Dreaming from the Buddhist perspective

[khragthung]

Im glad I found this post, I have not become buddhist, but after my unintentional lucid dreams and projections began and held a very strong sexual and violent content which was mostly my fault, I searched for techniques to help control myself, some of you may know what I mean by that. Anyway, I read the tibetan book of the dead along with every other new age book and began to practice meditation with a focus on dream yoga, as well as yoga in real life which im not good at. As a result of this, I was able to realise that not all of my thoughts were my own, and this cut down on my temptation to engage in things that were not necessarily positive, which I still find myself doing if im not lucid. As a result, I have had 4 highly intense experiences. The first one I projected and just hovered over the floor and refused to think actively. About a few moments passed and then I went rushing through multi colored light and wind, which I found to be rather unnerving, but managed not to panic. The experience stopped short in a open space with luminous clouds and no structure. I had no body and no thoughts, and was filled with a feeling of peace, then rushed back excaclty the same way I came, instead of just teleporting which I thought was weird, and heard bells after I woke up. Second time I was walking and manifested a monk robe, cleared my mind, and suddenly the landscape dissolved as I levitated and it was mostly red oranged amber and yellow voidness, which was a blissfull feeling. Third time I was focusing on compassion without words and the common awareness of beings when these whirling lights started zooming by (I was awake with my eyes closed) and then I projected what felt like out of my head instead of my usual roll out. The last and most recent was me just sitting without thought amidst a lucid dream and getting filled withthis bliss like feeling, which usually is mild when im in every day life, but is quite intense when meditating in a dream. Since then I have had 2 experiences of awake precognition. One was in my mind I imagined one person telling another person forcefully to hang up the phone, which given that I was meditating was quite random. Then 5 seconds later somebody actually yelled just that. The other instance was sitting at a bar meditating and playing chess I had a strong impression the guy at the end of the bar was going to walk over and ask the lady next to me for french fries and take them before she responded. This happened a few seconds later. Anyway more to the point about yoga and buddhism, I think the key to take away is the discipline of concentration on present moment awarenes that aides in projection and lucid dreaming. As far as what is or is not important I think everthing that passes your mind should at very least be consciously observed, which implies some form of evaluation. I think allowing your mind to run rampant on self indulgent delusional fantasy is less beneficial than observing what comes and goes naturally. I had a real prediliction for day dreaming and often led to negative thoughts and feelings, which can turn into a habit or a pattern of compulsive thinking or behavior. That for me was and is my biggest obstacle. I named me khragthung which means blood filled skull, in buddhist symbolism it represents mortality and dissonent mental states. I felt like that was the root of my suffering.

[CFTraveler]

Hi khrangthung.
A few comments:

Anyway more to the point about yoga and buddhism, I think the key to take away is the discipline of concentration on present moment awarenes that aids in projection and lucid dreaming. As far as what is or is not important I think everthing that passes your mind should at very least be consciously observed, which implies some form of evaluation.

I agree with you.

I think allowing your mind to run rampant on self indulgent delusional fantasy is less beneficial than observing what comes and goes naturally

I agree with you, but I have one more comment to make- and it's that what sometimes comes up and is interpreted as 'self indulgent delusional fantasy' can be something else entirely, and unless explored and interpreted, it can be internalized if completely suppressed. So I would say, that some things, like doing violence to someone (and even this should be examined) should be something to ultimately transcend, some things that can be classified as fantasy can be a symbolic representation of something else, and shouldn't be completely ignored, but noted along with everything else.
.

I had a real prediliction for day dreaming and often led to negative thoughts and feelings, which can turn into a habit or a pattern of compulsive thinking or behavior.

But you have to see that a predilection for daydreaming can be a symptom of something else, and not the cause- that the cause is what needs to be examined, the impulses understood, and then steps taken to remove the impulse in the first place if possible, or to suppress or redirect it into another more positive or less harmful impulse.

I named me khragthung which means blood filled skull, in buddhist symbolism it represents mortality and dissonent mental states. I felt like that was the root of my suffering.

I hope that you have found a way to transcend this.

[khragthung]

Thanks for the insight, I fear that I might be repressing stuff, and I'm not really sure what it is. For example recently ive decided to become abstinent and then also celibut, and the reason primarily is the result of how ive mistreated relationships or encounters as well as certain perverse intrests that pervade my thoughts and dreams. Also I wanted to save some energy but that was secondary. But now I'm thinking that this might just be a form of repression. So I guess im torn between allowing myself to go with the flow and get to the root of things as opposed to trying to force a change which could what, result in another problem? I guess my dissonance stems from my desire to be a better person than I am, but I cant seem to do it without just shutting things out. Sort of like how alcoholics stop drinking entirely instead of cutting down. Any advice on how to transform oneself with causing oneself inadvertant damage?

[ButterflyWoman]

Any advice on how to transform oneself with causing oneself inadvertant damage?

First: Truth is always better than a lie (and repression is a kind of lie). No matter what it is, it is always, always better. I say that from experience. It's the way I live my life. Truth is always better than a lie, no matter what the "cost" of truth.

Secondly: Transformation is messy. Caterpillars don't turn into butterflies quickly, neatly, or without great effort and extensive, absolute metamorphosis. How do you define "damage"? A caterpillar is irreparably "damaged" by becoming a butterfly, because it stops being a caterpillar to do so...

[CFTraveler]

For example recently ive decided to become abstinent and then also celibut, and the reason primarily is the result of how ive mistreated relationships or encounters as well as certain perverse intrests that pervade my thoughts and dreams.

Well, I'd wager to say (and of course I could be wrong) that the reasons that the relationships didn't work out wasn't because of the sex stuff, but for other reasons, and the sex thing is a result of whatever the problem is. A lot of time we attribute cause to sex when a sexual problem is just cover for something else that is lacking. Without knowing (or wanting to know) what the sexual issue is, I'd guess that what you consider 'perverse' that is happening in your imagination is a way to transfer the energy of whatever the issue is.

But now I'm thinking that this might just be a form of repression. So I guess im torn between allowing myself to go with the flow and get to the root of things as opposed to trying to force a change which could what, result in another problem?

It is only a problem if self control is an issue- you don't have to 'go with the flow', but you can't block it out either, or then the problem spins out of control and takes a 'life of it's own', and then you have a bigger problem.

I guess my dissonance stems from my desire to be a better person than I am, but I cant seem to do it without just shutting things out. Sort of like how alcoholics stop drinking entirely instead of cutting down. Any advice on how to transform oneself with causing oneself inadvertant damage?

Not knowing what the specific problem is, I'd go on a general bent here and I'd say that you have to realize how good you really are instead of transforming yourself. Once you get the realization that you are essentially good and that all the things you consider 'bad' are things you have 'learned' to 'protect' yourself from perceived (or real) dangers, you can let them go because you don't need them anymore.
This is not as easy as it sounds because coming to the realization that you are essentially good may be in dissonance with the things you have been taught to believe about yourself. But it's a place to start.

[khragthung]

Thanks, that was optomistic. I think my negative atitude might be the underlying issue. I tend to see the worst first, and then focus on it. I never look into the past to look at good times, I always relive the pain, and I also dont look foreward to good times, but I prepare for whatever bad might happen. I will contemplate these ideas. Thanks.