There are an incredible number of books on the market that discuss dreams, vivid dreaming and lucid dreaming. There are so many, in fact, that it can be a little overwhelming to try and figure out which are the best ones to read. I have a number of favorite books on the topic of dreaming which discuss dreaming from the viewpoint of many different ancient traditions, but I must say that one of my favorites has always been The Art of Dreaming by Carlos Castaneda. This book was one of the first books on the topic of dreaming that I ever sat down and read cover to cover, and it was actually one of the things which helped me to see the potential for learning and growth that exists within the dream space.
The Art of Dreaming describes the steps that an individual needs to take to maintain awareness and control within the dream state. Carlos Castaneda claims to have studied with the Yaqui sorcerer Don Juan Matus, of the Toltec tradition, from 1960 to 1973. In this tradition, there are seven barriers to awareness, known as the Seven Gates of Dreaming. These gates are obstacles to awareness which, when overcome using certain techniques, allow for total awareness within the dream state.
According to The Art of Dreaming, the physical reality of the world is only one layer in a cluster of consecutive worlds which are arranged in layers. According to Castaneda, it is possible for anyone to enter these other realms, which are just as real and all encompassing as our own. However, in order to perceive these realms, we need to change our conditioning regarding the perception of reality. The easiest way of doing this is to work with the dream states, through which we can most easily enter those other realms with awareness. By passing through the Seven Gates of Dreaming, one will eventually be able to be fully capable of entering other realms of awareness, both while awake and asleep.
The Art of Dreaming only discusses four of the Gates of Dreaming. However, it also discusses ways in which an individual can alter the mind and the body through the dream state in order to effect powerful changes. Castaneda even says that one can alter the way in which experiences death through doing dream work. Don Juan is quoted as describing the concept of dreaming as follows “Dreaming can only be experienced. Dreaming is not just having dreams; neither is daydreaming or wishing or imagining. Through dreaming we can perceive other worlds, which we can certainly describe, but we can’t describe what makes us perceive them. Yet we can feel how dreaming opens up those other realms. Dreaming seems to be a sensation – a process in our bodies, an awareness in our minds.”
The concepts of the Gates of Dreaming have been very valuable to me in conceptualizing my own dream states, and I wanted to give a brief overview of them so that you can decide whether or not this book and the techniques contained within it would be useful for you in your dreaming process as well. The first Gate of Dreaming is the stabilization of the dream body. This occurs when one is able to see one’s own hands in the dream state and recognize the physical body. Once one can look away from the hands and then back to them several times in the dream, this gate has been resolved. I have found that being able to recognize my own hands during dreaming is an excellent way to achieve lucidity.
The second Gate of Dreaming is where the individual becomes capable of using the dream body. Resolving this gate involves being able to control the body in the dream and to manipulate dream objects physically. It is also related to the ability to fall asleep without losing consciousness, as with Wake Induced Lucid Dreaming techniques. The third Gate of Dreaming is when the dreaming body and the physical body become one and one dreams of looking at oneself. And finally, the fourth Gate of Dreaming occurs when the individual is able to perceive the energetic qualities of all objects in the dream state, seeing them for what they really are rather than what they may seem to be.
Of course, the above is nothing other than a very, very brief overview of the concepts contained within The Art of Dreaming. The book itself contains a great deal more detail regarding the dream states and techniques which one can use both while awake and asleep to induce lucid dreaming and to pass through the Gates of Dreaming. Castaneda discusses dreaming procedures, the abstract explanations of these procedures, and the realms that can be entered through dreaming. The Art of Dreaming is an absolutely invaluable tool for anyone who is seeking to work with lucid and vivid dreaming at an intensely spiritual level, and I would recommend it to anyone who desires to pursue such practices! Of course, I’m always looking for more good books on the topic of dreaming, so if you have a favorite book on lucid or vivid dreaming, leave a comment and let me know what it is!
There are an incredible number of books on the market that discuss dreams, vivid dreaming and lucid dreaming. There are so many, in fact, that it can be a little overwhelming to try and figure out which are the best ones to read. I have a number of favorite books on the topic of dreaming which discuss dreaming from the viewpoint of many different ancient traditions, but I must say that one of my favorites has always been The Art of Dreaming by Carlos Castaneda. This book was one of the first books on the topic of dreaming that I ever sat down and read cover to cover, and it was actually one of the things which helped me to see the potential for learning and growth that exists within the dream space.
The Art of Dreaming describes the steps that an individual needs to take to maintain awareness and control within the dream state. Carlos Castaneda claims to have studied with the Yaqui sorcerer Don Juan Matus, of the Toltec tradition, from 1960 to 1973. In this tradition, there are seven barriers to awareness, known as the Seven Gates of Dreaming. These gates are obstacles to awareness which, when overcome using certain techniques, allow for total awareness within the dream state.
According to The Art of Dreaming, the physical reality of the world is only one layer in a cluster of consecutive worlds which are arranged in layers. According to Castaneda, it is possible for anyone to enter these other realms, which are just as real and all encompassing as our own. However, in order to perceive these realms, we need to change our conditioning regarding the perception of reality. The easiest way of doing this is to work with the dream states, through which we can most easily enter those other realms with awareness. By passing through the Seven Gates of Dreaming, one will eventually be able to be fully capable of entering other realms of awareness, both while awake and asleep.
The Art of Dreaming only discusses four of the Gates of Dreaming. However, it also discusses ways in which an individual can alter the mind and the body through the dream state in order to effect powerful changes. Castaneda even says that one can alter the way in which experiences death through doing dream work. Don Juan is quoted as describing the concept of dreaming as follows “Dreaming can only be experienced. Dreaming is not just having dreams; neither is daydreaming or wishing or imagining. Through dreaming we can perceive other worlds, which we can certainly describe, but we can’t describe what makes us perceive them. Yet we can feel how dreaming opens up those other realms. Dreaming seems to be a sensation – a process in our bodies, an awareness in our minds.”
The concepts of the Gates of Dreaming have been very valuable to me in conceptualizing my own dream states, and I wanted to give a brief overview of them so that you can decide whether or not this book and the techniques contained within it would be useful for you in your dreaming process as well. The first Gate of Dreaming is the stabilization of the dream body. This occurs when one is able to see one’s own hands in the dream state and recognize the physical body. Once one can look away from the hands and then back to them several times in the dream, this gate has been resolved. I have found that being able to recognize my own hands during dreaming is an excellent way to achieve lucidity.
The second Gate of Dreaming is where the individual becomes capable of using the dream body. Resolving this gate involves being able to control the body in the dream and to manipulate dream objects physically. It is also related to the ability to fall asleep without losing consciousness, as with Wake Induced Lucid Dreaming techniques. The third Gate of Dreaming is when the dreaming body and the physical body become one and one dreams of looking at oneself. And finally, the fourth Gate of Dreaming occurs when the individual is able to perceive the energetic qualities of all objects in the dream state, seeing them for what they really are rather than what they may seem to be.
Of course, the above is nothing other than a very, very brief overview of the concepts contained within The Art of Dreaming. The book itself contains a great deal more detail regarding the dream states and techniques which one can use both while awake and asleep to induce lucid dreaming and to pass through the Gates of Dreaming. Castaneda discusses dreaming procedures, the abstract explanations of these procedures, and the realms that can be entered through dreaming. The Art of Dreaming is an absolutely invaluable tool for anyone who is seeking to work with lucid and vivid dreaming at an intensely spiritual level, and I would recommend it to anyone who desires to pursue such practices! Of course, I’m always looking for more good books on the topic of dreaming, so if you have a favorite book on lucid or vivid dreaming, leave a comment and let me know what it is!