Page 27 - NAMAH-Jul-2020

Namah The transcendent function of dreams

treasures are found in consciousness rather than deep experiences can make new persons
in the physical world (20).” out of us;they can change our relationships
Tenzin Wangyal recounts that once he saw with others; they can uproot our belief-system
and set us on a new journey. These rare
experiences could be dreams. In the dream
world we have a greater degree of freedom.
We are not localised in space and time — we
can travel to distant pasts, to distant lands,
some of which do not exist in the physical
world. Time itself does not follow the even-
paced dictates of Chronos, but dilates and
contracts in a playful Kairos mood. Sometimes
we wake up with dried tears in our eyes. We
a disturbing dream he could not interpret may not recall the dream, but it has left soft
but thought it was related to his up-coming butterfly memories deep in the psyche, that
trip. Before cancelling his trip, he went back will flutter in us, perhaps forever.
to sleep. He entered his dream, became lucid,
and went to his master. He presented the References
dream to the master, who interpreted it for
him (21). In another instance he asked a wise 1. Valli, K, Hoss R (eds). Dreams: Understanding
old lady to give him advice by consulting Biology, Psychology and Culture. Santa Barbara,
her own dream. She incubated her dream by CA: Greenwood; 2019, pp. 304-06.
placing an object under her pillow that had
represented him energetically, his undershirt. 2. Bulkeley, K.Big Dreams: The science of dreaming
In the morning she gave him instructions as & the origins of religion. New York, NY: Oxford
to what to avoid and what to do, as indicated University Press; 2016, p. 210.
by her dream. Once Tenzin Wangyal’s master
had a dream about him and told him to do a 3. Wangyal T.The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and
practice related to one of the guardians. It was Sleep. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications;
only later when Tenzin Wangyal was saved 1998, p. 53.
by the skin of his teeth from a road accident
that he realised how he would have died had 4. Ibid.
there not been a guardian spirit watching
over him (22). 5. Johnson, R. Inner work: Using dreams and active
imagination for personal growth. New York:
Impact of numinous dreams Harper Collins; 1986, p.20.

Sleep yoga can complement the yoga of our 6. Neumann, E. (1955). The Great Mother. Princeton,
awakened state. Dreams are an important NJ: Princeton University Press. p. 17.
aid because they are our biggest portal to the
transpersonal world — the world of gods and 7. Kaplan-Williams, S.The Jungian-Senoi Dreamwork
archetypes, the realm of the unconscious. Some Manual. Journey Press; 1980; p. 116.

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