“Samsara is mind turned out, lost in its projections. Nirvana is mind turned in, recognizing its true nature.” - Tulku Rinpoche
I’ve been spending a lot of time in my inner world these days. I’m feeling mostly quiet and contemplative, more receptive than directive. I am learning so much. My main focus has been cultivating lucidity, both in my waking life and in the night as I sleep and dream. Within this process, I have experienced a simple truth:
The more lucid I become, the more quickly my intentions become reality.
This is very clear in my dreams. The more lucid I am in a dream, the more I can create the dream as I desire. For example, I am able to change objects or scenery, I have the power to invite people into the dream, or I may work to improve a skill, such as flying.
The same applies to my waking life. The more lucid I am in my waking life, the more I can create my life as I desire. With greater lucidity, I naturally attract the right relationships into my life, I am supported in my life work, and I end up being in the right places at the right times.
Lucidity is power, and here’s why: As we become more lucid, we become more in touch with our true nature. Our true nature is connected to everything, so the more we live from this place, the more capacity we have to co-create with the universe.
In my view, lucidity is the single greatest source of power. It is accessible to almost every single human on the planet, and it’s totally free. Nearly all humans have the capacity to look deeply within ourselves (our minds and our bodies). Sometimes, what we find is hard to look at. But if we stay with it, there is a deep peace and a great power on the other side.
I want to share with you my current favorite meditation* for cultivating lucidity:
Step 1. Lie down on your back, place one hand on your belly and the other on your heart
Step 2. With eyes open, take 21 breaths as you look at the sky or the ceiling
Step 3. Close your eyes and continue to breathe, but stop counting and feel the breath
Step 4. Begin observing your thoughts. Notice what arises. (NOTE: you can do this with feelings, emotions or sensations as well!)
Step 5. As a thought arises, see if you can trace the thought back to it’s source. Where did it come from? What was the origin of that thought? If you can identify the source, the thought will dissolve into no-thingness.
The whole process should last at least ten minutes, but you can go longer if you’d like. You can use this process just before sleep to induce lucid dreaming, or during the day to induce lucid wakefulness! Lucid dreaming supports lucid waking and vice versa. Lucidity creates more lucidity!
May you enjoy your journey towards greater lucidity, and please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions!
*This meditation was adapted from the book Dream Yoga by Andrew Holocek