The Art Of Dreaming [Paperback]

 

 

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A lucid dream is a dream in which during the course of the dream you realize that "it's just a dream." You don't, however, wake up. You stay asleep and in the REM state. You experience vivid and tangible sensations while fully aware that your "real" body is, in fact, fast asleep and quite still on your bed. You are, in a manner of speaking, in two places at once. It is a most profound experience. It is a scientifically documented human experience (see Stephen LaBerge's books). It is also an extremely rare and difficult experience to attain often and for extensive durations (30 to 45 minutes would be a long time). Most people who have experienced lucidity have only had a few minutes of it. Many only become "semi-lucid" in that they are not fully conscious of their waking mind's intentions, plans, personal information, etc., since they are quickly swept back into the dreaming consciousness after their initial realization by the overwhelmingly vivid sensory experience and their irresitable emotional reactions to it. For the rare individual who has seriously attempted to attain a high level of lucidity and who has had to look the spectre of madness in the face to do it, Castaneda's book is one of only a handful of books that talks about lucid dreaming with any real depth. There are dozens of books on dreaming and even on lucid dreaming specifically which talk about dreaming as something we can harness to serve our waking life's goals; such an approach is naive and in truth dangerous because it trivializes the subject. Castaneda's book is a sobering antidote to these watered-down self-help books. Whether The Art of Dreaming is an actual or fictionalized account I cannot say. However, I believe Castaneda had extensively delved into altered states of consciousness and is telling us that the lucid dream state is of utmost importance in the spirtual practices he has followed. Carlos is recounting Don Juan's teaching methodology. The methodology is not a logical exposition of the entire subject matter. It is a series of "tricks," such as the riddles used by a Zen Master, which the teacher uses to prod the student toward spiritual realizations. The student is instructed on all the workings of a grave and serious system and given classifications, rules, laws of how the system operates, things to look out for, etc. The teacher knows the system he describes is only a description of reality and not the reality itself. He is describing a mythical world but insisting to the student it is all very real, because it is the only way he can push the student to awareness, enlightenment, eternal life. This spiritual quest is what this book is really about. During this quest the line between fantasy and reality becomes blurred as it must. The Art of Dreaming is NOT mere entertainment (although I personally found it very entertaining). It is not factual. It is a profound spiritual work. But, as one other reviewer pointed out, you need to live it (to some extent) in order to begin to understand it. My advice is this: Have two dozen 30 minute in duration lucid dreams (if you can, yes that is a challenge) and then re-read the book; until then, withhold your judgement.

A fellow Kung Fu / Qigong student lent me this book a few weeks ago and I just finished it. Having much experience in lucid dreaming is definitely helpful and I took this as a guide to alleviate dreaming experience as lucid dreaming tends to get boring on its own. Well this book definitely did its job from that perspective. Techniques such as the twin position is very powerful indeed (sofar very blurry but radically different experience). I'll buy it and read it again for sure.

This book at the very least will give you another life. A life of vivid dreams, new experiences and lucidity. This book holds great lessons, humour, suspense and some fear. It matters not if you believe that all the events have happened, the lessons are true. After all the world was flat, right? Even if you do not read any of Carlos' other great works, you will still gain much insight on the art of dreaming. However this book, along with The Journey to Ixtlan, has inspired me to buy all of his works. I emplore the open-minded individual to attain a copy of this book and see the benifits for yourself. It is truely a masterpiece.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Back and Forth
The motion of reading a work such as this: back and forth. I've read a bit of Castenada (primarily his first book) and I read this out of an interest in Dreaming. Lisez davantage

Published on April 15 2004 by Kristoff Olafsson

3.0 out of 5 stars It's difficult for me to know how to read Castaneda.
This is the second Castaneda book that I've picked up. I honestly probably wouldn't have picked up a second except that I've been doing some research on dreaming and it was... Lisez davantage

Published on Jan 18 2004 by frumiousb

4.0 out of 5 stars Hmmmm.....
Castaneda is always a valuable read. The man has, single-handedly, introduced more fundamental concepts into the contemporary mainstream of shamanic studies than anyone else I... Lisez davantage

Published on Sep 29 2003 by kaioatey

5.0 out of 5 stars Rethink your nightly slumber
By the age of 70, the average person will have spent 6 years dreaming. And the scientific community still really has no idea why. Lisez davantage

Published on Jun 19 2003 by J. Eure

5.0 out of 5 stars Full of knowledge
This book is full of valuable knowledge about self-realization. Do not consider this book as fiction or you will loose its message. Lisez davantage

Published on Feb 14 2003 by E. Schele

4.0 out of 5 stars Delve Deep into your psyche to find answers
This book in 'The Teachings of Don Juan' series is all about dreaming, lucid dreaming, traveling to other realms and meeting non-corporal beings using your dreams as a key. Lisez davantage

Published on Nov 1 2002 by Rachel Watkins

5.0 out of 5 stars a gauge of how wise you really are
I have read this book about 10 times now. It is a powerful source of energy for me since it seems to transport me into my dreaming attention. Lisez davantage

Published on April 28 2002 by hero

5.0 out of 5 stars A PROFOUND BOOK THAT IS WIDELY MISUNDERSTOOD
For anyone who has experienced what it is like to dream lucidly, this book is invaluable. I think the problem with this book is that the only way you can truly appreciate just how... Lisez davantage

Published on April 4 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars Dreamwork
I generally don't have time to type reviews online. This book is the one that will knock the walls down and give you the tools to change your life. Lisez davantage

Published on Mar 29 2002 by Roberto

4.0 out of 5 stars This goes beyond the normal lucid dream!
I usually do not review the books I purchase - but seeing that none of the reviews, in my opinion, give this book enough credit, I will express why I believe this book is of... Lisez davantage

Published on Nov 26 2001 by Pat Reed

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