Lucid dreams (LDs) have been actively studied since the last century, but various religions have been interested in them for much longer - from Hinduism and Buddhism in the East to Catholics and spiritualists in the West. What can science learn from these religious practices?
Ilya Chikunov prepared a retelling of ]]>review]]> of Brazilian scientists devoted to the study of lucid dreams in religion.
The term "lucid dreaming"
introduced by Frederick van Eeden in 1913 to ]]>describe]]> a type of sleep during which “the reintegration of mental functions is so complete that the sleeper remembers daily life and his own state, achieves perfect awareness, is able to direct attention and perform various actions, using free will." According to other definitions, an lucid dream is simply a dream when a person becomes aware that he is dreaming. The objective study of lucid dreaming began with the work of Keith Hearn and Stephen LaBerge, who developed a technique in which dreamers were instructed to move their eyes at the moment of lucidity.
Although the first scientific data appeared relatively recently, OSs have been described by various religions since ancient times. Next, we will look at how Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and spiritualism interpret dreams, lucid dreams and other states of consciousness during sleep.
Hinduism
The origins of the practices and beliefs united in the 19th century under the name “Hinduism” originated in northwestern India approximately 3.5 thousand years ago. Its name - Sanatana-dharma - means "Eternal Law". Like most ancient societies, Hindus considered dreams to be divine and prophetic, and one of the most reliable sources of insight. Hindus view the world around us and dreams as illusions of the god Vishnu. Mystical texts, the Upanishads, describe dreams as a personal experiential path to realizing the illusory nature of oneself and all reality.
Interestingly, Hindus divide consciousness into waking, dreaming and deep sleep and believe that both dreams and deep sleep are more important than the first. This is the opposite of Western culture, where wakefulness is established as the main state - synonymous with the "real", sleep - just an additional state, and dreams - the "unreal".
Some Hindus believe that only in deep sleep can a person be completely free from thoughts, but not while awake or dreaming. They also believe that some form of consciousness also operates during deep sleep, but it is impossible to achieve lucidity in it. However, studies have shown that OS, as measured objectively by eye movement technique, is present]]> during sleep onset (N1), light sleep (N2), and rapid eye movement (REM), but not during deep sleep ( N3). This issue is still controversial, especially considering the Hindu tradition of spiritual sleep - yoga nidra. Modern texts ]]>consider]]> yoga nidra as a kind of OS state in which dream images appear to the practitioner. The dreamer does not identify himself or become attached to the content, remaining an “objective observer.”
Also known as "yogic sleep", yoga nidra
means “blissful relaxation” and is considered one of the ways to achieve the state of samadhi, or self-realization. Yoga Nidra was first mentioned in the Upanishads, which are part of the Vedas, the Sanskrit texts containing the oldest sacred scriptures of Hinduism. Interestingly, the parts of the OM/AUM mantra refer to different states of consciousness: “A”, “U” and “M” - waking, dreaming and deep sleep, respectively. The fourth, turiya or transcendental state, is represented by the combination of AUM.
One of the main debates in classical Indian philosophy is whether consciousness is present in deep sleep or not. The Advaita Vedanta and Yoga schools of thought claim that consciousness is present in dreamless sleep, while the Nyaya school says that it is not. On the other hand, the term "observation dream" describes the coexistence of transcendental consciousness and sleep. According to other sources, there are three types of consciousness in sleep: lucidity; dream observation - the experience of quiet, peaceful inner awareness or wakefulness, completely separate from the dream; contemplation of deep sleep is similar, but without dreams.
Recent ]]>research]]> also ]]>come]]> to the conclusion that some form of consciousness is present in sleepless sleep. In one of the experiments with yogi Swami Rama, scientists ]]>discovered]]> that he remembered everything that happened to him in a state of yogic sleep, when the electroencephalogram recorded 40% of the delta wave activity characteristic of deep sleep.
The yogi retold 9 out of 10 phrases voiced to him in a dream. This supports the idea that information can reach a person even when he is in an “unconscious” state.
A similar result ]]>was obtained]]> using a technique using mantras called “transcendental meditation”. The researchers, comparing the three groups, ]]>found]]> that all 11 long-term meditators were able to report being aware of themselves during sleep, in contrast to the complete absence of lucidity among short-term meditators and non-practitioners . Electroencephalogram recordings showed that during deep sleep, the experimental group of long-term meditators had high theta-alpha activity simultaneously with delta activity and lower muscle tone compared to the groups of short-term meditators and non-meditators.
The study authors suggested that transcendental consciousness during sleep differs from lucidity because the latter occurs almost exclusively during REM activation and more frequently during later REM periods. Finally, research into nonjudgmental lucidity practices also provides empirical support for the possibility of some kind of consciousness in deep sleep. Experienced meditators sometimes report “dream watching,” where they do not have specific thoughts or images. These participants showed differences in electroencephalogram activity during sleep compared to non-meditators and inexperienced meditators, such as ]]>increased]]> gamma band activity.
Another study found that the high clarity group had increased gray matter volume in the prefrontal cortex compared to the low clarity group.
In addition, blood oxygen level-dependent signal increased in this region during MRI monitoring in both groups, especially in the high-clearance group. Scientists ]]>suggest]]> that metacognitive practices and OS have common neural systems, in particular according to data from monitoring mental activity. It has also been reported that the frequency of OS is more positively associated with the state of conscious presence than with the state of consciousness. However, it remains unclear whether the relationship between mindfulness and OC is influenced by actual meditation practice rather than individual predisposition.
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Buddhism
Buddhism originated about 2.5 thousand years ago in India and today is divided into three branches: Theravada (school of elders), Mahayana (great path) and Vajrayana (diamond path). The Vajrayana school was founded in Tibet in the 8th century and gave rise to Tibetan Buddhism, which practices dream yoga, a meditation technique aimed at developing awareness during sleep. Interestingly, Buddha himself is called the Awakened and Enlightened One.
Dream yoga includes four stages. As Laberge describes, during the preparatory phase the dreamer must become aware of the dream as it unfolds, and meditating on it before falling asleep can help with this. Then, when the dream becomes lucid, the dreamer must try to overcome all fears and also avoid awakening - a common undesirable outcome, especially for beginners. After such preparation, the dreamer begins the first stage, in which it is necessary to contemplate the dream and reflect on how similar or dissimilar it is to real life, since both are constantly changing illusions, which is the fundamental concept of Buddhism.
Thanks to the understanding achieved, the dreamer should try to control the oneiric content. This stage is especially important for those who suffer from recurring nightmares, since awareness during such a dream helps to get rid of fear, since nothing can cause real physical harm within the dream. Other possibilities include transforming a nightmare into a good dream or simply waking up. In the third stage, the dreamer must recognize that the dream body has no material substance - neither other people nor objects in the dream. Finally, in the fourth and final stage, the dreamer must try to visualize the deity, Buddha, in order to gain revelation.
A ]]>connection]]> has been established between the practice of meditation and the occurrence of OS.
One likely explanation is that experienced meditators experience increased rates of rapid eye movements during REM sleep. This may increase the frequency of OSes, since OSes are associated with REM sleep, that is, periods of rapid eye movement sleep. The neuropsychological mechanisms underlying this finding are not yet clear, but may be due to the fact that REM sleep has autonomic activation reminiscent of wakefulness and that REMs appear to be a mixture or transient the phase between REM sleep and wakefulness. Another explanation is that FOs increase power in the alpha range (8-12 Hz) - this is also found in a relaxed, awake state with eyes closed and during meditation.
Moreover, the meditative states of “focused attention” (Himalayan yoga), “open observation” (Vipassana) and “open awareness” (Isha-shunya yoga) ]]>demonstrate]]> increased global coherence in the gamma range, which also happens during OS. A greater capacity for mental control is evident both in experienced meditators and in those who frequently experience lucid dreams. Finally, the connection between meditation and OC is through the development of metacognitive abilities such as focus and mindfulness. These various alternative explanations are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, ]]>supported]]> Western OS research as a potential bridge between modern science and ancient religious wisdom. When the Dalai Lama was asked to describe his views on OS, he replied:
“They say that there is a connection between dreams, on the one hand, and the gross and subtle levels of the body, on the other. But it is also said that there is such a thing as a “special dream state.” In this state, a “special dream body” is created from the mind and vital energy (prana) within the body. This special dream body is able to separate completely from the gross physical body and travel to other places.
One way to develop this special dream body is to first become aware of the dream as a dream when it occurs. Then you will discover that the dream is malleable and make an effort to gain control over it. Gradually you will become very adept at this, increasing your ability to control dream content to suit your own desires. Ultimately, one can separate the dream body from the gross physical body.”
Other Buddhist yoga discusses useful techniques for achieving OS. In the so-called Tibetan sleep yoga, dream observation and OS are used to develop mental flexibility. Flexibility of mind ]]>is]]> the most important characteristic for the transition from absoluteness to relativity of how the world works, and thus for better managing feelings and attachment to material things.
As a consequence, cultivating dream observation at the beginning and lucidity at the end of the night can lead to favor paving the way to enlightenment. Practitioners of sleep yoga can reap the benefits of enlightenment through a practice that is a reasonable alternative to exercises without the corresponding emphasis and without the cultivation of special dreams. The advantage of Tibetan yoga is that the corresponding training is available even in your own bed.
Tibetan yogis developed a special classification of dreams:
1) ordinary dreams, conscious and unconscious (samsaric dreams);
2) lucid dreams, both conscious and unconscious (lucid dreams);
3) dreams of Clear Light, manifesting only as OS.
The differences between lucid dreams and ordinary dreams are the greater stability of the practitioner, as well as the appearance of special images and traces that “represent accessible knowledge directly from consciousness below the level of the ordinary self.” Finally, Clear Light dreams are a special type of dream that “occurs when one is far along the path.”
Such a dream is formed when a person experiences non-dualistic states of consciousness, and is also a non-dualistic dream: the practitioner "is not recreated either as an observing subject in relation to the dream as an object, nor as a subject in the dream world" integrated with the non-dual state.
To cultivate lucid and non-lucid dream states, the practitioner uses various yoga techniques: quiet meditation, mental flexibility during the day (for example, imagining the world and oneself as a dream), awareness and recollection of dreams, and during sleep, visualization of Tibetan symbols (tingles) and syllables associated with body parts at four different times during the night. According to this tradition, lucid dreams occur specifically in the latter part of the night, which clearly coincides with the classical physiological occurrence of more intense episodes of REM sleep.
In this context, scientific study of Tibetan sleep yoga practices may provide answers to some pressing neuroscience questions. By using electroencephalograms and functional anatomy scans, it is possible to better understand the neural dynamics of these conditions in both experienced practitioners and novices.
In addition, it will be interesting to explore how OC practices may influence brain neuroplasticity and alleviate anxiety and depression, or be a useful tool for developing greater emotional stability and self-control. As with classical mindfulness techniques that originated in ancient Asian traditions and have become commonplace in everyday practice, similar adaptations of Tibetan variations of sleep and dream yoga could reduce the incidence of mental illness.
The described Eastern experimental approaches to dreams, which view them as a realm of consciousness that must be actively explored and intentionally trained, are very different from traditional Abrahamic religions.
Judaism and Christianity
Judaism and Christianity are monotheistic and have common origins in the Old Testament. In Judaism, signs from God can be received through visions, voices and, of course, through dreams. The approach to dreams in Judaism and Christianity is clearly different from traditional Indian religions. In Buddhism and Hinduism, dreams are used as tools to expand consciousness and gain self-control, as part of the path to enlightenment or mastery of the body and mind. In Judaism and Christianity, dreams serve primarily as a means of communication between people and God. Dreams can take many forms - visual images, auditory commands, frightening nightmares - but the common feature is the revelation of a divine message to the dreamer.
In the Old and New Testaments the word "dream"
occurs more than a hundred times. The Jews, Babylonians, and ancient Egyptians shared common traditions of dream interpretation. As can be seen from the interpretation of the dreams of the Egyptian pharaoh ]]>Joseph]]> and the dream of Nebuchadnezzar ]]>Daniel]]>, the Jewish people were extremely successful in obtaining favors from foreign rulers through the skill of dream interpretation, which influenced government policy. However, despite the exceptional importance of dreams in biblical texts, researchers have not found a single direct allusion to OS.
The same applies to the references to dreams in the New Testament, which are fewer than in the Old, but they reveal the same basic theme of communication between man and the deity. In a theological context, OCs seem less significant since divine messages can be effectively conveyed in non-lucid dreams. The higher levels of consciousness in the dream state are not important; the main thing is to remember the dream after waking up and correctly interpret its meaning. For example, in Numbers:
“And he said: listen to my words: if there is a prophet of the Lord among you, then I reveal myself to him in a vision, I speak to him in a dream” (]]>12:6]]>).
This difference is shown by the early Christian theologian St. Augustine in a letter in which ]]>mentions]]> about the case of OS in a friend who doubted the doctrine of the eternal soul - an angelic youth appeared to him in a dream, brought him into a state of lucid dreaming and told him about immortality .
Augustine clearly recognizes the phenomenon of OS, and yet in his religious worldview it has a completely different meaning than in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. For Augustine, OS is a kind of threshold to the afterlife, when the soul is completely separated from the body.
The OS experience only confirms what Christians should already know. It is not the purpose here to explore the experience outside of a theological framework, which is perhaps why there is a paucity of work on these experiences in Christianity and Judaism.
Persecution of cats by the Inquisition
Animal trials were common in medieval Europe. But cats suffered the most at the hands of the Inquisition. And this is not surprising. After all, the cat, leading a nocturnal lifestyle, eyes glowing in the dark, silently walking and unusually physically resilient, seemed to be a creature not from our world, but the creation of the devil himself. And if she had a black color, they were generally considered a disguised witch. Since then, there has been a sign that a black cat crossing your path is a bad omen.
In a word, back in the 13th century, cats were included in the list of heretics persecuted by the Inquisition, and the cries of animals tortured by Christians were perceived by those who tortured them as the cries of the devil himself.
At a time when witch hunts were gaining momentum, not only women accused of witchcraft were subjected to torture and destruction, but also their beloved pets. That is why cats were perceived as messengers of evil spirits.
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But what is surprising is that even after the belief in witches passed, these domestic animals were persecuted in Europe for another century. There was a special day when they were allowed to be killed in any quantity.
Islam
Followers of Islam believe that the word of Allah was transmitted to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad in 610 AD. e., continuing and completing the revelations begun in the Jewish and Christian religions. It is important to note that this happened after the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad, according to many, in a dream. Moreover, it is believed that before the first revelation, Muhammad had many dreams filled with spiritual meaning, which prompted him to begin preaching.
In the Koran, Islam's holy book, dreams are seen as God's way of communicating with people, as is the case in both the Jewish Torah and the Christian New Testament. Dreams are also mentioned in some passages of the Qur'an, and although they are much less common than in the Bible, their application depends on the ability to correctly interpret the metaphorical content due to the personal and indirect knowledge of the dreamer. This was later noted by Freud and ]]>recognized]]> by modern neuroscience. As ]]>said]]> the prophet, “a dream is realized the way you interpret it.” On the other hand, there are dreams that are more straightforward and do not need interpretation, such as the famous dream where Allah tells Abraham to sacrifice his son. There are also strategies for creating good dreams. For example, hadith texts encourage practitioners to try to sleep in a state of ritual purity in order to have good dreams.
Thus, in Islam, dreams have the same purpose as in the biblical texts: to serve as objects for interpretation or to be perceived as direct messages. Additionally, some Islamic traditions discourage discussion of dreams that contain something obviously bad or unpleasant, as such dreams are interpreted as being caused by Satan. If a person is faced with a bad dream, he is advised to read the Qur'an and make donations to get rid of the contents of the dream, instead of discussing it with other people.
There are several references to OS in the Islamic tradition, mostly by the Sufi theologian Ibn Arabi (1165–1240). Ibn Arabi claimed that he had many visionary experiences, such as seeing the Archangel Jibril (Gabriel). Ibn Arabi divided dreams into three main types.
The first is “ordinary” dreams, which are created by the imagination based on everyday life experiences, but with symbolic content representing our desires, very similar to the psychoanalytic approach of Freud and Jung. The second type of dream is much more important and reflects the "universal soul" - abstract ideas that could reveal fundamental truths about reality, but are distorted by the human imagination and therefore require interpretation to reveal the true meaning of symbolic images. The last type of dreams involves a clear vision of divine truth without distortion or symbolism. As for the OS, Ibn Arabi ]]>believed]]> that they are also very important:
“A person must control thoughts during sleep. Training such vigilance... will bring great benefit to a person. Everyone should make an effort to acquire such a valuable ability.”
The Sufi tradition specifically ]]>cultivated]]> the preservation of the observer's ability during sleep through techniques of physical deprivation - fasting and staying awake throughout the night - and self-remembering exercises. A large number of OS trainings were also developed by Indian Sufi orders that migrated to the West.
A dreamer who can maintain focus and clarity is able to work with the symbols of the world of images and consciously participate in the process of his own spiritual development.
Another movement, the “Golden Sufi Center,” included in its traditions work with dreams - their joint and collective interpretation, as well as induction of OS. OS's earlier roots go back to medieval Islamic cultural traditions and are found in Sufism, which had contact with Hindu teachings and practices. There are certainly some parallels between aspects of Hinduism and the Sufi desire to cultivate non-ordinary states of consciousness in wakefulness and sleep, with the ultimate goal of direct encounter with divine powers. Unfortunately, there is not enough scientific work on these experiments.
What did the destruction of cats bring?
In the Middle Ages, many cats died, which immediately led to sad consequences. The destruction of these domestic animals caused a surge in the reproduction of rats, which, in the absence of natural opponents, became a real threat to the population of Europe in the middle of the 14th century. These vile animals carried fleas through which the bubonic plague was transmitted. The epidemic began to massively cover entire cities. According to historians, about 75 million men, women and children died from the plague during that period, which at that time amounted to a third of the population of Europe. Of course, this would not have happened if cats had not been massacred during the Dark Middle Ages.
Spiritualism
In addition to the three well-known Abrahamic religions, there are a number of relatively minor esoteric movements, such as spiritualism, based in part on Christianity and developed by Allan Kardec. Currently, spiritualism is widespread mainly in Brazil, thanks to the activities of numerous mediums. Mediums are people who supposedly can establish contact between living people and the spirits of the dead. Spiritualism ]]>claims]]> that the human soul (or spirit) can “leave the physical body,” as in out-of-body experiences (OBEs), and create “astral projections.” An OBE is usually caused by an autoscopy experience (“observation of oneself”). An OBE is defined as seeing a double, that is, another self that is less real than the original self, or the experience of seeing one's own body in an extrapersonal space.
Based on reports of autoscopy experiences during sleep, especially those in which the dreamer sees himself lying on a bed and sleeping, spiritualism posits that the spirit naturally separates from the body during sleep, which explains several aspects of dream phenomenology. For example, the irrational and confused aspect of dreams would be the memory of what the spirit saw, but the gross physical body did not retain the impressions received by the spirit - this explains the huge gaps in the memory of dreams.
In addition, spiritualists claim that during sleep our spirit communicates with other spirits, and can also visit other worlds, see the past and future. Interestingly, some branches of spiritualism believe that OS is the last stage before the experience of “leaving the physical body.” However, for those who believe in spiritualism, OC will not be "real" compared to astral projection because it is just a dream. Another difference is that during OS it is possible to control oneiric content, which does not happen in a “real” OBE that occurs during sleep.
Modern research has confirmed that the sensation of an OBE occurs in a state of wakefulness, sleep or dreaming. OBEs also occur during some experiences, and both experiences share some common features, such as sleep paralysis, vibrations, and a sensation of floating outside the body. The connection between OBE and OS ]]>studied]]> in two experiments. In the first study, the authors analyzed dream content and noted that of 107 lucid dream episodes recorded in the laboratory, 10 (9.3%) qualified as OBEs. In the second, they conducted a survey among 604 subjects and noted that the frequency of OBEs was similar to that observed in the first study, thereby confirming the association between OBEs and OS.
The main conclusion is that any condition that combines high cortical activation with low levels of body awareness can cause an OBE.
OBE ]]>associated]]> with the function of the temporoparietal junction, a multimodal brain region that integrates visual, tactile, proprioceptive, auditory, and vestibular information processed by the occipital, parietal, and temporal cortices, contributing to self-awareness and internal perception of body image. An OBE can be induced artificially by disrupting the temporoparietal region with ]]>magnetic]]> or ]]>electrical]]> stimulation.
A much simpler way to experience an OBE ]]>was developed]]> by Henrik Ersson, who used glass that showed participants images from cameras placed on their backs. Standing behind the subject, Ersson manipulated two plastic wands, one of which touched the participant's chest, while the other performed a similar action in front of the cameras, pointing the wand at a location below them.
This synchronized movement caused some cognitive dissonance or misinterpretation: subjects felt that the "illusory body" created by the cameras was their real body and reported OBEs. It is likely that OBE sensations are caused in the practices of spiritualism.
Studies such as these show the information that scientific methods can provide when applied to the study of dreams in an esoteric context. This is especially true when we look beyond the world's major religions. For smaller religious movements, dreams serve as a very attractive resource—they can provide a direct, deeply personalized means of accessing powerful spiritual energies and states of higher consciousness.
The anthropology of dreams ]]>confirms]]> the practice of lucid dreaming in small societies and indigenous communities around the world.
In these traditions, the emphasis of OS practice is often on shamanic work of healing, divination, and spiritual empowerment. The use of mind-altering substances is often observed during shamanic rituals, and ]]>there is]]> a close phenomenological connection between dreams, particularly lucid dreaming, and psychedelic experiences. This active, goal-oriented approach to dreams is closer to Hinduism and Buddhism than to the Abrahamic religions, but with less interest in metaphysics and more in pragmatic issues.
First appearance of cats
The connection between people and cats can be traced much earlier. Even 9 thousand years before the invention of the wheel and writing, cave paintings were found depicting cats decorated with precious stones and ornaments. And the first traces of these animals were found in ancient settlements located in the territory between modern Israel and Iraq, in an area called the Fertile Crescent. Former nomads created villages where they began to grow wheat, and in order to store grain and other food products, they needed cats that could catch mice.
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