Thursday 9 April 2015

Dream 405

'Learning to do the WILD Technique with No-Face'
Dream date: 9 April 2015
When I was trying to get to sleep, I decided to try the WILD Technique and see if I could experience an OBE (out-of-body experience, following my recent research on this topic, which suggests they can be induced using the WILD Technique methodology). However, after around 30 minutes of laying completely still and meditating, I had not yet felt the onset of sleep paralysis, so I just allowed myself to fall asleep.

I found myself in a very dark, old-fashioned theatre. It was very similar to the 'Kino der Toten' ('Theatre of the Dead'), the setting/map for the Nazi Zombies game in Call of Duty: Black OpsI was onstage (to the left of the stage, sitting sideways to the audience) and there were some other people with me (dream characters), also seated on chairs. With us, was a figure - a showman of sorts. He had no face, just a blank white mask-like visage, with no clear features, which was oddly shaped, deformed. The closest comparison I can reach is No-Face from Spirited Away (2001) He was wearing a black cloak. I did not perceive him to be evil, but I was wary of him as I thought he had the potential to be hostile if provoked. 

This No-Face character spoke with a human male voice. He was teaching me - and the other dream characters on the stage - to do the WILD Technique. I had to sit on a chair on the stage in this theatre - which was filled with an audience of spectators - and follow No-Face's instructions. He placed his hands on my shoulders. I am not sure what he told me to do, because I cannot remember. However, I apparently experienced a WILD lucid dream (although I did not actually have a lucid dream in this dream, I simply dreamed I had experienced a lucid dream, although in my recollection, it felt like I was just sitting awake on the stage the entire time). 

No-Face then grasped me around my rib-cage (from behind, similar to the position adopted in the Heimlich Manoeuvre) and squeezed very tightly, which sent feelings of an electric shock through my mid-section. It didn't hurt, but it felt so uncomfortable and unsettling, I was desperate for this to stop, but it seemed to continue for a long time. This made me anxious. The sensation was similar to that which you feel when someone jabs you in the side, but more persistent. No-Face told me he was 'de-fusing' me. 

I was then in a bedroom - it was either my bedroom in Norwich, or my bedroom in my nan's house in Sheringham - I am not sure which. I had to pack some clothes. There was someone with me - I think it was a male dream character, and I had some sort of recollection that this was No-Face in his human guise, although my recall of this scene was poor. I cannot describe the male dream character in this scene or what we discussed. I picked up a laundry basket, filled with dirty laundry - all made of white cotton. I lifted the laundry basket above my head and emptied everything out onto the floor.

There was a scene where I was in - or outside - some amusement arcades, or perhaps a casino. There was an older female dream character (no details recalled, but I knew her in the dream) and my cousin HM. I am not sure what happened in this scene, but I had an anxious, impatient feeling that we were wasting time and needed to be elsewhere. I think this scene took place at night and it may have been in either Sheringham, Cromer or Great Yarmouth. It was somewhere highly familiar - and all these Norfolk locations have amusement arcades.

I was then at my university, outside the shop. It was a sunny day. My boss, DT was there. I was in a conversation with him, which I cannot recall. I then asked him if I could buy some cannabis from him. He said I could, and I handed him a £20 in a very low-key, secretive way. DT then threw the cannabis on the ground, a couple of metres away from where we were standing. It was contained in a black leather pouch. I picked it up. 

TIME: 08:00 - 13:00 (I awoke from this dream)
LUCIDITY: None - but lucid dreaming was a theme of this dream. This may have been a pre-lucid dream
SPECIAL NOTES: Unsuccessful WILD Technique practice for 30 minutes prior to sleep

Dreamsigns:
  • I was in a location which I knew belonged to a video game I have played extensively (IA- Inner Awareness/C - Context).
  • There was a dream character who was very similar - or based on - a character from anime (IA - Inner Awareness/C-Context).
  • In the dream I experienced a 'lucid dream' using the WILD Technique as an induction method. However, the WILD Technique and my experience of a lucid dream was contrary to what I know/expect in real-life (IA - Inner Awareness/A - Action).
  • The No-Face character seemed to have transformed into a normal human male dream character (F - Form).
  • I would never ask my boss if I could buy cannabis from him. I doubt he even uses cannabis (C - Context).

Recurrent Dream Themes:
  • Cannabis
  • Amusement arcades
  • My cousin HM

Potential Day/Dream Residue:
  • The day before this dream, on the Lucid Dreaming Group I participate in on Facebook, another user referred to the fact that we can never dream of a face we have not actually seen in real-life and we debated the truth of this statement. Another member then stated that he often saw 'faceless' dream characters.
  • Just before I fell asleep I attempted the WILD Technique.
  • A couple of days before this dream, I researched and wrote on article on OBEs and decided to try and induce one using the WILD Technique. 
  • The day before this dream I critiqued an online article on the harmful side-effects of cannabis (that it shrinks the brain) and the fact the author had claimed to now be sure of the accuracy of the bold statements he was making and neglected to cite sources/studies. I commented that I have not suffered any cognitive impairment or loss of intelligence, considering I have been using cannabis since the age of 13 years, and have passed every single high school/college exam I have ever sat (including maths, on the basis of my coursework bringing my grade up!); have achieved some of the highest possible grades -and the highest national grade in my English A-level; possess two undergraduate degrees, a Masters degree, a professional legal qualification (BVC) and am undertaking a PhD; as well as having an IQ of 143. 
  • The day before this dream I had completed an appraisal form (as requested by DT) in the hope I can continue my part-time employment at my university over the summer and next academic year.

Waking Thoughts & Emotions:

I awoke from this dream feeling slightly strange because the physical sensation of having my ribs squeezed by No-Face was so unpleasant! I was also confused about how the WILD Technique and lucid dreaming had been interwoven in my dream narrative.

* I am very aware that I have forgotten some vital aspects of this dream, which I had in fact remembered as soon as I woke up. I didn't give myself a chance to remain still and meditate on my dream when I awoke, because I realised I needed to submit a form to my office and was in a rush to get this done. If I recall any further parts of this dream, I will record them below.

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