I have a question that I am hoping science can answer one day. If scientists are studying our sleep patterns and how to predict whether we can remember dreams, then I would sincerely like to add this to their to-do list. 

You don't have to do much research to find some pretty hair-raising stories about sleepwalking. And this makes the word 'sleepwalking' a sort of misnomer, doesn't it? What I mean is, people do all kinds of things while they are asleep and we tend to use the word 'sleepwalking' to describe all of these activities. Everything from crocheting in a completely dark room to washing dishes to driving to sex - all of these things are called sleepwalking when the person is in that state of consciousness that is akin to sleep. That is, not fully conscious as in a waking state. While some people have even carried on quite lengthy conversations while in this state, in most cases they report having no recollection of their experiences upon waking.

People have done some fairly amazing things while sleeping that they would never attempt while awake. In 2005 a 15 year old girl was rescued from atop a 130 foot crane after she climbed it while sleepwalking. A passerby noticed her sleeping on the couterweight of the crane and called the police. The firemen who came to her aid were afraid to wake her for fear she would get startled and fall to her death. They ended up calling her cell phone so that a familiar sound would get her attention, and once she was aware of her situation she was safely brought down by the firemen.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-354802/Sleepwalker-age-15-curled-crane.html

I have a real question here: scientifically speaking, how do people do it?

Normally, during sleep our bodies become relaxed and our muscles don't do much until we wake up. But the kinds of activities sleepwalkers do are sometimes very intricate tasks that require lots of cognitive ability and fine motor skills. Even a seemingly mundane thing like crocheting takes a lot of concentration and patience - so how did a sleepwalking woman make considerable progress with her crocheting project in complete darkness? One could say something about 'muscle memory' but what about the colors being used? Climbing a 130 foot crane not only takes a certain amount of bravery, but to walk 40 feet horizontally along its arm would take the balance and steeled nerves of an experienced acrobat.

A doctor who studies sleep disorders who was interviewed for the story of the 15 year old girl said, "Anything you can do while awake, you can do while sleepwalking, and of course, without the fear factor."

Why did the doctor say, "of course, without the fear factor"? I believe it's because we are in a totally different state of consciousness that is more aligned with the subtle world. Have you ever had a dream that you were doing something normally considered dangerous in the physical world, and yet you were totally unafraid in the dream? Because in the subtle world, there are all kinds possibilities that simply don't exist in the physical world - and we all innately know this because we spend (on average) 37% of our lives in the subtle world.

I need to take this a step further - hey science, I'm talkin to you!

Those activities that require so much movement and concentration - how do we accomplish them while we are not engaging with full awareness of our surroundings? It seems to me that the ability to control one's body is not only coming from a different state of consciousness, but also a different part of the brain from the one we normally use to accomplish those tasks. Some of these tasks, such as driving, require all of our senses and concentration while awake, and one small lapse of attention can cause a lot of pain and damange. What part of our mind takes over, has no fear, and safely guides the individual through doing these things while asleep? And, noting that most people don't remember their sleepwalking acitivites, why is sleepwalking commonly associated with a type of short-term amnesia?

I wonder what kinds of things might be found to treat things like paralysis, Parkinson's, MS, or even plain old, run-of-the-mill anxiety. Let's get on this please...

So I’m thinking to myself, “Self, I know that when I meditate regularly, my ability to remember my dreams gets better, and when I don’t meditate this ability tends to go away. How can I find a way to back this up with science?”

So then my self had a great idea, and I went looking for proof on the Interwebz. Lo and Behold, I found an article over at Science Daily that supports this notion by saying that, “During meditation, theta waves were most abundant in the frontal and middle parts of the brain.” You can check it out here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100319210631.htm

When I read that, some of the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I recently wrote a couple of reviews of scientific studies that asked questions about how we can predict when people can remember their dreams, and increased theta activity in the frontal cortex was a predictive factor in both studies. My reviews are here and here. 

So there you have it, folks. If you want to remember your dreams and have a more active, rewarding experience when you’re in the subtle world, meditate regularly. Training the mind to be in a state where frontal theta activity is increased is a scientifically proven way to get there. No drugs, no crystals, no magic...just good old meditation. 

I have had some pretty amazing experiences in the subtle world. Things are different there as you know. I’d like to share a couple of memorable things and ask whether anyone out there has had a similar experience. 

I have been able to communicate with people that, in the physical world, I should not have been able to communicate with. For instance, I remember suddenly being with some Asian people I did not know. I somehow knew that they didn’t speak English. It wasn’t because of their looks or attire, but something inside just told me this was true. And yet I was able to tell them exactly what was on my mind, and I was able to understand them too without any trouble. They seemed to just know what I was thinking, and vice versa. The details of this conversation I do not remember, but I do recall being astonished that we could ‘talk’. 

Another time, I was flying. And I mean flying incredibly fast through the countryside. But the landscape was strange - like it kept changing shape far below. I didn’t care, it seemed perfectly natural. I kept flying until I found a train on the ground (I don’t recall any tracks) that was traveling about as fast as I was and I decided to race it. I caught up to the tail end and proceeded to fly right next to it as I tried to catch up with the front of the train. The funny thing was that it was ridiculously long. As in, this train was miles and miles long and it look a good long while before I could catch up even though I was flying so fast it would make your head spin! I cannot describe the giddy laughter and  happiness that welled up inside as I raced this funny train. Because at the time, I knew I was dreaming, and I was in complete control and was having an awful lot of fun!

I’m curious to know, has anyone ever had a similar experience in their dreams? 

Hi there. My name is Michael. What if I were to tell you that there is something that if you knew about it, would change your life in all kinds of different ways for the better? 

We are not selling anything, so please read on without prejudice or hesitation. Weigh what you read on this site honestly, in your head and heart. 

We here at subtlerealm.org want to share an important part of the human experience with you. We want to confirm what you may have felt all your life but never knew how to put into words. Maybe you have had certain experiences you were afraid to talk about for fear of ridicule or being thought of as stupid or even crazy. We are here to point out that 'unusual experiences' are far more usual than we think for the simple fact that people seldom talk about them for the above reasons. We want you to be a wiser, happier human being than before you found this web site, we have no other motive than this. There will be no dogma, judgement, or belittlement - only an effort to educate people and help them understand a large part of their lives that most know almost nothing about. And, our approach is a scientific one, meaning that wherever we can point to scientific facts to support our claims, we will do so and cite our references.

The place where we go when we dream is a real place. It exists outside of our minds, and yet our experiences there are very much based upon our thoughts. It has been written about in countless books and has been symbolized and portrayed in many movies we are all familiar with. In fact, if one were to cognize the fact that the subtle world is a reality, then lots of historical legends would then become very logical, understandable lessons passed down to future generations (rather than seem like delusional fantasies for the masses of human kind).

It is hard for people to understand that knowledge acquired during daily life is essential to being able to function well in the subtle realm. Not only knowledge, but tolerance and perceptiveness. If you have ever had a lucid dream or an out-of-body experience, then you know the sheer joy that comes from such an experience! Few, if any, would ever forget something like that. What if you could educate yourself and thus have those kinds of experiences all the time? Most people would find their lives incredibly enriched by something such as this. 

Welcome to subtlerealm.org! We are here to help people understand all they can about the subtle world. We are motivated by a shared vision of helping people understand the reality of their surroundings, and thus making the world a better place.