Awareness during dreaming

[PreciousW]

I have lately started experiencing dreams where I am aware that I am asleep but I also know that I am dreaming or have just experienced a dream. Sometimes I have a dream in a dream.What state is this ?Is it a good thing ?

I have had the same situation , everything that you describe. Not idea what it could be ...

[vividdreamer]

Originally Posted by PreciousW

I have lately started experiencing dreams where I am aware that I am asleep but I also know that I am dreaming or have just experienced a dream. Sometimes I have a dream in a dream.What state is this ?Is it a good thing ?

It sounds like you are becoming lucid or conscious within your dream. If you are aware you are dreaming, but do not have any control then you can be considered semi-lucid. About 50% of people state having some kind of lucid dream in their lifetime. With practice it can be induced and controlled.

Also, a 'dream within a dream' is common with this as well. Have you heard of a false awakening?That might be what you are experiencing.

[sarahmcshan98]

i have it too. its weird but i want to know it too

[vividdreamer]

Usually when we are asleep our subconscious takes over and we aren't aware that we are asleep or dreaming. But, with meditation and other mindfulness practices that separation between wakefulness and sleep starts to weaken.

The Bon Buddhists practice something called Dream Yoga which is the idea of maintaining awareness through the day, during sleep, and even as we dream.

If you aren't familiar with lucid dreaming you can check out belucidnow or Andrew Holocek on his stuff related to Dream Yoga. He has some great material to get you started.

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by PreciousW

I have lately started experiencing dreams where I am aware that I am asleep but I also know that I am dreaming or have just experienced a dream. Sometimes I have a dream in a dream.What state is this ?Is it a good thing ?

There is a meditation practice which I have done for years called "conscious sleep". With this practice, one is aware of the three states (dream state, deep sleep, so-called waking state) as well as the transitions between the three states.

In Tibetan Buddhism as well as in other traditions, the process of dying is compared to the process of going to sleep. (Thoughts dissolve as one enters the deep sleep state and inner pressures trigger dreams as well as one's return to the "waking state". There are analogies related to the process of dying.) Not only does this practice facilitate the "Know Yourself" advice of sages but it also has far-reaching implications. ("Man is made in the image of God" in Biblical literature and "As above, so below" in other wisdom writings.)

In my opinion , it is a "good thing".

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by vividdreamer

Usually when we are asleep our subconscious takes over and we aren't aware that we are asleep or dreaming. But, with meditation and other mindfulness practices that separation between wakefulness and sleep starts to weaken.

The Bon Buddhists practice something called Dream Yoga which is the idea of maintaining awareness through the day, during sleep, and even as we dream.

If you aren't familiar with lucid dreaming you can check out belucidnow or Andrew Holocek on his stuff related to Dream Yoga. He has some great material to get you started.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have practiced "conscious sleep" for years. It is a very illuminating practice known by several names such as the "Dream Yoga" that you mentioned in your post.

I met an advanced yogi practitioner at the Khumba Mela in Haridwar, India, who reportedly never slept in the traditional unconscious supine position according to disciples who had been with him for years.My friends and I observed this to be true for the 3 week period during which we were in India and have no reason to doubt his disciples.

I met this yogi personally and, through an interpreter, asked him how he did it. He stared at me for a long time before responding, "Chetan Nidra" (conscious sleep) as I had suspected. My interpreter was nonplussed regarding how to explain that to me, but I told him that I understood.

When I returned to New York City, a psychiatrist whom I knew jokingly asked if I had met any of the well-documented "sleepless yogis". He was surprised when I responded affirmatively. He asked if I knew how they did this. I explained that advanced spiritual practitioners of conscious sleep can function, including giving lectures, without thinking. Hence, their minds are always still and relaxed with the consequence being that there is no need to "sleep" in the traditional unconscious supine position. The psychiatrist then stated that this was the only explanation that made sense to him from a purely medical perspective.

The practice is surprisingly easy but obviously requires intense discipline and self-awareness. Since this thread is in the "Dream" section, it should be noted that this allows one to watch dream formation from start to finish and seems to go further than lucid dreaming though there are obvious similarities.

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have practiced "conscious sleep" for years. It is a very illuminating practice known by several names such as the "Dream Yoga" that you mentioned in your post.

I met an advanced yogi practitioner at the Khumba Mela in Haridwar, India, who reportedly never slept in the traditional unconscious supine position according to disciples who had been with him for years.My friends and I observed this to be true for the 3 week period during which we were in India and have no reason to doubt his disciples.

I met this yogi personally and, through an interpreter, asked him how he did it. He stared at me for a long time before responding, "Chetan Nidra" (conscious sleep) as I had suspected. My interpreter was nonplussed regarding how to explain that to me, but I told him that I understood.

When I returned to New York City, a psychiatrist whom I knew jokingly asked if I had met any of the well-documented "sleepless yogis". He was surprised when I responded affirmatively. He asked if I knew how they did this. I explained that advanced spiritual practitioners of conscious sleep can function, including giving lectures, without thinking. Hence, their minds are always still and relaxed with the consequence being that there is no need to "sleep" in the traditional unconscious supine position. The psychiatrist then stated that this was the only explanation that made sense to him from a purely medical perspective.

The practice is surprisingly easy but obviously requires intense discipline and self-awareness. Since this thread is in the "Dream" section, it should be noted that this allows one to watch dream formation from start to finish and seems to go further than lucid dreaming though there are obvious similarities.

Have you heard of those whom never dream anymore, SW?

JL

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by PreciousW

I have lately started experiencing dreams where I am aware that I am asleep but I also know that I am dreaming or have just experienced a dream. Sometimes I have a dream in a dream.What state is this ?Is it a good thing ?

I have had so many of these type of dreams that I have a hard time telling if it is really real or a dream.
One of my significant dreams was one I experienced probably several dozen times.
The dream would take me to a mountain range I always hiked in. There was a stream, normally dry,
which I would cross and continue on the trail. In the dream, I would turn to the left and follow the stream
up into a canyon. One day while in the canyon, to my surprise, I noticed the sand was nicely washed of footprints, etc.
from a recent rainstorm. In the middle of a sandy area was a foot print. No foot prints leading to and no
foot prints leading away. How could this be. I went up to the foot print and then I put my boot along side the footprint.
I typically do this when I am on a trail. I can generally tell the size and weight of the footprint's owner.
I like to know who is on the trail. But this footprint was the same size as my footprint. It did not take me long to
realize the shoe's soul pattern was the same as mine. It was my footprint!
For years I believed some miracle happened while at the same time I continued visiting the canyon.
I have a large collection of topographical maps. One day I was at the place where I buy my maps. I got the bright
idea to buy a map where the canyon was located. As I studied the map, I realized there are no canyon's in that area.
Lucid dreaming.

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by janielee

Have you heard of those whom never dream anymore, SW?

JL

There eventually comes a point where there are virtually no inner pressures that trigger dreams and hence dreams cease.

However, at that point, revelations from the "higher power" start to manifest and these appear in dream-like visions.