your welcome. 
This is what I read in one of the books of the 11 main Upanishads, there are a lot more (it’s good to read these texts along with the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, if anyone wants I will find the links to the ones I use)
The Upanishads maybe full of societal ideas, but there are things you can get from them if your patient enough to go “what does that mean?”
Anyways: The right eye is the centre of your waking consciousness, the point between your eyebrows is the centre of your dreams, and in between your chest (where you usually feel your heart beat) is the centre of deep sleep. There are other functions to these centres, but those aren’t the interest here.
This is what I did (not written in the Upanishads, at least the 11 main ones I looked at) Concentrating between your eyebrows will help you remember your dreams and you can achieve lucidity, there were times when I can almost feel that it is a dream (not lucid yet but getting there). This takes practice and concentration. There are inconsistencies in nights with concentration, sometimes I can concentrate well, sometimes it is really weak, but there are results with dreams.
Concentrating on the heart is also good. I like it better. You will remember your dreams (not as well as concentrating on your forehead, but there are results). I haven’t reached any lucidity with it yet, but chances are it will happen. There is a bonus here too; if you stay I up late, you will feel like you slept for a whole night instead of feeling tired. Doing this while awake helps you keep your strength and concentration too. I am amazed at how well it works. I did some looking around and this is called Yoga Nidra.
You can play with how you concentrate. I.E. imagining a ball there that is a certain colour… you can use what ever feels like is working, although you have to find that first.
Sounds like you’re doing really well. If you keep on practicing it will probably aid you in daily life (as you allready describe) and with LDreaming.
Here’s a link to a buddhist perspective on LD, or what the tibetans call dream yoga. The text is not really easy to understand, since we’re not brought up whith the same symbols and learning techniques as tibetan buddhists are. But it gives some insight in what dream yoga is and how it is based on very strong visualisation techniques and strong mindfullness.
See https://www.spiritwatch.ca/abuddhis.htm
Ultimately of course, dream yoga is only a method in achieving enlightenment.
Thank you for that link, I have been researching Buddhism lately and that looks to have lots of good information in it.
You’re wellcome.
Actually there are some books on this topic too:
- ‘Dreamyoga and the practice of Natural Light’ by Namkhai Norbu and
- ‘The Tibetan Yoga of Dream and Sleep’, byTenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
And LD-guru Stephen LaBerge has contributed to the field of integrating these ancient techniques with modern insights, see: https://www.lucidity.com/DreamYoga.html
healing.about.com/od/meditation/ … senses.htm
This is probley the most profound artical Ive read about meditation. Im starting to learn that meditation is more about being aware of thoughts that occure while trying to 'blank" the mind. I use breathing as my focus tool, but while focusing on my breathing I become aware of my thoughts. I just simply let them come, and go, and return my focus back to my breathing. No matter how many times thoughts pop into my head I dont get frustrated, because I cant blank my mind (Or if I do become frustrated, I simply become aware of the emotion, and return my awareness back to my breathing) The idea of meditation is awareness… Oh hell just read the artical it can say it better then I can.
Hi Kava,
Seems like you’re doing really well with your discovering of what meditation is really about.
Actually there are basically two types of meditation:
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concentration based. Like when one focuses on breathing or walking or a mantra or whatever. This might get you in a profound state of bliss. However, it does not give insight in the workings of one’s mind and it doesn’t give one wisdom.
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mindfullness based. That is what John Kabat-Zinn is all about. His meditation is based on Vipassanameditation. Here you focus on ‘that what one is perceiving at this moment’. This might be thoughts, emotions or sensory input. Observing these things closely, and without judgement gives you insight in your conditioning: why you react to the outside world the way you do, why you are happy or unhappy. That’s why it’s also called Insightmeditation. Ultimately it helps you being fully aware in the present moment. Which is very helpful, because the present moment is the only thing there is. In the present moment there are no worries, no fears, no anxiety. There is only love and freedom.
Concentration based meditation can be used in combination with mindfullness based meditation. The former can strenghten the practice of the latter.
Useful link: https://www.vipassanadhura.com/whatis.htm
That was an enteresting read, I think for now Im just going to stick with concentration based meditation. I couldnt imagine what it would be like to be in the frame of mind of the “now”. That would take alot of practice. I am starting to meditate while Im at work by focusing on what Im doing at the time, and allso my breathing. Its weird… I never thought about it before, but today I was making my coffie, and focusing on making it, and it was like doing it for the first time, and it actualy felt good simply making a cup of coffie. It was an enteresting sensation. Meditation is like expirancing life for the first time simply by being aware.
You are using the concentration method very well to be aware of what you are doing at that moment. Being fully aware of what you are doing at the time you are doing it is actually being in the ‘now’. The only difference between that and mindfullness meditation is that you are focusing your attention at will to the thing you are doing at that moment. In mindfullness meditation your focus will be naturally directed to that which comes at you naturally. It is not directed by will. But that doesn’t really matter.
In both concentration and mindfullness we can experience the world with no interference from our conditioning and all the other ‘programmed’ responses we’ve learned through our personal history. You can then really see things the way they are. Indeed like you’re seeing them for the first time again.
But there are enemies at the gate. One of them is that experiences like the one you describe can feel very fullfilling. You might think ‘that was nice, I want that again’! But sometimes it can be that this wanting fills your mind, so you cannot longer focus all your attention to opening your mind to the present. And then you can get frustrated and you might start to think ‘how did I do that, the other day. I’ve lost it!’ And then you try even harder and it still doesn’t work and you get even more frustrated, etc.
But don’t worry. This is all quite normal. Just have faith. Because it’s actually not difficult al all. Just open up. Be aware. After some time the awareness can go really deep.
Nevertheless it can be a good idea to find a group or a teacher that you feel you can trust. Because the path to total awareness, enlightenment if you will, can be long and there can be more enemies at the gate. Good advice from someone who’s been through it all can then be very helpfull.
Does anybody else here besides me meditate on a regular basis?
Meditation can help with LD’ing in a massive way… it increases your self-awareness which is vital to lucid dreaming. Meditating before sleep will also increase the vividness, length and amount of dreams not to mention all the other benefits meditation can produce.
If anyone is interested in learning meditation, I will be more than happy to share some techniques, and I would love to hear of techniques from other people.
I have heard that meditation can help you get lucid and similar things. I would like to learn how to meditate but I don’t know where to begin.
I would be happy to hear what you can say about this.
I belive one time i used a sort of medition for WILD I was so aware with it i was awake for 3 hours! I didnt move a muscle either! Im currently working on a meditation awarness WILD technique.
Yes! In fact, I wouldn’t live any other way. Really. Ever since I started nearly two years ago I could never go back to the state I lived in beforehand. (And I realized this from firsthand experience just by taking a weeklong hiatus—was that a mistake). 
The two main types that I at least try to practice these days are what mario calls “concentration based”—although I used to refer to that as mindfulness—and my personal favorite, lovingkindess meditations. (I also do the occasional walking meditation when I’m fed up with sitting still).
I’m not going to try and pass myself off as some sort of guru or meditation teacher. I’m just someone who has experienced the wows that so few—if any—around me can relate to. But the intense joy that comes out of a great lovingkindness and the energy it gives me…these days I feel like I can’t go without it. It’s an addiction to the positivity. And in my classes if I can find a quiet moment I’ll close my eyes to practice some concentration based meditation because I crave the stillness so much. And the awareness! There’s just something about a good mindfulness of breathing session that I’ve been craving lately.
And lucid dreaming! I know how meditation helps with that, I’ve been there too. Lately my dream journal has pretty much been nonexistant, but back in the days when I was immeresed in my dreams, meditating, and practicing lucid dreaming, the results were staggering. Lucid dreams left and right, dream recall through the roof—and the dreams were fantastic. These days I just have vivid dreams and…eh…dream recall, just because I haven’t been writing them down like I used to. Maybe I’ll get back to it. Jeez, there’s just nothing like having great dreams—and great lucid dreams—all the time. It’s no wonder I was so happy back when I started meditation and lucid dreaming.
Anyway, the site that gave me the most comprehensive and detailed info was Wildmind. I still worship it.
Right. Well, I mostly meditate to live an optimal day-to-day life in which I eliminate all the negativity that I possibly can. And to develop a joyful, relaxed, and worry-free personality. Sometimes I even find myself living—actually experiencing for myself—the lessons on life that I once only read about while reading about Buddhist philosophy. The most glaringly ovbious lesson that I learned was how happiness is based more on internal and not necessarily external factors. Last year I once noted that things were going great for me—and yet I wasn’t very happy as compared to the previous months when my outer life wasn’t so great. Meditation has taught me what it takes to be happy…although sometimes I may need reminding. 
I meditate every night for about 15-30 minutes. I’ve been only doing it for 2 months, but I can easily say, in the past month, I’m happier than I have ever been in my entire life. Originally I started with the Silva Ultramind technique, but I didn’t like it very much. I mean, it started me out fine, but I didn’t like the style in which it was done in. I don’t know. Now, I’m following the method laid out by Bodhipaksa, the same guy behind Wildmind, the one Sonia gave the link to. Usually what I do is 10 rounds of counting to 10, counting my breaths after the exhale. Then I do lovingkindness for 4 rounds as Bodhipaksa says, although usually I don’t get out of it as much as I’d like. Tonight was amazing though. Then I count my breaths again, this time, right before inhaling, for 10 rounds of 10. It has changed my life, and I am happier now than ever before. I couldn’t imagine stopping. I don’t ever want to stop. It is usually the highlight of my day, and I look forward to it everyday. It makes the day seem easier to get through, knowing that I have 30 minutes of peace guaranteed for myself. Tonight was amazing though. I had something happen to me, that I could only describe as a body-orgasm, like feeling positive energy throughout my entire body, but mainly in the chest. hahaha, great times.
hmm ok I see this topic has been merged. Thanks Mod, i suck at using the search engine 
Thankyou Sonia for the wonderful testimony. Just goes to show what meditation can do. What is your favourite meditation technique?
For me, I started meditating for better mental control over my thoughts… I wanted to be able to turn off that inner-voice which I can now successfully do with little effort. I can make it go completely silent for hours at a time just by intending to turn it off. The meditation I used to achieve this ability is what i call Stillness meditation. There are a few ways to do it:
1.) put your attention on your breath, and listen to the sound it makes. Then use that sound to replace the innervoice. You want to try and mimmick the sound in your head, or if you find that too hard you could start off with a mantra like “in” and “out” for every in and out-breath.
2.) actively listen with your ears to the sound of nothing. let me explain… when we are listening to music, or listening to someone talk, all our attention is being focused on our ears to listen and it halts that innervoice… so if you try to actively listen (put your focus on your ears) to the sound of nothing it will stop that innervoice.
3.) there is a part of you deep within, which is still and at rest. It doesn’t care about worries, or the stresses of life… If you look within to find this part of you (perhaps it is the soul?) and just focus your attention on it, then your mind slows down and thoughts disappear.
4.) this is similar to #3, something that Buddha used to reach enlightenment… focusing on the hara/dantien/solar plexus/stomach/diaphram lol there are so many words for the same thing but yeah if you focus on that spot (you should be breathing using your diaphram) it will settle the mind.
Something interesting I found out, is that the intestines are made very similar to the brain… same materials… nerve endings wrapping them all… so the intestines are like a second less intelligent brain. Another thing that is interesting… is that they spiral like a vortex… perhaps this is why people experience a ‘gut instinct’… it is like a lesser brain which interprets emotional energy. So if you focus all your attention on this area, you are paying less attention to thoughts, and more attention to emotions. Once you are feeling a relaxed peaceful emotion, focus on that emotion and try to amplify it.
Here are a couple of sites I found were good:
meditationiseasy.com/mCorner/tec … /index.htm
home.att.net/~meditation/MeditationHandbook.html
My favourite meditation technique is one called “running energy meditation” but I am relunctant to share it because it isn’t appropriate for beginners.
There are sooo many meditation techniques… and once you get good at it you can even make your own. Who ever thought you could be good at sitting still? lol.
Heh… thats how I describe that feeling too… orgasmic but in a non-sexual way.
Happens to me when I do the “running energy meditation” 
Its the same sort of feeling when your getting really into some music that you like and you get chills/goosebumps except its over your entire body 
Merged into the BIG Meditation as a LD Aid topic.
I don’t know if this has been mentioned before, but I found the idea at this link.
tricycle.com/issues/editors_pick/3693-1.html
Anyone ever try it before?
to answer your question… yes i tryed something close , but didn’t succeed …
Also welcome Tarret 
I’ve been reading this topic for the most part and I don’t think anything like this was mentioned so here it goes.
Would this be considered meditation because you are entering a form of deep relaxation?
beyondweird.com/A_Course_in_Scrying.html
Nevermind the scrying part on the bottom just the upper half is what I’m talking about.
Thanks in advance.