Rhodes Review: What inspired you to write about your adventures in Lucid Dreaming?
Alysa Braceau: More than six years ago I met the shaman Running Deer aka Vidar somewhere in Amsterdam. I found him so intriguing that I started a conversation with him (I describe this also in my book). When I visited him a few months later at his place, he invited me to be his apprentice, to learn the art of mastering lucid dreaming, one of the teachings of totality in the sorcerer’s tradition. And he suggested that I write a book about my experiences. At that time I was a journalist and used to write about my personal experiences following new age workshops so I eagerly said ‘yes’ to both of his questions.
Rhodes Review: What other books would you suggest for someone wishing to learn how to Lucid Dream?
Alysa Braceau: So far I haven’t read any books about how to lucid dream, except the art of dreaming of Carlos Castaneda. The dreaming way I write about is in the tradition of Carlos Castaneda (and others), he described the first line of knowledge, coming from the Toltecs and Aztecs. In this book you can learn more about the feature of the Native American second line tradition which is monumental beauty. One of the aspects is that ordinary dreams come to a stop and will be replaced by images of beauty and to be able to heal yourself and your dreams.
To come back to your question: I described the traditional way to master lucid dreaming but I think there are several good authors who made a step by step book from their own experiences, for example Moss and Laberge.
Rhodes Review: Do you have any plans to write a book showing how to do it step-by-step
Alysa Braceau: In my book I describe detailed steps on how to lucid dream but it’s not in the form of a practice workbook, describing it step by step. I chose to set The Sorcerer’s Dream up like this describing my initiation into the sorcerer’s world with the characteristics of a fantasy novel. The result is that people can read, practice and start lucid dreaming almost at the same time. 
That’s also what I hear from readers, they feel as if they travel along with my experiences and enjoy that a lot. People find it a challenging, confrontational and exciting trip.
But that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t want to write a practice workbook, maybe that’s a good idea.
Also, interested readers can send me a request by email if they want to receive a step by step article with on how to lucid dream!
Rhodes Review: What is your current writing project?
Alysa Braceau: The Art of Dreaming is one of the teachings of Totality I write about in The Sorcerer’s Dream. My dreaming teacher Vidar explained there are four practices that guide the apprentice into the totality: the art of dreaming, stalking, hunting and the art of the warrior. He said: “Gradually you will learn to master all of them, but because you are a dreamer the art of dreaming is the most important one for you. On the way to the totality you will learn to master your dreaming, which means that ordinary dreams will come to a halt and will be replaced by the dreaming of the spirit. Ordinary dreams come to a stop, disappear because they are primitive, and take up too much energy. As you master your dreaming, you will have medicine dreams and visions that guide you into the totality.” More about that you will read in my first book.
My second book will be about the art of stalking, as I explained one of the next teachings of Totality.
Rhodes Review: What authors inspire you?
Alysa Braceau: I like to read books from the same genre: stories about men/ woman who where initiated in tribes from different cultures sharing their experiences. I enjoy reading about their exotic adventures and how their perception on reality changed during their process. I want to know more about what they learned about healing and personal growth.
I find books of Castaneda and apprentices interesting: Olga Kharitidi, Elizabeth Jenkins, Sandra Ingermann, Lynn Andrews and Alberto Villoldo and many more.
Rhodes Review: Where do you get your muse?
Alysa Braceau: I used to believe that a novelist needs a muse but not a non fiction writer like myself. In my case the writing process went quite organic. During the years that Vidar taught me the art of dreaming I recorded my personal experiences which has led to this book.
However, during my writing Vidar was abroad for some time and I missed him, it inspired me to be more and more open about my feelings and my experiences.
Rhodes Review: How would a person go about opening their third eye?
Alysa Braceau: In my book I describe several practices with the dream stone, one of the tools to practice the art of lucid dreaming. In the next excerpt dreaming teacher Vidar explains how to activate the inner eye, of course this is also part of the process on how to lucid dream:
Vidar gives me the necessary instructions before falling asleep. “Look at the stone in detail and place it somewhere near, close your eyes and visualize the stone on the inside of your inner eye, between your eyebrows. It is important to become conscious of the moment right before you fall asleep. At that specific moment you visualize the stone immediately inside your inner eye.” My mind resists. Waking up before falling asleep seems impossible. He must have read my mind, because he says; “It’s actually enough to have the intention to be conscious before falling asleep. Attempt it.”
Aim to wake up consciously every morning and visualize the stone with your inner eye,” he continues as he slowly brings the stone closer. “Pick up the stone and move it closer from an arm’s length to the tip of your nose as if the stone is coming toward you. Do not forget to repeat to yourself that you will find the stone,” he concludes.
Before long, I awoke – even though my eyes were closed – and bathed in a sea of light as though someone had turned on the light in my dark head.
As soon as I could, I placed the dream stone within my inner eye, but at the same time, I was afraid of what might happen. My fear turned out to be unfounded because everything became more beautiful. My field of vision received an unparalleled range, eternally bigger than my normal, daily scope. It was an unprecedented, broadening experience. At the same time, my body felt light and I felt as if I were floating. There was a tingling sensation all over my body. My body and my spirit felt light as well. At that moment, there are no heavy thoughts there is only lightness and clear consciousness. The lightness seems to derive from both my forehead chakra and my heart chakra. Words fail me, but it feels extraordinarily pleasurable. I would love to be here forever, to feel like this forever.
Rhodes Review: How did you first get interested in learning about this subject?
Alysa Braceau: I am a natural born dreamer:) Ever since my childhood, I had many dreams and visions. I felt a strong connection with my spiritual ancestors. I don’t think that it is a coincidence that I followed this dreaming path. Vidar once told me (and I describe that in my book as well) that the conditions had to be perfect to meet a benefactor like him. “You have to look at it this way,’ he said. “As a benefactor, I am a polarity and your spiritual sense picked up on that before you met me that day. You circled around me like a rocket launched into orbit as it were, and finally you were in luck.” Of course this sounds pretty bizarre and also a bit funny at the same time, but that’s what he said about it.
Rhodes Review: Is Lucid Dreaming dangerous? I’ve heard others say that it’s messing with dark forces.
Alysa Braceau: Lucid dreaming is a very exiting experience and it gives you a great feeling to be able to control your dreams. To fly like a bird or to meet a deceased loved one.
Almost every can learn how to lucid dream with the techniques I describe in my book. But there is also a step beyond: if you want to enter the boundless unknown. Therefore you first have to master your dreams.
During my initiation into the Sorcerer’s world one of the steps was to take magic mushrooms in a dreaming ceremony. You have to be ready to meet the entity, the holy mushroom that guides you to the unknown. It can be very dangerous if you don’t have someone to teach and to guide you because you are challenged and confronted with your fears. To enter the second reality, the boundless reality you need not only to master your dreams, you also need to be inviolable. This means you must stay calm and independent in every given situation, untouched by your past. The second reality is a completely different reality. You need to be strong as iron, because your intellect cannot cope when confronted with the boundless unknown. You have to train yourself to always be the same, irrespective of any given situation.
I would like to share this excerpt from my book The Sorcerer’s Dream after I took holy mushrooms which is presented to those who are following the teachings of Totality. One of the features of this ceremony is experiencing an intellectual death and to let go your fears (and to heal yourself) to be able to travel into the unknown and to reach the totality of the Self and finally you will discover you are the creator of your own reality:
‘My life has been scattered in hundred thousand pieces. My life, I have complained and nagged about it so many times, but I would die to return to it. From a distance I see myself lying motionless on my right side and finally realize I am dead. I have always been curious about how it would be and now I have come this far. Now I know your spirit just continues living. From a distance I watch my past life. I had a wonderful life, but I just did not see it and what was I worrying about? The worst thing is the fact that my daughter has a future without a mother. I feel guilty. What a way to say goodbye.
I have lost my physical body, but some way or other I have the sense that my torso has been turned and my legs are somewhere behind my head and I wonder how to get it back in shape. Slowly it dawns on me that I have left the world and ended up in the second reality.
My life passes by like a circus, only now I count my blessings. Now there is nothing left but me and the extremely dull everlasting present. Only now I understand the meaning of the often heard expression ‘it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do as long as you are happy and you mean something to others.’ No matter how small. It seemed a sort of platitude and a cliché, but it is true. I look back on a life in which I was very busy, fretted about the tiniest details and lashed out at everything.’
Rhodes Review: Thank you for joining us here at Rhodes Review!
Alysa Braceau: Thank you very much for interviewing me!
Good luck,
Alysa Braceau
Dreamshield
Bio: Alysa Braceau, Dreamshield lives in the Netherlands (Europe), she is mother of a 6-year old daughter. She studied social legal studies and the last ten years she is a (freelance) journalist and publisher. Besides that she has a healing practice and gives workshops about the Art of Dreaming.
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