How To Lucid Dream:

My Top Ten Techniques

Andrew Holecek


HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 1

 Introduction
Lucid dreaming is a world of tremendous potential, unrivaled in its transformative

capacity. It’s full of such promise, but anything this revolutionary has to have a catch, and the

catch, of course, is actually having these special dreams. It’s not always easy to dream lucidly.

But in many years of teaching lucid dreaming, I can assure you that with the proper methods,

and the jet fuel of strong motivation, anybody can have lucid dreams.

I have gathered for you my top ten induction methods. The point isn’t to master them

all. The point is to find the one that works for you, then stick with that. We’re all different.

Lucid dreaming induction is not a “one-size-fits-all” practice. And remember, lucidity is the

point, not the technique that gets you there. If you have your own methods, just stick with

those. But for many people it’s good to have options, and to zoom in on the ones that work

for you.

Lucid dreaming is just like any other skill, like playing the piano, learning golf, or

mastering a new language. It does take time and effort. A dose of humor goes a long way,

along with an attitude of curiosity and openness. In the techniques that follow, I recommend

you stick with one method for several weeks. You have to give it chance to work. If you hop

around from one technique to another too quickly, nothing may work. If a technique isn’t

working after a few weeks, then try another. Even if it’s spread across a number of methods,

the effort accumulates. That’s the good news. Sooner or later your accumulated effort will

push open the door to lucidity, and a new world will unfold before you.

The other good news is just by trying to have lucid dreams you’re starting to change

your relationship to the dream world, and therefore your unconscious mind. You’re opening

the street between your conscious and unconscious mind, where a flood of beneficial

information can now begin to flow. So while it may not seem like anything is happening at

first, whether you know it or not, something is happening.

It’s like heating up a big pot of cold water, where the cold water represents a lifetime

of non-lucid dreams. You’re putting a lot of energy or “heat” into it, trying to have lucid

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 2

dreams, but nothing seems to be happening. Then one day the water starts to boil. All that

effort was heating up the pot of lucidity. So by merely trying, you’re getting warm. This is

really important to understand, otherwise it’s easy to get discouraged. You’re heading toward

the boiling point of lucidity just by trying, even if nothing seems to be happening. So the trick

to lucidity is determination and dedication. As the Dalai Lama says of anything important:

“Never give up!”

With lucid dreaming you’re learning a new language, the language of the night, and

some perseverance is necessary. Believe me, it’s worth it. The time you invest in learning how

to awaken in your dreams can have benefits beyond your imagination.

Technique #1: Belief

The ten techniques I’m going to present below are all powered, or catalyzed, by our

beliefs. What we believe can either hold us back, or propel us forward. In medicine, belief is

the basis of the nearly miraculous power of the placebo effect, which is really a “belief effect.”

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 3

Just by believing in a medicine, the medicinal effect can be delivered, even though it’s a sugar

pill (the placebo). The following techniques are not sugar pills, they’re real medicine, and they

work. But belief can supercharge their effects.

In the world of lucid dreaming, we replace the popular saying “I’ll believe it when I

see it” with “I’ll see it when I believe it.” Perhaps the biggest reason we don’t have lucid

dreams is we don’t believe in the importance of dreaming, let alone lucid dreaming. “It’s just

a dream” is a dismissive comment, after all. We’re simply not trained to honor our dreams,

and to realize that an amazing world is waiting for us in the stillness of the night.

Believing in our dreams, and the transformative potential of lucid dreaming, creates a

fertile field –- a “field of dreams” -- where the induction techniques can take root. Belief is

therefore the first of ten super techniques, which together generate the field of lucid

dreaming. Without this cultivated field, the specific induction techniques are like seeds falling

on frozen dirt. Nothing grows. The mind is too iced-up and solid. That’s why I’m spending

time farming, fertilizing, and warming up this field with these preparatory comments. When

the following techniques are planted in a fruitful field, lucidity naturally flowers. Lots of

lucid dreaming programs have tons of hip techniques, but few results. It’s because the

techniques are falling on icy ground, or an unprepared mind.

So believing in your dreams, and that you can have lucid dreams, is our first super

technique. It helps create this magical field of dreams. “If you build it, they will come.”

Believe me, I guarantee it: if you create the proper field or environment for lucidity, lucid

dreams will naturally come. This is why people who want the quick fix, and expect lucid

dreams right away, are often disappointed. Yes, expectation is important, and is part of a

good field of dreams, but it has to be balanced. If you’re too ambitious, and therefore

impatient, it’s easy to get discouraged. Be realistic, understand what’s required, and cultivate

the thermonuclear power of believing in your dreams, and that you can have lucid dreams.

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 4

 Technique #2: Intention

The second technique is intention. Intention is something that is cultivated by the

conscious mind during the day, but that stretches deep into the unconscious mind to act as a
“pop-up” within your dreams. With strong intent, you will discover “pop-ups” appearing in
your non-lucid dreams that will clue you into the fact that you’re dreaming, and immediately
flip a non-lucid dream into a lucid one. It’s simple. In fact, this simplicity is partly why we
don’t believe it can work. But it works exactly the same as setting the intent before you go to
sleep that you absolutely positively must wake up at 3:00 am to catch a flight, and you
usually will wake up at that set time. Setting this strong intent is almost as good as setting a
literal alarm.
So to set this internal alarm for lucidity, say to yourself throughout the day, especially
when you lie down to sleep: “Tonight I’m going to have many dreams; I’m going to
remember my dreams; I’m going to wake up within my dreams.” Don’t just think it. Say it
out loud. Write it down. And really mean it. One Tibetan dream yoga master told me to recite
it like a mantra, twenty-one times during the day, then seven times when lying down to
sleep.

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 5

 Technique #3: Meditation

What I’m trying to do with these techniques is to show you how to have lucid dreams,
and just as importantly, to show you why you don’t naturally have them. If you understand
the thinking behind these techniques, you will empower them – because you’ll believe in
them. That’s why I’m taking a few minutes to explain them. They won’t carry as much power
if you don’t believe in them, or understand why they work. Once again, your beliefs, as
harbored in the power of your unconscious mind, can either propel you forward into the
world of lucid dreams, or hold you back.
If you engage in these techniques, no non-lucid dream can withstand their accumulated
force. The third technique is meditation, or the daily practice of lucidity. One big reason we’re
not lucid to our dreams at night is because we’re not lucid to the contents of our mind right
now. What is found then is found now. Or more accurately, what is not found then is not
found now. We’re not aware of, or non-lucid to, around 98% of what occurs in our mind. It’s
no wonder we’re non-lucid to our dreams!
For those who like logic: dreams are to dreaming consciousness as thoughts are to
waking consciousness. So if we become lucid to our thoughts during the day, we will

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 6

naturally become more lucid to our dreams at night – because it’s the same mind, the same
consciousness, at work. (To substantiate this claim, the esteemed dream scientist Stephen
LaBerge proclaims that waking consciousness is dreaming consciousness with sensory
constraints; dreaming consciousness is waking consciousness without sensory constraints.
The point: it’s the same underlying mind, the same consciousness, at work, day or night.)
Just look at your mind. Most of what takes place in your mind takes place without your
awareness, or lucidity. You have a constant undercurrent of subconscious thought that
streams by non-lucidly, and this is precisely why you have a constant current of non-lucid
dreams. So the practice of meditation is truly the practice of lucidity. This is why many
studies have shown that meditators have more lucid dreams. It makes total sense. This
practice is so central to lucidity that I’m including a complete set of instructions from my
book, Dream Yoga: Illuminating Your Life Through the Tibetan Yogas of Sleep, to guide you
through it. [See the “Appendix” below.]
Meditation masters are lucidity masters, and virtually all their dreams are lucid. You
can join this elite club of lucid dreamers by developing a lucid relationship to the contents of
your mind now through the art of meditation.

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 7

 Technique #4: Illusory Form

Another technique comes from the world of Tibetan Buddhism, where lucid dreaming
and dream yoga have been practiced for thousands of years. They got this lucid dreaming
stuff down. For the Tibetans, the main daily induction practice, outside of meditation, is the
practice of Illusory Form. It’s a really simple practice: throughout the day, as often as you can,
constantly remind yourself that everything you’re experiencing now is just a dream, or
illusory.
I’ve got sticky notes posted in drawers, on my computer, where my toothbrush is etc.
that say, “You’re dreaming,” or “This is a dream,” or my favorite, “Be a child of illusion.”
There are deep philosophical reasons for doing this that are beyond our scope, the idea for us
here is that by reciting this as often as you can you’re planting seeds that will sprout while
you’re dreaming. And then you will flash onto the fact that “Hey, this really is a dream!” and
instantly become lucid. It’s the pop-up theme again. You want to create a bunch of pop-ups
during the day that will ping into your dream and alert you to the fact that you’re dreaming.

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 8

 Technique #5: Wake and Back to Bed

The “wake and back to bed” method has been shown to increase your chances of
lucidity by up to 2000%. This is because it takes full advantage of primetime dreamtime,
which starts around two hours before you normally get up. So for this technique, set your
alarm to go off two to three hours before you would normally get up. Stay up for 20-40
minutes, then go back to bed. You can meditate, read about lucid dreaming, or just stay up in
a relaxed manner. But don’t go to your computer, check your email or texts, or watch TV. You
don’t want to get pulled too much into waking consciousness, and then not be able to drop
back to sleep.
I’ve had terrific results with this technique. You can play with it, and see what works for
you. Again, we’re all different, there is no “one-size-fits-all” technique. Maybe getting up
earlier and staying up longer works for you. Maybe getting up later and staying up shorter
works. Don’t be afraid to explore, and trust your experience.

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 9

 Technique #6: MILD technique

This technique was developed by Stephen LaBerge, the father of Western lucid
dreaming. With it he was able to have lucid dreams at will. See if it works for you. It’s called
the MILD technique, or the mnemonic induction of lucid dreams. This technique is
something you use when you wake up during the night, and can play with as you fall back
asleep. There are four steps to the MILD technique.
First, when you wake up from a dream in the middle of the night, or in the morning,
keep your eyes closed and go over the dream several times until you have it memorized. It’s
easy to do. Just hit the re-wind button of your mind and recapture the dream. Then go over it
a few times, kind of burning it into your hard drive.
Secondly, while lying in bed with the intent to fall back asleep, say to yourself, “Next
time I’m dreaming, I want to remember to recognize I’m dreaming.” Say something like this
over and over, which of course is planting the seed for lucidity, and rebooting your intention.
Thirdly, visualize yourself as being back in the dream you just rehashed. Only this time,
see yourself realizing that you are, in fact, dreaming. See yourself in the dream you just
memorized, but now see yourself as lucid in that dream.
Fourth, Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you feel your intention is clearly fixed or you fall
asleep.

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 10

 Technique #7: Sleeping Lion Posture

The next three techniques comes from the East, and are based on the subtle body
system of channels, the winds that flow through them (lung, prana), the “drops of
consciousness” (bindu, thigle) that are carried by these winds, and the chakras or energy
distribution centers where the drops gather. According to Tibetan Buddhism, the subtle
dreaming mind is supported by a subtle body, and by targeting this subtle body we can
induce lucidity. Before I came across the Western techniques presented above, I relied solely
on these Eastern methods with great results. Once again, see if they work for you.
With our first Eastern technique you assume the “Sleeping Lion posture,” which is the
posture the Buddha took when he died, but which is also highly conducive to lucid dreams.
It’s really easy: you lie down on your right side with your legs slightly bent, rest your left arm
on top of your left side, and (if it works for you) block off your right nostril by closing your
right into a fist and resting it up against your nose. By assuming this posture, you’re closing
off the extroverted “masculine” winds that tend to keep you up, and simultaneously opening
up the introverted “feminine” winds that are more conducive to lucid sleep. It’s part of the
family of “inner yogas” that work with the inner subtle body. For those with a connection to
yoga, this may be for you.
Once you assume this posture, you can add technique #9 below, or simply hit the
refresh button on your intention by saying: “Tonight I’m going to have many dreams; Tonight
I’m going to remember my dreams; Tonight I’m going to become lucid in my dreams.” In
other words, the Sleeping Lion Posture works by itself, or can be used as a foundation to do
other induction practices.

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 11

 Technique #8: Sitting Lion Pose

This inner yoga technique comes from the Hindu Kriya Yoga tradition, and the first
time I tried it I did indeed have a lucid dream that night. It’s called the simha, or Sitting Lion
Pose (what is it about lions and lucid dreams!?). With this technique you kneel down and sit
back on your calves, either with your feet pointed back, or if that’s too uncomfortable, with
your toes curled under. Stretch your arms out straight and place your hands in a fist on top of
your knees. Keep your back straight. It’s like a proud and fearless lion sitting on its haunches.
Now take a deep breath, tip your head back slowly, and roar like a lion. (The “Lions
Roar” is often used as an image for the proud and fearless proclamation of the truth, or
dharma.) As you roar, open your fists and splay out your fingers. Do this three or seven
times. According to the inner yogas, when we’re dreaming, the drops of consciousness are
gathered in the throat chakra. By tipping your head back, exposing your throat, and roaring,
you’re stimulating this dream chakra. It works for me. You may want to tell your family that
you’re doing this one in advance of doing it!

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 12

 Technique #9: Red Pearl Visualization

With this technique, which can be done while lying down normally or in the Sleeping
Lion Posture, you visualize either a red pearl or the red letters AH at your throat. In the inner
yoga systems, each chakra is associated with a “frequency,” or sound and color. The
dreaming throat chakra is “red” and its sound is “AH.” According to Tibetan Buddhism,
where the mind goes with a body visualization, the winds go; where the winds go the bindus
go; and where the bindus go so goes consciousness.
Right now, while awake, the bindus are gathered in the head chakra. When we fall
asleep, we literally unwind, or “un-wind.” As we unwind, the bindus drop from the head to
the heart, which is where consciousness rests in deep dreamless sleep. When we dream, the
bindus are gently blown up from the heart and into the throat. This process happens
naturally, and usually unconsciously, or non-lucidly. (I have no proof for this, but I believe
this may be one reason why we have so many flying dreams, because the inner winds that lift
us out of dreamless sleep then continue to lift us into dream flight.)
With this technique, you can direct this process to happen lucidly, or under your
conscious control. Dream yoga masters can become so adept at this movement of
consciousness (the bindus) that they can go from waking to dreaming within seconds. It’s
due to the power of their visualization, and their ability to control the movement of these
drops of consciousness. This technique is part of a family of practices LaBerge calls WILD, or
“waking induced lucid dreaming.” And it really is kinda wild. I use this one every single
night.

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 13

 Technique #10: Galantamine & Dream Masks

This final technique is actually a small grouping of supplemental methods from the
West that I have found extremely helpful. It’s in the “tips and tricks” category. The first tip is
using galantamine, a substance that has been used for thousands of years for the
enhancement of memory, and more recently for having longer and clearer dreams. When
we’re dreaming, the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is in high concentration in the brain.
galantamine inhibits the breakdown of this neurotransmitter, which keeps it in your brain
longer, which results in longer and clearer dreams. I’ve had fantastic results with this.
The best way to use it is to take 4-8 mg, (one or two caps) about six hours after you go
to sleep, which just like the “wake and back to bed” method takes full advantage of
primetime dreamtime. If you add galantamine to this wake and back to bed method, you’ve
added serious octane to lucidity. I don’t recommend using it often, but every now and again
it can really jump start your lucid dreams. Some purists argue against its use, and I would
certainly argue against regular use, but as an occasional boost it really works.
The other supplemental method is to use a dream mask. There are many these days, the
Nova Dreamer, Remee, and even online instructions for how to build your own. Stephen
LaBerge came up with the original idea, which is based on the fact that when you’re
dreaming, you’re in REM sleep, or “Rapid Eye Movement” sleep. A sensor in the dream mask
detects the eye movement, and triggers a soft light to turn on and off. You train yourself to
associate this pulsing light as a dream sign, which means that you’ll notice something like a
car in your dream pumping its brake lights, or a street light flashing, and that will remind

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 14

you “Hey, I must be dreaming!” It’s a very clever device with a number of variations
(sometimes the clue might be auditory instead of visual). I’ve had good results with it, but
others find it a bit cumbersome. Again, see if it works.

So these are my top ten methods. Play with them. Explore. But mostly, have fun. If you
don’t enjoy it, you won’t do it. A standard instruction for lucid dreaming is “not too tight, not
too loose.” If you’re too tight, you’ll tie yourself into knots trying to hard and won’t fall
asleep. If you’re loose, you probably won’t have lucid dreams. Learning proper lucid
induction methods, and how to apply them, is like tuning a guitar. Tune it too tight and the
string snaps; don’t tune it enough, and you get a soggy sound. With some practice, patience,
and a big dose of humor, you’ll find yourself making beautiful night music.
Stick with it. Don’t give up. That’s the secret ingredient. Advanced practitioners never
give up – that’s what makes them advance (and advanced). It’s totally worth the trouble.
Lucid dreaming can wake you up not only to your dreams, but to your entire life.

© 2016 Andrew Holecek All Rights Reserved

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 15

 About Andrew

Andrew Holecek is an author, spiritual teacher, and humanitarian. As a long-time

student of Buddhism, he frequently presents this tradition from a contemporary perspective -
blending the ancient wisdom of the East with modern knowledge from the West.

Andrew has completed the traditional three-year Buddhist meditation retreat, and
offers seminars internationally on meditation, dream yoga, and death. He is the author of
"Meditation in the iGeneration: How to Meditate in a World of Speed and Stress", "The Power
and the Pain: Transforming Spiritual Hardship into Joy," "Preparing to Die: Practical Advice
and Spiritual Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Perspective," and the audio learning course,
"Dream Yoga: The Tibetan Path of Awakening Through Lucid Dreaming" (Sounds True). His
work has appeared in the Shambhala Sun, Buddhadharma, Light of Consciousness, Utne
Reader, and other periodicals.

He is also the co-founder of Global Dental Relief, and travels each year to India and
Nepal to provide free care to impoverished children. http://globaldentalrelief.org

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 16

 Resources

Dream Yoga: Illuminating Your Life Through Lucid

Dreaming and the Tibetan Yogas of Sleep

This is the most comprehensive book yet on the nocturnal

meditations. Joining science and spirituality, East and West,
in a full-spectrum exploration of the night, it explains how
lucid dreaming develops into dream yoga, which can
evolve into sleep yoga, which further develops into bardo
yoga. Diving deep into the Buddhist nighttime practices,
this dream yoga book will show you how to have lucid
dreams and what to do with them.

It is a practical guide for meditators, seasoned dream

travelers wanting to go deeper, and total beginners eager to
experience lucidity for the first time.

Check the Amazon Page for the book- Almost all reviews are FIVE STAR!!

“Don’t miss your opportunity to realize some of the very deepest and highest of all
human potentials, from a real master of these realms!” - Ken Wilber, author of The Fourth
Turning

“At once profound and pragmatic, traditional and contemporary, a fine contribution to
the growing literature on ways of exploring the nature of the mind and its role in nature by
way of awakening to our dreams.” - B. Alan Wallace, author of Dreaming Yourself Awake

“Between these words one can sense a deep enthusiasm that comes from personal
experience with the practice. This informative book will be very beneficial for dedicated
dream yoga practitioners.” - Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, author of The Tibetan Yogas of
Dream and Sleep

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 18

 Here to provide everything you need to grow your nocturnal meditations
of lucid dreaming and dream yoga, to transform obstacles into
opportunities, and to turn these revolutionary practices into a genuine
path for psychological and spiritual growth.

About Night Club

“Night Club” is a groundbreaking venture. Its mission is to establish and nurture an

international community of students and teachers who have an interest in these extraordinary
nocturnal practices. The nighttime meditations are solitary by nature, and the nocturnal path
is subtle and strewn with obstacles. Ongoing encouragement, advice, and guidance are
critical to success.

While the club is exclusive – the material offered here is not offered in the same way
anywhere else – membership is open to anyone with an interest in these practices. As a
member you will receive a continuous feast of offerings that is found nowhere else. And we
priced this membership to be as inclusive as possible.

Visit ​NightClub.AndrewHolecek.com​ to learn more about Night Club and

the exclusive benefits for members!

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK

 Dream Yoga: The Tibetan Path of Awakening Through Lucid
Dreaming Audio CD

This is a 6 CD set program which offers over six hours of

content and combines modern science with traditional
Tibetan wisdom to guide you through lucid dreaming
methods, from beginning to advanced. It was published by
Sounds True and it also available in an audio download
format.

You'll learn everything you need to know to penetrate the mysteries of the night, including:

• Meditations for calming and clarifying your mind.

• How to have lucid dream states naturally using Tibetan practices and contemporary dream
induction techniques.
• Practical tips for overcoming common obstacles, enhancing dream recall, working with
nightmares, and gleaning insights from your dreams.
• Bringing your skills together to explore the deepest dimensions of awakened
consciousness.

Each night you touch into the possibility of enlightenment. With Dream Yoga you will
emerge from the darkness of ignorance into the luminous experience of awakening—in every
moment, day or night.

Visit andrewholecek.com frequently for lucid dreaming updates.

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 19

© 2016 Andrew Holecek All Rights Reserved

Appendix

Meditation instruction

It’s always best to learn meditation from an instructor, but you can teach yourself the
basics from a book. There are many resources and meditation centers where you can get
detailed instruction. In this section I will provide the basics.
There are three phases to the instruction: body, breath, and mind. These three phases
interpenetrate and therefore support each outer. Together they create a stable tripod that
reinforces lucidity. The first phase is about posture. It is taught that simply by taking the
proper posture, sooner or later you will find yourself meditating. An attentive posture
invokes an attentive quality of mind. The posture itself is supported by an attitude (or mental
posture) of dignity, nobility, even regality, so right away we see how these three phases
support each other.
Sit in the middle of your meditation cushion, or a chair. If you’re sitting on a chair don’t
lean against the back. Cross your legs if you’re on a cushion, or plant your feet squarely on
the ground if you’re on a chair. Feel your connection to the stability of the earth. Rest your
hands on top of your thighs and keep your back firm, but not stiff. A stable back represents
the quality of fearlessness, but it’s balanced with an open and receptive front, which
represents gentleness. Pull your shoulders back and expose your heart, which is perhaps the
central instruction with posture. All the other aspects hinge around opening your heart.
Align your head above your spine. Rest your tongue on the back of your upper teeth,
and part your lips as if you are whispering “ah.” Later we’ll discuss how to extend this
practice into a lying down posture, which is when we’ll close our eyes, but for now it’s best to
practice lucidity with your eyes open. Keep your gaze down at a point about six feet in front,
but don’t focus on anything. Let your visual field be open and receptive, like your mind and
heart.
The stillness of your posture creates a new contrast medium that allows you to see
(become lucid to) the contents of your mind. When you’re always moving it’s harder to see
the movement of your mind, which is what thoughts fundamentally are.
_____________________________
Detailed instructions and resources can be found in my book, Meditation in the iGeneration; How to Meditate in a
World of Speed and Stress. www.meditationintheigeneration.com.

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 20

 Physical movement is like camouflage. It decreases the contrast that would otherwise
allow you to detect the movement of your mind. Sit still and your thoughts are suddenly
flushed out of hiding. This is why many meditators complain that meditation seems to
increase thoughts. It doesn’t. It simply makes them more visible, and therefore allows you to
become lucid to them.
There is wisdom in connecting to your body, which can eventually connect you to your
Clear Light Mind. The philosopher Drew Leder writes, “Almost all spiritual traditions use
posture and gesture as a means whereby we enter into relation with the divine. This body’s
roots reach down into the soil of an organismic vitality where the conscious mind cannot
follow.” The body is a direct link to reality, which the psyche cannot take you to. Relating to
the body is not merely simple minded. It’s “trans-minded.” It leads you beyond the
conceptual mind and to the truth within.
Deception cannot follow you into your body. At a relative level this doctrine is the basis
for lie detectors, which detect subtle changes in the unconscious body while the conscious
mind is chattering away. Consciously you can lie, unconsciously you cannot. You (the
psyche) may be speaking your truth, but your body speaks another. And remember, the
practices of the night are about going deep into the mind, which means going deep into the
body. This is why the body phase of meditation is so important. In many ways it’s both the
ground and the fruition of the path. “Waking up” is a synonym for enlightenment, but it’s
just as valid to talk about “waking down” – into the wisdom and truth of the body. Phase one
of the technique invites that awakening. The great Longchenpa said, “Supreme primordial
wisdom abides in the body.” Sri Aurobindo echoed this when he said, “The work of
transformation is about the descent of spirit into the flesh. Embodiment more than
transcendence.”

With this view of the importance of body, let’s return to the technique. Once posture is
established, bring your attention to the natural movement of your breath. Don’t visualize it or
________________________

2. The Absent Body, by Drew Leder, University of Chicago Press, 1990, p. 173.
3. Scientist Candace Pert asserts that your body is your subconscious mind, which resonates with the fact that
the body cannot lie. Science writer Tors Norretranders says, “An individual who is one with one’s body cannot
lie — as children know very well. . . . It is also said to be very difficult to lie in the sign language used by the
deaf.” (The User Illusion; Cutting Consciousness Down to Size, by Tors Norretranders, Viking, New York, 1991, p.
154, 429.) Body language is a truer language.

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 21

think about it. Feel it. Let your awareness ride the medium of your breath. That’s it for phase
two. With these two phases you’re sitting and breathing, but you’re doing so with full
presence.
For phase three, whenever anything distracts you – a thought, emotion, image, regret,
anticipation – mentally say to yourself “thinking” and return to your breath (in the Tibetan
view “thought” includes emotion). The label “thinking” is gentle but precise, like popping a
bubble with a feather. It’s just an act of recognition that you’ve strayed. It is not a reprimand.
Thoughts aren’t bad. You’re not trying to get rid of them. You’re simply recognizing how
thoughts steal your awareness from the present moment, and coming back to the moment by
returning to your body and your breath.

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 22

Photo Credits

Page One: Bruce Rolff

Page Three: Carlos Castilla
Page Five: agsandrew
Page Six: Anna Libori / Eyeem
Page Seven: Julien Tromeur
Page Eight: Igor Stevanovic
Page Nine: Paul Fleet
Page Ten: Bruce Rolff
Page Eleven: Theera Disayarat
Page Twelve: Cindy Wilson
Page Thirteen: Opalev Vyacheslav
Page Fourteen: Emilie Zhang
Page Fifteen: Natalia Maroz

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 23

© 2016 Andrew Holecek All Rights Reserved

HOW TO LUCID DREAM - ANDREW HOLECEK 24