Ryan Hurd on the Importance of Ritual Practice Around Dreams and the Magic of Liminal Objects

Join dream researcher Ryan Hurd in a deep exploration of the Talisman principle, the importance of ritual practice around dreams, and the magic of liminal objects. Where do these objects come from, how do you activate them, and how do you use them for nocturnal and diurnal lucidity? Ryan shares the scope, depth, and applicability of the Talisman, which includes their use for conducting state checks, how they “incept” into dreams, how they act as apotropaic amulets that protect us from fear, and how they focus and “reify” intention. The protection principle, at multiple levels, is then discussed, along with advice for how to care of the Talisman: when to put it away to avoid “cognitive domestication,” and desacralization. How does the Talisman challenge the dominance of materialism, and stretch the mind into more open dimensions? How do these objects actually work, and where does belief come into play? Are the forces invoked internal, external, or both?

The Talisman is a bridge between multiple worlds, multiple states of mind, and a powerful induction method that works at many levels. It’s also an alchemical, tantric, shamanic, and transitional object, that bridges East and West, North and South, ancient and modern. Ryan shares practical tips for how to achieve lucidity altogether, and how right effort has to be balanced with relaxation to avoid lucid burnout. Where does karma fit into all this, and how about developmental levels? The Talisman, being a multivalent object itself, opens us to multivalent dimensions of mind and reality, and a vast variety of topics that circumambulate this ancient ritual object. This is a podcast that connects wonderfully with Andrew’s recent podcast with Sean Esbjörn-Hargens.