Lucid Dreaming

Lucid dreaming is a concept that almost everyone is familiar with. It means being aware that you are dreaming while dreaming. It represents the experience of dreaming, while at the same time knowing that its only a dream.

Wouldn't it be amazing to be able to do this on demand! To dream and know that its only a dream. Good or bad dream; it would be nice to know right?

The nice dreams, or the erotic dreams, we could just relax and enjoy it! Fun!

Conversely, we could also relax during the nightmare dreams too. My old nightmares always had the same theme to them but they were usually work or school related. With work, I was worried about falling behind on my sales quota and getting fired. With school, I had a big test or assignment due but I had fallen behind so badly that it was impossible to pass. However, if I knew that I was in reality lying in bed imagining the whole situation, I would be able to enjoy even the nightmares.

Rather than stressing or crying during the exam, I could have a sweet chuckle to myself knowing that ultimately nothing matters.

Sometimes I ask myself if I've ever had the experience of lucid dreaming. I'm not sure. It seems that there is the notion that perhaps I have had a glimpse of this experience? There is the fragrance of an old memory that maybe it did happen but I don't remember.

It should be noted that technically, lucid dreaming is an oxymoron. The reason is that if we are aware that we are dreaming, then technically we are no longer dreaming. We are awake.

I love dreams. I do. I think that we can learn so much from the dream experience, however, the content of the dream is not important to me. It is the structure of the dream that fascinates me. So, what can we learn from the dream that might help us understand the truth about this current experience? Is there anything that might assist us in actual awakening?

First, it is incredibly useful and powerful to clearly understand that the character in the dream can never awaken inside the dream. In other words, it is extremely helpful to understand that if lucid dreaming is possible; that only the dreamer's mind is capable of waking up inside the dream. If you wish to truly awaken, it is important to understand with absolute clarity that it could NEVER be the dreamed character that wakes up inside the dream.

Why can't the dreamed character wake up? Because the dreamed character is just a thought. There is no reality to the dreamed character other than the dreamer's mind. It is impossible for the dreamed character to wake up inside the dream. This needs to be crystal clear.

I've heard people talk about having the experience of lucid dreaming at retreats. The more they talk about it, the more clear it becomes that they believe the character in the dream was awake during the dream. This is a common and natural mistake. We naturally believe the character in the dream wakes up because we want to wake up. We believe that awakening is about the person waking up. Scott, or Isaac can't wake up. If we believe that it is possible, then we are going in wrong direction.

The exact same principles apply to both states. The concept of Scott dying, for example, would be the equivalent of the passing of a thought. There isn't anything here except a series of perceptions, thoughts, and sensations appearing and disappearing in the reality that we call Consciousness. This is the truth, and dreaming helps us understand these concepts more clearly than otherwise possible.

Forget about concepts for a moment. What do I know for certain? What can I say about the dream that I know with certainty based on my own direct experience? I can say this with absolute certainty: The knowing that is Aware of the dream, is the exact same knowing that is Aware now. I know this. No one could tell me otherwise. Knowing this with certainty is extremely valuable if you are interested in the truth. It is a powerful pathway.

Contemplating this understanding has made the following clearer and clearer over time.

-That I am Awareness, not this action figure. I am the Awareness that is Aware of both the waking state and the dream state. Both are appearing in me.

-That Awareness is the reality of both states. The dream fooled us. But we later discovered when we wake up in the morning that while the dream was an illusion; Awareness was not an illusion. Awareness is real. It was the reality of the dream.

-That both the dream state and the waking state are equally illusory.

Lucid dreaming is beyond our control and wanting it to happen is not useful. Lucid waking, however, is useful. In fact, this can be a powerful pathway to an experiential understanding of reality. This is a fun and practical exercise IF you are interested.

Once the concept of lucid waking is clear...that only the dreamer's mind is capable of awakening...go for it. Go there now. Why not? Let the understanding take you there. Understanding is the most important thing. How does the world appear when I allow myself to RELAX into this understanding?

This pathway can lead to the direct experiential understanding that it is always the universe that is looking at itself. Or as the old Sufi saying goes, "Everything is the face of God"

There are many ways to describe this experience. You have already heard many of them. Experiencing it is more important since I would rather eat the cake than read about it on the menu. I can't eat the menu.