transformational dreaming
Transformational Dreaming Techniques
In transformational dream work knowledge of dreams and the skill to interpret them are only two skills among important others. In transformational dream work one further learns: how to enter the sleep and dream states; how to gradually and progressively over time work within the dream state while dreaming; how to emerge from the dream and sleep state; and how to reenter for greater dream memory and understanding. Sage in future correspondences will explore and present many of these tools.
ENTERING SLEEP
To enter sleep and dreams one should not be too exhausted. One should be relaxed and stress free. If not take a short gentle walk, listen to relaxing music or do deep breathing and relaxation exercises. When in bed continue relaxing and practicing gentle, slow, even breathing. Let your body melt into the mattress as if it were a warm wet rag. Ideally, the body should become so relaxed in bed, you are not aware of it. There are various ideal postures, but for now let's keep it simple. Sleep on your back or on your right side. (Don't' sleep on your stomach, though).
In later issues of Sage, elaboration on working with the breath and focusing the mind will also be introduced. For now, one can enter sleep and dreams by meditating through watching the breath while becoming absorbed in its sound, and the awareness of being aware - that one is pure consciousness, the inner Self. Let the in-breath and out-breath be of equal length - five seconds or longer each way. One should particularly note the space between the in breath and out breath, in which the breath stills and stops for a spell. Let this stillness at both ends of the breath be of equal length, and rest in this "space." This is when one easily experiences the inner Self.
One who has learned the currently popular Christian meditation called the Prayer of the Heart - focusing on the breath and spiritual heart center while repeating a short prayer or name of God - can integrate this practice here as entering sleep.
As one meditates in this way, one eventually enters a protected and sacred "sleep" and experiences and passes through higher dreams, or by-passes most dreams and enters a deep rejuvenating dreamless sleep in a higher state of consciousness. One may or may not remember these deeper experiences of the night, but one may feel the effects on awakening from the feelings of greater peace and rest.
In an ancient Eastern text, the Yogavasistha, there is the story of Bhusunda a sage in the form of a crow who lives in a wish-fulfilling tree. He has lived longer than any on earth has ever lived. When questioned by the sage Vasistha how he lived so long, Bhusunda attributed his longevity to his contemplation (meditation) on the life-force (prana) centered in his heart. He tells Vasistha that through constantly watching his breath and the movement of the life force with it, he has achieved a state of purity and an unshakable state of mind - "total equanimity" - which he does not lose "whether I am awake, asleep or dreaming." The Concise Yoga Vasistha {Swami Venkatesananda, 285, 1984}.
AWAKENING FROM SLEEP AND DREAMS
On awakening in the morning it is important to remain perfectly still before arising. If one doesn't move a muscle and keeps the mind quiet, one can more easily keep a continuity of consciousness with the dream state and thus more readily remember one's dreams.
While keeping the body perfectly still in the position you began to awaken, trace back in your mind any dream impressions. At first these may be fleeting. Just go back in your memory to whatever images or impressions you were aware of. It may have just been a feeling or thought, a color or simple form; a part of a dream or a whole dream. Whatever it is, trace it back from the last part of it that occurred back in time to earlier parts, if possible. Then, gently arise and immediately write it down. If you remember or trace back a whole dream experience, go to its beginning and then trace back further to see if the time before it, leads you into an earlier dream. You may remember the ending first, but no matter - trace it back until you recall as much as possible. Always look to see if there was an earlier dream or some other faint impression after finishing recalling all or parts of a dream.
When immediately writing these down after arising, write in the order they occur in your mind. You may find they occur in the order you were recalling them in bed. After writing one dream or those segments remembered, always look inside your memory for recollections, no matter how faint of another. Thus, you will trace back in time while writing as you did while in bed. You may even recall dream segments or whole dreams as you write which you did not recall in bed. Over time you may even begin to have spontaneous insights into the meaning g and nature of the dream. It is important to know both the nature of the dream and the meaning of the dream.
ENTERING SLEEP
To enter sleep and dreams one should not be too exhausted. One should be relaxed and stress free. If not take a short gentle walk, listen to relaxing music or do deep breathing and relaxation exercises. When in bed continue relaxing and practicing gentle, slow, even breathing. Let your body melt into the mattress as if it were a warm wet rag. Ideally, the body should become so relaxed in bed, you are not aware of it. There are various ideal postures, but for now let's keep it simple. Sleep on your back or on your right side. (Don't' sleep on your stomach, though).
In later issues of Sage, elaboration on working with the breath and focusing the mind will also be introduced. For now, one can enter sleep and dreams by meditating through watching the breath while becoming absorbed in its sound, and the awareness of being aware - that one is pure consciousness, the inner Self. Let the in-breath and out-breath be of equal length - five seconds or longer each way. One should particularly note the space between the in breath and out breath, in which the breath stills and stops for a spell. Let this stillness at both ends of the breath be of equal length, and rest in this "space." This is when one easily experiences the inner Self.
One who has learned the currently popular Christian meditation called the Prayer of the Heart - focusing on the breath and spiritual heart center while repeating a short prayer or name of God - can integrate this practice here as entering sleep.
As one meditates in this way, one eventually enters a protected and sacred "sleep" and experiences and passes through higher dreams, or by-passes most dreams and enters a deep rejuvenating dreamless sleep in a higher state of consciousness. One may or may not remember these deeper experiences of the night, but one may feel the effects on awakening from the feelings of greater peace and rest.
In an ancient Eastern text, the Yogavasistha, there is the story of Bhusunda a sage in the form of a crow who lives in a wish-fulfilling tree. He has lived longer than any on earth has ever lived. When questioned by the sage Vasistha how he lived so long, Bhusunda attributed his longevity to his contemplation (meditation) on the life-force (prana) centered in his heart. He tells Vasistha that through constantly watching his breath and the movement of the life force with it, he has achieved a state of purity and an unshakable state of mind - "total equanimity" - which he does not lose "whether I am awake, asleep or dreaming." The Concise Yoga Vasistha {Swami Venkatesananda, 285, 1984}.
AWAKENING FROM SLEEP AND DREAMS
On awakening in the morning it is important to remain perfectly still before arising. If one doesn't move a muscle and keeps the mind quiet, one can more easily keep a continuity of consciousness with the dream state and thus more readily remember one's dreams.
While keeping the body perfectly still in the position you began to awaken, trace back in your mind any dream impressions. At first these may be fleeting. Just go back in your memory to whatever images or impressions you were aware of. It may have just been a feeling or thought, a color or simple form; a part of a dream or a whole dream. Whatever it is, trace it back from the last part of it that occurred back in time to earlier parts, if possible. Then, gently arise and immediately write it down. If you remember or trace back a whole dream experience, go to its beginning and then trace back further to see if the time before it, leads you into an earlier dream. You may remember the ending first, but no matter - trace it back until you recall as much as possible. Always look to see if there was an earlier dream or some other faint impression after finishing recalling all or parts of a dream.
When immediately writing these down after arising, write in the order they occur in your mind. You may find they occur in the order you were recalling them in bed. After writing one dream or those segments remembered, always look inside your memory for recollections, no matter how faint of another. Thus, you will trace back in time while writing as you did while in bed. You may even recall dream segments or whole dreams as you write which you did not recall in bed. Over time you may even begin to have spontaneous insights into the meaning g and nature of the dream. It is important to know both the nature of the dream and the meaning of the dream.
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