Exploring Desires and Anxieties: The World of Our Dreams and Worries
In the realm of spirituality, two enlightened masters, Gurdjieff and Osho, have offered unique methods to help individuals break free from the shackles of illusion and awaken to a more conscious reality.
Gurdjieff, a Russian spiritual master, and Osho, an Indian disciple of Gurdjieff, have both emphasised the importance of self-awareness and self-observation, even in states of physical exhaustion or semi-consciousness.
Kul Bhushan, a disciple of Osho and a renowned author, has traveled to over 50 countries and authored 26 books, specialising in writing on NRI (Non-Resident Indians) affairs. His articles on Osho can be found on www.kulbhushan.net.
The goal, as both spiritual teachers suggest, is to go beyond the illusion or maya to face reality. Being more and more aware at all times is the answer. The crucial question is: how do we stop dreaming, both in our sleep and while awake?
Gurdjieff taught a technique to awaken in a dream, instructing his disciples to repeat 'This time when I start dreaming in the night I will raise my hand and touch my head.' This practice is continued when the disciples sleep after they become very aware during the daytime.
Osho has offered easier methods for meditation to wake up from the mind's ticking. To practice techniques to stay aware during sleep and stop dreaming as suggested by Gurdjieff and Osho, you focus on maintaining continuous self-awareness, particularly in moments when your body and mind signal fatigue or sleepiness.
In moments when you feel extremely sleepy and cannot open your eyes, Osho advises that you should resist sleep by forcing yourself to stay awake—stand up, open your eyes wide, and keep staring without blinking. This activates a deeper reservoir of energy beyond ordinary fatigue, leading to a sudden upsurge of alertness and what he calls an "inside morning" or new energy source within.
This practice aligns with Gurdjieff's emphasis on self-awareness and self-observation even in physical exhaustion or semi-conscious states. Though less explicitly detailed in the search results, Gurdjieff taught techniques of self-remembering, where one attempts to remain conscious and attentive to oneself through all daily activities, potentially including transitions between waking and sleep states, thereby increasing the capacity to avoid dream absorption and maintain awareness.
In summary, the techniques involve:
- Cultivating continuous mindfulness and self-integration in all moments.
- At the point of onset of sleepiness, consciously fight it by physical and mental effort: open eyes wide, do not blink, stand or remain physically active.
- This activates a deeper energy reservoir enabling sustained inner wakefulness beyond normal body limits.
- The practice is a form of "self-remembering" or sustained awareness introduced by Gurdjieff, aiming to transcend automatic sleep-dream cycles.
Dreams can please, amuse, bewilder, or frighten us. However, according to Osho, the problem is not dreams but desiring. If we can overcome our desires, we may find that when the dreams are over, something has changed.
Zen masters in Japan practice a demanding system where they are hit with a stick during meditation if they lose attention or awareness. While this practice may not be for everyone, it underscores the importance of maintaining focus and self-awareness in spiritual practice.
[1] Source: www.osho.com [5] Source: www.gurdjieff.org
- In the realms of health-and-wellness, mental-health, and lifestyle, the techniques of self-awareness and self-observation, as advocated by both Gurdjieff and Osho, can potentially improve one's awareness during drowsy or semi-conscious periods, promoting better sleep and increased alertness.
- Fashion-and-beauty enthusiasts might find inspiration in Osho's method of resistance to sleep, which involves widening the eyes and forcing oneself to stay awake when extremely sleepy, leading to an 'inside morning' and a surge of alertness.
- As relationships can often lead to emotional exhaustion, employing Gurdjieff's practice of self-remembering, focusing on sustained awareness in all daily activities, might prove beneficial in maintaining mental clarity and avoiding dream absorption during transitions between waking and sleep states.
