Vivid Dreams

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Yavana
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Vivid Dreams

Post by Yavana »

Was wondering if I could get some input from different schools, particularly the Tibetan camp, before I consider asking a doctor about my diet...

For the past year and a half I've been having very vivid, "vision-like" dreams as I fall asleep. It's only on occasion, but the dream is often as if I can see through my eyelids. It's as if the image is imprinted on the back of my eyelids. Sometimes, however, I see things that seem as though I'm seeing them through someone else's eyes. The most memorable occurrences were seeing 1) a plane flying overhead past some powerlines. 2) Seeing what appeared to be a monk, maybe Tibetan judging from the garb, doing a prostration in front of a shrine or altar as seen from the perspective of their right side, looking down. 3) A woman's nude body being viewed from the side as if laying next to her. 4) A woman's face, Hispanic but possibly Asian, smiling as if she was being spoken to in what appeared to be a checkout line at a grocery store. The face was so vivid that if I would recognize them if I saw them in a crowd.

Is there some explanation for this involving the subtle body or third eye or something, or is my indigestion giving me jacked up entry into REM sleep?
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well wisher
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Re: Vivid Dreams

Post by well wisher »

You should read this post about dreams from the pureland forums, seems related:
viewtopic.php?f=60&t=30494&p=482131

Overall I would suggest that if you can find beneficial meanings in those dreams for the practice, then great, maybe analyze more about it. Otherwise no harm in letting it go,
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Yavana
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Re: Vivid Dreams

Post by Yavana »

well wisher wrote: Sat Feb 16, 2019 1:06 am You should read this post about dreams from the pureland forums, seems related:
viewtopic.php?f=60&t=30494&p=482131

Overall I would suggest that if you can find beneficial meanings in those dreams for the practice, then great, maybe analyze more about it. Otherwise no harm in letting it go,
Well, that's the thing. These aren't the jumbled dreams full of the semiotics of unconscious catharsis. They're vivid. It's like reality.

Besides, between you, me, and the internet, I don't think that either "noble silence" or abstention from speculation are big practices around here. Ya know? Figured I'd ask, since, what could it possibly hurt to do so?

😃
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Yavana
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Re: Vivid Dreams

Post by Yavana »

Another one of those vivid images. This time, upon leaving the sleep state rather than entering. At the end of my (as usual) jumbled dream imagery was the vivid image of a small valley full of massive buildings with no windows as viewed from a cliffside, apparently from the north given the position of the sun, which was setting out of my view. I tried to focus, and woke up.

Guess I have to assume that either this doesn't have any significance, or that if it does, no one wants to comment. Que será.

:shrug:
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Johnny Dangerous
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Re: Vivid Dreams

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

Without trying to punch above my weight, what I can tell you is that vivid dreams in the Tibetan tradition are often less about the content than about the vividness of the experience itself.

Like Western psychology, generally speaking plenty of dreams are seen, content-wise, as simply being expressions of latent karmic tendencies. it's a boring answer, but a possible one. So there's really know way to know what they "mean" (if anything) without expert advice. If you are attempting a sleep or dream practice the quality of 1) knowing your dream is a dream, and 2) the vivid quality of the dream are generally considered good signs.

If you aren't doing a dream practice, and it's just happening randomly, then I imagine their relevancy is pretty much limited to whatever you think they are.
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haha
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Re: Vivid Dreams

Post by haha »

Yavana wrote: Sat Mar 02, 2019 1:47 am
Such things might occur naturally; but in actuality, they would appear due to dependent arising. As I can relate your experience in some point, it might be due to entering some Chi in some veins. There are many people who have experience of some clarity in dreams without know about it or without practicing any dream related meditation; such things are involuntary; they just come and then just go away.
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Ayu
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Re: Vivid Dreams

Post by Ayu »

Only once in my life I had a dream that seemed to be vivid.

In this dream it was a beautiful day, birds were singing and ths gentle sun of early summer was shining greenish through tree leaves. A very old couple invited me for tea and we happend to talk about my future. The couple was very friendly and encouraging.

After waking up, I looked out of the window and saw a completely grey foggy morning. This felt very unreal while the dream sticked in my mind as most realistic.

But I wasn't wondering what this meant. It was a most important message for my life.

:shrug:

Maybe if you just observe these dreams without trying to put anything into them, perhaps you can detect better what they mean or why they are so. Could be a symptom of stressed nerves or a nervous system in alert? Or a sign of sensitive mind?
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catmoon
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Re: Vivid Dreams

Post by catmoon »

Do the people in these dreams seem familiar at all?
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tingdzin
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Re: Vivid Dreams

Post by tingdzin »

I agree with Johnny D. --vividness of dreams is not an indication of any special meaning. Nevertheless, keep an eye out for the face you said you would recognize if you saw it in waking life. Might be interesting.
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