The Spectrum of Consciousness

• Being Physical
• Lucid Dreaming
• Praying
• Meditation
• Shamanic Journeying
• Out-of-Body Experiences
• Near Death Experiences
• Trance Channeling
• Mediumship
• Alien Encounters
• Enlightenment

Years ago, I read in a book that one should construct an imaginary "temple" to meditate in and raise one's consciousness. I liked the idea and so spent a bit of time meditating in my temple of light. One night, I awoke in my dream and I was sitting in that temple perfectly lucid. Well, there wasn't much more to do except to keep meditating and so I continued. Soon, the temple brightened considerably and then, much to my surprise, the ground I was sitting on began to shake. The walls of the temple fell away from me as I sat there contemplating the "destruction" or disappearance of my beloved temple. It didn't frighten me however, because I knew I was dreaming. I watched the walls fall away and the light come streaming in and then the walls seemed to vanish. And that was when the thought hit me: "What's behind the dream? When the dream ends and all things vanish, is there something there?"

Before we explore that question, we need to make sure that while we're off exploring that we are exercising proper caution during our travels. This is commonly referred to as "psychic protection." John Fitzsimon's prayer page is the best example of an all-inclusive prayer and visualization technique to help keep us focused and confident. I recommend you visit this page and use his techniques to assist in having positive experiences as you explore your reality. In fact, it was using his "miniature sun" visualization that helped me to answer the question of what lies beyond the dream.

About six months after the previous dream, I had another dream in which I was on an icy hill trying to climb down and yet keep from falling. It was a steep hill, it was cold and there was little vegetation on which to grab onto. Suddenly, I lost my footing and grabbed on to the barest twig sticking up through the ice as I began to be frightened about falling down the icy slope. "I've got to keep from falling!" I sweated as I thought these words. "But, the gravity will make me fall sooner or later. The twig bent under my weight and I inhaled sharply. A voice above me broke through my fear stating the most obvious of facts: "There's no gravity in a dream, Claire." Oh! Yeah! So, there I was lucid, ready to start the experiment I had wanted to try for the longest time. I was going to meditate myself into a hot, bright, golden miniature sun and see what happened. I stood perfectly still, holding onto the twig because I didn't want to waste a moment of lucidity dropping it. I began the meditation and watched as the dream began to slowly fade from my line of sight. It was like a circle of light that surrounded me that now was IMPLODING onto me and I was watching and waiting. Waiting for it to reach me, because I wanted to know, what lies behind the dream? The implosion crept towards me fading the landscape as it approached into a white light of nothingness and soon, it crept up my legs, and as I watched in amazement, it went down the hand holding the twig and "WIPED OUT" my arm. And that's when I knew: BOOM! I shattered into a thousand droplets of light that gushed like a GIGANTIC fountain out of the dream and into space. I was me, and yet I HAD NO BODY. And more than me, I was ALL of me, consciouness in infinity. And when I coalesced again, I knew I was no longer in the dream. I was OUTSIDE my body looking at it from a vantage point on the ceiling. So, that is the first great spiritual lesson lucid dreaming can teach you: YOU ARE NOT YOUR BODY, YOU ARE YOUR SPIRIT. Now, where do we go from there?

Somehow, the notion that we are lucid dreaming makes some people believe that nothing is REAL. This is the opposite of believing EVERYTHING is real in a lucid dream. The ones that believe EVERYTHING is real, make up elaborate explanations of how things in the astral can be different than things in real life, and how it all makes sense. The ones that believe nothing is real, think this excuses them from perpetrating all sorts of negative actions on other people, i.e. figments of their imagination. The truth is much the same for real life as it is for dreams, in my opinion. We have imagination that can create "thoughtforms" that may or may not make it from the idea stage into physical form and we have those things that are inherently part of this reality. What's peculiar about the people that believe that NOTHING is real, is they fail to realize that they themselves are real and thus it negates their assumption already. So, we come to the idea that there are some things that hold inherent "INTEGRITY" in a particular reality which may not be the case in a different dimension or reality. How do we tell the difference then between what is REAL in this context versus what is IMAGINARY in the same context? We come down to the basic building block of life: the light of consciousness. Similarly, all holograms are created from the bending of light and interference patterns of light. Currently, there are some physics theories that suggest that it's highly probable that our "reality" is nothing more than a hologram created by mass consciousness. We are nothing more than prisms that reflect and filter light creating images as we go along. If you reflect your own light at an image, it will either maintain it's integrity and assert its REALNESS or it will dissolve in the interference of its image with your own light source. Learn to RADIATE light and you will master another spiritual lesson that can best be done "visually" in lucid dreaming: We are sources of light. Experiment for yourself in your own lucid dreams with light and you will find yourself thoroughly amazed. Ever have an out-of-body experience at night and find yourself wondering where that light that's following you is coming from? It's you.

Expand your own light. Know your own light and try to raise the level of vibration of your own light. You can do this in the physical as well as in dreams. Prayer and meditation are wonderful for increasing positive vibration and giving your light a higher quality. This simple inner awareness will aide you in contacting your inner guides and teachers. Without your own inner work, it will be more difficult for them to reach you. Another way to expand your own light while helping another is healing work in lucid dreaming. You can send your prayers, thoughts, mediations and light directly to the person who needs your help. They may not feel it on a conscious level, but their own subconscious light will recieve it and be helped by it. Remember always to send it with the intent that it achieve only what is in "the highest spiritual good" of the person you are healing. When you learn to radiate light around you, radiate it to others in your dreams. What is their reaction? Do they remain in your dream or do they dissolve?

Here is an interesting question. We have now come to the totally heretical notion that "light" is a concrete "quantity" that is more real that the physical matter it enlivens. Why? Because dreams teach us that most of the possessions and things we cherish in real life are nothing but figments of our imagination. Think about it. If you can dream up whatever house, car, lifestyle you want in a lucid dream, of what value is MONEY? For that matter, if anyone can have whatever car, house, lifestyle they want in a lucid dream, where's the status normally associated with those items? It sort of wipes out our ideas of who is "wealthy" and who is not, right? I know for myself, there came a time when I wanted to know: Is this all there is? What is the point of luxury and desire fullfillment if it isn't real? What are the true realities in life? Amazingly enough, we are back to the virtues of spiritual teachings. Love, light, kindness, character, patience, self-control; all these "intangible" qualities are what are REAL in dreams. Your light and natural vibration is the signature of your total sum learning of the qualities of the spirit. You want to be beautiful? Learn to love. You want to be wealthy? Learn to give. These qualities will show up BRIGHT AND CLEAR in your inner light and those that can sense your vibration will know in this reality as well as the next what type of person you are.

Intention is very important in lucid dreaming. Whatever your intent, it becomes manifest. Thoughts ARE things, folks. Sorry, but true, especially in dreams. The more control you get the more the stray thoughts you have INSTANTLY MATERIALIZE. You think this only happens in dreams? NO. Your thoughts determine your day to day life as well. Thought control is kin to awareness. That is why it is important to keep a positive attitude despite our outside circumstances. We created those circumstances and if we keep feeding them that negativity, guess what? They'll hang around longer. Anyway, to expand your level of thought control, there are various exercises you can try. I like to use memory as my link to self-awareness and thought control. For instance, when you are lucid dreaming, do you remember your full name? Ask yourself many questions about who you are in real life. If you focus your thoughts correctly, you will get the "correct" answers. If you don't, you may find yourself unable to remember or providing yourself with "inaccurate" information. This can be verified when you wake up, obviously. Next, who is your family? What are their names? Next, what were you dreaming before you became lucid? Did you have any other dreams that related to this dream? Did you dream other dreams on different days that related to this dream? How far back can you remember sequentially? Can you remember a past life? Can you remember a past family? Can you remember a past name? Can you remember a past location? What do all these "past" things mean to you? Can you remember the future? What's interesting about these exercises is that you don't need to be able to create anything in the dream to do them. They are merely aides in self-awareness and thought control. They also tend to challenge our idea of time and space as being a reality.

Once you experience your own light and learn to radiate to others, there are MANY things you can do. Here and in dreams. Requesting help from higher guides and your divine light forces is just a prayer away. Begin to use the techniques you have mastered in your dreams in your waking life. A lot harder, no?;-) Physical reality is where we build our "spiritual muscles." It should be just like going to the gym. Practice thought control by adopting a positive attitude and lifestyle. Listen to uplifting music, hang around uplifting friends, and follow your dreams. Also, begin to explore the reality of other prisms of light in this universe. Some of them are dead people, hanging around without realizing they are dead. By meeting them and talking with them, you can help expand your own understanding of the nature of reality. You can help them move towards their spiritual home by helping them realize they are dead and requesting assistance from their divine light forces to help you move them home. Maybe a few courses in learning to live your spiritual principles in physicality will appeal to you by then. It is always best to do this under the guidance of a teacher before venturing out on your own, but whatever happens, I am confident it will be for your highest spiritual good as I so intend it to be.

 

After several years of exploring the nature of my reality, it became apparent that there was something missing in my journey. They say the longest journey is the path from the head to the heart and this was where I was stumbling. It is one thing to understand the nature of our reality and even begin to consciously create our environment, but to make proper choices on what we create depends largely on the the balance we have achieved between our heads and our hearts. To be governed solely by the heart may seem the ideal for a spiritual person, however, this usually means the person has weak personal boundaries and can not effectively maintain their own unique sense of self. Relationships that are soley heart-based tend to be co-dependent and enabling of behavior that seeks to generate some emotional payback from either side. On the other hand, relying solely on the head makes a person interpret their reality based on their perceptions and thoughts alone. This will automatically negate healthy relationships because the qualities of love and compassion are centered in the heart and need to be accessed to be IN RELATIONSHIP with the ALL THAT IS. The head in return, can supply sound judgement and the proper placement of boundaries so that the heart doesn't become ineffective by allowing the other IN RELATIONSHIP to take precedence over the I that is also part of ALL THAT IS.

What is Meditation?

Meditation has been referred to as "listening to God." In actuality, listening is probably more active a word than the act of meditation. Meditation is the stilling of mind-chatter so prevalent in western culture so that our inherent divinity can shine through the clouds of our minds.

What I find is that inner work can produce astounding "warps" of our reality, but without the proper focus on maintaining a healthy spiritual balance by developing the qualities of love and compassion, we become prone to our own base natures and fall farther and farther off the path of growth. For that reason, I have included this section on spiritual development. A few years after creating this website, I became fascinated by some of the buddhist teachings and traditions. It seems they have a well-defined path geared towards making that connection from your head to your heart. However, one doesn't need to be a Buddhist to unite the west with the east, one can merely use some of their techniques. One of the best ways to make the journey from the head to the heart is through meditation.

Are there different types of meditations?

There are many, many forms of meditations. The visualization on my dreams page is one such form. In this area I am focusing on the forms taught by buddhism. Mainly, Metta and Vipassana meditation. Keep in mind, however, that anything done with awareness of the moment is a form of meditation.

How often should I practice?

Beginners shouldn't practice too much, in my opinion. Meditation has a way of opening one up and needs to be done under the proper supervision of a teacher. One can use the meditations I am printing to get a taste for the practice, but if one is to take up meditation daily and in hourly doses it is essential to have a teacher to turn to when experiences arise. I will put information of different communities that offer meditation courses or retreats on my links page for the interested seeker. Thus, fifteen to twenty minutes to start is probably sufficient to understand how the mind struggles when it is asked to step aside for the moment. The idea is to begin to become aware of your own mental processes so you can better step out of them into compassion or a higher spiritual space when needed.

Vipassana Meditation

Vipassana Meditation focuses on calming the mind by focusing the attention on the breath.

Seat yourself comfortably. It doesn't have to be in a lotus position, but it should be in a pose that you can maintain with little effort for a period of time. Close your eyes and begin by focusing your attention on your breathing. Let it rise and fall into a steady rhythm. Watch the breath. Feel it going in. Feel it going out. When the mind begins to drift, gently note the distraction and bring the mind back to the breath. Focus all the attention on your breath. Feel the body relax as you go deeper and deeper into the breath. The mind will seek to lose itself, and may cause various discomforts in the body like itching, throbbing, cramps, pain. Note the distraction instead of reacting to it. Say what it is to yourself three times:"Itching, itching, itching." Then move the mind back to the breath. You can say to yourself "breathing in, breathing out." The idea is to note the thought without being caught up into it. One becomes aware of their thought patterns by watching our thoughts without being pulled into the story. The story is where the mind goes when it is not awake. It seems a simple practice, but stilling the mind can be a real challenge. It takes perseverance and patience.

Metta Meditation

Metta meditation focuses on opening the heart. It is good for people who tend to be critical thinkers and who struggle with Vipassana due to their inability to quiet their minds. In Metta medition the mind is given something to focus on.
Seat yourself comfortably. It doesn't have to be in a lotus position, but it should be in a pose that you can maintain with little effort for a period of time. Close your eyes and begin by focusing your attention on your breathing. Let it rise and fall into a steady rhythm. Scan the body for sources of discomfort and mentally suggest that part of the body relax. Once in a state of relaxation, move the mind to the heart. Visualize someone that you love. It can be a mother, father, spouse, child. Some other person that you love is all that is needed. Then say in your mind: "May (person's name) know peace and happiness." This phrase is dependent on the emotion you are trying to share. Variants of it are:

May (person's name) experience joy and peace.
(Person's name) has known suffering and sadness. May (person's name) be free from suffering and pain.
May (person's name) know love and joy.
May (person's name) find freedom and liberation.

Feel your love going outward towards that person in compassion as you express your good wishes to them. Then, find another person on your list. Maybe someone who isn't as close to you. Maybe you find your hairdresser, your child's soccer teacher, your boss there. Someone who you don't know that well but who also needs love and compassion. They are the same as you, a human being on this planet suffering the same hardships as you. Offer them your love and compassion by visualizing them in your heart and offering them your good wishes. Don't foget about yourself when you are done. Put yourself there and say: May (your name) know peace and happiness or whatever phrase you have chosen to express your good wishes. Then, as you progress, you may find yourself one day led to that person who you can't stand. Whose presence makes you wonder what you did to deserve that violation of your space. Put them in your heart space and offer them your good wishes. They are the same as you. A human being caught in the bondage of suffering. Feel your love flow to them and watch as your relationships transform themselves.

Copyright © 1999-2003 Claire Moylan