Obviously life is not easy or fair. It is not even close. And as folks reach their later years more and more seem to wonder if it is all worth it. Sure there are the great times and the not so great events which we endure, however all in all it isn’t so bad. Now then the question of the day, if you had to choose to do it all again; would you? Would you choose to come back and live again, as a different person and go thru the trials and tribulations of a different life story or saga? Well would you? Ah, human life; who would want to do it?

You know some cultures and religious belief systems believe that you get to choose who your parents are and who you will go thru life with. That is an interesting notion indeed. Other religious beliefs say that you are re-incarnated, fairly interesting concept too? What if you could choose, would you choose to go for it? Do it all again? Or would you simply say, I have had enough and choose not to partake in such activities such as the life experience?

There are some who actually believe that life is nothing more than the world’s greatest virtual reality game or similar to the Matrix, if so, it is a very interesting game. But is it one you would wish to play? Well, would you go again? Would you choose to re-wind a little? Would you consider yourself privileged to play or to have been chosen to be a given character? Would you? Consider this philosophical thought for moment. I’ll get back to you with another one later.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Are you an assume-ee? What in the world is an assume-ee you ask? Well it is someone who has limited knowledge, experience and observation who goes around commenting on and making assumptions of every aspect of life and society, irregardless of industry, sector or endeavor. Someone who has an opinion about everything with knowledge of no thing or so limited in one, two, maybe three areas of knowledge that they have no business even making an opinion about anything?

So now you know what an “Assumee” is and it is not someone who is looking to be litigated against by a lawyer. Now then we have all heard that “Assume” is an acronym for making an “a-s-s” out of “U” and “Me” and so at this point, I would like you assume-ees of the world to sit over there, shut your trap and listen to those who do have extensive knowledge, experience and observations, as you just might learn something.

When I say that I do not do Assumees, I mean I do not go around making assumptions without some observational reference, as knowledge and thought based on assumptions without reference is not learning, reasoning or thinking, but rather sending your mind out on a tangent which generally leads no where. And in the event one who is of ignorance stumbles upon something, which is brilliant in their quintessential dumb luck, I say to thee; there was another way to get there. It is called thinking, perhaps you might try that some time, you silly assume-ee!

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

There have been a few experiences but I’ll just relate one of them to you that will be representative of the rest, generally speaking!

For most of my life I was a performing musician, playing with various groups or bands, in one of the bands I played in, I was the only Black musician in the band! We played white suburban gigs where there usually weren’t any Black patrons or very few, like one or two, in the audience! So with the images and history of white racism against blacks in my Mind, I was expecting a lot of negative feedback in those bars!

On a band break during one of those gigs, I was standing near the bandstand, alone, just observing the crowd, when I saw two guys looking in my direction and periodically, pointing their fingers toward me and then talking among themselves! This kind of alarmed me because of the aforementioned attitudes and expectations and because they looked like, to my mind, the stereotypical “redneck racists” Of movies and news reports I’d seen! One was about my height but weighed about 300 pounds with long stringy, oily hair, semi-grimy, t-shirt and jeans! His sidekick was shorter, skinnier, with same hair, t-shirt and jeans. So I was expecting them to try and start some type of ruckus with me because I was the only black man in an all white bar!

They started walking through the crowd in my direction! I started looking for a chair or something, I could used to hit them over the head with if need be, if they did start something! They finally made their way over to where I was standing and asked what my name was! So to show them that I wasn’t intimidated by them I spoke up confidently, “El Veasey! What’s yours?” They told me their names, and asked where I was from! Following the same pattern I asked them where they were from and we exchanged that information!

I was waiting for them to start trying to create the ruckus but instead they started telling me how much they like the way I played the bass and wanted to know if I and the band would replay a couple of the funk, dance songs we had played earlier! I said ” sure!” I thought they’d want to hear country or rock but, they assured me "they didn’t like that kind of music"! Every time we played that club, they would come in and we’d talk, have a few drinks and lots of fun!

So that was one of the experiences that blow my mind wide open! Because they looked like the stereotype of one of my worst racist nightmares coming true in the flesh! But they turned out to be just the opposite! That taught me not to be so quick to judge people on how they looked or dressed! And also how my preconceived ideas and expectations could cause my mind to create potentially dangerous reactions in those type of situations!

I’m sure that many outbreaks of racial and other violence has been spark by just these types of preconceptions! What do you think? I’ve “spilled” my guts, now you spill yours! Whether it’s positive or negative!

Copyright 2006 El-Veasey Publishing Inc

El-Veasey has PhDs in Psycho-Social Relationships, The History of Human Thought and Religious Politics, from the University of Hard-Knocks, Ghetto Town, USA

Email: elveasey at yahoo.com

Blog1 http://el-veasey.blogspot.com
Blog2 http://lveasey.blogspot.com

What is the point of racism? … What’s underneath it all?"

Well those questions, as some of you are aware, have complex answers! Like an Octopus with a thousand tentacles! But lets attempt to answer them anyway!

Why are they’re racist attitudes in the first place? Or to put it another way, what drove white European Christians to view themselves as superior to non-whites and to go around the world conquering or enslaving them for benefit and profit?

I don’t know why they did that! But I’m damned good at speculating!

When the Romans first invaded Northern Europe circa 500 AD, they encountered Germanic tribes wearing animal skins and living in thatched huts! The Romans wore fine clothes lived in elaborate stone building, lived by written laws and legal codes and had a high degree of civilization (aqueducts, indoor baths, etc) They looked on the animal skin wearing, thatched hut living Germanic tribes, as savages! Sound familiar! That’s the how the Europeans who first invaded, I mean “discovered” America viewed the Indians when they first encountered them! But in this instance you have whites looking down on other whites as inferior! The Germanic tribes populated England and most of Northern Europe!

To make a long story short! Roman civilization was the dominant culture and power in that region and the world for about a thousand years! But as time went on the ruling class became indulgent, corrupt and lazy until the wild war waging "savage”, Germanic tribes became powerful enough to over throw what was left of the “Glory” of Rome!"

Now here’s where my speculations get psychologically interesting (at least to me!)

As a result of being treated as inferior by the Romans for hundreds of years, when these “savages” finally did over throw Rome, they over compensated for the inferiority complex they had developed by putting in its place a superiority complex that masked their feelings of cultural inferiority! It’s like someone having murderous envy toward another they secretly admire finally getting the chance to knock them off and take their place!

These “savage” tribes started feeling really good about themselves! Like they were the Big Dogs! And they were the Big Dogs! Hadn’t they just knocked off the superior culture of the once mighty Roman Empire!

They started seeing themselves as superior and but still had the need to keep that inferiority complex covered up! So it was easy for them to act-out their distain without guilt, on those ethnic groups they viewed as savage or inferior, because they saw the savagery and inferiority as coming from those groups, not from themselves!

The Whites in the U.S. inherited this cultural legacy of White Supremacy from the descendants of those “savage” tribes who immigrated to North America before the founding of the Nation! Northern European history and culture was so affected by Roman culture that, around the 11th century AD, the pope of that period and Charlemagne create a Second “Roman Empire”, The Holy Roman Empire! Now ruled by the once envious “savage” tribes! Today England has a parliament and the United States a Congress because they are both patterned after the Roman judicial system created by the cultural descendants of these “savage” tribes!

Further Speculation On Why There Are Racist Attitudes

Some whites grow up in racist home and social environments! Some have been "brainwashed" with racist propaganda throughout their whole early Social development as kids! I’ve seen documentaries on the Klan, Neo-Nazis and other racist groups that show parents with their 3,4, or 5 year olds at these rallies dressed in Klan robes, Neo-Nazi uniforms or other racist attire, chanting racist slogans and beaming with pride and enthusiastic approval of their children for doing so! So these are some of the way racist attitudes are passed on from generation to generation and “why they’re there in the first place” for these kids!

What’s the point of racism? What’s underneath it?

What’s “underneath” white racism in this country is (to reiterate) the ideology of White Supremacy! Certain white European philosophers perpetuated the theory (as a result of Darwin’s theory of evolution, for some of the reasons I gave above and for others to complex to go into in this article) that white people (especially white men because they dominated white society) were the pinnacle of the evolution of the human species and therefore racially superior and more privileged than all other races!

That philosophy was behind the exploitation of Africans for free slave labor and the economic gain of white businessmen during the era of the slave trade! Africans were seen as subhuman in the evolutionary scale and therefore they weren’t really enslaving or exploiting humans but something more like cattle or other beasts of burden!

When the United States Constitution was created the enslaved Africans were (for political reasons) only referred to indirectly as only 3/5th of a person! Most of the so-called "founding fathers" if not all of them, including Jefferson and Washington were rich slaveholders! The Constitution was obviously created to protect economic rights of the “founding fathers” not African Americans, American Indians, white women or any other non-white group for that matter!

As a matter of fact, in the early days of the United States before White Supremacy became the dominant ideology of the country, the only people classified as white were, white Anglo-Saxon protestants, who were English or descended from the English! Italians and others weren’t looked upon as white until well after the slave trade was in full bloom!

The white supremacist philosophy and economic gain was behind the civil war! The southern states, who imported most of the slave labor, whole economy was based on the slave trade and lots of people were getting rich or doing very well as a result of it! So they weren’t too happy when certain conscientious whites (like Lincoln), who may have thought whites were racially superior to Blacks, but didn’t believe it was right to enslaved their fellow man, wanted to end the profitable importation of slave labor! So rather then have that occur, the political leaders of the slave states decided that they would no longer be part of the United States! Lincoln and other leaders said, “You can’t break up the Union of the United States!” The slave states leaders said “Oh yes we can!” And that’s how in a simplified way the Civil War got started!

Hitler was a white supremacist! He called the superior whites, Aryans. He learned a lot of his ideas about racial superiority from the racist science and philosophy of the slave trade and Jim Crow practices of the United States!

Another less familiar source of racism is the Old Testament idea of the "Chosen People of God" who are more special to God than all other people! And of course through much intellectual rationalizing by racist Judeo-Christian intellectual God’s “Chosen People” were deem to be white! They convinced themselves and others that it was Ok to deprive Africans of their rights because they enjoyed a special privilege from God, a “manifest destiny”, to dominate Africans and other non-white groups because they were “God Chosen” people!

But the underlying core of racism is that White Supremacists don’t want Blacks or other groups they view as inferior, contaminating their “superior” gene pool with their “tainted” blood! And white racist men jealously defending their sexual dominance over white women! These two issues have sparked the most vehement white violence and hatred toward Black men! It made supremacist men feel sexually inadequate and inferior and an affront to their sexual dominance and pride if "their" white women preferred, what they saw as subhuman, genetically inferior men to themselves! They become enraged with hate filled, envy and jealousy toward Black men! Thus the formation of ‘the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan" as “Chivalric” order to protect the virtue of "the flower of the white race" (white women) from all those degenerate Black men whose only desire was to deflower them (Rape them)! Thus the thousands of lynchings of Black men during the late 18 and early 1900s in the United States (mainly in the southern states)!

You can see how over time this hate-filled jealousy would continue to reinforce its self and how it would be attractive to other white men, who wanted to see themselves as this “chivalrous order of knights” valiantly protecting " the flower of the white race” from the threat of deflowerment by “the black beasts” and the even greater threat of the "tainting" of their family’s gene pool with the blood of these genetically inferior "beasts of burden or predators"!

These feelings, supported by white supremacist Christian doctrines, sent them on a religious crusade carrying out racist violence with religious zeal against black men and any white women who dared to have sex or become romantically involved with them! (But it was ok if white men had sex with Black women!) The flaming cross of the Klan is a “Christian” cross! They see themselves as Christians and Jesus as their Aryan brother!

Now I went through all of that to give you some idea of the underlying concepts and ideology behind the point of racism and what’s underneath it from a psycho-social-historical point of view!

From a psychological view, the point of racism is to make those groups who hold this view feel they are superior, better and more privileged than all other ethnic groups! It’s kind of like one little kid saying to another that my dad is better than your dad! Sometime those who latch on to racist ideas have unfulfilled needs for self-esteem, self-worth or some other lack that they’re unconsciously attempting to fill or over compensate for but may not see in themselves or want to see in themselves! For others, it’s just brainwashing, plain and simple! Or a combination brainwashing and other factors! There are usually complex factors involved in the genesis of any problem rather than just one! Especially a problem like this one!

That, in a very simplified way, are some of my thoughts “why there are racist attitudes in the first place” but definitely by no means all of my thoughts on the subject! Or all of my knowledge on the subject! I’ve studied, pondered and researched this topic for about 20-30 years because, I was puzzled by all this racial hatred and why it keeps raring its ugly head and wanted to find out what it was is about! Why it’s so resilient!

That’s my thoughts!

What are your thoughts on my thoughts and speculations?

Copyright 2006 El-Veasey Publishing Inc

El Veasey has PhDs in Social-Politics, Psycho-Social Relationships, History of the Human mind and Religious Politics, from the University of Hard-Knocks, Ghetto Town, USA

Email: elveasey at yahoo.com

Blog1 http://el-veasey.blogspot.com
Blog2 http://lveasey.blogspot.com

How far away is the next nearest life form to people or humans, with a great amount of intelligence? That is to say other than what is here on Earth. This topic is often kicked around in scientific circles much to the chagrin of religious followers. Recently this topic re-surfaced in a most unusually place; an online think tank and forum, where a think tanker stated in the form of a question:

“ How far is the gap between Solar Systems? Is it like random islands distant from each other in the middle of the Pacific Ocean?”

The think tanker was eluding to the fact that if there is some life in each solar system of various types and they are so far apart, then most of the life has evolved on its own. Thus similar life to that on Earth might be extremely far apart. It was further discussed that the Voyager Exploration unit which has now left the solar system has changed speed now that it has left into the void of interstellar space.

Indeed this finding of either gravity distribution, density of space, changes our whole set of values in terms of distance and “light years” doesn’t it? Things maybe much different than they appear from our limited viewpoint and perspective here.

Such hypotheticals of types of other life on other worlds is interesting and perhaps my thoughts are that there is every type of life you can imagine out there and then some. After all from what we can see, there is a whole lot out there meaning a whole lot of possibilities. Perhaps you have thoughts on such things, if not do consider all this sometime in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

In his Republic, Plato suggests that in an ideal state, the members should be divided into three different classes: philosopher-king (ruler), guardian and merchant. Philosopher-king is to rule the whole state, guardian is to keep the order and maintain security within the state or fight the war with another state, and merchant is to satisfy the material needs of the members of the state.

Moreover, Plato suggests a rigid hierarchy between the three classes: Philosopher-king is the highest class, which is to rule, the guardian is obliged to unconditionally comply with the philosopher-king, and merchant is the lowest class, and must comply with the philosopher-king and the guardian.

People inne class cannot interfere with the affairs of another class, because Plato believes that people have different skills and innate aptitudes as he says "…no two of us are born exactly alike", We have different natural aptitudes, which fit us for different jobs. This is one of the points that Plato criticizes democratic regime; in democratic regime, one person can interfere into another’s affairs, this would cause injustice.

In his Republic, Plato always criticizes democratic regime. He claims that democratic regime is an unjust regime, the regime by opportunity, but not by capacity, the regime that causes upheaval and confusion among the people. Democratic regime is like a toy regime: people can change administration all the time and too much choice would lead people to confusion. Democracy makes the poor poorer and the rich richer.

Ideal state, for Plato, should be fairly small and justly adequate. Too big state would be very hard to govern. By justly adequate, Plato wants to mean that the material needs should be equally shared by the three classes of the state, private property is not allowed to all the three classes. Though merchant is to earn the material needs, Plato does not allow this class to embrace all of their earnings. It must be equally shared. Enough food, family, and satisfactory sanctuary is enough for everyone, we don not need more than this material need. The more we have, the more injustice and corruption we become.

Moreover, we can assume that women is not allowed into the philosopher-king and guardian class, because in his entire political philosophy, Plato does not suggest any women’s involvements into these two vocational categories.

Because of his suggestions on what he calls the idea or utopian state, Plato is largely criticized of initiating totalitarianism. Did Plato really intend to introduce totalitarianism?

I would say yes that Plato’s political philosophy does indicate some notions to totalitarianism, but he does not predominantly suggest totalitarianism.

Firstly, there is no need of election in totalitarian regime, but in Plato’s ideal regime, philosopher-king is obliged to struggle across rigid and protracted education, until he becomes mentally philosophized. This is an indirect or unconscious indication to election and competition, which are two of the most important elements of democracy.

Secondly, Plato doesn not suggest succession. In totalitarian regime, anyone can become the next leader if the ruling leader wants him to be. Plato, on the other hand, states that anyone can be the leader, but through serious conditions. Present leader cannot hand over his leadership power to anyone he likes. Mostly in the totalitarian regime, the next leader usually has blood relationship or been loyal to the present leader. In Plato’s regime, anyone can not become leader, unless he has leadership capacity.

Thirdly, Plato does propose separation of power. Plato recommends that people of the three classes cannot interfere with another class’ affaires. Each class has its own obligation and sovereignty. Genuine totalitarian regime, in contrast, the leader can interfere into any affair of every institution or individual in the state. As we can see, Hitler’s totalitarian regime, he could meddle into all the three institutions: legislative, executive and judicial institution.

The purpose of Plato’s regime is to bring justice, peace and stability within and beyond the state. Leader of such patriotic mentality cannot be considered as totalitarian.

Moreover, democracy during Plato’s time is absolutely different from our 21st century democracy. At that time, Athenian people had too much freedom; they can change the form of government whenever they want. Democracy at Plato’s time is unchecked democracy. But even 21st century democracy also opposes these political elements. People in democratic regime today, cannot change whatever regime they want, this would cause upheaval and I also oppose this. Today democracy is needed to be checked, in other words, transparent.

Additionally, 21st century democracy is also consisted of rule of law, equity before law, free and fair election, transparency, accountability, leadership capacity, etc. Plato did not oppose any one of these values at all in his Republic.

Need more information about Cambodian politics, laws, history, humanity, culture, LAY VICHEKA: Contact: vichekalay@yahoo.com, 855 11 268 445. Posting address: 221H Street 93, Tuol Sangke quarter, Russey Keo district, Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.

Spring. It comes every year about this time, (in the Northern hemisphere at least) and with it come the birds, new green shoots and flowers!

So what does spring have to do with manifestation you might ask. Well, let’s delve in a little deeper and see what we can unearth shall we? And to that end, a story is in order.

Once upon a time there was an old man who had no friends. He was very sad because of his lack and often wished that he had even one friend to talk with. One day, while walking in the forest, he came upon a strange beggar sitting under a tree. Frightened, he asked, “What are you doing here?” To which the beggar replied, “I am waiting for my friends.”

Now this mystified the old man because no one except him ever set foot in the forest. So he said, “You are mistaken. There is never anyone here but myself and a few woodland creatures.” Not even looking up from where he was intently gazing at the ground the beggar replied, “My friends live underground and will be here soon.” This frightened the old man even more and just as he was turning the beggar, with a piercing glance, suddenly said, “You have no friends. Do you old man?” Startled and confused the old man staggered back and blurted out, “You are right. But how do you know this?” Completely ignoring the old man’s reply, the beggar thrust out his hand and there the old man saw clutched, two small bulbs covered with dry parchment-like skin and having a few roots springing from the bottom. “What are you up to you crazy beggar!” quavered the old man, resisting an urge to flee. Again ignoring the reply the beggar rose quickly to his feet and pushed the bulbs into the old mans uncomprehending hand. Then he said, “Go home. Plant these in a sunny spot. Water them. And in one year you too shall have friends.” and with that he turned and disappeared silently into the forest.

The old man was now quite frightened and vowing to never again add brandy to his tea in the morning, fled back to his hut on the edge of the forest.

Later, when he was idly going through the pocket of his coat, he found the two bulbs and remembering the crazy old beggar in the forest, thought. “Why not? What have I got to lose?” So he did as the beggar ordered and planted the bulbs carefully in a sunny spot, watered them and then forgot all about them.

One year later, as the old man came home from his morning walk, he suddenly noticed something amazing! There in his yard were two beautiful daffodils! They weren’t very tall but they were tremblingly beautiful in the spring sunshine. One was palest white with an orange center and it smelled heavenly as it swayed in the breeze. The other was the most amazing golden yellow the old man had ever seen and stood proud and erect in the green of his lawn.

Thinking back to that day in the forest, the old man began to smile and as he smiled he understood the beggar’s strange behaviour. For, as he had predicted, the flowers (mans oldest friends) had indeed been dormant under the soil and only now had erupted up to greet the spring and the old man.

A tear of joy rolled down the old man’s wrinkled cheek as he knelt down and gazed at his new friends the daffodils and he vowed never again to feel sorry for himself and to plant seeds of friendship where ever he went.

To this day they say there is an old beggar man who gives daffodils to strangers in the woods and that he smiles and calls them “friend” when he does.

From the Compact Oxford English Dictionary: manifestation (noun) a sign or embodiment of something. the materialization of god or spirit.

Manifestation comes from nature.

It is part of Universal law.

It can not be rushed.

It cannot be slowed.

Sometimes we see the results of our efforts to attract that which we desire in mere moments, while at other times it may seem we may never reach our goals. Though, if we look closer, we find that by stating clearly the goal in the first place, we then manifest other goals that in the end serve our higher purpose more closely than the first goal ever would have. Such is the miracle of manifestation and spring, which like bulbs planted in the past, now bears beauty and perfection in the present.

Sasha LeBaron is the author of two books and many articles on the specific techniques and tools of finding your perfect life partner. He lives on the gulf islands of BC, Canada with his perfect life partner and a large fluffy cat. Learn how you can find YOUR perfect life partner in as little as ten minutes per day at http://www.FindYourPerfectLifePartner.com/

Much has been written regarding dreams and their meanings or purpose. Mankind has been fascinated with our dreams since the first dreamer awoke and wondered about what their visions meant. Since ancient times we have looked to our dreams to find signs of what our future holds. The first written dreams we know of were in 4000 BC.

Most people will spend about one third of their lives asleep. Our dreams are a real part of us but too often they are disregarded. Dreams can give us insight and understanding of our personal lives. They will help us to understand our past, present, and sometimes our future. All we need to do is to pay attention to our dreams and get to know them.

Dreams can hold a message for the future.

We have different types of dreams. Often our dreams consist of imagery from our most pressing thoughts and/or personal experiences. Sometimes, however, our dreams can be special. Our dreams can communicate with us if we allow them too. All we need to is listen.

I believe that there are two main types of prophetic dreams.

Those that come to us from our "deeper" self, who is much more aware of certain things than we are on a conscious level, and those who may potentially have come from an "outside" source.

Here is an example from my own dream experiences:

I dreamed of death. All I could remember from the dream was seeing a hand laying in gravels. The most noticeable thing was the ring on the hand. It was my ring. I recognized it without any doubt. Even though this was the only image I could recall from the nightmare I knew that the dream was about a death. I could feel it strongly when I woke up. I had all but forgotten the events of the dream but the emotions were still vivid.

The ring was an Army Boot Camp ring made very similar to a class ring. After I had the dream I never wore it again. Eventually I sold it to a friend of mine who had attended the same boot camp. A few years later I received a call. My friend had been murdered. He was found laying in rocks and dirt with that ring on his hand.

Did my dream forewarn me of this event? I think it is a possibility. What was the dream trying to communicate to me? I had assumed that the dream was about my death. I had also assumed that the ring was somehow a participant in my death. I stopped wearing the ring as though that would prevent the warned death. Perhaps the dream was simply telling me that my friend would die with that ring on his hand.

Whenever we have a dream that we consider to be prophetic or to have a "meaning" we are faced with the difficult task of interpreting just what the dream means. Dream Symbols most often have very definite meanings but these meanings can vary widely from one person to the next. That is why we cannot rely too much on definitions given in Dream Symbol Dictionaries.

In order to understand the meaning of the symbols within our own dreams we must come to a better and deeper understanding of ourselves. We have to learn what these symbols mean to us because that is how are dreaming mind sees them.

Anything within your dream can be a symbol. An example of a symbol in a dream is a snake. A snake can have many different meanings to different people. As with all other dream symbols they can also have a different meaning for the same person at different times in their life. You also have to look at the symbol in the context that it appeared. What other symbols were present in the dream?

The best way to gain a better understanding of what your dream symbols mean to you is to develop your own dream symbol dictionary. Keep as detailed of a dream journal as you can. Don’t just write down a narrative of what occurred but record your feelings and emotions too. As you continue to write in your journal and re-read your previous entries you will begin to see parallels with your dreams and your life. Gradually you will be able to recognize what the symbols in your dreams are really saying to you.

About The Author: Copyright 2006 David Slone. Visit Why Do We Dream for information on dreams such as nightmares, sleepwalking, lucid dreaming and more. Free content articles you can use on your website, ezine or newsletter. You may republish this article on your website provided author information and active link(s) are left intact.

So often we graduate members of our society to the top of the food chain for their knowledge. We grade resumes based on degrees earned in our Colleges and Universities. We also admire those with wisdom and appreciate their abilities to lead us. But alas wisdom and knowledge are not the same. Recently in an online think tank, a fellow think tanker; Marv made this point and reminded us of a quote:

“Too often we confuse wisdom with knowledge, forgetting that the antonym of wisdom is not ignorance, but folly.”

Indeed that quote contains wisdom in its self doesn’t it? In fact one would have a tough time refuting it. However let me give it a try for you here today:

However; “Knowledge can become wisdom if you consider the knowledge of observational flows of how events unfold and how patterns align and/or how chaos, order, simplicity and complexity combine.” Lance 3/2006

Wisdom may not be knowledge, but knowledge can become wisdom and if you are going to pick the best person for the job wouldn’t you want someone who has a whole lot of both? If you are a human resource director or an admissions councelor, then perhaps this might be an important thing to consider? In any case consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Lucid dreaming means dreaming while you know that you are dreaming. The term was coined by Frederik van Eeden who used the word "lucid" in the sense of mental clarity. With practice nearly anyone can experience lucid dreams.

Lucidity is not the same as dream control. It is possible to be lucid and have little control over the dream. However, becoming lucid in a dream is likely to increase your ability to deliberately influence the events within the dream. With practice you may extend the amount of control that you have over dream events. Many lucid dreamers choose to do something permitted only by the extraordinary freedom of the dream state, such as flying.

Some people have objections to lucid dreams. They say that it is un-natural and could be harmful to the psyche. In my opinion this is not true at all. Perhaps if all of our dreams were lucid and controlled there may be some harm, but with our lucid dreams spread out among many "normal" dreams we have plenty of time for non-lucid dreaming.

While we are in a dream our mind accepts what we see and feel as reality. We often find ourselves in very unusual circumstances when compared to our waking life. You could be living in a different house or driving a different car. The sky could be green and the river yellow. In most cases we accept these things as being true. Why doesn’t the mind "think" ‘Hey! I don’t have this vehicle’ or ‘This isn’t where I live!’ or even ‘Hey! I know the sky isn’t supposed to be that color!’

This is what I call incongruities. Things in our dreams that are not "normal". We must wonder, and many have, why our mind so readily accepts anything we experience within our dreams as being real. We know there are no monsters. We know the proper colors for things. We know our home and our daily life. While we are dreaming we often forget these things and we believe what we see in the dream.

Just knowing this and thinking about it can actually help you on your way to a lucid dream experience. An incongruity is one of the triggers to lucid dreaming. A trigger is that which inspires or begins lucidity.

Here is an example of this from one of my own lucid dreams:

I was driving a blue Ford Bronco down a dirt road. I think it was a late 70’s model. There was a young boy in the passenger seat. I was giving him a ride because his motorcycle had run out of gas. The bike was in the back. Suddenly I realized it. I did not own a blue Bronco! In the dream I slammed on the breaks and held my hands up. "I don’t own a Ford bronco!" I said, "I am dreaming!" from that point on I was lucid.

A recurring dream or nightmare can also be used as a trigger. If you have a recurring dream make a conscious effort to realize that you are dreaming the next time you are in that situation. If the dream involves a certain person or place try to think as you go to sleep, "The next time I see that house I will know that I am dreaming". Since the dream is recurring it wont be long before you see that house, person, etc. This may take several attempts. Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t work the very first time.

Another technique that works for a lot of people is asking yourself "Am I dreaming?" and leaving notes for yourself. Several times a day ask yourself the question aloud. Also write the question on a note and put it on the refrigerator. Put the same message in other places where you will see them throughout the day. Many people will find them self asking that question or seeing the question written on a note while they are actually dreaming. This will trigger a lucid dream.

My first lucid dream, that is the first one I had when I was trying to achieve lucidity, was triggered by a flying dream.

Try to go to sleep in the same place and around the same time as much as possible. It is best to sleep with silence as music or other sounds can affect your dreaming. If you do choose to listen to music while you are going to sleep choose soft and soothing music, preferably without vocals. Use the same music each time. Before you go to sleep concentrate on a trigger. My first time I said, "tonight I will fly", aloud several times and I concentrated on it. The second night I had a flying dream but I did not become lucid. On the fourth night I had another flying dream and at that time I became lucid. I was then able to fly to wherever I wanted to!

The trigger or combination of triggers that you use will depend upon you. If you have a common dream theme this is a great trigger. Just concentrate on the next time that you see or experience that you will be dreaming. Think of it as often as you can while you are awake.

Lucid dreamers often comment to themselves in dreams. You may say aloud, "This is a dream! I know that I am dreaming."

Make a list of questions that you have about dreams. Read the list often and look over it several times and concentrate on it before you go to bed.

Can you read text in a dream? Can you add numbers in a dream? These were some questions I had on my list at one time. I had read in a dream book that it was not possible to read text or to calculate numbers in a dream, but I didn’t believe it. I eventually found myself lucid in an office. I walked over to a calendar on the wall and I read the text describing a New England farm house. I turned to another man there and said, "You see? You can read text in a dream!" I turned back to the calendar to read again and found that the words had completely changed. That amazed me and I commented to the other man about it. Next I walked over to a desk and found a calculator. I added and subtracted numbers and came up with correct answers. Yes, you can read text and perform mathematics in a dream. I proved it to myself beyond any doubt and with more confidence than I ever could have by reading anything about dreams.

Keep a Dream Journal

Keeping a dream journal is one of the most effective tools to achieving lucid dreams. Try to write down your dreams as soon after you wake up as you can. Don’t just write a narrative of what took place in the dream. Record your thoughts and emotions felt. This will help you later on as you develop your dreaming research. Be sure to note all major elements, such as people, places, animals, etc.

Keeping a dream journal will also help you a great deal in understanding your non-lucid dreams. As you continue to write in your journal and re-read your previous entries you will begin to see parallels with your dreams and your life. Gradually you will be able to recognize what the symbols in your dreams are really saying to you.

Once lucid in a dream, people can often choose their actions and exert some deliberate control over the dream content. This ability has been utilized in the laboratory to study lucid dreaming and dream psychophysiology. For example, proof that lucid dreams occur in REM sleep was achieved by having subjects give a prearranged distinct signal with deliberate eye movements to mark the points in time when they realized they were dreaming. The dreamers’ reports of the eye movements they had made in the dreams corresponded exactly to their physical eye movements as recorded by means of electro-oculograms on a polygraph record. Reports from experiments conducted using eye movement signaling in lucid dreams can be found in the literature (Dane, 1984; Fenwick et al., 1984; Hearne, 1978; LaBerge, Nagel, Dement & Zarcone, 1981; Ogilvie, Hunt, Kushniruk, & Newman, 1983).

What Are The Benefits of Lucid Dreaming?

The scientific study of dreaming and REM sleep

A variety of psychological and recreational applications.

Lucid dreaming can be a powerful tool for overcoming nightmares

In therapy, lucid dreams appear to be promising for providing personal insight, assisting with integration, and as a safe environment for experimentation with new behaviors (LaBerge & Rheingold, 1990).

Many lay people are attracted to lucid dreaming because it offers an outlet for fantasy, an opportunity for adventure unfettered by the laws of physics or society, and free of risk. As such, lucid dreaming is for many a source of creative and inspiring recreation. Anecdotes indicate that lucid dreams are helpful for artistic creativity, problem-solving, and practicing skills for waking life (LaBerge & Rheingold, 1990).

Dreams hold the most vivid mental images attainable by most people. Lucid dreaming is probably the best method for achieving the benefits such as enhancing physical performance, learning, remembering and facilitating healing.

REFERENCES

Dane, J. (1984). An empirical evaluation of two techniques for lucid dream induction. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Georgia State Univ.

Fenwick, P., Schatzman, M., Worsley, A., Adams, J., Stone, S., & Baker, A. (1984). Lucid dreaming: Correspondence between dreamed and actual events in one subject during REM sleep. Biological Psychol, 18, 243-252.

Hearne, K. M. T. (1978). Lucid dreams: An electrophysiological and psychological study. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, U of Liverpool.

LaBerge, S., Nagel, L., Dement, W., & Zarcone, V. (1981). Lucid dreaming verified by volitional communication during REM sleep. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 52, 727-732.

Ogilvie, R., Hunt, H., Kushniruk, A. & Newman, J. (1983). Lucid dreams and the arousal continuum. Sleep Research, 12, 182.

LaBerge, S. & Rheingold, H. (1990). Exploring the world of lucid dreaming. New York: Ballantine.

About The Author:
Copyright 2006 David Slone. Visit Why Do We Dream for information on dreams such as nightmares, sleepwalking, lucid dreaming and more. Free content articles you can use on your website, ezine or newsletter. You may republish this article on your website provided author information and active link(s) are left intact.