Lucid
There is a strong smell of soap. The kind of soap that comes from dispensers three feet off the floor in primary school toilets. Pink soap. I open my eyes and begin to focus on a piece of white copy paper which has appeared in my hands. Typed on the paper in nice bold letters, evenly spaced, correctly punctuated, are the words
I keep waiting to wake up, but I never go to sleep, so how can that happen?
It makes me laugh! I don’t really know why, but it’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. I’m in fits of giggles; I laugh and I laugh until tears come into my eyes. My cheeks and jaw begin to ache I’m laughing for so long, and, absently, I drop the piece of paper… which promptly vanishes before it can reach the floor.
I’m about to think that this is strange, but am stopped short by the thought that it is not as strange as there being no floor at all… which there isn’t – I am, in fact, floating in mid-air. I am six feet off the ground, laughing and floating like the kind old uncle in Mary Poppins. It seems logical, now that I’ve made this comparison, that if I stop laughing I will descend gently and peacefully to earth, just like the dear, kind old gentleman did in the movie. This feels right, so I do... and I do. Interesting!
Back on my carpet, the faintest grin still lingering on my face, I look around me and begin to recall the last 10 minutes of my life: I had been at my desk, in front of my computer screen, blissfully daydreaming about the wonderful novel I have in my head that I have no idea how to get out. I can see the shape of it, feel its texture, experience its tone – it’s right there! But I can’t get it out. I was trying to make some notes, drinking some red wine, staring at the screen in desperation, like all good writers do. And I must have drifted off. I know that it’s late, after midnight. I know that I’m alone in the house, that I had fish for dinner, that today was a Friday and… My God, I was just floating in my own living room! What the hell is going on?
My stomach lurches like a drunken party-goer sobered by the fact of almost being hit by a car on the wobbly way home. I am a little drunk, I can feel that now. Have I just experienced a micro dream? Yes, but the memory of what just happened is vivid, it has weight, not like a dream. Maybe it was an alcohol induced hallucination? I don’t feel tired, but maybe it’s my mind’s subtle way of telling me to turn everything off and go to bed? That must be it. But… No, that’s not it!
I decide to try something.
POST A COMMENT
13 COMMENTS ABOUT THIS STORY RSS
STORY TAGS
RELATED STORIES RSS
BY THE SAME AUTHOR RSS
copyright © 2007-2008 taunt media. all rights reserved.
all member content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.
One time, I was the king of England. That was fun. But it was so sad cos I realised that it wasn't true and I woke up. Damnit. I just wish I could stay a little longer!"
I thought either they panic and try to wake up but realise they can't (or that when they do it is a "false awakening" and therefore still a dream), or that they begin to experiment with the degree of power they have, i.e. to what degree they are in control at this point - eventually becoming more powerful...
But I'm open minded..."
It was interesting to see what I could add and take away, like a movie I was constantly editing."
And, to practice realizing that you're dreaming, you can make a habit of doing little tests on yourself in real life. Like flicking the lights on and off to make sure they really work, checking a digital watch, etc. In theory, if it's a habit in life you will be likely to try it when dreaming.
Waking Life was very cool. But why don't you think fantasy and reality should "mix"? I doubt that by practicing lucid dreaming one would somehow ruin one's waking life. Unless it's a person who already doesn't have a good grip on life."
I've done it too, I have great powers in dreams - can beat up anyone lol ;-) and found i can steer then to the point where I want them to go.
I dont know how its done, or how someone could learn to be better at it. a hard thing to hold on to."
Did you see the film Waking Life by Richard Linklater? It's a good starting point for this debate."
What I'm interested in is the potential addiction to a fantasy world this might create as opposed to the harsh reality of an uncontrolable "real" world.
If you become a master at the technique there literally is no limit to what can be done other than imagination...!"