Scientific journals rarely consider the esoteric view of lucid dreaming. However, an article by Ukrainian artist Pavlo Kandyba is more like a detailed diary of personal practices offered for other researchers to explore. Interestingly, the author lists almost all the states we call phase states: lucid dreams, sleep paralysis, out-of-body experiences, and near-death experiences.
Among personal stories, one can find quite specific advice. Here, for example, are some instructions on exiting the body:
1. When going to sleep, fully relax, stop your mental dialogue, focus your consciousness on the present moment, and concentrate on your breathing.
2. Try to be in a positive mood. Imagine you are invulnerable.
3. Gradually, noise will emerge in the head, along with a feeling of lightness, clarity of consciousness, and the ability to perceive the surrounding space with your eyes closed.
4. Mentally perform a movement (e.g., do a somersault over your head) to feel detached from the body.
Kandyba also describes his experiments with different substances. For instance, datura yielded negative results: dreams merged with reality and resembled ordinary dreams. On the other hand, belladonna allowed easy entry into a lucid dream, but overly vivid and realistic sounds and images appeared immediately, eventually leading to waking up. Additionally, belladonna can be fatal.
Further, Kandyba provides instructions for obtaining predictions from dreams: keep a dream journal for at least a month, as well as a regular diary of your everyday life, noting the emotions you associated with each dream and waking event. It’s important to determine which associations the dream images evoke in you. Ultimately, the real event and the symbolic image from the dream should align, along with the emotions related to them.
Have you tried any of the techniques listed above?
The article was published in April 2024 in the International Journal of Dream Research.
Drugs and plants may have side effects and should only be used in consultation with a doctor. This article does not call for independent experiments.
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