Dreaming Gate 1

A breakthrough. With the help of some particularly strong Lancashire cheese, I was able to pass through Castaneda's 1st Gate of Dreaming. I have only achieved this on a few occasions in the last few years.

I succeeded in finding my hands which bring about a much more heightened and intense state of dreaming. Unfortunately, the heightened level of self awareness it brings so far leads me to realise I'm dreaming, and it makes it difficult to sustain the state.

Unfortunately it's been so long since I read any of Castaneda's work, I couldn't remember what to do next - find and follow a Scout. As a result, I got stuck having gone through Gate 1.

Cheese: Lancashire (approx 100g)

I was sitting on the back seat of a bus, I must have been in a heightened state, because I realised I was, and instinctively thought to look at my hands. I looked down at my hands and turned them over (I think this may be the beginning of Gate 2).

I looked up and the back of the bus where I was sitting was pretty busy. I was in the middle of the back seat, there was a dodgy looking man facing me to the left, a mother and her child to my immediate left and an old lady facing me to the right. I didn't pay too much attention to them as I was trying to see where the bus was going. It was heading down a suburban street towards a T-junction.

I was aware of two noisy children sat the other side of the dodgy man, but I could see them as he was in the way.

Unfortunately I was not able to maintain the state for very long.

Freakiness: 8
Nightmare Factor: 6
Amusement Factor: 2
Enjoyability: 5
Coherence: 10
Vividness: 10