The first controlled dream I can clearly recall was when I was five or six. I used to dream that I was flying around the Earth in a rocket I had made from a garbage can.

The bottom was glass and I had a lovely aerial view of the world as I flew wherever I wanted.

When it was time to land (my rocket was not equipped for landing), during the descent I would tell myself, "Time to wake up," and I'd wake myself up.

Though sometimes I would get perilously close to the ground, I was never afraid of the inevitable crash because I knew I was dreaming and could wake myself up at any time. I had a lot of enjoyment from this dream for about six months.

SOURCE: Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge & Howard Rheingold, 1990, p.178. Original passage untitled.

EDITOR'S NOTE

In some ways, this dream's typical of the lucid dreams LaBerge presents in his books: the dreamer uses lucidity to fly, takes control and has fun, and chooses to wake to avoid a crash. But it stood out for me because the dreamer figured out how to do all this unassisted when quite young.

Plus I love that it's a garbage can--a glass-bottomed trashcan. Classy.

I want one. Oh wait, what's stopping me? Laziness?

--Chris Wayan

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