My very first experience of waking up in a dream was particularly vivid and real, but the setting couldn’t have been more ordinary. I had just woken up in bed and was looking at my bedside cabinet, thinking about something or other.
Everything looked normal, until I realized there was a book on the cabinet that I’d been reading earlier, but had actually put back on the shelf, so it had no reason to be there. It then occurred to me that my physical body was still asleep, but that I had woken up consciously in the dream world. When I eventually woke up physically, I found the book back on the shelf where I had left it.
The experience was interesting, new and different in its clarity to some of the lucid dreams I’ve had, where although I knew I was dreaming and could influence the outcome of the dreams, there were still dream images around me. However, this was my first experience in what seemed to be an accurate representation of the place in which I was sleeping.
Discovering Belsebuub’s Work on OBEs
I later discovered Belsebuub’s writing and became intrigued by his practical tips to have out of body experiences, through either astral projection or becoming conscious in dreams.
On one occasion, I had been practicing some of Belsebuub’s techniques with a group of friends, with the aim of astral projecting during the night. I didn’t manage to achieve my goal that night and felt a little disappointed as I travelled back to a friend’s home. However, I had a nap after I arrived and to my pleasant surprise, I woke up in a dream and could study various things within the room in which I was staying. So on this occasion, although I didn’t achieve the result I had hoped for during the group practice time, I still benefitted from the effects of it soon afterwards.
Another particular occasion stood out from a retreat, where we were making efforts to have experiences in the astral plane. I shared a room with a close friend and we decided to set a few gentle alarms during the night, after which we would get up, briefly walk around the room in awareness and then settle back to sleep. We did this over a few evenings and to my pleasant surprise, I woke up in dreams on three consecutive nights.
It was inspiring to be able to observe the place I was in clearly, while knowing that my physical body was still asleep. However, as with the early experience with the book, I noticed on each occasion that there was something slightly out of place. Sometimes these anomalies have in themselves acted as triggers to become lucid, while on other occasions, I’ve felt there may be a level of symbolism or teaching to them, such as when I’ve seen a notice with information on it.
Thanks for sharing your experiences Michael. All the best with your explorations.
Thanks for sharing your experiences Michael. Well spotted with the book! There’s been lots of times when I’ve seen something unusual, but somehow justify it making sense in my mind, which ends up in me not questioning the situation. (This has happened with some seriously nonsense stuff before 😀)
Thanks for sharing your experiences in the astral plane Michael! It goes to show how a bit of persistence and continual effort helps to create an atmosphere and mindset related to astral travel, consequently helping in gaining experiences of all kinds.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with this Michael. I really appreciate your struggle for inner clarity, it is indeed so important! Like you mentioned, sometimes I wake up in my dreams, knowing that I am in the astral plane, but there are so many things around me that I know should not be there. I remember one occasion many years ago that was quite funny. I astral projected in my bedroom and went to the kitchen. But there were so many things in that kitchen that were not there in the physical world and I literally had to step over all that stuff. Being aware that it was all the products of my subconscious, I exclaimed in a frustrated voice “what is all this mess!” and decided to go back to my body and try to project again, hoping for clearer surroundings. 😀 Looking back, I could have just asked to be taken somewhere or try to fly, but I guess I felt it was so messy that it was better to start again “from the scratch”.
Remembering that your book should have been on the shelf shows a real clarity of thought, as well as very high standards of neatness! 🙂
Sometimes when I have this clarity I really feel like I’ve been helped by the divine, the mind is normally so strong, but as you say, you can actually gradually build up the ability to perceive reality and through constantly questioning where you are, start to break down those mental images that keep us locked in a false reality.
I like the way you describe using alarms through the night to wake up and check where you are, trying to become aware in the room you’re sleeping in. This has also brought a lot of results for me – it’s a really great method to catch yourself in a dream. I’m inspired to start using this again – thanks!