Undergraduate / 'Dream is short - waking is long' - Stanford intellectual vitality- dreaming [2]

Stanford students are widely known to possess a sense of intellectual vitality. Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging.

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Some take a religious approach on them, others attempt to extract the deeper spiritual meaning from them, and most simply ignore these natural phenomena. To me however, dreams represent a frontier- a mystery that science has just begun to unveil.

Sri Ramana once said, "There is no difference between the dream and the waking state except that the dream is short and the waking long." I have found this statement to be immensely true through personal experience with lucid dreaming. Approximately half of the population has at one time dreamt lucidly, or has been aware that they were dreaming. Perhaps some feel that this happening is too fleeting to be worth while; however, my familiarity along with my overbearing trust in science has led me towards the contrary. I side with the results of extensive research which has proven that the subconscious can indeed be controlled during sleep.

On January 10, 2007 I took the first step towards lucid dreaming by starting a dream journal. For thirty nights in a row I recorded my nocturnal occurrences, much to the peril of a peaceful rest. Through studying many strategies and experimenting nightly I eventually achieved consciousness during sleep. Intense dedication allowed me to master the lucid state, and thus I was essentially able to live two lives.

Longing to experience more, I turned towards science and began my investigation. REM (rapid eye movement) corresponds with a person's dream state and has enabled scientists to communicate with a dreamer via eye movement signals. Recent technology has even transferred dreamers into a state of awareness by applying special goggles. If this progress has been a result of only a few decades, there is no telling where it will go from here. At this rate, science will surely formulate a universal, flawless method for achieving dream awareness. To most, this idea has either not been emphasized enough or has merely not been introduced to them. Studies on the subject suggest that dreams may promote creativity, induce positive habits, and provide for a healthier lifestyle. I believe that dream control could revolutionize the way our culture views sleeping. Instead of dreading the approaching night, people would eagerly await and prepare for their next journey. Not to mention the economical benefits for mattress companies!

However, until this day arrives I will have to wait. But by waiting I don't mean to be inactive: my practice of lucid dreaming will never cease and my knowledge on the subject will continue to spread awareness and promote this unique and engaging mind activity.

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