Lucid dreams and out-of-body experiences belong to the same category of states of consciousness, which we call the phase. One of the most effective ways to achieve it is the indirect method, which was used in the Tibetan dream yoga tradition, has since been undeservedly forgotten by the scientific community. For example, Stephen LaBerge’s famous exploration of lucid dreaming only talks about becoming conscious while dreaming.
Michael Raduga has now filled this gap by publishing a detailed description of the indirect method for the first time in the scientific International Journal of Dream Research. The issue in question was published on April 15, finally advancing this practice to the level of scientific discussion.
The indirect method consists of five steps:
1. Before falling asleep, form an intention to go through indirect techniques upon waking up.
2. When you wake up, perform separation techniques for 3-5 seconds: try to mentally stand up, fall, fly up, or roll out of your body.
3. In case of failure, proceed to the next step: observe mental images, visualize your hands, imagining yourself rotating, etc.
4. If there is no result, repeat Step 3 for one minute – often success comes after the second or third cycle.
5. Finish the failed attempt. If possible, go back to sleep with the intention of performing the techniques the next time you wake up.
The experimental test of the effectiveness of this method was performed on 449 people (mostly beginners) who tried indirect techniques for two nights, to produce 484 successful attempts. Upon awakening, people are naturally close to experiencing the phase, and all one has to do is take advantage of this state. Thanks to this method, lucid dreaming can become more achievable and controllable, both for individual practitioners and for the purposes of scientific research.
Have you tried the indirect method yet? Share your results with us!
The article was published in the International Journal of Dream Research, 14(1), April 2021.
