Hello
Chickpeas,
This week’s
post is based on a book that I am currently reading: The Tibetan Book of Living & Dying, by Sogyal Rinpoche. It is a fantastic read and not the least bit
depressing, despite the fact that it is meant to prepare us for the unknown.
The chapter I am on now looks at dream states and how the phases we go through
while we sleep are similar to the soul's journey when we cross over.
In the Buddhist
worldview, the transitional period that comes in the moments after we die (referred to as a bardo) presents a unique chance to
pierce the illusions of the mind and become enlightened. Unfortunately, it will
also be a new experience for most of us. Even if you believe in reincarnation,
very few remember going through that experience. I know I have no recollecting
of being born, or of dying.
So how would we
prepare for such an event? And how can we be sure that our state of mind will
be "with it" enough that we will be conscious of what is going on;
that we won't be scared, confused or in a daze? If that moment is our best chance
at breaking free from Samsara - the endless cycle of death and rebirth - what
can we do about it?
Enlightenment Through Dreams
I do not have a complete answer to this question, but I will come back to you
as I continue reading. The author tells us that our dream states are similar
enough to the bardos that we can
practice mindfulness while we sleep to prepare for the unknown.
There are
several key phases to watch out for:
- When we are just dozing off.
- When we are sleep but haven't begun dreaming.
- When we are actively dreaming.
- When we begin to wake up.
The biggest opportunity to prepare for the bardos is when
we are asleep but not yet dreaming. Personally, I've never been self-aware at
that stage but I imagine that adopting a daily mindfulness or meditation practice
could help us become conscious in our sleep, though I am not sure how it would come about. The book hints at something called sleep yoga but has yet to explain what it is.
A quick aside - if you'd like to remember your dreams, that last phase when we are coming out of sleep is the best time to remember them. We can take advantage of this by setting our alarm 10 minutes before we need to get up and jotting down our dreams. Just be sure to set another alarm in case you fall asleep again. Try it out for yourself!
Similarities With Lucid Dreaming
Mindfulness can also help us with
lucid dreaming; when we are aware that a dream is a dream and we can then decide to fly or to walk through walls, etc. The theory is that by becoming
aware of our thoughts during our waking hours and
shining a light on the unconscious, including ideas, fears and scenarios
that it may fabricate, our unconscious mind begins to lose its grip on our
dreams.
When we realize
that a dream is a dream, we can take control of the dream and create our own adventure. It is meant to be fun and while I have not tried it for myself, I would certainly love to know how it feels. On another note, if we know that
a dream is a dream, does that mean we could also do away with the fiction
and see what is actually real?
Disconnecting From the Matrix
Have you ever
though that life is the dream, and that when we sleep, we wake up? I still have
a lot to learn about consciousness, but I have a hunch that lucid dreaming and meditation can help us disconnect from the matrix and see
things clearly. Maybe that is what enlightenment is about; seeing things for
what they really are.
This is very
much a student's "diary entry" as I am just beginning to explore
these topics. Please get in touch if you have read this wonderful book or if
you have studied lucid dreaming, consciousness, or Buddhism for yourself. And
stay tuned for part two in a few weeks as I continue to read The Tibetan Book
of Living & Dying.
Hopefully we
will have some answers soon. For now, ask your guardian angel to help you fall
asleep tonight with a bit of consciousness. And set your alarm clock a little
bit earlier than usual so that you can start to become aware of your dreams.
***
Regina Chouza is an Energy Healer, Angel Medium and author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. She studied angel intuition and astrology at The College of Psychic Studies in London, and qualified as a healer at the School of Intuition & Healing UK. Her passion is bringing the qualities of self-love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. Read her books to heal yourself.
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