Lucid Dreaming

After the pier, you come to a staircase of ten sturdy steps with a railing on each side. As the count goes from ten down to one, you take one step per number, and the lower you go, the more relaxed you become. At the bottom you stand on the beach, and that is where the lucid dreaming suggestions begin.

You're asked to picture the time between sleep and waking, with your eyes still closed. There you replay the dream: who was in it, what you saw, heard and smelled, and how you took control. The idea is to practise remembering your dreams as you wake.

It suggests that at first you may stay aware in a dream for only a few minutes. It then asks you to imagine staying aware a minute longer each time you listen. It encourages patience and calm, and says the skill grows with repeated nights.

You picture bright, vivid colours, every detail clear, and sounds from very loud to nearly inaudible. You imagine going to places you've never been and choosing who appears. The dream is also described as a journey you can follow openly, with the choice still yours.

After the dream suggestions, the voice says it will be silent while you work on your own images. You let go of stress and old weights, picture doing everyday activities in a calmer way, and direct a ball of energy at a goal. Then you breathe in a sense of purpose and breathe out doubt.

Near the end the voice points out how hard it would be to recall what was said minutes ago, and says you can choose to remember to forget or forget to remember. It's a hypnotic way of letting you stop trying to follow along and drift off, trusting that your subconscious takes in the words while you sleep.