A Talk given before the Agni Yoga Society, April 25, 1974 by Melanie U. Adams
Presented before the Agni Yoga Society, October 20, 2015
"Dreaming has an immense significance during earthly life. Almost half of life is passed in contact with the Subtle, and even with the Fiery World." Fiery World I, 179
To open the subject of dreams we cannot do better than quote a paragraph from Mme. Roerich's Letters, Vol. II, November 23, 1937, p. 402-3:
"Undoubtedly many co-workers are helping the Forces of Light in the Subtle World....Therefore, it is advisable to have this in mind and not to avoid sleep, for some zealous co-workers attempt to reduce their hours of night's rest. Often the work in the Subtle World is even more productive than earthly work. Do tell this to your nearest friends and ask them to write down their nightly experiences. Gradually they will learn to discriminate among the complicated symbols and to discern in the impression received a certain confusion, which occurs because of insufficient discipline and lack of clarity of consciousness. But with the right striving, clarity will come. Let them fall asleep with the thought of flying to help, wherever the Great Teachers may send them."
We pass our waking lives in the conscious effort to cooperate with the Hierarchy. To this, it seems, we can add our sleeping hours. However, it is not enough simply to wish it. We are asked to try to achieve clarity of consciousness, by writing down our nightly experiences. Many have experimented with dream diaries and found that discipline is required. The first step is to have a pencil and paper at hand. The second is to make yourself, no matter how elusive and fleeting the dream, write something down. This not only sharpens the memory, but also enables you to see a trend, a pattern, in your dreams. Some people have recorded dreaming in installments. The previous night's experience is continued the following night. Finally, always address yourself to Hierarchy just before going to sleep. The idea of a nightly prayer, like most age-old rituals, is based on Truth. The nightly direction of your thoughts to the Hierarchy is the set of your rudder that will steer your bark directly to the mission assigned.
Fiery World I, 179, speaks of the influences that affect our dreams. "Dreams have been examined from many angles, yet the most significant is usually overlooked. Knocks at night, poor digestion, irritation and a great number of superficial influences are not overlooked, but all the reflexes of the Subtle World, all the influences of thought, at a distance, and, finally, all Hierarchic warnings and fiery sensations are disregarded. One must possess a highly atrophied imagination and perception to neglect these fundamentals of dreams." In a general way we will touch on these influences, superficial and fundamental, besides that of our own spirit—the Atma-Buddhi.
If you are sleeping peacefully a "knock at night" might become the sound of distant bells. If on the other hand your sleep is disturbed the knock might assume a negative disguise, and you would have a nightmare. In either case the dream would be only superficially affected: Influences from the material world are but superficial.
A propos of the negative in dreams, Mme. Blavatsky warns us that wrong-doing in dreams is undesirable. "We may have evil experiences in dreams as well as good," she says in the Secret Doctrine, Vol. 5, p.558, "we should therefore, train ourselves so as to awaken directly we tend to do wrong.”
"The Lower Manas is asleep in sense-dreams, the animal consciousness being then guided towards the Astral Light by Kama. The tendency of such sense-dreams is always towards the animal."
Visits to the Subtle World account for many of our dreams, especially those of a particularly inspiring nature. Most of us can recall dreams of being taught by teachers and chelas. It is a common experience to wake with snatches of wisdom in the mind—remembered crumbs from what was probably a feast of wise counsel. With concentration and practice we shall find ourselves able to remember the whole lesson.
When our daily life becomes routine, it is refreshing to recall experiences on other planes—beautiful trips through strange and wonderful realms; dreams in which we are given tests of courage and trust; dreams in which we function as helpers; dreams in which we are shown glimpses of the inner realities of things and events; and dreams where we are conscious of being helped physically and spiritually by kind, impersonal hands and voices. Life is enriched and beautified by dreams. Dreams contain the hidden truth of life transmitted poetically, imaginatively.
In the following paragraphs from the Teaching we should notice these points: Aspiration helps to clarify confusion. A dark state of mind is disastrous for life in both the material and subtle worlds. Dream contacts may come from the Hierarchy, the Subtle World, or earthly inhabitants. Especially interesting is the role of the fiery body in the Subtle World. It seems to function as does the mind in the physical world. As the body uses the mind to guide it, so the astral body uses the "fiery assimilations."
Here is paragraph 475 from Fiery World I: "Communions in spirit constitute a considerable part of earthly existence, and doubtless belong to the fiery nature. Not only do they occur during sleep but during our waking state we also feel many reflexes from such communions....The Teacher may point out that such contacts may be received from many sources either along the line of the thread of Hierarchy, or from the Subtle World, or from earthly inhabitants. It is very characteristic that a thought coming from the outside is forgotten quite easily. Not without reason did the ancient wisdom advise drinking a draught of cold water after such thoughts, as though a molten substance were in need of cooling to retain its form ...The same applies to dreams and visions. We not only receive fiery impulses from outside, but our subtle body exerts its entire fiery essence in order to condense the perceptions and intensify the conviction. It can be observed how the fiery perception collects all the most characteristic details....One can write down many dreams and sensations which will reveal the sharpness of the collected details. Often the fiery creativeness condenses details....It may take decades to perceive through intellect what fiery illumination effects almost instantaneously."
Fiery World I, paragraph 139 states: "A dark state of mind is the source of all misfortune....Where there is aspiration there are no confused dreams, and all details are clearly impressed. But what a danger there is if the striving is base or trivial!"
On reincarnation and dreams we find the following: "If we could remember our dreams in deep sleep then we would be able to remember all our past incarnations." Secret Doctrine, Vol. 5, p. 558
"Dreams and visions of former lives always have significance. A page of the astral archive flares up, so to speak, reminding one of the very same frame of mind being experienced in the present time." Heart, 568
Prophetic dreams are well known, and examples abound in history and literature. It is always a question in my mind as to whether or not one should mention the possibility of misfortune to the prospective victim.
Not the least important source of dreams is the Lord of our own spirit—our Atma-Buddhi. Mme. Roerich speaks of "the Unutterable Divine Principle, which abides in each human being," also of "the birth of Christ in the human soul on its way to perfection." (Letters of Helena Roerich, II, July 22, 1935, p. 10) What more natural than that this individual Lord should communicate with His child through the channel of the dream?
In studying our dreams we need to learn the meaning of our own symbols. It is helpful to examine the dream in relation to our current trend of thought. It is always exciting when, after some study, the dream symbols fit into the thought context like the parts of a jigsaw puzzle. Often the meaning is obscure, and deep thought is needed to get the message. But there is a reason. In the Teaching we read regarding Hierarchic dreams, "Thus, when it is necessary to remind about the urgency of collecting all data, the symbol of a searching man may be seen. Let us not forget that the indication is always a very careful one in order not to violate karma." Fiery World I, 180 (Emphasis added by M.A.)
For those of us whose circumstances in life are not yet suitable for communicating with the Brothers of Light in the dense body, the dream is useful. The dream is a bridge between the worlds. It is also a link between the conscious mind (Manas) and the other six aspects of consciousness. In our subtle bodies we travel far. We are helped, and we also help. The better we are trained the more helpful we can be.
Let us fall asleep with the thought of flying to help wherever the Great Teachers may send us.