Lucid Dreaming: Part 2

Although Nobel prize-winning scientists often describe their creative leap as a fundamental dream-like insight, the fear of mysticism, which pervades science, prevents the true integration of unconscious levels of reality with the physical world. Similarly, science is based upon theoretical or mathematical descriptions of reality, which can be used for technological gain, whereas real meditation or dream practice results in the direct experience of the truth body at the completion stage.

In many shamanic cultures, the waking state is considered to be an illusion and the inner dimensions are considered to be real. These states can be accessed through dreams, or visions using hallucinogenic plants.

Indeed, in many shamanic cultures, a shaman is chosen by the spirits. It is not taken on as a job title or a vocational skill or even a career. Often the future shaman is felled by a mysterious disease and lies in a deep coma-like state for some time, being refashioned and restructured internally. When he or she awakes they have the option to go into deeper training, both with an older shaman and in the dreamworld.

Unfortunately, the majority of modern scientific interpretations have described luminous or visionary phenomenon as symptoms of a malfunctioning brain, schizophrenia or temporal lobe epilepsy. From a shamanic viewpoint, the well-being of both the individual and the tribe is largely determined by skill in dreaming. The Tibetan emphasis on lucid dreaming as a means of understanding the nature of reality is a remarkable example of a shamanic culture that unites yogic and alchemical theories into an organized cultural framework.

In many of these cultures, skill in dreaming results from a greater activation of the original energy of the body, using a variety of techniques, which range from breathing exercises to sensory deprivation. Many of the Himalayan lineages, which result in Nirvana Without Remainder, emphasize using extended periods of darkness to unlock the original energy of the body. Taoism also has the tradition of extended periods of meditation deep within caves. It is believed that by immersing oneself in the extreme yin environment of the dark cave the practitioner is better able to communicate with the world of dreams and visions. The chief characteristic of the dark retreat is that the dreams of the individual become the only reality that the practitioner can observe consciously. Many of the greatest adepts have actually spent years in total darkness; although this is an extreme model, it demonstrates the importance of the integration of the world of dreaming with the conscious mind.