Book in Progress

We are Dreaming NOW: From Lucid Dreaming to Conscious Lucid Living;
Includes how I made my dreams of career and family come true!
,
by Beverly (Kedzierski Heart) D'Urso



PITCH

My story begins with an astonishing childhood gift of facing up to the witches in my nightmares,  which led me to be chosen for years of Lucid Dreaming research at the Stanford Sleep Laboratory. In lucid dreams, we “know we are dreaming while we dream.” We can control them to solve problems or carry out wild and crazy goals. After appearing in major magazines and television specials, I eventually concluded that, “Life is but a Dream,” and I used my practical philosophy, Lucid Living, which I have taught and presented for decades, to: obtain my Ph.D., including over 50 publications, advance my prosperous high-tech career in Artificial Intelligence, marry my perfect mate, bear a child in spite of overwhelming odds against it, and heal from profound grief. People relate the ideas in my book, We are Dreaming, NOW, to the work of best-selling, contemporary authors, as well ancient traditions. However, anyone can enjoy my personal, lifelong, and inspirational anecdotes, regardless of their interest in dreams. So remember, We are Dreaming, NOW!  Let go of fear, experience everything as one, know that anything is possible, and make your own dreams come true.

BIOGRAPHY

As combination mystic and scientist, I have been called the world’s most prolific “lucid dreamer.”  I developed the ability to “know I am dreaming while I dream” when I faced up to terrifying witches in my childhood dream, some forty-three years ago. In my twenties, the renown pioneer of Lucid Dreaming, Dr. Stephen Laberge, chose me as his primary subject for decades of research at the Stanford Sleep Laboratory. Numerous major magazines, such as LIFE, Smithsonian, OMNI, and Parade, television specials, books, and radio talk shows have featured my life and my dreams. Using my practical philosophy called lucid living, with a related web site, I have taught my own workshops since 1991, and have presented at conferences for decades, where authors constantly tell me “You HAVE to write a book,” and I say, “Are you dreaming now?” Working with Stanford University Professors, I completed my  Masters degree in 1980, involving Cognitive Psychology, and my Ph.D. in 1983, focussing on Artificial Intelligence. Prior to being a researcher, consultant, and a college professor, I created several startup companies, and over fifty publications, on my computer work and on my dream work. To allow for the greatest flexibility, I currently combine my writing and presenting with being a full-time wife and mother, and I contribute the wonderful balance of work and family in my life to lucid living!


SUMMARY

Would you face up to terrifying witches that were about to devour you?  I did, in a childhood dream, and years later the renown pioneer of Lucid Dreaming, Dr. Stephen Laberge, chose me as his primary subject for decades of research of at the Stanford Sleep Laboratory. In lucid dreams, we “know we are dreaming while we dream.” We can control them to solve problems, carry out goals, or just plain have fun!  Many people have experienced this “higher state of consciousness” without knowing the term. If you have ever seen someone whom you know has died, or flew over your house like a bird, and said, “This can’t be happening, I must be dreaming,” then you have had a lucid dream. If you were not lucid, you would probably act as if you were really awake, possibly justifying the situation.

I have taught people to have lucid dreams by using my own techniques, as well as using electronic devices which I helped develop through LaBerge’s work. Featured in numerous major magazines, such as LIFE, Smithsonian, OMNI, and Parade, television specials, books, and radio talk shows, people have called me the world’s most prolific lucid dreamer.

One time, I saw myself on a national television commercial, wearing a bathrobe, with electrodes all over my face, singing, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat...” This seemed bizarre, but not as astonishing as when I started to have precognitive dreams, which are dreams whose action also occurs later in the waking state. I eventually concluded that, “Life is but a Dream,”  and I created, as well as taught, what I call: Lucid Living.

I have my own web site and have presented at conferences for decades, where people relate my newest ideas to eastern religions and mystical traditions, including  A Course In Miracles, multimillion copy authors such as, Dyer, Chopra, Ruiz, and Roberts (SETH), and even modern movies similar to: The Matrix.  In my dreams, I have presented before billions of people, but when I am not lucid, I often freeze and can’t think of what to say. When I am very lucid, anyone around already knows what I have to say, and I merely surrender to my heart’s content.

In my proposed book, We Are Dreaming NOW,  I tell how Lucid Living helped me obtain my Ph.D. in Computer Science, with over 50 publications, more than half on my dream work, advance my prosperous high-tech career in Artificial Intelligence, marry my perfect mate, bear a child in spite of overwhelming odds against it, and heal from profound grief. The few existing lucid dreaming books that apply to the waking state are very philosophical or are in the complex voice of a psychologist. From my layperson’s perspective, anyone can relate to my personal, lifelong stories and insightful anecdotes, ranging from sex to death, regardless of their interest in dreams. So remember, “We Are Dreaming NOW!”  Let go of fear, experience everything as one, know that anything is possible, and make your own dreams come true.

AUDIENCE

We are Dreaming NOW takes us beyond lucid dreaming, but it is not necessary to be a lucid dreamer, or even have heard of it, to get value from We are Dreaming NOW.  However, We are Dreaming NOW will have instant appeal for people interested in dreams and lucid dreaming because they will discover new, practical uses of dreams and will see how lucid dreaming can be applied to our waking lives. They will also find out about the intriguing work done in sleep laboratories, of which there are over 70 listed on the American Sleep Association web site.

People interested in personal growth, inspiration, and the metaphysical will want to read:  We are Dreaming NOW, even if they do not care about dreams. The following five, immensely popular, books have sold multimillions of copies and include the same concepts that We are Dreaming NOW  goes into in depth.  The readers of these books will also enjoy  We are Dreaming NOW.

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz (Amber-Allen Publishing,  November 1997)  The first words of Chapter One state, “What you are seeing and hearing right now is nothing but a dream. You are dreaming right now in this moment. You are dreaming with the brain awake.” Ruiz, therefore, agrees with the premise of Lucid Living. His book has sold 2.7 million copies in the U.S., and has been on The New York Times best seller list for over three years.

You'll See It When You Believe It: The Way to Your Personal Transformation by Wayne W. Dyer (Quill (HarperCollins), September 2001, Copyright 1989, William Morrow and Company, Inc.) In one part of Chapter Two, Dr. Dyer encourages us to be a “waking dreamer... to understand that the rules that seem to apply only to your dreaming body can be applicable to your waking body as well.” He, therefore, also encourages Lucid Living.

The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, October 2003,  Crown Publishers, Inc.,  Random House, Inc.) In the last chapter of his book, Dr. Chopra describes, “The seventh and last stage of consciousness, the ultimate goal, is called unity consciousness.” He states, “When this happens, you see that the whole world is a projection of your own self.” This is the essence Lucid Living at the highest level. 

The Nature of Personal Reality: Specific, Practical Techniques for Solving Everyday Problems and Enriching the Life You Know (A Seth Book) by Jane Roberts  (Amber-Allen Publishing, June 1994, Copyright 1974, Bantam Books,  Prentice Hall, Inc.) The first lines from the preface of this pivotal book say that, “Experience is the product of the mind, the spirit, conscious thoughts and feelings, and unconscious thoughts and feelings. These together form the reality that you know.” From the introduction, “Seth’s main idea is that we create our personal reality thorough our conscious beliefs...” This is corresponds to why I say: We are Dreaming NOW. People who value the SETH work will see evidence of his theories in We are Dreaming NOW. The Nature of Personal Reality has sold over 7 million copies worldwide and has been around for 30 years.

A Course In Miracles (Viking Press, March 1996, Copyright 1975,  Foundation for Inner Peace) In the Text: Chapter 18: Passing of the dream Section:  Basis of the Dream: “All your time is spent in dreaming. Your sleeping and waking dreams have different forms, that is all. Their context is the same.” Lucid Living relates to what the Course calls the “Happy Dream”. We are Dreaming NOW gives people a down-to-earth story about how A Course in Miracles can be used.

Also, people interested in Carlos Castaneda, Toltec Dreaming, Tibetan Dream Yoga, the philosophy of Non Dualism, the Senoi, Native Americans, Eastern Religions, and other Ancient Traditions will want to hear about Lucid Living.
Besides the people interested in dreams and the metaphysical, women pursuing advanced degrees and/or careers plus family, or baby boomers who are losing parents, will relate to the stories in We are Dreaming NOW.

SPECIAL MARKETING AND PROMOTION OPPORTUNITIES

I have helped people have lucid dreams and understand Lucid Living in workshops and groups since 1991, and I have over 50 publications, more than half on my dream work. Therefore, I can actively promote my book: We are Dreaming NOW.  I have my own web site and have presented at the primary dream organization, the Association for the Study of Dreams (ASD) conferences since 1985.  ASD serves its over 325 members (and hundreds more who attend the conferences) who might be scientists, psychologists, artists, writers, or people who merely pay attention to their dreams. Major magazines, such as LIFE, Smithsonian, OMNI, and Parade, television specials, books, and radio talk shows, have already taken an interest in my work.

Dream groups that exist in most cities in the country and around the world would be interested in We are Dreaming NOW.  In fact, some whole cultures live their lives based on their dreams. Every year, there are conferences on dreaming, not including conferences on sleep in general. Dozens of magazines and journals focus on dreaming, and there are over 70 sleep laboratories listed on the American Sleep Association web site.

Many dream web sites exist as well, with over 25 web sites just on lucid dreaming. Lucid Dreaming alone has many of its own publications as well including: The Lucid Dream Exchange, which has published an early version of We are Dreaming NOW.

Dr. Stephen LaBerge, whom I have worked with, heads the Lucidity Institute with hundreds of members around the world. Anyone interested in his books, products, including  his electronic dream induction devices, and seminars would want to read  We are Dreaming NOW.

Don Miguel Ruiz has a very active web site for his Toltec Tradition, has spawned over 145 groups around the country, including one also called “Lucid Living,” and has several events each month. People involved in his Toltec Dreaming would want to read  We are Dreaming NOW.

Both Dr. Dyer and Dr. Chopra have active web sites and give many presentations every month. The Chopra center would be a good place to sell copies of We are Dreaming NOW.

There are dozens of SETH web sites, SETH groups in most major cities, yearly SETH conferences, online and other SETH magazines, and even a doctoral degree program on the SETH Teachings. There are Course in Miracles study groups in most major cities. totaling over 2000, as well as yearly Course in Miracles conferences.  It has been translated into over 20 languages and has hundreds of web sites. Both A Course in Miracles and SETH enthusiasts would all be targets for selling  We are Dreaming NOW.

Women’s magazines, such as First for Women, who did an article on my life in their June 24, 1996 issue, could promote my book.  The New Age Journal also did an article on my work in November 1985 and could have a source of readers. Organizations that support people in grief, such as KARA in Palo Alto, CA could provide copies of We are Dreaming NOW, as well.

SELECTED MEDIA COVERAGE (see Publications)

Presentation at the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD)  PsiberDreaming Conference, September 2004.A Documentary by Richard Hilton, September 2004.
Panel at the Association for the Study of Dreams (ASD)   Conference 2004.
<>Symposium at the ASD  Conference 2004.
Book in Progress, 2003.
The Lucid Dream Exchange Magazine, 2003 and 2004.
Paper at the ASD Conference, 2003 (Available as an audio tape).
Online PsiberDreaming Conference, 2003.
Panel at the ASD conference, 2001.
Preschool Family Newsletter, January, 2000.
Bay Area Dream Workers (BADG) Presentation, 1998.
The Dreamer and the Dreamtribe,  Documentary, 1997.
Workshop at the ASD Conference, 1997. (Available as an audio tape.)
First for Women Magazine, June 24, 1996.
Lucid Dreaming, NBC's Next Step, 1996.
ABC TV:  WLS Chicago 10 O'Clock News, May 11, 1995.
Workshop aboard a sailboat in the Bahamas, 1992.
Paper ASD Conference, June, 1992.
LIFE Magazine, October, 1986.
Panel at the Lucid Dreaming Symposium (ASD), 1986.
Lucidity Letter Journal, December, 1985.
New Age Journal, November 1985.
Parade Magazine, February, 1984.
Poster Session at Asilomar Psychophysiology Conference (Psychophysiology Journal Paper), 1983.
Smithsonian Magazine, August, 1982  
Omni Magazine, March, 1982 .    
Discover the World of Science, Television Special, 1982.
Two on the Town: Television Show, 1982.