Very Creepy Lucid Dream...

Algonquin's Lucid Dream Tea has made its mark on my human existence. Last night, I had a wild and ridiculous lucid dream, that was not very enjoyable. I wasn't scared, I was mostly grossed out and then appalled at myself when I woke up for creating such a twisted "movie" in my brain. I always have very odd and interesting dreams, and I've only met a one other person who dreams as frequently or vividly as I do. The fact is, I am not sure if this dream was at all aided by the tea or if it was just my regular old nightly trip to crazytown.


I enjoy lucid dreams. They're a lot like a virtual reality game that technology just can't match (yet, or inexpensively anyway). This one, was not one of my favorites, but it was an experience I will never forget...


BEGIN DREAM


My old room mate was murdered while her and I were sharing a room during our sophomore year of college. I was out of town when it happened, and when I came back to the apartment, I found her dead and decaying in a pile of garbage. It was some crazy guy who she met at the bars who did it (or so my mind told me) about a week before I got back home. The story was being covered in all the newspapers and everyone on campus was talking about it and asking me about it, and for some reason, I was the one who had to clean up her body. So I started scooping slimy pieces of Heidi into a garbage bag with the garbage and then I realized that I would need to put the body in a separate bag from the garbage so I could give it to her family to bury her. (I have no idea where the police were, because they were questioning everyone and the media was all over it, I guess they just decided since it was my room, I'd have to clean it up). It got lucid while I was picking up her slimy finger and moving it from the garbage bag and into the body bag (which was also a garbage bag). Finally I found a black pair of gloves, which helped a little but I could not stand the slimy texture (and the fact that it was a human body) after a short while. I was so freaked out that I finally convinced my dad to help me clean her up. (She looked like one of those decaying bodies from Bones, and her fingernails were painted red). 

Once I got the body all cleaned up, I went out to the front yard and got into a giant kiddie pool with four of my friends from Madison (who I didn't even meet until after college). One friend had a ring floatie around her waist and the rest of us were just hanging out, talking about how mad we were that they wouldn't let us keep a turtle in our kiddie pool. There was a sign right next to the kiddie pool with a turtle on it that had a big X through it. One of the kiddie pool walls caved in and we all went floating into the street.

END DREAM

Theories anyone? What is on my mind? 

Lucid Dreams...

Lucid dreaming is our body's natural way to trip out. Lucid dreams can cause horrific projections that ends with the dreamer being trapped inside his or her body (sleep paralysis) as their mind and body fight to wake up, or they can cause a feeling of euphoria as a person takes off the ground and flies into the air, feeling as if they've suddenly inherited the ability to fly around like Superman. As a frequent vivid, lucid dreamer, I've learned to identify when I am in a lucid dream, and I've been able to control my own actions and turn the more unsettling lucid dreams into dreams that I enjoy. Before bed every night, I think about what would be interesting to do in a lucid dream that might happen that night. I've flown, tried to summon my patronus (which failed because I woke myself up mid-wand swing), driven a car, ran, visited friends who live far away and done all sorts of other really great things while asleep. 

When I saw Algonquin's "Lucid Dream Tea" at the Willy St Coop in Madison, I just had to buy myself a box. The tea is made from Sweet Gale, which is said to "enable one to have memorable dreams". Interesting enough for me to give it a try!

Last night before bed I had my first cup. About a half-hour after I turned off the lights, I started seeing an intense aura (if you've had a migraine before, it was similar to the visual aura that sometimes accompanies a migraine, but less impairing) and had to turn on the lights. It passed 5 minutes later, and I turned out the light and slowly drifted off to sleep. 

What followed? Six dreams that all transitioned perfectly from one to the other. None lucid, but all vivid. I remember thinking that the transitions were excellent, but could only tell you a few details from each dream. Nothing too exciting yet, but I definitely noticed some increased vividness in some of the dreams. Now, I'm off to bed to see what night 2 of Lucid Dream Tea has in store for me. I'll let you know if its worth the $8 it costs!

Deep Green Project of the Week: Homemade Re-useable Napkins

Pregnant with her first baby, my sister and brother-in-law are slimming down their spending and finding creative ways to save their hard-earned paychecks for the expensive miracle arriving in July. Committed to make the world more green, I've decided to take on a green project each week that will help them save money and the environment. I couldn't be happier for the upcoming arrival of my niece or nephew, and instilling green values into his or her life early on is important (and probably why the next generation will be more green than ours). 

What will I take on this week? 10"x10" re-usable napkins with a laundry bag for easy clean up. These make great gifts, and can help you save a lot of money on paper napkins and paper towels each year. I'm no seamstress, so if you need to learn how to sew check out a video on YouTube (which I will probably do, too!). 

• Pick your favorite fabric (make sure that it will be able to absorb spills); A square-yard of fabric will make 9 napkins (two yards if you want to make them double-sided). Cut the yard of fabric into square-foot sections and hem the edge of each side. 

• If you'd like double-sided napkins, place a square foot of fabric pattern-face down and pin back 1/2 inch hems along all four sides. Do the same to another square foot of fabric, put them together (hems facing in), and sew along the edges. 

• Sew yourself a drawstring bags from the remaining fabric, and place the napkins in it when they get dirty. Toss the entire bag into the wash when you are finished. If the weather is nice, hand wash and hang the napkins dry outside. 

Want to save even more money? Buy your fabric at a consignment or secondhand store. They often have old sheets and pieces of fabric that would be perfect for this project:

• Savers
• Goodwill
• The Salvation Army

Stay tuned for pictures of the project! Please let Deep Green Collective know if you try the project, and how it went for you. 

Follow Deep Green Collective on Twitter @DeepGreenLife.

Each moment is an opportunity to grow. Those who seek satisfaction in worldly pleasures will never truly find happiness. 

Why the Midwest is Nice

If you live in the Twin Cities (or any part of the country affected by this storm), you know by now that a classic winter storm has danced its way through town and, like a college student on a Sunday morning, let its hangover render the day useless for many people. I fell victim to the sloppy heckles of the storm by getting stuck twice on my commute and doing a complete 180 on the highway while driving home from work. While attempting to stop at a stoplight, I  swiftly whipped around to face a large SUV like a classic western face off. Luckily, I drove away from the scene unscathed (although it did take a while to catch my breath).

While thinking about my experiences today, I reflected on the countless stories I've heard from friends throughout the years who've had similar experiences. Almost always, a good samaritan or 2 or 6 show up on the scene of a Minnesota or Wisconsin winter snow storm from hell to shovel snow from under tires, push a stranger's cars through an intersection or even stop to loan out a cell phone to someone in need.

People wonder why the midwest is nice. My theory: winters (and stars, but we'll get to that point this summer). We are forced to rely on our communities, our society as a collective to get through the storm safe, alive and with our sanity intact. The truth is, we know that we wouldn't make it through the winter without each other, and I think this is something midwesterners carry with them year-round.

As a single person, I really appreciated the young man who stopped to push me through an intersection this morning, and his unselfishness has inspired this post. My goal for the week is to be less selfish. Every time I get irritated, I vow to stop myself, and think about what that main cause of my irritation is. If it's selfish, I'll think about my good samaritan and apply this logic my thinking. Even admitting to myself that I am being selfish is a feat in itself, but this winter snow storm has reminded me to think before I jump to any self-centered conclusions.

If we all work to be a little less selfish, the world will be a brighter place.

TIP: Participating in Meatless Monday is a great way to live less selfishly, and more green. Check out why, here .

Conflict
Avoid conflict among friends and family, but don't forget to avoid conflict within yourself.


Follow Deep Green Collective on Twitter @DeepGreenLife

Discovering the Deep Green Collective

Discovery. Ahh, the eternal curiosity inherent to our species. We dream the impossible and through time our curiosity vests itself into ideas which we assign value. The value we create is then invested in by someone who is also curious, but does not have the time or skill set necessary to discover the inert truth which they seek. What then? The dream that was once impossible is proven, time and time again to be possible. It seems miraculous at first. Astonishing, even. Just like sex, we are satisfied for only a brief moment, until our desire for more captivates and paralyzes our minds. The novelty of the latest discovery fades into history, and with it, our marvel at our once mysterious world. This blog is about personal and collective discovery, with a goal to keep the greater good top-of-mind in effort to make the world a better place.

Deep Green Collective started as a quest to become a better person through personal discovery. Namely, by writing and learning more about our universe, what it means to be human, artists, music and living green. It’s been quite the ride so far, and I’m sharing my experience and writings with you because I believe that the world is improved when we work toward a greater goal together. I’ll bring you my deep thoughts, insights into life, favorite artists of all kinds and ways to make your life a little greener. I welcome yours. Most posts will end with a short poem, quote or writing.

Beautiful Creation

A strong foundation,
Great expectation,

Wild fluctuation,

Loud incantation,

Inner frustration,

Naive temptation,

Fierce indignation,

Beautiful creation in me.

Thanks for joining Deep Green Collective.