Customer Reviews

Lucid Dreams in 30 Days: The Creative Sleep Program (30-Day Higher Consciousness)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Ignore the cheesy title -- this one really works. Harary and Weintraub's 30 day plan gradually immerses the reader into his/her own subconscious until s/he can't help but develop a greater awareness of his/her dreams. Faithful practice lays the groundwork for more vivid and frequent dream recall, incubation, reentry, and, finally, recognition of the dream state while dreaming. For those who believe in Doing Something with that "lost" third of their lives.

This book is excellent! It gives you a lot of practical, detailed exercises, and it works! I was quite skeptical at the beginning, because I used to see (or remember) dreams extremely rarely, once a year (!) maybe, and overcoming the first barrier - remembering my dream - I thought was my biggest challenge. I decided to try just for fun, and I was amazed that I could remember my dreams four nights in a row - something that has never happened before. Several weeks later I saw my first lucid dream (that is the dream where you realize that you're dreaming), and it was truly amazing and FUN! I'm sure I could have progressed much quicker, but I wasn't consistent in my practice.

This book is very fun, easy and interesting to read, it explains in detail how to reach lucid dreaming stage, and it also gives a lot of advice on how to use your dreams for self-discovery and self-development (like exploring your subconscious or finding a teacher in your dream). I was never interested in this subject and started reading this book accidentally (recommended by a friend). After reading this book, I got so interested in this topic, that I started reading other books, like Laberge, Garfield etc. Laberge is excellent as well. But he gives a lot of theory (what is dream, how it works, history of dream research, modern lab research etc.) and some exercises (not particularly structured and not given in the order of difficulty), while in this book by Weintroub and Harary the main focus is exercises, and how to experience for YOURSELF, it's very structured, step by step approach (exercises for day 1, day 2 etc. - exactly what's needed for a beginner, who wants to EXPERIENCE, not just READ ABOUT). If you're a serious researcher, I recommend you read both, Laberge (better on theory) and this one (better on practice). Good luck!

P.S. I've read one comment here about Astral travel, and how it was all silly, and shouldn't have been mentioned in the book etc.. Well, maybe for people who just start exploring dreaming, it really is too early to talk about astral travel (W & H do talk about it briefly at the very end of their book), but I wouldn't recommend jumping into conclusions before trying, practising, experiencing first. Who knows...

This book is no joke. The excercises may seem silly and strange, but if you follow them accordingly and practice you will be able to become conscious in your dreams. You can use the subconcious to understand and fix problems you may be having in life. To put bluntly, buy it.

This is the best practical guide I have found to lucid dreaming. For a lot of theory and padding go someplace else. For a down to earth and basic instruction book this one is the best choice. Comparing a practical little handbook like this one to a book about research and theory is like comparing a field guide to bird watching to a big academic book on ornithology. I have done most of the exercises and they really work! They are also lots of fun. Plus the book makes reference to the fact that the exercises are based on techniques that date back thousands of years in addition to current research. What is curious to me is how some other experts don't always reference the fact that their original methods are not very original after all. You would think that human beings didn't know how to have lucid dreams or even how to just plain dream until they came along! In contrast I respect the fact that the authors of this book don't try to knock other scientists and other books to promote their own. They just tell it like it is and recommend other books and authors for those who want to study other sides of the subject. This is also my first choice book if you want to get right into lucid dreaming because it doesn't try to tell you what kinds of dreams you should have but just helps you open up to your own experiences.

For one I don't ussually give online blog reviews, especially book reviews. However, I have become extremely intrigued and obssessed with lucid dreams. This book is the prequel to my obsession. After I had my first lucid dream by accident, which by coincidence is actually the strongest lucid dream I ever had to date, I decided I needed to look into this. When researching online this 30 day program is ONE of the things I saw first, and non-coincedently caught my eye the most.
What it comes down to is that this book makes it appear, by the title, that lucid dreaming can be obtained on a set schedule. If you were hoping that this is the case I am sorry becuase it doesn't work like that. Ever since my experience I have been trying to train myself to become lucid in my dreams upon command. I have been trying for about six months. At this point I have about two (remembered) lucid dreams a week (which is below my desired).
Since the book, that you are reading a review about, was my first read on lucid dreams, apparantly it doesn't work like it says.
After failing this books program, at about 6 days in, I gave up. I didn't even think about lucid dreaming anymore, but, then:), I had another natural occurance. So I became obssessed, read everything that interest me on the internet about lucid dreams, which came out to about 90 pages of print outs (only meant to be impressive to a begginer or novice oneironaut:) ). Upon my research I found much information about such a unique science.
The most interesting thing I found is that lucid dreaming is uncharted. There are very few people involved in the exploration of awake dreams, but, ironicaly, is obtainable by 99.9 percent of the population. The percentage meaning the only people that can't lucid dream are the people that can't completely understand what a dream is, or can't even remember their dreams (but you can even enhance your dream recall).
When researching I learned so much, and plan to learn much more. However, if you want a book that will give you a core of the information you need to know, read the standard, "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming," by Stephen Laberge.
Even though I shoot this 30 day program down it doesn't mean I don't think you should get it. I think "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming" only gives you a generalization of all the common lucid dreaming knowledge. One should go beyond that, because the "already established" science of lucid dreaming is actually muy pequeno:)
My blabber must come to an end, so, in conclusion, "Lucid Dreams in 30 Days : The Creative Sleep Program" is a gimmick. There is no way to know how long it will take you to achieve your lucid goals, but you can achieve them. "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming," by Stephen Laberge, is probably the best start, but is definetly not the entirity in the lucid dreaming world. To credit this book it has taught me many lucid dreaming techniques that I have never read anywhere else, including online.

If you want control of you as of your dreams, this book will give you the power to do that. When I started reading, I was an skeptic of this kind of things, but one week doing the excercises in the book I started to remeber my dreams and have control of them. It tells you day by day what to do, and the rest is up to you.

Although his followers have a tendency to view Laberges as the only important research ever done in this area, his work, like that of every contemporary scientist, draws on much older research. The exercises presented by Harary and Weintraub are based on thousands of years of human exploration of this fascinating subject, including Harary's own considerable work on altered states. Harary and Weintraub are careful to present accurate facts and references, including references to Laberge, to whom they are very kind. They do not take credit for the work of others, nor do they try to sell accessories or classes. Nevertheless, it appears that some of Laberges followers are very threatened by this unpretentious and enjoyable little book, which does not present itself as an academic text. Its stated purpose is to provide natural, step-by-step exercises for safely exploring the lucid dream state, and it does this very well. Harary, a veteran researcher and longtime contributor to OMNI Magazine, and Weintraub, an editor of OMNI for most of its long life, are both talented writers. Like their other books, this one is a pleasure to read. They are careful to present accurate facts and references, and while they never demean the implications of the lucid dream state, they also dont try to interpret the experience for their readers. They respect their readers enough to expect they will ask their own questions and draw their own conclusions.

OK the tittle is true. I am finally having lucid dreams, and I am so happy. I now can have tea with Neil Armstrong or Little Bo Peep if I want to. Or I can fly to Pluto to see if there are aliens and find some if I want. This power I have never had over my dreams, so I treasure it. PLus from this book I learned all this. Now I am going to bed to sleep, and dream...<(o^_^o)>

This book has been very important to me. I have been interested in altered states of consciousness for as long as I can remember, and have read many books and attended many lectures and workshops on various altered states. I began doing the exercises in this book not long after it was published, and I have also done Harary and Weintraub's "free flight program" for out of body experiences.

The exercises in this book helped me to induce the lucid dream state, and I recommend it whenever someone asks me about lucid dreams. So when a friend who is interested in dreams told me that her new year's resolution was to begin a dream journal, I suggested that she buy this book. She looked it up on Amazon and brought my attention the two most recent reviews, which are negative, and which I feel compelled to address:

First, there is an understandable misunderstanding about the meaning of "in 30 Days" in the titles of the books in this series. Each of the books contains 30 exercises, to be done one per day, at whatever pace the reader chooses. As I recall, the authors state this in the beginning of each book.

I don't remember the instructions to wear layers of garish costume jewelry to a company picnic, etc., but I do know for certain that a very important part of inducing the lucid dream state - and the out of body state - is surprising your consciousness and subconscious. I don't know why, but experiencing and perceiving in ways that are completely different from what you are used to can trigger these types of experiences.

Finally, I find it strange that the last two reviews (and some others in the more distant past) trash this book so vehemently and then so glowingly refer readers to LaBerge's Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming. It seems like someone has an agenda here - either for Dr. LaBerge or against Dr. Harary and Ms. Weintraub - which is silly. And by saying this, I do not mean to disparage Dr. LaBerge's work; it is just very different from Dr. Harary's and Ms. Weintraub's, mainly in that Dr. LaBerge offers a lot of technical information and encourages the use of devices to induce the lucid dream state. While Dr. Harary and Ms. Weintraub's book is also based on scientific research, as well as historical research, it is much easier for the lay public to understand, and the exercises can be done without having to purchase special devices. Maybe some people feel more comfortable having special accessories, but I think that just adds unnecessary complications and expense, and find Harary and Weintraub's approach more empowering. They aren't trying to gather a following and the methods they describe - many dating back to ancient times - are fun and easy ... and they work.

Discerning readers will be able to tell when any comments are placed to promote another author by disparaging an excellent book. I will avoid such tactics and go for an honest assessment. This inexpensive and well written little volume successfully makes a complicated subject easily understandable to the general public. The authors are clear that it is a handbook of practical exercises and not a book of theories of anecdotes, and openly credit and refer readers to other authors for that side of the subject. For readers who want to get right into the practice rather than theory, this book is highly recommended. The exercises are based on modern research and methods proven and tested throughout human history, dating back to the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. These are the same techniques used by LaBerge and others, but Harary and Weintraub are careful to note the historical context. Another difference I find between this book and others is that the authors encourage a balanced approach, and do not urge people to try too heavily to control their dreams, at the risk of unknown complications. They are also careful to let readers discover their own experiences, instead of giving so many anecdotes that you cannot tell the difference between your original thoughts and the power of suggestion. They also do not try to sell or promote expensive hardware, which can induce seizures even in some healthy people, to induce lucid dreams. This distinguishes them from others, who have turned lucid dreaming into a minor cottage industry. The fact that they have managed to craft such a well researched program and present it so effectively in this inexpensive little volume is an impressive accomplishment, which helps to explain why this book is becoming a classic in the field. This is a great introduction to the subject and may be the only guide most people need to explore the personal experience of lucid dreaming.