are you feeling well? it is time to begin.
this works best with a partner, but can be done solo with practise.
-BEGIN THE DREAM-
the dreamer closes their eyes. the guide calms them - typically by laying their head on their lap and rubbing their temples.
the dreamer grounds themself, taking 2 deep breaths. the guide repeats the mantra -
you are walking along a corridoor, as far as the eye can see.
many doors line this hallway. explore these doors, and the rooms inside.
tell me everything you see, hear, touch, and smell . . .
come now, come and open your first door . . . !
the guide will now accompany the dreamer as they open and explore these doors! sometimes the doors will lead to multi-room complexes, or even the outisde! in the rarest of cases, you may eventually find yourself in another corridoor, or a similar nexus-type environment. it is important to always close the door behind you as you enter/exit a room - and to return to the corridoor when you want to wake up.
the dreamers' job is to describe in detail what they see, and mainly follow the script the guide gives. the guide will steer the adventure, by asking the dreamer to do things or to describe their environment. some fun prompts to ask are:
what is in your pocket?
what are you wearing?
what does it smell like?
for the first few dreams, it is imperative that the guide helps steer clear of anything dangerous. ask the dreamer how they feel often - if things feel bad or they want to leave, guide them back to the original corridoor to wake them up. make sure they close every door on the way back. the mantra for re-awakening goes as follows:
as you walk down the corridoor, take a deep breath, and let the rooms fade into the back of your mind
slowly open your eyes, and relax . . .
the dreamer awakens, and most likely will feel at peace. it is nice to talk about the dream you shared afterwards - there may be something signifcant to think about (or maybe not!)
when playing with more than 2 players, it is a fun idea to have a map writer - someone who draws a visual map based on the dream. this can also help if the dreamer gets lost, or is in danger.
-DANGER-
danger signs are very common in dreams, though when avoided do not pose a huge threat. if you want to have a 100% pure dream, i wouldn't recommend reading any further, as worrying about these dangers may cause them to manifest in your dream. the best advice is - if it feels bad, leave.
- do not enter dark rooms
- do not talk to uncomfortable people (or anyone if unsure)
- in particular avoid tall men/hat men/etc
- avoid clocks
- if things feel 'artificial' it tends to indicate a dark turn in the dream
- if you feel like you are being watched, do not engage
- it is imperative you return to the corridoor and walk away in order to wake up. in actuality, my first ever guide experience involved a situation where the dreamer couldn't access the corridoor anymore. in order to wake her up, i guided her to break a window and leave the complex. she lay down in the outside world, and fell asleep within the dream. i was then able to wake her up in the real world, 2 layers deep of dreaming. this is the only way i know to safely exit a dream once the corridoor becomes unusable. this is rare, however. -
i hope I haven't scared you off ! there is a lot to uncover in the dream world. eventually, it can be fun to face your fears, and challenge these threats head-on. remember, this is your dream, and its possible to shape things if you imagine.
this is my story. it'll go the way i want it, or i'll end it here
-tidus
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if you have tried to enter the dream world yourself, and have a fun story to share - please email me at gray.br@hotmail.com. i would love to hear of any experimental dream techniques, such as incuring a dream within the dream world (however many layers deep). if you are able to bring another person into your dream, please tell me your method.
