Lucid dreaming's the way?

[baro-san]

From the time I've begun experimenting with altered states of consciousness, I kind of favored those that allow transitioning directly from the awake state, because of the feeling of better control over the process.

I think that some of these experiences are more suited for certain purposes than others.

Recently I read "Muddy Tracks" by Frank DeMarco, and I was a little surprised, as the author was too, to learn that one of his closer friends, also well trained (TMI) and versed in non-physical experiences, after passing on, got caught in the dreamlike trap of Focus 23. DeMarco had to perform a retrieval of his friend to Focus 27.

Also, recently I read a couple of books about dream and sleep yoga, and listened to a handful of interviews with Andrew Holecek.

Last night, while in hypnotic trance, I received a message that if I want to ease my transition after death I should better dust off and polish my lucid dreaming skills, because quite often the death may surprise us, we may not be able to recognize it, and end up in a dreamlike loop of our final moments, or worse, in Focus 23.

[Phalanx]

I have read Monroe's work and others and its most reoccurring that people get stuck in loops due to emotions and/or awareness. Being emotionally attached to something, like not being able to tell someone goodbye actually gets quite a few people, but usually its a worry over an unresolved issue in their eyes. And then there is emotion of fear that keeps people stuck. There are other cases where the person was mentally and/or spiritually asleep through their life living by habit so when they pass they get stuck in a habit loop doing something the did constantly in life. There are a few other reasons such as ingrained beliefs religious or other and the like but over all I think the majority is awareness and/or emotions.

[baro-san]

I have read Monroe's work and others and its most reoccurring that people get stuck in loops due to emotions and/or awareness. Being emotionally attached to something, like not being able to tell someone goodbye actually gets quite a few people, but usually its a worry over an unresolved issue in their eyes. And then there is emotion of fear that keeps people stuck. There are other cases where the person was mentally and/or spiritually asleep through their life living by habit so when they pass they get stuck in a habit loop doing something the did constantly in life. There are a few other reasons such as ingrained beliefs religious or other and the like but over all I think the majority is awareness and/or emotions.

What surprised DeMarco, and me too, was that his friend was a person with a lot of spiritual preoccupations, experience, TMI training, and still she was in a confused, dreamlike state, after her death, stuck in focus 23. It's like when you dream at night, and in your dreams have no memory of your awake being, and your critical part of the brain is almost totally out.

In my experience, when you regress to a life between lives you remain pretty aware, and it is as actually you wake up from a dream. This might actually be your Higher Self that incarnated in you, while the dreaming like part might be a non-physical "body" related only to that specific incarnation.

I don't really have a theory about this discrepancy, and I haven't experienced first hand retrievals, or navigated the various planes associated with Monroe's focus levels.

The few contacts with deceased family members (during lucid dreams, and obe's) were kind of normal, they all behaved like they were alive, continuing their regular lives, and they were confused when I asked questions about afterlife.

[EscapeVelocity]

This is an excellent topic to have brought up baro-san, thank you for this!

The focus of my thought and research over the last couple of years has gradually concentrated ever more on this exact question: When we each pass on to the Afterlife, what will our 'awareness' consist of? And how hard should we be working on this 'side' to possibly strengthen that awareness while we still have time?

The question finally sort of coalesced for me the last few months- Will my awareness in the 'Afterlife' be more like my present waking awareness, more like my dreaming awareness, or some combination of the two? I think we may take it for granted that we will automatically have some kind of combined or greater awareness, but that seems increasingly a doubtful or circumstantial outcome to me.

Apparently, the manner of death may greatly affect the outcome; that certainly seems plausible.

So, I agree that the pursuit of Lucid Dreaming...the idea of developing the NP Personality, seems of increasing importance. Thank you for the reco on Muddy Tracks, I will have to order that one. The possible fact that a TMI experiencer got caught out may be indicative of just how problematic the situation can be.

I recently finished Holecek's  'Tibetan Dream Yoga' book...excellent. I am now working through my second reading of Kurt Leland's 'The Unanswered Question' which is directly discussing this exact subject. Sadly, it is out of print and only available on the used book market, but I think it is exceptionally good and relevant. Kurt compares the Egyptian Book of the Dead along with the Tibetan Book of the Dead, along with his own experiences and other references. Here are two distinct cultures that each considered this exact question, and found it important enough to record techniques for advising a soul in how to navigate the Afterlife...

Again, it all points back to the importance of recording our dreams and striving to become more aware within them.

And of course, balancing that within our Physical life.