The Five Obstacles

by: James Clair Lewis

There are five obstacles that you will have to overcome on The Path. The first four are obvious, because they are physical conditions. However, any of them is completely capable of derailing your progress, and consuming all of your time. They are :

A) Physical danger.
B) Poverty.
C) Hostile relationships.
D) Illness, and bad health.

The fifth may be the hardest of all to overcome, since it lies within you. The fifth obstacle is your own EGO, and in all likelihood, it is the cause of all of the other obstacles that you will have to deal with.

Illumination is attained when one overcomes the Five Obstacles. That people have been reaching this Divine State for thousands of years, shows that it can be done. That only a few in each generation have been doing it, shows that it is difficult.

The greatest obstacle is the EGO, because it sets up the conditions for the other four. The Grand Illusion of the material world, is that external conditions shape our fate. If a person develops an unshakeable conviction, that the circumstances around them determine who they are, and what is possible for them to accomplish in life, then they make that a fact. That is what most people have been doing, and consequently what happens to them in life, is largely determined by whatever Karma they have created in past lives. Believing that external conditions determine what you can do, and what you cannot do, binds you to the Wheel of Suffering, and the cycle of Birth & Death.

Those of us here who are old enough to remember the 50s & 60s, know that at that time, that most white people in America were racists. But then the Civil Rights Movement came along, and thousands of people developed the conviction that things could change, that all people should be equal under the law. It is the law of the land now, and while there are still racial incidents, and groups based upon racist beliefs, the truth is that most Americans no longer care one way or the other. Perhaps it is not perfect, but the difference is like night & day.

Back in the 60s the Hippies were an outgrowth of the Beatniks. Many Hippies spoke about getting "back to the land", and living in harmony with the environment. In 1970 there was a major Human Be-in known as Earth Day. From this sprang the Environmental Movement. Now while it is still true that there is much pollution, & destruction of habitat going on, it is also true that most people in America now try to recycle things that can be recycled, and many corporations have gone "Green". In the town where I live, we get three trash barrels. One is Green for yard waste. One is Blue for paper products & plastic bottles. The other is Gray for everything else. This would have been unthinkable 30 years ago, except that people got an idea of how things could be, and they took action towards making it real.

So here are two examples of people changing the world by the Power of Thought. They adopted an Ideal, and made it a Reality. They did not allow external conditions to sway them, but set a Goal, and proceeded to take action that changed the world around them. The Five Obstacles that the world must overcome, before establishing civilization on Earth, and much greater than those faced by any individual, and since even those things can be dealt with, it follows that an individual can overcome the Five Obstacles within themselves, and attain Enlightenment.

There are Seven Cosmic Laws that govern the manefestation of everything in the Macroscopic & Microscopic Universe. It is not only our actions that create Karma, but also our beliefs, attitudes, and mental habits. Moreover, the Law of Gravitation works to attune us to conditions & situations in the world that match our mindset. That is how Magick operates, and every living thing is doing this all of the time, regardless of whether they know it or not.

Things are the way they are, because we are what we are. You can change. You can learn & grow. You can adopt a mindset of heath, wealth, beauty, serenity, and harmony. Doing this will change your circumstances. Obstacles may arise, but you will adapt. Where most people may simply give up when faced with a problem, you must have Faith that you can solve it. It is that Faith that will keep your mind open to a solution, and without it, you might as well as give up.

You probably have heard stories of people who became wealthy, and then went broke, yet a few years later they were wealthy again. While they were broke, they did not have any more resources that anyone else who was broke, yet they managed to get out of it, in a fairly short amount of time. What they had was an absolute conviction that they were wealthy. They refused to accept within themselves the vibrational mindset of poverty, and consequently they went out, and discovered new ways of generating wealth.

Then there is the case of poor people who hit it big with the Lottery. Almost all of them end up broke again within two or three years. Besides not knowing how to manage money, they maintained the poverty mindset within themselves, and consequently found ways to get themselves broke again in short order. And that is really sad, because losing wealth after attaining it, is a very painful experience.

You hear people say that "Money is the root of all evil", and they say that rich people live very unhappy lives. That's all a lot of hooey. Those beliefs can only bind you into the condition of poverty. Having grown up in a working middle-class environment, having worked hard at a lot of different standard sort of jobs, having been totally broke, & lived on the streets, AND having inherited some wealth, & subsequently lost it, there are a few things I can tell you about money and its relationship to happiness.

First of all, poverty is the worst. When you are poor, you are always hemmed in by material limitations. You may work really hard at various jobs, but you will only barely make ends meet. Worst of all, poverty will consume all of your time, and leave you with nothing left over. In poverty, you are always struggling, and may have to face physical danger, and ill health on a regular basis. Poverty drains the Soul.

Extreme fantastic wealth, also brings some problems. There will be greedy people trying to get your money away from you, and they have no scruples. It really hurts to trust someone, only to find that they were nothing but a pack of lies. Moreover, maintaining extreme fantastic wealth, requires all of your time & effort. This keeps the individual focused soley upon material things. Nevertheless, the problems of extreme fantastic wealth are nothing compared with the problems of poverty. Note also, that when a person in poverty accumulates a small reserve of cash or a few nice things, that there will also be those greedy individuals who will try to take even that from them. The greed factor is a problem for both the rich & the poor alike.

By far the most comfortable, and easiest economic level to maintain, is somewhere in the middle. Here you can afford nice things, and live in a neighborhood that is safe from crime. A pretty house on a quiet street, with a nice garden, just might be the ultimate in what REAL wealth constitutes. Certainly, it is easier to attain Enlightenment in an environment where you are free from fear. I wonder if this was a part of what the Lord Budhha meant by "The Middle Way"...

There are certain things that you can do to get yourself into this lifestyle. Realise that unless your regular job is a highly-paid career job, that working for somebody else, is not going to make you rich. You'll have to start your own business... something that you can do on the side, (I believe that some of you are already doing this. hehehe). When you have your own business, there is a chance that it might fail, and put you back at Square One. Except that that wouldn't really be Square One, since you would have gained experience, and have a better idea of how to proceed the next time. Every person who has attained great wealth, has failed & gone broke a number of times. It didn't stop them, and it shouldn't stop you either.

The next principle is saving money. Almost nobody does this, except the rich. Most people will spend whatever comes in as fast as it comes in, and if they start to make more money, they just spend that just as quickly, AND they lock themselves in to having to spend that money all the time. Thus, they end up on a treadmill of debts that weigh them down Spiritually. Saving 10% of your income will create a resevoir that will attract more money to you. This 10% should never be touched. Over time it will accumulate to the extent that the interest from it will become another source of income for you. The money that you save, would have gone into silly frivolous stuff that could only please you for a day or a week, & then be forgotten. You don't need to collect that sort of junk. Possessing shabby things, puts out a vibration of shabbiness, and this contributes to the poverty mentality.

When you spend money, spend it on quality things that will give you pleasure for years. Gradually surround yourself with things of beauty & durability, and you will be creating an environment that resonates positive vibrations all around you. Do not go into debt to acquire these things. The interest on the debt can easily amount to considerably more than the purchase price doubled, so it is more prudent to create a second resevoir of savings, (besides the basic 10%), that is earmarked for these sort of purchases.

The next principle for acquiring wealth is Charity. Giving 1% of your income to services to your community is a Blessing. You want to be a Blessing, don't you? The Path is a Path of Service. We should never forget that. To distribute while accumulating, encourages the Gods to look favorably upon you.

One final note about money, is that you shouldn't talk about it. At best, bragging about what you have, will arouse jealousy, and at worst it will attract the attention of thieves. It should be obvious that you shouldn't want to have to deal with either of those conditions, so don't create the vibe that will invite them in the first place. Something you will notice after you have put these principles into practice for awhile, is that you will be living at a much higher standard of living than most other people at the same level of income. This is because your perception of your relationship with the Universe, has the power to change the conditions under which you live. So Mote It Be.

Adopting a strategic attitude, & practicing, puts you into a futureward motion of direction. Often we do not notice the progress that we are making. It is like being electrostaticly elevated in a Faraday Cage. Everything around you seems to be normal, even though millions of volts of electricity will be all around you. It is the same with Spiritual & Occult work. One may not immediately notice the great strides one is making towards Enlightenment, because it all seems normal. What actually is happening, is that one's perception of what is normal is evolving to a higher octave.

Now I've been speaking a lot about how our attitudes can inhibit or expand our horizons. As we progress on the Path, we become more & more aware of things on the higher planes. When one's thoughts are primarily focused upon the material plane, they have little power to effect changes. When one begins having more experiences on the Astral Plane, then ones thoughts effect your surroundings with a greater degree of power. This is even more true, when one begins to function more & more frequently on the higher planes above the Astral.

So I want you to be very careful about how you think about other people. If you assume that a certain person, or a peticular group of people, HAVE to think or behave in a negative way, then you are in effect putting out a binding spell, that will help to hold them in that condition. When you have to deal with people who have swamped themselves with a limiting mindset, try to see them as working their way out of it. You will be amazed, & quite pleased by the results...

When you have a problem on the Spiritual Plane, and don't deal with it, that problem will manefest on the Mental Plane. If you don't deal with it there, then it will drop down to the Astral Plane to confront you. If you fail to deal with it on the Astral Plane, then that problem will come to you on the Physical plane in some form, and then you really have to face it.

The higher the level on which you solve a problem, the easier it is to deal with in the long run. If you solve a problem manefesting on the Physical Plane, by comprehending the Principle you need to learn on the Spiritual Plane, that problem may vanish instantly, or go away all by itself. This of course, requires a supreme attunement to the Spiritual within yourself.

http://www.jamesclairlewis.com/pages/metaphysics/obstacles.html

Create Your Own Universe

‘You create your own universe as you go along. The stronger your imagination, the more variegated your universe. When you leave off dreaming, the universe ceases to exist.’
— Winston Churchill

Dark Room Enlightenment - The pineal gland and DMT

from: Dark Room Enlightenment by Mantak Chia

Pineal Gland

The pineal gland is the connection point for the Spirit or Soul. It is the physical center for, and transmitter
of, psychic phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance in time and space, and the actual influence of
thoughts on the physical surroundings9. (Fig. 16)
“When activated, the pineal gland becomes the line of communication with the higher planes. The
crown chakra reaches down until its vortex touches the pineal gland (Fig. 15).




Prana, or pure energy, is
received through this energy center in the head. With practice the vibration level of the astral body is raised,
allowing it to separate from the physical. …To activate the ‘third eye’ and perceive higher dimensions, the
pineal gland and the pituitary body must vibrate in unison, which is achieved through meditation and/or
relaxation. When a correct relationship is established between personality, operating through the pituitary
body, and the soul, operating through the pineal gland, a magnetic field is created. The negative and
positive forces interact and become strong enough to create the ‘light in the head.’ With this ‘light in the
head’ activated, astral projectors can withdraw themselves from the body, carrying the light with them.10
Fig. 15. Crown Vortex


“The pineal works primarily by converting the higher dimensional Light, that is constantly streaming into
your reality, into usable information for your pituitary. As it gradually activates, the pineal permits the body to
move its vibrational patterns into higher and higher levels. This process also allows your Light Body to
attach itself even deeper into your physical instrument (Fig. 17). Our process is to reset the focus in the
pineal. This chemical ‘lens’ largely disappears as you grow older. The decrease in its efficacy is one of the
major reasons for your body aging as quickly as it does. When the pituitary begins to receive the consciousness
energy packets from the Well of Dreams through its interaction with the pineal, it secretes enzymes
that permit the chemical ‘lens’ in the pineal to reappear. As this ‘lens’ strengthens, it allows the RNA/DNA
protein strings in your cells to activate your ‘third strand’.”


The pineal gland is located in one of the oldest anatomical regions of the brain. If you draw an imaginary
line from the center of your forehead, crossed by a line through the head at the ears, you have its
general location. The pineal is cone-shaped, about 8 mm (1/3 inch) in diameter, weighing from 50 to 150
mg. The gland is most active during childhood, and begins to regress at about age 7, becoming a calcified
tissue strand in the adult (Fig. 18).



There are numerous anatomical and physiological idiosyncrasies associated with the pineal. It is one of
the few solitary organs (most organs in the brain are paired, left and right). While small, the blood flow to the
gland is quite large. The pineal has been considered as a homologue of the reptilian ‘third eye’. Its
photosensitivity derives from neural connections with the retina (Figs. 12).
The Taoist practice of Orgasmic Upward Draw is very important to help stimulate the pineal gland.
Taoists regard the pineal as the second sexual gland(Fig. 19). In the Kan and Li practice, the steaming
process helps to clean out all of the organs and reactivate the thymus and pineal glands.
Fig. 19. Pineal as Second Sexual Center.




Fall from Grace
Nothing could be more natural than the state of Wu Chi, nothingness, or divine grace. And yet, the
realization of Wu Chi is clouded by obscurations and confusions. Consciousness streams into every body,
but only a few can see the light. Why is this so?
An essential function of the “upper brain”, the Upper Tan Tien, is to manifest the esoteric and divine
realizations of consciousness into our humanly bodies. Chi spirals through the Crown and the Third Eye
into the pineal and pituitary glands, sustaining existence and nourishing the spirit. Infants and children
bask in the glow and the power of the Chi Field streaming into, and interacting with, their bodies. The
psyche is vibrant and alive and the energy bodies communicate in non-physical dimensions.
As we grow older, however, the internal realities begin to fade and the external world begins to predominate
our existence. By puberty, the pineal gland has ossified into a calcified strand of tissue. Our
minds project outwardly, and the demands of existence (work, family, daily living, etc.) preoccupy our
awareness. Our emotions (fears, angers, resentments and all kinds of distractions to make ends meet)
reflect this outward movement of the psyche.
Fear is the oldest negative emotion. It is felt by all animals, and is even stronger among humans since
they have so little power to protect themselves, especially the newborn. The longer history required for
organic development makes fear the basis of the entire civilization process: to protect ourselves and
achieve our highest potential. Fear is closely connected to the kidney Chi (via the adrenal glands), and
when the kidney Chi is diminished, the brain slowly begins to pull back and disengage from the fantastic
worlds of the Divine. The upper brain becomes the observing brain, dedicated to the worldly tasks of
sending, receiving and processing sensory signals related to daily living.
Inhibiting the Divine
The transition from an internally focused awareness of the Divine, the natural state of infancy, to an
externally focused awareness of the adult World, requires significant shifts in the chemistry of the brain.
The tissues and molecules which normally manifest the consciousness of Wu Chi must be “turned off” or
inhibited. Chemically, the inhibitors are enzymes such as MAO (monoamine oxidase) which rapidly
convert seratonin into inactive by-products, thus disabling the synthesis of the spirit molecules. The
enzyme MAO breaks down seratonin before it can be converted into melatonin, 5-MeO-DMT and DMT
(Fig. 20).






Our usual perception of the world in waking consciousness is, in fact, a state of waking ignorance.
The brain must inhibit our true nature and divine connections to survive in the physical world. In everyday
life, we see everything back to front, as it were. We perceive the primary actions of the brain as providing
us with sensibility and cognitive awareness. In fact, the brain’s mechanism is to filter and shut off the flow
of divine consciousness, making possible survival on Earth, but obscuring all transcendental realities.
Dark Room meditations remove the obscurations. The inhibitory functions of the brain are lifted, and we
revel in the experience of Oneness, Wu Chi, the Original Source.
Reawakening – Spirit Molecules
Waking consciousness satisfies the demands of physical existence, but severs the connection from the
Divine. Thus, each night we must disconnect from the outer world and reconnect with our divine source,
thereby sustaining life and nourishing the soul. In adult life, the experience of Wu Chi is relegated to the
unconscious domains of deep sleep and the supernatural worlds of dream. In Taoist Inner Alchemy, we
reawaken the soul to the Immortal Tao, the Wu Chi, the Original Source, and bring back the Divine into our
conscious awareness.
Chemically, the reconnection to the Divine occurs by inhibiting the enzymatic actions of MAO and
INMT, so that seratonin can convert into melatonin and melatonin into the spirit molecules 5-MeO-DMT (5-
methoxy-dimethyltryptamine) and DMT (dimethyltryptamine) (Fig. 21). The enzymes are inhibited by substances
secreted in the pineal gland, such as harmaline and pinoline. The “spirit molecules” allow us to
reconnect to divine consciousness. They cause “color imagery, out of body experiences, lucid dreams,
visions of beings and/or animals, mystical states, subjective “other realities” and experiences of “being
somewhere else.” These states are the language of dream.
Fig. 21. Tryptamine Synthesis





In the Dark Room experience, the “spirit molecules” pinoline, 5-MeO-DMT and DMT alter the receiving
qualities of the brain. The brain “tunes in” to invisible worlds and parallel universes, like a television tuning
in to different channels. Mystical and near-death, out-of-body experiences reflect dynamic equilibria between
“channels” in which we experience the essential energy that courses through the receiver15.
When you reach the ‘DMT state’ you begin to function consciously from the various psychic centers or
chakras. The bodily processes of ‘Healing Love’ combine the human states of true compassion and sexual
arousal to create a new chemistry and a new vibration within the body. This ‘special’ vibration occurs at a
frequency of 8Hz. ‘As in the macrocosm, so it is in the microcosm’; hence if we make love, then all the cells
and DNA actually make love as well. The DNA crosses over, like two serpents intertwined in an erotic
embrace. You need the orgasmic vibration to arouse this crossover process which leads to the ‘two giving
birth to three’; the conception of new cells. The two vital states are compassion and arousal leading to
orgasm. Both are inextricably linked to love.
Immortal Body
Rick Strassman, based on several years of intensive medical research, proposes that the release of
DMT from the pineal gland at 49 days after conception marks the entrance of the spirit into the fetus. This
49-day prenatal period corresponds to the first signs of fetal pineal tissue, the differentiation of the gonads
into male and female, and the time between the death of an individual and its soul’s next rebirth according to
the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. He suggests that the individual’s life-force enters the body through the
pineal gland and leaves it through the pineal gland at death (see “DMT, The Spirit Molecule”, by Strassman,
and16. The infant’s brain is flooded with 5-MeO-DMT, secreted from the pineal gland and the brain is 40%
more active and open.

Benefits of Dark Room Experience


The Dark Room meditations will influence each person uniquely, depending on their maturity and stage of spiritual development. However, most people, even beginners, will receive great benefits, which
may include:

1. Relaxation. This is one of the foundations for all other work. During the first days of the retreat, catching up on sleep, allowing the eyes to recuperate from the over-stimulation of our visual world, releasing the grip of mental concerns, plans, and a agendas and simply letting the energies settle creates the best vacation you may ever have.

2. Once relaxed and feeling at home in the dark, the Inner Lights may appear as well as possible images of space teachers, deities, colors, and shapes. Imbalances in one’s energies can manifest as dull colors.

3. Over time, as one becomes more open, balanced and awake, images clear as day may appear, not inside the mind’s eye but outside in the space of the retreat.

4. Advanced practitioners may experience some of the following: Dreams and sleep become more lucid. A state of continuous consciousness arises in which there is no break in conscious awareness; meditation can continue during sleeping and non-sleeping hours.

5. The Taoist Secret of Love and the Healing Love become very active, so that working with sexual energies and engaging in creative work become easier and more powerful.

6. Dreams will often take the form of teachings or participation in great mythological stories.
The Dark Room enables the body and mind to undergo a series of profound transformations. The ‘states of consciousness’ appear correlated with the organic synthesis and accumulation of psychedelic chemicals in the brain, especially melatonin (Days 1 to 3), pinoline (Days 3 to 5), 5-MeO-DMT (Days 6 to8), and DMT (Days 9 to 12). The pharmacology of these states is as follows.

‘Melatonin Stage’ (Day 1 to 3)

Complete isolation from external light causes the pineal gland to flood the brain with the neurotransmitter melatonin (average 2 to 5 mg/day), manifesting initially as the need for sleep and rest. The eyes
recuperate from the over-stimulation of the visual world, releasing the grip of mental concerns, plans agendas, and letting the energies settle. Melatonin is essential for maintaining the hibernation state, which facilitates the emergence of spiritual consciousness. The person retains a child-like biological condition where melatonin is conserved and recycled, not wasted in biological continuation. When this substance works together with the yellow marrow in the bone, the reddish firing reaction will activate a gentle interaction between the sacred water and the light. The sacred waters are the inner fluids that are responsible for
producing bone marrow and other bodily fluids. The waters run not only in the in the center of the bones, but also in the spinal connections between the Crown and Perineum Points.


‘Pinoline Stage’ (Day 3 to 5)

After about three days, when melatonin concentrations reaches sufficient levels (15 to 20 mg) the body then begins to produce the superconductor pinoline, whereby a greater fluidity of thought and healing of the body starts to occur. Pinoline induces cell replication (mitosis) and intercalates with DNA molecules. The ‘pinoline stage’ is normally activated only in the womb, in lucid dreaming, or in near death experiences.
Within this state we can metaprogram the brain to the Unity of Self, heightening awareness of the pathways with which we filter reality. At this stage, the nervous system becomes aware of itself. We become aware of the hologram of the external world that we create constantly in our head24.

When the pinoline is triggered you activate your clairsentient and clairaudient powers. You may see light and visions, hear music, and gain phenomenal insight. A decoding of the DNA then begins to take place. Cosmic particles are attracted to us and decoded in the form of sound, light, knowledge and realization. The particles, which have the same cell structures as humans (and from which the Tao believes you evolved), are attracted to you magnetically. The body has approximately six trillion cells, which correspond to the universe ‘without’. Each of these cells can be seen as a computer with unlimited power and potential.
Each cell can become a super conductor, able to receive information from space. You are able to decode this universal information carried from outer space, which may be as old as nothingness itself. When you enter this primordial state or force you are reunited with the true self and divinity within. You literally ‘conduct’ the universal energy. You may see into the past and future, understand the true meaning of existence, and begin to understand the order of things. You return to the womb, the cocoon of our material structure and Nature’s original Dark Room.

‘5-MeO-DMT Stage’ (Day 6 to 8)

At this stage the pineal gland starts to produce the neuro-hormone 5-MeO-DMT (aka ‘akashon’). This
psychoactive tryptamine is highly luminescent and also extremely phosphorescent due to the amount of
phosphene that it transmits onto the visual cortex. 5-MeO-DMT switches on 40% more of the cerebral
cortex and awakens the nervous system to become aware of itself; ‘beingness’ results. Hence, the possibility
of metaprogramming the nervous system’s bio-computer - activating healing and conflict message assortment
of the nervous system. 5-MeO-DMT is the empathogenic neurotransmitter that expands the emotional
body between ‘infinity and zero’. It gives rise to telepathy in the emotional and intuitive bodies. It
engages the awakening of the ‘Flower of Life’, the spine, which begins to glow in a state of beingness and
peace.
5-Meo-DMT discharges the darkness from the darkroom. A bright light is activated and one experiences
a born-again mentality. This Great White Light, the manifestation of the astral body, enables the self
to project externally. At this point, some degree of ‘N-Methyl-D-Aspartare Inhibition’ (NMDA-I) usually
occurs. This is a ‘soft form’ of the slowing of the glutamate input signals into the cells. This makes it easier
for the nervous system to cause electrons to stop flowing within the cells, allowing for profound meditative
trance states. 5-MeO-DMT intercalates with messenger RNA. One can see in 3 dimensional Holon pictures,
as the thoughts behind language.
“Techniques taught in the Dark Room enable one to read and go beyond the matrix, by unifying all
directions, and externalize the soul computer so that one can start to interact with ones own genetic code
of the Tree of Life. In this intensive process 5-MeO-DMT activates the entire spine, the Tree of Life. The
spine is activated and reprogrammed and you can start to process the illusion of the dream from its binary
code into the unified translated Self: the Unity Self. Through 14 days of total light isolation your consciousness
can be expanded to the wider range of wave emanations and transduce the core hologram of reality
that is coherently programming ones nervous system to the Unity Self25.”
Many exercises will be practiced during this period: compacting Chi, consciousness and awareness
into the nervous system, working with the Silent Self and anchoring the Immortal Body.
The 5-MeO-DMT prepares the nervous system, through its empathetic state of being and self
awareness of the nervous system, for the DMT or dimethyltryptamine production of the pineal gland, in
psychoactive milligram doses.

‘DMT Stage’ (Day 9 to 12)

When DMT levels reach more than 25 mg, one’s experience can become very visual. DMT is the visual third eye neurotransmitter. It enables the energy body and spirit to journey into hyperspace, beyond third dimensional realms of time and space. It is intensely energizing. “After some 10-12 days one starts to see in infra red, and ultra violet, one can actually run across the room and touch a person, by seeing their heat patterns. The Holon Images exteriorize and one is walking in a Virtual Reality, which appears to be the DNA language macro uploaded, and interactive.”
When you reach the ‘DMT state’ you begin to function consciously from the various psychic centers or chakras. The bodily processes of ‘Healing Love’ are then combined with those of the Dark Room. The human states of true compassion and sexual arousal create a new chemistry and a new vibration within the body. This ‘special’ vibration occurs at a frequency of 8Hz. ‘As in the macrocosm, so it is in the microcosm’; hence if we make love, then all the cells and DNA actually make love as well. The DNA crosses over, like two serpents intertwining in an erotic embrace. You need the orgasmic vibration to arouse this crossover process which leads to the ‘two giving birth to three’; the conception of new cells. The two vital states are compassion and arousal leading to orgasm. Both are inextricably linked to love. When this ‘love-vibration’ reaches the pineal gland a new hormone is produced, which in turn creates whole body conductivity. Only when you feel the waves of orgasmic vibration and unconditional love for the self and others can the process be activated and the essence of the darkroom is magnified. At this stage of the Dark Room Retreat, the required amount of sleep tends to diminish dramatically.

Although the day may last 24 hours, 3 hours of sleep can seem like 12. During this period we will engage in further practices; psychic games and interactivity, Taoist Dream Yoga (advanced levels) and Imagination Expansion.

David Lynch: Consciousness, Creativity and the Brain

Brain Wave Therapy

First discovered by biophysicist Gerald Oster at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, brain wave audio technology sends pure, precisely tuned sound waves of different frequencies to your brain via stereo headphones. In his EEG research, Oster discovered that when different vibrations, or sound frequencies, are delivered to the brain separately through each ear (as with stereo headphones), the two hemispheres of the brain function together to "hear" not the external sound signals, but a third phantom signal. This signal is called a binaural beat, and it pulses at the exact mathematical difference between the two actual tones.

So, for example, if a signal of 100 cycles per second entered your left ear and a signal of 109 cycles per second simultaneously entered your right ear, what you would actually perceive you heard would be a rhythmic, soothing pulsation, beating at 9 cycles per second. Research results show that first parts of the brain and, eventually, large areas of the brain begin to resonate sympathetically with this "phantom" binaural beat in what is known as the Frequency Following Response.

Subsequent research determined that binaural beat frequencies could drive or guide brain activity into a wide variety of specific brain states. Thus, effortlessly and naturally, your brain activity slides into rhythm with this binaural beat, becoming organized and coherent. Within minutes, the sound frequencies start to balance the left and right hemispheres of your brain – creating a remarkable state called hemispheric synchronization and driving the electrical activity of your brain into powerful states, normally unattainable.

Scientists have noted that this rare phenomenon was accompanied by flashes of creative insight, euphoria, intensely focused concentration, deep calm, and enhanced learning abilities. Brain Sync has advanced and refined a sophisticated sound recording technique called Harmonic Superimposition of binaural beat frequencies. In our audio programs, carefully tuned binaural beats are superimposed, layer upon layer, causing different groups of neurons to fire at different frequencies.

Recent scientific research indicates that individual brain states, ranging from sleep to creativity, are marked by combinations of different brain wave frequencies. Brain Sync's Harmonic Superimposition technique takes a number of highly specific binaural beat frequencies and combines them simultaneously so that the binaural beats themselves create harmonic beat frequencies with the other binaural beats, to produce a highly specific brain state. The frequencies we've chosen for our audio programs are very powerful "window frequencies" ranging from the low delta range, associated with sleep and healing, upward through theta, then alpha, and into the very high beta range associated with heightened alertness and cognition.

http://www.brainsync.com/pilot.asp?pg=brainwave-therapy

The Prophecies - Interview with Drunvalo Melchizedek

Drunvalo Melchizedek speaks with Conscious Media Network about prophecies concerning 2012 and surviving the imminent pole shift. The best part is the end, so watch it all the way through.

Watch the video here

Drunvalo Melchizedek is Editor in Chief of Spirit of Ma'at, a website dedicated to providing a central clearinghouse of undistorted information in the areas of spirituality, human potential, and new science. Drunvalo feels that this service is important because the Internet is forming a global brain — birthing a new way of planetary communication — and yet there is so much factual distortion and fear-based reporting that it is akin to mental imbalance: not knowing what is real and what is not.

In this interview in Sedona in May of 2008, we talk with Drunvalo about what he sees is coming in the near future and how most of the Hopi and Mayan prophecies concerning 2012, have not come from the Hopis and Mayans themselves.

The inspiring message is that if we knew what it was going to be like after this transition, we would be jumping up and down for joy - now that's a truly uplifting message from our future!

The Pineal Gland and Development of Clairvoyance

Clairvoyance is the art of 'seeing' with senses beyond the five we normally use. Clairvoyance is often called the 'sixth sense'. It is related to the images that are always present in your mind but you do not connect to. You will experience images, colors, and often animated scenes. In clairvoyance we 'see' with what is commonly called the 'third eye'.

In the human body there is a gland called the pineal gland. It is located in the back area of the brain almost in the center of the head. This gland has degenerated from its original size comparable to a ping pong ball to its present size comparable to a pea, because we forgot how to use it a long time ago when our breathing patterns changed. The pineal gland looks like an eye, and in some respects, it is literally an eyeball. It is round and has an opening on one portion. In that opening is a lens for focusing light. It looks upward. It's hollow and it has color receptors inside. Just as the eyes on our face can look up to 90 degrees away from the direction they are set, the pineal gland can also 'look' as much as 90 degrees away from its set direction (up). And just as we cannot look out the back of our heads, the pineal gland cannot look down.




Inside the pineal gland - even in its shrunken size - are all the geometries and understandings of exactly how reality was created. It's all there, in every person. Most of us lost our memories during the fall and are just now starting to re-member and access these geometries and understandings. Without our memories we started to breathe differently. Pranic energy used to flow right through the center of the pineal gland. Instead of taking in prana through the pineal gland and circulating it up and down our central tube, we started breathing it in through the nose and mouth. This caused the prana to bypass the pineal gland, which resulted in our seeing things in a totally different way, through a different interpretation of the reality called polarity consciousness. The result of this polarity consciousness has us thinking that we're inside a body looking out, somehow separated from what's out there.

Mankind is evolving to a frequency where clairvoyance will be part of daily life. For many people this gift comes naturally - especially with children. Some people become clairvoyant after a unique experience such as a Near Death Experience, ET Abduction, high fever, serious accident, blow to the head area, or opening of the kundalini energies. Some people use chemical stimulants or hallucinogens to heighten their awareness.

Clairvoyance connects to the right side of the brain - the feminine, creative, and intuitive aspects. That is why you may tend to feel physical sensations in on the left side of your body when you work clairvoyantly. The energy enters in through the left side of your body so as to activate the right side of your brain.

Young children and teenagers still remember that there is a special connection between realities - but adults - unless having accessed these gifts in childhood - generally forget and move into 3D stuff to fill up their time. They leave the higher frequency work to their higher consciousness in dream time. They call / rely upon that connection only in times of emergency or when they ask for guidance from a higher aspect of themselves or a higher frequency being. (Somewhere in all of us is a knowing of something higher - though most people don't seek it out).

Opening your clairvoyant gifts has to do with DNA activation of your encoded cellular memories, activations of your chakras, raising your frequency, balancing your energy bodies, your self esteem and the ability to trust in what you 'hear' and 'see', your emotional state (clearing issues that block / or influence the information you get), expanding your knowledge base in all areas of 3D.

You can't read someone on a subject - or understand symbols on a specific subject if you have no knowledge of that subject. The brain will have no way of interpreting the language into something you can understand. You can explain what you see - but we like to give meaning to our imagery. Even with the archetypes we see in meditation, dreams, etc. - our brains need some sort of frame of reference if we are to understand. Of course with automatic writing and art we can look at what we 'get' after we are finished and wonder, "What does that represent?" Often we are clueless - yet at some point that which we receive will have meaning.

A lot of messages received in automatic writing and art are reflections of confusion within us. Once you have opened your clairvoyant gifts, it is like any other exercise - it gets easier and easier. Some people mediate daily not for these messages but just to keep their sheath bodies in balance. They receive few images - but like to relax and feel at peace.

Every cell in our bodies is being affected by the the raising frequencies of the planet. We are being activated whether we want to be or not. If those souls are merging back with other aspects of their multidimensional selves that are already in higher frequencies - which will be the case for most life forms who are still 'asleep' - then the transition will not be difficult - a bit confusing perhaps - but will be done quickly - as this all happens in a period of time that is so fast - we can not measure it - as there is no measurements.

Hundreds of years ago - to possess the gift of clairvoyance - one was considered a witch - as unknown knowledge was 'feared' (the emotion which keeps us trapped on this planet). Anything connected to 'higher frequency' information was forbidden. But there were those who remembered and remained connected to spirit. Mostly indigenous people. Humanity is returning to an age of enlightenment in which we are all activating and see the truth of our reality. At that time psychic abilities would be part of who we all are as we journey into awareness.

Lucid Dreaming

Lucid Dreaming


Lucid dreaming is consciously perceiving and recognizing that one is in a dream while one is sleeping, and having control over the "dreamscape", or the faux-reality dream world within a dream. Stephen LaBerge, a published author and expert on the subject, has defined it as simply realizing that one is dreaming while in a dream. Other authorities contend that in order for the state of a dreaming person to be lucid, that person must have control over his or her dreamscape (because simply having the mental idea "I am lucid" could be a creation of the subconscious itself and not a real "rational" thought). Lucid dreamers, called oneironauts, report being able to freely remember the circumstances of waking life, think cogently, and act deliberately upon reflection, all while experiencing a dreamscape that seems vividly real.

A person in a lucid dream with full control may morph the dreamscape into any virtual reality that person pleases, all with properties that feel identical to that of wakeful consciousness. Doing literally anything within a lucid dream is not outside one's ability. Less skilled oneironauts who have trouble controlling their surroundings, however, sometimes instead make themselves like actors in chosen plays. Lucid dreams are notable for their durability in memory, being exceptionally more memorable than typical, non-lucid dreams (though it's still possible to not remember them). Oneironauts regularly describe their dreams as exciting, colourful, and fantastic, and often compare their dreams to a spiritual experience. Oneironauts have even reported lucid dreams that take on a "hyper reality", that is, a reality that is more "real" than waking life. In these dreams all elements of the dreamscape are amplified.



Achieving and recognizing lucid dreams

The most important aspect in lucid dreaming is to recognize that one is dreaming. Anytime that a person recognizes a dream sign, or anything that is out of the ordinary, they should perform a reality test as stated below. Many people report having experienced a lucid dream during their lives, often in childhood. However, even with training, achieving lucid dreams on a regular basis is uncommon and can be difficult. Despite this difficulty, techniques have been developed to achieve a lucid dreaming state intentionally. A number of universities (notably Stanford) conduct continued research into these techniques and the effects of lucid dreaming, as do some independent agencies such as LaBerge's The Lucidity Institute. At present, there are no known cases where lucid dreaming has caused damage on either the psychological or physiological level. However, it would be very hard to determine whether some form of lucid dreaming might prevent one from receiving a benefit from normal dreaming. Jungian psychology seems to indicate that non-lucid (or partly lucid) dreaming is a way to achieve self-understanding. Dream recall, the ability to remember one's dreams, is very important to lucid dreamers because it is usually desired that the lucid dreamer be able to remember lucid dreams. Improvement of dream recall is usually the first step people take to learn to have lucid dreams. A common practice used to increase dream recall is to keep a dream journal, or a notebook of dreams. The dream journal should be kept right next to the bed so that dreams can be written down as soon as a person wakes up. This is important because waiting until later in the day to write dreams down will cause one to forget most of their content. After waking up, it is helpful to keep your eyes closed while trying to remember dreams.

Common techniques

A common method used by people to test whether or not they are dreaming is called reality testing. This method involves performing an action with results that are difficult to re-create in a dream. An example of a reality test is to read some text, look away, and read it again, or to look at your watch, and remember the time, look away and look back. Observers have found that, in a dream, the text or time will often have changed. In the real world, the text will not change and the time will not change by more than one minute. Another method involves identifying one's dream signs, clues that one is dreaming. These can range from anything such as a pink elephant on parade to the cat talking to you. Dream signs come in four categories: Action - You, another dream character, or thing does something unusual or impossible in waking life; Context - The place or situation in the dream is strange; Form - You, another character, or thing changes shape, or is oddly formed /transforms, this may include the presence of unusual clothing or hair; Awareness - A peculiar thought, a strong emotion, an unusual sensation, or altered perceptions. Though occurrences like this may seem out of place in waking life, they may seem perfectly normal to a dreaming mind and learning to pick up on these dream signs will help in recognizing that one is dreaming. Experienced lucid dreamers will often use more advanced techniques, such as those described below, to induce lucid dreams at will.


Mnemonic induction of lucid dreaming

Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreaming (MILD) is a common technique used by lucid dreamers to induce a lucid dream at will. This method involves setting an intention to recognize dream signs while falling asleep.

Waking induction of lucid dreaming

Waking Induction of Lucid Dreaming (WILD) is one of the most common induction techniques used by lucid dreamers. In this particular technique, a person goes directly from being awake into a lucid dream. The key to this technique is recognizing the hypnagogic stage. This stage is within the border of being awake and being asleep. If a person is successful in staying aware while this stage occurs, they will eventually enter the dream state while being fully aware that it is a dream. Proponents recommend three steps to induce lucid dreaming: relax, stay aware, and go into your dream.

Other phenomena associated with lucid dreaming

False awakenings: In a false awakening, one suddenly dreams of having awakened. If the person was lucid, he/she often believes that he/she is no longer dreaming, and may start exiting their room etc. Since the person is actually still dreaming, this is called a "false awakening". This is often a nemesis in the art of lucid dreaming because it usually causes people to give up their awareness of being in a dream, but it can also cause someone to become lucid if the person does a reality check whenever he/she awakens. Rapid eye movement (REM) and communication during sleep: during dreaming sleep the eyes move rapidly. Scientific research in the 1950's found that these eye movements correspond to the direction in which the dreamer is "looking" in his/her dreamscape; extraordinarily, this apparently enabled trained lucid dreamers to communicate the content of their dreams as they were happening to researchers by using eye movement signals. This research produced various results, such as that (contrary to popular belief) events in dreams take place in real time rather than going by in a flash.

Sleep paralysis: During REM sleep the body is paralyzed by a mechanism in the brain, because otherwise the movements which occur in the dream would actually cause the body to move. However, it is possible for this mechanism to be triggered before, during, or after normal sleep while the brain awakens. This can lead to a state where a person is lying in their bed and they feel like they are frozen. Hallucinations may occur in this state, especially auditory ones. People also generally report feeling a crushing sensation on their chest (possibly because they try to consciously control their breathing). People trying to lucid dream sometimes try to trigger this state, or accidentally trigger this state, while using a waking induction of lucid dreaming (WILD) technique to enter a lucid dream directly when falling asleep.

Transformations: Some people believe (after some practice) one could transform their dream-selves into real or fictional animals, and claim to have tried sensory experiences not normally achievable while awake, such as 360 degree stereo vision, sonar (bat) vision etc.



History of lucid dreaming research

The term "lucid dreaming" was coined by Dutch author and psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden in his 1913 book A Study of Dreams (originally published in the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, Vol. 26, 1913) [1] (http://psychology.about.com/library/classics/bleeden_dm0.htm). This book was highly anecdotal and not embraced by the scientific community. The term itself is considered by some to be a misnomer because it means much more than just "clear or vivid" dreaming [2] (http://www.psywww.com/asc/obe/faq/obe15.html). A better term might have been "conscious dreaming".

The 1950's research - in which lucid dreamers apparently communicated the content of their dreams in real time using eye movements - prompted philosopher Norman Malcolm's 1959 text Dreaming, which argued against the possibility of checking the accuracy of dream reports in this way. The enthusiastic endorsement of lucid dreaming during the 1970s by New Age proponents such as Carlos Castaneda did little to enhance its scientific credibility. However, during the 1980s, further scientific evidence to confirm the existence of lucid dreaming was produced [3] (http://www.stanford.edu/~mgoldens/lab/psyphy_lucidity.html), and lucid dreamers were able to demonstrate to researchers that they were consciously aware of being in a dream state (usually again by using eye movement signals [4] (http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/Articles/si91ld.html)). Additionally, techniques were developed which have been experimentally proven to enhance the likelihood of achieving this state [5]

(http://www.asdreams.org/journal/articles/laberge5-3.htm).

One outstanding question on the neurophysiological nature of lucid dreaming concerns the electrical activity in the frontal cortex, which is generally suppressed during normal sleep. The behavior of the frontal cortex has not at present been crucially analyzed with respect to lucid dreaming. There is a substantial cottage industry based around the technique of lucid dreaming, with an array of induction devices (usually based around flickering light arrays) commercially available to allegedly allow induction of lucid dreams. Their proponents also sometimes claim that these devices help achieve a higher level of spiritual consciousness, and associate it with other New Age concepts such as astral travelling or dream sharing. Regardless of these claims' validity, lucid dreaming as a scientifically verified phenomenon is well-established. Some proponents of technique claim they can use symbolic methods to research, program, and modify their nervous system itself. Memory management, creative solution generation, accelerated healing, autoinduced priapism, and ecstatic envelopment of one's body are among the various claimed techniques. An early recorded lucid dreamer was the philosopher and physician Sir Thomas Browne (1605–1682). Browne was fascinated by the world of dreams and stated of his own ability to lucid dream in his Religio Medici ... yet in one dream I can compose a whole Comedy, behold the action, apprehend the jests and laugh my self awake at the conceits thereof; (R.M. Part 2:11) The movies Abre los ojos (Open Your Eyes), Vanilla Sky, and Waking Life are partly about lucid dreaming, while the Nightmare on Elm Street series directly involves lucid dreaming as a plot device by which the villain threatens the hero/s. The Matrix, while not about lucid dreaming, has the hero in the similar position of living in a simulated world (complete with its own distinctive "dream signs", such as a subtle overall green hue and the slightly inaccurate mechanics) and being able to control it. There are thought to be some insights into the workings of the brain that can be found by lucid dreaming. In particular, in surveying the experiences of lucid dreams, many have noticed that the brain, at least while in dreaming, has the feature whereby it is possible for a single individual thought, memory, definition, belief, etc. to be incorrect while the rest of the mind appears to be working normally. An example would be where the "lucid" dreamer was walking around the dream world, knowing he was dreaming, retaining his full sense of identity and waking memories, yet believing for some reason a locked door can only be opened with a fish, and not a key (almost all lucid dream reports contain this kind of phenomenon). This is contrary to normal experience of brain malfunctions, which are usually more general, such as wholesale memory loss, or broad emotional imbalance.

Techniques for Awakening Consciousness‏

Excerpts from C H A P T E R 8 Techniques for Awakening Consciousness in the
Dreamscape
When consciousness draws on us in a dream, it is as if we materialized in
the dreamscape. One moment we didnt exist, the next we do. The transition is
dramatic. The experience is very much like the Star Trek depiction of people
who beam through space and who suddenly arrive on new and distant planets.
The difference is that when we gain consciousness in a dream, we emerge into
the sensory environment of the dreamscape. Prior to gaining consciousness,
it is as if we did not exist in the dream at all, at least not in any
present-tense sense of the word. But once we are conscious, suddenly we can
see where we arewe are able to see our seeing, hear our hearing, touch our
touching and feel our feeling. With consciousness we can be where we are.
Consciousness is the doorway through which we enter the dreamscape.

If we wish to awaken our consciousness during dream sleep, we first must
learn to awaken our consciousness while we are awake. Then we can teach
ourselves how to bring consciousness into the dreamscape. The entire process
is at once this simple and this difficult.



Consciousness in Waking Experience
Consciousness, as we have explored, is a phenomenon of the mind that most
people associate with being awake. Indeed, most of us assume that when we
are awake, we are conscious. After all, when else could we be? It extends
from this observation that most people also assume that consciousness is a
continuous characteristic of waking experience that when we fall asleep, we
lose consciousness, but when we awaken from sleep, we regain our
consciousness and are conscious again all day long. This seems obvious, but
is it true?

If we keep in mind that consciousness refers specifically to our ability for
reflectivity, then we need to reevaluate our assessment of consciousness in
waking experience. For example, in many ways, thought itself if continuous.
When we are awake, we always seem to be occupied with thinking about
something. We think of one thing, then another; we think back to an
experience we had, then out attention is summoned by a task in front of us,
and so on. But these thoughts do not in themselves constitute consciousness.

Consciousness is our ability to observe our thought to keep track of it, to
watch its course of associations, and to see all of the ideas that either
complement or compete with the primary thought. When we are conscious during
these meanderings of our mind, we are aware of our thought experience as it
occurs. Remember, the as it occurs part of this definition is vital;
consciousness is a now experience. It is not looking back on a train of
thought that we had a moment or two ago.


To develop your memory for dreams, learn to write them down. This means
devoting five to ten minutes at the start of your morning to recording your
dreams. Consider this habit a practical aspect of improving your dream life;
however, be forewarned that this practical aspect is often the single most
difficult hurdle to surmount. When you awaken in the morning, you need to be
able to calmly; actively, and receptively peruse your mind for the fragments
and memories that are still lingering with you. The process of dream recall
demands your undivided attention. You need quite; you cannot be distracted~~
no television, no radio, no small talk about the day.

Recording dreams is the only way to learn more about your dreams. The
process of writing makes you organize your thoughts, helps you focus on the
events in the dream, and clarifies the sequence of events. As you write, you
will recall more details. Writing improves your recall of dreams, even of
dreams you think you remember fully. Associations pop into your mind as you
write, and these associations are significant clues to the connection of
events. They will help you identify how your mind associates some of the
more confusing aspects of the dream. Writing is also the only way to retain
the depth and richness of recall that you possess when you first awaken.
Once you put a dream on paper, you can later, at your leisure, reflect on
its meaning. Also, if you awaken in the middle of the night and do not write
down the dream, it is almost guaranteed lost. By keeping a dream journal,
you will later be able to review dreams that you otherwise would have
forgotten. Without a hard copy, the overwhelming majority of our dreams are
lost forever.
http://www.dreamdoctor.com/book/chapter8.shtml

If we keep in mind that consciousness refers specifically to our ability for
reflectivity, then we need to reevaluate our assessment of consciousness in
waking experience. For example, in many ways, thought itself if continuous.
When we are awake, we always seem to be occupied with thinking about
something. We think of one thing, then another; we think back to an
experience we had, then out attention is summoned by a task in front of us,
and so on. But these thoughts do not in themselves constitute consciousness.

Consciousness is our ability to observe our thought to keep track of it, to
watch its course of associations, and to see all of the ideas that either
complement or compete with the primary thought. When we are conscious during
these meanderings of our mind, we are aware of our thought experience as it
occurs. Remember, the as it occurs part of this definition is vital;
consciousness is a now experience. It is not looking back on a train of
thought that we had a moment or two ago.


For example, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN DRIVING A CAR AND SUDDENLY REALIZED, YOU
CAN'T RECALL THE PAST 5 OR 10 MINUTES? It is a peculiar, but common,
experience. What happens to us during these periods? Does our mind go
completely blank? Clearly not, for the car remains on the road and we are
still driving. What does happen is that for an extended period of time, we
lose and this is what causes the event to be significant to use our
reflective stream of thought. Our mind was drifting and we were being
carried in the stream of voluntary thought. And we still were able to
perform some very complex behavior. We handled a one-and-a-half ton vehicle
at speeds of up to sixty miles per hour and maybe even changed lanes and
passed other cars, all without reflecting on our experience at all. Pretty
neat trick!
Or did you ever find yourself thinking about something unusual some event
long in your past without recalling what prompted your thinking about it?
The peculiar nature of the thought draws our attention to it. At this point
we may be surprised and wonder how we got to thinking about it. If we are
able to remember, we can trace our thoughts back to the original thought.
But notice that, often as not, we are unable to recall what ticked off the
association. If we can step back from ourselves, we can see that our minds
were drifting and we werent necessarily watching what was going on. We were
being carried along in a stream of voluntary thought. Notice also that
characteristic lack of memory for these types of occurrences. Failure of
recall for unobserved experience is extremely common; as a rule, we possess
poor memory for unconsciously experienced sensations.
To develop your memory for dreams, learn to write them down. This means
devoting five to ten minutes at the start of your morning to recording your
dreams. Consider this habit a practical aspect of improving your dream life;
however, be forewarned that this practical aspect is often the single most
difficult hurdle to surmount. When you awaken in the morning, you need to be
able to calmly; actively, and receptively peruse your mind for the fragments
and memories that are still lingering with you. The process of dream recall
demands your undivided attention. You need quite; you cannot be distractedno
television, no radio, no small talk about the day.

Recording dreams is the only way to learn more about your dreams. The
process of writing makes you organize your thoughts, helps you focus on the
events in the dream, and clarifies the sequence of events. As you write, you
will recall more details. Writing improves your recall of dreams, even of
dreams you think you remember fully. Associations pop into your mind as you
write, and these associations are significant clues to the connection of
events. They will help you identify how your mind associates some of the
more confusing aspects of the dream. Writing is also the only way to retain
the depth and richness of recall that you possess when you first awaken.
Once you put a dream on paper, you can later, at your leisure, reflect on
its meaning. Also, if you awaken in the middle of the night and do not write
down the dream, it is almost guaranteed lost. By keeping a dream journal,
you will later be able to review dreams that you otherwise would have
forgotten. Without a hard copy, the overwhelming majority of our dreams are
lost forever.
http://www.dreamdoctor.com/book/chapter8.shtml