For some people, lucid dreaming suggests an inner opportunity for spiritual growth. Have you had any lucid dreams which might suggest this? What happened?
It depends on one’s definition of spiritual growth, but yes, I think this is a common side effect of lucid dreaming. Spiritual growth is one of the oldest uses of lucid dreaming if we put Tibetan Buddhism into the spiritual category. Personally, just having my first lucid dream was an experience of spiritual growth because it led me to constantly question reality more and expand my sense of self. Having had this experience at the late age of 21, it showed me that if I keep an open mind then things can happen which I once thought were impossible (e.g. knowing I’m in a dream while dreaming).
One experience I had began with a non-lucid dream where a koala telepathically told me I could use trees as portals. This was strange because koalas were my favorite animal growing up, and they still are, but I never remember seeing one in my dreams. A synchronicity occurred a couple of days later as I read a book by an author who studied with shamans around the world and it said that many of them use trees as portals! My curiosity was sparked so I tried using a tree portal while lucid dreaming. It was a long experience, but I’ll share the highlights:
I ran towards the tree, jumping through it backwards. I instantaneously shot through the sky with great force…In front of me stood ~20 people in a sort of circle…I assumed that these were all shamans from various cultures and, when I looked closer, I realized they were each shooting different colors of light energy down through the clouds…they were all aiming to help heal others in some way…even though they seemed focused and concerned, all the shamans appeared to be genuinely happy…
Again, we were standing before the huge tree…again I jump backwards into it. This time I shoot downwards with great force and stop in a cavern-looking place…I see a variety of animals: humans, hybrids, and some creatures I’ve never seen before…their entire attention is focused on themselves and their happiness…I could tell that none of them were truly happy…
Basically, this lucid dream showed me that true happiness comes from serving others and selfishness only leads to dissatisfaction. It was a powerful one for me.
Photo by dheuser via Pixabay
From your experience, does spiritual growth in lucid dreams involve working with what exists in your mind (beliefs, expectations, emotions, intents, etc.) or does spiritual growth involve working with unknown energies which exist outside the mind?
This again hinges on one’s definition of spiritual growth. It’s also hard to tell what’s inside the mind and what’s outside it, given that the nature of the mind is so elusive. Understanding the mind is easily one of the most complicated topics we have wrestled with as a species, so it would be naïve to think we know entirely how the mind works at this point. In my experience, it’s important to keep an attitude of humility in these matters as well as a continuous sense of inquiry.
Can people experience spiritual growth in lucid dreams through a change in their psychology? I believe so since I’ve had several experiences that could be categorized in this way. Can people experience spiritual growth in lucid dreams through interacting with unknown energies that exist outside the mind? Maybe, honestly, I don’t know. I’ve had a couple of experiences that might fall under this umbrella so I try to keep an open mind as I said before, but it’s hard to say. It’s a tough question, and it depends on how we define “mind”, too. Either way, I know that lucid dreaming has helped me grow positively in many ways and my goal is to assist others in attaining a better quality of life through lucid dreaming as well.
Where do you see the field of lucid dreaming going in the future? Thanks!
I see the field of lucid dreaming expanding into a variety of avenues. The potential applications of this state of mind are just beginning to be explored: creativity, problem-solving, motor-skill development, mental health, emotional health, physical health, etc. I envision that lucid dreaming will become more popular as science starts to hone in on all the benefits that this unique state of being has to offer. We’re already starting to see a resurgence of scientific interest in the topic so I’m excited for the future of the field and look forward to contributing as much research as I can throughout my lifetime.
