand. now that the heart chakra is opened more however I'm back to the imagination style more and can "feel" situations around the heart and get information about the situation to relay to whomever or to myself. what's a little odd is lucidity has changed to stepping into a movie now as the player; I sense guides and participants all around on the sidelines cheering me on so to speak. I play out my part, make my decisions or not, have an "experience" then wake up in bed and write it down to see if I learned anything about myself, my unlimited self, that is. :o  always wonder what it will be like to dream no more, will the 2 worlds be one? ::) will I still have fun? ::) ;) I think the best approach is always to ask first how may I best be of service here? or where would you have me go? do? say? should I button my lip here, or start yakking? there seems to be some overseer operating we used to call God, and whatever it is, it's very intelligent and knows exactly what to do, when and how and where. Marianne Williamson who is an ACIM teacher said it best: dear Lord she said whatever shall I do? "Pipe down God said, I'll tell you when you get there." ??? ::) :-X :-* ;D ;)

    Yes Jeff,  I've done a few retrievals during lucid dreams/obe's. I encourage you to explore lucid dreaming in that way; it can be very effective. Alysia mentions "intention setting before sleep"; that seems to be a real key. The act of formulating/refining an intention seems like a real art to me. I keep discovering new things about that process... It might be powerful to continue to work with Bruce's method at the same time you do the lucid dream method. The two ways of working really compliment each other well. One of these times when you're trying the imagination method, things will fall into place on their own and it will go to another level.  But I'm a big believer in using lucid dreams to be with the recently-deceased. It has worked very well for me....  Hey Alysia, your comment "wonder what it would be like to dream no more, will the 2 worlds be one?"  really struck me. There's something behind those words that's interesting to me, I wonder what it is exactly...  Tim F.

wrote on Jan 10^th, 2005 at 4:15pm:

Hey Alysia, your comment "wonder what it would be like to dream no more, will the 2 worlds be one?"  really struck me. There's something behind those words that's interesting to me, I wonder what it is exactly...  Tim F.

Me too.  I wonder whether the afterlife is like one continuous dream, or like always being awake and never dreaming, or if there is some equivalent to sleep in the afterlife where we get a regular break from the reality up there.

Freebird

well my theory is a mish mash but here goes. the dreaming terrain appears to be 90% your own symbology tools declaring who it is you think you are. call it self image or personality or ideas you formulate. the other 10% of information you get out there have to do with others perhaps. such as in a retrieval by dream method. some of these experiences tend to expand the self image to include further ideas of who you think you are versus who we really are (cosmic, spiritual beings) so you can gain from dreams self knowledge as well as knowledge about others. in regards to whether we sleep over on the other side, I've read we can, and not only that, we can slip into a dream world as well. this I got from "Letters from a Dead Man" book. but I think there are some masters who do not need to sleep essentially because they are not rebuilding their cellular structure and their subconscious/conscious terrain is fully integrated due to having been around the block so many times so to speak. they never need breaks because theres perhaps no tension there in the mind to feel the need to relax, but they may have a way to "recharge" themselves if the ol' spiritual battery gets low. I don't know, makes you wonder huh? ;D I know once I get on the other side I won't want to go to bed and sleep! although I enjoy that now and here. ::) ;D

Jeff,

Lucid dreaming, for me, is the best method for doing retrievals, OBE's, and AP's.
It seems that dreams are a thought bubble. Once you escape that bubble, you end up somewhere in the astral. Usually the direction I head is downward.
 Nearly everytime I become lucid, I ask to do retrievals. About 85% of the time, my wish is granted. Another experienced LD'er who I met on this forum seemed to have no trouble converting LD's to retrievals the moment I(or someone else?) pointed out the possibility.
So if you can learn how to LD, then in my opinion, you will be able to retrieve without any further training.
That said, LD'ing reliably is not easy for most.

-mike