Some of these devices were pretty funny sounding, and I had to share. (And to my surprise and delight, this was one of the most commented posts ever!)

Today I stumbled upon another patent in regards to lucid dreaming from 2006.

Well, me being somewhat of a nerd , I did a few google searches and discovered that the inventor behind the patent, Jeff Luciano, is the founder of Dreamboost, a company which makes…you guessed it, supplements for dreaming, otherwise known as  “lucid dreaming pills!”

(Jeff is also unknowingly perhaps a future interviewee here at Dreaming Life, if he agrees to such a thing. )

The paper presenting the patent is called a “Dietary supplement and a method to enhance sleep and lucid dreaming”

The description reads:

A nutritional supplement for enhancing sleep and lucid dreaming in humans. It contains a combination of ingredients in proportions calculated to enhance lucid dreaming. The primary ingredients are Calea zacatechichi, L-5-Hydroxytryptophan (L-5-HTP), and Vinpocetine. In addition, the nutritional supplement may include the secondary ingredient Melatonin and the tertiary ingredients Wild Lettuce Extract, Mugwort Extract, Dimethylaminoethanol Powder (DMAE), Passionflower Extract and Green Tea Extract. Further, various Vitamins may be added such as certain B vitamins, D and C, as well as Zinc, Magnesium and Calcium. The selection and amounts of the ingredients of the nutritional supplement promotes sleep and lucid dreaming in people who have taken the nutritional supplement prior to going to sleep.

Analysis of the ingredients shows substances known to have an effect on dreams, especially (and logically), what the patent describes as the 1 of 3 primary ingredients: Calea Zacatechichi.

The other two primary ingredients are known not so much specifically as dream aids, but for their effect in a round about way: L-5-HTP, which raises serotonin levels (see 5-HTP discussed on DreamViews) and Vinpocetine, which is supposed to aid memory function and general brain health.

Ironic Side note: For much of 2006 I took both 5-HTP and vinpocetine supplements daily for non-dream related reasons. I did not know at the time they also supposedly could have an effect on dreams. Personally I noticed zero effect on my dreams. This once again brings to mind the debate on how much dream supplements effect dreams only because of the expectation that they will effect your dreams aka the placebo effect.

I’ve heard of people using mugwort as an effective dream aid,  and of course, B vitamins are fairly well known for their effect on dreams, especially Vitamin B6.

The rest of the ingredients are more vague, in my opinion, and perhaps I’m just not familiar with them. (Please enlighten me.)

I don’t understand the inner workings of patents, but isn’t it odd that in order to file a patent like this, one has to submit a paper which discusses the historical background to lucid dreaming, with quotes such as:

Dreams have been recognized as sacred and spiritual experiences in many cultures around the world since the beginning of recorded history and perhaps even earlier. In the last century, the understanding of dreams has changed from one related exclusively to the spiritual to that pertaining to the physical/psychological realm. Toward the end of the twentieth century, the idea of lucid dreaming, or dreaming with deliberate intention and control, has moved from the world of shamans or spiritualists to realization that lucid dreaming can be achieved by anyone with the assistance of nutritional supplements and practice.

And:

In order to enhance the training of a person to develop strong lucid dreaming skills, various devices have been devised. Such devices use light and/or sound to help trigger lucid dreams. Among the shamans of some primitive cultures, they would enhance their ability to have lucid dreams by using various drugs. However, as one can imagine, most of these substances are considered illegal in the U.S

And then the climatic ah-ha moment of the patent:

There is a need, therefore, for a safe but effective nutritional supplement that helps a person go to sleep and which can enhance lucid dreaming even without extensive mental preparation or exercises.

If you like reading patents as much as I do, the patent is available here for curious minds to dissect.

untitled by Aussiegall

The Panel Discussion is a new feature I would like to do every month.

The idea is to throw out an interesting question to a group of people (some of the most interesting and intelligent people I know) and post the response for everyone to see.

The question is then open to everyone reading the blog, who can respond with a comment for all to see.

Thanks to Hatter and Chad for taking part in this months discussion. Anyone reading this who loves to talk about this kind of stuff and would like to be featured in next months post, email me!

Here’s the question I presented to them and now to you:

The idea of a magic pill or substance that is highly successful in inducing lucid dreams is a popular thought in the lucid dreaming community. One only needs to look at lucid dream forums to find discussions of this type constantly creeping up, as people ask about the same substances over and over – like Vitamin B6 and Calea Zacatechichi, hoping to find something that works for them.

Despite some success reported with these substances for inducing vivid dreams, increasing dream recall, and even inducing lucid dreams, it seems we are a long way off from something that is reliable at producing lucid dreams with the pop of a pill.

However, as advances in neuroscience and medicine are continually applied for less-than-medicinal reasons (smart drugs / nootropics), do you think a real lucid dreaming pill is an inevitable development?

Does that thought immediately excite you or actually disgust you?

Furthermore, do you think certain psychoactive substances (DMT, for example) could already said to be a lucid dreaming “pill”?

Mad Hatter (from Dreaming to Infinity blog) Responds:

I think that question’s answer really depends on what you believe lucid dreaming to be. If you consider it to be completely contained within the brain, then I’d say yes, it’s inevitable that science will figure out the formula to trigger whatever needs to be triggered. If you believe that dreaming comes from somewhere else, and that the brain is merely the receiver or the tuning instrument, then perhaps science won’t quite ever be able to get it right. Right now I’m uncertain which I believe, but my bet would be that science figures out some method for accomplishing it.

Does that thought immediately excite you or actually disgust you? Why?

A little of both, honestly. I think dreaming holds so much potential that everybody should be able to experience it and utilize it in their life. However, I believe the value is also lessened if you don’t have to work for it or learn to control it. You lose something when you take away the path to becoming lucid and just get the end result.

Furthermore, do you think certain psychoactive substances (DMT, for example) could already said to be a lucid dreaming “pill”?

I’m unsure. Having not tried any of these substances I don’t really have the experience necessary to really make that call. I would say that I believe these substances might be useful for the same type of uses as dreaming, but I’m not sure the end result is the same.

Chad Responds:

Let me start by saying that I am by no means an expert on dreaming drugs. In all my years of lucid dreaming research I have not employed the standard oneirogens such as Vitamin B6 and others. The chemical research I have done has been with the dreaming possibilities of hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD, Psylocibin, and DXM. I have avoided other, more standard drugs due to skepticism. Conflicting reports seem to show that a lucidity inducing drug is still far away. I also tend to think the placebo effect is responsible for a great deal of success reports with these drugs.

I would be among the first to purchase such a lucidity-inducing drug if it were ever to be perfected. Some see chemically induced experiences as being unnatural or not as meaningful as experiences that occur ‘naturally’, but I am not one of them. I firmly believe that science has given and will continue to give the psychonaut a powerful arsenal for self-exploration.

I do not think that substances, such as DMT, can be considered authentic lucidity inducing drugs. Such drugs are no doubt a powerful means to inducing visionary experiences but not necesarily the experience we call lucid dreams. I have observed, and often remarked upon, the similarity between psychedelic experiences and the lucid dream, and I believe the two to be closely related. It has been one of my experimentation goals to explore this relationship further. Below I list two experiments that I have performed and may be repeated by the interested explorer. I have achieved great results with both experiments. They can be repeated and different results gained each time. The prerequisites for the experiments vary but are mostly concerned with prior psychedelic and lucid experiences.

Experiment 1 (Down The Rabbit Hole)

1. Set up lucidity. Practice lucidity induction method of choice. Remind yourself to do the drug experiment once lucid.
2. Upon attaining lucidity, create/find a pill that ‘contains’ LSD or a similar drug
3. Take the pill
4. Keep a close eye on mind/dream interaction – how the two influence each other during the experiment
5. If you want to get more in depth, try creating your idea of a perfect atmosphere in which to conduct the experiment before taking the pill.
6. Try to remain focused on lucidity. This might become difficult as the dream/psychedelic experience strengthens, especially as tripping often raises the question as to whether one is dreaming or not.
7. As always, record results. If you’ve never taken hallucinogens, what was the experience like? If you have taken hallucinogens before, did your dream experience simulate your waking experience? To what degree?

Experiment 2 (Lucid Brainwash)

1. Obtain an audio format lucid induction program. You can use a self-hypnosis CD or make a tape yourself. For my version of this experiment I used a 30 minute lucidity-trance induction tape I got from the Lucidity Institute.
2. Set up your room / area where you are going to be taking your trip. Make sure the CD or tape is ready to go, sound level ok, something comfy to lay on while listening, etc.
3. Ingest goodly amount of hallucinogen of your choice.
4. Wait until the drug starts having a strong effect – then lay down comfortably and start the audio program. This is best done in the dark or in very dim lighting.
5. Put the CD on repeat or make sure to rewind the tape. Listen to this, while relaxed, as many times as you can make yourself do so. Just relax. Don’t try to do anything. You’re just letting your brain soak up the instructions.

Good luck and good dreaming! If you decide to try either of these experiments I would love to hear about your results. You can reach me at my MySpace page: www.myspace.com/oneironaught

What do you think about the idea of a lucid dreaming? Will it ever happen? Is it inherently a flawed idea? Where does DMT fit into all this, if at all? I would like to open this discussion up to all my readers. What do you think?

Related Posts:

The Biological Basis Of Mysticism? A Review of DMT: The Spirit Molecule

My Mind Felt As If Were Floating Away From My Body – Chad’s DXM Report

Exploring the Oneiroverse with Chad Watts: On Lucid Dreams, Entheogens, and the Spiritual Experience.

The Shamans Dreamtime – My Diet With Ajo Sacha

Shaman Journeys Into The Dreamtime: An Interview with Juan from Dream Magick

My Vitamin B6 Experience Report

My Calea Z Experience Report

Photo by Aussiegall.

I guess it’s old news since the patent is from 2003, but I see that Stephen LaBerge, the most famous lucid dream researcher and lucid dream author in the world, has a patent on “substances that enhance recall and lucidity during dreaming.”

Patent number 20040266659, to be exact.

Here’s a summary of his patent, in his own words:

“This invention relates to the field of Lucid Dreaming and the enhancement of dream recall and dream lucidity through memory enhancing drugs, including the class of substances that comprise Acetylcholine Esterase inhibitors (AChEls). Lucid dreaming involves dreaming while knowing that you are dreaming. AChE inhibitors (AchEl’s) inhibit the normal metabolic inactivation of Acetylcholine (ACh) by inhibiting the enzyme, Acetylcholine Esterase (AChE), leading to accumulation of Ach. AchEl’s are most commonly used to enhance memory, particularly in patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Ach is also well known to be important in REM and thus is suggested herein to enhance dreaming and lucidity.”

Whoa! What did that just say?

(This makes me think of the movie Lawnmower Man, where the doctor gives Jobe drugs and then makes him a genius by combining it with virtual reality games.)

Pretty amazing stuff. If there’s anyone out there who could invent a lucid dreaming pill, I’d put my money on LaBerge.

You can read all the details of Stephen LaBerges lucid dreaming drugs patent here.

This got me curious – what other patents are there related to dreaming and lucid dreaming?

Quite a few actually.

We’ve got a patent for Equipment and methods used to induce lucid dreaming in sleeping persons, with LaBerges name attached to this one too.

This looks like a patent for the Nova Dreamer device, which detects REM and flashes a light with the idea that it will show up in the dream, and the dreamer will recognize this signal and know he or she is dreaming.

On a similiar but-this-probably-won’t-really-work idea, someone filed a patent titled Dream State Teaching Machine, which detects Rapid Eye Movement and then plays a prerecorded message in your ears via headphones, with the idea that you’ll hear it and become lucid.

There’s a not-too-exciting Dream Detection & Method System patent. Eh, next.

Ohhh – what’s this? Somehow someone got away with filing a patent for a Device that Records Dream Recollections ; also known as a tape recorder, or in this case, a digital recorder. What makes this different than a normal recording device? Not sure. Maybe because it looks like an alarm clock and sits by your bed?

Then this last one I found is pretty neat:

It’s called an “Apparatus for facilitating analysis of dream activity.” In more exciting terms, it detects your REM states, signals a sound to wake you when an REM period is over, and contains a voice activated recorder. The device is attached above your bed on the wall; the idea then is that it gently wakes you up once your dream is over and you can record your dream without even getting out of bed simply by using the voice-activated recorder.

I’d use it!

What You Definitely Need
Calea Zacatechichi (also called dream herb or simply Calea Z)
Something to the grind the leaves with
Empty capsules
Lots of spare time

What’s Very useful to Have But Not Necesssary
Scale
A real Grinder

The essential steps are as simple as this:

• Grind The Leaves
• Place Into Capsules

Tips on the Process

Having a real grinder will save heaps of time.
You can crush up the leaves with an assortment of random objects. I once used the bottom of a saltshaker to crush the leaves against a plate, which I then placed in a bowl, which then later I grinded again by pressing and turning the leaves between the bowl and the bottom of the saltshaker. It took over an hour to do this for 10 grams.

How do actually get the Calea Zacatechichi into the capsules?
Once you’ve crushed up the leaf thoroughly, remove one end of the capsule and place it into the bowl of crushed leafs and “scoop” it into the open capsule. You’ll want to then …

Pack as much Calea Zacatechichi as you can into each capsule.
Use a small pointed object to push as much leaf into each capsule as you can. A chopstick works well for this. Scoop up the leaf, push it down, scoop some more, push it down…and then close the capsule.

Use a Scale To Determine Exactly How Many Grams You’re Working With
While I don’t think it’s possible to overdoze on Calea Z, knowing how many grams you’re working with is a just a sensible, responsible thing to do. It’s nice to be able to report the experience in terms of specific dosage intake, and will give you a good idea of what works for you in the future. You can buy small digital scales from Ebay that are good for this purpose. Another option is simply to buy a 10 gram bag and use it entirely for capsules. No need to bother with a scale and you can easily determine how much is in each gram by dividing the number of grams used with the number of capsules used.

Will taking all these capsules hurt my stomach?
I’ve not heard any reports of calea z capsule ingestion causing stomach pain. If this has happened to you, please share your experience with the rest of us.

Personally, this was a big concern of mine when I took a large dosage in capsule form; however I felt nothing in my stomach. (you can read my post titled Calea Zacatechichi: Smoking, Drinking, and Encapsulating the Dream Herb for more on that experience.)