This is a living document. I am actively updating it as I read more books, learn new things and collect more material. It also looks significantly better on a desktop or tablet. The mobile version condenses everything into one line that can be quite confusing.
To avoid confusion, I’ll be discussing these various phenomena as if they are all established facts to prevent the influence of my own personal beliefs. Much of this document is literally copy+paste from other guides, books and articles. However, my personal beliefs that guide my own practice fall somewhere between the various definitions and interpretations presented here. Think of this document not as a textbook, but as the result of years of notes app ramblings, now arranged into something somewhat coherent- courtesy of a 20-something y/o filmmaker with severe ADHD who hyper-fixates on a new form of dissociation every month or so- because, honestly, that’s exactly what it is.
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Approximately four years ago, I stumbled upon the concept of Reality Shifting. At the time, I was battling Long COVID, which had amplified my pre-existing chronic illnesses and left me in a state of relentless, chronic physical pain. I was desperate for an escape. When I first learned that temporarily leaving my body was even a possibility, it ignited a journey that would go far beyond seeking relief- it led me to question the very nature of reality, the multiverse, and the vast world of Altered States of Consciousness.
Today, I’m proud to say I’ve made immense progress- not just in my journey with chronic illness, but in my understanding of consciousness itself (in fact, I no longer align myself with the theories behind Reality Shifting at all). Along the way, I uncovered something crucial: for generations, we’ve treated these states as separate disciplines, fragmenting them across different subcultures, academic fields, and spiritual traditions. Yet, at their core, I believe these experiences share something fundamental. Through my own exploration, I’ve developed a unique perspective on consciousness- one that shapes my personal practice today. Here, I’ve gathered the insights that helped shape my beliefs, offering a library of sorts for others navigating these same questions.
I’m not a doctor. I’m not a scientist. I’m just a girl with an art degree and, quite literally, a dream.
All of these practices revolve around shifting awareness along a spectrum- from waking consciousness to deep altered states. Rather than treating them as distinct experiences, this framework sees them as different doorways leading to the same phenomenon: the extraordinary flexibility of human perception and the magic waiting within our own subconscious.
Core Concepts of Altered States of Consciousness (ASC)
Out-of-Body Experiences & Astral Phenomena
Dream & Consciousness Exploration
Meditation & Mind Expansion Techniques
Hypnosis & Mental Conditioning
Monroe Institute & Hemi-Sync Technology
Gateway Process – A structured program created by the Monroe Institute that uses Hemi-Sync audio technology to guide individuals into expanded states of consciousness.
Hemi-Sync – A binaural beat technology that synchronizes the brain’s hemispheres, enhancing focus, relaxation, and altered-state experiences.
Focus Levels – Monroe's term for different states of consciousness:
Psychological & Theoretical Concepts
graph TD;
%% States of Consciousness Spectrum (Ordered from Most to Least Connected to Reality)
%% Flow progresses from most connected to physical reality to least connected
subgraph "Physical Reality Connection"
A["Waking Consciousness"] --> B["Hypnotic Trance"]
B --> C["Meditation & Focused Relaxation"]
C --> D["Hypnagogia"]
end
subgraph "Intermediate States"
D --> E["The Phase (Raduga)"]
E --> F["Lucid Dreaming"]
F --> G["Out-of-Body Experience (OBE)"]
end
subgraph "Expanded Consciousness"
G --> H["Monroe's Focus Levels"]
H --> I["Reality Shifting"]
I --> J["Near-Death Experience (NDE)"]
end
%% Characteristics
A["Waking Consciousness<br>(Normal daily awareness)"]
B["Hypnotic Trance<br>(Altered focus, increased suggestibility)"]
C["Meditation & Focused Relaxation<br>(Heightened awareness, mental clarity)"]
D["Hypnagogia<br>(Vivid imagery, between wakefulness and sleep)"]
E["The Phase<br>(Hybrid state of lucid dreams, sleep paralysis, OBEs)"]
F["Lucid Dreaming<br>(Awareness within dreams, dream control)"]
G["OBE<br>(Separation from physical body)"]
H["Monroe's Focus Levels<br>(Controlled altered states)"]
I["Reality Shifting<br>(Relocation to alternate experience)"]
J["NDE<br>(Experiences resembling religious phenomena)"]
Everybody dreams. Dreaming is thought to be one of the ways our brain processes memories, and REM sleep correlates with good physical an mental health. However, just because we go to sleep and dream nightly doesn’t mean we recap the full benefits of dreams. To do that, we need to start remembering our dreams. Some practitioners who engage in “dreamwork” reap additional benefits from interpreting these dreams.
Remembering Your Dreams
Keep a dream journal - Recording our dreams improves dream recall. It doesn’t have to be a traditional journal- electronic notes or voice memos work too. There are some apps designed for dream journaling and lucid dream checks, as well. Documenting helps us recall more details of the dream, and having a record of dreams helps identify patterns that are useful when interpreting dreams. If you wake up in the middle of the night and recall a dream- record it immediately.
Have a regular sleep schedule - Go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. The average adult requires about 7-9 hours of sleep per night, and keeping a schedule helps to make sure we are getting as much REM as possible. REM cycles become more frequent and longer throughout the night. This is why early morning hours are the best times to do dreamwork!
Set the intention to remember dreams - This one is easy- if you want to remember your dreams, you need to… remind yourself to do so. Pick an object around your house that you can use to remind yourself to remember dreams. Use sticky notes around your home or in your workplace. Repeat mantras like “I remember my dreams”, “it’s easy to recall my dreams” and “I remember dreams in great detail”.
Interrupt dreams - Our dreams are most easily recalled when we wake up in the middle of REM. This is why people often say they “only have nightmares”- they only remember their dreams when they are startled awake by them. We can engineer this phenomenon (and have a lot more “good” dreams) by setting alarms to go off during REM cycles. Setting a series of alarms five hours after bedtime increases the chance that we will awaken during a dream and be able to recall it. This system may not work for everyone (especially those with insomnia), and sharing your bed with someone who sets constant alarms isn’t exactly an ideal relationship dynamic. A way to naturally interrupt sleep is to drink a large glass of water before bedtime, or promising to take the dog on a morning walk. (This might improve your relationship as well, especially after the alarm incident…)
Dream Interpretation
Dream interpretation is highly subjective since symbols and imagery can have different meanings for individuals and can vary across cultures. They may even differ from dream to dream. Many dream journals can be found in print and online, but they aren’t exactly necessary to interpret what your dreams mean. Dreams come from our subconscious, so we’ve already internalized their meaning, and interpretation is a matter of drawing out those meanings. Here are the basic steps to interpret your own dreams.
Identify the major symbols within the dream - These are usually objects, animals, people, words, or situations that stand out because they seem strange or we have a strong emotional connection to them. After you’ve kept a log for a while, you’ll be able to pick out patterns and repeated imagery.
What do the objects traditionally symbolize? - This is a great place to start. It doesn’t require a dictionary, maybe just some basic understanding of common symbols and archetypes. Our lives are made up of these things, and their meanings, can be found across various media like books, television, and movies. Some symbols, especially major archetypes such as the Hero or the Mother, are found across almost every culture and throughout history. Others might have different meanings depending on a person’s culture or personal experiences. However, we can generally arrive at their meaning through our own intuition. For example, dreaming about a red rose might relate to love and romance, or dreaming about a road may symbolize a journey.
How do you feel about the symbol based on the dream? - This is the part that is subjective and provides insight into what the dream specifically means for us. Using the example above, if the dream is about a red rose, but we’ve being pricked by it’s thorn, it could represent being hurt romantically or a romantic situation that is not benefitting us. A calm, friendly dog that we’re drawn to might symbolize friendship and loyalty, but a snarling dog we’re afraid of likely symbolizes someone or something we feel threatened by.
Lucid dreaming is a state where you become aware that you are dreaming while still inside the dream. Sometimes, you can even control your actions, surroundings, and the dream itself.
Learning to gain lucidity in dreams can be done concurrently with learning dream recall, but it’s often easier when you already remember dreams on a regular basis. The easiest way to become lucid in dreams is to perform reality checks in our daily waking life. As this becomes habitual, we eventually start to question whether or not we are dreaming when we’re in a dream. Set up reminders for reality checks the same way you set up reminders to remember your dream - phone reminders, post-it notes, a to-do list, an app… Another way is to reality check when you see a certain symbol, especially if it often occurs in your dream. You can do this as frequently as you like, but every few hours is effective.
Lucid Dreaming Methods
Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD) Method
This is a powerful technique where you program your mind to recognize when you’re dreaming.
Wake-Back-to-Bed (WBTB) Method
WBTB increases the chances of entering REM sleep (when lucid dreams happen).
This works by keeping your mind alert while your body falls back into dreamland!
Wake-Initiated Lucid Dreaming (WILD) Method
This takes practice but allows you to enter a lucid dream directly from wakefulness!
Optional External Aids
Common Reality Checks
Ask yourself if you are dreaming - Sometimes this is enough to make us realize we are dreaming.
Count your fingers - When in a dream, it’s difficult to count accurately.
Look at your hands - Forget about even counting your fingers- looking at your hands is enough to make you question the validity of AI imagery.
Try to read the same thing twice - It’s difficult to read in dreams, and words will often change when we try to re-read them.
Hold your nose and try to breathe - In a dream, we’ll continue to “breathe” despite the blockage.
Try to fly or levitate - You can also try to make an object levitate.
Look into a mirror - Again, it’ll make you question the validity of AI.
Try to look at yourself or an object in the third person - in dreams, it’s possible to have almost an omniscient, 360 degree view of ourselves or objects.
Use a light switch - Many times they won’t actually work.
Ask someone if you’re dreaming - I don’t love this, in the off chance that you are, in fact, awake, and are then stuck in an awkward conversation that you desperately wish you weren’t in.
Stabilize the Dream Once You’re Lucid
If you realize you’re dreaming, don’t get too excited or you might wake up! Instead: