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Lucid Dreaming/Induction Techniques

This page describes a number of lucid dream induction techniques. It is recommended that you be able to recall at least one dream per night in order to maximize the effectiveness of these methods.

Preliminary Knowledge
Certain elements are common to many of the lucidity-inducing techniques discussed later in this chapter. To better understand these techniques, these common components will be discussed first.

Sleep Interruption
An element shared by many of the techniques is sleep interruption. Sleep interruption is the process of purposefully awakening during your normal sleep period and falling asleep a short time later (10–60 minutes). This can be easily done by using a relatively quiet alarm clock to bring you to consciousness without fully waking you. If you find yourself resetting the clock in your sleep, it can be placed on the other side of the room, forcing you to get out of bed to turn it off. Other biorhythm-based options involve drinking lots of fluid (particularly water or tea, a known diuretic) prior to sleep, forcing one to get up to urinate.

Sleep interruption is a natural part of the MILD technique (described below) which trains you to arise immediately after your dreams end.

Sleep Continuity
If you have trouble initially falling asleep, avoid drinking water for about an hour before going to bed. Otherwise, you may find yourself running to the bathroom, disrupting any attempts at lucidity. Also, try to avoid caffeine and sugar before bed. However, depending on your sensitivity, caffeine may only stimulate your mind as opposed to your body. This extra grip on consciousness could be helpful in inducing lucid dreams. Exercising during the day is an excellent way of preparing your body for sleep. However, be sure to not exercise inside the three hours before bedtime, as your body will be stimulated for a short time afterwards. The morning or afternoon is the best time for this.

If you still have difficulty getting to sleep, try reading about lucid dreaming just before going to sleep. Your subconscious will likely absorb this information, increasing your chances of experiencing a lucid dream. If you do decide to read before going to sleep, keep a lamp next to your bed as physically getting up to turn off the lights may reawaken your body.

Reality checks
A reality check is a test you can perform to see if you're dreaming or awake. It might seem odd to test reality when you are sure that you're awake, but making a habit out of one or more of these reality checks will hugely increase your chances of having a lucid dream. If, say, you hold your nose and try to breathe in through it several times throughout the day then you're very likely to dream about doing it. And when you dream about performing a reality check, then of course the results should come out differently, in this case you'll find that you are somehow breathing in through your closed nostrils. You'll know that you're dreaming, and be able to take lucid control!

So here are some reality checks. You should be familiar with the entire list even if you only use a few.

Choose a few reality checks which you will do regularly. Take them seriously, do not assume you are awake (even when you know you are). If you practice performing these checks very thoroughly while awake, then you're more likely to perform them thoroughly while dreaming. You should always carry out more than one reality check. If you find that it is not a dream, look around you and think of what would be different if it were a dream. If you do this it will make it more likely that you will do a reality check in a dream.

Apart from doing reality checks throughout the day, you also need to do a reality check immediately after you wake up. This helps you become lucid in false awakenings, when you dream that you have woken up but in fact are still dozing. Using a digital alarm clock or mobile phone display to do a Reading check, every single time you wake up, is a quick and reliable way to catch false awakenings.

If you have trouble bringing reality checks into your dreams then before going to bed imagine yourself in a dream, noticing odd details and doing a reality check. Then do a reality check in real life. If you do this a few times before bed you will find that you will do it more often in dreams.

If you are in a situation where you cannot do a reality check, such as at a public speaking, try to do one as soon as possible. You can do some reality checks very inconspicuously, such as looking at some text on a sign. If you start to say “well, I can't do a reality check now” you should not be surprised when you make this mistake in a dream!

Which reality checks are best?

When selecting reality checks, the most important properties of a reality check are reliability, speed, and inconspicuousness.

On the table above, these are scored out of 5.
 * The reliability of each reality check is how likely you are to recognize the dream-sign's results as showing that you are dreaming once you do them in a dream. It changes for each person but some reality checks are overall more accurate than others. The figures in the table above are rough only and differ for each person.
 * It is important for a reality check to be fast. It wastes dream time if you have to search around for a book or (perhaps worse) a mirror. Plus, it could also give your subconsciousness more time to produce real-life results, especially if you believe that the check will give real-life results.
 * Third, a reality check should be inconspicuous; that is, it should not draw too much attention to you when you do it in the waking world. Suddenly jumping in the air or trying to walk through a wall as a reality check could cause much embarrassment!
 * Fourth, a reality check should not have "false positives". These occur when the reality check shows you are dreaming in real life. When you get a dream result, do another reality check to be sure!
 * A final important note is whether or not a reality check should have "false negatives". These occur when a reality check shows you are in real life when you are actually dreaming. If you think you may be dreaming, keep doing tests until you prove yourself right!

'''I have trouble remembering to do reality checks throughout the day. What reminders can I use?'''

You are lucky to have an interesting day and forget about lucid dreaming! You can tag your mind to remember dreaming when you think of certain things, like your friend or your homework. It isn't advisable to explicitly write “reality check” or “lucid” on your hand, as this could create an over dependence on this reminder, which may not exist in a dream. However, you might want to just draw a dot or small circle on your hand. This should be enough to remind you to do a reality check.

Try putting a little label on your clock, mobile phone, or watch, reminding yourself to do a reality check. (Some weird colors will make it more noticeable and it will take longer for you to get used to it and ignore it.) If you check these regularly during the course of your waking day, you will be doing lots of reality checks.

A simple coffee mug with a reminder such as "Are you dreaming?" printed on it or random alarms can also serve well, but try not to become too dependent on them. You can find examples of these at LD4All.

Another technique is to write down three things you do regularly in a day. Examples include hearing your name, going through a doorway, turning on a TV, beginning to read a book, or seeing a stranger. In the morning, choose three such events and intend to do a reality check whenever they happen in the following day.

'''I did a reality check in a dream but it said that I was not dreaming. What went wrong?'''

Some reality checks work perfectly for some people and awfully for others. These are mostly the light switches one and the hands one. If you find that the light switch works or that your hands are perfectly normal, you need to change to a different technique.

'''I did a reality check in a dream but I did not quite realize I was dreaming. What went wrong?'''

An example of this is looking into a mirror and seeing some huge boils or a gray mist on your reflection and not realizing that you are dreaming. This is rare if you actually intended to look into the mirror as a reality check. You need to be more careful when doing your reality checks in real life or pick more reliable reality checks which show more obviously that you are dreaming. Also try to pick reality checks that are easy to do. For example, don't rely the Time Reality Check if you never wear a watch, and don't pick the Mirror Reality Check if you rarely look in the mirror during the day or you know that you won't find a mirror in your dream.

Another good remedy for this problem (and a good practice in general) is to perform two or three reality checks at a time. The Time Reality Check, for example, can be easily combined with attempting to push one hand through another. Or, for those with glasses, testing your ability to read text fits naturally with checking for "perfect eyesight w/o glasses".

 Threads about reality checks on ld4all.com: The BIG Reality Check topic I II | RCs that prove you are awake while dreaming | New RC? | Today's Lucid Tip: Dream Characters Suck | The RC List! | Failed Reality Checks | Funny dream cue / RC experience | The Automatization Technique | Reality Check Failure | Need a better reality check for Christ's sake!!!!!! | [http://web.archive.org/web/20051123115829/http://ld4all.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6256 WHY?!?!?! Failed Reality Check!] Threads about reality checks at The Lucidity Institute: Reality Testing September 2000 June 2001 August 2001 December 2001 Latest

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Techniques
When you read through these techniques, remember that different techniques work for different people. There is no “best technique” and most techniques could be used to have 2–5 lucid dreams every night! You could have several lucid dreams in a night, but you will not know it unless you remember them!

However, you will probably want some advice as to which technique you should try first. Consider whether you want to use a method which starts from a dream or a method which starts from being awake.* If you master a technique which starts from being awake, you will eventually be able to have lucid dreams on demand when you sleep. For other techniques, you have to rely on your luck to give you lucid dreams after you have done your technique. Here are some advantages and disadvantages for specific techniques:

(Remember, it is essential to be able to recall at least one dream per night before attempting these techniques)

* The usual acronyms in forums for this are DILD (Dream-Initiated Lucid Dream) and WILD (Wake-Initiated Lucid Dream). All the techniques that induce WILDs are described under WILD on this page.

WBTB
WBTB stands for “Wake-Back-To-Bed”.

Wake yourself up after 4 to 6 hours of sleep, get out of bed and stay up for anywhere between a few minutes to an hour before going back to bed. It is preferable that you do something related to lucid dreaming during this time (such as reading about lucid dreaming), but it is not required. This is best combined with other techniques; many people have amazing results with a MILD/WBTB combination. The WBTB technique significantly increases your chances of a lucid dream, and using MILD (see below) in conjunction increases your success rate if you are planning to sleep an hour or more after your WBTB session. However, you might need plenty of sleep time and therefore you may only be able to use it on weekends.

If you are sleeping too deeply to become lucid, then you can modify this technique. Try returning to sleep somewhere different than where you usually sleep, e.g. on a couch, a different bed, or even on the floor. If you are unable to do this, try changing the way you sleep, e.g. try sleeping with a lighter blanket or reversing the orientation of your body while in the bed (that is, swapping head and feet). Do this in order to teach your body that these different surroundings mean you want to have a more conscious sleep rather than a deeper sleep. In the beginning, different surroundings will also make you more alert, which can heighten your level of consciousness during sleep.

'''I am sometimes awake for very short times, but cannot pull myself together enough to get up and out of bed. What can I do?'''

Put a bright piece of paper on the wall or ceiling so that you will see it when you wake up. Other stimuli could be a hot water bottle, a light turned on under your bed, or an alarm clock. A good technique is to place an alarm clock out of arm's reach so that you are compelled to physically get up from bed and turn it off. If this is still insufficient to restore consciousness, try making a note of your intentions to remain awake and place the note on your alarm clock. After you get a lucid dream with this method, you'll find it easier and easier to get out of bed because you'll have more motivation.

 Threads about the WBTB technique at ld4all.com: The BIG WBTB topic

Auto-suggestion
This technique describes how to use auto-suggestion to have lucid dreams. It can be especially effective for people who are highly susceptible to hypnosis or understand meditation, but for most people, MILD will probably be more effective.

As you are falling asleep, suggest to yourself that you will have a lucid dream either that night or in the near future. You can use a mantra (such as “I will recognize that I'm dreaming”) if you want, but make sure you don't try too hard to get a lucid dream. Instead of putting intentional effort into the suggestion, try to genuinely expect to have a lucid dream. Let yourself think expectantly about the lucid dream you are about to have, but be patient if you don't get one right away.

You may also use auto-suggestion to improve dream recall. Just use the technique as described above, but instead of suggesting that you'll have a lucid dream, suggest that you'll remember your dreams when you wake up. You could also use a mantra with this, such as “When I wake up, I will remember what I dreamt”. Just be careful not to put too much intentional effort into the mantra — try to genuinely expect to remember your dreams instead.

MILD
MILD stands for “Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams", or sometimes, “Mnemonically Induced Lucid Dream". The MILD technique was developed by Stephen LaBerge, and is described fully in his book Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming.

With the MILD technique, as you are falling asleep, you concentrate on your intention to remember to recognize that you are dreaming. Repeat a short mantra in your head, such as “Next time I'm dreaming, I will remember I'm dreaming”. Think about what this means (i.e., that you want to remember that you are dreaming—in the same way you might go to a grocery store and suddenly remember that you need bread), and imagine that you are back in a dream you've had recently, but this time you recognize that you are dreaming. For example, if you recently dreamed of flying, imagine realizing that it is a dream because you are flying. Keep repeating and visualizing the mantra until you are sure that your intention is set in your mind or you fall asleep. If you stop repeating and visualizing the mantra, then still try to make sure the last thing in your mind before falling asleep is your intention to remember to recognize that you are dreaming.

In general, the MILD technique can be practiced when you first go to bed at night, or after you have awakened from a dream during the night. If you practice the MILD technique after you have awakened from a dream, you should first run through the dream to ensure that you remember it. Some people find it helpful to jot down a few notes about their dream in their dream journal.

Once you have committed the dream to memory, go back to sleep and follow the steps above. But this time, visualize the dream you just had. Move through the dream in your mind until you encounter a dream-sign you originally missed. Now, instead of missing the dream-sign, imagine yourself recognizing it and becoming “lucid”.

Repeat this until you have fallen asleep. You will re-enter the dream, and you will recognize the dream-sign and finally, become lucid.

 Threads about the MILD technique at ld4all.com: The BIG MILD topic I II | MILD at Midnight? | MILD Mantras

archive.org threads about the MILD technique from www.dreamviews.com (offline): Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (MILD) | Getting more help with MILD from your subconscious

WILD
WILD stands for “Wake-Initiated Lucid Dream”, or “Wake-Initiation of Lucid Dreams” to refer to any technique that involves falling asleep consciously. These techniques are similar to self-hypnosis. Some people believe that WILDs are not actual dreams, but are instead astral projection. Various detailed resources are available under that moniker.

For most people, they are far easier to induce in the early morning after waking up or in afternoon naps, as the sleep cycle will continue with a REM period. Once you are experienced with inducing WILDs, you can try to induce them at other times.

For WILDs to occur, it is best for your body to be completely relaxed. When you go back to bed, lie down comfortably. Now tense and relax your body, starting from your shoulders and working downwards, then back up to the face. This (or similar relaxation, meditation, or trance techniques) should make your body feel slightly heavy and relaxed.

There are many different ways to induce WILDs, but they all involve simultaneously attempting to keep the mind aware, while attempting to have the body fall asleep. A few techniques are detailed below.

One of the common ways used to induct oneself into a concious sleep, is using an anchor. Anchors can be anything in your environment that you can focus on. These can be either internal, external, or both.

An external anchor could be your breathing, white noise, quiet music, the sound of your fan, the ambiance of your room, any external stimuli that you can't control. An internal anchor is a feeling, sensation, or motion that doesn't really exist. These could be an image behind your eyes, moving the hands or fingers of your "dream/spirit body", or going through the motions of falling asleep. These anchors are meant to keep your mind awake, while you fall asleep, and should not be something that will keep you awake.

If you pay attention to your physical body while using these techniques, then you will likely enter sleep paralysis (which usually happens after you are already asleep) without losing conscious awareness of your body. You will get a tingling and buzzing sensation (this might be unpleasant). These sensations might be so strong that you feel that you will die (e.g., you might feel a choking sensation), but don't worry, this is perfectly safe! In fact, this process happens to you every time you sleep, you are just not conscious during it. Sometimes you can simply wait until you fall asleep straight into a lucid dream. However, if you do not fall asleep, and you become completely paralyzed (with the exception of your eyes), do not try to move. Imagine your dream hand (or spirit hand if you prefer) going up and leaving your physical hand behind. Now you should have two separate bodies, a dream one and a real one. Control your dream body only — if you control your real one, you will wake up. Now you can try to roll out of bed into your dream world (alternatively, you can get up and walk through a mirror, or sink into your bed). There is a possibility that after waking up from a dream that you initiated using this technique, you may still be paralyzed. If this phenomenon occurs, it may be accompanied by hallucinations. For example, you may wake up from a lucid dream that you started using one of the WILD techniques, and you will still be paralyzed, this is a state of Sleep paralysis.

If you have the experience then you have been given an example of what your mind can do, even without your direction. Before the phenomena was understood, as Sleep paralysis also occurs outside of Lucid Dream experiments it had been given a general negative outlook, while the experience is truly unique (partial awareness, unable to move, and multi-sense hallucinations) it is often linked to cultural fears, nightmares and other night terrors, Americans call it Old Hag, Japanese people call it kanashibari, Korean people call it kawi nullida (being pressed by a pair of scissors), Turkish people call it karabasan and in old French it was called Cauquemare, which was later transformed into the term cauchemar. In any case as soon as you rationalize what is happening you should lose any fear by the temporary loss of muscular control and contextualize any hallucination.

Chakra Technique
Using Chakra ("third eye") meditation is one way to achieve WILDs. Basically, one has to focus solely on his third eye and breathing to achieve a lucid dream. This is a technique over 5000 years old, taught to Parvati by Shiva. He is quoted as saying:"With intangible breath in center of forehead, as this reaches heart at the moment of sleep, have direction over dreams and over death itself."

Eyelid Patterns
This has been found to be very effective in many cases. However, it may lead to strange after effects, such as up to 15 dreams in one night, but otherwise, nothing harmful. This technique is as follows: When you go to sleep, ensure the room is completely dark. Then, with eyes closed, try to focus on the little dots that should appear to be moving on your eyelids. You will find that you can change their color at will. Continue focusing on these dots; make them dance around and form patterns and change colors, and eventually you should enter a Lucid Dream. This may take a little practice, but is usually very effective for summoning Lucid Dreams at will. Works better in conjunction with WBTB and other techniques mentioned above, but is still extraordinarily effective on its own.

Hypnagogic Imagery
Stimulate your thinking patterns by constantly switching your attention. After doing this long enough, the images and sounds should begin to take a momentum on their own (this is called hypnagogic imagery), and may they get very strange and illogical. You should enter a dream at this point and quickly become lucid. Otherwise, you will eventually realize you have entered sleep paralysis consciously (see above). Because hypnagogic sleep paralysis involves full consciousness, dreaming can sometimes be frighteningly real. There is often a feeling of being flipped upside down, spun, or being tugged upon by an outside force. Hypnagogic hallucinations may also include strange auditory hallucinations, dark beings and flying. It is possible to observe waking reality while in a hypnagogic state, but this is limited to the sensations of your physical body. Most hypnagogic sleep paralysis states occur when sleeping face up. There is evidence that the tendency toward experiencing Hypnagogic sleep paralysis may be hereditary.

Counting
Another technique is to count up to 100 in your head, optionally adding (for example) an “I'm dreaming” between each number. Alternatively, you can imagine stepping down stairs and reading each floor number, from 100 to 0. Try to make this image as vivid as possible — include not only what you see, but also what you hear, feel (touch the banister), and smell. At some point this image should continue into a dream or you will begin to get sleep paralysis as described above. It is easy to lose count, especially with counting up to 100 with an 'I'm dreaming' with each number. But stay focused: you are not going to sleep; your body is, and you must concentrate fully.

Sound Technique
This method is for people, who can hear the "tinnitus". The idea is pretty much the same as the other WILD methods, which is to remain conscious while entering the dream state. In order to use this method, you must sleep in a perfectly quiet place. You need to hear the inner buzzing sound inside your ears. Lay your body down and relax as much as possible while trying to hear the sound. If you are too tired, you will fall asleep too fast and it will be difficult to remain conscious - in this case you should combine it with WBTB. By time you realize that the buzzing sound will increase in intensity. This might frighten newcomers, but be assured - nothing bad is going to happen. No, you will not be deaf when you wake up, it’s perfectly safe! *It is just an effect caused by your brain is trying to change mode, from listening to the ambient sound, to listening to the sound of dreamland, which is not real sound but just electrical charge inputed to the part of the brain to create a sensation of hearing. By that time, you will enter the hypnagogic state. All you need to do is concentrate, do not be afraid or think of anything, just be still, and in time your dream body will float, separating from your physical body, and there you go, you arrive in the dreamworld.

Note: These sounds can be heard when you concentrate, even throughout the day - when you pay attention to them, but they shouldn't be heard much aloud if you are not in silence and concentrating on it - *as author said. The formula to hear it is quite simple: come into complete silence close your eyes and listen: is there only absolute silence or is there - something else? some...? do not create some sound just concentrate - :-) The best thing on this tech is - you can do it when you want.

Slight Physical Discomfort
For the purpose of helping to retain your conscious awareness, slight physical discomfort is useful while performing any WILD technique. This prevents you from just drifting off to sleep. If you are lying down on your bed to do WILD and you are totally comfortable then your chances of going to sleep instead of remaining conscious are very high. The WILD technique relies on a form of deep trance induction, and many people who induce trances for other reasons rely on slight physical discomfort — for example the lotus position, or sitting in a hard-backed chair. Depending on your own preferences and your requirements of discomfort for success, you could choose from the following methods, arranged in ascending order of discomfort:
 * 1) Stacking pillows so that you can sit up in bed — the discomfort is caused by not being in a normal sleeping position.
 * 2) Lying down on a hard floor.
 * 3) Lifting your forearm vertically upwards, with the rest of your arm resting on the bed.
 * 4) Sitting in a hard chair.

 Threads about the WILD technique at ld4all.com: The BIG WILD topic I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV|  [http://ld4all.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5341 Strange colored dots?!? ULTIMATE WILD method] | Threads about the WILD technique at dreamviews.com: Wake-Initiated Lucid Dream (WILD) | Five Stages of WILD | [http://www.dreamviews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9026 WILD induction. help, only 3 hours til sleep time] | Lotus-Flame WILD technique

Incubating Dreams
To incubate a dream about a specific topic, you should first think of a phrase that summarizes that topic (e.g., “I want to go to Atlantis.”). It may help to write the phrase down. If there is something you want to do in the dream, think of a phrase to summarize that too (e.g., “I want to watch Atlantis sink into the ocean.”). If you want to become lucid in the dream, then you should probably write something like “When I dream of [the topic], I will remember that I'm dreaming.” beneath your topic phrase. Immediately go to sleep and focus on your topic phrase. Visualize yourself dreaming about the topic and (if you want to become lucid) realizing that you are dreaming. If there is something specific you want to do in the dream, visualize yourself doing it once you become lucid (not very likely to work if you don't become lucid in the dream). Think about your phrase and topic (and intention to become lucid) as you fall asleep. Make sure that the last thing in your mind before falling asleep is your intention to (lucidly) dream about the topic you want to dream about. You might want to wake yourself up when the dream starts to fade so that you remember more of the dream; you can do this by ignoring your perception of the dream environment — the opposite of dream stabilization techniques (just make sure you do a reality check when you wake up to make sure you are really awake).

Chaining Dreams
Dream-chaining or “chaining dreams” is a method to re-enter your dream after you've woken up. It can work for lucid and non-lucid dreams, but you will probably want to enter your dream lucidly.

Once you wake up from a dream (if you don't think you were dreaming before you woke up, it may not work well) you should stay still and keep your eyes closed. Small movements are okay, but the less movement, sensory stimulation, and less time awake, the better. Ideally, it should feel less like you've woken up, and more like you've taken a 30 second break from dreaming. Once you are prepared to go back to sleep, close your eyes and either visualize yourself back in your dream, or use the “spinning technique” given in the next chapter to imagine yourself spinning back “into” your dream. Spinning is a little faster than visualization. Be sure to maintain the fact that you are dreaming (unless you don't want to be lucid), or you may lose your lucidity while falling asleep. Once in the dream, stimulate your senses as early as possible (see the next chapter).

VILD
VILD stands for “Visual Induction of Lucid Dreams”, or sometimes, “Visually Incubated Lucid Dream”. This technique has been perfected by Peter Harrison, known as Pedro on the forums at ld4all.com. You may wish to read the main thread about the technique. The version described here has been adapted slightly.

First, make sure you are relaxed. You can use the relaxing technique mentioned in the description of the WILD technique. You can also imagine your brain emptying out and becoming sleepier. If you have a hard time falling asleep quickly, it should help to read a book (preferably about lucid dreaming) for a while before you go to sleep, until you feel very sleepy.

Now, you need to visualize a dream which you had prepared earlier. Here is an example of a prepared dream:
 * I am in a red room with one door. A friend next to me asks me to show them what a reality check is. I do my reality checks (which show that I am dreaming), tell them that I am dreaming, and head towards the door.

Make sure you know exactly what the dream would be like, such as which friend, the exact words they say, and which reality checks you do. Reality checks that require no props, such as books or clocks, are recommended. Visualize this dream slowly three times, to make sure that you know every detail. Then, start going full-on and visualize the dream over and over. You should visualize the dream as though you are looking through your own eyes, not from a third-person perspective. If you find your thoughts drifting, ignore them and continue to visualize the dream continuously. You will need patience for this — don't just give up if you think it won't work.

When you actually dream this, you will not notice the difference — until you do your reality checks! Continue with the dream as you incubated it (e.g., remember to thank your friend!) before continuing through the door.

'''I tried to visualize the dream until I fell asleep, but I just stayed awake. What went wrong?'''

If visualizing keeps you awake, the VILD technique is not the technique for you! You should use a different technique.

 Threads about VILD at ld4all.com: I can LD at will!!!! I II III | VILD...Visually Incubated Lucid Dream Topics about VILD at The Lucidity Institute: The VILD Technique There is an appendix on VILD.

LILD
LILD stands for “Lucid Induction of Lucid Dreams”, or sometimes, “Lucidly Induced Lucid Dream”.

To use this technique, you need to have a lucid dream in the first place, but it can help you to get more later. The idea is to do something in your dream that will help you to become lucid the next time you are dreaming. For example, you could ask a dream character for help — ask them to meet you the next night and tell you that you are dreaming. If it works out the way it should, then the next time you are dreaming, the dream character will walk up to you and tell you that you are dreaming, and so you'll (hopefully) become lucid. There are many variations on this technique; you could set up signs in your dreamworld that remind you to do a reality check or eat lucid pills instead! This technique is not likely to be very effective, but it can work; it relies on the chance that you'll subconsciously induce the reminder (i.e., the dream character or sign or whatever you used) during some later dream, and become lucid because of it.

Note that LILD is best used in conjunction with dream-signs and auto-suggested non-lucid dreams. The basic idea as explained above is to have something in your dream that triggers the transition from normal dream state to lucid dreaming. To simply tell a character to tell you that you are dreaming the next time you fall asleep is usually not enough. There is no guarantee that you will dream about that character and there is no guarantee that your subconscious will believe the character enough to make you snap into lucidity (make you realize that you are in fact dreaming).

Now as this technique suggests, you must have some previous alternate means of having a lucid dream. Whatever technique you employ to get into this initial lucid dream state is not really important, but you should try to remember to use this technique (LILD) once you do get into a lucid dream state. Thinking of this before falling asleep (MILD) sometimes helps and usually takes many lucid dreams before finally remembering. Once you are in a lucid dream, make up a dream-sign. It can be anything. It can be an object. It can be food or a drink (that doesn't taste like anything). It is usually best to pick something that isn't quite right. Something that on the surface would appear normal in the real world, but that upon closer inspection is not quite right. Food or drinks are good as they can have no taste or not be refreshing in a dream. But try and pick something that you dream about a lot so that there is a better chance of you dreaming about this dream-sign later on. Now pick something else that only appears or happens in your lucid dream. It can be anything. If there is nothing in your current lucid dream, create something really strange. Something that could never be confused with the real world. Now mentally associate the dream-sign (food) with this unusual item or event that could never happen in the real world. But at the same time, this unusual item or event should equate to "lucid dreaming". When you see the unusual item, it should only make you think of when you have a lucid dream as this should be the only time you encountered it. So we have a 3 item associative link. Do all of the above while in a lucid dream.

The next time you dream about your dream-sign, your subconscious will think of the unusual item or event. The unusual item or event will make you think of lucid dreaming. The two combined impossibilities (1. dream-sign that cannot exist in the real world 2. item or event that only appears in lucid dreams) will make your unconscious try to make a decision on all this. This will make your conscious mind come to the surface and hopefully you will come to the conclusion that you are dreaming. Many times, you will not want to deal with it because you are too tired (that is why you are sleeping, no?) and fall back into a normal dream state. This is why it can take a few tries. Eventually, your subconscious will start putting clear signs in your dreams like billboards that spell out "YOU ARE DREAMING". But once it triggers, it is quite the realization that an instant before, you had no real control over your actions and now you can do whatever you want. Another note... if it failed, you will usually know why. So next time, you can choose another dream-sign or slightly different technique or something more shocking. Once you get this working once, it is relatively easy to use over and over as the hard part just described is over with. Sometimes disassociative techniques are needed if used too much.

To sum up, this technique is a way to force a reality check while in a normal dream state where your subconscious has no choice but to come to the conclusion that you are in fact dreaming. Once your mind knows that you are dreaming, there will be no other conclusion than your conscious mind taking over. And this is what lucid dreaming is all about.

CAT

 * 1) For one week, go to bed at the same time each night and get up 90 minutes earlier than you usually do. Spend those 90 minutes doing reality checks every 2–5 minutes.
 * 2) Thereafter, on alternate days: follow the routine from step one, and set the intention to do your reality check routine at its regular time, while getting a full night sleep. This will cause the reality check conditioning to kick in during REM prime-time.

For detailed information on the Cycle Adjustment Technique, see the appendix on CAT.

 Topics about CAT at The Lucidity Institute: **CAT method** New Lucid dream induction technique There is an appendix on CAT.

Tibetan methods
Tibetan Buddhists practice what is known as Tibetan dream yoga. Probably the most time consuming way of inducing lucid dreams, it is also, according to the practitioners, the most rewarding. The basic practice is awareness. Awareness should be practiced while sleeping just as well as while being awake. Meditating on the question “who is aware?” might catapult you into a higher degree of awareness according to Buddhist beliefs. Keeping this level of awareness is another matter. The Tibetans have developed many yogic exercises and disciplines to be practiced. Maybe the most interesting difference between Tibetan dream yoga and modern western methods of lucid dream induction is the Tibetan claim of the possibility to be aware during deep sleep, not only in the REM periods of sleep. For the reader who is interested in these methods a good start is to begin to regard all experience as a dream. After all, from the countless multitude of matter and radiation reaching our senses the nervous system tunes in only to a small fraction of this chaos. For members of the phalanx that believes we, more or less, create our own reality in the above sense this practice should feel natural. In general though, it is recommended to gain instruction from a teacher in the flesh rather than from books (like this one!).

The Tibetan Methods are not "time consuming" if the goal is to go into deeper than Lucid states. From a Raja Yoga stand point, from a Daoist standpoint, and from a Tibetan Yoga standpoint the goal is not to "play" in Lucid Dreams, but to dispel the delusional nature of what we call "reality." Also, to heal and to develop super-learning, and to increase the "energy" you find most attractive: innovative, creative, joyous, blissful, love, power, wisdom, mirth. Are you Ambitious-Worldly or Ambitious-Spiritual? All these factors play into it.

These techniques are very easy to learn and are rooted in a deeper science than the WILD, VILD, LILD -- one that does not use auto-suggestion or forced recall. In conclusion, the Tibetan methods are advanced yogic techniques that only an accomplished practitioner can fully teach. If one does not have access to a Tibetan dream yogi, one should probably concentrate on techniques that are more mundane from a Western point of view.

Other techniques
Many of these are combinations of other techniques with some addition or modification.

 * Inducing dream-signs - You can become lucid by trying to induce specific dream-signs to watch for during your dream. You can use auto-suggestion (see above) to associate a specific dream-sign with doing a reality check, or you can just get used to doing a reality check whenever you encounter the dream-sign while awake. Some dream-signs you can use:
 * Thirst - Avoid drinking for very long. Wake up later in the night and put salt on your tongue or eat chili to make you even thirstier. Fill a glass of fresh cold water and take it with you back to bed. Hopefully, you'll dream of getting something to drink. Don't use this technique if you have trouble falling asleep while thirsty.
 * False Awakening - Set your intention as you fall asleep to wake up in the middle of the night. If you are a heavy sleeper, you'll hopefully dream of waking up in the middle of the night. If you are a light sleeper, you are probably more likely to really wake up.
 * Bladder - Drink large amounts of water before going to sleep. You should dream of having to go to the bathroom. You may wet your bed! This technique should be used carefully, to avoid the possibility of water intoxication.
 * Conditioning - Strictly punish or reward yourself after a dream where you failed to realize you were dreaming or when you do have a lucid dream. This could increase motivation but not necessarily cause lucid dreams in itself. Cognitive psychology, however, states that this punishment/reward system is very counterproductive, because it ties our self-esteem to the outcome of the endeavor. The opposite of this system would be to see each attempt, including those that fail, as another step towards success.
 * Muscle Exhaustion - Lift slight weights with one's arms and legs for about fifteen minutes before one begins to fall asleep. One should not, however, lift anything that strains the muscles too much, for that stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and excites the body.  The method should cause a release of tension in the muscles and tire them out.  This combined with relaxation techniques and any of the -ILD's should produce a positive result.

Food and drink
There are various foods and drinks that you can consume which seem to have some effect on sleeping and dreaming. Note that for most of these there is no explanation or scientific study of how they work, and some may simply be placebos.

Don't go overboard with the consumption of any of these, as overdosing could have nasty effects (well, milk should be safe unless you are allergic). Don't experiment without accumulating enough knowledge first. The authors in no way encourage the use of legal or illegal drugs.

Some people who practice Lucid dream (LD) or Out of body experience (OBE) use Galantamine to increase their odds to achieve LD or OBE. By taking small amount of Galantamine (around 4 to 8 mg) after 5 to 6 hours of deep sleep and practice the induction technique such as meditation, MILD or WILD many people report more success with Galantamine.
 * The amino acid tryptophan, which can be found in warm milk amongst other sources, is a precursor for the hormone serotonin, and has been proven to help you fall asleep.
 * Vitamin B6 and others of the B group are important for neuronal functions.
 * Melatonin is a hormone with neuronal effects. It is produced by the pineal gland in darkness and is suppressed by blue light. Wearing blue-blocking sunglasses or avoiding bright light in general the hours before bedtime maximizes night-time melatonin secretion.
 * 5-HTP or L-5-HTP is a supplement that is related to serotonin, which some claim has induced lucid dreaming on approximately half the nights it is taken.
 * Caffeine is useful in WILD techniques, as it helps the mind stay focused and think vividly. Please notice that caffeine is an addictive substance and may have negative effects on your health.
 * An Amino Acid Blend made up of 2000mg L-aspartic acid, 4000mg L-glutamine, and 300mg L-theanine can substantially increase your odds of having a Lucid Dream.
 * Galantamine - acetylcholinesterase inhibitors extract from plants such as Lycoris radiata (Red Spider Lily) or from chemical synthesis. Works best when taken together with choline and/or alpha-GPC.

There also report that taking Galantamine without proper induction technique will not lead to LD or OBE but will result in only a vivid dream instead. It should also be noted that due to a long half life Galantamine will stay in the body for a period of up to and over 48 hours, as such it is advisable to space out the use of Galantamine over a period of three days so that the body does not build a resistance to the drug ruining its effectiveness.

Some people report mixing Galantamine with other Nootropic can enhance the degree of lucidity but this is still controversial since some mixtures may work for some people, but lead to failure for others.

Plants:
 * Artemisia vulgaris
 * Hypericum perforatum
 * Korean Ginseng
 * Valeriana officinalis
 * Calea zacatechichi
 * Ginkgo biloba
 * Nutmeg - contains myristicin a deliriant.
 * Silene undulata

For an in-depth guide to using supplements for lucid dreaming, see the book Advanced Lucid Dreaming - The Power of Supplements.

Drugs
Dissociatives and hallucinogens can be used to create a (more or less) lucid dream-like state, though whether or not these help with lucid dreaming is debatable. The authors do not recommend use of these substances for induction of lucid dreams, nor do they condone the breaking of any applicable laws.

Some dissociatives and hallucinogens are: For more info, see Erowid Vaults
 * Amanita muscaria
 * Ayahuasca
 * DMT - Common in the shamanic method of drinking Ayahuasca, to the result of entering the spirit realm. The herbal brew contains the psychedelic DMT, a drug is actually synthesized in minute quantities by the metabolism. It may be produced during dreams, adding to the enhanced experience.
 * DXM
 * Ketamine
 * LSD
 * Mescaline
 * Morning glory seeds
 * PCP
 * Psilocybe mushrooms
 * Salvia divinorum

Gadgets
There are various gadgets you can use to become lucid easily. They generally detect when you are in the REM state and then provide a light and/or sound signal. This signal is supposed to be adjusted so that it doesn't wake you up but does enter your dream. The signal is then recognized as showing that you are dreaming, and you become lucid.

The most well-known device is the NovaDreamer from the Lucidity Institute. However, this product is no longer produced. Be sure to check for recommendations for devices from lucid dreaming forums.

A similar device is the DreamMaker. The DreamMaker works very similarly to the NovaDreamer but without the Dream Alarm feature, which worked to wake the dreamer in the middle of the REM state. This device comes with a mask, a circuit board with adjustable controls, the batteries needed to operate it, a short owner's manual, a lucid dreaming workbook, and the Stephen LaBerge book Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming. The circuit board is supplied completely ready to use, but you have to insert the batteries and put the circuit board into the mask yourself.

An alternative is the Kvasar. The Kvasar costs about $20 in raw materials, but needs to be constructed by somebody skilled in electronics as it is not sold commercially. It can also be hard to operate.

Another do-it-yourself alternative to commercial dreaming masks is Nate True's Lucid Dream Mask, which does not bother with difficult-to-calibrate sensors and just uses a timer for flashing lights, and has (ostensibly) competitive results with all of the former gadgets.

The owners of Wellness Tools, who makes the DreamMaker, and Kvasar have not had friendly relations; see DreamViews.com.

Software
There are many programs for your computer that can assist with lucid dreaming. These can give out verbal cues while you sleep, or assist in doing your reality checks:
 * iLucid Dream for the iPhone. Dream journal, reality checks, induction techniques, binaural beats for deep sleep and much more!
 * Lightened Dream is available for Windows as freeware. It can be used as a dream journal and a dream-sign list. One of its more notable features is that you can have it play a voice or song each time you enter a REM sleep period.
 * DreamDoze A web application for Social Dream interpretation and dreams journal management
 * Gnaural is a multi-platform programmable binaural-beat generator. Gnaural is released as free software under the GNU General Public License. (For a browser based demo, see Gnaural Java))
 * SBaGen is available for Windows, MacOS X, and Linux. It works by playing binaural beats into your ears, changing your brainstate.
 * Neuro-Programmer is available for Windows. This is powerful software that creates binaural beats and can work in conjunction with special goggles to induce certain mental states.
 * LucidWeaver is available for mobile phones and PDA that support Java (J2ME). It includes a Dream alarm with sound cue which can be adjusted to a personal REM-sleep cycle for improving dream recall and lucidity training. Randomized reality tests can be set and it can be used as regular alarm clock.
 * Lucille 2.0 is an application to assist with doing reality checks.
 * Unexplainable Store Lucid Dreaming Brainwave Entrainment MP3
 * Sleep Check Reminder for Android.
 * iLucid for iOS (iPod, iPhone, iPad).
 * Sleep As Android is an Android sleep tracking app. It has a feature where it can play a sound file (by default, a soft voice that says "You're dreaming..." and echoes out) when it detects that the user is in a deep sleep.

There is also a list of programs available at LD4all.com, under the “How” section.

Hypnosis
The techniques commonly referred to as hypnosis is based in a set of hypnotic suggestions are commonly composed of a series of instructions and ideas that may be delivered by a hypnotist in the presence of the subject, or they may be self-administered ("self-suggestion" or "autosuggestion"), even in a conscious state.

Hypnosis is not a science. In fact, it has in almost every aspect eluded scientific analysis, as it is extremely hard to generalize (each individual responds differently and at different levels) and the methodology is so diverse and based on yet to be completely understood mental/biological phenomena, most related with faith or the placebo effect. For the phenomena to work, whom in aggregate we define as hypnosis, the mind has to be able to turn the suggestions into reality. All hypnosis is ultimately self hypnosis. If you, for instance, take into consideration the problems that faith beliefs have caused to the human race, or even the problems in the field of psychology, you can appreciate the problem of scientifically studying hypnotic phenomena, as they are extremely open to individual interpretation and to one's ability to be open to suggestibility (self-induced or otherwise).

The Wikibook's work on Hypnosis will covers the subject in greater detail. It will also offer support material, or reference it, such as methods to induce, or reinforce specific mental states (or states of mind) and any attitudes and beliefs that impact the phenomena. Including information on techniques or procedures for hypnotic induction and hypnotic suggestion.

Forums

 * The World of Lucid Dreaming Forum is a good place to ask questions and receive feedback on how accurately you are performing these techniques.
 * Lucid Dreaming Forum is where you can learn, discuss and help others to lucid dream.

title: Lucid Dreaming/Induction Techniques


text:
Bicycles/Maintenance and Repair/Tools and Supplies/Cable Cutter

Brake and derailleur cables are extremely difficult to cut with a standard pair of wire cutters (sometimes called side or diagonal cutters); when it is finally accomplished, this process usually leaves a frayed mess of the inner cable, which is impossible to slip through the cable housing or the hole in a fastening bolt. In addition, the jaws of these cutters are made for cutting copper electrical wire, and will become notched when cutting steel bicycle cables.

Cable cutters specifically designed for steel cable, on bicycles or elsewhere, are available at prices low enough to eliminate this nuisance. They are generally similar to regular cutters or scissors, but have extra-hard jaws, each of which carries a v-shaped notch. When cutting a cable, the notches overlap, trapping the cable in a diamond shaped hole with sharp edges, which becomes smaller as the handle is compressed, thereby cutting the cable easily without fraying and with no damage to the tool. They are also useful for cutting the cable housing, although they often close the inner sleeve, and it needs to be re-opened with a piece of cable or other means. Sometimes their use leaves a small burr on the housing which may need to be filed off.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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Cookbook:Brown Rice with Ground Turkey

| Meat | California cuisine

Ingredients

 * 2 cups cooked brown rice
 * 20 ounces of extra lean ground turkey breast
 * 1 can (12 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chiles
 * 1 ounce vegetable oil
 * 1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
 * Seasonings to taste (e.g. garlic powder, lemon pepper, allspice, etc.)

Procedure

 * 1) Spray skillet with cooking spray, and sprinkle in garlic powder and other seasonings. Add turkey, and crumble it as it cooks. Add tomatoes, and mix with turkey until turkey is cooked.
 * 2) Add cooking oil to a wok or deep skillet. Add 1 teaspoon allspice and/or other seasonings.
 * 3) As pan heats slowly add cooked rice (watch for splattering of hot oil). When rice is heated evenly add teriyaki sauce, and mix it evenly.
 * 4) When ground turkey is done cooking add it to rice in wok, mix it thoroughly, and serve.

Nutritional information

 * Carbohydrates per serving: 21.5 g
 * Sugar per serving: 2.5 g
 * Protein per serving: 35.25 g
 * Cholesterol per serving: 56.25Zmg

title: Cookbook:Brown Rice with Ground Turkey


text:
Cookbook talk:Brown Rice with Ground Turkey

Page histroy from Brown rice with ground turkey

Brown rice with ground turkey

Revision history

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* (cur) (last). . 10:28, 18 Jan 2003. . 68.3.146.254   * (cur) (last). . 20:38, 17 Jan 2003. . Maveric149 (reinstated article - by-line ; contributor who posted this has indicated authorship of external version) * (cur) (last). . 19:31, 17 Jan 2003. . Maveric149 (Removed possible copyright infringement. ) * (cur) (last). . 19:21, 17 Jan 2003. . 68.3.146.254   * (cur) (last). . 19:20, 17 Jan 2003. . 68.3.146.254

Talk from en:
This recipe sounds delicious. I must try it.

Ok. I bite. Where can I get some of this Mrs. Dash stuff?

It should be available at any supermarket. They have different varieties, even. no salt.

 * This calls for an awful lot of name brand ingredients. Are you sure it's not taken from a product label or something? -- Wapcaplet

Oerr new recipe coming up... I'll beat him to it Mintguy

The recipe sounded really good. Perhaps, instead of Mrs. Dash, add "salt-free spice" or something to that effect?

What about Jennie-O turkey and Del Monte diced tomatoes. lol, are you for real?
 * Sounds copyrighted. Don't forget the Pam (TM) cooking spray.  Koyaanis Qatsi

- just change the brand names to generic terms, and it should be okay. "canned diced tomatoes", "ground turkey", "cooking spray".

I'm not sure I trust the idea of recipes on Wiki. It's too easy for someone to come along and change the ingredients and muck it up. LOL.

 * ? People can do that with any fact in Wikipedia. --mav

 * Of course they can. But if I take a recipe from here and it says use 3 gallons of Chicken stock and half a cupfull of rice, instead of a pint of stock and two cups of rice, my guests will be sorely disappointed. Certainly a lot more disappointed than if I relate the story I read on Wikipedia about Adolf Hitler's early life in Liverpool painting ceilings! Mintguy

 * I would be equally disappointed if I memorized a fact gleamed from Wikipedia only to fail an exam. --mav

 * Well Ok. I could easily poison someone if a recipe read to cook something for 20 minutes when it should be cooked for 2 hours. Now I suppose you'll tell me that if I used Wikipedia to help me study my anatomy exam I could accidentally cut the wrong artery or something. LOL Mintguy

- good point. I hadn't thought of that.

true! but the recipe sounds too yummy not trying it. Some wikipedians can try it using brand ingredients of their choices and tell us how it tastes.

It reminds me to eat my chicken diner now. Hey some articles help people not be Wikipediholic even though they are gonna be. kt2

Wikipedios Anonymous. It's a 12-wik program .

I am the recipe creator although I posted it somewhere else first I did create it. The reason I mentioned the products so much is 1. allows user an idea of who/what 2. Recently started lifestyle change that makes you a little more responsible with what you put in to your system =*) Bodyforlife.com is the plan, I have lost 20 pounds in 3 months and feel better than I have in a long time. Enough commercials. Oh by the way it was Kroger brand Butter flavored cooking spray. Mike Feddersen

 * That's good enough for me. Please do indicate this in the edit summary next time so that you are not wrongly accused of copyright infringement in the future. --mav

Well, it sounds like a good recipe. I am going to find it, and print it. Is the bodyforlife system based on a lowfat philosophy?


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Cookbook:Recipes

Libro di cucina/Ricette ספר מתכונים/מתכונים Kookboek/Recepten

The cookbook contains several thousand user-contributed recipes from a variety of cultures and cuisines.

Recipe index
For a complete, alphabetical list of recipes in the cookbook visit Category:Recipes, or browse the subcategories below:

Adding recipes
To request that a recipe be added to the cookbook, please see Cookbook:Requested Recipes. To create a new recipe yourself, enter your title directly behind the Cookbook prefix below. For continuity within the cookbook, all recipes should follow the same basic style, so be sure to reference Cookbook:Policy and Policy/Recipe template for guidance.

title: Cookbook:Recipes


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Cookbook:Cottage Cheese Eggs

 * Breakfast

Ingredients

 * 2 eggs
 * 2 tablespoons cottage cheese (small curd 4% milkfat)
 * 1 teaspoon Mexican seasoning or chili powder

Procedure

 * 1) Preheat a large metal or non-stick skillet over medium heat.
 * 2) Whisk eggs and cottage cheese together in a small bowl; place in skillet.
 * 3) Sprinkle Mexican seasoning on eggs (to taste).
 * 4) As eggs begin to cook, start folding them together, turning as needed, until done cooking.
 * 5) Serve with or on wheat toast.

title: Cookbook:Cottage Cheese Eggs


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Cookbook talk:Cottage Cheese Eggs

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* (cur) (last). . M 09:06, 22 Nov 2003. . Wik * (cur) (last). . 10:28, 15 Nov 2003. . The Grimm Ripper (Formatting, clarification and an explanation of the term 'Mexican Seasoning') * (cur) (last). . M 02:54, 18 Jan 2003. . Mintguy * (cur) (last). . M 02:54, 18 Jan 2003. . Mintguy (de-branding) * (cur) (last). . 02:50, 18 Jan 2003. . Tarquin (See also the Wikipedia Cookbook.) * (cur) (last). . M 19:36, 17 Jan 2003. . Maveric149 (- crap) * (cur) (last). . M 19:35, 17 Jan 2003. . Maveric149 (removed by-line; that is what the page history is for) * (cur) (last). . 19:08, 17 Jan 2003. . 68.3.146.254   * (cur) (last). . 19:08, 17 Jan 2003. . 68.3.146.254   * (cur) (last). . 19:05, 17 Jan 2003. . 68.3.146.254

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Discussion from en:Talk:Cottage Cheese Eggs

WTF is this? Sounds revolting, please take out accreditations about your wife and whatnot. Is this copyright somewhere?

 * Is there maybe a Wikipedia is not a Cookbook? -- Wapcaplet

 * oddly enough, we have a Wikipedia Cookbook... -- Tarquin 10:51 Jan 18, 2003 (UTC)

 * Actually, it's even more revolting than it sounds. 213.107.49.131 14:35, 11 November 2005 (UTC)

title: Cookbook talk:Cottage Cheese Eggs


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Cookbook:Cream Cheese Wontons

| Appetizers

Ingredients

 * 1 cup cream cheese
 * 16 wonton wrappers or 24 egg roll wrappers
 * Oil (for frying)
 * Sweet and sour sauce

Procedure

 * 1) Heat oil in a deep-fat fryer or pour into a deep skillet on high temperature.
 * 2) While oil is heating, lay out as many wrappers as you plan to use. Have a small bowl of water nearby to wet your fingers.
 * 3) Put a small dab of cream cheese in one corner of each wrapper, about ½ inch from the edges. Use about 2 tsp for larger egg roll wrappers or 1 tsp for smaller wonton wrappers.
 * 4) Using your fingers, wet the two edges nearest the cream cheese, then fold the other half down and seal the edges, making a triangle shape. Seal the edges tightly, but try to leave small gaps at the corners so the triangles will not expand so much that they burst.
 * 5) Drop several wontons into hot oil at a time. Turn over when the edges start to brown and cook for another minute or two.
 * 6) Set on paper towels to drain, then serve hot with sweet-and-sour sauce.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * Vegetable oil or peanut oil works best.

title: Cookbook:Cream Cheese Wontons


text:
Cookbook talk:Cream Cheese Wontons

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Contents of en:Talk:Cream Cheese Wontons

Recipes? What's that about? Brooklyn Nellie 17:14, 1 Nov 2003 (UTC)

title: Cookbook talk:Cream Cheese Wontons


text:
Cookbook:Au Jus Sandwich

| Cookbook:Cuisine of the United States | Cuisine of California The au jus sandwich is also known as roast beef au jus, and is better known in America as the french dip sandwich. It traces its origins to downtown Los Angeles in either 1908 or 1918, when a local restaurant owner was making a sandwich for a police officer and accidentally dropped it into a pan of beef broth.

The officer liked the sandwich so much that he brought some friends in the next day for the new invention. From that point on, the Au Jus sandwich went on to become internationally known. Two Los Angeles restaurants claim to have created the sandwich: Philippe The Original and Cole's Pacific Electric (P.E.) Buffet. Both have been in operation since 1908. For more information on the history of the sandwich, see the Wikipedia article.

Ingredients

 * 3 tablespoons flour
 * 2 - 3 lb roast or other cut of beef
 * 1 beef bouillon cube
 * 1 can (~2 cups / 16 oz / 470 ml) beef consommé, bouillon cube equivalent, or additional roast beef
 * 1 can (~2 cups / 16 oz / 470 ml) French onion soup
 * 1 cup (2 sticks / 250 g / 8.8 oz) butter
 * 1 can (16 oz / 470 ml) beer (optional)
 * Spices (e.g. salt, pepper) (optional)
 * 4 French/sandwich/hoagie rolls

Procedure

 * 1) Combine all the ingredients except the rolls in a slow cooker or crock pot. Let the mixture simmer for at least six hours. This step is critical because it makes the meat tender.
 * 2) Serve beef on split rolls.
 * 3) You can either pre-dip the sandwich, or serve with a bowl of meat drippings. When serving the drippings separately, remove the beef shreds from the juices and serve with a small bowl of meat drippings on the side. Dip the sandwiches in the drippings as you eat.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * Bread can be toasted and buttered before adding beef.
 * In the original sandwich, the bread was dipped in the juice prior to adding the meat, rather than dipped at the table.
 * Other meats can be substituted, including lamb, pork, and turkey.
 * Try adding cheese, horseradish, or mustard to the sandwich.

Warnings

 * Always follow the instructions for your slow cooker or crock pot.

title: Cookbook:Au Jus Sandwich


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Cookbook talk:Au Jus Sandwich

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This module was the featured recipe on the main Cookbook page from July 10, 2004 - July 27, 2004.

Move
I think this recipe should be moved to something like Cookbook:Au Jus Sandwich, since this has nothing to do with the French and have the French Dip Sandwich part be the secondary name. Could just be me though. Nmontague 20:22, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

title: Cookbook talk:Au Jus Sandwich


text:
User:Reytan

My name is Szymon. I'm a student. I live in Częstochowa. pl:Wikipedysta:Reytan en:User:Reytan

title: User:Reytan


text:
Cookbook:Empanada

| South American cuisines | Tex-Mex cuisine

In Spain, Latin America, and the Philippines, an empanada is essentially a stuffed pastry. They are likely originally from Galicia, Spain, where they were prepared rather like Cornish pasties as a portable and hearty meal for working people and often filled with leftovers or staple ingredients. Tuna and chicken are varieties still seen in Galicia.

The filling usually consists primarily of beef. It may also contain ham and cheese, humita corn with Béchamel sauce, or spinach. Fruit is used to create dessert empanadas, which are usually baked, but may be fried.

In some Argentinean provinces, empanadas can be spiced with peppers, more akin to those of the rest of South America. Every household in Argentina has its own special recipe for empanada filling. The fillings vary from region to region, with some being sweet and others spicy. The below is a recipe for a sweet empanada filling typical of those found in the province of Santa Fe.

Chilean empanadas also use a wheat flour-based dough, but the meat filling is slightly different and often contains more onion. Chileans consider the Argentine filling seco, or dry. Fried empanadas of shrimp/prawns and cheese are a favourite dish of the coastal areas, like Viña del Mar. "Pino" is the name of the filling used in Chilean empanadas. Much like filling for Argentine empanadas, each Chilean household has their own pino. The one below is like the Argentine but includes more onions and does not have the cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves, and uses less sugar.

In Colombia, common empanadas are filled with chopped meat, pieces of potato, and yellow rice, and are eaten with a spicy sauce made of cilantro and ají pepper, stuffed in a corn-based pastry and fried.

Empanadas are usually eaten with your hands (like a taco or burrito).

Dough

 * 1 tsp salt
 * 2–3 cups cold water
 * 1 kg (about 8 cups) flour
 * 2 eggs
 * 200 g (about 1 cup) butter or margarine
 * Olive oil
 * Cornstarch

Argentinian filling (Relleno)

 * 1 kg ground beef
 * 1 large onion
 * 2 tbsp vegetable oil
 * 2 tbsp sugar
 * 1 ½ tsp black pepper
 * 1 ½ tsp paprika
 * 1 tsp salt
 * ½ tsp ground cumin (comino), optional. Cumin is very invasive and gives the filling a whole different flavor.
 * ½ tsp ground cinnamon
 * ¼ tsp nutmeg
 * ¼ tsp cloves
 * ½ cup raisins
 * Green olives (optional)
 * Diced hard-boiled egg (optional)
 * Diced boiled potatoes (optional)

Chilean filling (Pino)

 * 1 kg ground beef
 * 2 cloves garlic
 * 3 large onion
 * 2 tbsp olive oil
 * 1 tbsp sugar
 * 1 ½ tsp black pepper
 * 1 ½ tsp paprika
 * 1 tsp salt
 * ½ tsp ground cumin (comino)
 * 1 bay leaf
 * ½ cup raisins
 * Black olives
 * Diced hard-boiled egg

Dough

 * 1) Dissolve salt in water.
 * 2) Mix eggs, flour, butter and 1 cup of water to form a dough. While kneading the dough, gradually add in more water until the dough is soft and stretchy. If the dough becomes sticky, add more flour.
 * 3) Once the dough is the desired consistency, allow to rest for a couple minutes, then roll it out to a thickness of ~2–3 mm (1/10 inch).
 * 4) Cut the dough into discs roughly 10–15 cm (4–6 inches) in diameter.

Argentinian filling

 * 1) Dice onion into small pieces and sauté in vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Add ground beef, and brown it.
 * 2) While beef is browning, mix in salt, sugar and spices.
 * 3) Once meat has finished cooking, remove from heat and add raisins.
 * 4) If desired add sliced olives, egg, or potatoes.

Chilean filling

 * 1) Dice onion into small pieces and sauté in olive oil in a large frying pan. Mince garlic and add to the onions. Add and brown ground beef.
 * 2) While beef is browning, mix in salt, sugar, spices and bay leaf.
 * 3) Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes for flavours to blend.
 * 4) Remove bay leaf, and add olives and raisins.

Assembly

 * 1) Place 1–2 tablespoons of empanada filling into the center of one of the dough discs (tapa).
 * 2) If Chilean empanadas are being made add one piece of the diced hardboiled egg next to the filling.
 * 3) Wet the outer edge of the tapa with cold water and fold the tapa in half to encase the filling, ensuring there is no air left inside (the wet portion will help the dough stick together, air will burst out when cooked).
 * 4) Holding the empanada in the palm of one hand, with the round edge pointing outwards, pinch and twist over a small (finger-sized) portion of the dough at the top. Continue pinching and twisting around the outer edge until you reach the bottom of the empanada, so that the open edge is sealed shut. You can also use a fork to smash together the lips of the outer edge, but it is not the traditional way and the filling can burst through.
 * 5) Repeat for the remaining filling and dough.
 * 6) To cook the empanadas, deep fry in vegetable oil on medium heat until golden brown. Alternatively, you can brush them with butter and bake on a cookie sheet in the oven at 400 °F for 8–10 minutes or until light brown.
 * 7) Allow empanadas to cool and then eat.

Notes, tips, and variations

For a flakier crust, before cutting it into discs, lightly coat the dough with olive oil and dust with cornstarch. Fold the dough in half (with the cornstarch on the inside) and again coat with oil and cornstarch. Fold again and roll out to a thickness of ~2–3 mm (1/10 inch).

title: Cookbook:Empanada


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Cookbook:Jamaican Jerk Spice I

| Spice | Jamaican cuisine

Jamaican jerk spice is a pungent, hot mixture of spices used to flavor meats before grilling or roasting.

Ingredients

 * 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
 * 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
 * 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
 * 1 teaspoon allspice, ground
 * 1 teaspoon dried onion powder
 * 2 teaspoons dried thyme
 * 1 tablespoon sugar
 * 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
 * 1 tablespoon salt

Procedure

 * 1) Combine all ingredients together.
 * 2) Store in an airtight container.

title: Cookbook:Jamaican Jerk Spice I


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Cookbook:Jamaican Jerk Chicken

| Jamaican cuisine

Ingredients

 * ½ tsp ground allspice
 * 1 tsp salt
 * 1 tsp black pepper
 * 2 tbsp cayenne pepper
 * ½ tsp ground ginger
 * 1 tsp ground cinnamon
 * ¼ tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
 * ½ tbsp dried thyme
 * 2 tbsp dehydrated lemon peel
 * 3 tbsp dark rum
 * 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
 * ¼ cup brown mustard

Procedure

 * 1) Combine rum and mustard, and rub all over chicken.
 * 2) Combine remaining ingredients and rub all over chicken. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but it is better to marinate overnight.
 * 3) Place chicken on a greased, preheated charcoal grill. Cook, turning constantly until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes.
 * 4) Serve.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * The spices always included allspice because the berries of the pimento tree are the source of allspice.
 * When cooking the meat, barbecue is by far the best technique—failing that, oven bake. Basting with beer is worth trying.
 * Serve with rice and peas.

Warnings

 * See the chili pepper warnings.

title: Cookbook:Jamaican Jerk Chicken


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Cookbook:Goulash

Goulash (Gulyás in Hungarian, meaning cattle stockmen) is a dish from the Hungarian cuisine. Here is one very simple Goulash stew recipe, being pretty close to the idealised version. Make sure to use sweet paprika and not hot paprika. Hot paprika will make the soup too spicy and of the wrong consistency when used exclusively.

Goulash, as the term is commonly used, is a slowly-braised ragout that can be prepared in innumerable varieties with pork, beef, lamb, veal and even horse meat. Onions, garlic and paprika are further important ingredients. Paprika is the spice that adds specific taste and colour to the dish. Frequent reheating is said to improve the taste of goulash. Originally, goulash was a shepherd's stew of the Magyars, a people living in Eastern Europe, mainly in the Pannonian plains of Hungary. From there, it started its triumphal march into the world. In Hungary, the term "goulash" is used for soups containing solid ingredients such as noodles, vegetables, or meat cubes. What the rest of the world calls "goulash", in Hungary is called "paprikas" or "pörkölt".

Ingredients

 * Olive oil
 * 3 onions, chopped
 * 1.5 lb (750 g) stew beef, cubed
 * 2 bell peppers, chopped
 * 1 tomato, chopped
 * 2 tbsp ground sweet paprika
 * 5 black peppercorns
 * 1 bay leaf
 * 6 cloves garlic
 * Salt to taste
 * 4 potatoes, chopped

Procedure

 * 1) Fry half of the onions in a pot with olive oil.
 * 2) Put a layer of meat over the fried onions, then a layer of raw onions, peppers, tomato, whole garlic cloves, spices, and salt. Add another meat layer; continue until you have used all the ingredients except the potato.
 * 3) Cover the meat with water. Put on a lid, and simmer on low heat. Add water only if there is not enough while cooking. It requires almost no stirring.
 * 4) When the meat is cooked and tender, add potatoes. Add additional water to cover it if needed, and cook for further 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * The colour could be even nicer if you add more paprika in the last 10 minutes.
 * You can add ½ pound lean cubed pork after 20 minutes.
 * If you're not afraid of fats, add some bacon to the dish.
 * A pinch of caraway (seeds or ground) is often added.

title: Cookbook:Goulash


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Cookbook:Cuisine of Hungary

| European cuisines

Hungarian cooking Traditional Hungarian cuisine relies on a wide variety of high quality ingredients produced in the country including meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits and honey.

Here are some recipes:
 * Goulash Stew (pörkölt)
 * Goulash Soup (gulyás leves)
 * Paprika Chicken (paprikás csirke)
 * Rackott Krumpli (rakott krumpli), potato casserole
 * Silvash Gombotz (szilvás gombóc), plum dumplings
 * Vanilla Kifli, crescent-shaped sweet pastry

Starters

Soup is the quintessential Hungarian starter, and there are literally hundreds of types including cold fruit soups in summer. Another Hungarian speciality is various types of entrails, tripe or particularly pork, duck and goose liver. (foie gras - goose liver). Main Dishes

Various types of meats are key to many main dishes, particularly pork, beef and chicken. Two breeds unique to Hungary are the Mangalica pig and the Grey long-horned cattle. Game meats such as venison, vild goose, pheasant and wild boar are also common. Freshwater fish such as trout, pike, perch and carp are used in Hungarian cuisine. Potatoes are the usual accompaniment to many dishes, but rice, egg barley, dumplings and pasta are also used. Onions, garlic caravay, parsley and fresh or ground paprika add flavour to many dishes.

Desserts and Cakes

Hungarians are passionate about their desserts and cakes. A typical dessert is pancakes stuffed with jam, sweet curd cheese or the Gundel pankake, hazelnut puree and served with chocolate sauce. Hungarian cakes tend to be very sweet and are often laced with cream. Famous examples include Dobos and Esterhazy Cakes. Strudel is as much a Hungarian as an Austrian dish, and is typically filled with apple, sour cherries, curd cheese or poppy seeds.

title: Cookbook:Cuisine of Hungary


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Cookbook:Cuisine of Jamaica

| North American cuisines | Caribbean cuisines

 * Jamaican Chicken Fingers with Honey-Mustard Sauce
 * Jamaican Jerk Spice
 * Jamaican Jerk Chicken
 * West Indian Hot Pepper Sauce
 * Jamaican Patty
 * Jamaican Banana Fritters
 * Jamaican Curried Chicken
 * Jamaican Rice and Peas

title: Cookbook:Cuisine of Jamaica


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User talk:24.43.150.107

Your destructive edits have been undone, please contribute only in a constructive way. --Karl Wick

title: User talk:24.43.150.107


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Cookbook:Guacamole I

| Mexican | Tex-Mex cuisine | Appetizers

Guacamole is a Mexican paste made from crushed avocado and various seasonings, usually including onions, peppers, garlic and tomatoes. Guacamole is used as a condiment, an ingredient, and as an appetizer when served with tortilla chips.

Ingredients

 * 4 avocados
 * 2 tablespoons pico de gallo
 * Juice of ½ lime
 * 2 chopped Jalapeño OR 2 tablespoons of crushed red pepper OR 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
 * 1 teaspoon salt
 * 4 teaspoons olive oil
 * 1 ½ teaspoon minced garlic
 * ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
 * 1 minced jalapeño OR 2 minced serrano chiles OR 2 tablespoon minced of any chile pepper like (adjust for spiciness)

Procedure

 * 1) Halve and pit the avocados.
 * 2) Score the avocado flesh in a criss-cross pattern without cutting through the skin.
 * 3) Scoop out the flesh of one half with a large spoon and place in mixing bowl.
 * 4) Add the lime juice and stir to evenly coat the avocados.
 * 5) Stir in the pico de gallo, garlic, oil, jalapeño, salt, red pepper, and black pepper, mashing and tossing the avocado pieces until thoroughly mixed.
 * 6) Scoop out the remaining avocado chunks and gently mix and toss in the larger pieces. The guacamole is the right consistency when more large pieces than mashed parts remain.
 * 7) Garnish with a sprig of cilantro.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * Guacamole is a dip originally made to be consumed almost instantly, meaning there is no intention to store it at all, so you can omit the use of any kind of oil or lime juice for these recipes. However, both oil and lime juice can be added so that the guacamole keeps for longer.
 * A dollop of Greek yogurt or mashed black beans can add richness and protein.
 * To prevent browning, cover the surface with plastic wrap so no air is in contact with the guacamole. Lime juice can also help prevent such oxidation.
 * A young chef from El Paso, Texas, has developed a much more effective approach to keep guacamole fresh for up to three times longer than traditional methods. Through trial and error, Alfred M. Gladstein found that the use of a various vegetable oils blended in to the concoction would keep it fresh longer and significantly increase the amount of time before the guacamole browns and spoils. In his studies Gladstein found that mixing olive oil in guacamole worked best when serving the dish independently or with warm foods, while vegetable oil (corn or canola) worked best when the guacamole is served with cold foods and salads. When these techniques are employed, Gladstein, who is also known as Chef Jamir, found that the refrigerated guacamole would stay fresh and green for three days or more. He also notes that when serving the guacamole at room temperature, the oil-treated dish will last up to six to eight hours before starting to brown.

title: Cookbook:Guacamole I


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Cookbook:Preserved Lemon

| Moroccan Cuisine

Preserved lemons are a common flavoring agent in Moroccan cuisine, particularly in very slow braises known as tagines. They are also found as an unusual cocktail garnish.

Ingredients

 * Lemons
 * Salt

Procedure

 * 1) Poke holes in the lemons with a sharp knife. Pack them in an airtight jar, separating them from one another with salt.
 * 2) Cover the jar, and store in a dark place for a day. If the lemons have not released enough liquid to cover, add additional salt and reseal the jar.
 * 3) Store in a cool dark place for approximately 2 weeks. Refrigerate afterwards.

title: Cookbook:Preserved Lemon


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Cookbook:Cuisine of Mexico

| North American cuisines

Mexican cuisine is primarily a fusion of indigenous Mesoamerican cooking with European, especially Spanish, elements added after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in the 16th century. The basic staples remain native foods such as corn, beans and chili peppers, but the Europeans introduced a large number of other foods, the most important of which were meat from domesticated animals.

Regional Cuisines of Mexico

 * Cuisine of Jalisco
 * Cuisine of Yucatan

Recipes
This is a list of recipes identified as part of Mexican cuisine. It does not include recipes based in part on Mexican ingredients, but which are not indigenous to Mexico itself.

 * Adobo sauce
 * Atropellado de coco
 * Bizcochito
 * Buñuelos
 * Burrito
 * Camotes enmielados
 * Chilaquiles
 * Chiles en nogada
 * Churros
 * Cochinita pibil
 * Enchiladas Rojas
 * Flour Tortilla
 * Guacamole
 * Huevos Rancheros
 * Horchata
 * Machacado con huevo
 * Menudo
 * Mexican Seasoning
 * Mexican Tomato Soup
 * Pico de Gallo
 * Quesadilla
 * Refried Beans
 * Salsa Fresca
 * Taco
 * Taco Meat
 * Tacos de bistec
 * Tortilla
 * Tortilla Chip
 * Tres leches cake

title: Cookbook:Cuisine of Mexico


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Cookbook:Quesadilla

| Appetizers | Mexico | Southwestern U.S. cuisine | Tex-Mex cuisine

Similar to a sandwich, the amount of ingredients for a quesadilla depends on how many you are serving and how big you want to make a particular quesadilla. Here are ingredients for one serving using the typical size of tortillas most commonly available in stores in the southwestern U.S. (and in many other areas and countries). Other locally available thin flat breads may work instead of work of tortillas, but please know, the tortillas are intended to be similar to a 'wrap' to allow the eating of the filling.

Base

 * 2 flour tortillas, 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter
 * ⅓ cup grated meltable cheese (preferably a Monterey Jack and cheddar blend or a Tex Mex blend)
 * ¼ cup filling (see options below)
 * Cooking spray

Fillings

 * Salsa
 * Sarza criolla
 * Chile peppers
 * Chopped tomatoes and cilantro
 * Cooked meat or seafood
 * Fresh spinach, washed and torn into small pieces
 * Canned black beans, rinsed and well drained

Procedure

 * 1) Warm both tortillas in the microwave to the point of flexibility, keeping one warm.
 * 2) Preheat a frying pan or griddle over medium-low heat. Grease with oil or cooking spray, and place one of the tortillas in the pan.
 * 3) Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the tortilla.
 * 4) Top the cheese with any combination of the fillings, ideally warmed and very well drained. Make sure they are evenly distributed across the tortilla.
 * 5) Allow the cheese to melt. The tortilla may brown in spots but it should not be cooked to the point of changing color substantially.
 * 6) Press the other tortilla over the top of the tortilla in the pan, making sure it sticks a bit.
 * 7) Flip the quesadilla and allow to warm until it joins as a unit.
 * 8) Remove from pan and cut in eight wedges.
 * 9) Eat immediately, or remove to a fairly low-temperature 'keep warm' area, below the melting temperature of the cheese.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * Quesadillas are not usually not very good re-heated.
 * In some regions of Mexico a quesadilla is a simple corn tortilla with cheese, non-fried.
 * One traditional quesadilla filling consists of grilled chicken, beef, or pork, finely minced, sprinkled with a teaspoon of finely minced onion and half of teaspoon of cilantro, with a small amount of some lime squeezed on top.
 * Corn tortillas can be used in a pinch at home, but they may not hold together or work as well as flour tortillas.
 * See Crab Quesadillas with Mango Salsa for a variation.

title: Cookbook:Quesadilla


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Cookbook:Cuisine of Morocco

| African Cuisines

Moroccan cuisine has long been considered as one of the most diversified cuisines in the world. The reason is because of the interaction of Morocco with the outside world for centuries. The cuisine of Morocco is a mix of Arab, Berber, Moorish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean African, Iberian, and Jewish influences. The cooks in the royal kitchens of Fez, Meknes, Marrakech, Rabat and Tetouan refined Moroccan cuisine over the centuries and created the basis for what is known as Moroccan cuisine today.

Morocco produces a large range of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables and even some tropical ones. The country produces large quantities of sheep, cattle, poultry, and seafood which serve as a base for the cuisine.

Recipes

 * Preserved Lemon
 * Moroccan Salad
 * Liver Kebabs

Livre de cuisine/Recettes de cuisine marocaine

title: Cookbook:Cuisine of Morocco


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Cookbook:Tomato Pasta

Ingredients

 * 300 g (10 oz) large pasta spirals (dry)
 * 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, more if you like it
 * 2 large garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped, more if you like it
 * 4 large ripe tomatoes, well-chopped, seeds and skin included (remove the seeds and skin if you like, but it isn't mandatory.)
 * 1 handful of well-torn basil leaves
 * Salt, to taste
 * Pepper, to taste
 * 4 tbsp freshly, finely grated Parmesan-style cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano recommended!)

Procedure

 * 1) Cook dry pasta in plenty of salted boiling water for 10–12 minutes. Proper cooking time should be indicated on the pasta box itself. If it's not, taste one pasta piece from time to time, and stop the cooking when it's still crispy but not tough (it should be al dente). Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking:
 * 2) Heat the olive oil gently in a large frying pan or wok. When moderately hot add the garlic and gently fry until lightly coloured only. Avoid overcooking. Add the tomatoes and cook for several minutes, stirring and folding the ingredients. If there is a lot of liquid from the tomatoes, turn up the heat a little and reduce it a bit. Stir in the basil and turn the heat down.
 * 3) By this time the pasta should be cooked. Turn off the heat to the pasta and use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta to the sauce in the other pan. Don't worry if a little of the cooking water is transferred—this is a good thing as long as you don't swamp the sauce with it (you could also use a colander to drain the pasta).
 * 4) Season to taste, stir and transfer to a large pasta bowl for serving. Scatter the cheese over the whole dish, reserving some for the table.

title: Cookbook:Tomato Pasta