Dreamwalking: Entering another person’s dream

“I am an orphan, alone: nevertheless I am found everywhere. I am one, but opposed to myself. I am youth and old man at one and the same time. I have known neither father nor mother, because I have had to be fetched out of the deep like a fish, or fell like a white stone from heaven. In woods and mountains I roam, but I am hidden in the innermost soul of man. I am mortal for everyone, yet I am not touched by the cycle of aeons.”

Brief introduction

Have you ever had a dream where nothing was familiar to you? You were unable to recognize faces, people, landscapes, or situations? Was it almost as if you were seeing a world through another person’s point of view? If so, then you might have been within another person’s dream. The term is commonly referred to as ‘dreamwalking’. It is a form of lucid dreaming, but to a greater extent, you unwillingly (or sometimes willingly) enter another’s dream and manipulate the dream to whatever you want. It is also possible for you to enter another person’s dream without you even being asleep, but rather by going into a deep meditative state. We’ve all heard of stories where someone is asleep and they dream the location of a lost loved one, or someone in danger or other distressful situations someone may be in. A person in their dream state can be easily influenced by someone putting out a signal (or emotion) out in the open. Sometimes, that signal is picked up by a random receptive individual, however, more often than not, it is received by the specific person they intended it for. In times of distress and urgency, the signal is sent out unintentionally for anyone to pick up. However, there are other times when someone needs to reach out to a specific individual, for whatever the reason, and upon awakening they feel the sudden need to contact the person who was thinking of them. 

Sadly, not much has been written on this subject and virtually nothing exists regarding techniques.  For many of us the level of receptiveness becomes blocked by our own egos. During our dream state we are at our most open, mentally and perhaps, spiritually. During sleep our brains go on automatic and begin to process all sorts of things that took place throughout the day. Because our brains processing during sleep is automatic it allows us to become more passive, and therefore, it is easily to slip in suggestive or even symbolic messages to the unconscious. 

“The dream is a little hidden door in the innermost and most secret recesses of the soul, opening into that cosmic night which was psyche long before there was any ego consciousness, and which will remain psyche no matter how far our ego-consciousness extends. For all ego-consciousness is isolated; because it separates and discriminates, it knows only particulars, and it sees only those that can be related to the ego. Its essence is limitation, even though it reaches to the farthest nebulae among the stars. All consciousness separates; but in dreams we put on the likeness of that more universal, truer, more eternal man dwelling in the darkness of primordial night. There he is still the whole, and the whole is in him, indistinguishable from nature and bare of all egohood. It is from these all-uniting depths that the dream arises, be it never so childish, grotesque, and immoral.” ~”The Meaning of Psychology for Modern Man” (1933). In CW 10: Civilization in Transition, pg. 304

Ever realize that sometimes when you’re asleep you might hear a sound or listen to someone’s voice and while being in a deep sleep you begin dreaming or incorporating what’s going on around you? that’s our brain being passive to outside influences. I came across this technique by accident while experimenting with different ways to exchange abstract ideas and imaginative thoughts with people on a deeper level. I began to realize that if I timed a person’s sleep roughly to the time they would go into REM sleep (about 90 minutes after falling asleep), I could somewhat influence their dreams. It was a trial and error process to get it just right, and sure enough, after a time I got it just right. Depending on your level of being able to control your dreams, you can skip the meditation process and go straight to sleep and follow through with the rest of the steps that way.  The best time to practice this technique is when someone my need your help. Sometimes a person is stressed, depressed, sick, or just in the need of help, this technique helps offer them new suggestive paths to take in life or conveying various messages subconsciously. Be creative! There is no wrong answer.

“One would do well to treat every dream as though it were a totally unknown object. Look at it from all sides, take it in your hand, carry it about with you, let your imagination play round it, and talk about it with other people. Primitives tell each other impressive dreams, in a public palaver if possible, and this custom is also attested in late antiquity, for all the ancient peoples attributed great significance to dreams ‘ Treated in this way, the dream suggests all manner of ideas and associations which lead us closer to its meaning. The ascertainment of the meaning is, I need hardly point out, an entirely arbitrary affair, and this is where the hazards begin. Narrower or wider limits will be set to the meaning, according to one’s experience, temperament, and taste. Some people will be satisfied with little, for others much is still not enough. Also the meaning of the dream, or our interpretation of it, is largely dependent on the intentions of the interpreter, on what he expects the meaning to be or requires it to do. In eliciting the meaning he will involuntarily be guided by certain presuppositions, and it depends very much on the scrupulousness and honesty of the investigator whether he gains something by his interpretation or perhaps only becomes still more deeply entangled in his mistakes.” ~”The Meaning of Psychology for Modern Man” (1933). In CW 10: Civilization in Transition, pg. 320

Before you proceed make sure you choose someone you know very well. Usually choosing an unwilling participant will not work. The freewill of an individual may not allow certain interactions even while they are asleep. If they are comfortable enough with you interacting with them during their awaken state, then they should be able to allow you to interact with them during their passive, most vulnerable state. So, for the purpose of experimenting with this technique, make sure that the person you are willing to interact with would allow it. Use your best judgement.

Simple Rules:

1. You cannot negatively influence another’s dream. Your own subconscious knows what you are doing is for good or bad, and any negativity automatically becomes prevented from being conveyed.

2. You cannot make others do something they normally wouldn’t do. In a metaphorical sense, you can keep showing the person the door, but you cannot drag them through it. Influencing another is limited to what they allow or normally would do.

3. If you wish to convey messages do it through symbols or by visually showing them. The dreamscape is entirely in your hands, you are the artist, and so begin by creating something vivid enough to convey a positive message. If the person is stressed or depressed, create a magical landscape that leaves them in awe, see them feel and discover a deeper sense of amazement. Small little details go a long way. Show them that there is truly more to life that the mundane worries of everyday life, maybe in doing so they will want to seek out a new adventure or a new worthwhile path in life.

4. Always maintain a sense of empathy. Be empathetic to their thoughts and feelings. If a person is going through a hard time in their life then be aware of that, and maybe transition a little more slowly into something more positive. For instance, don’t just take them skydiving if they are already on edge in the real world. Transitioning slowly, in small increments, is the best way to help an individual and to convey the message.

Steps:

1. You are going to want to time this just right for the sake of experimentation. Make sure the person is asleep before proceeding. Calculate the time it takes for them to be in deep sleep. About 90 minutes after they fall asleep is when they reach the REM stage of sleep, which should give you the best results.

2. Enter a deep state of meditation; relax every part of your body from your head down to your toes.  Once you completely lose touch with the physical world around you (noises especially) and you feel as if you are floating in the void of space then proceed to the next step.

3. While floating in the void of space, feel your body as it remains completely relaxed and floating comfortably in absolute weightlessness. Slowly begin to visualize the persons face within the blackness of space, and allow yourself to travel deep inside their imaginary world by piercing through the clouds of their subconscious. Feel the emotions and feelings of being in that person’s presence as if you are not in a false reality but rather, within an awaken state of consciousness.

4. As you float into their dream world you may begin to witness weird or even bizarre images and scenes, do not worry or feel anxious, remember that you are just an observer. Look around this imaginary world until you find the person whose dream it is. Most likely they are within a passive acting role within the dream. At this point you can either proceed to call to their attention that they are in fact dreaming (hopefully, causing them to gain control over the situation) OR you can simply take their hand and have them follow you into your ‘imagined world’.

5. Mentally create a reality consisting of whatever you wish it to be. Experience whatever you wish them to experience, and be creative! For example, if you desire them to start down a road of recovery, then walk them through the steps and final results of being free from negative substances. In this instance try to avoid showing negative consequences, focus only on positive results that will come about instead.

If your ability to lucid dream is well mastered you can attempt this technique by simply making a conscious effort to enter the other person’s dream. There are boundless methods and formulas for obtaining the same outcome. I can personally say I’ve had a lot of successful experiences with just experimenting and being creative. Trial and error might be the best way to figure out what works best for you, and remember to always use your best judgment when undergoing this technique.

“The dream is the small hidden door in the deepest and most intimate sanctum of the soul, which opens to that primeval cosmic night that was soul long before there was conscious ego and will be soul far beyond what a conscious ego could ever reach.” Carl Jung (1875 – 1961), The Meaning of Psychology for Modern Man (1934).

Recommended books to learn more:

1. A Brief Tour of Higher Consciousness: A Cosmic Book on the Mechanics of Creation
2. Wisdom of the Mystic Masters
3. Modern Magick: Twelve Lessons in the High Magickal Arts
4. The Golden Dawn: The Original Account of the Teachings, Rites & Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order
5. The Tree of Life: An Illustrated Study in Magic