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dreams

what do you know about dreams?

of course we all are dreamers according to Buddha's Teaching

i am not talking about 'that' dream but dreams that we see when we are sleeping and remember the whole dream or part of the dream

Comments

  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator

    I'm reading a book about dreaming called the Tibetan Yoga of Dreams and Sleep or something to that effect. It's pretty interesting. It talks about the differences in samsaric dreams (basically our consciousness reflecting people and events from our existence in a mish mashed order and put into a dreams, and then it goes into dreams that might be considered insightful. There are several levels, I can't recall them all. I've done a lot of reading and journaling about dreaming, and I've come to the conclusion that most of those dreams, are samsaric dreams, no matter how much meaning I want to attempt to assign to them. Some of them have obvious connections to my real life, and others do not. Last night I dreamed a long-distance friend wrote a poem about chopsticks and posted it on pinterest. Pretty sure that has no long term implications, and while I found it amusing, it's not something I felt the need to contemplate, lol.

    I do think we can control our dreams, I've had lucid dreaming experiences, and dreams within dreams, but I've been so far largely unsuccessful in truly controlling my dream world. It just happens to me. I understand that we supposedly can control it, and that's what the book I'm reading is about.

  • howhow Veteran Veteran

    I very seldom remember my dreams....Unless its that one where I realize during first period at high school that I forgot to put on any clothes.

    Normally my Head hits the pillow, I take the refuges and within 5 minutes I'm out for 7 hours.
    I run into so many folks who have some difficulty in sleeping, I am hesitant to challenge my luck in sleeping easily by investigating or becoming a conscious director of my dreams.

  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran

    With my meds I sleep through a lightning storm with the dog barking and didn't even realize it stormed.

    I have often had lucid dreams. Some cool ones like I was in a land where I could make colors appear with my mind sort of like a musical instrument but light. I also often wake up and I realize I was laughing hysterically during my dream like the funniest thing ever happened.

    But most of my lucid dreams come from persecutory dreams where I am afraid and I remember the dharma and realize nobody can hurt me in a dream.

  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator

    I've never had much trouble sleeping, as long as there wasn't a newborn in the house anyhow. Because our youngest is diabetic, I get up at 3am every day to check his blood sugar, but it's so automatic at this point it doesn't affect me. I've always been a heavy dreamer. I still have many dreams I remember quite well from my childhood even. I don't know why they stick with me, they come to mind at odd times. Even though I sleep well, I am a very light sleeper. If one of the kids wakes up, I am awake before their feet hit the floor.
    My teenager though, he sleeps so hard sometimes I worry if it's safe because he doesn't hear smoke alarms even. He sets 8 alarms every day, and only wakes up to them about 50% of the time. He rarely dreams.

  • I know nothing about dreams. I am guessing that they are our survival instincts kicking in and our subconscious mind takes control. Have you ever waken up all of a sudden from a dream? It feels like your mind is trying wake you up for some unknown reason sometimes.

  • personperson Don't believe everything you think The liminal space Veteran

    They seem to me to be our subconscious mind working out our mundane and not so mundane issues. The images are generally symbolic in nature (like a house often represents our own sense of ourselves) but can be understood with some dream journaling and the help of a good dream dictionary. Sometimes trying to understand what they are saying can help you gain insight into your life that you may not have been aware of.

  • footiamfootiam Veteran

    @upekka said:
    what do you know about dreams?

    of course we all are dreamers according to Buddha's Teaching

    i am not talking about 'that' dream but dreams that we see when we are sleeping and remember the whole dream or part of the dream

    I know some dreams are wet but the dry one, I usually forget.

    Bunks
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    A low- to medium-level electric current passed through the top layer of the mattress, cures that....

    Zenshin
  • DavidDavid A human residing in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Ancestral territory of the Erie, Haudenosaunee, Huron-Wendat, Mississauga and Neutral First Nations Veteran

    I'm one of those people that likely remember more dreams than is healthy. I've always been fascinated by them and have been able to lucid dream frequently. I've even entertained the idea that lucid dreaming is a glimpse into how to guide a rebirth but it's all in fun. I'm in no rush to see if it's true.

    I don't believe in other people interpreting your dream so I'd throw whatever dream dictionary you may have into the crapper as it's really only telling of the authors and any percentage tests which would naturally vary group by group.

    Everybody is unique and you dreaming of writing with a red pen will mean something different than me dreaming about writing with a red pen.

    upekkaanataman
  • seeker242seeker242 Zen Florida, USA Veteran

    @upekka said:
    what do you know about dreams?

    That they usually aren't significant. :)

    Citta
  • CittaCitta Veteran

    Exactly...most of them are just our mental processes having a clear out..

    If one does have a dream that feels significant it is best to only talk about it with someone who knows what they are doing.

    And I don't mean your local 'psychic'...

  • BuddhadragonBuddhadragon Ehipassiko & Carpe Diem Samsara Veteran

    Dreams are the subconscious mind garbage disposal system.
    They might give you some enlightening input about personal issues you might be having, but the key to the meaning of your dreams is not something you can look up on a dictionary or for a psychic to reveal.
    It's something you can figure out yourself by reflecting on what the elements in your dream might mean to you.

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    My dreams - when I remember them - always relate to something, or an incident that happened within the last couple of days. I just see.it as my unconscious having a bit of fun....

  • BuddhadragonBuddhadragon Ehipassiko & Carpe Diem Samsara Veteran

    Well, if your mind can wreak havoc during the day with its endless chatter, imagine what it can't do, unchecked, during your sleep...

    how
  • inyoinyo Explorer

    sometimes I wonder if dreams are like our "mental body" going exploring and other times I wonder if dreams are just a mesh of memories. Mayhaps sometimes we actually go exploring while other times it's more of a memory thing. You know how in waking life we can "daydream?" Well I think when we're asleep, it is no different in a way, we can go places or we can "daydream" while asleep. Daydreaming while asleep is a bit more temperate and such but actual dreaming where it feels we're going places is more interactive which produces more exciting dreams. Either way I guess it's best to treat it like we would any moment. It's sort of cool to be dreaming and be meditating or having compassion.

    anyway, what makes you ask? have you had some crazy dreams lately?

  • upekkaupekka Veteran
    edited May 2014

    yesterday, most of the time i listened to dhamma talks, did meditation, did chore without having greed or hate but with delusion (because i didn't have mindfulness at such time)

    but i had a dream last night

    what i remember is

    'i was ready to go abroad, and i was in a shop near the air-port,

    but i do not remember what i had bought,

    but it is vivid that i was paying to the cashier with $100 note and he gave me the balance with extra $50 note

    i was thinking of taking it and then as a second thought i reminded the cashier that he gave me extra $50

    he get it back and without thanking me he rush off to somewhere

    then i found that i forgot to bring my air-ticket and passport

    then i woke'

    if anyone can give me the meaning of that dream it would be appreciated

    or

    just forget this post

  • inyoinyo Explorer

    I'm not sure if dreams symbolize things but it's still fun to interpret and see what it means to you, maybe it's sort of like tarot and astrology? but anyway, in any case we can learn from our reactions to situations, even in dreams. To me, your dream sounds like blocked change and/or blocked progress. Maybe you don't really believe things will completely work out for you in a direction you are going, try to have trust/confidence in your direction or what you're doing, don't doubt so much. You have a good "conscious" or whatever since you changed your mind about taking the money, but was this out of fear or out of doing good? You most of all will know how to interpret it best

  • upekkaupekka Veteran

    thanks inyo

    specially for showing me about the 'blocked change'

  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran

    I think it also means that you are honest, upekka, in giving the other 50.

  • EarthninjaEarthninja Wanderer West Australia Veteran

    I read somewhere that Buddha stopped dreaming after enlightenment. Sorry that I can not remember where the link is!

    My dreams are always really vivid and I've gone so far as to read books or signs in my dreams! Rarely I've had lucid dreams also.
    I do believe they reference our daily lives to some degree but they appear to be formations like our thoughts. Randomly appearing and changing.

    If Buddha did in fact stop dreaming in a sleeping literal sense then dreams are benign or linked with the aggregates of clinging.

    Hmm interesting stuff! :D

    inyo
  • ShoshinShoshin No one in particular Nowhere Special Veteran

    Kia Ora,

    Have you ever stopped to think that In your dreams, you play all the parts, the producer, stage manager, director, all the actresses/actors, the props, scenery, animals etc, they are all you, even the conversations you have with others in your dreams are with yourself ...

    Sweet dreams....

    Metta Shoshin :)

    inyo
  • upekkaupekka Veteran
    edited May 2014

    @Earthninja said:
    I read somewhere that Buddha stopped dreaming after enlightenment.

    and

    @‌ shoshin said
    even the conversations you have with others in your dreams are with yourself ...

    thanks for showing me another side of dreams

    it allows me to understand that dreams are our own history which spewing out when we are sleeping

    an Enlightened One does not have anything to spewing out after Enlightenment

    Thanks Friends for Enlightening me about Dreams

    inyo
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