Fwd: Ram Narayana

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "A. Andreas" <ajaco@xs4all.nl>
> Date: January 10, 2008 10:32:12 PM GMT+01:00
> To: nictoglobe@nictoglobe.com
> Subject: Fwd: Ram Narayana
>
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>> From: "Chris Jacobs" <ctjacobs@xs4all.nl>
>> Date: January 10, 2008 1:42:17 AM GMT+01:00
>> To: <wiaw@willisaway.com>, <ajaco@xs4all.nl>,
>> <michel@tent.xs4all.nl>, <chris.jacobs@xs4all.nl>
>> Subject: Ram Narayana
>>
>> Stephen LaBerge, Lucid Dreaming (New York: Ballantine Books,
>> 1986), pp265-267, Dreaming, Death, and Transcendence.
>>
>> The case of Ram Narayana vividly illustrates how far delusions of
>> grandeur can be taken by the semi-lucid dreamer.
>>
>> Narayana, an Indian physician and editor, had been perplexed by
>> the problem of how to convince "the creatures of his dream,
>>
>> during the dream state, that it really is a dream."
>>
>> He finally gave up trying, having decided that even if he
>> succeeded, convincing them could serve no useful purpose.
>>
>> Therefore, Narayana resolved to enjoy himself instead and to pass
>> his time while dreaming "as comfortably as possible."
>>
>> Consequently, next time he went to sleep, he addressed "the
>> assembly of his dream characters" as follows:
>>
>> "Friends, why don't you try to attain the state of extatic and
>> immortal bliss, entirely free from pain of every description?
>>
>> This state of bliss can be obtained only by entering into the
>> celestial region, the abode of the Supreme Creator.
>>
>> To this region I go daily and enjoy its pleasures for twelve hours
>> out of every twenty-four.
>>
>> I am the only incarnation and representative of the Supreme One."
>>
>> Narayana indicated that "the majority of dream creatures believed
>> in the above speech."
>>
>> A minority were skeptical of his claim of being the "Only
>> Manifestation of the Supreme Deity."
>>
>> What about Krishna, Christ, Buddha, or Mohammed? demanded the
>> doubters.
>>
>> They received the reply that "all those great men had come from
>> lower regions and were only theoretical in their teachings
>>
>> and nobody ever attained salvation through them, that the dreamer
>> alone came from the hihest spiritual plane,
>>
>> and that he would teach them the only sure and practical method of
>> reaching that region."
>>
>> Having been made the usual promises, they were charged the usual
>> price, being then told the chief condition of initiation was
>>
>> "to have implicit faith in their preceptor, the dreamer."
>>
>> Narayana went on to explain, in terms well known by the leaders of
>> cults everywhere, that "the most effective means to hypnotize
>>
>> them all in a body was then employed, which consisted of looking
>> intently into the eyes of the guru, the dreamer,
>>
>> while sacred hymns and songs of love and devotion were being
>> recited in a chorus.
>>
>> They were further impressed with the idea that ultimately every
>> one of them would reach the highest region, after one, two or more
>>
>> re-births, but having complete faith in the dreamer would reach
>> there the soonest."
>>
>> Narayana claimed that "the method proved so satisfactory that the
>> dreamer was actually worshipped by every one of the dream creatures
>>
>> and was pronounced to be the only true spiritual guide.
>>
>> He now considered himself in no way less fortunate than so many
>> leaders of the various faiths, in the waking world,
>>
>> who enjoy the pleasure of being devotely worshipped by their
>> disciples."
>>
>> This comical parody of spiritual cults would have its tragic
>> aspect as well, were it not for the fact that Narayana was eventually
>>
>> able to progress beyond this state of inflation.
>>
>> He dreamed that he fell in among a group of yogis who managed to
>> enlighten him in the following dream:
>>
>> ... another elderly figure from amongst the dream creatures rose
>> from his seat and overawed the assembly with his long grey beard
>>
>> and his yogi's staff.
>>
>> He began his oration in a curious and amusing manner, though with
>> an authoritative tone, his voice quivering with anger and his
>>
>> gaunt index finger pointing towards the dreamer: "What reason have
>> you to call us your dream creatures and yourself the creator
>>
>> of us all? If you are our creator we say equally empathetically
>> that so are we the creator of yourself. We are all in the same boat,
>>
>> and you can claim no sort of higher existence than ours. If,
>> however, you want to be convinced of my statement, I can show you
>>
>> the creator of us all, i.e. of yourself as well as ours."
>>
>> With these words, he struck the dreamer on his head with his heavy
>> staff, who, in consequence, woke up and found himself lying
>>
>> in his bed with his mind extremely puzzled.[15]
>>
>> The yogi's point is that the dream ego (mistaken for "the dreamer"
>> by Narayana) is just another dream figure.
>>
>> The actual creator of the dream is not part of the dream at all -
>> being, in fact, the sleeping self.
>>
>> [15] Narayana, R., ed., The Dream problem and Its Many Solutions
>> in Search After Truth, vol 1
>>
>> (Delhi, India: Practical Medicine, 1922), p. 301-5.
>>
>> Chris Jacobs