Michele Knight's Blog, page 224

Wide Awake and Dreaming – Using Lucid Dreaming to Problem Solve

Recent studies indicate that we can not only manipulate our dreams in a way that goes far beyond sci-fi stories like Inception but we can use our dreams for insight and problems solving as well.

Many of us have experienced what is known as ‘lucid’ dreaming. We become aware we are dreaming within the dream and at that point interact with it – becoming active participants instead of observers. We may tell people we encounter in the dream we know we are dreaming. Or else we may make decisions in the dream as to where we will go or what we will do next. In the film Inception Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his team use a combination of drugs and psychological profiling to trigger specific dreams in people which they enter in order to gain information. While nobody yet can enter anybody’s dreamscape, new research points to the fact we can not only design our dreams to order, but use them to access information and problem solve.

Perhaps the most famous example of this in the scientific community is that of German theoretical chemist August Kekule. Searching for the structure of benzene he realized that the atoms did not line up side-by-side as in other molecules. However, it was only when he dreamed of a snake eating its own tail that he came up with the answer – that the atoms were arranged in a circle.

Deirdre Barrett, assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and author of the book The Committee of Sleep: How Artists, Scientists and Athletes Use Dreams for Creative Problem-Solving – and How Your Can Too, has proved that much like the Dom Cobb character in Inception – we can control what we dream. She tells us that if you want to solve a specific problem – first of all think about it before you go to bed. If it lends itself to an image, hold that image in your mind like you do when visualising and let it be the last thing in your mind before falling asleep. If you want to take it one step further, put something next to your bed that visually represents the problem. If you’re looking to solve a problem with a person then try to have a photo of them. If you’re a creative person and blocked then this could be a blank canvas or sheet or paper. If it’s a technical or scientific problem then make it plans or notes.

Dr. Barrett recommends that we don’t immediately jump out of bed when we wake up as we can lose the dream content. If you don’t recall the dream immediately see if you feel a particular emotion. By latching on to this often the whole dream will come flooding back! In a weeklong study 50% of people dreamed of their problems and a fourth solved them via their dreams!

In the 1970’s psycho-physiologist Stephen LaBerge ran a series of experiments at Stamford University which demonstrated the reality of lucid dreaming. He discovered that events that take place in lucid dreams unfold in the same time as they would in real life – contrary to the premise in Inception where dream time was compressed.

Want to dream more lucidly tonight? Dr. LaBerge has the following tips:

Think about dreaming while you are awake.

Keep asking yourself, “Is this a dream?” and also watch out for the unusual. If you’re flying or shoe shopping with Lady Gaga – you’re probably dreaming.

Watch out for text or writing of any kind. In dreams written words will appear different every time you try to read them.

He also recommends a technique called mnemonic induction of lucid dreams (MILD). Wake up an hour earlier than usual and recall your last dream. Before going back to sleep think: “The next time I dream, I want to remember I’m dreaming.” Lucid dreams occur most often in the morning just before awakening.

The Buddhists believe life is a dream – we shuttle from one dream to the next. We merely need to wake up and realise we are dreaming.

 

 

How the Internet is Fuelling the New Soul Evolution

Is connectivity our path to the next stage in our soul evolution?  Many believe it may be. When we back look at the massive leaps that have occurred in our consciousness throughout history, these milestones have coincided with an expansion in our ability to communicate and connect with one another. The abolition of slavery and child labour. Women’s suffrage. When we look back in history we see that these movements were all preceded by an expansion of knowledge and communication. As we moved into the industrial age we not only saw the start of mass communication in the form of newspapers appearing thus making more people aware of key issues, but with education becoming available to all, literacy was not just confined to the upper echelons of society. We can therefore say that information like the wheel, has played a key role in our evolution – and continues to do so.

There’s no doubt technology and the internet has changed our lives. But I believe the most exciting thing about the new connectivity that is emerging is its potential to fuel a new phase of our soul evolution. In the same way early newspapers highlighted social issues of the time bringing them to the attention of society, today’s internet and social media performs the same function – but on a global scale. No matter who you are or what you are doing – you now have no place to hide as individuals become their own global media networks thanks to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and the devices that fuel them such as smart phones and tablets.

Scientists are now discovering that while all this technology can be addictive, this in fact may not be as negative as previously thought. For example, Professor Robert E. Kraut who originally conducted tests with internet users which pointed to the internet fuelling addiction and social isolation has reviewed his findings in light of his latest research which links the hormones oxytocin and dopamine to internet use. These are the hormones which the brain produces when we are in love. In other words, connecting with people on-line actually boosts these levels in our brains making us more empathic, sympathetic and open!

We are now moving away from inter-connected networks to ‘environments’ hosted by Cloud technologies where there will be a greater emphasis not on how we connect to others but how we co-create with them. How we are all individual transmitters which has its own unique contribution to make co-creating a system that connects them to every other being – in other words a paradigm shift in our entire consciousness on a planetary level.

If we begin to see ourselves as co-creators – rather than just passive victims of fate, then we become true warriors for evolution and change. The great thing is all of us now have the ability to start to make those changes with the click of a mouse every time we share a story of injustice on the timeline of our Facebook page.

To take it one step further, theoretical physicist Professor Michio Kaku has put forward a theory that human consciousness may be nothing more than information – we may be our own supercomputers which can be downloaded into these portable data storage devices known as human bodies! It seems metaphysics and physics are meeting – not just on-line but at the forefront of human consciousness and our soul evolution.

So do something positive and beautiful online today and know that we are all a virus that spreads!

Your Free Astrology Videos For The Week Starting 2nd July 2012 With Michele Knight

Connecting to the Multiverse – How Our Brains ‘Choose’ Our Experiences

When Stephen Hawking was elected to the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge University, his inaugural lecture had the ambitious title ‘Is the end in sight for theoretical physics?’ Hawking suggested that science was close to accomplishing the ultimate goal – the unification of all the laws of physics into one, consistent framework that would encompass all reality. Theories such as the holographic universe, unified field and supersymmetry seem to point to this. Now, research into neuroplasticity and neurophysiology not only fuse quantum mechanics with cutting-edge medicine but appear to be providing breakthroughs in our understanding of consciousness and how we ‘exist’ within this quantum field.

To quote Dr. Ian Weinberg, a consultant neurosurgeon at the Linksfield Park Clinic, Johannesburg: “The non-locality dimension of the quantum environment represents a timeless and spaceless milieu in which matter/energy/frequency is in a state of constant flux. It has been shown that processes of human consciousness may convert and precipitate information from this quantum dimension into our five senses-based reality. This is termed collapsing the wave of possibilities.”

In other words, our ‘consciousness’ is connected to the quantum dimension and downloads our information directly from it – collapsing the quantum wave of all possibilities into the one we experience. We experience this via our brains. Hence – when people say we are the creators of our own reality – it might be more accurate to say we are the down loaders of that reality since all variations of it exist! When we look at our evolution, it’s plain that as we have evolved our understanding and ability to ‘download’ has increased. We’ve now proved that we can create new neural pathways in the brain – thus affecting what we can ‘download’ – in other words, changing our experience.

Dr. Darryl Reanney, the acclaimed molecular biologist believes that the key to a unified theory lies not in physics but inside our own brains and that we may have reached the boundaries of what can be understood by us now simply due to the way our brains are constructed. He says: ‘What lies before us is the final frontier, the mysterious border at which we are prevented from seeing more deeply into the nature of things, not by the construction of the world but by the construction of ourselves.’ In other words – in order to reach a better understanding of our universe we may need to reach a new peak in our evolution.

Dr’s Hameroff and Penrose at the forefront of the study of quantum consciousness have discovered that neurons in the brain form microtubules which comprise a crystal-like lattice structure. They posit that it is these structures that allow the quantum information to interface with the neural circuitry of our brains. As these neural pathways evolve and produce more lattices they may allow us to ‘download’ more – thus increasing our understanding of the universe and altering our experience within in.

If time is something we’ve created to stop everything happening at once then our brains also lack the circuitry right now to prevent us from accessing all possible outcomes and every dimension in the multiverse. As Darryl Reanney put it ‘The essence of the human quest is to break free of time, to reconnect to the eternal in all of us, in that space where the past and the future interleave, the reality laboratory of our own minds’.

In the future we may discover that our minds are not only designed to create our own reality – but to access every possible variation of it and consciously choose which one we will experience. Want a different reality? Then expand your mind.

Advanced Psychic Development Techniques – In Their Shoes

Working on developing our psychic skills not only benefits our intuition but can have unexpected uses in other areas of our lives. We’ve all heard the saying ‘Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes’? I’m now going to share with you a technique that will help you start to try on someone’s entire life for size – leading to powerful intuitive insights.

A few weeks ago I published an article on MK on the power of books. In it I talked about how we can lose ourselves inside fictional worlds and end up changing our thoughts and behaviours to match those of our favourite characters. Well, this technique which I will share with you today is based on that because it starts with stepping into the ‘shoes’ of one of your favourite fictional characters.

For argument’s sake let’s say your favourite book is Pride & Prejudice. You can easily identify with outspoken and strong-willed Lizzie – and are perhaps wishing for your equivalent of Mr. Darcy to appear! From the description Jane Austen has given you in her book as well as the numerous film and TV adaptations, you have a pretty good idea of how Lizzie Bennet looked and dressed. Now, make sure you’re not going to be interrupted and get comfortable just as if you are preparing to meditate. Relax and imagine yourself in the bedroom of Elizabeth Bennet (or whichever character you have chosen). You are now going to try on her clothes. Create a wardrobe in your mind of clothes she would wear and imagine taking them out of her closet. Imagine you are putting them on. Make it as detailed as you like – after all, there would be no zippers in Regency times – everything would be buttoned, hooked or laced! As you ‘wear’ your characters clothes sense how they feel and think. What are their fears? What do they love the most about their life as it is right now? How do they eat their food? As you really notice how their clothes feel on your back, go further into their character. Ask them about their life, how they feel about the way their story developed in the book and what they really feel about the other characters. The answers may surprise you!

You can remain in this meditation for as long as you like. You can try on other characters clothes or else try a new character from a different story. When you are ready come out of the meditation and jot down everything you felt, experienced or just intuitively ‘knew’ about your character.

The more you do this, the more you will connect to your characters and as you become more and more proficient you will be able to start to do this with real people and gather a lot of information about them in a very short time. Once you have mastered this technique you will be able to do this in seconds.

As a bonus, if you are writing a book report or are in a book club you can use this technique to bring a new level of depth and insight into your essay or discussion which will astound everybody!

We can only truly ‘tune in’ to’someone when we know what it is like to be them and live their lives. By walking into a characters wardrobe we literally can become them in the same way an actor can create a character in a film or play that is 100% authentic. Use this technique to not only take your abilities to a new level but to enhance your understanding and empathy.

My real favourite author is L R Fredericks who has just got a fantastic new book coming out on the 5th July called Fate. Her first book Farundell blew my mind and although Fate is a prequel to Fate you can read Fate as a stand alone. I love her books as they capture magic and are the perfect books for the above exercise. Check out her website http://www.lrfredericks.com/ I cannot recommend them highly enough

What’s Your Psychic Style? Take Our Quiz and Find Out!

What’s Your Psychic Style?

We are all intuitive. But we receive our information in different ways. Take our quiz to find out what your psychic ‘style’ is!

Think of a rose. Do you imagine

a)      The stem with its thorns contrasting with the soft petals

b)      A beautiful rose garden

c)      The scent of roses

d)      Hearing the birds and the rustle of the breeze through the roses

e)      Making rose potpourri

If I were to say ‘chocolate’ to you what’s your reaction?

A)    You can almost taste that velvety texture as it melts in your mouth!

B)     You can see the label

C)    You can almost smell the cocoa

D)    You can hear the snap as you break off a piece and the satisfying ‘crunch’ as you take a bite

E)     ‘There goes my diet . . . ‘

You’re walking along a beach at sunset. What is it you notice the most?

a)      The sand between your toes

b)      The Sun just touching the horizon as it sets

c)      The fresh smell of the ocean

d)      The sound the waves make lapping the beach and the cry of the sea gulls

e)      You want your camera or your diary so you can capture the moment in some way

You’re in a New Age shop looking for the perfect thing to advance your psychic skills. What is it you are drawn to the most?

a)      A crystal – you can feel its resonance

b)      A tarot deck

c)      Some sage for smudging

d)      A meditation CD

e)      A dream journal

Lastly, imagine Johnny Depp is standing next to you right now. What do you find it easiest to imagine?

a)      The feeling of his stubble or softness of his skin

b)      The colour of his eyes

c)      The smell of his cologne

d)      The sound of his voice

e)      What you would talk about

Mostly A’s: I bet you can feel the temperature drop if someone from the spirit world is around you! You might notice you go hot or cold when either you get a flash of intuition or a message from your guides. You talk about how things make you feel as opposed to how you think or react to them. You are very senstitive.

Mostly B’s: You are a natural clairvoyant. You ‘see’ things in your mind’s eye. If you practice you may find in time you can pick up even the tiniest detail. Pay attention to images or symbols in your dreams. They could turn out to be very accurate when it comes to predicting the future.

Mostly C’s: You are a psychic detective. You tune into others or situations by literally ‘sniffing out’ the facts. If you notice unusual scents or fragrances around you, even when there is nothing in the room to cause them, you are scenting another presence. When meeting new people you may find your nose twitches. It’s nothing to do with whether they smell of Chanel or garbage. Your nose knows!

Mostly D’s: You are clairaudient. You can hear words, sounds or even music psychically. This is the most unusual version of psychic ability. You may even hear people from the spirit world as if they were speaking to you. Ask your spirit guide a question out loud and then wait. You may hear the answer coming back.

Mostly E’s: You are clairsentient. You just ‘know’ things and your hunches usually turn out to be right despite the fact you’ve never felt a drop in temperature, heard a spirit voice, smelled a fragrance or even picked up a Tarot deck. You may feel you have always known something about a person or situation but when you analyse it you will realise the insight is in fact new and also that there is no way you could have picked it up from someone else.

Don’t forget – psychic ability is like any other skill we have.  Albert Einstein said: ‘Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration’ so practice makes perfect. The more you practice with your ability the more you will find your psychic impressions to be accurate.