| This may come as a surprise to you but only | | | | a sickness, have a vision quest, or search the |
| recently has the Western world recognized lucid | | | | supernatural world for answers to their communities |
| dreaming while different cultures from around the | | | | problems. The dream world has always been a portal |
| world have used it for thousands of years. It's been | | | | to the spiritual for ancient and even modern man. |
| practiced both as an art and as a method for deeper | | | | Lucid Dreaming and Shaman Herbs |
| understanding of the world around and personal | | | | On method Shamans used to enter dreamtimes |
| growth. Once such group who've used dreaming as a | | | | were by eating or drinking teas of natural dream |
| path to deeper understanding are shamans. | | | | herbs. Supposedly these plants induced vivid and |
| What is a Shaman? | | | | meaningful dreams. Herbs were used by the Chontal |
| He or she's a messenger between the physical and | | | | Indians of Mexico to obtain spiritual messages. Many |
| the spirit world. They were used both as healers | | | | people have related that the effects of these herbs |
| physically and spiritually. Ancient tribes around the | | | | in the dream state can be profound, inducing highly |
| world still use them today. One method they used to | | | | realistic dreams that tend to lead to lucidity. |
| enter the spirit world was lucid dreaming. Modern | | | | Must you be a Shaman to Lucid Dream? |
| shamans use similar techniques even now. They | | | | Absolutely not! Think of a shaman more as someone |
| often had visions of flight, traveling through a tunnel, | | | | specially trained in techniques and herbs to facilitate |
| meeting supernatural beings, white light experiences, | | | | the ability to have lucid dreams. But everyone |
| or out of body experiences. A lot of these are often | | | | dreams and because everyone dreams everyone can |
| associated with dreams in general. Lucid dreams | | | | have lucid dreams without the need of herbs. It |
| might be said to trigger these ancient cognition | | | | doesn't take a medical degree for you to clean out a |
| patterns often referred to as shamanic states of | | | | small cut on your finger, apply antibiotics to the |
| consciousness. Shamanism is based on the idea that | | | | wound, place a band aid around it, and then avoid use |
| the physical world is saturated by invisible spirits who | | | | of that finger until the cut heals. The same applies to |
| affect our lives with the goal to communicate with | | | | lucid dreaming. Shamans have used the power of |
| these spirits. | | | | lucid dreaming for thousands of years but that |
| Shamans and Lucid Dreaming | | | | doesn't mean you must become a shaman to have |
| The shaman is supposed to be capable of entering | | | | lucid dreams. |
| supernatural realms in order to obtain answers to the | | | | Lucid dreaming is a powerful tool used by shamans. |
| problems of their community or enact healing. They | | | | It's a tool they use to enter the dreamtime where |
| are physically present in the natural world, but at the | | | | they perform healing, talk to the spirits, or solve their |
| same time enters into another dimension. One | | | | community's issues. But lucid dreaming isn't just |
| method shamans used was lucid dreaming. By | | | | reserved for a select few or requires a spiritual |
| becoming conscious in their dreams and then being | | | | leaning. Lucid dreaming does require you to learn a |
| able to interact with the dream characters around | | | | few, simple skills practiced on a regular basis. If you |
| them, they believed they had entered the spirit realm | | | | can do that, your shaman living next door might be |
| and were able to communicate and influence the | | | | out of a job! |
| spirits to enact their desires whether that be to treat | | | | |