Unveiling the Tug-of-War: Yearnings and Concerns in Our Subconscious Minds
Dreams, a realm where we can speak, listen, see colors, and feel emotions, are an integral part of our nightly slumber. However, for some spiritual masters, dreams are more than just a nightly escape – they are an illusion that veils our true reality.
Two influential spiritual figures, Osho and Gurdjieff, have proposed that stopping dreaming, both while awake and asleep, is a path to awakening consciousness. This awakening is achieved through deep inner work and meditation, which quiets the mind and breaks the continuous cycle of dreaming as a mental process.
Osho, an enlightened master, emphasizes that when dreaming (mind’s activity, fantasies, and constant thinking) stops during waking life, then dreaming during sleep also ceases because dreaming depends on this continuous mental activity. He suggests that true freedom arises when the mind becomes very quiet, not busy with plans or fears, thus allowing a state of inner stillness where dreaming diminishes or ceases.
Osho's teachings focus on letting go of control and ceasing mental agitation. He believes that true freedom comes when we let go of our desires, fears, and mental chatter, allowing us to enter a state of relaxed, alert awareness where dreaming subsides. Meditation aimed at transforming the mind's nature, so it no longer fluctuates like ordinary thought, is key to this transformation.
Gurdjieff, a Russian spiritual master, taught techniques for awakening in a dream. His explicit strategies on stopping dreaming are less referenced, but his overall philosophy stresses awakening from mechanical or "sleepwalking" life towards full consciousness through self-observation, intentional effort, and presence. This awakening of higher consciousness reduces mental dreaming as one becomes more present and aware.
One of Gurdjieff's techniques involved repeating a phrase before sleep, such as "This time when I start dreaming in the night I will raise my hand and touch my head." The goal was to create a remembrance that the dream was a dream.
However, stopping dreaming is not just about suppressing dreams but a natural consequence of deepened consciousness and calming the restless mind. As we become more aware and present, our dreams become less frequent and less impactful.
Despite the power dreams hold over us, they remain mysterious. Dreams can bring us pleasure, amusement, bewilderment, or fear. Deep in sleep, our secret desires or fears come to life as we dream. Yet, upon waking, these dreams vanish, leaving us in our stark reality.
Kul Bhushan, a disciple of Osho, specializes in writing on NRI (Non Resident Indians) affairs and has authored 26 books. He also offers easier methods for meditation to help stop the ticking of the mind and awaken. Kul Bhushan's articles on Osho can be found on his website, www.kulbhushan.net.
The challenge is not just to stop dreaming but to overcome having these desires, as the dreams end and nothing changes. A life lived through the mind is a life of dreams, according to the concept of maya. Maya, a term used by Eastern mystics, refers to the illusory nature of dreams.
In the end, stopping dreaming is a transformational inner awakening, a journey towards reality and true consciousness. It is a process of quieting the mind, letting go of control, and becoming more present and aware.
- Osho's teachings exhort us to let go of control and cease mental agitation, believing that true freedom arises when the mind becomes very quiet and allows a state of inner stillness.
- In contrast to suppression, stopping dreaming is a natural consequence of deepened consciousness and a calm restless mind, as one becomes more aware and present, dreams become less frequent and less impactful.
- Gurdjieff's philosophy underscores the importance of awakening from mechanical or "sleepwalking" life towards full consciousness, emphasizing that this awakening reduces mental dreaming as one becomes more present and aware.
