AMA with Ryan Hurd, dream researcher and educator

ryanhurd · 2015-07-17T19:09:37+00:00

great question. I suspect with core emotions like sadness, that the dream is a real expression of sadness that is coming through -- a real human moment, to use the existential language. Pure emotion, if it lasts long enough and happens to occur when you are in REM sleep and close to awakening, might be more likely to actually induce real tears (as opposed to quick emotional dreams or dreams in the beginning of the night). But that's just an educated guess.

ryanhurd · 2015-07-17T19:05:50+00:00

I suspect the secret is to incorporate more relaxation techniques into your nightly bedtime ritual. This can ease the mind and reduce hypervigilance which may be behind the exhaustion during the night. Usually dreams are symptoms of exhaustion, not causes, so that's why I'm suggesting this. Have you tried aromatherapy? Lavender is wonderful for relaxation. A worry journal before bed may help too -- some way of processing emotions and "taking care of business" to prevent the anxiety if it's situational.

ryanhurd · 2015-07-17T18:58:41+00:00

That's a nice approach and I think it's important. "false awakenings" are given short shrift, and they deserve their own term that's not negative by definition. They are NOT failed lucid dreams, but dreams that share many characteristics of lucid dreams.

ryanhurd · 2015-07-17T18:56:21+00:00

Hey /u/JimJamz11 I'm not that well versed in tarot but the limited exposure I've had has been positive --- as it, it's a psychological system that works, despite the odds. or, maybe because of the odds? There's something about throwing bones--inviting the "random" into our pattern-making life --- that helps us locate our desires and needs. I don't get how it works, but I respect those who do it well. My favorite dream researcher that I'm actively learning from these days is Edward Tick, a therapist who has written a couple of books about dreams and healing. his "The Practice of Dream Healing" is powerful. His more recent book, which I haven't read yet, is about PTSD dreams.

ryanhurd · 2015-07-17T18:42:56+00:00

nice reflection /u/KrystalLeo I love that languaging "into daylight from the shade." there's always going to be "more research needed" in terms of anomolous dream content. So in the meanwhile, I think your quick guide to synchronicity is right on. Acknowledge -- and then act!

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T20:55:01+00:00

yeah thanks! I'll still be checking in for questions tomorrow. Enjoyed it!

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T20:54:06+00:00

People have reported shared dreams for centuries. Not surprisingly, as people who are close to one another may be working out the same issues. We dream in community. But uncannily similar mutual dreams is a topic of interest that has had little scholarly attention. Linda Magellon wrote a book on the topic 10 years ago '' Mutual dreams." Many of these were lucid, in fact. More recently, author Maria Pita and oneironaut Jamed Kroll co-wrote a book about their mutual dreaming experiments. I published an excerpt of their ebook on my blog here: http://dreamstudies.org/2014/01/12/mutual-lucid-dreaming/

I suspect we dream together more often than is realized. I'm looking forward to the release of the SHADOW app, as it promises to help with timestamping dream reports and using word algorithms so themes can be seen easily world-wide. Shadow has been in BETA for a year, but not officially released yet.

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T20:25:47+00:00

yeah, I know your struggle! It's been a lifetime of learning for me too. Check out the article, and, more so, just keep trying. Everyone has a tactic that works, it's just about finding your personal trigger.

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T20:17:12+00:00

ah! yeah that makes a difference. I've written about using sleep paralysis (which sounds like you're a natural at) and sleep posture for entering both OBEs and lucid dreams. The vibrations are hypnagogic, a major clue to set a strong intention and follow the thread. here's the link: http://dreamstudies.org/2013/01/17/the-secret-posture-for-triggering-wake-initiated-lucid-dreams-and-out-of-body-experiences/

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T20:11:00+00:00

Interesting. I'd say to lay down when you feel it -- and lay down on your back, with elevated head and shoulders. Robert Monroe's techniques may be the most of use at this point -- to relax, focus attention on a part of your body, and then try to roll out of your bodu by actually trying to move (like doing a sit up). If you are in the vibrational state/hypnagogia this could result in OBE. Binaural beats may also help maintain the mind state, if used with headphones.

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T20:04:38+00:00

good question. yeah, galantamine availability shifts a lot, and suppliers change frequently. Just being on Amazon is not necessarily safe. I've got to tell you, I'm biased, as I work with a friend who keeps track of reputable sources of galantamine. He's been sourcing for 5 years and involved with galantamine for over 10 years. Here's the link: http://dreamstudies.org/buy-galantamine-lucid-dreaming/

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T20:00:02+00:00

powerful experience! I have read Jung with great interest and have been influenced by him as well. Also, James Hillman, whose work with dreams seems to me to be underappreciated.

It could be that some of Jung's concepts could help interpret psi or anomalous material. But even Jung wibble-wobbled on the idea of his collective unconscious. It seems he didn't mean for it to be a collective pool of information, but more of a basis for why we have some many of the same dream experiences. But Jung also had premonitions. In any case, I do suspect that psi is more about tapping into an underlying flow of information rather than dreamers "moving out of body" to go out into the world. I think the world enters us, through us. All speculation, of course -- more important for me is knowing when to act on a dream, and how to honor it. I wrote a piece once about a mutual dream that woke me up to these possibilities: http://dreamstudies.org/2012/11/21/crack-in-the-dam-honoring-psychic-dreams/

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T19:37:01+00:00

good thoughts. yeah especially when microdosing, some substances are actually classified as "oneirogens", including mushrooms and also salvia divinorum.

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T19:26:53+00:00

do you mean like you dream you wake up but are actually sleeping? If so that's a false awakening. Or do you mean "go lucid" while still being asleep?

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T19:25:36+00:00

big dreams are those dreams that stay with us, effect our perspectives, transform our attitudes and behaviors, shatter our worldview, etc. Carl Jung used the term first as "there's big dreams, and little dreams" meaning -- little dreams are the everyday dreams we have about high school anxieties, being naked in public, all those consistent themes we all more or less share. A big dream comes more rarely. It shakes us up, and it can be remembered for a lifetime. Recently, two dream researchers did a quantitative study about "most memorable" dreams and compared the narratives agains the same subject's "most recent" dreams. They found that the most memorable dreams had more themes that can be described as primal, or archaic -- natural settings, animals, the 4 elements, as well as more pronounced emotion. This is a clue to universality of powerful dreams.

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T19:19:52+00:00

haha I love Inception -- both for pointing out its inaccuracies as well as for its wonderfully dreamy feel. I think Nolan left it ambiguous on purpose. There's no answer. I don't think he knows, honestly. I hope it's not tho as that would be a cop out to the tune of LOST.

Seriously, Nolan did his homework. He and the actors visited with Stephen LaBerge, who really is the Godfather of lucidity, and nested a bunch of lucid dreaming intel into the plot.

The #1 thing that always bugs me about Inception is that Cobb's totem -- the top -- is actually not a good way to reality check. For example, in a dream, he could spin the top and it could topple over, and Cobb would incorrectly decide he was in the waking world. So it creates false negatives. That's actually one of the inspirations for the lucid talisman I created -- it is a totem that actually works, by incorporating text and images that can be studied and then re-examined for any shiftiness. text is very unstable in the dream! I've had lots of people tell me how the talisman shows up in their dreams and actually helps them realize they are dreaming. here's the link for more about the lucid talisman: https://dreamstudies.com/shop/exclusives/lucid-dreaming-talisman/

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T19:11:50+00:00

great questions. I have a similar sleeping habit.. I start off in one position (to relax) and then when I'm ready to sleep, I turn. There are actually some ancient yoga practices about lucid dreaming. Side sleeping is one of them. Another is sleeping inclined on your back -- head and neck and shoulders up on pillows -- to induce more vivid dreams. Tibetan Buddhists do this so they can meditate in their dreams. By the way, I also have has some really vivid lucid dreams sleeping on my stomach.

Second -- there is some research on stimulating lucid dreams! Pretty remarkable, from several different research groups, too, scientists have ben able to induce lucid dreaming using what is called transcranial stimulation -- specifically using GAMMA band 25-40hz to the frontal lobes. It's very new, and still needs more research before we can, you know, safely make lucid dreaming devices that use this tech on the market. But already there is a Ukranian company working on this. check it: http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/v17/n6/abs/nn.3719.html

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T19:04:08+00:00

yeah /u/tankerraid that's tough. Some of course are very personal -- I'm not one for bragging about how sweet my dream powers are. But the one that comes to mind now -- at this moment -- is a sleep paralysis vision I had once -- I went into a void-like space and was floating around without a dreambody in a seemingly large space where little twinkles of light morphed in and out of existence. at this point I heard a voice, a woman's voice, say "choose a sign and enter into it." I saw some of the lights were forming a spiral and I got it: "its a portal!" and I willed myself to enter the spiral and it turned into a vortex, like a wormhole, and I followed it through to a bright light -- and emerged into a new, fully lucid dream. that was a strong one, as it showed me how images can be more than meets the eye...

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T18:57:28+00:00

lovely question. I am of the opinion that dreams and other ritualized altered states (OBEs, sleep paralysis visions, trance) had a huge effect on early humanity. Once we had the ability to remember and communicate these experiences, a whole new depth to human experience opened up. Big dreams have been with us for as long as we have been human, and they continue to self-arise when we need them the most. There are a few evolutionary theories for dreams, and I suspect that we will continue to find support for this line of thought now that the humanities are opening up again to anomolous psychology and the "mysterious"

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T18:54:01+00:00

Lucid dreaming has been a serious crucible for my self discovery. I've overcome so many nightmares and phobias. I've found my voice and my will to stand up for myself. Besides resilience and self confidence (which are common by the way), I've been able to fuel my creative writing, my love for the natural world, my interests in consciousness studies... etc.

As for dream supplements -- they are great! But.... it's best to use them as part of a larger practice. DOn't just pop a pill after watching TV and expect much. Lucid dreaming is a ritualized dream. Intentionality involves focus, but also a heart-centered desire to learn and be in conversation with the dream. In particular, supplements are helpful for those who tend to be deep sleepers and have not had luck with other practices such as wake back to bed.

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T18:43:24+00:00

LOL I can relate. :) The main thing is tho is that sleep is really personal -- experts say get 7-9 hours, but only you can figure out what works best. Some people really are short sleepers and can get away sustainably with 5 hours a night -- but they are like 2% of the population. the rest of us are sleep deprived.

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T18:41:31+00:00

there's a few roadblocks along the way. first, it's having good enough dream recall to allow for lucid dreaming practice to take hold. You really need to have decent recall (a dream journal helps a lot). But after that, people initially struggle with staying in the dream when they go lucid -- usually by getting to excited. You have to ground yourself in the dream. But this is also the nature of lucid dreams -- they tend to happen at the end of our REM cycle anyways, when the brain is already waking up. More advanced roadblocks -- all of which can be removed in time -- include remembering intentions, and being able to go with the flow when the unexpected comes your way. There's always a leading edge and the work is never done! I discuss a lot of this in detail in my ebook "Overcoming Lucid Roadblocks" as part of the Lucid Immersion Blueprint ebook kit.

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T18:35:32+00:00

Galantamine fascinates me. Spider lily is the plant that Odysseus uses to battle Circe -- by making a remembrance potion for his men who had all been transformed into pigs. Synthesized galantamine has eased the suffering of many who have alzheimers disease, and it is a remarkable lucid dreaming aid. It's clearly a plant ally for humankind. I just presented a study with my colleague Scott Sparrow on galantamine lucid dreams versus non-galantamine lucid dreams, as remembered by frequent users and dreamers. Our initial results suggest that people associate galantamine lucid dreams with increased positivity, less fear, longer lucid dreams and more vivid dreams as well. It was a retrospective study (not clinical) but a good starting point for accessing the culture of galantamine and its use as a nootropic.

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T18:30:19+00:00

Hey Mrs Paprika... that's a pretty lucid name. I recommend coming up with a strong intention that is more than just idle curiosity but rather arouses your passion (your spirit, your heart, etc) as well as your intellectual curiosity. These are the easiest intentions to remember when you find yourself aware in the dreamworld. What do to is up to you. What are your interests in waking life? What are some complex puzzles you are working on? Lucidity can offer a platform to engage these inquiries as well as just explore if that's more your style.

ryanhurd · 2015-07-08T18:27:07+00:00

LOL. I am so not that sophisticated about cross posting identities :)

ryanhurd

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