Master of Lucid Dreams

It’s not the most profound book I’ve ever read, and the writing is OK.But the story flows well (some loose ends remains) and it definitely added new locations to my travel list.

Those who complain that this book contains nothing about how to practice lucid dreaming completely miss the simple and obvious fact that this is just a report of the author's experience in a decidedly strange world, like Carlos Casteneda's. It's not intended to be a how-to book. Beyond that, it's a continuation of her previous book, obviously, introducing and continuing to describe and explain to us a learning tradition completely separate from the Western/European mindset of rational/mechanical domination of the natural world, which is kind of the difference between the flight of a bird and an interstate.There are in many places tucked away here and there in the world ancient learning traditions of astonishing sophistication, perception and high intelligence, Africa, Australia, the Amazon, Mexico and the Altai among them. This is a book about one of them, along with Lyall Watson's Lightening Bird and Bruce Chatwin's The Songlines, as well as perhaps the best known of them, Casteneda's many books. This present book concludes with a mesmerizing account of a dream sequence as powerful as any I've ever encountered, really quite setting the book apart from any other except Casteneda's.

I've decided to read this second book by Kharitidi after reading her previous account,  Entering the Circle: Ancient Secrets of Siberian Wisdom Discovered by a Russian Psychiatrist , and I found this to be an enchanting and useful reading but I felt the title itself was really off-putting and a full examination of "lucid dreaming" was absent.What I have found really fascinating is the utterly insightful discussion of "Healing the Spirits of Trauma," which should have been the title of this book (though, I think this book was attributed to "Michael," who was the master of lucid dreams).If one have read Castaneda's  The Active Side of Infinity  where a Predator's Mind is discussed (p. 220), reading this latest book could provide another angle on the understanding of the Predator's Mind as springing out of archaic traumas as well as adding to a possible understanding of spirit possessions.This book is certainly written in the same manner as her first autobiography which has caused me to read it all in one sitting and rather absorbing.

The title of this book can be somewhat misleading, especially if you want to learn more about lucid dreaming. I read Olga's first book, Entering the Circle, about 14 years ago and totally loved it. I enjoyed the story of her first encounter with Siberian Shamanism, and how she got pulled into it and started implementing this ancient knowledge to her everyday psychiatric practice. However, this book is more complex, and it's really not about lucid dreaming per se. If you want to learn how to achieve lucid dreams, this is not the book you want to pick.It took me a couple of months to read it. I was able to read only a couple of pages at a time. I felt it was kind of dense, so to speak. It is primarily about the spirits of trauma, and how they can be healed through shamanic practices and knowledge. The people she meets in her trip to Samarkand delve into the importance of dreams, their meaning, symbols and power. Yet, they do not tell you how to achieve lucid dreams in order to heal the traumas of your past. The concept is quite interesting, and her approach to the subject and how she lived this experience is ok, but I wish she had gone deeper into this matter. So, if you have read Olga Kharitidi before, you might enjoy this book. However, don't expect much, since the Master of Lucid Dreams is somebody else, not her. Read it thinking of the book more as a personal journal of hers than anything else. I was a little disappointed, but I liked anyway.

this book is an exciting continuation of the first book but don't expect it to be anything !! it's not a manual on Lucid dreaming it's a story. let it just be what it is and learn what it has to teach you. also, it has some very dark elements to it that might be a little hard for some readers as it deals with the worst kinds of human trauma, so be ready. the first book didn't have that kind of descriptions. (actually there were some vivid details i think could have been omitted in that regard and i think it could have been just as powerful without them) i loved it and adore the writing style and insight thank you so much Olga for sharing your adventures with us <3

Olga Kharatidi is a terrific mentor/author. Years ago I discovered her "Entering The Circle" and fell in love with her writing, revelatory insights, and command of Siberian Shamanism that was a transformational inspiration for years to come. Now, with "Master of Lucid Dreams" she has again challenged & dazzled my being with equally deep mentoring. Fasten your seatbelt and be willing to confront your perhaps unacknowledged fears of death and afterlife. A new liberation awaits you through the continuing wisdom scrolling magically through our dreams. Brava Dr. Kharatidi, and thank you Michael and each of the storytelling teachers presented in this Masterful Work.

This author is a fascinating individual--a Siberian psychiatrist who now works in the U.S. with the criminally insane. Her first book, "Entering the Circle: Ancient Secrets of Siberian Wisdom Discovered by a Russian Psychiatrist" was excellent. It shed light on the concepts of Shamanism I'd been struggling with for years. However, her next two books, "Master of Lucid Dreams," and "Michael Gate" I found hard to follow. Since I have nothing but respect for Dr. Kharitidi the three stars I gave her second and third books are just my personal sense of them, others may have a whole different experience. I highly recommend "Entering the Circle," as the first read of this author in order to better understand who she is and perhaps what she hopes to convey in the additional two books she has written.

but I don't believe a word of it! Too much cloak-and-dagger stuff and unnecessary oofle dust. Not wishing to be a Shamanistic Fundamentalist, I accepted this book as fiction and enjoyed it very much. I don't know much about Sufi spirituality in Samarkand so cannot comment on that specifically. I was mostly interested in this book because the author is a psychiatrist and I work in mental health and have an interest in shamanism and suchlike. The ideas in this book have proved useful to me in my work. The concept of trauma demons is common to many shamanistic traditions and I find it a creative way to think about the damage trauma can do to the soul. In other shamanistic traditions healing trauma is a 2 stage process involving evicting the intrusion (trauma demon)and then repairing or recalling the part of the soul that has been damaged or has gone away. My experience suggests it is important to do both. However, I will not hold this against Olga as this book is not meant to be a how-to manual. There is also a simple attention shifting technique described in the book which I have found useful if v similar to NLP techniques.In both this and her previous book, "Entering the Circle" I have appreciated the picture Olga draws of the hardness of life in a Siberian city and the human side of the changing but still monolithic and materialistic machine of psychiatric "care" in the former Soviet Union. So it is especially poignant and important that someone like Olga is trying to bring the Soul back into curing "mental" distress.

This book is unusual. I have read nothing quite like it and it deserves your respect, full attention and time. The best way to read this is probably to book yourself a long Weekend at the very least away from everything and everyone you know, make sure everyone knows who needs to know that you will not be contactable for this time, then settle down with this book. Read it slowly, meditatively, with deep awareness; you may well need to read it twice. Then let it work it's Magick, give yourself time to take it's ideas and work your own restorative Magick. I am not saying it's perfect, but it is definately powerful that is for sure.

Only a quarter through and really enjoying this second book as much as the first

I couldn't put this down, and i tried to read it slowly and digest but failed.She writes wonderfully and this is a special book containing deep transformational information... or just a darned good stroy for those more skeptical!

Second of the Olga Kharitidi book, interesting but not as good as the first one.