April 13, 2011
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Healing the Body in Dreams
Dear Dreamers,
In the last issue of The Lucid Dream Exchange, a lucid dreamer reported a fascinating lucid dream that resulted in an apparent physical healing. What follows is a condensed version of her story and my speculations on creating a scientifically verifiable, lucid dream healing experiment.
June L. entered the hospital in April 2008 for open heart surgery on her failing mitral valve. Following the surgery, significant drainage occurred around the heart area and four “garden-hose sized” tubes were inserted into her chest to siphon away the excess drainage. During the next ten days, while the drainage continued and the doctors expressed concern, June had a lucid dream. She became lucid when she looked out the hospital room’s window and saw an ocean view, which she knew was impossible. At that point, she realized she was dreaming and could lucidly do whatever she wished. Instantly, she decided to try and heal the drainage from her heart.
June tells what happened next: “I look down at my dream body and pull the hospital gown open. There are the four tubes, and I can see the fluid draining out of them into my “briefcase”[drainage collection device] beside the bed . . . I concentrate on the tubes and slowly the draining fluid starts turning into different colored flowers. The tubes pull out of the briefcase and wave slowly back and forth in the air in front of me, like octopus tentacles. Then flowers are pouring out of them, floating gently in the air, until I am surrounded by color and soft flower petals. Other colorful things flow from the tubes, like hearts and balloons and ribbons. I laugh and smile and enjoy the show.
“Comment: The next morning, to the amazement of the doctors and nurses, the drainage had completely stopped. The tubes were yanked out, I could finally take a shower, and the next day, I went home. I really think that had it not been for that lucid dream, I would have been several more days in the hospital."
In the lucid dream, June’s healing intent causes the drainage hoses to disconnect from the “briefcase” and wave in the air. She watches joyfully as out pour flowers, hearts, balloons, and colorful ribbons that surround her. The next morning in waking reality, the doctors are amazed to discover that the drainage has “completely stopped."
When lucid dreaming, the power of directed healing intent seems extraordinary. In my book’s chapter on healing lucid dreams, you can read even more fascinating accounts which attest to lucid dreaming’s potential as an alternative healing modality.
Though these accounts are anecdotes, how could one create a scientific experiment on physical healing during lucid dreams? Ideally, the experiment would require a group of lucid dreamers with a non-life threatening, measurable, persistent physical condition that could not be healed by conventional means. After appropriate baseline medical tests, the lucid dreamers would be taught lucid dreaming techniques to direct healing intent on the physical condition, when lucidly aware in the dream state. They would be reminded of the mind’s amazing healing powers in altered states of consciousness, like deep hypnosis. They would be advised to come to the hospital for medical tests after having a lucid dream in which they directed healing intent onto their body. Separately, a control group of non-lucid dreamers with the same condition would be monitored for spontaneous remission.
With the proper education and motivation, experienced lucid dreamers could be trained to take part in such an experiment. Although individual beliefs and expectation matter, I feel the results would show that lucid dreamers possess the ability to affect the healing of their physical bodies.
Lucid wishes,
Robert
In the last issue of The Lucid Dream Exchange, a lucid dreamer reported a fascinating lucid dream that resulted in an apparent physical healing. What follows is a condensed version of her story and my speculations on creating a scientifically verifiable, lucid dream healing experiment.
June L. entered the hospital in April 2008 for open heart surgery on her failing mitral valve. Following the surgery, significant drainage occurred around the heart area and four “garden-hose sized” tubes were inserted into her chest to siphon away the excess drainage. During the next ten days, while the drainage continued and the doctors expressed concern, June had a lucid dream. She became lucid when she looked out the hospital room’s window and saw an ocean view, which she knew was impossible. At that point, she realized she was dreaming and could lucidly do whatever she wished. Instantly, she decided to try and heal the drainage from her heart.
June tells what happened next: “I look down at my dream body and pull the hospital gown open. There are the four tubes, and I can see the fluid draining out of them into my “briefcase”[drainage collection device] beside the bed . . . I concentrate on the tubes and slowly the draining fluid starts turning into different colored flowers. The tubes pull out of the briefcase and wave slowly back and forth in the air in front of me, like octopus tentacles. Then flowers are pouring out of them, floating gently in the air, until I am surrounded by color and soft flower petals. Other colorful things flow from the tubes, like hearts and balloons and ribbons. I laugh and smile and enjoy the show.
“Comment: The next morning, to the amazement of the doctors and nurses, the drainage had completely stopped. The tubes were yanked out, I could finally take a shower, and the next day, I went home. I really think that had it not been for that lucid dream, I would have been several more days in the hospital."
In the lucid dream, June’s healing intent causes the drainage hoses to disconnect from the “briefcase” and wave in the air. She watches joyfully as out pour flowers, hearts, balloons, and colorful ribbons that surround her. The next morning in waking reality, the doctors are amazed to discover that the drainage has “completely stopped."
When lucid dreaming, the power of directed healing intent seems extraordinary. In my book’s chapter on healing lucid dreams, you can read even more fascinating accounts which attest to lucid dreaming’s potential as an alternative healing modality.
Though these accounts are anecdotes, how could one create a scientific experiment on physical healing during lucid dreams? Ideally, the experiment would require a group of lucid dreamers with a non-life threatening, measurable, persistent physical condition that could not be healed by conventional means. After appropriate baseline medical tests, the lucid dreamers would be taught lucid dreaming techniques to direct healing intent on the physical condition, when lucidly aware in the dream state. They would be reminded of the mind’s amazing healing powers in altered states of consciousness, like deep hypnosis. They would be advised to come to the hospital for medical tests after having a lucid dream in which they directed healing intent onto their body. Separately, a control group of non-lucid dreamers with the same condition would be monitored for spontaneous remission.
With the proper education and motivation, experienced lucid dreamers could be trained to take part in such an experiment. Although individual beliefs and expectation matter, I feel the results would show that lucid dreamers possess the ability to affect the healing of their physical bodies.
Lucid wishes,
Robert
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