A young man told me a story about a very strange dream he had. His dream came after he read a sci-fi book about the future, in which everyone has been given the power to create whatever they desire.
In his dream he found he COULD control things and events with his thoughts, just as described in the book!
He also discovered something unexpected...everything was interconnected. So no matter what you did or created it couldn't be isolated and protected from other things; everything was subject to change. Nothing existed on it's own. No problem, he thought to himself, he'd use his power to make a world where things could be protected. But he couldn't. The underlying reality allowed things to be created, but it couldn't be controlled in it's basic nature.
Skirmishes broke out between people; then terrible, all-out war. Everyone was trying to get what THEY wanted...at the expense of everything else! Since there was no way to dis-connect, there was no way to avoid the conflicts. Things were created and destroyed at a horrifying pace. What once seemed to have had stability, became completely unstable.
Near the end of his dream he tried to escape by creating a way out, but because of interconnectedness there was NO WAY OUT. He was stuck IN.
He woke up screaming, his heart was pounding. He described having horrible fears of EVERYTHING.
When the terrible fear and shaking subsided, he paused...and noticed his environment was very peaceful! The calmer he got, the more calm he sensed everything was around him. He was afraid he was having 'a dream within a dream', and to check this theory he got out of bed and scrutinized everything. Once he knew things weren't time-bomb creations, as he'd just experienced, he walked outside and looked in amazement at what he saw.
Everything was still interconnected, but there was an ongoing sense of incredible calm. He was still thinking in terms of control and wondered who was controlling things?! He couldn't figure it out, but then stopped to wonder if ANYTHING or ANYONE was? After stopping for a long time to clearly sense if there was a 'controller', he found everything so interconnected he couldn't tell; so he finally gave up and allowed himself to just be in this wonderful place!
This is sooooo wonderful, he thought! Plants were no longer weird, distorted accomplices, plotting and destroying everything around them. Objects did't suddenly materialize to destroy you. All the plants and rocks and insect and birds seemed to be completely at ease. As he looked around he saw how plants were simply existing in the sunlight, gently moving with each breeze! Birds and insects easily moved from here to there; no sudden explosions, or ghastly meltdowns, or weird acidic substances!
He made his way home to prepare for work. Everything he saw and experienced was filled with incredible peacefulness. He'd never experienced the world this way.
Once at work he watched people in their normal activities...walking, talking, planning and trying to control things. Now their beliefs and actions didn't match; they were humorously disconnected, since what people believed didn't match what they were trying to accomplish...and they couldn't see this truth!! He sighed with relief! He also noticed a very strange reality...that no matter what anyone said or did 'to him' it no longer had any sting. He was no longer under their power, because they did't have the power!
When he went back home that evening he decided to explore more of this 'new' world. He had the most flavorful, incredibly satisfying meal in his life; and it was something he'd eaten many times before, but never experienced in this way.
After dinner he walked around his neighborhood and no matter where he went...into a store, through a park, anywhere and everywhere he found he was still in this wonderful, 'new' world... where everything seemed to be cared for and existed in peace and calm.
Before he went to bed that night, he did get concerned for a moment. What if, he wondered, when I go to sleep, I lose my way back and wind up in my 'old', pre-dream world? The thought shook him, so he tried to stay awake, but inevitably he had to fall asleep. To his amazement (and relief) he found he remained in the 'new' world when he awoke!
Years passed and he forgot the details of his once horrific dream, but
he does see symptoms of it in other people. He remembers enought to know his 'new' world is very different form theirs, and his 'old' one. He senses people would like to have the power he read about in the book and experienced in his nightmare. Any time they make comments about wanting it, or they try to find ways to have more power to control he only says, 'no you don't!'...they think he doesn't have ambition and will never be a 'success'.
Matthew
In his dream he found he COULD control things and events with his thoughts, just as described in the book!
He also discovered something unexpected...everything was interconnected. So no matter what you did or created it couldn't be isolated and protected from other things; everything was subject to change. Nothing existed on it's own. No problem, he thought to himself, he'd use his power to make a world where things could be protected. But he couldn't. The underlying reality allowed things to be created, but it couldn't be controlled in it's basic nature.
Skirmishes broke out between people; then terrible, all-out war. Everyone was trying to get what THEY wanted...at the expense of everything else! Since there was no way to dis-connect, there was no way to avoid the conflicts. Things were created and destroyed at a horrifying pace. What once seemed to have had stability, became completely unstable.
Near the end of his dream he tried to escape by creating a way out, but because of interconnectedness there was NO WAY OUT. He was stuck IN.
He woke up screaming, his heart was pounding. He described having horrible fears of EVERYTHING.
When the terrible fear and shaking subsided, he paused...and noticed his environment was very peaceful! The calmer he got, the more calm he sensed everything was around him. He was afraid he was having 'a dream within a dream', and to check this theory he got out of bed and scrutinized everything. Once he knew things weren't time-bomb creations, as he'd just experienced, he walked outside and looked in amazement at what he saw.
Everything was still interconnected, but there was an ongoing sense of incredible calm. He was still thinking in terms of control and wondered who was controlling things?! He couldn't figure it out, but then stopped to wonder if ANYTHING or ANYONE was? After stopping for a long time to clearly sense if there was a 'controller', he found everything so interconnected he couldn't tell; so he finally gave up and allowed himself to just be in this wonderful place!
This is sooooo wonderful, he thought! Plants were no longer weird, distorted accomplices, plotting and destroying everything around them. Objects did't suddenly materialize to destroy you. All the plants and rocks and insect and birds seemed to be completely at ease. As he looked around he saw how plants were simply existing in the sunlight, gently moving with each breeze! Birds and insects easily moved from here to there; no sudden explosions, or ghastly meltdowns, or weird acidic substances!
He made his way home to prepare for work. Everything he saw and experienced was filled with incredible peacefulness. He'd never experienced the world this way.
Once at work he watched people in their normal activities...walking, talking, planning and trying to control things. Now their beliefs and actions didn't match; they were humorously disconnected, since what people believed didn't match what they were trying to accomplish...and they couldn't see this truth!! He sighed with relief! He also noticed a very strange reality...that no matter what anyone said or did 'to him' it no longer had any sting. He was no longer under their power, because they did't have the power!
When he went back home that evening he decided to explore more of this 'new' world. He had the most flavorful, incredibly satisfying meal in his life; and it was something he'd eaten many times before, but never experienced in this way.
After dinner he walked around his neighborhood and no matter where he went...into a store, through a park, anywhere and everywhere he found he was still in this wonderful, 'new' world... where everything seemed to be cared for and existed in peace and calm.
Before he went to bed that night, he did get concerned for a moment. What if, he wondered, when I go to sleep, I lose my way back and wind up in my 'old', pre-dream world? The thought shook him, so he tried to stay awake, but inevitably he had to fall asleep. To his amazement (and relief) he found he remained in the 'new' world when he awoke!
Years passed and he forgot the details of his once horrific dream, but
he does see symptoms of it in other people. He remembers enought to know his 'new' world is very different form theirs, and his 'old' one. He senses people would like to have the power he read about in the book and experienced in his nightmare. Any time they make comments about wanting it, or they try to find ways to have more power to control he only says, 'no you don't!'...they think he doesn't have ambition and will never be a 'success'.
Matthew
Comments
The difficulty for most people with 'noetic' experiences, is that they are unwilling to let go of their discursive minds to find them.
Terms, such as 'omnipotence' and 'love' are found in their Zen-like koan nature. If one views them rationally they will remain distorted, creating more difficulties, than healing.
The teachings always point to deeper healing, not rational understanding and 'signs', as Jesus spoke against.
Consider this wonderful statement from Jesus (Mt. 5;45), "[Our Father] causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Which, from a conventional perspective says nothing! It's meaningless, as it doesn't support His 'goodness'. But, let it work in your mind as a koan and the meaning comes through (and Jesus showed this through his life)...our Father loves us all...none are selected or rejected...ALL are loved equally!!!
Matthew