It has been a while since I was a member of this message board.  I decided to rejoin under a new name.  For my first post I would like to explore the topic of Lucid Dreaming and Eastern Meditation, and how they relate to the spiritual disciplines that we Christians practice every day.

 

For those of you who don't know what lucid dreaming is, you can either visit this link or check out the book, "Exploring the world of Lucid Dreaming" by Stephen Laberge.  The simplest way to define it is a self-induced, realistic dream in which you are fully aware that you are dreaming and can control your dream.  I have been practicing lucid dreaming for over a year now and have had many intense, realistic experiences with them.

 

Recently I purchased and read Dr. Boyd's book on cataphatic prayer.  I decided to try experimenting with this kind of imaginative prayer in my lucid dreaming experience.  It took me a while to fully immerse myself in a dream where I saw Jesus, but I eventually was able to do it.  I actually felt and heard Jesus near me as we sat in the middle of a field.  It was rather frightening at first, but when I woke up I felt an overwhelming feeling of peace and comfort.  I'm still in the process of experimenting with this technique, but I wanted to get some feedback from other Christians regarding this idea.  Do you think this kind of thing is dangerous?  Am I experimenting with the occult or some other dark force?

 

The other technique I have been experimenting with is using this type of cataphatic prayer with some eastern meditation forms that I have been practicing for a few years now.  The meditation is called Chi Kung and it involves manipulating energy to increase your health and reduce stress.  These particular meditations are slow-moving patterns of movement and controlled breathing.  The Chinese teach you to imagine yourself moving a ball of energy or water as you do them.  The more you practice them, the more you actually feel yourself moving energy around your body.  It's actually quite real and it really does reduce stress and help you focus.  Since reading Dr. Boyd's book, I decided to try using some of his cataphatic prayer techniques with the Chi Kung meditation.  Instead of imagining myself moving energy, I saw myself being enveloped by the Holy Spirit and Christ's love.  I saw it moving around me and through me.  It was a much more rewarding experience than simply imagining energy or water.  I finished the meditation with a more pronounced feeling of relaxation and peace.  I was also more aware of God's love for me.

 

Now I know there are many Christians out there who feel any form of spirituality originating from eastern cultures is dangerous and evil.  I am not one of them.  My question to all of you is, do these techniques have anything to offer us Christians?  Do you feel they are treading on dangerous waters?  I myself have found them to be very rewarding experiences that strengthen my relationship with God.  I think all Christians should try to gain a better understanding of them and practice them in their daily lives.

 

I'd like to hear what others have to say on the matter.  Please weigh in on this topic.

 

- The Dreamer