When we use the term “Dream Yoga”, it is often brings up the idea of certain body postures that may (in some way) benefit or help our dreams. This is because Yoga is known (here in the west) as physical exercises, however Yoga really includes not just physical practices, but also mental and spiritual practices or disciplines as well.
“The Sanskrit noun योग ‘yoga’ is derived from the root yuj meaning “to attach, join, harness, yoke”. The word ‘yoga’ has the same root as the English ‘yoke’.”
The Bhagavad Gita defines ‘yoga’ as “skill in action” (2.50)
So let’s think of Dream Yoga in a similar context: Being Skillful in the Dream or Astral World. But what is the Dream World or Astral World?
According to Gnostic Philosophy, when our physical body falls asleep: our consciousness leaves the body in the Physical World (the “3rd Dimension” or Malkuth [10] ) and enters into the Astral World (or “5th Dimension” or Hod [8] ). There, in the Astral, one is able to move about similar to how one can do so here in the physical.
However, upon returning the physical body, many people do not remember their dreams at all, or claim that they do not dream, etc., while others can remember many details or are able to take control of their dreams and fly, etc. So why is this? or how does this happen?
There are a few different factors that Gnostic Philosophy says will explain the answers to these questions. The most important of which is our Psychology and the State of our Consciousness. Dreams are intimately related with our Psychology and it is important to include Gnostic Psychological studies if we are going to the most from our dreams.
Gnostic Psychology places a great emphasis on States of Consciousness. Therefore to understand Dreams and their significance, we need to understand the States of Consciousness.
The Different Types of Psychology
As we have mentioned in other classes, this School endorses the concept that all authentic religions teach the same fundamental principles.
“A comparative study of Religions allows us to reach the conclusion that the SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY has always been intimately associated with all RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES.
Any comparative study of Religions demonstrates to us that within the SACRED LITERATURE of various countries, at different periods, there are wonderful treasures of the PSYCHOLOGY science.
Additionally, in ancient times PSYCHOLOGY was intelligently hidden behind the graceful forms of Sacred Dancers, or behind the enigma of strange Hieroglyphs, or beautiful sculptures, poetry, dramas, and even behind the delicious music of temples.
Profound analysis and deep investigations allow us to understand that the different systems and Psychological doctrines that existed in the past and today can be divided into two categories:
First.- Doctrines that are the product of the theories of many intellectuals about the human being. Modern Psychology belongs, in fact, to this category.
Second.- Doctrines that study human beings from the point of view of the REVOLUTION OF THE CONSCIOUSNESS.
The second are really the original Doctrines and the most ancient. Only these doctrines can allow us to understand the living origins of Psychology and its profound significance.
When all of us have comprehended how important the study of the human being is, from the new point of view of the REVOLUTION OF THE CONSCIOUSNESS, then we will understand that Psychology is the study of the principles, laws and facts intimately related to the definitive and RADICAL TRANSFORMATION of the INDIVIDUAL.”
As you can see: the type of Psychology we are concerned with in Gnosis is the related with the Consciousness. So let’s look at what Consciousness is Gnostic Psychology:
“CONSCIOUSNESS is … a very particular kind of APPREHENSION OF INTERIOR KNOWLEDGE which is totally independent of all mental activity. The faculty of CONSCIOUSNESS allows us to know OURSELVES.”
Now let’s take a look at the different States of Consciousness.
-Paraphrased from Ch 31 and 37 of Fundamental Education by Samael Aun Weor
available in Fundamentals of Gnostic Education
and from ‘Lecture 1’ in The Pyschology of Man’s Possible Evolution by P.D. Ouspensky
The 4 States of Consciousness
“There are four states of CONSCIOUSNESS.
These are:
[1] SLEEP,
[2] VIGIL state,
[3] SELF-Consciousness and
[4] OBJECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS.The poor INTELLECTUAL ANIMAL, mistakenly called a Human Being, only lives in two of those states.
One part of their life is spent in sleep and the other in the improperly called VIGIL STATE, which is also a type of sleep (psychological sleep).
A person who is sleeping and dreaming believes that they awaken after returning to the Vigil state, but in reality they continue dreaming during this vigil state.”
In order to understand these states better, we can think of them in the following ways:
Consciousness is also asleep |
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Consciousness is still asleep |
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Consciousness is partially or temporarily awakened and Aware of itself |
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the Consciousness is fully or permanently awakened |
So why are we only in the 1st two States (where our Consciousness is Asleep)? Because we are ‘Identified’ with our senses (and the information from the physical world) and we are not remembering the beauty of simply being alive.
If we want to start remembering our dreams or having conscious astral experiences, then we need to start changing the way we perceive reality.
Our Consciousness can be ‘trapped’ in a ‘dream’ about life, about time, about work, about relationships, etc., and if we want to wake up in Astral, then we need to start becoming aware of WHAT our consciousness is trapped in…
-Paraphrased from Ch 37 of Fundamental Education by Samael Aun Weor
available in Fundamentals of Gnostic Education
Identification and Fascination
“It is necessary to know that humanity lives with its Consciousness asleep. People work dreaming, walk through the streets dreaming, they live and die dreaming.
When we come to the conclusion that the entire world lives dreaming, then we comprehend the necessity to awaken. We need the awakening of the Consciousness…
The profound dream, in which humanity lives, is caused by fascination. People are fascinated by everything in life. People forget themselves because they are fascinated.
The drunkard in the bar is fascinated by alcohol, the place, the pleasures, their friends and those they are attracted to.
The vain woman in front of a mirror is fascinated by her enchantment with herself.
The greedy person is fascinated by money and possessions.
The honest worker in the factory is fascinated by hard work.
The father of the family is fascinated by his children.
All human beings are fascinated and sleep profoundly.
People dream about everything that keeps them fascinated.”
-Paraphrased from Ch 16 of The Perfect Matrimony
If we are Dreaming in the Physical World, then when the Physical Body goes to Sleep we continue Dreaming…
“Sleep: During sleep, the Consciousness (trapped in the Ego) escapes from the physical body. This departure is necessary so that the Vital Body can repair the Physical body.
In the internal worlds we are able to affirm that the Ego takes its dreams there, into the internal worlds. In the internal worlds the Consciousness (trapped in the Ego) occupies itself with the same things that fascinate it in the physical world.
Thus, during our sleep we see the carpenter in his carpentry shop, the policeman guarding the streets, the barber in his barbershop, the blacksmith at his forge, the drunkard in the tavern or bar, etc., etc.
All these people live in the internal worlds as if they were in the physical world.
During sleep it does not occur to any living being to ask whether they are in the Physical or Astral World.
Those who have asked such a question during sleep have awoken in the internal worlds.
Then, with amazement, they have been able to study all the marvels of the Superior Worlds.
Only by becoming accustomed to asking ourselves this question from moment to moment during the so called vigil state can we manage to ask such a question of ourselves in the superior worlds during the hours given over to sleep.
Clearly, while we are asleep, we repeat everything that we do during the day.
If during the day we accustom ourselves to asking this question, then this will lead to us to repeat the same question to ourselves at night, while physically sleeping, and while out of the body.
The result will be the awakening of Consciousness. This practice allows one to Remember Oneself.”
-Paraphrased from Ch 16 of The Perfect Matrimony
1st Practice: Self-Remembering and Questioning Ourselves
“The human being who is fascinated does not remember Himself. Therefore, we must remember ourselves from instant to instant.
We need to self-remember in the presence of every representation that could fascinate us.
Let us pause before every representation and ask ourselves:
• Where am I?
• Am I in the physical plane?
• Am I in the astral plane?Then give a little jump with the intention of floating in the surrounding atmosphere.
It is logical that if you float it is because you are outside the physical body.
The result will be the awakening of the Consciousness.
The objective of asking this question in each moment is so that it becomes engraved in the subconscious, so that it may manifest later during the hours given to sleep, hours when the Ego is really outside the physical body.”
-Paraphrased from Ch 16 of The Perfect Matrimony
The Astral World and our Awareness
“You should know that in the astral world things often appear just as here in the physical plane.
During sleep, and after death, people see everything there in a form very similar to the physical world, it is because of this that they do not even suspect that they are outside the physical body.
No dead person ever believes themselves to have died; they are fascinated and profoundly asleep.
If, during life, the dead had made a practice of remembering themselves from moment to moment, if they had struggled against the fascination of the things of the world, then the result would have been the awakening of Consciousness.
Then, they would not dream. They would walk in the internal worlds with awakened Consciousness.”
-Paraphrased from Ch 16 of The Perfect Matrimony
2nd Practice: Retrospective Exercise and RAOM GAOM
“Upon waking from normal sleep, every Gnostic student should do a retrospective exercise … in order to remember all those places they visited during the hours of sleep.
We already know that the Consciousness (trapped in the Ego) travels a great deal, going to where we have been physically, repeating all that we saw and heard.
The Masters instruct their disciples when out of the physical body.
It is urgent to know how to meditate profoundly and then to practice what we learned during the hours of sleep.
It is necessary to remain still at the time of waking because with this movement the astral body is agitated and the memories are lost.
It is urgent to combine the retrospective exercises with the following mantram: Raom-Gaom. Each word is divided into two syllables. One should accentuate the vowel O.
This mantram is for the student what dynamite is for the miner. Just as the miner opens a path through the bowels of the earth with the aid of dynamite, so also, the student opens a way to the memories of the subconscious with the aid of this mantram.
-Paraphrased from Ch 16 of The Perfect Matrimony
We Need Persistent Effort: Patience and our Development
“Impatience
As a rule, those who have recently entered Gnosis are full of impatience; they want immediate results, instantaneous astral unfolding, illumination, wisdom, etc. Yet, reality is something else…
Nothing is given to us as a gift. Everything has a price. Nothing is attained through curiosity instantaneously, rapidly.
Everything has its process and its development. …the process of awakening is slow, gradual, and natural…
When the Consciousness has already totally awakened it is not something sensational, or spectacular. It is simply a reality as natural as a tree that grew slowly, which has unfolded and developed without sudden leaps or sensational events.
Nature is Nature.
The gnostic student in the beginning says, “I am dreaming”. Later they exclaim, “I am in the Astral Body, outside the physical body”. Later still they obtain Samadhi, ecstasy, and one enters the fields of paradise.
In the beginning the manifestations are sporadic, discontinuous, followed by long periods of unconsciousness. Much later, the igneous wings give us continual uninterrupted awakened Consciousness.”
-Paraphrased from Ch 16 of The Perfect Matrimony
3rd Practice: Changing to the 3rd State of Consciousness with Gratitude
In the final chapter (Ch.37) of Fundamental Education , we read the following:
“There are exceptional moments when the INTELLECTUAL ANIMAL awakens, but these moments are very rare, they can occur
• in an instant of extreme danger,
• during an intense emotion,
• in a new circumstance,
• in a new unexpected situation, etc.”
Note that the last 2 examples given are about ‘new’ situations, because here we have an important key that we need in order to begin awakening our consciousness.
We need to learn to take life as ‘new’ and not as a routine.
If some of the only times that we are able to naturally go from the 1st or 2nd State of Consciousness to the 3rd is “in a new circumstance or unexpected situation”, then by taking every circumstance or situation as ‘new’ will allow us to enter and maintain the 3rd State of Consciousness.
One of the ways can do this with Gratitude appreciating this moment that we have, even if it is not ‘what we want’, or in any other way we can come up with which will allow us to take the moment.
For example:
• In order to move to the 3rd State of Consciousness in the morning: let’s appreciate the shower: Do we have running water? Is it Hot? Let’s thank God for that and be grateful for the Hot Water and be present with that gift.
• In order to move to the 3rd State of Consciousness when we eat a meal: let’s appreciate that we have food, even if it’s not our favorite meal, because at least we have something to eat and be present with that gift.
Samael Aun Weor tells us: “A human being is what their life is”.
So, if this is true and our life is a dream, then we are a dream; but if we remember ourselves, then our life can awaken…
Next class we are going to go into more detail about different tips which are recommended in order to help remember dreams and to have conscious Astral experiences
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