Bardo-like dreaming?

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I started listening to the audio book yesterday and did chapters 1 & 2. I thought I’d have a sneaky first go at lucid dreaming today.

I have a headache, so lay down for a day nap to try it.

I made the intention to “watch the dream”. As I was drifting into dream I kept telling myself “watch the dream, watch the dream”. I lightly dreamt that my dog was downstairs, but I felt him next to me in bed so I said to myself “dog is here so the dog downstairs is a dream, I’m dreaming”.

Then my “dream body” opened her eyes and I saw a version of me sat facing me at the end of the bed wearing a black burka/cloak and looking very frightenening with piercing big eyes!! But I knew it was a dream and comforted myself. I then saw myself sitting by my washing machine, crying.

Suddenly I saw Tibetan and Sanskrit writing - a light from my third eye was illuminating the writing. I then asked myself “Am I dead or just dreaming. Am I accidently in Bardo of becoming?”. Then I saw a very clear illuminous green symbol of Buddha tara (Tam) and I got scared because I couldn’t remember her mantra to shout for help to stop me dying. But I did remember Om Mani Padme Hum. I hurriedly recited this and asked to return to my body, which worked and I woke up.

It was extremely intense and fast and scary. However, the “light” of awareness kept me safe. Looking forward to the next one :grinning:

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Which book is this? . . . . .

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It was Dream Yoga! :slightly_smiling_face:

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Very cool dream! Was this the first time you have had a lucid dream before? Or have you had experience with them in the past.

That is so cool that you were able to feel your dog in bed next you while you were dreaming about him. You must have very powerful awareness!

I have heard this mantra before, but do not know what it means. Do you know the english translation of it?

I have heard Andrew say that naps are a great way to increase your lucid dreaming practice. They basically increase your opportunity for LDs by 100%, if you were previously only sleeping once per day!

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Thank you @NightHawk999 ! It was the very first time trying lucid dreaming!!! Plus I only have listened to the first 2 chapters. Can’t wait to listen to the rest :sweat_smile::rofl:

However, I had what I now believe to be intentional Astral Travel when I was a little girl between ages 7-10 years.

I also meditate daily and I’m a Reiki Master and have had small awakenings in the past 2 years.

Do you have regular Lucid dreams?

Om mani padme hum is the mantra to awaken Avalokiteshvara, Buddha of compassion

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That is really impressive that you were able to have a lucid dream so quickly! Seems like you may be a natural!

What was your Astral Travel experience like?

What happened during the awakenings?

No I dont unfortunately. Many members on here do though. I have only had 4 lucid dreams in my life. The last 2 happend this year, after joining this site 6 months ago. I am hoping much more are on the way. I am very greatful for Andrew and the knowledge he has shared, as well as this community, I know I would not have made that progress without them.

What technique(s) do you use when you meditate?

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This is really interesting dream symbolism. I dont know what it means. But I have heard Andrew say that the spiritual path is that of the warrior, not for the faint of heart. It sounds like the first figure may have been your ego, and it may have felt threatened by you entering its territory.

Not sure what the washing machine or crying means. But it may represent cleansing or catharsis. Both invlove water, and are a sort of purifaction process, leaving the end result usually better than they found it.

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Thank you. My Astral Travel: As a little girl I used to lie awake in in bed and intend to wander around the house. I intentionally relaxed each body part and then elevated “mind” out of my body (there was a sensation on separation). I always glanced back down to check my body was sleeping safely on the bed. Then I thoroughly enjoyed floating. I could see and hear but not feel. It was relaxing and one time I found a gift that my mum had hidden for me (a mirror with a red frame!). I then floated back to my body and entered my body (again a slight sensation).

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Wow, thanks so much for your thoughts on the symbolism. I love the ego idea esp as this is where I’ve been heading in my daily practice- gently smiling a ego when I notice it.

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I wish for you to enjoy lucid dreaming more! I would love to hear about the ones you have had please!

Meditations-

Daily- Plum village meditations- sitting and walking, Tomglen,
Weekly- Shamatha and deep relaxation

Also, I have a bell ringing every hour to bring me back to present moment. I come back to my sense doors frequently throught my day. I do 2 x Reiki sessions per day. I read/listen to dharma daily.

You?

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That is so cool. I am very jealous! I have never been able to do it, but I am definitely a believer.

Have you read Robert Monroes Journeys out of the Body?

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Me too, I think I am in the right spot. While having 2 in 6 months may not seem like a lot, to me it was a really big deal, especially because I had been trying unsuccessfully for over 2 years to have them by reading books and looking at youtube videos, then I found Andrews work and his site and it really helped.

1st LD: I was in my old aptarment and my pitbull who had died walked up to me and I was petting her. I was so happy to see her, then I realized this wasnt real, becasue she was dead,it was a dream, and I regretfully woke.

2nd LD: I was in a large ballroom of a big hotel with very spacious cielings and red carpeting I was looking for the swimming pool. No one was around which I found kind of odd, then I looked to the right wall and there was big mirriors lining the wall like at a gym. I went and looked at my face in the mirror, It looked so real, but then I noticed I had bruises from an old accident years ago on my face, and I had to be dreaming I woke up.

This 2nd LD happened a few years after I had been meditating. The first one happened after doing yoga for a year or 2.

3rd LD: I was looking at a postcard my friend had sent me. But the images on the card were moving like a movie. I became lucid, paniced because I did not remember how to stabolize the dream, and accidently closed my eyes, which woke me up.

4th LD: I was in my grandmas old house. wasing my hands at the bathroom sink, I looked up at the wall and there was an oval picture of a horse skull, but it was moving like a hologram. Everything looked so real, but something was off with that picture that made me question whether i was dreaming or not. I did a reality check of sticking my fingers through my hand. It failed, so I figured I was awake, but something in the back of my head told me to do another RC. So I jumped up, and moved into the other room with my feet not touching the ground, and I realized I was flying/floating, so I flew up the stairs to the bedroom wanting to tell someone that I was having a LD, and when I got to my grandmas old room, there was a young 20 something year old girl, asleep at a round table. I tried to wake her up by touching her face and shaking her, but she would not wake up. Then I heard the sink still running downstairs, so I flew back down to turn it off, and woke up.

When I told a family memebr about this dream, they told me my Grandmas cousin had died in her sleep at around that age. And she was into the occult/paranormal. Not sure if that was her in the dream, but kind of crazy stuff. Its very very rare that i dream of someone sleeping in the dream. I cant remember ever doing it before.

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What are Plum village meditations?

Do you do the Reiki on yourself or others? How do you do that?

I do not follow the Dharma daily, but after finding this site, I have become much more interested in learning about it.

I do not meditate daily, but do it several times a week. The month where I had the 3rd LD, I was doing it daily, and trying to increase my meditation practice.

After talking with you, I realize I need to go back to doing a daily meditation. I bought the book the Attention Revolution which goes through the stages of Shamatha practice. In the past while meditating I will focus on my breath, my heart beat, and the subtle pulse in my 3rd eye area (circle of Willis), and then once I get relaxed, I will try to focus on nothing at all, and see how long I can keep my mind blank.

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Interesting to hear that when you meditated every day you got LD. I find that daily meditation is so different from sporadic meditation.

I feel my daily meditation clarity led me to LD…to the sleep yoga book!

I find that intention is everything. My original daily intention was not to LD but was to awaken into Nirvana and my LD experience the other day has convinced me it really is possible :sparkles::purple_heart:.

I do Reiki on others (it’s my life’s work) and also on myself. I trained in it in 2003 and have deeply loved it since.

Plum Village- it’s the community founded by Thich Nhat hanh. They have a lovely app if you can install it?

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Thanks for letting me know about Attention Revolution, I’ll look that up today! I also like that idea of keeping the mind blank. My Shamatha practice is based on Pema Chodron’s teachings of “unlimited friendliness” i.e. being with the breath and everything that arises with openness and friendliness. I find for me that this causes things in my mind-body to feel comfortable enough to reveal themselves to me.

I also had 2 more (but far less exciting) LD. One yesterday and one in the middle of the night :crescent_moon:

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I agree with you 100%.

The power of intention can not be over stated. It is a huge driving force.

Any youtube videos or websites that you know of that give teachings on Reiki? I have been curious about learning more about how it it performed.

Another member here recommended it to me. Andrew does one of his interviews on here with the Author.

I am no expert, but it is my understanding that their are two major ‘schools’ of meditation, Shamatha, which is used to calm the mind into very deep and relaxed states, and Vipassana meditation, which is used to liberate the mind.

this site and its video do an ok job of describing it:

I think keeping the mind blank is more Vipassana meditation, but again I am no expert. I have also heard members talk about Dzogchen meditation, which to my understanding is one of the highest forms of Vipassana meditation. I am very interested in learning more and finding someone who can teach me the Dzogchen methods.

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Here is a good read on Dzogchen:

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Thank you! Ahh yes I actually do Shamatha-Vipassana !! A book that really really opened my eyes was “when awareness becomes natural” by Sayadaw U Tejaniya (spelling may be wrong, sorry!!).

Where are you located? Best place to start looking into Reiki is to read: The Reiki Sourcebook or look at The Reiki Association. Always try to find a teacher in your area who you can have sessions with before starting to learn.

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I would also say, stay very strong in growing compassion practice as it’s almost synonymous with pure Bodhichitta.

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Woah…that 4th LD sent shivers down my spine!!! How clear & incredible your seeing was. Did you feel that this LD or the others influenced your daily life or your ubderstandings and beliefs?

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