Hi Coyote:
I learned the "cloud bursting" technique from Richard Bach's "Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah" back in 1980 - been doing 'cloud wars' with my daughter (she was a teen-ager at the time) ever since. I blow them away, and she creates them. She's actually better at it than me, in the creating department, and one time she did make it rain, out of spite. Her belief structure is such that she felt I shouldn't be interfering with the clouds God had put in the sky, so she made sure they came back.
Once you've eye'd up which cloud you'd like to operate on, it isn't really necessary to continue starring at it, as you seem to have discovered. I use this as a "personal power" technique when doing some of my workshops, because I want to connect the students to their core of creativity - let them know that they have an intimate connection with nature and the Universe. Just about everyone seems to be able to do this, with a little effort, so it's a great way to get them involved in thinking about how they can affect other areas of their lives.
The novelty has never worn off - guess I must be a big kid at heart.
Cheers!
Unis
