A%20Semantic%20Ethnography

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A Semantic Ethnography

• The Dreamseekers Group of Calgary
• By Dan McKinnon

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The Dreamseekers

• Since 1991, 10 members, 35 - 55 years old,
  monthly meetings, 3 women 7 men
• 1-PhD, 4-Masters, 3 Undergrads
• members from psychology, business, information
  technology, healing arts
• the study and practise of lucid dreaming for
  entertainment, self-development learning.

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Lucid Dreaming, Whats it all about?
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Lucid dreaming is

• Being able to consciously recognize that you are
  dreaming while you are dreaming
• Once aware you are dreaming, acting to
  consciously control and change the context
  characters of the dream in real time
• And why? Its an exhilarating experience, travel
  to exotic locations, meet interesting people, do
  things you couldnt when awake

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An example from The Sun and the Shadow (Ken
Kelzer)
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Yes, you are asleep when you are lucid dreaming!

• LaBerges PhD dissertation (1977) at Stanford
  empirically verifies a dreamer can be lucid while
  asleep(In his own words)
• Brain Waves and You
• Your 90 minute sleep cycle

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Brain waves and you

• Beta 12 Hz, normally Cs zone
• Alpha 8-12 Hz, the meditative zone
• Theta 4-7 Hz, the hypnagogic zone
• Delta lt 4Hz, Ucs zone, asleep

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Your 90 minute sleep cycle
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The Participant Observation Meeting Process

• Informed consent by email
• Reviewed/confirmed - keywords/phrases and
  cultural categories
• Discussed revisions, additions and
  categorizations

• Special Observations
• Took notes on.
• How the meeting flowed?
• Any tensions?
• Any surprises?
• Any feedback?

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A Sampling of Keywords/Phrases Categories
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Keywords/Phrases

• EEG, REM sleep (paradoxical sleep)
• Oneironaut
• Reflexivity in dreams
• Sleep paralysis hynagogia

• Dream sign
• Reality check
• Five-alive technique
• OBE
• NDE
• Freud, Winson Hobson

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Categories

• Neurophysiology of Sleep
• Dreaming related phenomena
• Required Lucidity Skills
• The Classic Experiences
• Theories of Dreaming
• and more.

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Characteristics of a Dreamseeker
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A dreamseeker is

• An informed practitioner who is committed to
  searching and expanding the boundaries of
  personal growth.
• Someone who is willing to take the objective
  risks and do the subjective work that will lead
  to their creating an intricate cartography of
  human consciousness.
• A master of mind-state management.

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Dreamseeker Culture
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Insights on dreamseeker culture...

• A community of psycho-spiritual seekers.
• An intellectual salon where each participant can
  safely participate in a question and discussion
  format which ultimately leads to personal insight
  and discovery.
• An emotionally supportive environment of kindred
  spirits.

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Context Categorizations

• Semantic ethnography-meaning making by unpacking
  a language
• categories are interpretive filters (IFs)
• the ultimate category isUCasUR

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The Bigger Picture
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Bigger Picture

• Social constructivism hermenuetics
• Narrative structures, we are our stories
• Dreaming to create a self

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Dreamseekers are..
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Interested?

• Heres two great books on lucid dreaming!

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Remember, be reflexive - you could be dreaming
now.