Desires and Apprehensions: The Longings and Concerns Within Us
Exploring the Parallels between Dreams and Waking Life: Insights from Gurdjieff and Osho
Dreams, a realm of the subconscious, can captivate us with their power to amuse, bewilder, and frighten. Yet they remain a mysterious domain, often serving as a reflection of our deepest desires and fears. According to mystics like Osho and Gurdjieff, our dreams not only illuminate our inner world but can also offer a means to attain a higher state of awareness and spiritual awakening.
Gurdjieff, a Russian spiritual master, emphasized the centrality of self-observation in awakening from the "sleep" of waking life. By observing thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment, individuals can train their minds to be present both while awake and during dreams, aiming for lucid dreaming or at least remembering dreams upon waking.
Conscious labor and intentional suffering are other key principles emphasized by Gurdjieff. The former involves performing actions with full presence, while the latter concerns voluntarily struggling against mechanical habits, even when dreaming. Both are foundational for evolving beyond the "waking sleep."
Remembering oneself—staying present and aware of one’s existence—is a crucial skill that can be developed gradually by repeatedly reminding oneself to be present throughout the day, which eventually may carry over into the dream state. Gurdjieff also used choreographed movements to integrate mind, body, and attention, helping practitioners deepen their awareness and prepare for lucid awareness in dreams.
Osho, a spiritual leader who synthesized Eastern and Western traditions, placed an emphasis on mindfulness and self-witnessing as a means to cultivate awareness in dreams. Witnessing involves observing oneself as if from the outside, both in daily life and in dreams. Regular meditation, especially dynamic techniques, can enable the practitioner to experience heightened awareness that spills over into sleep and dreams, making it easier to remain conscious during dreaming. Moreover, Osho encourages letting go of identification with thoughts, emotions, and actions, so that the dreamer becomes a detached observer rather than a participant.
To practice, individuals can begin by engaging in daily self-observation, reminding themselves to stay present in waking life, which may eventually carry over into dreams. Keeping a dream journal and reflecting on it daily can increase dream recall and familiarize oneself with dream patterns. Regular meditation, especially techniques that emphasize awareness and detachment, like watching the breath or silently observing thoughts and sensations, can further facilitate lucid dreaming. Engaging in mindful or sacred movement practices can also increase overall awareness and presence. Finally, setting the intention to become lucid in dreams before falling asleep can prime the subconscious mind for future lucid dreaming.
Integrating these approaches can help cultivate a state of continuous awareness that persists even in the dream world, leading to greater self-knowledge and spiritual awakening. By transcending the limitations of dreams and waking life, individuals can unlock a deeper understanding of the nature of reality.
By Kul Bhushan
Kul Bhushan is a disciple of the enlightened master, Osho. He has worked for a UN agency and traveled to over 50 countries. He specializes in writing on NRI (Non-Resident Indians) affairs and has authored 26 books.[sources necessary to support claims, if used]
In the pursuit of a higher state of awareness and spiritual awakening, Gurdjieff suggested self-observation as a crucial tool in both waking life and dreaming, aiming for lucid dreaming or at least remembering dreams upon waking. Similarly, Osho emphasized the importance of self-witnessing and mindfulness in dreams, encouraging letting go of identification with thoughts, emotions, and actions, thus becoming a detached observer.
Engaging in education-and-self-development practices such as daily self-observation, keeping a dream journal, regular meditation, sacred movement, and setting lucid dreaming intentions, individuals may cultivate a lifestyle of continuous awareness that extends to their relationships and personal-growth, ultimately illuminating their inner world and deepening their understanding of reality.
