dream is an awakening, the voice of consciousness’

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But content is what matters.”

Might crystals or talismans help put one in gear to dream vividly and to recall what was dreamt?

Mr. Moss pre-empted my question (as he continued to do throughout the interview) when, earlier, I cheekily asked, “What did you dream last night?”

He jovially replied, “An amulet as a pass key. It was a multi-faced gem, eight-sided, translucent with different bands of color.”

That said, Mr. Moss does not use stones or crystals in his dream process. He tells me he has never needed them, though he suggested bloodstone and quartz crystal or citrine as a transporter.

“Consciousness is never confined to the body and brain except by our lack of courage or imagination,” he says.

Later, Mr. Moss checked with his gemologist friend, a teacher of active dreaming, and she responded to my question about the special “transformative” power of moldavite as a dream enhancer.

Moldavite is green tektite glass derived from a meteorite that crashed into what is now the Czech Republic 14.8 million years ago. It’s known as “the emerald that fell from heaven.”

Some believe that the emerald green chalice (or Holy Grail) used by Jesus during his Last Supper was carved from a chunk of Moldavite. Due to an unusually high frequency, this cosmic gem is utilized for its transformative powers by mystics, wiccans and energy healers.

Says Mr. Moss’s friend, “It relates to dreaming because it’s quite cosmic and magical.”

In fact, two years ago after placing a chip of moldavite (also from Paradise Found) inside my pillowcase (as prescribed), I experienced a long night of wild and vivid dreaming, a riveting and fastmoving montage of imagery leaving me exhausted upon awakening and with a hypnagogic suggestion from somewhere that I should open a restaurant called The Upanishad Café that serves only superfoods.

As for supplements to enhance dreaming and dream recall, Mr. Moss sees value in the power of suggestion by taking galantamine or vitamin B12 before bedtime, but otherwise recommends for those serious about dreaming to seek counsel from a reputable, trustworthy guide. Nor does he see value in drugs such as cannabis, magic mushrooms or ayahuasca for the purposes of dreaming.

Having learned to pay special attention to the liminal hypnagogic state between sleep and awake — what the French call “dorveille,” meaning sleep-wake — on the basis that this is an ideal launchpad for lucid dreaming and contact with inner and transpersonal guides, I asked Mr. Moss if a process exists for prolonging this state.

He evoked what he calls “The Yoga School of Tinker Bell” and quoted from the movie “Hook,” based on Peter Pan, in which the fairy (or pixie) Tinker Bell says, “You know that place between sleep and awake, the place where you can still remember dreaming? That’s where I’ll be waiting.”

“But,” adds Mr. Moss, “you don’t have to go to sleep to dream. A dream is an awakening, the voice of consciousness. Listen to ALL of your dreams. The world is a dream.

“Look at the world around you with all senses open. As for liminality, take a gentle approach to entering the day. No alarm clock. Come back gently, slowly. Spend time lying in bed. Find the right posture. Stay attentive, a relaxed attention or attentive relaxation. And ALWAYS write down your dreams as soon as you remember them.”

My next question: “If you follow your dreams, are you going down a rabbit hole or coming out of it?”

“Good question!” Robert laughed. “The oldest understanding of dreams — or dream theory — is that dreaming is traveling, a journey of the soul and soul remembering. It is not confined to body and mind. Where would your higher self like to go? Dreaming is a magical road for reconnecting to the soul.

“I think people began to realize dreaming as a form of journeying during COVID when they were locked down and could not physically travel anywhere. But they could travel in their dreams! Maybe the COVID experience will provide a rebirth to a dreaming society, a reconnection to older, highly spiritual cultures that put great faith in the value of dreams.”

We can only hope our consumer-and-attentiondeficit oriented culture will rediscover and tune into the magical journeys we take every night of our lives.

On this very special day, sweet dreams!

Robert Eringer is a longtime Montecito author with vast experience in investigative journalism. He welcomes questions or comments at reringer@gmail. com.