I am interested in dreamwalking. Is this usually done on purpose or more subconsciously when the need arises?
To my understanding, it can happen both ways.
In one instance, you can go through specific steps that will bring you to a state in which you can astrally travel. Once you are in that state, you should be able to "walk" to the person you want to visit.
In the other instance, your subconscious seeks out that person and you go to to them.
Just my opinions. I am no expert on this subject.
It most commonly occurs amongst vampires when we experience a deep need for energy. We will detach from our physical forms and "travel" or "walk" via the subtle bonds and links we have forged with others to someone (usually someone with whom we have a preexisting emotional connection) upon whom we can feed to replenish ourselves. This happens automatically when we have such a great need, but it can certainly be performed consciously as well :)
This is a little mixture of voodoo and native american.
You have the regular dream area where just dream about whatever; for example like dreaming about eating pastries or being chased. From there you can enter into other realms of the dream world. Sometimes you just end up going into one of them without knowing how you got there. Other times it is a planned operation by you or another spirit.
To enter into any of these other realms you have to know that you dreaming when you are in the dream. If you have never experienced that, then work on that first. If you have then you are at the doorway to enter into these different dream worlds.
One of these realm is for speaking to the departed. You will know it in the depths of your soul that you are there. [Sidenote: spirit and soul are two different things. Your soul is the connector between the mind and spirit; like a hallway. Your spirit is that ball of light that is you after the flesh is gone.]
Other realms of the dream-world include : a place to see the future or the past, a place to be tested for spiritual rank, of course talking to the departed is another as we already talked about, and there are others.
The next step up in dream-walking is to go into a dream inside of a dream inside of a dream. You go many levels deep, but remember, you MUST come back out the exact same way you went in, or you could be trapped there.
Then the next step from there is getting into someone else's dream and will both share the same dream. Also, the reverse is true, other spirits and humans can come into your dream. It is usually very purposeful. I wish I could sit with you all physically and share some of my experiences. Sometimes writing just doesn't do it justice.
Then the next step is to actually pull something out of your dream into the realm of awake and time. In the dream-world, there is no time. That is why you wake up and look at the clock,LOL
There are lots of things you can do in dreams but it all takes practice!