Last week, I wrote about possible signs of a spiritual awakening gauged quite unscientifically by my observations about public interest in topics ranging from The Secret and Eckhart Tolle, to books such as The Shack and movements such as The Kabbalah.
Some readers expressed gratitude, some thought the observations all too sophomoric, some blasted all things religious and spiritual, while others, well, others just reverted to calling me names. Something about matters spiritual seems to bring out quite a range of responses.
So, what the heck - let's have another go at this, shall we? This time the subject is sleep, dreams and possible connections to the Divine. Now, if you aren't comfortable with the Divine, Spirit or anything having to do with those kinds of things, that's quite all right - no need to waste your time here. There's nothing "scientific" about what follows - just some observations and a possible suggestion or two for those who might be interested.
If you didn't join us last week, here's a quickie note that may be helpful: the word religion comes from a Latin root, legare, which means "to connect." Re is a prefix meaning "again." Simply put, a "religious experience" is one that reconnects you to something that you (a) were previously connected to, (b) still are connected to, (c) always were connected to, or (d) all of the above.
(If you had a horrible experience with organized religion, I'm sorry. Mine wasn't so great either. However, what passes for religion and what it actually means just might be too very different things).
Since we're going to be talking about sleep, it may be useful to review the word "awaken" or "awakening" again. Now, this may cause a bit of heartburn to some, so loosen up a bit if that's you: something that awakens was previously asleep. I know, duh! And something that goes to sleep, must have previously been awake.
If you are a student of consciousness, you will most likely be right there with me. Consciousness is something you have, whether you are awake to it or not. Even if you are "awake," you can still go to sleep. We all know how to tell someone else they need to "wake up."
(Ever wonder how it is that one "falls" asleep, but wakes "up?" OK - never mind - just something for those more interested in the directionality of words than the definitions. More on this distinction in a subsequent post.)
I won't even begin to enter the world of dream interpretation - way too many options for me to try and sort out. However, there might be something in the connection and awakening notion for you to play with regarding your sleep and your dreams. And I do mean, "play." Have some fun. Go inside. Try a little education here.
(Another fun word: education comes from Latin derivatives meaning "to lead out" or "to draw out." If we do indeed come from God, or Spirit or the Divine, or whatever other name you find comfortable, then educating oneself may be a form of re-legare, of reconnecting to that which already is, to that which is already living inside.)
So where does sleep enter the picture? We have all had the experience of reliving moments from our past while dreaming, and perhaps most have dreamed of things yet to come.
My experience, which is entirely personal to be sure, suggests to me, that sometimes when I sleep, I can contact deeper parts of me, aspects of my consciousness that might be called "of a higher nature."
I have sometimes "seen" ideas or ways forward in dreams; I have sometimes seen the "error of my ways;" I have sometimes been presented with information that I can use to help myself, to help others, or to simply live in a more balanced and loving way.
If any of this seems even remotely possible or interesting to you, then here's a very simple experiment. Before going to sleep tonight, pose a question to yourself, one of importance to you in terms of your life experience. It could be more mundane (what are some good options for a job) or it could be more esoteric (what's the purpose of my life) or just about anything in between (how could I develop a more loving relationship with my husband/wife/child.)
Write the question down, perhaps on a notebook at your bedside. Before going to sleep, try a simple prayer, meditation, or simply make a request of the part of you that is connected to a higher source: ask that whatever is revealed to you (a) be for your highest good and the highest good of all concerned, (b) that it is revealed in ways that you can understand and (c) that you are granted the wit to perceive and the strength and courage to act on what information you are given.
When you awaken, take the notebook and before doing anything, even going to the bathroom, write down anything that comes to mind, no matter how simple, silly or apparently irrelevant. Sometimes (often in my case), the first few words or phrases seem unconnected; however, it may take a few apparently disconnected phrases before the connection becomes clear, before the meaning surfaces, before I have the wit I asked for to understand what is being presented.
It could be that the first time you try this, a host of information will come flooding forward, and it could be that you draw the proverbial blank. If it's blank the first time or two, just make something up. The bit about making something up may seem odd to say the least, but there's a method to that madness - of all the things you could make up, why make up that bit?
You may find that posing the same question night after night will be required to get the information flowing. You may also find that you gain additional clarity, insight and direction as you revisit the question.
And, it could be that you won't get anything at all.
Or, you could be having lunch one day, when all of a sudden, the pieces connect.
Even if it's nothing at all, the good news is that it doesn't cost you much to at least give it a go.
Please do leave a comment below or drop me an email with your thoughts, suggestions or requests for future areas of focus.
Russell Bishop is an Educational Psychologist, professional life coach and management consultant, based in Santa Barbara California. You can find out more about Russell at http://www.lessonsinthekeyoflife.com. Contact Russell by email at: Russell (at) lessonsinthekeyoflife.com
Follow Russell Bishop on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Russell_Bishop
Rabbi David Wolpe: The Secret of Dreams: A Lesson From Joseph
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-hill/dreaming-of-the-divine_b_148308.html
Best,
Anne
I don't recommend dream practice to enhance or inform the daylight awareness so much as the other direction: figure out how to shift over to the dreambody sentience. Your normal daylight awareness is generally a pastiche of genetic/familial/cultural/biometical data. Once you get a sense of what a unified-self-field looks and feels like, the dayself will seem more and more patchwork. In some ways it becomes easier to play and work with, but ultimately less consequential.
Bottom line: it's just plain easier to tickle the underbelly of Enlightenment from a liberated dreambody. I touch on the bigger picture re: dreambody practices over at my blog: http://tantra4bobos.blogspot.com - if you're interested.
Mysti Easterwood
Austin Tantra Examiner
Because we NEVER shut up; not even for a second. It's the proverbial "monkey mind," chattering away, 24/7. And you can see by some of the comments here, the ministry of Spirit is greatly retarded by our own preconceived opinions, settled ideas, and personal prejudices.
That means that very often the best opportunity for Divine Spirit to get a "word" in edgeways is during sleep; but even then, our dreams, which emanate from the subconscious mind, largely just get in the way, and sometimes even become garbled with attempted spiritual communication.
Many artists and religionists realize that ALL creativity comes from within, from Spirit; that rest and relaxation can facilitate the creative process and the contact of mind with Spirit— through regular meditation.
Even with our handicaps, it is still sometimes possible to have our mind illuminated, to hear the divine voice that continually speaks within us, and to become at least partially conscious of the source of wisdom, truth, goodness, and beauty that constantly indwells us. A word to the wise is still sufficient.
"there are two ways to live your life
one is as though nothing is a miracle
the other is to live as though everything is a miracle"
i choose to believe everything is a miracle.
it makes life more fun
A similar time for me, of profound inspiration and potent creativity, is when I am rousing from deep meditation.
I remember the visitation so well. Jesus was hanging on a cross and I was hanging on one beside Him on His right side. I remember saying to Him, "You are the Christ." He then looked at me and said, "You will be with me in Heaven." All around Him was a white, warm light. It felt so beautiful and I felt like I was really there. I could feel everything around me including hanging on the cross. Everything felt so beautiful - really hard to describe it.
I even remember what He looks like. He looks nothing like the pictures I've seen depicting Him. He has medium-long dark brownish-black hair with a short beard. His skin has an olive-colored complexion to it.
After I woke up, I immediately went to my computer/study room to pray for a couple of hours. The Lutheran ministers I have talked to told me that I am very blessed to receive such a visitation from the Lord Himself because it is so rare. In my lifetime, I've never asked God to prove Himself to me. I don't know why I was chosen for a visitation, but I just feel very happy to have seen Jesus.
For myself, the visionary dream has always revealed itself as a vision of supernatural beauty, usually in the form of a landscape or some other natural place. In that moment of the vision the mind transcends the ordinary perception of place and is enabled to see what is "behind" it. No words can explain the experience. Its a perception of pure beauty, "divinity" if you will.
The more you consider the nature of the divine, you begin to see that beauty equals truth, and that divine truth/beauty can manifest itself in an infinite number of ways. For some, dreams may be a helpful gateway that opens their minds to this greater reality, but the spiritual world is all around us, both waking and sleeping. It's always there for those who wish to see it.