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koshoT
9th June 2002, 00:49
I don't know if this question belongs in this section. But, here goes anyway.
A while back I had been meditating every day for 30 minutes. And it was suceeding in calming me down. I also felt happier. Then one night I had a dream, althought it felt much to real to be a dream. I dreamt that I had been enlightened. And I distinctly remember the amazing joy that filled me. But then I lost it and woke up. I don't think this was an ordinary dream. It was more real than any dream that I've had. Infact when I woke up for the rest of the day I felt that I was in a dream, and that my dream was the reality. Hard to explain. But here's my question. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

thanks,
Tom Berkery

Elijah
21st June 2002, 19:47
Wow... Sounds like a very interesting experience! I guess in the end, the question becomes what did you learn from the dream?
Have you continued you regular practice of meditation?
It kind of reminds me of a short zen story where a master and his student were sitting by the river side talking about the concept of enlightment, when all of a sudden the master grabs the student by the head and slams him into the water and proceeds to hold him under for several seconds. When the master releases his hold on the student the student gasps for air. The master asks him "what were you thinking when I held you under?" The student responds "all I could think of was Air, Air! I need Air!!"
"So must you crave enlightment!" replied the master.

:p

Good Luck!

John McCollum
22nd June 2002, 23:35
Probably not relevant in any way, but anyway...!

It reminds me of a problem I looked at in a basic philosophy of religion class, and it goes something like this. How would we ever know the difference between "dreaming that God spoke to us" and "God speaking to us in a dream"? These things only contain the significance that we attach to them. I think you should just keep going with your meditation, bearing in mind the momentary enlightenment (if that's what you want to call it) you felt during your dream.

When you said that you were filled with great joy, then "woke up and lost it", it reminded me of many experiences I've had when actually meditating. My head is always buzzing with thoughts, and I find it very difficult to clear my head. (Like most westerners, I guess). The few times when I've been able to actually clear my head and not think of anything, it's invariably followed shortly after by me saying "I'm meditating! I'm meditating! I'm...D'OH!"

Sorry to ramble.

koshoT
25th June 2002, 04:21
Ha! Sounds like what I do when i finally clear my head... Yes finally not thinking of anything... no wait... damn it that was thinking.
Thanks for the responses guys. I'll keep trying. I don't know about dreams too much, I don't really care to analyze it too much either. I'm one of those crazy ones who likes to go by gut feelings... but then again I never trust myself. So it makes for an interesting combination. I'll keep meditating. That was a nice zen story by the way... I liked it.
Thanks again,
Tom Berkery

rhysmorgan
10th July 2002, 00:39
My first question is wether or not you were lucid while you were dreaming. Was it a dream of meditation? Or did you know you take control for your dream in order to practice meditation?

Lucid dreaming can be used as a method of practice for any activity, much like visualizing an activity for sports. Practice in the mind before the body. Things that you do while dreaming are easier and more fluid for the most part. There are many reports of achiving enlightenment in dreams because it is easy to meditate well. What you can hope for is that it will ease you into achiving it in the waking world. Theoretically you now know what it feels like and your mind will find the same path you took in your dream.

I just wish this worked for flying!

hypnomindpower
10th July 2002, 02:35
A quick primer on dreaming. There are 3 stages of dreaming during the night.

The first stage is known as the Wishful Thinking stage - these are dreams that occur based on what you last thought about or watched. For instance - having a dream about a movie you watched before going to sleep.

The second stage is known as the precognitive stage. This is the stage that is working to predict the future or an outcome. It's also when we get the "ahas". It's those times that we wake up in the middle of the night when we have the answer to a problem that we've tried to solve - the aha I've got it.

The third and last stage is known as the venting stage. This is when our minds are now venting out old information that no longer applies to us. If we are moving towards a goal and accomplish certain tasks along the way - our minds are now saying - "you done it and that's good." Now our venting dreams will come out in the form of symbols. They may not make any sense to us and we may even take them literally. It's okay to try to figure it out - just don't take it literally, okay? It's kinda like a cup that is full. We have to empty it in order to fill it with what we want. Our minds needs to replace one idea with another. Two opposing ideas will only collide.

As for your dream, I would need to know in what stage it occurred in order to help you out in understanding it.

Bob Choat, C.Ht., GMS
Inspired Warrior Coach/Trainer/Founder
Certified Hypnotherapist
http://www.hypnomindpower.com

koshoT
11th July 2002, 02:23
Thank you for the insights, Mr. Choat and Chys Morgan.
To answer your question about what stage my dream was in; All I know is that it happened right before I "woke up". I was definetly able to control my own actions in the dream. Because I remember that at one point I even opened my eyes and saw my room while the dream was still going on.
I really like that one analogy with the cup needing to be emptied before it can be filled again. I think that analogy works great for learning Martial too. Thanks again,
Tom Berkery

hypnomindpower
11th July 2002, 05:05
Tom,
I sure sounds like your dream was in the venting stage. Instead of trying to remember it - just let it go. You may be making some progress or some change in your life for your dream to be so lucid.

Look at any events in your life in the past couple of weeks and notice if you had any changes - whether minor of major. This may indicate to you what your dream may have been about.

Cheers,

Bob Choat, C.Ht., GMS

koshoT
12th July 2002, 03:26
Ok, Thank you for that information. I don't know much about dream pshycology. The dream happened over a year ago. So I'm not exactly sure what was happening at that time in my life, but that's what journals are for right. So what exactly does the venting stage mean? That I am getting rid of old information. Ok how would that relate to the dream. Literally? Or not at all?

Thanks,

Tom Berkery

hypnomindpower
14th July 2002, 01:27
Tom,

In the venting stage of dreaming you will dream in symbols. These symbols may be related to something that happened to you recently or some change that took place.

That change may be looking at yourself differently or a change in a career or in a different relationship. It doesn't matter what the change is - it's just that the change will cause you to have those type of venting dreams.

Basically what happens it that your mind works to formulate new ideas or an input of new ideas. During sleep - the 2nd stage of dreaming or the precognitive stage works to make these ideas a reality for you. Once your mind accepts these ideas and they do in fact become part of you. Your mind will then work to reject previous ideas - this rejection happens during the venting stage. Having been replaced by those new ideas. The dreams during the venting stage can be pleasant or they could be gut-wrenching - it doesn't matter.

One of the problems most people have when they remember the dreams during the venting stage is that they take them too literally. Remember, these dreams are only symbolic. If you were to hold onto the dreams - then your mind may repeat the same dreams over and over again or try another dream to vent the same info.

I hope this answers your question.

Have fun and continue to grow (mindwise).

Bob Choat, C.Ht., GMS
Inspired Warrior Coach/Trainer/Founder
Certified Hypnotherapist
Certified NLP Master Practitioner and Trainer