Dream thought / Waking thought - Discussion
Dream thought / Waking thought
Dream thought / Waking thought | ivory | 9/20/14 1:05 PM |
RE: Dream thought / Waking thought | Not Tao | 9/20/14 5:27 PM |
RE: Dream thought / Waking thought | ivory | 10/2/14 11:59 PM |
ivory, modified 10 Years ago at 9/20/14 1:05 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 9/20/14 1:05 PM
Dream thought / Waking thought
Posts: 199 Join Date: 9/11/14 Recent Posts
I'm curious if anyone else experiences this...
When I'm in bed at night and start to drift off to sleep, I'll start to dream. A few waking thoughts will arise, then dream thought will arise (images and such). Waking thought and dream thought will flow back and forth as a seamless flow playing out like a movie reel. I'll even notice images of the "body" lying in "bed" appear in that flow.
It's not so much that "I" wake up and fall back asleep. It doesn't feel like there's a "me" there. Just appearances arising in spaciousness.
I posted this in the Dark Night section because I still oscillate between DN and Equanimity. Meditation has some strange side effects like the one I'm mentioning here. As meditation deepens the self-ness nature of experience presents itself on many levels. This is just one I happen to find interesting.
When I'm in bed at night and start to drift off to sleep, I'll start to dream. A few waking thoughts will arise, then dream thought will arise (images and such). Waking thought and dream thought will flow back and forth as a seamless flow playing out like a movie reel. I'll even notice images of the "body" lying in "bed" appear in that flow.
It's not so much that "I" wake up and fall back asleep. It doesn't feel like there's a "me" there. Just appearances arising in spaciousness.
I posted this in the Dark Night section because I still oscillate between DN and Equanimity. Meditation has some strange side effects like the one I'm mentioning here. As meditation deepens the self-ness nature of experience presents itself on many levels. This is just one I happen to find interesting.
Not Tao, modified 10 Years ago at 9/20/14 5:27 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 9/20/14 5:27 PM
RE: Dream thought / Waking thought
Posts: 995 Join Date: 4/5/14 Recent Posts
I think sleep effects are actually to be expected if you are meditating frequently. I was surprised by them too when I was really "going hard" a while back, but there have been a lot of threads about sleep-related things here. A common one is seeing through the eyelids, which, is essentially a Wake Induced Lucid Dream. I think it's because concentration becomes more commonplace, and it becomes natural to "pay attention" when we normally wouldn't. Actually, the things you're reporting here, if you're interested, you could probably go right into lucid dreams.
If you are having trouble with the DN, this could also be a symptom of increased concentration - little things that used to go away on their own become obsessions. Since you find yourself bouncing between DN (rumination) and equanimity, see what happens if you try using that concentration power to intentionally ignore the things that are causing problems. If this brings you into equanimity again, you'll see you have an "escape route" if things get too tough, and this'll give you the confidence to examine the emotions and find their cause. It can be tricky, but the DN can be resolved quickly once you work through the problems. It's helpful to think of it in a very conventional way - "I'm worried/mad/sad because of X." Once you identify X, you can simply ask yourself if X is worth being worried/mad/sad about. You might try to say "no" and the mind insists "yes" but these things can change pretty quickly if you spend a little time trying to understand them.
If you are having trouble with the DN, this could also be a symptom of increased concentration - little things that used to go away on their own become obsessions. Since you find yourself bouncing between DN (rumination) and equanimity, see what happens if you try using that concentration power to intentionally ignore the things that are causing problems. If this brings you into equanimity again, you'll see you have an "escape route" if things get too tough, and this'll give you the confidence to examine the emotions and find their cause. It can be tricky, but the DN can be resolved quickly once you work through the problems. It's helpful to think of it in a very conventional way - "I'm worried/mad/sad because of X." Once you identify X, you can simply ask yourself if X is worth being worried/mad/sad about. You might try to say "no" and the mind insists "yes" but these things can change pretty quickly if you spend a little time trying to understand them.
ivory, modified 10 Years ago at 10/2/14 11:59 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 10/2/14 11:59 PM
RE: Dream thought / Waking thought
Posts: 199 Join Date: 9/11/14 Recent PostsNot Tao:
I think sleep effects are actually to be expected if you are meditating frequently. I was surprised by them too when I was really "going hard" a while back, but there have been a lot of threads about sleep-related things here. A common one is seeing through the eyelids, which, is essentially a Wake Induced Lucid Dream.
This has happened to me in the past. But since you posted this I have been seeing through my eyelids again. Strange.
I'll be having a normal dream and then I'll start dreaming that I'm lying in bed. And then I'll be like, "Wait, no, I actually am in bed." And then I can just see myself lying in bed through my eye lids.
Not so different from when I meditate. It's just imagery. But it does make me wonder what's "really" going on.
Life is dream-like.