Posts Tagged ‘contemporary fantasy’

The Psychic Realm: Reverse Engineering the Brain

Monday, February 6th, 2012

More Dream Theories tomorrow from Dr. C, but Michio Kaku is obsessed with the application of “impossible” physics to every day life, and today in the Psychic Realm, so I am I. He has a lot to say about reverse engineering the brain to understand seemingly “out there” psychic phenomenon, the soul, consciousness and teasing apart neural pathways to one day model (artificially) how all the things we think and sense and feel and don’t fully comprehend work. I’m taking copious notes, every time I dive into one of his books, as I build a contemporary fantasy world around three new Legacy novels. And I’m sharing, ’cause I can’t seem to help myself.

consciousness

I want to dive deeper into this science with my new family who are discovering they have latent, powerful psychic gifts. What could be better than to have the government’s “Center” taking apart the brain, neuron by neuron, so that computers and other technologies can simulate how empaths and the like do what they do. Imagine my love of Kaku’s books, as they talk about how possible something like this really is!

NeuralPathways

Basically modern neuro science is developing the ability to understand how the brain works, exactly the way a motor works. Which isn’t to say they’re all the way there yet. (more…)

The Psychic Realm: The Subconscious Mind’s Power

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Dr. C. will be back in our Dream Theories series next week, giving us more inside skinny on cool sleep know-how. But first–let’s dip into The Psychic Realm and talk about the power of the subconscious in day dreams!Wonder what the Doc will think about my wacky take?…

daydreaming2

This grey area of dreaming became the premise for the fringe science in Dark Legacy for a reason–many believe the “alpha” brain activity we enter during states like meditation, biofeedback and daydreaming is where our subconscious mind is at its most accessible and potentially powerful. Hence, in my first psychic thriller this was the “active” state dream scientists were attempting to trigger behavior in, using a persons “programmed” subconscious connection to what had already happened while they dreamed. In my books, the unconscious/unaware mind was programmed by psychics, so that the sub-conscious mind could be triggered when the brain is at it’s peak “concentration efficiency”–that is, during walking, waking daydreams.

But what does this mean for you and me? A lot of really cool stuff, if you’re looking for ways to plug into your creativity and awareness and the power of the mind-body connection. Our minds move through natural cycles, or at least they try to. Alpha, Beta (full consciousness), Theta/Delta (sleep) rhythms. We need all of them to function well, and factors like stress, nutrition, chemicals, and fitness/exercise can contribute or disrupt the way our minds function in each state. How balanced our brain function is as our thoughts move through these states determines how in touch we are with the worlds both outside and within our own thoughts. And some would say, the reality within our minds is the key to being fully aware and fully engaged in our existence.

75% of our waking minds (in Beta state) are wrapped up in keeping our bodies functioning and moving. That leaves only 25% to deal with conscious thoughts. But in Alpha, when we let our minds wander (even in focused ways such as meditation), the efficiency of our subconscious thoughts peaks at 95 to 100%.Mystics and psychics would say this is the brain rhythm to tap into, to be at your most aware to messages and signs. Parents would say this is when they see the true potential of their children shine through. Writers and other artists would say that this is the world they must “dissociate” into, in order to create. What do they see, these “seers,” when they let their undirected minds wander? What would you see, if you set aside time daily to do the same? (more…)

Dream Theories: Falling and Flying Your Way to Tomorrow

Monday, November 28th, 2011

Do falling dreams predict an incident to come? No. Well, maybe, for some of us who feel the energy of our dreams in our waking worlds. Bwahahaha… For others, you could simply be “falling” into sleep. Or, there might be deeper psychological meanings. Let’s take a look!

falling impressionistic

Do you fall or fly, surrounded by vivid imagery and wrapped up in a story line? Are you feeling anxious or soaring? These are key indicators that you’re mind’s processing how you’re feeling about something that’s happening or about to happen in your life that you’re worried about. And if you’re always falling and never hit bottom? Maybe you’re feeling out of control, with no sense that you can take charge. You’re, quite simply, taking a leap of faith.

falling

Far from crashing into the ground meaning that you’re going to die, it can often mean that you’re ready to make the choice you’ve been avoiding. (more…)

Dream Theories: Animals. Instinct. Unconscious understanding. YOU!

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

Animals in dreams are our subconscious, our desires, our fears, our feelings, ourselves. “Uh, yeah.” You’re rolling your eyes, because everyone knows that. “But what does that mean for ME?”  Well, scoot over, hold onto your knickers and give me a minute.

My last Dream theories post introduced the animal theme that’ll take the rest of November to explore.

Animal

That was back at the end of August, then I took a blog sabbatical so I could explore my world and return, recharged and raring to entertain (alliteration is my new zen, BTW). So click back through it and catch up. I wouldn’t want to leave anyone behind, because I let my brain out on holiday…

Our instincts have an animal component to them. You already knew that, too. We possess animal traits and urges and desires. In our dreams, these otherwise unconscious ways of processing and dealing with life bubble a little closer to the surface, showing us facets of ourselves we don’t take time to see when we’re awake.

But can we understand what our minds are showing us through animal imagery? Can we meet these animals in a more literal way and learn from them/ourselves? If we do find a way to be more lucid and interactive about our dreams, starting with remembering them as much as we possibly can, what do our animal inspirations tell us?

Let’s see ;o)

animal kittens

(more…)

The Psychic Realm: Spirit Guides. Like camp, only better…

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

The easiest way to remember you way around spirit guides is to think of them like camp counselors, only you’re choosing the camp and the counselors of your next life (told you we’d get around to past life theory), not your parents. And the counselors (spirit guides) have to be dead before you’re born, and are typically from your family line or the immediate acquaintance of someone in your family, so they’ll understand your world.

Okay, dipping my toes into past life theory for just a paragraph. Let’s say for the same of argument that after we die, our spirits are still very much active and aware of our past life history, and some of us do in fact return to learn what we haven’t yet or explore something we’ve missed or make a difference only we can make. Except we won’t remember (explicitly) everything we’ve fought so hard to learn in past lives, or our purpose for returning, at least not at first. Enter Spirit Guides: spirits from that realm we stay in, in between lives, who knew us before we came back and advise, support, and guide us on our newest path.

spirit guides man

Whether you believe the above or not, many of us would have a hard time arguing that there are times when we know for sure that we’re not alone. That there’s someone with us, someone who seems to know us better than we do ourselves, helping us sort through alternatives and find our way. Almost as if that’s their job.

Not to be confused with guardian angels (we’ll do a Psychic Realm post on angels soon, promise), spirit guides aren’t our protectors as much as their our, well, counselors.They don’t intervene or interfere. The theory goes that we start a new life with predetermined purpose and goals that we don’t explicitly remember. Our spirit guide’s job is to, somehow, communicate our purpose to us when we need most to remember the path we chose to take.

It’s a fun concept to play with, and I use it extensively in my next Legacy novel. Call spirit “knowledge” instinct, hunches, or problem-solving dreams, but don’t you wonder sometimes where these amazing clues come from? Is it really our subconscious working out our problems for us, or is someone, some spiritual influence, nudging us along in the right direction? (more…)

Dream Theories: Animals show us the way!

Monday, August 29th, 2011

It’s going to take a few Mondays to cover animal themes in dreams. It’s one of the most frequent symbols I’m asked about. There’s so much to study when you try to analyze animal dreams: your age, gender, current life circumstances, as well as the animal content itself. Ready to dive in?

dream dog

Monday Sept 12th (after we break for Labor Day in between), we’ll do specific animals, so come back in two weeks for fun imagery tips and trade secrets. But before we get into categories of animal symbols, let’s talk about you.The dreamer. Who are you, what in your life is calling these animal images out of your subconscious and into your dream states, and how might even your age be shaping what you see when you sleep?

Did you know that research shows children’s dreams are more likely to reference animals than adult’s? Those who follow my Psychic Realm posts have heard me say that in metaphysics many believe animals are the closest beings on this earth to pure spirits, and that children have a closer connection to spiritual realms/dimensions than adults. Could this be playing out in our young one’s dream cycles? Also, we haven’t gotten to “familiars” in my Psychic series (where I’m researching parapsychology, etc. for a future fantasy series), but in general the theory goes that we all have a totem/animal spirit that’s most attached to us. We tend to gravitate toward these creatures as pets. Is it significant, then, that the majority of animal dreams amongst children (dreams being where our spirits often feel most free) tend to be about their pets? Hmmmm…

A less spiritual way to look at animals dreams is to consider that we’ve grown up associating certain traits, behaviors and emotions to the animals we see and read about. You’ve heard the cliches: stubborn as a mule; sly as a fox; sneaky as a snake. (more…)

The Psychic Realm: Imprints. I’m betting we’ve all felt them…

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

Imprints were the stepchild of last Tuesday’s ghosts vs. spirits smackdown: because they’re neither. Now they’re having their day. Imprints are pure energy that we’ve all experienced. Admit it. Ever walked into a room or a building or even an open area, shivered, and known something or someone had been there before you? What you’re likely experiencing isn’t a haunting or a visit from some other dimension–it’s the residual energy from the past.

Spirits2

Imprints happen to a specific place, where a very dramatic event or series of events has occurred.  The theory goes that the emotional impact and sometimes even the imagery from the event(s) literally imprint on the physical space and atmosphere. Future persons who visit the imprint and react to it (many are deeply affected, others find themselves merely uncomfortable in an odd way, but almost everyone has some kind of reaction to these places) then feed even more energy into the powerful phenomenon.

Think of them as energy vortexes. Human like images can be part of them, only adding tot he disturbing, dramatic illusion you experience when you find one. Shadows. Something there out of the corner of your eye, while emotions that aren’t yours flow. But these images aren’t earthbound or alive. They’re echoes. My research tells me that the actual participants in the events that cause imprints are long gone and of no threat to you. Imagine if you will a three-dimensional hologram trapped in a never-ending, never-changing movie scene. One final affirmation that you’re not actually interacting with a ghost or spirit–an imprint’s image never interacts with or even notices the humans that have stumbled across its space.

Examples of how I’m contemplating using imprints in my next Legacy series (dealing with ghosts and hauntings and harnessing the spirit world)?  I read an account of a devestating fire centuries ago in a now historic house that was rebuilt on the site of the event. (more…)

Dream Theories: Changing Gender. The flip side…

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

Ever shock yourself in a dream by realizing that you’re experiencing that night’s vision as the opposite sex? Why do we do that? What is our mind’s agenda? Is it more important to focus on the physiology of what we “are” in our dreams, or the psychology of how we’re thinking and behaving differently? Let’s find out–you know, beyond Freud’s obvious interpretation ;o)

dreams silhouette

Let’s face it, these can be bizarre dreams. First of all, what’s going on in all the grey matter that we’d even notice something so strange and disorienting as seeing/experiencing/walking through the world in a different body? You know, it’s our body, but it’s different. We’re different. Almost as if the “me” we know is disappearing and being replaced with someone else. And maybe that’s our first clue.

Could this be an imbalance bubbling to the surface, begging us to take notice? A mask we need to drop? Another part of our personality (masculine of feminine) that needs to take a stronger hold? That’s what I meant with my question about whether the gender change you notice has more meaning to you emotionally, than it does physiologically. In gender-switching dreams, be on the look out for what parts of yourself might be fighting their way out of obscurity. This tends to be so much more important than the outward, glandular appearance of something being different.

The strong emotional reaction we have to a shocking dream like looking down and noticing that our bodies are changing before our eyes can be an opportunity to explore and change and grow. And NOT just in the phallic, penis envy way that Freud and his cocaine addiction would have us believe. (more…)

The Psychic Realm: Spirits vs. Ghosts, The Grudgematch!

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

Pouring through my parapsychology notes for the next three “Legacy” fantasy novels, the difference between spirits and ghosts comes up a lot. For this Psychic Realm blog series, it’s a classification that most who like but don’t study parapsychological phenomenon can easily miss. These become key distinctions in my next books, because how all this works beneath the plot is just as important as the way the exciting characters play their spooky, exciting stories out on page.

spirits dancing

Some basics (that you many not have gotten from watching things like Ghosts Whisperer):

  • Ghosts are trapped here on earth before passing on to where they’re meant to be next.
  • Spirits have already ascended.
  • Ghosts retain the injuries and scars from their lives and earth.
  • Spirits have healed.
  • Ghosts tend to be confused and befuddled about where they are and why they’re there.
  • Spirits are calm and clear thinking.

What does all this mean?

First of all, no conversation of the spirit world would be complete without a healthy dose of past life theory thrown in up front as a disclaimer. But I’m not gonna go there, at least not in this post. Because I’m difficult, and also because the debate muddles the definitions I want to focus on for now. If enough interest grows either in the comments or my emails, we’ll do past life one day. Promise.

Second, if you think you’re experiencing energy that isn’t your own (or the man/woman sleeping next to you, heh), the simple classifications above can be instantly helpful in determining what might be going on. In my novels, they become road signs/clues to help my protagonists sort out their own messy denial about what is or isn’t happening to their worlds/ minds.

For example, if the “being” you think you’re encountering appears to you as physically impaired in any way–ghost. (more…)

Dream Theories: Losing Your Teeth/Power?

Monday, August 15th, 2011

It’s Monday. Time for another dream theory post, based on the research I do for my sci-fi/fantasy Legacy series. What’s one of the scariest types of dreams I get asked about most? What does it mean when my teeth fall out in my dreams? I’ve had personal spooky moments with this theme myself, and it always gives me the creeps! Shudder. But what does it mean? You know, once I’ve raced to the mirror to make sure everything’s really okay…

smile

First, as soon as you wake (or those of you who find yourself lucid while you’re dreaming, focus as soon as you become aware), ask yourself: were your teeth crumbling, breaking, falling out one by one? The momentum with which you’re losing them can be key. How rapidly, violently, emotionally is the loss happening?

Why? Because dreams about teeth tend to be about control, power, and what’s stopping you from exercising one or both of them in your life. So it follows that the momentum and circumstances surrounding your dream teeth loss might give you insight into the significance of whatever’s triggering the symbol’s appearance.

There are a variety of interpretations about teeth dreams. They’re one of the most common dreams, overall. Pretty much everyone’s experienced it at one time or another:

  • Freud would like us to believe they’re about…wait for it…castration anxiety. WhatEVER (I’m NOT a big Freud fan when it comes to dream interpretation. He always leads with his dangly parts. Someone along the way should have suggested he get a handle on his fixation. Literally.).
  • As far back as Artemidorus’ Oneirocriteria (The Interpretation of Dreams) it was suggested that loss of either the top or the bottom teeth can indicate upheaval in your household.
  • Calvin Hall found that not only do men tend to have teeth dreams more than women (Wow. Really? Just like men have more naked dreams? Hmmm….), but that the prevailing emotion he detected associated with teeth dreams was loss or misfortune. He took a more content approach to his study. Think about it. We lose our teeth spontaneously throughout our lives, through no fault of our own. It’s a loss we have no control over. So, is that the emotional dynamic our minds are working through when they call up this particular type of dream?
  • In Chinese and other cultures,baring your teeth is a sign of aggression/warfare, so losing them in your dreams can symbolize a loss of power.
  • Others have thought that, depending on the type/size of teeth you dream about losing, you could be experiencing a fear of aging (are you losing small/baby teeth or larger/older teeth?). Is it a fear of maturity or responsibility playing itself out in your nighttime fantasies?

But having said all that, and back to my original questions above (HOW are your teeth falling out in your dreams), a more modern interpretation suggests that that teeth dreams are about communication (or realization) of core issues in your life. (more…)