It’s confusing sometimes — this awakening process. The term means… what? Which part of my life is asleep? I know. I’m one of the many who bandy the term like I know of what I speak.
And sometimes I do. Sometimes, it’s clear to me that a fresh insight just opened my mind into an understanding that shifts the paradigm of my beliefs. It happened when I went to visit John of God for the first time in February of 2011 (see John of God – The Process Continues); within months the insights I gleaned from the experience evoked life-altering changes. Clearly, I “awakened” through the experience to patterns within myself that were functioning on “sleep-walking cycles”. I asked myself: Why was I drifting through choices and patterns of behavior that were unconscious? Was there any kind of benefit other than avoiding change?
But sometimes, I’m uncertain where sleep ends and awake begins. Some dreams are lovely, aren’t they? Some dreams are filled with love and laughter and wishes fulfilled… in some dreams, I can fly. Why would I want to awaken from dreams like these? Wouldn’t I rather “awaken” into them?
As I continued to navigate the ramifications of change I made that Spring of 2011, I reflected on these questions. In many ways, the changes were uncomfortable. An amplified awareness of emotional distress in the patterns I’d been living didn’t disappear as soon as I made different choices. Indeed, it got worse. Awakening meant I felt the dysfunction in my “sleep-walking choices”, and — as I grew more aware — it was a process of making peace and reclaiming an internal harmony that took focus and intention and a willingness to be available for all of the associated feelings.
Within a year, I’d put a label on it. I established a new context and perspective – a new life platform, if you will. I referred to the process as awakening into All I Am. I assumed attainment of a level of stasis, accomplishment, in terms of expanded consciousness.
Expanding consciousness — that is the definition of awakening, right?
And then I was twirled and tumbled again — by a horse riding accident that altered everything from my beliefs about how life works (see: Surrender Into Awakening ) to my ability to dress and feed myself. This time, it wasn’t an insight that evoked a decision to make changes. This time, it was Life changing me that evoked insight. I remember vividly the timeless moment I “flew” through air from the back of a bucking horse and thought to myself, “I hope this all works out OK.” Change had me in it’s grip, and I was the passenger riding beneath it’s wings.
So…which is the dream? Was the accident a dream of vulnerability or a moment of awakening from another pattern of unconscious choices? Was the accident the cure? As I progress through the many months of healing bone and ligament injuries require, am I dreaming the pain? Is there an awakened state where pain is nothing more than a cell activating regeneration? An awakened consciousness that recognizes only perfection in every physical state as a perfect unfolding?
Sometimes, in my dreams I can fly, and it is awesome!. I suppose, in some dreams then, I am touching upon the realization of pure joy in my physical being. From these dreams I have no desire to “awaken”. In these dreams, I Am.
The question remains: Which is the dream, and which is the awakened state? I stand in the question. And, until the answer is clear to me, I’ll do my best to gather insight and expanded consciousness from all of it. If it’s possible to fly and land gracefully, I’d like to be available for the opportunity ; >)
I love you. Thank you.
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A dilemma for the Ages, Ahna. Which is more real? Probably neither. Asleep is just the time when we let our three-dimensions go and redefine reality according to our impulses, without risk.
Let the tension go and be whoever you are in each awake moment (including the sleeping ones.)
The dream I had this morning… WOW! Not only did I fly, but I flew by going “into” my body consciousness and expanding until I was soaring through space. “Redefining reality” is certainly one way to describe it.
With my Jungian background, dreams (while my body is sleeping) have always been the opportunity to further understand personal evolution, both conscious and subconscious. However, as I evolve it is becoming more and more true to me that dreams further represent the “mystery” and I am always intrigued by a msytery 😛
Thanks for your comment, Dave 😀
I’m curious about the answer to that question myself, hopefully you will figure it out soon and tell us all the answer!
I appreciate your faith in me, Alan ; >)
Maybe life is all a dream and we are just characters in it. Which is the dream, and which is the awakened state? When you dream you go into other realms and dimensions. Your dream experiences can give you more experience than if you were awake like flying and other things. Yet there are some dreams that are not like that. Lucid dreams are dreams in which you know at the time that you are dreaming. I love these types of dreams as you can control everything. Great article it really makes your wonder what really is real and what we are attracting.
Exactly, Cherie!
In my experience, I’ve known all the types of dreams you describe.. including dreams that showed me events yet to happen. It is such an amazing state of being to experience… who wants to “wake up” from that?! 😛
Still, if awakening is expanding consciousness, then waking up is what it’s all about, right? Perhaps, it’s a melding of interdimensional consciousness with an ability to functioning in the 3-D world alert and conscious that is the truer defination of “awake”.
Thanks for your comment, Cherie 😀
Hi Ahnalira, thanks for sharing this post with me on G+. Your journey sounds like one of healing and discovery. I do love dreamwork! And my answer to your question is that there is no difference between the wake and sleep. The root of both is the dreamtime, the place where the past and present converge into the now. For me, the dream is what is most real. Robert Moss’ definition of dreaming is to awaken. We dream to awaken and to erase the lines between the worlds.
“Living the dream” takes on new meaning when I consider your response, Nicole. I’m a fan of Robert Moss… I hadn’t heard this definition, but it surely seems relevant, and I like the idea of erasing the lines between the worlds. I call that multi-dimensional awareness. I like that alot!
Thanks, Nicole, for your comment 😀
Here’s another perspective, from the reading I’ve been doing lately: awakening is awakening from the dream of a separate self, to the knowledge of unity with all.
Ooh, I like that, Marion! I will ponder now my criteria for “separate” and “unity” 😉
Thanks for your comment 😀
Ahna dear,
I dreamt I was flying last night, but I was flying and dancing and twisting and twirling on my driveway as I was making a stand to protect those I love from a fierce foe. I was so empowered by my words of warning to this foe of my own tremendous power that I did not even mind my neighbor looking through her window and discovering that I was a powerful being with much strength and bravery and an ability to let go of “reality” and fly in the face of danger…
What interests me about your asleep/awake discussion is the fact that NOTHING in this world is constant. The blood does not flow–it pumps. When the eye is focused on a single point it does not stare straight at the point unwaveringly, it shifts slightly from dominant eye to passive eye in order to obtain and evaluate depth of field. We are not physically awake at all times, but have cycles of sleep and wake and if you remove the sleep, the awake suffers. I think we were not as physical beings meant to be “awake” at all times. I think we require periods of rest between episodes of expansion and if we don’t take those periods of rest and recuperation seriously, the world decides for us when we should rest…
Hugs bunny….you are doing great and you inspire us all to greatness! Alex
Powerful stuff, Alex! I could feel the power in your dream even as I was reading about it… and your comment about the value of balance between dream and waking state is so powerfully described by your examples.
The balance in cycles and the willingness to be “seen” in all states of mind – Powerful stuff! Thanks, Alex, for these nuggets to ponder 😀