Dreams and Their Significance

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Western psychology has taken a
very narrow and therefore quite

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inadequate view of the nature of
dreams.

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There are several primary ways
dreams are analysed in the West.

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The 1st is the purely mechanical
structuring of dreams as a

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chaotic processing of undigested
residues of the observations,

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mental and emotional activity of
the daily life that are simply a

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type of churning of the brain as
it winds down after a day of

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action.
Another view popularized by

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Freud is that dreams represent
some deep subconscious drives

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that we suppress in our waking
life, but which expose

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themselves in dream and in
particular relating to childhood

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trauma, unresolved sexual
tensions or fears.

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Yet another view developed by
Jung emphasizes what he calls

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the collective unconscious,
which holds archetypes that span

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across humanity and which are
not specifically tied to an

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individual, but to a more
general framework within which

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we all live and act.
All of these are relevant to

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some degree and need to be
addressed in a more

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comprehensive understanding of
dreams and their significance.

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There are, however, several
types of dreams that clearly do

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not fit any of these models.
Dreams have occupied the

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attention of people throughout
human existence and across all

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civilizations.
The Old Testament of the Bible

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relates the story of the Pharaoh
of Egypt having a recurring

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dream about 7 fat cows and seven
lean cows and his concern about

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having this interpreted by his
wisest advisers.

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Though they were unable to
resolve this and by chance,

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Joseph, an Israelite, was
brought before the Pharaoh and

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he interpreted the dream for him
in such a way as to evidence

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that there would be 7 years of
abundance followed by 7 years of

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privation.
This led to stockpiling and

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managing the surplus to tide the
Kingdom.

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Over the seven lean years, many
people have reported dreams that

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seem to be prophetic, that
foretell certain events that may

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occur.
The mechanism for this remains

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uncertain.
Are they simply subconsciously

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extrapolating on facts and
details and analysis that they

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did not sort and organize
consciously?

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Or is there some form of
predestined reality, some

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directed result that they are
simply gaining access to, such

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as is claimed by those who
access the Akashic records?

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Or which arise from
precipitating actions and

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energies arriving from a more
causal world, such as one of the

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mental or vital worlds that work
to form the reality within which

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we live and act in our external
being?

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When the Shields of the waking
consciousness are lowered during

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sleep, it is possible for the
consciousness to recognize and

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process signals that it
otherwise would disregard or

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reject.
This may also help explain why

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dreams may provide insights far
beyond what our waking minds are

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able to develop.
A well known spiritual teacher

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and author told a story some
years ago about going back to

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India for a visit.
He lives in the USA and being

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directed by his family to visit
a Vedic astrologer in the area

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who had a stellar reputation.
This astrologer indicated he had

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somehow known that this
individual would visit, and he

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pulled out a scroll that had an
historical recitation of events

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in his past life which were
known to him but were not

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generally known by others, as
well as events forthcoming to

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him in the future.
Vedic astrology, Western

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astrology, and the work of
mystical researchers such as the

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students of Theosophy all
indicate there may be

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information about the future
accessible to individuals.

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In some instances, this
information appears to come

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forward in dreams.
There can be premonitory dreams

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that do not provide prophetic
information but give the

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individual a feeling that helps
them avoid certain things, such

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as events that would otherwise
be shown to have had disastrous

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consequences if they had not
refrained from participation

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based on the premonition they
received in their dreams.

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Some individuals have had dreams
that connected them with loved

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ones far away who were suffering
or dying, such as documented

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situations during the First
World War where a sister dreamt

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about her brother dying in
Europe at just the time that he

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was killed.
Yet other individuals have

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dreams where they are in some
vital world fighting or trying

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to survive the attacks and
pressures of that vital world.

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One incident was related that
had an individual dreaming about

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fighting with a vital being that
had taken the shape as Adolf

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Hitler.
He wound up fighting this

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presence and woke up in a cold
sweat after having finally

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defeated this vital being.
He was so shaken by the event

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that he immediately wrote down
the dream as he had experienced

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it.
Still other times we learn of

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people seeing individuals they
have never met but who come into

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their lives in the future.
This goes beyond raw

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coincidence.
There are also those instances

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where individuals report meeting
spiritual guides or teachers in

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the dream state and obtaining
various teachings from them.

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The Mother reported that as a
child she was regularly guided

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by a teacher during dream, and
when she met Sri Aurobindo, she

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recognized him as the guide from
that time.

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The dream state occurs for the
most part in the subconscious

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parts of the being, and much of
it is in fact confused,

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disorienting and draining on the
energy.

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Thus, eventually the seeker
needs to bring a higher

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conscious awareness into the
entire being, including the

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subtle physical levels, in order
to texture the subconscious to

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hold and manifest more light and
thereby not act as an obstacle

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to the spiritual growth and
development.

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Sri Robindo notes quote.
These dreams are not all mere

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dreams.
All have not a casual,

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incoherent or subconscious
building.

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Many are records or transcripts
of experiences on the vital

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plane into which one enters in
sleep.

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Some are scenes or events of the
subtle physical plane.

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There one often undergoes
happenings or carries on actions

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that resemble those of the
physical life, with the same

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surroundings and the same
people, though usually there is

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in arrangement and feature.
Some are a considerable

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difference, but it may also be a
contact with other surroundings

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and with other people not known
in the physical life, or not

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belonging at all to the physical
world.

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In the waking state you are
conscious only of a certain

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limited field and action of your
nature.

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In sleep you can become vividly
aware of things beyond this

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field, a larger mental or vital
nature behind the waking state,

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or else a subtle physical or a
subconscious nature which

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contains much that is there in
you, but not distinguishably

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active.
In the waking state.

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All these obscure tracts have to
be cleared, or else there can be

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no change of property.
You should not allow yourself to

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be disturbed by the Press of
vital or subconscious dreams,

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for these two make up the larger
part of dream experience.

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But aspire to get rid of these
things and of the activities

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they indicate to be conscious
and reject all but the Divine

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truth.
The more you get that truth and

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cling to it in the waking state,
rejecting all else, the more all

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this inferior dream stuff will
get clear.

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End Quote reference Trioro Bindo
Bases of yoga, chapter 5.

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Physical consciousness,
subconscious sleep and dream

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illness.
Page 99.