Hi Eco_Nuwaubian,

dream work and lucid dreaming, as you may know already, are very wide subjects. There are many different ways to approach them, with or without plants, with or without chemical supplements, with or without binaural beats or other sensory programming.

It may be difficult for you to get many answers to your questionnaire since you're asking a lot of things... besides, among the cases I remember now of people who have worked out dream experiences, only a few of them used strong psychedelics specifically as dream catalysts. I guess that's because using salvia or DMT in regards sleep and dreams sounds like using a sledgehammer to break open a walnut. Strong psychedelics are usually sought for effects that can transcend by much the common dream experience. That's not to say they cannot have an important effect in dreams... Reports of DMT propitiating weird or vivid dreams are common for instance, but usually, when using substances like DMT, the effect in sleep or dreams could qualitatively be described as a "side effect", considering how intense the main effects can be.

You certainly can look into that, but I'd suggest you start with weapons of smaller, more precise caliber if your main goal is dream work.

Calea has been consistently used for dream enhancing (I haven't worked steadily with it though) but if you want to use plants you should learn about other species, like Silene Capensis or Synaptolepis Kirkii. Use the search and you will find lots of stuff. The south african ubulawu practices evolve greatly around dreams, and there is still a wealth of botanical and phytochemical info to uncover. I've had quite clear effects using both of the roots mentioned.

Also, I think it's very helpful to learn about how the sleeping cycle works, and some basics about dream neurochemistry if you like the subject. The more we know, the easier we'll be able to figure out new, cool ideas. And also, the proper use of supplements like choline, tryptophan, melatonin, galantamine or huperzine and others can be a very effective way to go - although it is always recommended to supplement your supplements with some physical work, meditation and exercises.

Good luck with your Journey!

Greetings Vodsel

Thank you for your reply, it was thoughtful and informative.




I agree that there are a lot of questions but that was only because I had realised that I still don't really know what I am getting myself into as stated above. I do not expect every question to be answered, just the ones you or anyone else wish to respond to. I have done some research into lucid dreaming and many of the methods have not worked for me to even remember my dreams yet alone have lucid ones. I am trying to be as efficient and safe as reasonably possible.




I apologise for giving the impression that I would take DMT and other strong psychedelics, but in the Introduction Essay area in my post called “Mastery of the Dream Realm!” my intentions regarding DMT was mention but I failed to state in this post. My intentions regarding DMT are as shown in the following quote.




I already knew from reading why you should Not take DMT that taking DMT should be postponed as it is a tad more powerful than required. When I say “taking DMT should be postponed”, I really mean “I MUST BE TOTALLY INSANE TO GO ANYWHERE NEAR DMT ANYTIME SOON!” and when I say “it is a tad more powerful than required” I really mean “IT IS AN EXTREME OVERKILL.....AND THEN SOME!” . There is still much for me to learn from the topics and posting and I am moving slowly as the Dream Realm Journey is a marathon, not a sprint (most journeys of great importance usually are).




In terms of what to use to aid my Dream Realm Journey, my permacultural view is that I would like to grow whatever I take or source it from here in the UK whenever possible. Many of the plants/roots will not grow in the UK climate easily if at all but I like the idea of producing your own plants, cacti, mushrooms, etc. To be honest taking DMT, Iboga, and Salvia, are not really options at this moment in time until I have at least had some experience with Calea Zacatechichi at the very least and even then I would like to try growing my own mushrooms too. However, I would first like to start growing both Calea to take soon and Salvia to take much later. I would also propagate these plants to help others acquire these herbs more readily. I came across Silene Capensis but did not consider it because it takes two years to mature. The other plants I am unaware of and will look into them. Thank you for informing me of the addition plants.




As for some of the supplements you have mentioned, I will try to order some melatonin but it is not available in the UK except through the internet, but I do consume a good source of choline via lethicin granules. I am still in the research stage at the moment, but that said I have obtained the following herbs all directed at just getting regular high quality peaceful sleep which is the first step. I will try Chamomile, St John's Wort, Hops, Passiflora and Valerian to find what works best for me. As for physical work and exercise, I proverbially kill two birds with one stone because I work in the fitness industry and I exercise regularly. Although I will eventually try binaural beats during sleep, it's primary purpose is for deep meditation and relaxation before sleep. I do know B/B does work well for me and I will produce my own in FLAC file format. The reason why I purchased the Scandisc Sansa Clip+ MP3 player is because it can play FLAC audio files.


My first immediate step is to get regular good quality sleep hence the herbs. This will take at least a month or two to achieve to form good sleeping habits. I will also include meditation before sleep once I have produced the B/B audio files, hopefully by next week.

I think and feel that I am on the right path for me and your input has been helpful, thanks.

I have tried DMT(low doses make me sleepy sometimes(other times very stimulated but when I mean low doses I take about 50-60 MG and just tape 5-10 MG at a time into a bowl of weed and smoke it slowly over an houror so, If I smoke it faster is when I seem to get stimulated), Salvia(not actually used for dreaming unfortunately, only recently found out its supposed to help that), Calea(recently obtained have had some success mixed with silene capenesis[Read below for more info as I saw you didn't note that]) and calea is a harsh smoke, and the tea really is as nasty as everyone says LOL so take with caution I sometimes woke up having a caughing fit, but I just recently quit cigs so my lungs are healing, mushrooms(have fallen asleep hours after tripping for some minor effects in dreamland but not much.

Other I've tested: Valerian(Never worked on nights I took it and smelled so bad it wasn't worth taking it for long periods), and Melatonin (I've taken very small doses and HUGE doses and even snorted it never did it once do anything for me, NEVER). I've practiced meditation, I find this sometimesmakes it harder to sleep as I get hypnagogic images all night, but I feel more rested after being in a trance most of the night then I do when I can't sleep period which is nice. Most were used in the name of enhancing sleep and especially dreams Dreams. I am an insomniac have suffered with it since before I can remember, and only recently dabbled in the calea and also Silene Capensis(I would suggest trying this as well!) I have had the best success with this one, there isn'tmuch research on it I could find but I haven't had any drug negative interactions with other chems while on it, including caffeine, MDMA, SSRI(paxil generic before I recently quit them), alcohol, cannabis, mushrooms. I went from having 1-2 memorable dreams a year for the past at least 8 years to having about 12 within the last week or two! HUGE SUCCESS but I also basically quit weed for a few days to enhance that as well. So maybe try not smoking weed (If you do)if you try these dream herbs because any time I even stop weed (my main drug) for a month I used to get from 1-2 a year to about 3 in a month. Which was a nice change as I agree dreams are so very important, so I was always sad to never remember them often.

1 Has your sleeping pattern changed since you first venture?

Read above.

2 Do you sleep better, whether it is longer or shorter?

Read above.

3 Was the change immediate or over an extended period of time?

Silene Capensis and calea seem almost immediate but allow up to one week to feel anything off silene, at least if you chew it like me it took 4 days to notice calea had an effect and synergized with the silene same night I tried it. Research Silene before trying supposedly ifyou take it for 3 months straight it can cause PERMANENT DREAM ENHANCEMENT WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO TAKE IT OR ANYTHING ELSE AGAIN TO HELP AID DREAMS. Also noted it can take you to the "white ways" or the "white path" which is a realm in which your ancestors await in dreams carrying messages for you. I've not experienced this. But did get fairly lucid and color enhancement, along with post wake up memory enhancement in amount remembered and length I could hold it all in my mind. All else read above.

4 Does it continue to change the more you participate?

Read number 3 and above.

5 Has your dreaming experience changed since you first venture?

With not much note able effect except the silene and calea.

6 Are your dreams longer and more vivid/intense?

Read above.

7 Do you have a better recall of your dreams?

Read above.

8 Do you have lucid dreams?

As a child I briefly remember some, without drugs, but rare, and only recently with silene and calea.

9 Do you have the occasional nightmare?

I've had the most vivid real and terrify nightmares occasionally before using calea and silene and not while on any other mentioned chem other than perhaps pot. Experienced killing a girl I loved a lot at the time of the dream (we had just broken up after 5 years, and thought we were having a kid together long story short turned out not to be mine.) I woke up crying in a cold sweat.

10 when you have a break of a few days/weeks/months, does the changes in the sleeping/dreaming experience wear off?

A break of what? Work? Drugs? People? All the above?

Great....stuff....Booyah?

What?

Greetings Toxsin

Sorry for my greatly delayed response, life's issues can be very distracting. Thank you for you thorough response, you have left me with food for thought. I have not ordered the melatonin yet, and based on my research and recent progress, I may not need to. The various herbs have not really done much for me so as soon as my Celea has grown sufficiently, I will give it a try. I will order some Silene Capensis root and will try it within a month when I have more time and life is more settled.

The 10th question is referring to if you stop taking silene and/or other substances, does the effect of vivid/lucid dreaming wear off?

I am presently trying to expand the mind and develop the brain through meditation to hopefully promote better sleep and lucidity, but it is having a strange reaction/effect on my sleeping pattern. I am sleeping less and waking up earlier feeling more calm and rested without an alarm. That suits me fine, but will this reaction/effect be the same when I take Silene or Celea? Only time will tell. I will update you all soon as I am getting more into meditation and binaural beat combination.

Interesting thread.
I have to ask, though, have you used mugwort at all for this?
For me, though I do believe dreams to be altered most strongly by thoughts, and due to their nature, the day's adventures, I find mugwort both enhances dreams and makes them easier to remember.
Smoking, or burning as an incense, produce the strongest mugwort effects for me, as it is with a few other herbs as well.
It doesn't taste or smell very good though, and that can counteract the chemical effects it has.

No I have not been to hyperspace while asleep i recently have been having more vivid dreams and have stopped taking the silene and calea and other dream herbs for awhile, also quit weed about 2 weeks ago and honestly this seems the best bet every time I quit weed after months of daily smoking my dreams seem to flare up with intensity for at least a while.

The most effective tool I have ever used for dreaming is a combination of galantamine and choline. Both substances are over the counter supplements which are readily available. Please look into this, you won't be sorry.

Thanks for your input LibertyforAll. I have drunk mugwort as a tea with no effect. I will try it as an incense as soon as I can find my incense burner and charcoal. (interesting method) I don't smoke, so inhaling methods (incense permitting) are out of the question. Maybe I will combine mugwort with a little frankincense resin to produce a more pleasant aroma.