Practicing Wide-Eyed Lucidity

Ever have a dream where you realize it was a dream? It’s called lucidity. Simplified, its when you become aware that all the rules that govern the dream’s reality don’t actually exist. Kind of like Neo exploring the Matrix. It’s a rich experience where you can do amazing, often superhuman things. Steve Pavlina reminded me of the power of lucidity earlier this year (I first came across this concept as an eleven year old when I picked up a copy of Omni magazine). While my lucid moments tend to be brief, they always elicit a "Wow, this is cool!" feeling. When I wake up, I always wonder why I can’t have more dreaming experiences like this. This past week, I had an actual experience at work that I think may explain why lucidity in dreaming and wide-awake living is so hard to achieve.

I was in a meeting with my team when I was asked a question where I was almost ready to give a pat, well-rehearsed response. The kind of response that would be expected of someone who only knew a little about how to actually solve the problem. The kind of response where the boundaries were dictated by the governing "rules" of management. Yet, at that time, I awoke to a lucid moment where I realized that these so-called rules don’t actually exist and that I was free to create something new.

So, instead of practicing a superpower like flying or shooting flames from my hands, I practiced the real-life superpower of authenticity. I was free to admit my own level of understanding, seek new answers, and create new questions. I was able to be human. Where did this come from? It all seemed to surface from my own thoughts and the realization that I could challenge my notion of reality.

In his challenge for us to Take the Red Pill, Steve artfully writes:

I can’t prove to you that you’re in a thought bubble right now. But you
can prove it to yourself if you have enough curiosity to make the
attempt. You have to decide to swallow the red pill. The only way to
prove you’re in a thought bubble is to consciously change your thoughts
in such a way that you contradict at least one of the foundational
beliefs that form the bubble. This begins with opening your mind to the
possibility that your thoughts are shaping your reality. You think your
thoughts are actually based on some reality “out there,” but they’re
really creating your reality. If you believe in an objective external
reality, then that will be true for you. But are you aware that you
don’t have to subscribe to this belief? And that doing so unnecessarily
limits your experience of life?

Moments of lucidity can happen to us all the time. As Steve suggests, we have the power to recreate our reality and shape our lives in ways formerly thought impossible. The challenge is to simply wake up.