Life Investigator

So now you know why you want to lucid dream, but you probably don’t know where to start. The answer is simple: with a pencil and pad next to your bed and every intention to write in it. Improving your dream recall is important to having lucid dreams and maintaining a dream journal is a great way to accomplish this. Even if you don’t go lucid for a while I guarantee you’ll still remember some awesome dreams after starting up a journal.

I admit it, when I first started exploring lucid dreams and everyone was recommending a dream journal I drastically undervalued its importance and tried to move on without it. I had no interest in keeping anything that could be called a diary. Before keeping a dream journal I’d be lucky if I vaguely remembered one dream a month; I remembered three solid dreams after just two nights of journaling. It makes a difference and it is definately worth the energy to maintain.

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I submitted my Chacha.com review to Associated Content a few weeks ago and completely forgot I had done so. That was until I got an email asking if I’d like to accept $3.18 for it. Doesn’t sound like that much, but it’s definately a start and the money went directly to my paypal account. I’ll be investigating options like this, including helium.com, more closely to see if it’s possible to get a nice chunk of money out of them with some effort.

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If you’re like me when you look up at the stars you go “Oh, well that’s kinda cool” and move on. Have you ever wondered what’s really up there? The idea of constellations and ‘mapping’ out the night sky always seemed too overwhelming; I thought I could never look up and identify one star of millions. How could anyone actually see patterns and meaning in something so random looking? This site has given me some hope that I might actually be able to make sense of it all. It’s pretty simple and takes only 15 minutes to feel comfortable finding a few stars and constellations - you even learn how to navigate using Polaris as a guide. The true test will come when I actually look up at the real sky and see how I do. If it works out it definately seems like fun.

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I’ve spent a while looking through countless shady websites with flashing text and tremendous claims but after filtering through those I think I found some that might have some potential

The Digital Point Forums: I wish I had found this earlier. There’s a lot of info but more importantly there are tons of opportunities, specifically in the “Business” and “Buy, Sell, or Trade” forums. I earned my first $3 doing two simple tasks and the money went directly into my paypal account. It has also piqued my interest in the possibility of starting up some freelance writing and digital art work. Check out the freebies too, looks like I’m about to get a free .info domain and hosting!

Bucks4Banners: This looks promising but I’ve only just applied. They pay $5 per month + $10 startup + $10 referrels just for putting up a unobtrusive banner. I can’t recommend it yet, as I haven’t tried it out, but it seems simple enough if I’m accepted. I also have a few friends ready to try it on their sites if it works for me so the referrals might be nice.

SurveySavvy: Ugh, another ‘get paid’ to take surveys site? I’ve tried these before and it was never good. However, this one looks promising only because it received a positive review on I’ve Tried That, which I didn’t think it would ever do for a survey site. So far I’ve only just joined and took some profile surveys for free to increase my chances of receiving surveys. With any hope this one might actually bring in money.

Sponsored blogging: These are the payperpost, payu2blog, and others. I’ve only just started looking through them but I don’t think I really qualify yet. If I am ever accepted I’ll be sure to only that offers that are relevant and could be honestly reviewed. Preferably they’d be in their own category and maybe even off the main page if that’s allowed.

Has anyone tried any of these?

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Since putting to practice Steve Pavlina’s interesting and insightful article on gratitude I can say it was definitely worth the read. The article explains how to move from “Level 1″ gratitude, i.e being grateful and looking on the bright side, to “Level 2″ gratitude, essentially being grateful for the experience of life - a completely different experience. By practicing Level 2 gratitude it is possible to be grateful of everything, both the highs and lows, and enjoy it all. Any attempt to summarize would only be diluted; it really is one of those things worth reading, chewing, and digesting.

One of my favorite quotes that I think speaks for itself:

If you can remain in that state of wonder, you’re likely to perform well at the game and enjoy the experience. Eventually you’ll get good at it. Your glorious accumulations may include a high-level avatar, tons of gold, and alliances with other characters. But that stuff is only the result of your enjoyment, not the cause of it. The game can still be fun even when you’re just starting out and have no meaningful possessions. In some games you can even go deep into debt, and yet the experience is still fun.

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Your mind is a tool and like any tool you must learn how to use it properly. Your memory is better than you’d ever imagined and can be improved with just a little practice. Memory techniques have been developed and utilized since ancient times, however in an age where we rely on computers many seem to have lost the ambition to improve their own minds. These skills are still relevant and useful today - besides being fun and impressive they are proof that much of our brain power is still under lock and key. The following concept was introduced to me a year ago by Ron Hale-Evans in his great book Mind Performance Hacks. It’s simple but demonstrates the foundation of all memory skills: visualization. Once you understand how this works the doors to even greater memory techniques will open up. It’s also a great way to impress your friends. Read more »

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Taking the opportunity to learn about lucid dreaming can be a rewarding experience. Why should you care about lucid dreaming? Here’s just a sampling of what the world of conscious dreaming unlock for you.

1. Life is short, why spend 1/3 of it sleeping? By lucid dreaming you’re essentially regaining that time spent unconscious by remaining conscious for at least part of that lost time.
2. It will enhance your self confidence. Lucid dreaming leaves you feeling accomplished. Nothing beats when your all efforts are rewarded with a great lucid dream. It’ll lift your mood for the rest of the day and you’ll feel like you can take on anything. You’ll be amazed at what your own mind is capable of.
3. Practice life. Afraid of public speaking? Need to study for a test? Why not try doing it from within your dreams. There are tons of stories suggesting the power of rehearsing and practicing from within dreams can be beneficial.
4. It’s a great conversation starter. Not only is it interesting to talk about but everyone dreams and everyone has has some story to tell. I could talk for hours about dreaming and I generally find most people are willing to listen, leading to some very interesting conversations. Read more »

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If you’re like me you probably have a few books lying around. You paid good money for those books, why not put them to work for you? The folks at PaperBackSwap.com have the answer, and so far I’m loving it.

At first the site was meant only for paperbacks, however it has grown to include hardcover and audio books as well. The way it works is simple. First, post your unused books quickly and easily using their title or ISBN number. After your first 9 books are posted you’ll receive 3 credits.to get you started. It’s kinda cool, just for posting up 9 old books you can instantly order 3 books for free. And they’re yours to own. All without touching your credit card, getting hit with spam and advertisements, and no hidden fees. Read more »

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For those who haven’t heard yet, Chacha.com is the latest Web 2.0 experiment - a human powered search engine. The idea is simple, searchers (called InfoSeekers) can use a traditional style search or can search with a ‘trained’ human guide in a chatroom-like interface. The guide categorizes the query and finds relevant results which are sent directly to the InfoSeeker and Chacha’s database. Simple idea and honestly, I wouldn’t have given it a second glance if it weren’t for one fact, guides are paid $5 to $10 per search hour. Read more »