Reflections on Lucid Dreaming and Out-of-Body-Experiences

Abstract

The following are excerpts from a series of letters written primarily to Charles Tart with a few to Stephen LaBerge by “Father X” from 1982 to 1988. In them, he describes his lucid dreams and OBEs which commenced in 1974 and have occurred in some periods as frequently as 3 to 4 times per week. These experiences were not deliberately sought but occurred spontaneously. In fact, initially Father X assumed he had a neurological problem which was causing these and underwent extensive testing. When he discovered that he was not alone in these experiences, he began his fascinating correspondence to Tart and L.aBerge always sending copies to Jayne Gackenbach. In these letters he details his experiences, struggles with their possible meaning or significance, and speculates about their origin. With Father X’s permission I (guest editor Kathryn Belicki) have organized the following excerpts around several themes which emerge from his letters.