Chapter 874 First Experiment <TOC> Chapter 876 Communication in Dreams
Translator: SumTLMan
However, those who can achieve lucid dreaming are far too few.
Generally speaking, everyone has the potential for lucid dreaming, but it only occurs sporadically, perhaps once in several years. Angel thought it would be better to cultivate those who could dream lucidly rather than rely on chance.
Indeed, the ability to lucid dream can be fostered. And, this isn’t strictly tied to an individual’s natural talent. Basically, as long as you can dream, there’s a possibility to cultivate this ability.
Of course, according to Freud, there are tricks within the system of dreams that can enable one to dream lucidly directly. However, Angel is not an exceptional being who specializes in dream research. He doesn’t have the luxury of returning to the Revelation Continent to learn these tricks from Freud. Thus, he plans to cultivate it using his own methods.
Back on Earth, lucid dreaming was also called conscious dreaming. Research into conscious dreaming has existed since ancient times, including methods to train oneself to achieve it.
After Angel returned home, he took out his holographic tablet, found the methods to increase the probability of having lucid dreams, and prepared to depart once more.
He had already visited the prison in Watford, so this time he headed for the city of Sea Moon.
After the naval battle outside Sea Moon City was won, Princess Shannon moved her forces to the Black Crow Province. Now, the commander left in Sea Moon City military camp was General Aaron, who had volunteered to come from the capital city.
Upon arriving at Sea Moon City, Angel went straight to Aaron.
Faced with Angel, Aaron’s attitude was very respectful, not only due to Angel’s extraordinary status but also because he owed a favor to Angel.
When Aaron learned that Angel’s purpose was to obtain a group of heinous criminals sentenced to death, he did not inquire about Angel’s intentions, but agreed without hesitation.
In less than an hour, Aaron brought out a group of ragged prisoners from Sea Moon City prison.
Angel didn’t plan to take these people back to the Pat Manor, but cordoned off a wasteland near the camp and gathered the prisoners there.
“You are all destined to die. However, if you agree to do something for me and accomplish it, I can give your relatives or friends ten gold coins as a reward,” Angel said, disdainful of deception and putting his demand forthrightly.
For a moment, a commotion erupted among the prisoners.
But with the military camp nearby and Aaron arranging a team of elite soldiers to patrol around, Angel didn’t even need to take action himself; the soldiers quickly subdued the prisoners.
After experiencing this suppression, the prisoners finally accepted their destiny.
They were already destined to die, but at least they could leave a fortune to their families before their demise.
Following this, Angel imparted the methods to enhance the probability of lucid dreaming to everyone, then let them be, leaving them to learn independently.
After all, enhancing the odds of achieving lucid dreams is not a complex process, it can be summarized into four simple steps: fixation, details, suggestion, and discernment.
Dreams reflect the subconscious mind, hence the more fixated one is, the more likely they are to dream. Prior to commencing the dream, when one is fixating on a particular thought, the more detailed the thought, the more it occupies the mind, thereby increasing the likelihood of dreaming about it.
When the fixation indeed transforms into a dream, through long-term mental suggestion, a “doubt” arises at this moment: Am I dreaming, or am I awake?
Finally, when you discern that this is a dream, it signifies that you have started to enter the stage of lucid dreaming.
However, beginner level lucid dreaming merely lets you recognize that you are dreaming, within the dream you still need to continually suggest to yourself, otherwise, you may easily forget that you are dreaming.
When in a state of prolonged suggestion, achieving true lucid dreams becomes easier, within the dream, you can have complete consciousness, and your actions, like creating new worlds, are guided by your will, no longer entrapped by confusion.
Angel does not expect everyone to achieve true lucid dreams, it is sufficient for research purposes if they can have clear self-awareness within their dreams.
Although these convicts were in the dark about why they were required to specifically study such a subject, they had no rights to question, they could only begin practicing systematically.
Angel decided to stay in the city of Sea Moon temporarily for this period.
He needed to observe these people’s dreams every night, to determine the next steps of the research.
While they were learning lucid dreaming, he also organized the data that he had previously obtained from Black Sand Prison, and in his spare time, started learning the Dream Reading spell.
Just like entering dreams, Angel planned to construct models for Dream Reading using the same methods, through the computational capabilities of the holographic tablet, and the positioning abilities of the Universal Axis.
According to a rough estimate by the holographic tablet, the computation would be completed in half a month.
…
Since Angel entered dreams every night, he was aware of the progress of all the convicts. Every three days, he would single out those who were indifferent and sluggish, and have Aaron take them away.
As for the fate of these people, everyone understood without needing to ask.
In no time, a week had passed.
During this period, Angel, despite his preoccupations, found the time to make several visits back to Pat Manor. As the influence of the Demeter began to be felt, noticeable improvements were seen in the complexions of all who resided within the manor, from the highest to the lowest. Even the faces of the aged farmers, who spent their years toiling away in the fields, were showing signs of change from their usual waxen pallor.
Everyone under the Demeter’s sphere of influence, both in body and mind, would perpetually maintain their optimal condition. While this might seem insignificant for wizards, the effects were profound and immediate among ordinary people.
Angel also paid a visit to Eureka.
Eureka’s complexion had improved significantly compared to before. Later, Blaire informed him in confidence that the natural aura of the Demeter had a soothing effect on her injuries, which was the reason behind Eureka’s improved countenance.
When Eureka had Angel come over, she began by inquiring about his current activities.
Angel simply mentioned that he was conducting human experiments in the City of Sea Moon but did not divulge the specific details. Eureka, after listening, didn’t press further but instead brought up the topic of potions.
During the previous occasion when he was assisting Jon in maintaining the Three-State Balance, he had utilized numerous precious potions. It was these that Eureka was curious about and she inquired what other potions he had on him.
Apparently, with her mental strength recovery at a dead end, Eureka had set her sights on Angel.
Angel had many potions, but they were all specifically tailored for Jon’s physical condition. Of course, there were potions that could restore mental strength, but they were all low-level and gentle potions as Jon’s physical condition couldn’t tolerate potent ones.
He didn’t conceal the fact that he had potions capable of restoring mental strength, as Jon indeed required such potions.
Upon hearing this, Eureka seemed somewhat regretful, but she understood.
In the end, Eureka still purchased several bowls of “Witch Soup of Hikato” from Angel. Although the recovery of mental strength it provided was trivial, it was still better than nothing.
After Angel’s departure, Eureka, thinking about the materials brought back from Ashen Time in her spatial tool, silently anticipated the early return of Redhead…
Another week passed, and just before the model of the Dream Reading trick was about to be fully deciphered, a prisoner finally succeeded in having a lucid dream.
Angel observed the entire process of this man’s dream, the content of which was the deepest obsession in his heart—avenging his father.
Avenging his father. Judging from this obsession, he seemed to be a dutiful son. However, his father was a man of great sin and evil, and he had fully inherited his father’s violent bloodline. He abused his wife to death and committed numerous thefts and murders for money. Only after being sentenced to death did he feel remorse, and the reason for this remorse was that he had a son.
His eagerness to learn the method of lucid dreaming was also motivated by his desire to earn coins, to leave a final legacy for his son.
That evening, Angel, veiling his pain, put an end to his physical existence. As the Dream Bridge teetered on the edge of breaking, Angel could distinctly see that his dream-self still clung to a fragment of awareness, adrift in the darkness, seeking the perpetrator of his father’s murder.
Emerging from the dream, Angel descended into contemplation.
Did he, in his dream, maintain a shred of consciousness, suggesting the possibility of his transformation into a resident of the Dream Realm?
Angel meticulously recorded the observations from this experience. Although the current conclusion suggests that death in a dream could allow one to retain a glimmer of consciousness within the Dream Realm, it was, after all, an isolated case. He needed more comprehensive data to substantiate this.
The next day, Angel kept his promise, ordering his soldiers to hand over the ten gold coins to the man’s son.
However, according to the soldiers’ feedback, the boy, despite being only fifteen, was already addicted to gambling. As soon as he received the money, he made straight for the gambling hall, returning home that night, penniless.
The ten gold coins could have been enough for him to lead a decent life until adulthood.
Angel refrained from commenting on this. In this society, one’s inherent environment often shapes one’s character. It’s a daunting task to expect a pristine blossom to emerge from the murk.
Even if a flower did bloom, it would most likely be a bloom of evil.
…
The learning of the Dream Reading spell, although seemingly reckless and fraught with danger, was in fact as steady as a mountain. The illumination of the illusion model signified the successful construction of the Dream Reading spell.
While this unconventional approach seemed only applicable to illusion spells related to Nightmare Spells, and could not instantly construct an illusion model, these spells weren’t aggressive in nature. Therefore, a slower construction was tolerable. Besides, it saved a great deal of learning time. If he developed an interest in dream-related spells in the future, he could always learn through the conventional method.
Upon successful construction of the Dream Reading spell, Angel didn’t rashly communicate with others in their dreams.
After all, his Dream Reading spell only possessed the functions of “listening and interacting.” If he were to communicate with these criminals in their dreams and get discovered, he might risk having his dream tendrils severed in the Dream Realm, causing him substantial damage.
Therefore, Angel intended to use this spell only on Jon at the moment.
He didn’t even dare to use it on his elder brother, Leon. After all, Leon hadn’t learned Lucid Dreaming either. Entering his dream might accidentally harm him.
Angel originally planned to return directly to the Pat Manor and communicate with Jon in the dream. However, with the emergence of the first Lucid Dreamer among the prisoners, a surge of Lucid Dreaming swept through the prisoner zone.
To acquire more experimental data, Angel had to suppress his urge to return home for the time being.
Chapter 874 First Experiment <TOC> Chapter 876 Communication in Dreams