Mutual Dreaming:
Is Group Dreaming Possible?

Mutual dreaming is a paranormal activity loosely linked with lucid dreaming. So far there have been no scientific studies to prove its existence, although anecdotal reports suggest it is a form of telepathic dreaming, where two or more people meet up in the dream world. Mutual dreams are the subject of the popular fictional novel Dreamside by Graham Joyce.

It is interesting that Western researchers believe that dreams are an internal world - a mere simulation created by the brain. Yet many Eastern cultures strongly believe that our dreams take place in a very real, spiritual realm.

"If a man could pass through Paradise in a dream, and have a flower presented to him as a pledge that his soul
had really been there, and if he found that flower
in his hand when he awake - Aye, what then?"

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Whatever your background beliefs, to understand the potential of mutual dreams you must take a phenomenological viewpoint. This means looking at your own experiences, rather than basing your beliefs on preconceptions from your culture.

This article looks at the different types of group dreaming out there, along with some mutual dreaming experiments which will demonstrate - if it is possible - how to mutual dream in a lucid state.

Types of Group Dreaming

The most commonly reported mutual dreams are known as "meshing dreams". They happen when you share certain dream elements with someone else. For instance, you and your partner may both watch LOST on TV and then dream about being stranded on a deserted island. Understandably, your shared waking experience leads to similar dreams. Even Freudian dream analysis offers an explanation for this kind of coincidence.

The less likely experiences are called "meeting dreams". This is the true meaning of mutual dreaming, where two or more people meet up and communicate in the dream world. Scientists find this hard to believe since it implies telepathic dreaming abilities. Another explanation is that the dream world is an external construct - not something inside your head, but an alternate reality.

This type of dream world may stem from an artificial simulation or a shared astral realm that we all access every night...

Mutual Dreaming Experiments

Dr Stephan LaBerge of the Lucidity Institute believes that mutual dreaming experiments in the lab can test the objective reality of shared dream worlds.

That means, group dreaming can be used to prove whether the dream world is a genuine alternate reality or not.

Numerous group dreaming experiments and anecdotes have been published over the years. To read about some detailed cases, check out this fascinating book by Jean Campbell, Group Dreaming: Dreams to the Tenth Power. She traces the history of group dreaming experiments and how mutual dreams can be used to change our world today.

How to Mutual Dream

As you know, there are two kinds of group dreaming. Our first experiment will exploit the concept of meshing dreams. The aim is to share common dream elements with your dream partner. If successful, it may even turn into a meeting dream and reveal other telepathic dreaming elements.

Experiment #1 - Meshing Dreams

Find a meshing dream partner - ideally someone you are very close with. Choose an activity to do together during the waking day. Maybe go to a sports event, go hiking in the countryside, go to the zoo, or watch a movie (fantasy is probably the best genre for this purpose!)

Before you go to sleep that night, discuss your memorable experience with your meshing dream partner. Talk about elements that you found most interesting and set a clear intention to dream about your shared experience.

Mutual Dreaming Hopefully, you will dream about your waking experience, or a closely related theme. If you become lucid, all the better. Seek out your dream partner in the dream and have a lucid conversation with them. When you wake up, write down all the details of the dream, including the time you think it happened.

Finally, compare notes with your partner and see how many dream symbols you can match. Don't influence each other's dream reports or change your recollection to fit their story. If you both report a dream conversation, pay particular attention to the details. You may find you had a meeting dream - the ultimate in telepathic dreaming!

True shared dreams involve meeting other lucid dreamers in a specific place. Having a memorable conversation helps verify that you shared the same experience. If you are an experienced lucid dreamer, here is a technique to teach you how to mutual dream - try it yourself!

Experiment #2 - Meeting Dreams

Find a meeting dream partner. If you have friends who are good at lucid dreaming, invite them to try this experiment. Otherwise it is easy to seek out other lucid dreamers online, like at our Facebook Fan Page. The key is to both have a lucid dream at exactly the same time, on the same date.

Mutual Dreaming Select a location to meet up in. If you both live locally, you might choose a familiar place, like a park or town center. Otherwise choose a famous meeting spot, like Stone Henge, the Eiffel Tower, or the pyramids of Egypt! Make sure you describe your destination in detail (or look at pictures online) so you both have the same location in mind.

Be aware that planning ahead with your dream partners could make this a meshing dream. So the critical part of group dreaming is to seek out your dream partner and speak to them. By reporting the same conversation, you can prove an element of telepathic dreaming.

Mutual dreaming is still a very mysterious area of dream research. The ultimate mutual dreaming experiment will require many participants who can engage in lucid dreaming on demand. They will need to have lucid dreams during a very short timeframe - to enable them to meet up together at the same time. And finally, they will need to have unique and memorable lucid dream conversations to verify the existence of telepathic dreaming.

The more people that learn about lucid dreaming, the easier this kind of experiment will become. I hope the World of Lucid Dreaming encourages more people to practice lucid dreaming and mutual dreaming experiments. Lucid dreamers from all around the world can unite for the ultimate group dreaming session and shed more light on this compelling phenomenon.

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