Concerning the second gate of dreaming don Juan talks about the world of inorganic beings and about changing dreams and sceneries, respectively “waking” from one dream into another. He also explains shifting of so called assemblage point which is located in our back close to shoulder blades and serves us for travelling into other worlds. Today I won’t talk about assemblage point. I will focus on “practical” aspects of the second gate.

Try to shift dreams willingly – find yourself in a new dream! The important thing is that you don’t wake up.

How do we know we have crossed the second gate? It happens when we “wake up” from one dream into another. We can actually dream that we woke up, or we can just change scenery, “film” and begin to dream a new film. Important thing is to hold sufficient control not to wake up in this world here – the one we consider real when we are awake.

The goal is to willingly change dreams without waking up. How do we do this? We start by intending: “I will have greater and more sober control over my dreaming attention! Let me liberate my senses and perception!” This is the only safety valve for dreamers! Why do we need a safety valve? Because the second gate is a door into the world of inorganic beings and because the true goal of dreaming is to perfect the energy body. A perfect energy body can stop the dream whenever needed. I wrote about this in the article about the first gate of dreaming: about gaining back lost pieces of your energy.

According to don Juan fools invent the world they perceive, while the sorcerers learn how to directly perceive real energies. In my opinion perceiving real energies happens spontaneously sometimes while we dream, but if we want to do it at will, it takes practice. “Sorcerers” as don Juan calls them were doing it at will. With practice we reach information and places we didn’t invent, places that really exist somewhere. This way we are given the opportunity to explore new aspects of creation.

After we have crossed the first gate of dreaming, we are able to recognize objects with foreign energy in our dream – the so called “scouts”, portals. When we recognize them, they take us into a new dream – into the world of inorganic beings.

Many of you will find out you have already crossed the second gate of dreaming – you were changing dreams.

Once I was dreaming I was having a video call with my charismatic, shamanic friend and I suddenly realized I was dreaming. I verified it by looking around: I was in my living room having a video call on my PC, but I knew my PC was in repair at the time. This way I was sure it was a dream. It was a unique opportunity to ask this friend whatever I wanted to know. I knew I was really talking to him in the astral world and that he would answer. My brain went wild with all the possible questions and then the scene started dissolving and I knew I was losing contact.

In the next moment I found myself in a hotel with my husband. He said he would buy us new towels. They were selling towels in a hotel lobby. They only had white ones with black inscriptions on them – towels had names of days of the week, of months and planets written on them. “I’ll take Sunday” he said. Then he wanted to pick a towel for me, but the seller kindly reminded him that maybe I would prefer to choose myself. “Then I’ll take Monday!” I said and as I said it I was already wondering why I chose Monday. I mean, who chooses Monday as their beloved day?!

Sunday and Monday are days dedicated to the sun and to the moon. My husband chose Sun, I chose Moon. Interesting: yang and yin.

Back to the inorganic beings. Don Juan describes them as conscious, intelligent, energetic beings that look a bit like worms or snakes. They are either like water or like fire (connected to these elements) and they are electrically charged. Sorcerers wanted to make them their allies, because these being could teach them how to shift their assemblage point = how to travel between worlds. But don Juan was not keen on them. They teach us, but in return they want our energy and our consciousness. Therefore we need to learn how to control whether we want to enter their world or not. They can’t lie, they can’t force us to stay, but they know well how to bribe us with things humans love: power, feeling unique, richness… To them we are like children with a huge amount of energy that they want.

When I was reading this, I found out that many years before I had dreamed about exactly such inorganic beings. I checked my dream journal. I dreamed about watery inorganic beings which looked like electric worms swimming in the sea. I didn’t like them, they made me feel extremely uncomfortable, I didn’t want them near me, but they were approaching me. One of them jumped into me. In another dream these worms were falling out of the water pipe in my bathroom and one of them “bit” me in my hand: it was like a small electroshock. In all cases I ran away from them. I wouldn’t face them voluntarily, no way! However, don Juan recommends exactly facing them, holding them firmly without fear. Ah well, as I finished reading the book, I made a conclusion that I don’t have to follow exactly everything don Juan recommends. Castaneda got into some serious, grave trouble with these inorganic beings who at some point trapped him in their world and rescue mission was needed to get him out.

Maybe this sounds a bit too abstract, however, it is not crucial for now. Inorganic beings will not catch you so quickly, do not worry! Castaneda went very far and deep in his relationship with them.

Just try to change dreams willingly! Stop one and start another! Or: when you start “losing” one dream as it starts dissolving, try to find yourself in a new dream. The important thing is that you don’t wake up!

Good luck!