All of us emerged into the world as conscious beings. At the time of our inception, not only could we decode information that we gathered from our environment through our senses – but we could also feel desire, love, pain, anger, sadness and so many other emotions. Our innate faculties helped us to understand the physical world and stoked our desire to influence it. They also served as media – reminding us of our past life experiences. Visions pertaining to our experiences in the universe – past and future – are called dreams. We have been experiencing these since infancy.
There are three types of dreams. Type 1 – experienced when we are asleep – are related to our experiences in our previous lives. These memories persist in our consciousness well after our soul has departed one physical vessel to inhabit our current shell. These past life memories often surface in the form of vignettes and elicit an emotional response. These may inspire, torture or haunt us today; depending on our actions in that life. In some sense, Type 1 dreams represent nature’s response to the intentions that guided our actions in those lives. Therefore, we can justifiably conclude that they represent some proportion of our dues from those births.
Type 2 dreams pertain to our future. We experience them when we daydream or fantasise about our attainments. All of us desire to connect to the ultimate. While we may not be aware of how to achieve a permanent connection, we are all familiar with the feeling of satisfaction that flows through our being upon achieving a short-term one. In our mind, we often equate such a connection with the enjoyment of rewards such as fame, wealth, social status etc. Thus, we conjure visions that showcase a sunny future…one resplendent with multi-coloured jewels and sparkling gemstones. Thereafter, these visions galvanise us to embark on further pursuits.
Type 3 dreams are what we experience when we are fully conscious. This is when we visualise a goal without being attached to its outcome. When we enter this state, we feel tremendously self-assured and confident of taking on challenges. We feel serene, empowered and in control of our destiny. What is the role of dreams in evolving our consciousness?
Dreams provide us with a guide to filtering ourselves of barriers; a map to scripting our journey in this life and a compass to stay on course. Type 1 dreams give us clues to correct, redress or improve upon our actions in previous lives. Type 2 dreams imbue us with a sense of resolve to embark on a journey to follow our purpose. Type 3 dreams endow us with the serenity and inner balance to plan and concretise the path which we wish to tread.
Irrespective of the type of dream we experience, we must keep in mind that they exist for one purpose. To evolve our consciousness.