Seeker: Ramji, sometimes I think I know what the dreams mean while in the waking state. I thought that since I know I am awareness it might give me a more accurate basis to interpret my own dreams since others may be ignorant of that (most important) factor.

I was wondering though: Since dreams are vasanas, why am I having so many dreams? Does this indicate a heavy load of residual vasanas? I know for many years I lived a very tamasic lifestyle, so I am assuming that there is a lot of undigested experience that has not been assimilated yet. Does that sound right?

Ramji: Yes, as Swamiji, your spiritual grandfather, used to say, it is “the vomit of the mind,” i.e. vasanas coming up. When you realize who you are there is nothing to hide or protect and the repression mechanism that hides stuff that contradicts the ego’s good opinion of itself is no longer useful and the stuff works out, often in dreams. You can either dismiss it all as vomit – Swamiji used to say, “Why pick though your vomit?” – or you can “process it” by understanding it. Actually, knowing who you are, as you do, is a big aid in understanding this stuff. But it is really no mystery. If it troubles you it is probably Shadow stuff, just fear. Tamas is born of fear, lives in fear and dies in fear. It comes in many forms, guilt being one of the most obvious. And of course it is in bed with rajas, so you get the rajasic stuff too: desire, anger, hostility, frustration, etc.

Take is as prasad, investigate it. Anyway, there is no need for self-inquiry anymore, so it seems Isvara is giving you another job to keep you off the streets. It is a lot of fun, actually. The two years I spent on dreams was a lovely part of my life.

~ Ramji