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En Garde, whole no. 4, Winter 1942

Page 3

it, consider it from all angles, and even to study one small detail after another without losing in any way the complete visualization. The picture could be manipulated, simplified, made more complex at will. Appropriate movement could be given to it and maintained without further conscious direction, if desired. Planning some device, course of action, or other thing became easier and faster to do mentally than with the aid of pencil and paper. It was all dependent on the ability for sustained visualization which grew amazingly with practice.

On continuing to engage in this entertaining and useful pastime, it became noticeable that sleep would often catch me in the midst of such a mental picture. Thereupon the visualization would merge with or even become the first part of a dream. I pounced on this discovery with delight and proceeded to investigate it fully. Here was an opening that might lead to an ability to dream what one wished. Experimenting with this possibility, I found that transition state between complete wakefulness, and sleep, to be the critical point. The prolongation and smoothing out of this half-awake state proved very important to the success of assuring that the ensuing dream would be of one's conscious selection. Practice made this state and its prolongation easy to achieve.

Just what I have finally succeeded in doing is hard to define. Perhaps it is some form of self-hypnosis in which the conscious mind is the operator and the subconscious mind is the subject. Perhaps, too, I have partially broken down the normal barrier between the conscious and the subconscious. But, speculation aside, as I slowly saunter through that portal opening into the realm of Dreams, my adventure is already determined. I bestow on my starting visualization a quality of natural and automatic movement. Slowly and smoothly the waking dream becomes one of sleep. Gradually I release my conscious control and let the subconscious with its typical irrationalities take over -- but never entirely. I have learned to follow the dream with a small thread of consciousness. By a slight prod here, or a little conscious change there, the dream-adventure can be, and is kept on the path chosen for it. No longer is it necessary to awaken and start the dream anew. Awareness of being asleep and dreaming, and the ability for conscious control are even present and continuous. Normal deeply-grained inhibitions and notions of proper behavior no longer dominate, and may be changed to suit the fancy. Ever present is the realization that unpleasant consequences which might follow some act in waking life, need not obtain here, and one may act accordingly. Fears and frustrations no longer dominate my dreams. Dream-awareness makes former embarrassments susceptible to rationalization. That common dream of being pursued and finding one's flight constrained as though wading through molasses, never troubles now. The Dream-realm is entered expectantly and joyfully. I have come to look forward to it. Truly, I have discovered a New World.

The wasting of one third of life in sleep is indeed horrible. I don't waste it. I spend it in search for adventure that one is prevented from making when awake, by the necessity of earning a living. However, there probably are possibilities in dreams that have not come to my notice. Can any who read this offer further avenues of exploration? Or are you one of those who never dream? I wonder how many fans ever experimented with dreams, and with what results. Any data will be appreciated, new possibilities welcomed with open arms.

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it, consider it from all angles, and even to study one small detail after another without losing in any way the complete visualization. The picture could be manipulated, simplified, made more complex at will. Appropriate movement could be given to it and maintained without further conscious direction, if desired. Planning some device, course of action, or other thing became easier and faster to do mentally than with the aid of pencil and paper. It was all dependent on the ability for sustained visualization which grew amazingly with practice. On continuing to engage in this entertaining and useful pastime, it became noticeable that sleep would often catch me in the midst of such a mental picture. Thereupon the visualization would merge with or even become the first part of a dream. I pounced on this discovery with delight and proceeded to investigate it fully. Here was an opening that might lead to an ability to dream what one wished. Experimenting with this possibility, I found that transition state between complete wakefulness, and sleep, to be the critical point. The prolongation and smoothing out of this half-awake state proved very important to the success of assuring that the ensuing dream would be of one's conscious selection. Practice made this state and its prolongation easy to achieve. Just what I have finally succeeded in doing is hard to define. Perhaps it is some form of self-hypnosis in which the conscious mind is the operator and the subconscious mind is the subject. Perhaps, too, I have partially broken down the normal barrier between the conscious and the subconscious. But, speculation aside, as I slowly saunter through that portal opening into the realm of Dreams, my adventure is already determined. I bestow on my starting visualization a quality of natural and automatic movement. Slowly and smoothly the waking dream becomes one of sleep. Gradually I release my conscious control and let the subconscious with its typical irrationalities take over -- but never entirely. I have learned to follow the dream with a small thread of consciousness. By a slight prod here, or a little conscious change there, the dream-adventure can be, and is kept on the path chosen for it. No longer is it necessary to awaken and start the dream anew. Awareness of being asleep and dreaming, and the ability for conscious control are even present and continuous. Normal deeply-grained inhibitions and notions of proper behavior no longer dominate, and may be changed to suit the fancy. Ever present is the realization that unpleasant consequences which might follow some act in waking life, need not obtain here, and one may act accordingly. Fears and frustrations no longer dominate my dreams. Dream-awareness makes former embarrassments susceptible to rationalization. That common dream of being pursued and finding one's flight constrained as though wading through molasses, never troubles now. The Dream-realm is entered expectantly and joyfully. I have come to look forward to it. Truly, I have discovered a New World. The wasting of one third of life in sleep is indeed horrible. I don't waste it. I spend it in search for adventure that one is prevented from making when awake, by the necessity of earning a living. However, there probably are possibilities in dreams that have not come to my notice. Can any who read this offer further avenues of exploration? Or are you one of those who never dream? I wonder how many fans ever experimented with dreams, and with what results. Any data will be appreciated, new possibilities welcomed with open arms.