Hi Dreamers! Well, this is a video that I'd really rather not be making at all.
It's not the most happy subject, but it's an important one.
So please watch this video, because it's a subject that we all need to pay attention to.
Now, due to YouTube's restrictions,
I can't mention the thing that everyone's talking about now,
because they seem to be shutting down videos on that subject.
But the image probably gives away what this is all about.
Now...
For a long time, I've said how lucid dreaming
basically interacts with all areas of your life.
If you're a lucid dreamer, there's really nothing that isn't related to lucid dreaming somehow.
Because dreams reflect reality.
But this is also true of lucid dream practices, because
a great deal of the things we do to become lucid dreamers
are done during the daytime.
They're things that we're doing daily. They're new habits, new practices, etc.
And one of these -- one that I've been promoting myself for a very long time --
is now, unfortunately, something that I'm going to have to ask you to stop doing.
At least for the time being. Now...
We're in the middle of a health scare across the planet. And... It's not great.
Now, regardless of your personal opinion on this -- whether you think it's over-hyped,
or whether you think it's underplayed, or whether you're worrying or not --
none of that matters for this video. This is just a...
A case of "I would rather lucid dreamers be part of the solution than part of the problem".
And I would rather you all be safe. So this video is really about your safety.
Now, one thing all lucid dreamers do is perform reality checks.
And certainly, one of the most popular reality checks is the nose pinch test.
Now, the nose pinch test is a really effective way to reality check.
It is probably the number one reality check that you can perform.
It fails hardly ever, and it's just great.
But, unfortunately, we live in difficult times, and we're
at a point in history where there is a lot of question marks hanging over all of us.
One thing we do know for certain is that
hand-to-face contact is not good when there's a viral epidemic.
It's a really great way--
You know, you touch surfaces, and then you perform a nose pinch test...
Not great.
So, please... The number one message I need to put out with this video is:
For the time being, please stop performing the nose pinch reality check.
Instead, I would recommend either doing the digital watch check,
the text test -- where you read some text, look away, and read it again --
is a good stand-in check for the time being. But the nose pinch check is probably asking for trouble.
So, yes. Please just stop performing the nose pinch test.
I want you to be safe, and I want your loved ones to be safe. Even if you're in a low-risk category,
if you're in your twenties, or a teenager or something, and you're not worried about this whole
illness thing going around, you will have loved ones who are in a high-risk category,
and we should all be doing our part to quell the spread of this virus.
But it's not all bad news. There are ways that we can use this
unpleasant point in human history to our advantage as lucid dreamers
We can actually use it as an excuse to be more mindful.
Which is always a good thing. And mindfulness and clarity and lucid thinking
are important in times of international disaster and struggle.
Of course, I don't want to hype anything up here -- but I also don't want to play it down.
I just really think that we need to be thoughtful and lucid
in the coming days and months ahead.
So, one thing that has been agreed upon by health officials around the world
is the importance of hygiene -- and especially washing one's hands. Now...
As you know, you're supposed to perform reality checks maybe... A minimum of ten times a day.
And what I would recommend is to try making handwashing part of your lucid dream practice.
So... There are multiple ways you could do this. For example,
every time you return home, go to the bathroom, perform a thorough
30-second handwash. But... We all know that's boring. If you've tried it already...
I've certainly been trying to keep more hygienic in these ares.
It's dull.
30 seconds seems to last forever when you're washing your hands.
But you can use it as a chance to
perform reality checks. For example, most bathrooms have something which you can read,
so you can perform the text test.
You can also spend that time to think about what you would be doing if you were lucid dreaming --
use it as a sort of meditation.
Try counting as you're washing your hands. Count from 1 to 30:
"One, I'm dreaming, two, I'm dreaming" -- that sort of thing.
I mean, bascially, be creative. Try and find ways to make
handwashing part of your lucid dream practice. It's certainly a good opportunity to be mindful.
And, of course, this has the knock-on effect of making you
more likely to wash your hands, because it's part of your lucid dream practice as well.
So you're killing two birds with one stone.
I'm going to have a think over the next few weeks
for more sort of practical means to use handwashing as a reality check.
I think there's probably some hidden things in there. So I'm going to experiment with my own lucid dreams,
and I'm going to attempt to wash my hands in dreams and see if there's anything
odd that happens. Maybe the mirror behaves strangely,
because mirrors do often behave strangely in dreams.
Maybe the water runs differently, maybe... Who knows?
But, really, what we've got here is an opportunity to
increase our own health, protect those around us, be part of the solution rather than the problem,
and to use something that's really for the best of everyone
also to aid our lucid dream practices. It's really a win-win situation in difficult times.
So, yeah, this is just really a video to get this message out there as quickly as possible.
Because it's important. Your health and your friends' and family's health are
at risk. I mean, obviously, no one knows the true effects of what's going to happen in the next few months.
But, certainly, the more we can do to minimize problems and to protect ourselves, the better.
And if we can incorporate that into our lucid dream practices, that's even better.
So, remember: For the time being, stop performing the nose pinch reality check.
Whilst it's a great check, the text test is just as good,
and considerably safer in these conditions.
And yes, perform handwashing more often, and make that a mindful practice --
something that connects with your lucid dreaming.
If nothing else, it's a time to reflect on your goals for lucid dreaming,
a time to think about mindfulness, to watch your breath... All those sorts of things.
I'm rambling now. It's just something I really wanted to get out there as quickly as possible.
Now, for those of you who watch my videos regularly,
you'll notice that I've not been uploading quite as often as I could be.
There is a reason for this -- a very good reason. I'm working on a top secret project
that is really exciting. And I can't wait to share it with you, but at the moment, I can't say anything.
All I'm going to say is: Expect there to be a big boost in public interest in lucid dreaming
in the near future. And... Yeah.
If you're not subscribed, now would be a really good time to subscribe,
because things might go a bit nuts in the very near future.
Um... Yeah. I will try to make videos whilst I can. They're probably going to be a bit more like this,
where they're just me casual and me talking,
no fancy editing and all that, just because I really... I'm working my fingers to the bone at the moment.
You can probably tell. I'm probably looking pretty tired right now.
So... Exciting times ahead for lucid dreaming -- and I really hope you all stay safe
and thoughtful in these difficult times. And I wish you all good health and safety in these times.
So, until next time. I'm Daniel Love, The Lucid Guide.
Stay lucid!