Dream imagery hitches a ride on this motion. Our perception scans the background, the scene shifts and people cross our paths. Most often, the dream is not a snapshot, but a slide show or movie. And it is rare to be just a member of the movie audience. Rather, you enter onto the dream stage and become an actor in the play. You stand or sit. You walk, run or drive across the landscape. You can also fly.

There is no one-size-fits-all interpretation of flying dreams. My favorite explanation links flying dreams to the out-of-body experience. In this view, flying dreams signal a shift in perception and travel in altered states.

The key to dream flying is to match the movement of your consciousness with the appropriate imagery. Successful incubation of a flying dream does not start 5 minutes before you go to sleep. It begins when you wake from your last dream.

1. Recall Smooth Dream Movement.

As you lay in bed, review your dream to see how you traveled through each scene. Pay special attention to smooth movement like skiing, skating or surfing. Notice when walking or riding in a car is so free of jiggles and bumps that it's like sliding across glass. You're half-way there.

2. Re-enter And Re-visualize The Dream.

What if you discover, instead, that you were a dream couch potato? Take the next step forward. Imagine that, instead of sitting, you are standing. If you stood in your dream, imagine yourself walking. If you walked in your dream, run in reverie. If you ran, pretend you can run right off the surface of the earth.

Then, take the next step upward. If you were dreaming at ground level, picture yourself walking up the stairs, climbing a tree or hovering above your bed.

3. Build Up A Library Of Flying Memories.

Your psyche needs strong flying memories with which to construct your dream. Start in the observer mode. During the day, watch birds, butterflies, balloons or planes overhead. For a literal depiction of people in flight, view TV or the movies.

4. Move And Imagine In The Waking State.

Begin at a comfortable height. Eye level is the height with which we are most familiar, and it's most easy to practice at that level in the waking state.

Flowing forward motion is best experienced as a passenger in a car, plane or train. Look out the window and watch the scenery go by. Now, imagine that, instead of sitting, you are flying. Let the sense of vehicle fade away. Concentrate on the moving scenery and your moving body. Then request your dream psyche to form a dream like this. Don't be surprised if you get a sitting-flying dream.

To avoid this result, get out of your seat and go for a brisk walk while you exercise your imagination. For a standing-flying dream, picture yourself flying while you're standing upright in a bus, subway or boat. For easy upward or downward movement, the escalator and elevator are your best places to practice.

5. Intend To Fly Just Before Sleep.

Use regular incubation techniques, like suggesting to yourself, "Tonight, I fly in my dreams." Make sure that your recording tools are ready when you wake. Relax and visualize yourself flying while you are stretched out on your bed in your favorite flying position.

6. Avoid The Falling Dream.

Imagine yourself a few inches above your bed, over a pool of warm water or within reach of a huge mound of whipped cream. Higher up, parachutes, hot air balloon tethers, flying carpets and planes can aid your flight, if you wish. Do you think you'll need a safety net? Pack one in your imagination before you sleep.

In the waking state, stand on one foot to encourage inner-ear balance. Bounce, twirl and fall on your bed. Imagine flying while coming down the stairs, then jump the last step to practice landing with a satisfying flourish.

A comfortable dream trip is closely related to your experiences in the waking state. You won't be troubled about the idea of flying, falling or going out- of-body when your physical body feels safe moving around in physical space. OBE expert Robert Monroe was, first of all, a glider pilot. Perhaps the best flying dreamers are those firmly grounded in waking reality.

These flying tips apply to all dreamers. Lucid and out-of-body dreamers have their own special techniques. You can find some of them at the Fly-By-Night Club web site.

http://members.aol.com/caseyflyer/fbnc/fbnc01.htm 
(Fly-By-Night Club)