Meditation and dreams

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
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Annicca
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Meditation and dreams

Post by Annicca »

Hello!

I haven't been practicing meditation for 1 hour daily for a couple of months and since I am having daily meditation, I begin to have dreams that indicate future happenings. They may not be exactly the SAME but they are signs that correspond EXACTLY or almost exactly for what is going to happen. Is this the result of meditation? Since I read that when one meditates, this might stimulate the seeds of karma (or sanskhara) :quote: .... sometimes the outcome is good, sometimes it's a prophecy of something bad that 's gonna happen. Should I do anything to overcome this? If the indications are NOT good, how should I do to revert the outcome? If it's a manifestation of the karma forces in my subconsciousness, is it okay to let it appear? Or am I working too hard on my meditation?
Annicca! Annicca! Annicca!

"This, monks, is the origination of form. This, the origination of feeling... perception... fabrications. This, the origination of consciousness." --SN 22.5, PTS: S iii 13, CDB i 863--Samadhi Sutta: Concentration
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DAWN
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Re: Meditation and dreams

Post by DAWN »

Hello dear Anicca,

Yes is the result of meditation, but not in that 'the dream it self is true', but your concentration on it make it's true.

Technicaly, the mirrow of your mind become calm, there is no more waves that changes a reflect, so the reflection becomes clear and right, your calm mind dont make any modification, so the light of your consciousness takes a right forms, and you remark the exactitude of ressemblances between internal dhammas and external. Dhamma dont make any distinction between external and internal, if there is a consciousness on one or another dhamma, this dhamma take the name-and-form.

All dhammas are like a shadows

So if you want to play with the shadows of your mind, you can do.
To test, try the next time to concentrate your clear mind on one litte detail, dirrect the boat of your mind on it, and the wind of kamma will lead your body to it.
If you dont want to play, dont concentrate your mind on it. If you dont wanna see something, dont enlight it.

Dreams are just a dreams, the moment when our bain reogrganise the memory, this activity is 'detected' by consciousness, images apears, that at the same moment goes in memory too... Dreams are not-self, just reorganisation, harmonysation, optimisation of memory space in your brain, so if you dont wonna to see your dreams become true, dont make it become true.

Metta :namaste:
Sabbe dhamma anatta
We are not concurents...
I'am sorry for my english
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Modus.Ponens
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Re: Meditation and dreams

Post by Modus.Ponens »

Yes, it's a result of meditation.

There's a responsability that comes with psychic powers and that is to only do good with them. There's nothing wrong with having them, unless it affects you negatively, or unless it becomes a distraction from the path.
'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' - Jhana Sutta
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Annicca
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Re: Meditation and dreams

Post by Annicca »

Thank you for your answer. But I am still very concerned about how to revert the unfavorable things from happening if the indications of my dreams are NOT good?

The more I practice, the more dreams appear (but at the same time, it's true what you said, my mind is much calmer during meditation than before, despite I don't get into any nimitta) and these dreams often prophecy things that are happening in within 2 weeks or even less. If things are good, I am NOT worried at all, instead, I would rather have it happen in that way :thinking: .

But when, the indications are bad, I 've found I often wake up terrified. For example, 2 weeks ago I dreamed someone was killing a girl and as I approached, I could see a man was trying to choke the girl's neck and chop her neck with a big knife. The next scene was: I saw the girl was injured, but to my surprise, she just had a little bruise on her neck and nothing at all. Then I checked in a book and it said that the neck is the symbol of health, and it was true.

I was wondering what will happen? Then I decided not to pay attention to it. However, Immediately 3 days later, I suffered serious renal pain but when I saw my doctor, he said that I was okay. Things like this that indicate keep showing up in my dreams , is there a possible way to revert by meditation? Or should I stop meditating?

I have never had similar experiences before. This appears lately during these past 8 months and especially in these past 3 months as I have made a few progresses in my meditation. Is there any technique to overcome the BAD indications in the dreams? And is there a way to prevent them from manifesting in the reality?
So if you want to play with the shadows of your mind, you can do.
To test, try the next time to concentrate your clear mind on one litte detail, dirrect the boat of your mind on it, and the wind of kamma will lead your body to it.
If you dont want to play, dont concentrate your mind on it. If you dont wanna see something, dont enlight it.
I admit I do have many illusions during meditation, but the anger, greed, jealousy that appear, or the scenes that appear in my meditation are NOT the things I worry or that appear in the dreams. How do you explain about this?
Annicca! Annicca! Annicca!

"This, monks, is the origination of form. This, the origination of feeling... perception... fabrications. This, the origination of consciousness." --SN 22.5, PTS: S iii 13, CDB i 863--Samadhi Sutta: Concentration
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Modus.Ponens
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Re: Meditation and dreams

Post by Modus.Ponens »

Why would you want to eliminate the bad premonitions? They can save your's or someone else's life! But if you're really burdened by that, try create a firm resolution to not experience the bad premonitions. Then say what your resolution is out loud (I read that this helps).
'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' - Jhana Sutta
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Annicca
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Re: Meditation and dreams

Post by Annicca »

Well, you wouldn't like to have renal problems, would you? :popcorn:
Annicca! Annicca! Annicca!

"This, monks, is the origination of form. This, the origination of feeling... perception... fabrications. This, the origination of consciousness." --SN 22.5, PTS: S iii 13, CDB i 863--Samadhi Sutta: Concentration
santa100
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Re: Meditation and dreams

Post by santa100 »

Maybe adding more Insight meditation instead of just pure Serenity meditation would help. As deeper contemplation on the 3 characteristics of Anicca, Dukkha, and Anattā will allow you to see things as simply processes that arise and pass away with less and less involvement of "I", "mine", and "myself"..
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Annicca
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Re: Meditation and dreams

Post by Annicca »

Lately, I am doing 1 hour of Goenka's vipassana and 1 hour of anapanasati in the afternoon. Should I stop working on anapanasati? Better suggestions?
Annicca! Annicca! Annicca!

"This, monks, is the origination of form. This, the origination of feeling... perception... fabrications. This, the origination of consciousness." --SN 22.5, PTS: S iii 13, CDB i 863--Samadhi Sutta: Concentration
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Hanzze
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Re: Meditation and dreams

Post by Hanzze »

Annicca wrote:Hello!

I haven't been practicing meditation for 1 hour daily for a couple of months and since I am having daily meditation, I begin to have dreams that indicate future happenings. They may not be exactly the SAME but they are signs that correspond EXACTLY or almost exactly for what is going to happen. Is this the result of meditation? Since I read that when one meditates, this might stimulate the seeds of karma (or sanskhara) :quote: .... sometimes the outcome is good, sometimes it's a prophecy of something bad that 's gonna happen. Should I do anything to overcome this? If the indications are NOT good, how should I do to revert the outcome? If it's a manifestation of the karma forces in my subconsciousness, is it okay to let it appear? Or am I working too hard on my meditation?
From my experiances, observing precepts well has much impact on reducing dreams. Maybe it would be good to put more effort into "meditation" or better mindfullness the whole day, and the daily hour is for sure not to much.
How ever, no need to give dreams much attentions. They are just dreams.
Just that! *smile*
...We Buddhists must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of human experience, temples that are filled with suffering. If we listen to Buddha, Christ, or Gandhi, we can do nothing else. The refugee camps, the prisons, the ghettos, and the battlefields will become our temples. We have so much work to do. ... Peace is Possible! Step by Step. - Samtach Preah Maha Ghosananda "Step by Step" http://www.ghosananda.org/bio_book.html

BUT! it is important to become a real Buddhist first. Like Punna did: Punna Sutta Nate sante baram sokham _()_
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Annicca
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Re: Meditation and dreams

Post by Annicca »

Got your point! May be I'll start focusing on the precepts or reading more sutras and have an eye in my daily activities.

You know, the most difficult thing is to practice in your daily life. You may "enjoy" the whole session of meditation and aware of your mind when it drifts away, however in our daily life, it's very hard to bring your mind back when it's influenced by the outer phenomena. For instance, in sitting meditation, may be when images of a person that I dislike appear, at first my mind would follow that image and negative emotions would appear, like for instance anger, jealousy etc. But as soon as I notice that my mind has drifted away, I would manage to bring it back to the mental object (although with a lot of effort), but finally you can succeed in doing this. However, in our daily life, when an unfavorable circumstance appears, you just react to it and it's very hard to bring your mind back. How can I revert these emotions or thoughts in my daily life? Or should I practice more sitting meditation instead? For instance, if it's anger during the day, I should increase the practice of metta etc.? I find hard to overcome my emotions and reactions.... :shrug:

:focus: I 've found some traces of my daily life do appear in the dreams, although they do NOT appear during meditation. So, may be try to overcome it in my daily activities?
Annicca! Annicca! Annicca!

"This, monks, is the origination of form. This, the origination of feeling... perception... fabrications. This, the origination of consciousness." --SN 22.5, PTS: S iii 13, CDB i 863--Samadhi Sutta: Concentration
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Hanzze
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Re: Meditation and dreams

Post by Hanzze »

:thumbsup:
Just that! *smile*
...We Buddhists must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of human experience, temples that are filled with suffering. If we listen to Buddha, Christ, or Gandhi, we can do nothing else. The refugee camps, the prisons, the ghettos, and the battlefields will become our temples. We have so much work to do. ... Peace is Possible! Step by Step. - Samtach Preah Maha Ghosananda "Step by Step" http://www.ghosananda.org/bio_book.html

BUT! it is important to become a real Buddhist first. Like Punna did: Punna Sutta Nate sante baram sokham _()_
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