Lucid Dream Experiment: Psychological Balancing Through Dream Symmetries
Explore the Lucid Dream Experiment conducted at the IASD Conference in Anaheim. Discover how basic symmetrical movements in lucid dreams expose imbalances in the psyche and how consciously interacting with dreams can lead to psychological balancing. Dive into dream examples illustrating how dreams reflect psychological one-sidedness and the attempt to achieve balance through dream images and narratives.
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IASD Conference, Anaheim, June 2017 Lucid Dream Experiment Nigel Hamilton & Robert Waggoner Dream Research Institute, London, UK Lucid Dreaming Experience, Ames, IOWA 1
Introduction Many years of dream research and dream work with clients have led me to: The basic idea that dreams reflect the imbalances in our psyche through dream images/narratives. i.e. The direction we are pulled/attracted towards (or the images we want to avoid) tend to be an attempt, on the part of our psyche, to balance our psychological one-sidedness. 2
The Experiment 1. The experiment was designed so as to see whether very basic symmetrical movements in the lucid dream exposed imbalances in the psyche. Could the tracing out of these simple symmetries enable a psychological balancing to take place? 2. The experiment was also seeking to discover if consciously interacting with the dream created any changes. 3. Participants: 31 people recorded 58 dreams. 4. Tasks: to trace out a square, a circle and an equilateral triangle, observing any changes to the lucid dream. 3
Dream Examples 1: Intent Supported by Dream a) The square shape of the room reminded me that I was supposed to do one of the experiments b) A puppy appeared in the spot I was going to stop. It licked my face, which helped to stabilize the dream. Light blue socks appeared at the turning points as markers for each leg c) When I recalled the experiment, I found myself in middle of a square shaped garden with four red brick walls. Oh, that makes it easy for me to walk the square . 5
Dream Examples 2: Examples of Balancing Opposites 11.04.17: 1st square: First leg: I counted my steps (5) until I reached the edge of my bed (that was exactly what I expected). As mentioned before it was quite dark in the room. I concentrated on my body and noticed I was wearing a winter coat and a woollen cap though it wasn t cold. I took off the woollen cap but there was still another on my head (and so on and so on). I took off about seven caps, (placed them all on my bed), then I stopped to continue the experiment though there was still a cap on my head. Second leg: I counted my steps and reached the wardrobe (as expected), I put off my woollen cap this time successfully and in spite it was still dark in the room, I could see clearly what it looked like (pink/green), on the wardrobe door I noticed a painting/poster (colourful (light colours) and I could read the name Klimt on it. I ve never seen this painting before. Third leg: I was distracted by voices (of family members), they called me/talked with each other anywhere in the house, I worried somebody could disturb me and I would forget about the experiment. Again I counted my steps (5). I noticed the door on my left (as expected) Fourth leg: Same as above, now walking the fourth leg I noticed the slide door/wall between my and my sister s room (as expected) I feel cheerful and excited 6
Dream Examples 2. Examples of Balancing Opposites 13.04.17: 2nd square: First leg: Ceiling of green plants/yellow flowers, spring life Second leg: Street is broader no hedges environment in late autumn, browns and reds, vegetation rare, wide, open sky Third leg: Urban like, line of houses on left. Woke trying to turn left for fourth leg . 7
Dream Examples 4.4.17: Square: 1st leg: Woman and boy observe me and change form as I complete 1st leg i.e. Boy becomes adult woman 2nd leg: Items block his path to corner. Woman and boy change again i.e. Woman is younger now and boy becomes a young girl. My wife and son then disappear 3rd leg: Woman and boy change again, although boy is still not a grown man 4th leg: Woman and boy now more like beginning but boy now had blond hair instead of black hair and woman s facial structure looked different (like her sister?) At outset, my wife and son were in room as well as a woman and a small boy . 8
3. The Outcome and Product of Dream Exercise 17.4.17: (Healing) Circle: rush up a little set of steps. I stop at the top and do healing on my feet. When I look up I am in a wild flower covered hillside Dream starts in science lab. She runs around in a circle, 10 in diameter. I then 19.4.17: (Balancing in dream affects body) Triangle: Create triangle by riding a boat across the water. Speed is pure energy in my stomach . Circle: She continues driving motorboat, now creating a circle. As I looked to the right, I saw the green hills of the coastline. I experienced being at the centre (of my psyche). I had an epicentre view . Upon waking she is aware of right side of her body. (In waking life the right side is weaker. I m left-handed and I have reduced hearing in my right ear . 14.5.17: Square: One participant found herself in a grid like structure of rainbow light suspended in space, upon completing the square. She felt secure and safely held. 9
3. Balancing Masculine and Feminine 21.4.17: a) In countryside, she walks uphill and downhill in a circle. Suddenly I was out of my body, watching me walking. I saw two people, one tall, one smaller walking together. On completing the circle I saw two (unknown) children of comparable height and age, a boy and a girl (about ten years old). They were playing very close to me 29.3.17: b) Circle dream: A man notices his wife is driving (on left hand side) and they stop on left edge of highway off-ramp. There is a sign far to the left on highway. The man runs in a circle on open field. His wife follows. On completion the off-ramp has become a row of random businesses. An unknown young woman walks up to him 26.3.17: c) Circle dream: An open field with a barrier to left of path. On right hand side is an open field with short brown grass. As the man runs, a female runner is behind him. As he jogs, the open field to the right becomes green and the grass waist high. 10
3. Correcting an Imbalance 21.4.17: Circle dream begins with dreamer speaking to an old lady on her right, cradling a very tiny baby. The woman smiles at the dreamer. On completing the circle, she finds herself in a grocery store, abundant with food. She crams cream donuts, chocolate etc into her mouth and is delighted. She notices there is something wrong with her right finger nail which she puts into her mouth. I don t normally allow myself to eat such things. 28.4.17: Square: On completing the square on top floor of a tall apartment building a man finds himself miraculously on the ground floor, street level. 11
4. Obstacles Appear 25.3.17 03.4.17 16.4.17 O This man performed all three tasks. However, each time, just before the end, some furniture blocks him and he has to walk over it to complete the task. 4. Obstacles Disappear 16.3.17: Square: This man often has men watching and pursuing him. In this exercise, the dream helps him to be hidden from his pursuers. On completion he is able to escape his pursuers. (paranoia) 12
4. Imbalance in Psyche Exposed 21.4.17: Triangle: A woman sees female mannequin to her left in a store and male mannequin to her right in another store. As she moves North in first leg, one woman starts moving spastically while on her feet. Square: The same dreamer attempts the square. Again she is in a clothing store. On completing the first leg both legs tingle below the knee. At the second leg, one leg feels longer than the other, forcing her to walk funny . 23.3.17: Triangle: In dream, the woman looks up to the sky on her left. The crescent moon (on left) winks at her. On the first leg, as she climbs up stairway a ghost hand offers to help her as she is struggling to carry her daughter. She descends on second leg but on third leg she experiences resistance upon trying to complete. Wakes up. 4. Psychology of Dream Exposed 4.4.17: Square: As he begins to make the square, in 1st leg (going North) he discovers an old philosophical friend, but as he turns west the atmosphere changes. At end of 2nd leg, he meets an angry doubting man. 13
5. Transcendence 20.3.17 a) One participant attempted a vertical square. The first leg was horizontal above ground, outside. In the second leg he moved vertically upwards. I experienced that I flew between different dimensions, layer after layer. I flew through six different dimensions. I saw different colours surrounding each layer. Each time a new layer appeared I felt a strange feeling inside my body. By the sixth layer I had to stop because the energy/feeling in my body was too strong. I almost started to scream. 5. Expansion of Consciousness 26.3.17 b) One woman started the square in her room. As she proceeded, coloured appeared and the scene expanded outwardly to the middle of a highway, streets became infinite. 5. Intensity of Fire c) One man reported feeling sucked into my own current as he ran around in a circle outside. After fifteen circles, the shrubbery and grass around me caught fire. I increased my speed and it created a funnel shaped firestorm. I stopped and the fire died down . 14
d) The Effect Of Expanding The Geographical Area Being Traversed 15
30.4.17 Note the opposites a-b (back in time) & c-d (forward in time). Also points b and d are opposite landscapes and opposite in time The same participant created the triangle 500 metres per leg, at the sea shore. He starts with very calm, bright sea waters. As he goes out to sea it becomes roaring, stormy sea. As he completed the triangle he experiences a feeling of ecstasy, bliss. As though the balances of the two energies combined within him. 16
6. The Dream Becomes Darker Several dreamers experienced endarkening of the scene, particularly during the square exercise. Each leg becomes darker. Some participants created the square in the void (purple colour), some emerged out of the void to create the square. 17
7. The Dream Exposes the Etheric Body 30.4.17 Upon waking prematurely from the circle exercise she cannot stand up. I was trying to move an ethereal copy of myself. I could see my ethereal arms (transparent), half attached to my material body . 18
Polarities in Dreams Opposite polarities: opposite polarities inherent within the psyche emerge during course of completing (or attempting to complete) the square, circle or triangle. Examples are: opposite colours opposite directions male/female dark/light death/life winter/summer spring/autumn forwards/backwards in time 19
Colour Coding in Results Analysis Green: opposites clearly present during experiment & balancing Yellow: opposites present but no balancing during experiment Red: once sidedness present during experiment or obstacles appearing so as to prevent completion of movement (71 squares) (41 squares) (32 squares) (Total 144 squares) 52/58 dreams recorded a change when performing the task 20
Results 1. Lucid dreamers with less experience tend to have more difficulties in completing any of the tasks. 2. All levels of lucid dream experience reported obstacles. Some less experienced lucid dreamers had difficulties with obstacles and woke up, whilst more experienced dreamers moved through them. 3. Lucid dreamers who stayed closer to home in terms of distance repeated very few obstacles (or none). Those who ventured a greater distance from home encountered more powerful physic energies being released or greater obstacles. 4. The bigger the geometric figure (carried out outside) the more dramatic the polarities. However, even small geometric figures (mostly indoors) still revealed polarities and obstacles, but in a less dramatic way. 5. Most obstacles were dream objects and non-dream figures but dream figures did appear in a helpful or intervening role. 6. The square revealed many psychic obstacles and exposed imbalances. It also revealed the conscious co- operation of the psyche when characters or objects appeared/disappeared, thus facilitating the completion of the task (and in some cases, the balance of opposites). 7. Colours appear when opposite polarities balance - no colours appear when opposite polarities don t balance. 8. Significantly, approximately half the dreams involved a balancing of the psyche. Each dream ended with a clear image of the balanced opposites, in contrast to the imbalanced image at the start. 52 out of the 58 dreams reported changes taking place as they proceeded with the dream task ( , o, ) 9. 28
Conclusions 1) The presence of obstacles, and the difficulties they posed, suggests that lucid dreamers do not control the lucid dream, rather they direct themselves within the space as best they can. 2) (i) Subconscious and/or unconscious actions exist in the lucid dream state, (e.g. inexplicable obstacles appear) (ii) They occur without the conscious input of the lucid dreamer (iii) Yet they have symbolic meaning (relative to the dreamer and their situation) 3) Moving through inner space, suggests that movement or distance may naturally call forth the symbolic or unconscious aspect. 29
Conclusions 4) Past dream research with the psycho spiritual awakening process (1) indicated that symmetrical dream images of circles, triangles, squares, cubes, spheres, pyramids or colourful images based on such geometric structures coincided with a balancing of the psyche, and a shift to a more subtle level of consciousness. Conversely, when tracing out such movements in a lucid dream (in this case the square, the circle and the triangle) that not only are the imbalances and polarities exposed, but a balancing out of the psyche is possible. 5) However, whilst it is clear that there is sufficient evidence to indicate that the psyche s inherent polarities can be exposed and even balanced through directional movements in the dream, it is also true that this depends upon the degree of awareness/consciousness of the dreamer. The participants who were more successful in revealing and balancing their polarities when performing the tasks, showed greater clarity, more colours and an ability to overcome the unconscious obstacles that presented themselves in the dream. 30 (1) Nigel Hamilton: Awakening Though Dreams; Hamilton, N.I. ISBN 123: 9781782200505
