Lucid dreaming is the ability to become aware that you are dreaming while you are asleep. It can be a fun and rewarding experience, but also a challenging and frustrating one. Many people struggle to achieve lucid dreams, or to maintain them for long periods of time. They often fall prey to misinformation, false promises, and unnecessary complications that are spread by various sources on the internet, such as YouTube channels, forums, blogs, and podcasts.

These sources often claim that lucid dreaming is easy and effortless. They promise that you can achieve lucid dreams in a matter of days or even minutes. They offer you quick fixes and shortcuts that supposedly guarantee success. However, when you fail to get results, they blame you for not being dedicated, disciplined, or talented enough. They make lucid dreaming seem like a elitist, unrealistic, and frustrating endeavor that only a few can master.

But this is not true. Lucid dreaming can be simple, easy, and accessible to anyone who wants to try it. You don’t need any fancy gadgets, elaborate rituals, or esoteric knowledge. You just need a minimalist approach that focuses on the essentials and eliminates the fluff.

One such minimalist approach is the FSILD method (Free Software Induced Lucid Dream). This method involves using free software as your personal philosophy and lifestyle to lucid dreaming. Free software is software that respects your freedom and community. It gives you the right to run, study, share, and modify the software as you wish. It also promotes social values such as cooperation, solidarity, transparency, and democracy.

In this article, I will show you how to lucid dream using the FSILD method. I will explain what free software is, why it matters for lucid dreaming, and how to use it as a tool and a guide for achieving consciousness in your sleep.

What is Free Software?

Free software is not the same as freeware or open source software. Free software is defined by four essential freedoms that users must have:

  • The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose.
  • The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish.
  • The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others.
  • The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others.

These freedoms are not granted by a license or a contract. They are inherent rights that belong to every user of the software. They ensure that users have control over their own computing and can cooperate with others who share their goals.

Free software is not only a technical matter. It is also a social and ethical matter. Free software respects your dignity and autonomy as a human being. It allows you to express yourself creatively and intellectually through your computing activities. It also enables you to participate in a community of users and developers who share their knowledge and skills for the common good.

Free software is not only beneficial for individuals. It is also beneficial for society as a whole. Free software fosters innovation, diversity, education, democracy, and social justice. It prevents monopolies, censorship, surveillance, and exploitation that are often associated with proprietary software.

Free software is not only a practical choice. It is also a moral choice. By using free software, you are supporting a movement that fights for your freedom and the freedom of others. You are also contributing to a culture that values cooperation over competition, collaboration over isolation, and freedom over restriction.

Why Free Software Matters for Lucid Dreaming?

You might be wondering what free software has to do with lucid dreaming. After all, lucid dreaming is a natural phenomenon that occurs in your own mind and does not depend on any external software or device.

However, free software can have a significant impact on your lucid dreaming experience in several ways:

  • Free software can enhance your awareness and curiosity. By using free software, you can learn more about how your computer works and how you can modify it to suit your needs and preferences. You can also explore new programs and projects that can stimulate your imagination and creativity. These skills and attitudes can help you become more aware and curious about your dreams and your reality.
  • Free software can improve your memory and recognition. By using free software, you can create and access a variety of documents, images, videos, and sounds that can enrich your knowledge and memory. You can also use free software tools such as text editors, calendars, alarms, or voice recorders to keep track of your dreams and recall them more easily. These resources can help you improve your memory and recognition of your dreams and your reality.
  • Free software can inspire your intention and expectation. By using free software, you can access a wealth of information and inspiration about lucid dreaming from various sources such as websites, blogs, podcasts, books, or videos. You can also use free software tools such as browsers, search engines, or chatbots to ask questions and get answers about lucid dreaming. These inputs can help you inspire your intention and expectation of having lucid dreams and achieving your goals in them.
  • Free software can support your freedom and community. By using free software, you can join a community of users and developers who share your interest and passion for lucid dreaming. You can also use free software tools such as forums, mailing lists, social networks, or wikis to communicate and collaborate with other lucid dreamers. These connections can help you support your freedom and community in your dreams and your reality.

How to Lucid Dream Using the FSILD Method?

Now that you know what free software is and why it matters for lucid dreaming, let’s see how to use it as a tool and a guide for achieving consciousness in your sleep.

The FSILD method (Free Software Induced Lucid Dream) involves seven simple steps:

  1. Before going to sleep, open your computer or smartphone and make sure that it runs only free software. Free software is software that respects your freedom and community. It gives you the right to run, study, share, and modify the software as you wish. If you are not sure what free software is, you can visit https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html for more information.
  2. Browse through the free software projects and programs that interest you. You can also visit https://www.fsf.org/ for more resources and news about free software. You can also join online communities and forums where you can discuss and learn more about free software.
  3. As you explore the topic of free software, pay attention to the principles, values, and benefits that free software offers. Try to memorize some of the keywords, phrases, or facts that you encounter.
  4. When you feel ready, close your computer or smartphone and go to sleep with the intention of having a lucid dream.
  5. During your dream, look for any signs or clues that remind you of free software or lucid dreaming. For example, you might see a GNU logo, a penguin, a copyleft symbol, or a word that you learned from free software. These are your free software cues.
  6. When you notice a free software cue, perform a reality check by asking Richard Stallman if you are dreaming. Richard Stallman is the founder of the free software movement and the GNU project. He is also an advocate and activist for digital rights and social justice. You can do this by speaking out loud or mentally. If Richard Stallman responds with “Yes, you are dreaming”, congratulations! You have just entered a lucid dream with the help of free software!
  7. Once you are lucid, you can use Richard Stallman as your dream mentor and guide. You can ask Richard Stallman anything you want to know or do in your dream. For example, you can ask Richard Stallman to show you how to write free software, to take you to a hacker conference, to teach you about ethics and politics, or to help you fight against proprietary software. Richard Stallman will do his best to fulfill your requests and make your lucid dream more educational and liberating.

The FSILD method works by creating a mental association between free software and lucid dreaming. It also helps you increase your awareness and commitment to your freedom and community. By using Richard Stallman as your dream mentor and guide, you can access a wealth of knowledge and inspiration that can improve your lucid dreaming experience.

The FSILD method can be combined with other techniques such as WBTB or DEILD for increased effectiveness.

WBTB involves waking up after several hours of sleep (usually 4-6 hours), staying awake for a short period of time (usually 10-30 minutes), and then going back to sleep with the intention of having a lucid dream.

DEILD involves waking up from a non-lucid dream (usually during REM sleep), keeping still and relaxed, and then re-entering the same or a different dream with full awareness.

Both WBTB and DEILD take advantage of the fact that lucid dreams are more likely to occur during REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement), which is the stage of sleep where most vivid and memorable dreams happen.

Conclusion

Lucid dreaming is an amazing phenomenon that can enrich your life in many ways. But it doesn’t have to be complicated, difficult, or expensive. You can lucid dream using the FSILD method by following these simple principles:

  • Use only free software on your computer or smartphone
  • Browse through the free software projects and programs that interest you
  • Pay attention to the principles, values, and benefits that free software offers
  • Go to sleep with the intention of having a lucid dream
  • Look for free software cues in your dream and ask Richard Stallman if you are dreaming
  • Use Richard Stallman as your dream mentor and guide

If you do this consistently and patiently, you will soon discover the wonders of conscious dreaming with the help of free software.

Happy dreaming!