SUBCONSCIENT DREAMS

It often happens that when something is thrown out of the waking consciousness it still occurs in dream. Dreams of this kind arise from the subconscient. It is one of the most embarrassing elements of yogic experience to find how obstinately the subconscient retains what had been settled and done with in the upper layers of consciousness. But just for that reason these dreams are often a useful indication as they enable us to pursue things to their obscure roots in the underworld and excise them.

This recurrence is of two kinds. One is when the thing is gone, but the memory and impression of it remains in the subconscient and comes up in dream form in sleep. These subconscient dream-recurrences are of no importance; they are shadows rather than realities. The other is when dreams come in the vital to test or to show how far in some part of the inner being the old movement remains or is conquered. For in sleep the control of the waking consciousness and will is not there. If then in spite of that one is conscious in sleep and either does not feel the old movement when the circumstances that are formerly caused it are repeated in dream or else soon conquers and throws it out, then it must be understood that there too the victory is won.