Hi Robert,
I’ve been trying to perfect my LD practices for years, but never had enough time till last years in which my dreams seem to be improving a lot. However, lately I started trying to Astral project instead and to be honest it’s worked often. Actually, it’s great since when the AP doesn’t work I always have the chance to get a DILD instead because of the suggestions made which has happened to me in few occasions. Having said that, I wonder what your opinion is about the differences between LD and AP?
Thank you very much
Hi Toni,
Thanks for your question about the differences between lucid dreams, and OBE’s (or astral projection). In my first book, I devote about 6 pages to the differences — but here, I will give a short explanation.
The definition of a lucid dream normally reads: When you realize within a dream that you are dreaming, then it is a lucid dream. Using this definition, when you have a heart attack and hover above the body while the doctors try to save the person, is this a lucid dream? Or when you have a car accident, and hover above it, while the ambulance comes, is this a lucid dream? Obviously no.
Now, when some people do WILD’s, they may begin to experience some of these symptoms: 1) they hear a buzzing or strange sounds, 2) they feel unusual energy, 3) they may perceive their bedroom from about five feet above the bed, 4) they may see their astral arms (silvery light), and so on. In this experience, where is the “Realizing within a dream that you are dreaming”? This experience simply does not meet the definition of a lucid dream.
The problem is that the person will say, “I was doing the Wake Initiated Lucid Dream technique, so it is a lucid dream” (even though it does not meet the definition). Unfortunately, WILDs sometime lead to actual lucid dreams, and sometime lead to OBE’s or astral projection, but the inexperienced fail to see the difference.
Now sometimes, you become ‘aware’ and can not recall exactly how you became aware — but you fly around and do all the things that you do in a lucid dream and more. In these cases, I offer other phenomenological characteristics in my book (with help from Ed Kellogg), which may distinguish the difference and help you determine your actual state.
Hope that helps!