As a general rule, each individual has a period of the night
that is more favourable for dreams, during which his activity is more fertile,
more intellectual, and the mental circumstances of the environment in which he
moves are more interesting.
The great majority of dreams have no other value than that of
a purely mechanical and uncontrolled activity of the physical brain, in which
certain cells continue to function during sleep as generators of sensory images
and impressions conforming to the pictures received from outside.
These dreams are nearly always caused by purely physical
circumstances—state of health, digestion, position in bed, etc.
With a little self-observation and a few precautions, it is
easy to avoid this type of dream, which is as useless as it is tiring, by
eliminating its physical causes.
There are also other dreams which are nothing but futile
manifestations of erratic activities of certain mental faculties, which
associate ideas, conversations and memories that come together at random.
Such dreams are already more significant, for these erratic
activities reveal to us the confusion that prevails in our mental being as soon
as it is no longer subject to the control of our will, and show us that this
being is still not organised or ordered within us, that it is not mature enough
to have an autonomous life.
Almost the same in form to these, but more important in their
consequences, are the dreams which I mentioned just now, those which arise from
the inner being seeking revenge when it is freed for a moment from the
constraint that we impose upon it. These dreams often enable us to perceive
tendencies, inclinations, impulses, desires of which we were not conscious so
long as our will to realise our ideal kept them concealed in some obscure
recess of our being.
You will easily understand that rather than letting them live
on unknown to us, it is better to bring them boldly and courageously to the
light, so as to force them to leave us forever.
We should therefore observe our dreams attentively; they are
often useful instructors who can give us a powerful help on our way towards
self-conquest.
If our night has enabled us to gain some new knowledge—the
solution of a problem, a contact of our inner being with some centre of life or
light, or even the accomplishment of some useful task—we shall always wake up
with a feeling of strength and well-being.
The hours that are wasted in doing nothing good or useful are
the most tiring.
(CWM, Volume 2, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Puducherry)
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