Is life simply a dream?

Is life simply a dream?

Jimmy Henderson

‘Reality is merely an illusion, although a very persistent one.’

Albert Einstein

Metaphors are also very useful in explaining what is meant by some writers when they refer to the world as an illusion, a delusion or a dream. As conscious beings we can all dream, and there is no logical reason why a cosmic singularity such as a larger, universal (divine) Mind should not be able to create complex dreamlike scenarios as well in which we, as self-conscious archetypal images would be merely actors, and every event taking place in this world merely a dramatisation. Although our sensations, emotions and experiences would seem very real in terms of our limited perception, as with a dream, our sensory experiences may exist only in consciousness.

“Indeed, the whole world is imagination, while He is the Real in Reality. Whoever understands this knows all the secrets of the Spiritual Path.”

Ibn Al-'Arabi

The fact that we all essentially have the same experience of life and reality would suggest that this one dream would be shared by all, and this once again supports the idea of a unified or collective Mind. The dream-metaphor can also explain a number of scientific, psychological, philosophic and religious theories and dilemmas in the world today, for example, why in science, we are, as yet, unable to discover the ultimate source of reality. However, when reality is viewed on another level as the dream-state of a universal Mind, a possible answer presents itself, in that we ourselves form an integral part of the dream, and as such, are simply unable to measure it.  

In terms of psychology, the dream-metaphor has some support from research into Constructivism, in which the structure and functioning of our perceptual processes suggests that we may have constructed a self-imposed veil of delusion to hide a reality that is, as yet, not able to be mentally processed.  Research shows that our own dreams are the result of issues and tensions seeking resolution, and philosophically, using the dream metaphor, human history could similarly be seen as a process of adjustment, correction (resolution) and expansion taking place within a universal (divine) Mind or consciousness.

The dream metaphor introduces another possibility, that within the shared dream, we each have a higher self or soul that is a dreamer in its own right. In terms of this analogy, the human soul could be compared to the eye of a storm, a centre of pure self-awareness surrounded by levels of perceptual (sensory), emotional and psychological activity which flow and feed from this core. In other words, one’s experience of human life is ultimately limited to a series of or enactments involving a multitude of characters and scenarios which could be compared to a theatrical dramatisation or even a dream. 

This would suggest that each person’s personal circumstances and experiences are the result of his or her own co-created dream and explains the religious dilemma that error and imperfection exists and yet the soul remains pure and is not subject to corruption. They remain like dust on the cloak of spirituality and can be shaken off through a process of acknowledgement, confession and forgiveness. In other words, inner resolution is more a process of ‘letting go’ to unveil the authentic self rather than trying to construct a more perfect sense of self. At the end of the day, perceived imperfections merely represent a lack of understanding of the role and purpose of the collective dream, and these will eventually dissolve into nothingness, leaving behind the only reality, which is consciousness itself.

 ‘The branches of a tree are shaken by the wind; the trunk remains unmoved’.
Helena P. Blavatsky

Finally, the metaphor of the dream can also help to explain a number of controversial religious ideas such as rebirth and reincarnation. In everyday life we fall asleep and dream, awaken to new experiences, only to later fall asleep and dream again. Yet we remain the same person. This process could also apply to souls as well, having to pass through different dreams (spheres of experience) until they awaken fully. 

Jimmy Henderson is a philosopher, metaphysical teacher and the author of a number of books and articles on self-development. He has an Honours degree in philosophy (metaphysics) and a Masters degree in Psychology. His books ‘Multi-Dimensional Thinking’ (2007) and ‘Multi-dimensional Perception’ (2010) are available on Amazon.com and Kalahari.com and can also be ordered via the Metavarsity website as well as his own website www.jimmyhendersonbooks.com