.. ... .lucid.. dreams ... .... ...... .....

                                                                                                                                                                    Dr Ajay Jagtap

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              Once Chuang Tzu dreamt he was a butterfly, a butterfly  fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He was unaware that he was Chuang Tzu. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, the real  Chuang Tzu,in the flesh .But he didn't know if he was Chuang Tzu who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Chuang Tzu. Between Chuang Tzu and a butterfly there must be some distinction, isn’t it ?

              The above incident in Chuang Tzu’s life is nothing but an eternal question by which not only Chuang Tzu but every thinking soul has been puzzled about his own existence and perception of himself and the inner - outer world.How real is the reality  ? or Is this world really an illusion ?Dream  and sleep state play a significant  role in human life .The more we try to delve into its mysteries the more we get lost or rather absorbed into the abyss of Consciousness . And thus, these phenomena had always been an inspiration to our creativity ,be it a poetry ,music ,painting or even a scientific discovery.

              For instance , although the idea of ‘walking through someone’s dream’ as in the hit movie ‘Inception’ is fictional,and likely to remain so, Researchers at Yale University     (YU)have found that lucid dreamers can have a control over their dream thereby using  dreams as a tool to learn new skills .Its already been proven that people who practice task in dreams can be better at them in real life .Also, people who can control their dreams can use this unusual ability to experience a sense of Euphoria ,as if they have accomplished something. Lucid dreaming can improve a person’s social control & decision –making abilities . “We know that by engaging circuits in the brain we change its architecture”, says researcher Dr Peter Morgan (YU).Lucid dreamers can manipulate and can control parts of their brain to open up and learn while they are asleep.

              The above research is definitely a breakthrough  in the field of science,especially dealing with the dreams and sleep - a matter of great mystery .Though Human beings spend one-third of their  life in sleep ,very little is known about till date .Since time immemorial dreams  had been a subject of awe and wonder to poets ,artists , scientists ,spiritualists and mystics. Eastern philosophy and mysticism has unravelled its mysteries profoundly unlike their Western counterpart , until the advent of  Sigmund Freud and his ground-breaking work in the field of psychology .Indeed ,Freud’s revolutionary theories regarding dreams were stepping stone in the world of psychology .

            In contrast ,here’s an interesting pointer  from world of eastern  philosophy and science  on  Lucid dreaming–

svaPna anId```````a &anaalambanaM vaa ÈÈ

³patMjala yaaogasaU~ ¹ samaaiQa pad 1/38´

~ For Manasa-stithi-nibandhanam (tranquilizing of mind) give mind the support of  knowledge obtained in the dream state and sleep state.

          This is one among numerous pointers given by Mahamuni Patanjali in his authoritative treatise on Yoga - ‘ Patanjala Yoga Sutra’.Here ,Mahamuni prescribes  the sadhaka to meditate on the experience  attained in the dream state i.e, dreams as well as the sound (dreamless) sleep in order to sharpen their meditative skills. Patanjali and other Mystics advise sadhakas to meditate upon various blissful and ecstatic experiences encountered during sleep to deepen their level of consciousness .And  also to contemplate upon the ‘unconscious’ - sleep state,which is devoid of dreams .If possible, this deep (dreamless) sleep state can be a gateway to the realm of infinite consciousness . The prime motif of Yoga and Tantra is to get absorbed into Cosmic Consciousness thereby leaving no trace of duality . And for that matter, both these sciences have developed various meditative techniques. Of course ,Lucid dreaming is one such technique which comes by practice but again it’s not the sole trick to tranquil the mischievous mind.   

( A lucid dream, in simplest terms, is a dream in which one is aware that one is dreaming. The term was coined by the Dutch psychiatrist and writer Frederik van Eeden (1860–1932). )  .