Thread: Lucid Dreaming Book Club (July)

Spoiler for Spoiler for Part 1 / Chapter 4:

I love how he describes the practice of "developing mental stability" (through daytime meditation on awareness) helps the student stabilize their lucid dreams. This is exactly the epiphany I had the other day while meditating. It's not so much to get lucid, but to stay lucid. When I heard him say this, I was so thrilled.

The only part I'm not crazy about right now are the 6 dimensions. I don't know if I believe that they exist like Earth does, however, I can see how we as people fall into our own person hells and such through our dominant emotional states.

Enjoying this book so much so far!

Back on topic.

Originally Posted by MoonageDaydream

Spoiler for Spoiler for Part 1 / Chapter 4:

I love how he describes the practice of "developing mental stability" (through daytime meditation on awareness) helps the student stabilize their lucid dreams. This is exactly the epiphany I had the other day while meditating. It's not so much to get lucid, but to stay lucid. When I heard him say this, I was so thrilled.

The only part I'm not crazy about right now is the 6 dimensions. I don't know if I believe that they exist like Earth does, however, I can see how we as people fall into our own person hells and such through our dominant emotional states.

Enjoying this book so much so far!

Spoiler for Part 1/ Chapter 4:

Yeah, I agree about the 6 dimensions. We all probably have been in all of them multiple times in our lives before we get to that point of enlightenment and clarity?

But yes, I know that we react negatively to a particular situation, we shift to a negative lifeline, metaphorically speaking.
Hopefully, we are on the right page?

Thank you MoonageDaydream for the book selection, I've really enjoying reading this book. I'm at the sleep yoga section now.

Here's my response to MoonageDaydream:

Spoiler for Spoiler for Dream Yoga parts:

Originally Posted by MoonageDaydream

I love how he describes the practice of "developing mental stability" (through daytime meditation on awareness) helps the student stabilize their lucid dreams. This is exactly the epiphany I had the other day while meditating. It's not so much to get lucid, but to stay lucid. When I heard him say this, I was so thrilled.

The only part I'm not crazy about right now are the 6 dimensions. I don't know if I believe that they exist like Earth does, however, I can see how we as people fall into our own person hells and such through our dominant emotional states.

Enjoying this book so much so far!

It's great when a piece of wisdom you just started to really get is echoed!

Well, he does say that the 6 dimensions have cultural influences, which makes me think that in his language, he might say they are "cultural ignorance." But I like that it got him to talk about 6 "negative emotions" and their antidote. It's good for finding some more meditation comparable to compassion meditation to improve "karmic traces". But it seems compassion is a great antidote... like, for all of them!

The thing I'm having more trouble with is some core principles of nondualism. I agree with the conclusion of nondualism: all perception is a mind construct (from your sense of self to your sense of touch to your feelings). In that sense, yes, everything is transient and empty. As long as we're talking about the contents of our awareness. But it seems they never concede that outside of our subjective world, there are objects and energies displayed in space and time in an objective world. When the author concedes that we must respect our engagements and fulfill our responsibilities despite nondualism, it kind of feels like we're taking a break from the whole perspective. But I think it doesn't have to be that way if the worldview is that there is an objective world with objects but our subjective experience is completely constructed by our mind (there is no direct experience of the objective world, only an indirect one). In that sense, if you ever feel you are one with everything, or that you are nothing, that is again a mind construct. There is no escaping it. The great non-quest for the bright light is a healthy practice to nurture some positive perception of the world (a non dual one) but I think there is no escaping what we are as consciousness and then as people in the world.

Originally Posted by Occipitalred

Thank you MoonageDaydream for the book selection, I've really enjoying reading this book. I'm at the sleep yoga section now.

Here's my response to MoonageDaydream:

Spoiler for Spoiler for Dream Yoga parts:

It's great when a piece of wisdom you just started to really get is echoed!

Well, he does say that the 6 dimensions have cultural influences, which makes me think that in his language, he might say they are "cultural ignorance." But I like that it got him to talk about 6 "negative emotions" and their antidote. It's good for finding some more meditation comparable to compassion meditation to improve "karmic traces". But it seems compassion is a great antidote... like, for all of them!

The thing I'm having more trouble with is some core principles of nondualism. I agree with the conclusion of nondualism: all perception is a mind construct (from your sense of self to your sense of touch to your feelings). In that sense, yes, everything is transient and empty. As long as we're talking about the contents of our awareness. But it seems they never concede that outside of our subjective world, there are objects and energies displayed in space and time in an objective world. When the author concedes that we must respect our engagements and fulfill our responsibilities despite nondualism, it kind of feels like we're taking a break from the whole perspective. But I think it doesn't have to be that way if the worldview is that there is an objective world with objects but our subjective experience is completely constructed by our mind (there is no direct experience of the objective world, only an indirect one). In that sense, if you ever feel you are one with everything, or that you are nothing, that is again a mind construct. There is no escaping it. The great non-quest for the bright light is a healthy practice to nurture some positive perception of the world (a non dual one) but I think there is no escaping what we are as consciousness and then as people in the world.

I totally resonate with your answers, I also feel wisdom is universal and it would come knocking your door in many different ways and forms, whether you're ready to receive it or not.
I'm also noticing doing more compassionate acts in dreams, and more aware that synchronicity is happening now, more than ever!

Originally Posted by Occipitalred

Thank you MoonageDaydream for the book selection, I've really enjoying reading this book. I'm at the sleep yoga section now.

Here's my response to MoonageDaydream:

Spoiler for Spoiler for Dream Yoga parts:

It's great when a piece of wisdom you just started to really get is echoed!

Well, he does say that the 6 dimensions have cultural influences, which makes me think that in his language, he might say they are "cultural ignorance." But I like that it got him to talk about 6 "negative emotions" and their antidote. It's good for finding some more meditation comparable to compassion meditation to improve "karmic traces". But it seems compassion is a great antidote... like, for all of them!

The thing I'm having more trouble with is some core principles of nondualism. I agree with the conclusion of nondualism: all perception is a mind construct (from your sense of self to your sense of touch to your feelings). In that sense, yes, everything is transient and empty. As long as we're talking about the contents of our awareness. But it seems they never concede that outside of our subjective world, there are objects and energies displayed in space and time in an objective world. When the author concedes that we must respect our engagements and fulfill our responsibilities despite nondualism, it kind of feels like we're taking a break from the whole perspective. But I think it doesn't have to be that way if the worldview is that there is an objective world with objects but our subjective experience is completely constructed by our mind (there is no direct experience of the objective world, only an indirect one). In that sense, if you ever feel you are one with everything, or that you are nothing, that is again a mind construct. There is no escaping it. The great non-quest for the bright light is a healthy practice to nurture some positive perception of the world (a non dual one) but I think there is no escaping what we are as consciousness and then as people in the world.

Spoiler for Chapter 8:

I think I agree with you. I felt a similar hesitation, moreso because I believe other people exist in some fashion. It's almost like he's promoting solipsism. I'm not sure how others exist, and I know we are one in essence. Maybe something like the multiverse theory, maybe God (source) "plays" all of us, and then we aren't so much interacting with each other directly, but rather, with one multiverse version of the other person who is also the same source energy. Nevermind. You know what? I don't know, and that's okay.