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Author Ryan Hurd on Paleolithic Mind, Polyphasic Cultures, Lucid Nightmares and More

This interview with Ryan Hurd, noted researcher, author, and veteran lucid dreamer covers a wide range of fascinating material. We discuss the “archeology of consciousness,” and what Ryan refers to as the Paleolithic Mind. We talk about polyphasic cultures that honor dreams, and the limitations of our monophasic view that colonizes and dismisses states of consciousness it can’t fully experience. The conversation then turns to some of the shadow sides of lucid dreaming, Ryan’s expertise with lucid nightmares, and how to work with fear – seeing it as a good sign.

“We have to go to the underworld to enter the upper-world.” We talk about sexuality and dreams, using the “safe sex” of lucid dreams to transform the heat of passion into the warmth of compassion, and how to work with this connecting energy in what Buddhists call “the realm of desire.” In this interview with Ryan Hurd, his intelligence, scholarship, and passion for lucid dreaming is clearly evident in this rich romp.

About Ryan Hurd

From his dreamstudies.org website: “I have a MA in Consciousness Studies and a Certificate of Dream Studies. I also have a BA degree specializing in archaeology. I spent the better part of a decade excavating ruins in North America before turning inward to the riches of the mind, which are infinitely more valuable than any buried treasure. Less back aches this way too.

My background has taught me that both views, objective science and self-inquiry, are critical for a more holistic view of Western knowledge to emerge. We need the earth and the sky, and everything in between.”

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