What is it that makes the idea of lucid dreaming so attractive? I would say the attractions include the fact that there are no consequences to your actions, and no guilt. This is aided by the fact that there aren’t, in truth, any other people, that you would have to worry about reacting negatively or thinking bad about you. The other aspect is that it is not “real.” This concept of “reality” does a lot in terms of holding us back from deriving maximum enjoyment out of life. If we want to make our actual lives more exciting, like a lucid dream, we should seek to employ, as much as we can, these same conceptions into our waking life. Feel no guilt for anything you have done, are doing, or will do. Do not think of consequences whatsoever. Remove the conception of “other people” in your reality. If there are no other people, then there is no risk of negative reaction by others; there is only your own negativity, which is easily avoided if the idea of there being other people is removed. We must also detach from our notions of reality, or what is real.
There is a great distinction between fantasy and reality; we always prefer fantasies. Our notions of reality prevent us from making these fantasies reality, and often prevent us from even enjoying our fantasies in our heads. A fantasy is perfect; no fault can be found in a fantasy. Problems only arise when the fantasy is contrasted with the reality. Reality should be seen as being in quotes, a term used only because it is the term commonly used; it has no real meaning. It is an arbitrary term referring to an unreal and arbitrary concept. Fantasy need not be put in quotations; a fantasy is perfect. The only flaw one could find in a “fantasy” is that it is opposed to reality. Remove this distinction by removing belief in “real things,” or “the real world.” Then there is only fantasy. You still inhabit reality, but now you clearly understand that “reality” is an unreal concept, only used because it is common.
A common reaction to what I am saying is that I am speaking of selfishness, at the expense of others. This notion, at least in the way which one who has it would likely see it, is untrue. There are a few ways of explaining why this is the case. First and most simply, how “self-absorbed” you are depends on what your fantasies are. My absolute ideal reality, my perfect fantasy, includes me helping humanity as much as I can possibly imagine. Helping humanity is part of my fantasy; it is, in fact, probably the most integral part. The second aspect is this; this idea of fantasies being “selfish,” as seems to be the default reaction, is only a temporary phenomena. Whatever these selfish fantasies are you are imagining, would they hold that same tantalizing pull over you forever? Or once you indulged, would it not have such a hold on you? I believe that allowing ourselves to indulge in our fantasies is the greatest tool in removing their debilitating pull over us. This frees up vast amounts of energies to allow us to do more “useful” things, in a way that we are completely absorbed in them, and satisfied.
Also, when I say “other people don’t exist,” I merely mean that they are representations of me, and not separate. If they are me, then how can I treat them badly? It would be treating me badly. I should treat them good, and try to make them happy and joyful, correct? So if I should try to make others happy and joyful, because they are me, then doesn’t it follow that I should make myself happy and joyful too?
These(quite natural) assumptions of selfishness at the expense of others are only the result of not following this logic all the way through. I would not, indeed can not, harm others. It is senseless! They are me! I should do everything I can to make others happy. Yet I must pursue my own happiness with the same tenacity that I try to make others happy. I must forgive others for everything, past, present and future. So too I must forgive myself for everything, past, present and future. After all, am I not them?
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